A88579:53
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.
Thirdly, In a sense (though a rigid and forced sense) I must confess, the sentence may be said to be just, for although there was no single personal fact proved against me which made me guilty of Treason; yet my facts being (they say) of a continued time, and complicated nature, I cannot deny, but upon the whole matter, they have by rigid collections, and strained consequences, hooked me within the general clause of the Act of August the second 1650. To abet, countenance, or encourage the Scottish Nation, or the Forces adhering to them, which is declared to be Treason. There was no Act but this could reach me, and no particular clause in this Act but these general words of abetting, countenancing, or encouraging the Scottish Nation, or the Forces adhering to them, for which I was condemned. I do not deny but I might in a sort be brought under some of these general words, if the Members of the High Court would put a harsh and rigid interpretation (as they have done) upon what was proved against me; they might have put a more candid and fair interpretation upon what was proved against me; if they had not been led more by Interest than by Conscience, they might have saved their Oaths and my life too; I believe some of them said in their Consciences at least, we find no cause of death in this ⟨p. 10⟩man, but others mighty say, as the Jews to Pilate, you are no friends to Caesar, you are no friends to the State, if you condemn not this man to dye. Others of them haply may through blindness and partiality be so bound up in their Consciences, as Herod was, that he must cut off John Baptist's head for his Oath sake; so, forsooth, because they had sworn to execute justice upon all that came before them, according to those Acts, they by forced inferences, and tortured collections, bringing me under one clause of the Act of August 2. 1650. thought they were bound by their Oaths to condemn me, so to avoid the appearance of perjury they commit murder, as Herod did in cutting off John Baptist's head, pretending that he should break his Oath if John Baptist did not lose his head.
Thirdly, In a sence (though a rigid and forced sence) I must confesse, the sentence may be said to be just, for although there was no single personall fact proved against me which made me guilty of Treason; yet my facts being (they say) of a continued time, and complicated nature, I cannot deny, but upon the whole matter, they have by rigid collections, and strained consequences, hookt me within the generall clause of the Act of August the second 1650. To abett, countenance, or incourage the Scotish Nation, or the Forces adhering to them, which is declared to be Treason. There was no Act but this could reach me, and no particular clause in this Act but these generall words of abetting, countenancing, or incouraging the Scotish Nation, or the Forces adhering to them, for which I was condemned. I do not deny but I might in a sort be brought under some of these generall words, if the Members of the High Court would put a harsh and rigid interpretation (as they have done) upon what was proved against me; they might have put a more candid and faire interpretation upon what was proved against me; if they had not been led more by Interest than by Conscience, they might have saved their Oathes and my life too; I believe some of them said in their Consciences at least, we find no cause of death in this