To His Highness the Lord Protector, and the Parliament of England, &c.
         Chidley, Samuel.
      
       
         This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A94427 of text R207427 in the  English Short Title Catalog (Thomason E903_10). Textual changes  and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more  computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life.  The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with  MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish.  This text has not been fully proofread 
       Approx. 8 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images.
       
         EarlyPrint Project
         Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO
         2017
         A94427
         Wing T1368
         Thomason E903_10
         ESTC R207427
         99866477
         99866477
         118752
         
           
            This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of
             Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal
            . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.
          
        
      
       
         Early English books online.
      
       
         (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A94427)
         Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 118752)
         Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 136:E903[10])
      
       
         
           
             To His Highness the Lord Protector, and the Parliament of England, &c.
             Chidley, Samuel.
          
           4 p.
           
             s.n.,
             [London :
             1657]
          
           
             Attributed to Samuel Chidley.
             Caption title.
             Imprint from Wing.
             An address to Cromwell, praying him to abolish capital punishment for stealing.
             Printed in red ink.
             Annotation on Thomason copy: "March 2d 1656"; [illegible] formerly March 1656".
             Reproduction of the original in the British Library.
          
        
      
    
     
       
         eng
      
       
         
           Capital punishment -- England -- Early works to 1800.
           Thieves -- England -- Early works to 1800.
           Crime -- England -- Early works to 1800.
           Criminals -- England -- Early works to 1800.
           Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1649-1660 -- Early works to 1800.
        
      
    
       A94427  R207427  (Thomason E903_10).  civilwar no To His Highness the Lord Protector, and the Parliament of England, &c.: Chidley, Samuel.  1657    1461 91 0 0 0 0 0 623 F  The  rate of 623 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with  100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 
        2007-04 TCP
        Assigned for keying and markup
      
        2007-05 Apex CoVantage
        Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images
      
        2008-07 Mona Logarbo
        Sampled and proofread
      
        2008-07 Mona Logarbo
        Text and markup reviewed and edited
      
        2008-09 pfs
        Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
      
    
  
   
     
       
       
         
           To
           his
           Highness
           the
           Lord
           Protector
           ,
           
             and
             the
             Parliament
             of
             England
             ,
          
           &c.
           
        
         
           
             Mortal
             Gods
             ,
          
        
         
           THe
           Eternal
           Being
           ,
           without
           which
           nothing
           can
           be
           ,
           hath
           
             made
             of
             one
             blood
             all
             nations
             of
             men
          
           Act.
           17.
           26.
           
           Men
           are
           the
           
             off
             spring
             of
             God
             ,
          
           v.
           29.
           and
           
             made
             in
             his
             own
             image
             ,
          
           Gen.
           1.
           23.
           and
           therefore
           God
           said
           unto
           our
           fathers
           soon
           after
           the
           floud
           ,
           
             Whoso
             sheddeth
             man●
             blood
             ,
             by
             man
             shall
             his
             blood
             b●
             sh●d
             ,
          
           Gen.
           9.
           6.
           
           Yea
           ,
           (
           except
           in
           some
           special
           cases
           )
           bloud
           must
           be
           shed
           for
           the
           bloud
           of
           a
           thief
           :
           
             for
             he
             should
             have
             lived
             to
             make
             full
             restitution
             ,
          
           Exo.
           22.
           3.
           
           And
           therefore
           you
           ought
           to
           be
           more
           tender
           of
           a
           mans
           life
           ,
           then
           of
           matter
           of
           estate
           :
           and
           
             all
             things
             whatsoever
             ye
             would
             that
             men
             should
             do
             to
             y●u
             ,
             ye
             should
             do
             even
             so
             to
             them
             ,
          
           Mat.
           7.
           1.
           
           And
           I
           have
           so
           much
           charity
           towards
           you
           ,
           to
           hope
           that
           you
           are
           not
           void
           of
           all
           humanity
           ,
           but
           have
           some
           natural
           aff●ction
           ;
           so
           that
           if
           any
           of
           your
           children
           or
           neer
           relations
           through
           poverty
           should
           fall
           to
           steal
           ,
           and
           happen
           to
           be
           hanged
           for
           the
           value
           of
           13
           
             d.
             ob
          
           (
           or
           press'd
           to
           death
           for
           not
           ●peaking
           )
           it
           would
           touch
           you
           to
           the
           quick
           .
           And
           think
           you
           that
           other
           mens
           children
           and
           relations
           are
           not
           as
           dear
           and
           precious
           to
           them
           ,
           as
           yours
           are
           to
           you
           ?
           And
           this
           〈◊〉
           say
           ,
           not
           that
           I
           allow
           of
           theft
           ,
           nor
           do
           I
           know
           any
           of
           my
           relations
           guilty
           thereof
           ;
           but
           only
           shew
           unto
           you
           the
           unnatur●lness
           of
           the
           act
           and
           fact
           of
           putting
           men
           to
           death
           for
           simple
           Theft
           ;
           that
           so
           you
           may
           be
           thorowly
           sensible
           and
           sorrowful
           ,
           and
           
             you
             hearts
             may
             be
             made
             better
             ,
          
           Eccl.
           7.
           
