best judge of the dangers and Canspiracies that threaten them,
therefore it ought to be left to them to crect such a Court of
Judicature, as they conceive fittest to prevent Them, and not
leave the Triall of such super Eminent Traitors to the judgement
of twelve ordinary Jury men, whose Understandings
seldome penetrate into the depth of the Reasons, and Concernments
of State, upon so grand and extraordinary an occasion.
And whereas in this Petition they insinuate, as if the nature
and case of the high Court of Justices were the same with that of
the high Commission, Starcamber, &c. and intended to supplant
the usuall way of Triall by Juries, know that ho comparison
ought to be made between this high Court and the other, since
those were erected as standing Courts, in time of Peace, to the
Peoples prejudice, but thie onely as temporary, to serve onely
for a time, during the great Feares and Jealousies of the People
in Parliament, by reason of the many Plots and Conspiracies
now hatching among the Enemies of the Common-wealth in a
time of warr; which when it shall please God to set an
end to, there will be no occasion for any such extraordinary
Court; and in the mean time, they may be pleased to take notice,
that in all Ordinary Cases at present, both for life and estate,
men are left to the usuall way of Triall by Juries, which
might satisfie every man, but such as are resolve to receive no
satisfaction.
And therefore wee may not a misse conclude, That the drist
of those men in the late Petition, which they laboured to
present, was not out of any good Affection, but indeed in fine
gilded Covert Terms, to affront the Parliament & High Court,
and exasperate the People against them; or else to gain favour
among the Royall Party, that incase the tide should turn (as
they hope it may) then they might have a fair plea for Themselves;
That they were men that cryed down and Remonstrated
against this way of proceeding by an high Court of Justice.
These are Salamanders that like to live in Flames, Porpaises that
love to play ever in storms, and delight in any Power but the
peaceable, and present: And so I have don with them.