High Court of Justice may for ever cease; that so this our Fundamentall
Liberty (abundantly more prized by us then our
Lives, and all our Relations) may stand firm and inviolable
to all future Generations, and our selves and all other Lovers
of the ancient good Laws and Liberties of England, may be
truly encouraged, heartily and cheerefully to serve and assist you
against the Common enemy; which we humbly presume, your
Honours will find of more safety to your selves and the Authority
of this Nation, than the continuance of an High Court of
Justice.
And as in duty bound we shall ever pray, &c.
Now that you have seen the wild Petition, I shall make bold
to deliver a little sense touching the substance of it selfe, and
also concerning the drift and scope of the Petitionors, whether
they abhor any new design or not again of the Common-wealth
I shall not dispute; but I am sure they have reason so to doe,
considering how the Actors smarted for the last, though the
Plotters made a shift to escape, and that but narrowly: But let
the world judge, whether any designe can be more desperate
than thi[unr], in the time of the Common-wealth's being bandied by
multitudes of Enemies, that they should dare to raise distast
from such Proceeding as they are forced to by pure necessity
for the maintenance of their Lives and Fortunes; and whereas
to this end, they take occasion to decry the High Court, and cry
up the way of Tryal upon Juries, the former being an extraordinary,
the latter an ordinary course, the People are to underhand
these are no ordinary Times; and great examples in alteration
of Government are not to be tyed strict'y to the ordinary
Rule: For, it cannot in reason be presumed, That such
customary proceedings as are used in times of Peace; can be
sufficient to secure a Common-wealth during the necessities of a
civill warre, and the secret machinations of domestick enemies;
at which time the common Laws silent; and those courses
only are judged most just and equitable (and have been allowed
so by all States and States-men) which are dictated by common
reason and prudence, for their necessary preservation.
Moreover, since those only that sit at the stern of State can