Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	good_a	king_n	people_n	3,603	5	4.8197	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74791	A whip for the present House of Lords, or the Levellers levelled. in an epistle writ to Mr. Frost, secretary to the Committee of State, that sits at Darby House, in answer to a lying book said to be his called A declaration, &c. / By L.C. Io. Lilburne, prerogative prisoner in the Tower of London, Feb. 27, 1647.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.; Frost, Walter, fl. 1619-1652.	1648 (1648)	Thomason E431_1	47,524	30

I had given them the substance of the beginning of our discourse there I ●cquainted them that it was objected by some in the Company that the people all over the Kingdome ●ere generally very ignorant and malignant and hated the Parliament and us whom they called Round ●eads Independents c. for our Cordiall adhering to them under whom they groaned under greater op●ressions and burthens then before the Parliament And for all their expences and fightings were never 〈◊〉 whit the fre●r either at present or in future grounded hopes and therefore for us that were for the ●oresaid reasons so hatefull to the generollity of the people to act in this Petition they would but con●emn it for our sakes and be provoked to rise up against us Vnto which Mr. Speaker my self c. answered to this effect the people are generally malignant and more for the King then for the Parliament but what 's the reason but because their burthens are greater now then before and are likely to continue without any redresse or any visible valuable consideration holden out unto them for all the blood and treasure they had spent for their liberties and freedoms And the reason why they were so ignorant and did so little enquire after their liberties and freedoms was Mr. Speaker because that though the Parliament had declared in generall that they engaged to fight for their liberties yet they never particularly told them what they were nor never distinctly h● forth the glory and splendor of them to make them in love with them and to study how to pres 〈◊〉 them and for want of a cleare declaring what was the particulars of the Kings rights and the natu● of his office and what was the Parliaments particular priviledges power and duty to the people of 〈◊〉 Kengdome that chosed and betrusted them and what particularly was the peoples rights and freedom● they were hereby left in blindnesse and ignorance and by reason of their oppressions because the● knew no better doted implicitely upon the King as the fountain of peace justice and righteousnesse without whom nothing that was good could have a being in this kingdome And I told them 〈◊〉 Speaker it was no marvell that the poore people in this particular were in foggs mists wildernesse● and darkenesse considering that this House in their Declarations hath so plaid at fast and loose w●● them for though Mr. Speaker this house voted to th● effect * See the Votes of May 20. 1642. 1. part book decl pag. 259 260. compared with pag. 499. 508 509 574. 576. 580. 584 587. 617. 618. 632. 640. 722. 914. that the King being seduced by evill Councell h● made warre against the Parliament and people and that th● are trayters that assisted him And further declared th● he had set up his Standard against the Parliament an● people and thereby put the whole Kingdome out of his protection contrary to the trust reposed in him contrary to 〈◊〉 oath dissolving government thereby And that he in his own person marched up in the head of o● Army by force of Armes to conquer and distroy the Parliament and in them the whole kingdome th● lawes and liberties And yet Mr. Speaker with the same breath declared the King is the fountaine of justice * See 1 part book decla p. 199. 304. and that he can do● no wrong and forc'd the people to take oaths and Covenants to preserve his person and yet at the same time gave the Earle of Essex and all those under hi● Commission to fight with kill and slay all that opposed them and declared the King in his own person marched in the head of an Army to oppose and destroy them and yet gave them Commission to fight fo● King and Parliament so that Mr. Speaker here was riddle upon riddle and mystery upon mystery which did even confound and amaze the people and put them into Woods and Wildernesses that they could not see or know where they are or what to think of themselves or of the Parliament or o● the King only this they very well know that their burthens are greater now then ever they were before and that they have been made fooles in pretendingly to fight for liberty which hath brought them into bondage and that though it was formerly declared the King had no negative voice or legislative power but is bound by oath to passe all such lawes as the people folke or Commons shall chuse yet no● the Parliament sends unto him againe and againe for his concurrence to their Acts as though the giving of life soule and power to their actings were undisputably and inseparably inherent in him and