John Lilb Tried and Cast, Title page – Dedication
LIEUT. COLONEL JOHN LILB. TRYED and CAST: OR, His Caſe and Craft diſcovered.
Wherein is ſhewed the Grounds and Reaſons of the Parliaments proceeding, in paſſing the Act of Baniſhment againſt him, and wherefore ſince his coming over hee hath been committed to the Tower by the PARLIAMENT.
Here likewiſe is laid open the partiall, corrupt, and illegall Verdicts of his JURIES, both the former and later.
Being to ſatisfie all thoſe in the Nation that are truly godly, and wel-affected to the Peace of the Common-wealth: And to ſtop the Mouths of others; proving, what is done in order to his preſent Impriſonment, is according to the rules of Juſtice and Equity contained in the morall Law of God, and nature, or ſound naturall Reaſon.
Publiſhed by AƲTHORITY.
Job 15.6.
Thine owne mouth condemneth thee, and not I, yea thine owne lips teſtifie againſt thee.
Deut. 19.19.
Yee ſhall doe unto him, as he thought to have done unto his brother.
LONDON, Printed by M: Simmons in Alderſgate-ſtreet, 1653.
TO All our Countrey-men and Friends throughout the Common-wealth of ENGLAND, PEACE and TRƲTH be wiſhed every where.
AS this Treatiſe is for a generall ſatiſfaction of the Nation: ſo wee have forborn all particular Dedications, that it may without reſpect of perſons, finde acceptance alike with all men. Wee have little farther to ſay, then what is contained in the Booke, only deſire that the ſame may be read over with judgment: We have purpoſely left out our names, that the Reader may not wrong himſelf either through prejudice or partiality, but look ſingly on the matter as it lies before him.
It is poſſible ſome may thinke there was no neede that ſo much ſhould have been written as in reference to a particular perſon, but leſſe a great deale would have ſerv'd the turn.
To which we anſwer, 1. It is well known, that many honeſt minded people, in regard of the ſeverall Pamphlets, which M. Lilburn hath ſpread abroad, have been very much abuſed and miſlead by him, inſomuch that without a large and clear diſcovery of his particular Crafts and deceits, we doubted whether ſuch perſons would have real and full ſatisfaction.
2 Becauſe we find Mr. Lilb. boaſting oftentimes of his quick & ſharp pen wee have thought good to make one work of it; that is, to prevent his future Anſwer and Replies, in doing ſo much at once, as not to be troubled any more with him, but to ſtopp his mouth, and put him quite to ſilence.
3 The man hath been ſo long a diſturber of the peace of the Common-wea…th, and acted ſuch a multitude of ſeditious deſigns, as we could not in a little give the Nation a juſt account thereof.
4 As our deſire is, that thoſe who are in Authority may go ſpeedily forward with the work of Reformation, ſo we conceive there being here full ſatisfaction given to the people of this Common-wealth, a ſtumbling-block will be removed, which he by his ſubtlety and craft had caſt in their way.
But ſome may ſay, you have ſpoken too much in the juſtification of bad men: For anſwer: Here we can appeale to God, how farre we have been from pleading either for perſons or things otherwiſe then what conſcience, reaſon and juſtice hath guided us thereunto. It is chiefly the peace and ſafety of the Nation that wee have ſought after: And for this Nationall peace wee are willing to ſpend, and to be ſpent, and ſhall think our ſelves ſufficiently rewarded, if by the publiſhing of this Treatiſe wee may undeceive ſuch people, whom by his wiles and falſhoods hee hath formerly deceiv'd, and that hee may no more draw parties and factions after him.
For concluſion; As in the publiſhing of this Book, we deſire a generall good, ſo in particular Mr. Lilburn. That he may ſee the error and evill of his ways. No doubt it would be much for the peace and comfort of his ſoule another day: If this counſell of ours were followed, namely as hee hath given occaſion of publick ſcandal to the world, by his ſeditious and mutinous carriages, ſo to make publick acknowledgment thereof.
Howſoever, it ſhall be our deſire: As perſons looking into a glaſſe, doe thereby amend what they ſee to be amiſſe, ſo this may ſerve as Mr. Lilburns LOOKING-GLASSE, wherein he may not only ſee thoſe foul and groſſe faults, which are as perſpicuous and manifeſt, as the Leproſie on Gehaza's fore-head; but may under the ſenſe and ſight of them, truly repent, & ſeek unto the Lord, that in the blood of Chriſt they may be waſht away.