           ●
           .
           You
           know
           it
           's
           a
           common
           thing
           to
           arraign
           men
           for
           stealing
           Horses
           ;
           a
           man
           is
           hang'd
           ordinarily
           for
           a
           Mare
           :
           for
           your
           Law
           values
           not
           a
           man
           more
           then
           a
           horse
           :
           Is
           not
           this
           a
           brutish
           estimation
           ,
           O
           ye
           Heads
           of
           
             Great
             Britain
             ?
          
        
         
           You
           have
           sate
           now
           above
           these
           40
           days
           twice
           told
           ,
           
           and
           passed
           some
           Acts
           for
           transporting
           Corn
           and
           Cattel
           out
           of
           the
           Land
           ,
           and
           against
           
             Charls
             Stuart's
             ,
          
           &c.
           but
           (
           as
           I
           humbly
           conceive
           )
           have
           left
           undone
           matters
           of
           greater
           concernment
           ▪
           amongst
           which
           ,
           the
           not
           curbing
           this
           over-much
           justice
           in
           hanging
           men
           for
           Stealing
           ,
           is
           one
           ;
           the
           not
           supp●●ssing
           the
           Pressing
           of
           men
           to
           death
           for
           not
           a
           〈…〉
           ing
           against
           them●elves
           ,
           is
           ano●her
           ▪
           And
           wh●t
           th●●k
           〈◊〉
           of
           tak●ng
           awa●
           mans
           life
           upon
           〈◊〉
           single
           testimo●●
           ▪
           (
           especi●lly
           be●●g
           for
           such
           small
           m●tte●s
           c●n
           you
           j●stfie
           the
           s●me
           before
           the
           great
           Law
           giver
           ,
           who
           is
           a
           〈…〉
           e
           and
           to
           destroy
           ?
           If
           you
           cannot
           ,
           then
           be
           as
           ●ilig●●t
           to
           make
           a
           thorow
           Reformation
           as
           I
           have
           been
           〈…〉
           e
           Solli●i●●●ion
           .
        
         
           W●●
           ye
           〈◊〉
           also
           ,
           that
           it
           is
           a
           general
           grievance
           and
           open
           di●grace
           to
           the
           Nation
           ,
           that
           the
           Publick
           debts
           are
           yet
           unpaid
           ,
           although
           you
           are
           deeply
           engaged
           by
           
             Art.
          
           39.
           of
           this
           present
           Government
           ?
           Ye
           know
           the
           Laws
           are
           executed
           with
           great
           seve●i●y
           against
           Pick-pockets
           ,
           petty
           thieves
           ,
           and
           silent
           malefactors
           ,
           who
           are
           press'd
           to
           death
           for
           hol●ing
           their
           tongues
           ,
           and
           are
           taken
           
             pro
             confesso
             :
          
           But
           judg
           in
           your selves
           ,
           Wh●t●●r
           are
           the
           greater
           sinners
           ,
           those
           who
           steal
           for
           meer
           ●●●●ssity
           to
           supply
           their
           present
           wants
           ,
           or
           such
           as
           defraud
           the
           old
           soldier
           of
           his
           Pay
           ,
           &
           the
           laborer
           of
           his
           hire
           ,
           and
           borrow
           money
           and
           not
           pay
           again
           but
           engage
           f●ith
           and
           promise
           upon
           it
           ,
           give
           Debenters
           ,
           Bills
           and
           Bonds
           for
           it
           ,
           and
           establish
           Securities
           to
           satisfie
           it
           ,
           and
           afterwards
           by
           force
           or
           fraud
           take
           it
           ,
           or
           suffer
           it
           to
           be
           taken
           away
           again
           ;
           and
           yet
           again
           binde
           themselvs
           by
           a
           solemn
           O●th
           ,
           as
           in
           the
           presence
           of
           God
           ,
           that
           the
           Securities
           given
           shall
           remain
           firm
           and
           good
           ,
           and
           not
           be
           made
           void
           or
           invalid
           upon
           any
           pretence
           whatsoever
           ▪
           and
           afterwards
           neither
           regard
           debts
           nor
           debtors
           ,
           but
           suffer
           many
           of
           them
           to
           perish
           ,
           while
           justice
           is
           bought
           and
           sold
           ,
           and
           cometh
           by
           a
           drop
           at
           a
           time
           ,
           and
           doth
           not
           
             run
          
           
           
             down
          
           as
           it
           ought
           
             like
             a
             mighty
             stream
             :
          
           And
           
             by
             swearing
             and
             lying
             ,
             and
             killing
             and
             stealing
             ,
             and
             committing
             adultery
             ,
             men
             break
             out
             ,
             and
             blood
             toucheth
             blood
             .
          