as though now there consciences told them they must crave pardon of him for all the actions they have done without him and against him O ridles and unfathomable mysteries sufficiently able to make the people desirous to be ignorant of their liberties and freedomes forever and never to hear of them more especially considering they have paid so deare pretendedly for the enioyment of them and yo● after 5. years fighting for them know not where to find one of them But Mr. Speaker they were told that in this Petition the people had clearly held out unto them and that upon the undeniable principles of reason and justice the Kings rights the Parliaments and their own and that the two former were and of right alwayes ought to be subservient to the good of the latter and they were told it was not so much persons as things that the people doated upon and therefore undoubtedly those that should really hold out iustice and righteousnesse unto them were those that they would be in love with and therefore in mercy to our selves and in love and compassion to our native Country it was pressed that every man that desired to fulfill his end in comming into the world and to be like unto his master in doing good should vigorously promote and further this just and gallant Petition as the princeple meanes to procure safety peace iustice and prosperitie to ●he land of our nativitie and knit the hearts and spirits of our divided Country men in love againe each unto other and in love unto us which they could not chuse but afford when they should visibly ●ee we endeavoured their good as well and as much as our own there being all the principle founda●ions of freedome and iustice that our hearts could desire and long after in this very Petition And if our greatest end were not accomplished in our prosecuting of this Petition viz. the Parliaments establishing the things therein desired yet the promoting of it would beg it understanding and knowledge ●n the people when they should heare it and read it and discourse upon it and if nothing but that were effected our labour would not be totally lost for nothing did more instate Tyrants in the secure possession of Tyranny then ignorance and blindnesse in the people And therefore for the begitting of knowledge

lyes upon m● by law for all charges in law ought to be in writing under the hand or hands of him or them that chargeth And in that forme that the Law requires and proceeded in according to the forme of the Law of the land expressed in the 29. chap. of the Great Charter and those lawes which expound it which are mentioned and nominated in the Pet●ion of Right * Which you may may at large read in my Plea before M Corbet c. recorded in the 8 9 10. pages of my book called the resolved mans resolution and in Mr. John W●ldmans late defence called tou●hs triumph which this pretended verball charge is not in the least And indeed Mr. Speaker in law it is no charge at all neither in the way this informer is in can I well have any remedy against him in case he abuse me for as I understand if he tell twenty lyes against me I cannot punish him but if he maliciously sweare one against me I have his eares at my mercie c. * See Sir Edward Cooks 3. part instituts fol. And a betrayer of my libertys J should be if I should looke upon it as any charge at all And in that consideration returne an answer to it and therefore againe saving unto me the rights and priviledges ☞ of an English man which is to be tryed by no other rules or methods for any reall or pretended crime whatsoever then what is expresly declared by the known established and declared lawes of England nor by nor before any other authority or magestracy then what the Law hath authorised to be the executors of it † Which I am sure the House of Commons are not in the least their proper worke being to repeale and make Lawes and to leave the execution of them to the Iudges and Iustices of peace c. see the peoples prerogative p 40 41 72 7. M. ●eldmans truths triumph p 17 18 19. J say sauing as before I have expressed J shall out of that ingenuity of spirit and candidnesse and integrity of heart that dwells within me and out of that high and honourable respect I beare to the interest and just athority of this House give you if you please a free voluntary full and perfect relation of all the most materialest actions passages and speeches that have past from me about this Petition since it was first begun to our conclusion of our late meeting at W●●p●● And I shall the rather at present ●●y aside the punctillo●s of my liberty which is nor to answer to any interrogatries or confesse any thing against my selfe till it be legally and punctually proved because I have longed for such an oportuity as this and my silence at this time might in the prejudised opinions of some among you against me argue in their spirits my guiltinesse of all their lyes laid unto my charge and thereby m●ght in their own hearts take me pro confesso and conclude me guilty from my silence but without a grant of free liberty