A Triple Paradox, Part 4
A Word on the behalf of Mr. Zachary Crofton Priſoner in the Tower.
Whatſoever ye would that men ſhould do unto you, do ye the ſame unto them; for this is the Law and the Prophets,
Matth. 7. 12.
SInce all men erre, and one way, or another,
Occaſion what miſ-happens to each other,
I cannot but be ſenſible of that,
Which may bee mine, and ev'ry mans eſtate.
CROFTON's a Priſoner, and, ſome ſay, muſt dye;
Yet, I, from none, can learn the reaſon why.
If his declaring for the COVENANT,
Be all his Crime, a reaſon I ſhall want,
To ſatisfie mee, by what Law wee ſhall
Conclude that his Offence is Capital;
Or, how, that can imputed be for ſin,
Which, by no Law, hath yet forbidden been.
GOD, bleſs the King and State; and ſo mens reaſon
Preſerve, that, we may once know Truth from Treaſon,
Leſt we at laſt be brought into a ſnare,
And, be uncertain, when we Traitors are:
For, though it ſafely might bee juſtifi'd
That, rather than GOD, Men ſhould be obey'd;
Such, may not be their own Friends, who condemn
That man, who pleaded both for GOD, and them,
And, to the hazzard of his life perſiſts,
In vindicating their Joynt-Intereſts,
To no mans diſadvantage, except thoſe,
Who, are to GOD and Men, apparent foes.
Mee thinks, it is great pity, that, a man
Who, to GOD, King and Church, both may, and can
Be ſerviceable; and, who doth profeſs
His Judgement, in meer conſcientiouſneſs
Without deſign'd contempt, unto the State,
Or, purpoſing a mutinous debate,
And, never gave juſt cauſe to be ſuſpected,
He was to either of them diſaffected,
(But, unto both of them, good ſervice did,
When they of Faithful Servants had moſt need;
And, hath but done his duty, to oppoſe
Thoſe Harpies, which to all Good men are foes)
Should by miſtake, or, by miſ-information,
As one, who had deſerved no compaſſion,
A Sufferer with Malefactors be
Becauſe, hee ſees not, what he cannot ſee;
Or, elſe, becauſe he cannot credit give
To what, he findes no reaſon to beleeve;
For, who will care for life, where Prelacy
Attains to ſuch a height of Tyranny,
That, it inſlaves both Soul and Body too?
And, where, of what we ſhould beleeve and do,
No certainty, can by their LIGHT be known,
Nor leave obtain'd, to make uſe of our own,
Though voluntarily the King ingag'd
To let the Conſcience be ſo priviledg'd;
And, Mercy, in ſome other things, did ſhow
Whereof, the Prelacy will not allow,
Whether the COVENANT, by right, or wrong,
Were made, or burnt, it doth not now belong
To private men to queſtion: For, when dooms
Are paſt in Parliament, the Caſe then comes
Before GOD's Judgement-Seat; and, woe to them,
Who, that, which hee approves of, ſhall condemn.
Till, therefore, he, thence anſwers their appeal
Wiſe men, their private thinkings will conceal,
And, him implore, to whom referr'd it is,
To right what's wrong, and pardon what's amiſs.
What, Fame reports by Crofton to be done
I, ſingly and ſincerely muſing on,
Do finde, by that; whereof inform'd I am,
That, hee more merited reward than blame,
Unleſs, that, wherein other men have err'd
(Without his fault) may be to him transferr'd.
The Covenant hee took, but did not make it;
Nor forced any one to take, or break it;
But, in his place alone, the ſame maintain'd
(To his own hazzard) as it appertain'd
Unto the honour, peace, and preſervation
Both of the Royal perſons, and the Nation,
As he thought it oblig'd; and as it ſtood
In force, relating to the Will of GOD
And, no jot further; unleſs, wee ſuppoſe
Hee err'd, in preſſing it, to bar out thoſe
Who, have been, ſtill are, and will be agen,
Foes unto GOD, to Kings, and Common men,
As ſoon as they themſelves enabled finde,
To do the work, for which they were deſign'd.
For, that, which CROFTON moſt inſiſted on,
(As purpoſ'd by the Covenant to be done)
Is an exploding of the Hierarchy
Brought in, by Antichriſtian-Prelacy,
(To whoſe ſupport, his Oath cannot extend
Who, CHRIST's Faith, is obliged to defend.)
And, if that, be a fault, GOD, mee forgive,
For, therein, I reſolve, to dye, and live.
The ſtreſs of his Caſe, as appears to mee,
Lies there; if, hee of ought elſe guilty bee,
I, leave him to excuſe himſelf; for, never
Saw I his face, nor ſhall perhaps for ever.
But, hee's in durance, and I fain would do
As, in his Caſe, I would bee done unto;
And, peradventure, it will needful bee
That, ſome, ere long, ſhould do as much for mee.
There are, beſides thoſe actings, which do fall
Within the duties of our Common-call,
Some, having ſo peculiar Relation,
To GOD's Deſignments in our Generation,
That, they not onelyonly do the force abate
Of what is call'd, The Reaſon of the State,
But, of thoſe Precepts alſo, at ſometimes,
Whoſe violations are moſt hainous Crimes,
In any other caſe; as may appear,
By many proofs, which I will now forbear.
GOD, doth a Generation-work deſign;
For, ev'ry man: Theſe, are a part of mine,
And, I had rather dye ten deaths for one
Than take ten lives, to let it bee undone.
Till that is done, mee, Lord vouchſafe to keep;
And, David-like, then, let mee fall aſleep.Act. 13. 36.
End of the text · George Wither, A Triple Paradox (1661)