A88579:39
A clear and necessary vindication of the principles and practices of me Christopher Love,…A cleare and necessary vindication of the principles and practices of me Christopher Love,…
A clear and necessary vindication of the principles and practices of me Christopher Love, since my trial before, and condemnation by, the High Court of Justice. Whereby it is manifested, that a close prison, a long sword, a High Court, and a bloody scaffold, have not in the least altered my judgment. Whereas also the cruelty of the sentence, the insufficiency of the proofs, and my own innocency, are demonstrated. As also my grounds and reasons of giving in a narrative, and the lawfulness of the matter and titles of my petitions (though to usurpers) manifested and maintained. Together with a declaration of my judgement concerning Cromwells unlawful invasion of the kingdom of Scotland. Written by me Christopher Love, Master of Arts, minister of Lawrence Jury, London; penned by me the eighth of August, fourteen days before my death.A cleare and necessary vindication of the principles and practices of me Christopher Love, since my tryall before, and condemnation by, the High Court of Iustice. Whereby it is manifested, that a close prison, a long sword, a High Court, and a bloody scaffold, have not in the least altered my judgment. Whereas also the cruelty of the sentence, the insufficiency of the proofs, and my own innocency, are demonstrated. As also my grounds and reasons of giving in a narrative, and the lawfulness of the matter and titles of my petitions (though to usurpers) manifested and maintained. Together with a declaration of my judgement concerning Cromwells unlawfull invasion of the kingdom of Scotland. Written by me Christopher Love, Master of Arts, minister of Lawrence Iury, London; penned by me the eighth of August, fourteen days before my death.
London : s.n., Printed in the year 1651
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. I say in my Petition, That I desire to be deeply humbled under the mighty hand of God, lying low before the Lord and you, putting his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope that God will pardon his manifold Iniquities, and your Honours pass by his offence done contrary to your Laws, which as formerly did, so I do still confess renders me faulty, for which I am unfeignedly sorry. In which words I desire the Reader to observe I do only in the general beg pardon for my manifold Iniquities, without restraining it to this particular fact for which I am condemned. I am assured that what they count Sin is Duty, and what they judge Treason is Loyalty. Secondly, when I beg their Honours to pass by my offences done contrary to their Laws, I do not intend it as if my offending against their Laws made me a transgressor against Gods Laws; no they are transgressors against Gods Law for making such Laws, not I for breaking them. Thirdly, I used this passage [against your Laws] on purpose to distinguish their new Laws from the Ancient and Fundamental Laws of this Nation. Fourthly, when I say I am by their Laws rendered faulty, I do not, nor never did intend it as to God, but if I respect their laws singly I am faulty by them, for I confess I have broken them; yet as to God they are faulty in making them, not I in breaking them. Fifthly, when I say I am unfeignedly sorry that I have done it contrary to their Laws, My meaning is, because of the penalty their Laws inflict, viz. Imprisonment and Death, for this I am sorry; As for Gods Law I desire to grieve more for the offence than the Punishment, ⟨p. 6⟩but as for their Laws I am not bound to do so.
3. I say in my Petition, That I desire to be deeply humbled under the mighty hand of God, lying low before the Lord and you, putting his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope that God will pardon his manifold Iniquities, and your Honours passe by his offence done contrary to your Laws, which as formerly did, so I doe still confesse renders me faulty, for which I am unfeignedly sorry. In which words I desire the Reader to observe I doe onely in the generall beg pardon for my manifold Iniquities, without restraining it to this particular fact for which I am condemned. I am assured that what they count Sin is Duty, and what they judge Treason is Loyalty. Secondly, when I beg their Honours to passe by my offences done contrary to their Laws, I do not intend it as if my offending against their Laws made me a transgressor against Gods Lawes; no they are transgressors against Gods Law for making such Laws, not I for breaking them. Thirdly, I used this passage [against your Lawes] on purpose to distinguish their new Lawes from the Ancient and Fundamentall Lawes of this Nation. Fourthly, when I say I am by their Laws rendered faulty, I doe not, nor never did intend it as to God, but if I respect their laws singly I am faulty by them, for I confesse I have broken them; yet as to God they are faulty in making them, not I in breaking them. Fifthly, when I say I am unfeignedly sorry that I have done it contrary to their Laws, My meaning is, because of the penalty their Lawes inflict, viz. Imprisonment and Death, for this I am sorry; As for Gods Law I desire to grieve more for the offence than the Punishment,