from this house to speak my minde freely without any interruption I shall not say one word more but remain in perfect silence so the Speaker commanded us to withdraw which we did And about a quarter of an houres time after the Sargeant at Armes came with his Mace and ushered us in againe and having placed our selues at the Bar Mr Speaker having a paper in his hand looked upon it and said to this effect Mr. Masterson the House conceives that you have nothing high given them so full a relation of this businesse to day to Mr. Lilburns face as you did yesterday when you were single † And I am sure this relation that he hath ●ven in under his hand to the Comittee ●f Darby house and printed by him in is answer to Mr. Wildmans book and re●rinted in Mr. Frosts for mencioned book 〈◊〉 not one halfe of what he said at the Ho●se of Commons b●r and yet their are ●es enough for all that as appears by an ●nswer to it called a lash for a Lyar. therefore I am commanded to ask you what you say to such and such a thing and mencioned as I remember about 6. or 7. perticulars the substance of all his accusation so nere as that litle heed that I gave unto it would inable me to Collect was to this effect That there was a designe especially by me declared at the foresaid meeting contrived by me c. to destroy or cut of both houses of Parliament and that we could not be far form the intention of executing of it in regard I had appointed blew ribons to be worne in the hats of all those that should be saved alive and that though we did now draw a Petition to the House yet it was no more but a Cloak or Colour to raise the people by that so we might the more covertly make our selves strong enough ●o destroy them But after he had done the Speaker told me the house had given me free liberty to say what I pleas●d at which I made a Congy and mightily raised up my heart to God with an earnest inward Cry up ●o Heaven now to come in if ever with power strength wisdome resolution and utterance accord●●● to his wonted goodnesse and praysed be his name he heard my inward sight and eyes unto him and ●ut as it were a new heart and burning fire into all the blood in my vains raised up my spirit high be●ond its ordinary temper and with a litle pause I begun and said after this manner with a soft ●oyce Mr. Speaker I take it for no small honour to be admited this day to this great though just privi●edge to have free liberty to speak my mind freely and boldly without interruption and having againe ●remised what is before premised and protested againe what is before protested with a loude and mighty voyce though with an easie and senceable command over my selfe I went punctuall on with ●ut the least interruption and extempory said Mr. Speaker I doe here freely and voluntarily confesse it that I had a band or a finger in drawing the 〈◊〉 Petition with ●arge marginall notes fixed to it and that I also had a hand in putting it to the ●rinting grosse and paying for it and went on giving the House the grounds and reasons of my so do●ng acquainting them with all the pains I had taken to promote that gallant Petition in City and Country telling them that I durst at their bar with confidence aver it that there is never a man in England that dare or can justly speak against the body or scope of that just necessary and righteous Petition unlesse it be those that have guiltie consciences within them or those that are of and allied unto some of those corrupt interests that are there struck at I also acquainted them truly with the reall causes of our late meeting at Wapping that Masterson ●omplained of and after

upon my own charges with the foresaid glad tidings was to be voted by the house about 8. Clerk at night to be clapt by the heeles without to this day expressing any pretended or reall crime or cause ●herefore without eversomuch as calling me though then at the doore to speak one word for my self a harsh peece of iustice Mr. Speaker but yet this was not all for the causlesse indignation of this House * And I must and will now say here in ●he margent that Mr. William Lenthall ●he speaker was the principalest man that ●en sought to murder and destroy me for ●y Innocency and the powerful fountain from whence all my then miseries and sufferings did come although I medled nor made not with him before he had got me clapt by the heeles only he having 〈◊〉 guiltie conscience in him made him smite any that he apprehended stood in his way but this let me ●w tell him that I am very confident of it if Mr. Laurance Whittaker Mr. Corbet and the rest of ●he Committee of Examinations had performed the duty of righteous Judges and not have made a most false and lying report to the House of Commons Mr. Speaker had been proved a Traytor according to their own Ordinances but read Englands birth right burnt so hot against me that upon the 9. of August following they caused me to be sent from the Sargeant at Armes his messengers house to Newgate and by all the meanes I could use in the world could neither get this House not its Committees before whom I was to tell me in the least the cause wherefore they were angry with me and yet your causelesse indignation rested not here but when I was in Newgate this House made severall Orders for Mr. Bradshaw Mr. Steele and Mr. Walker to prosecute me for my ●ife as J conceived at the Sessions in the Old Bailey and a Iury was also as I was informed panneld upon me and hundreds of my friends gave me over for a dead man and many times pressed me to seeke ●he favour of this house which I alwayes absolutely refused and trusted to the protection of God my ●nnocency and my pen and in conclusion this House sent me 100. l. to help to beare my charges and the 14. Octob. 