Page:Trial of john lilburne (IA trial john lilburne).djvu/56

 Iustice Iermin. The question is but this, Whether the Law of God and the Lw of Reason, and the Law of Man may be consonant to each other, and whether the Court or Iohn Lilburne shall bee Judges thereof, that is the question.

L. Keble. ''And that which you said Mr. Atturney hath had so much time against you, and opportunity to consult with all manner of Counsell to destroy you, your secret actions, though they are now come to publick view, are so heynous, as that they doe require time to put them into the most sure way of tryall, we have proved the clandestinesse of them; you did this in secret, now it is come to the face of the world. Now this being matter of fact, no matter of law can appeare till proofe passe upon it; you have had times to complot your treasonable venomous Bookes, which shall be proved upon you, and till this bee done there is no matter of law to be lookt at. This is the law of God, when a man hath done such treasonable things, he shall answer directly and positively, whether he be guilty of them or no; and if he answer, Not guilty, and they be not fully proved against him, there needs no more to be said.''

Iustice Thorp. Mr. Lilburne'', there fell some words from you even now, wherein you think you have this hardship put upon you, when you say the Judges & your persecuters have had 6 monets time to meet together and consult together how to destroy you: First, I would not have you to beleeve, nor the rest that heare it, That that is true that you say: for I speake it for my owne particular, that I never saw your Indictment till this time that I came here, and yet you say we have had six moneths together to frame it. These are your words, this was not rightly done of you: for it is not true, I speake in my own particular.''

L. Col. Lilb. I am sure the substance of it you might see many months agoe, and though all you Judges have not at one time met about it, yet the greatest part of you have that commonly carry the domination of the whole, and at Serjeants Inne with Mr. Attorney Generall, the most of the Judges of England have had severall meetings, 6. 5. and 4. months agoe, for I have had friends there that have seene it, and who have enquired into the Cause of such solemn meetings, and your own Servants have told them it hath been about me and my Tryall.

Justice Thorpe. I speak as for my own particulr that I was never there, and that I never see your Indictment till this time.

Iustice Iermin, Why Mr. Lilburne, might we not have such meetings at those, your businesses being a matter of this importance as this is, through the haynousnesse of your offence, and that it might be so grounded as the Warrant of