1645. by Vote of this house as a iust and innocent person against whom no crim ●nformation or charge had or could be laid released me So that Mr. Speaker you see that this very house upon false and ungrounded information † By or from your self Mr. Speaker Dr. Bastwick and Col. Edward King which causlesly heated and inflamed their indignation against me had like to imbrued their hands formerly in my innocent blood and yet in conclusion were necessitated to release me as an innocent iust and righteous man and Mr. Speaker I could tell this House the name of those in this House that were the principall prosecuters of me in this uniust and unrighteous manner but for that ingenious and honourable respect that I have this day injoyed from this house I am at present in that particular silent only I must acquaint this house that I was no sooner at liberty then the agents of your brother Sir John Lenthall Mr Speaker went up and down the city declaring that I and my confederates had a plot in hand by force of A●mes to destroy this Parliament * And Mr William Prinn was authorised by authority being the common divulger of Lyes to print it see his book called the Lyar confounded pag. 27 and my answer to it called Innocency and Truth iustified pag. 4 5 6. 34 35. where I prove that in eight lines he hath told thirteen or foureteen Lyes of which when I heard I went to Alderman Atkins now a Member of this House and then Lord Maior of London before whom some of Sir Iohns Agents Complotters and Knights of the post were brought and desired him to doe me justice upon them by taking such a legall course that they might be put upon the effectuall proofe of 〈◊〉 conspiracie and treasons which they accused me of or examplary iustice done upon them for the false accusations and combinations to take away my life But truly Mr. Speaker I must clearely declare to this house that I clearely apprehend these persons were set on by men of such power that 〈◊〉 then Lord Maior of London now a member of this House neither durst nor would doe me one dra● of Iustice † And who those men of power are you may find named in Englands Birth right and my book called Innocency and truth iustified in which two books you may read the whole history of all that desperate combate And Mr. Speaker I looke upon this very accusation given against me as a designed plou● melicious and false a thing as any of these formentioned do hope to find so much honour and justice now at t● hands of this Honourable house especially considering that now I have in some good measure give● them to understand how maliciously formerly I have been dealt with that they will not in the lea● condemne or punish me upon this verball suggestion nor have the least evill thoughts of me till the● see the businesse fully debated according to law and common iustice And now to conclud all Mr Speaker I shall humbly crave the patience of this house to heare me tw● or three words about my own particular businesse that hath hung so long in this house And what I have to say in this particular I shall be very briefe in And in the first place Mr. Speaker as for my appeale to this house which hath hung here almo●● two yeares without your judgement or finall determination post upon it although I for my part Mr Speaker have used all the wayes and meanes I can to procure it but as yet Mr. Speaker I can not obtaine it I therefore make it my humble sute unto this Honourable House that if yet they be not satisfied in the legally of my protest against the Lords usurping jurisdiction over me that then thi● house Mr. Speaker will be pleased to appoint a day in the open house to heare me openly whe● † As all pleadings or tryalls in all Courts of justice ever ought to be See 2. part inst fo 103. 104 and regall tyranny p. 81 82. 83. And the Royall quarrell p. 8. S. Io. Maynards case truly stated now Mr Speaker I solemnly offer singly and alone 〈◊〉 this bar to maintaine and iustifie the legallitie of my proceedings against the Lords against all the procters they have in England to send to this bar to plead their caus● for them face to face yea Mr. Speaker I shall be willing they shall take in the helpe of all the Agents they have 〈◊〉 this House † And the helpe of their Creatures in the House I the rather proferred them because I was certainly informed that Mr. Sam. Brown Mr. Pridix and Mr. Hill all