           And
           
             for
             these
             things
             doth
             the
             land
             ●ourn
             ,
          
           Hos.
           4.
           
           ●
           .
           3.
           
        
         
           In
           the
           land
           of
           
             Israel
          
           there
           was
           s●●●i●l
           prouision
           made
           for
           the
           poor
           ,
           the
           fatherless
           and
           the
           w●dow
           〈…〉
           y
           stranger
           was
           ●ot
           to
           be
           forgotten
           in
           that
           land
           :
           ●o
           〈…〉
           Theft
           was
           much
           more
           to
           be
           punished
           ●●●n
           now
           ,
           〈…〉
           Thieves
           then
           were
           not
           driven
           to
           su●●
           straits
           and
           c●l●mities
           as
           many
           now
           have
           been
           and
           a●e
           ●●ill
           here
           in
           
             England
             ,
          
           (
           under
           such
           rude
           Forms
           of
           Government
           )
           by
           ca●ualties
           ,
           as
           impotency
           of
           body
           ,
           loss
           of
           estates
           ,
           bad
           deb●s
           ,
           like
           the
           Publick
           faith
           and
           arreres
           of
           souldiers
           ,
           so
           much
           undervalued
           ,
           as
           if
           the
           High
           &
           Mighty
           States
           of
           
             England
          
           were
           broken
           .
           And
           God
           then
           gave
           free
           liberty
           amongst
           the
           Jews
           ,
           for
           a
           man
           to
           eat
           his
           fill
           of
           his
           neighbours
           field
           ,
           vineyard
           ,
           or
           oliveyard
           :
           but
           by
           the
           rustical
           law
           of
           
             England
             ,
          
           men
           arrest
           men
           as
           tresp●ssers
           for
           coming
           upon
           their
           ground
           ,
           and
           obtain
           Judgements
           against
           them
           for
           Costs
           ,
           although
           there
           is
           no
           damage
           .
           Such
           p●actices
           ●s
           these
           disq●iet
           the
           Land
           ,
           create
           combust●o●s
           ,
           bring
           confusions
           ,
           and
           procure
           work
           for
           a
           sort
           of
           Villain
           〈◊〉
           Catchpoles
           ,
           and
           employ
           a
           company
           of
           lascivio●●
           ▪
           Lubbers
           ,
           I
           mean
           the
           lying
           Lawyers
           ,
           whose
           h●ads
           are
           full
           of
           mischief
           ,
           and
           their
           pens
           dipt
           in
           gall
           and
           wormwood
           ▪
           their
           tongues
           are
           as
           sharp
           arrows
           ,
           their
           teeth
           as
           swords
           and
           spears
           ,
           and
           their
           throats
           open
           〈…〉
           ●●vour
           and
           swallow
           up
           the
           poor
           and
           needy
           fro●
           〈…〉
           :
           These
           are
           like
           a
           sweeping
           〈…〉
           leaving
           them
           a
           shilling
           to
           be
           a
           shield
           of
           de●ence
           ▪
           〈…〉
           in
           their
           pocket
           ,
           to
           encou●●●r
           with
           〈…〉
           Hunger
           :
           and
           so
           the
           poor
           mens
           noses
           are
           h●ld
           ●o
           ●●e
           Grindstone
           ,
           and
           their
           faces
           ground
           away
           ,
           as
           may
           be
           seen
           by
           their
           countenances
           :
           and
           the
           Poor's
           poverty
           comes
           to
           be
           
           their
           absolute
           destruction
           ,
           and
           swarms
           of
           beggers
           and
           thieves
           ingendered
           in
           the
           Common
           wealth
           by
           Pecunia
           〈…〉
           s
           ▪
           and
           the
           poor
           mans
           Suit
           cannot
           go
           on
           currantly
           w●●●out
           money
           ,
           though
           his
           Cause
           be
           never
           so
           just
           ,
           but
           〈…〉
           e
           a
           Lawyer
           may
           easily
           be
           got
           to
           speak
           twenty
           〈◊〉
           ●●●●●st
           him
           for
           10
           
             s.
          
           and
           cloak
           his
           lyes
           with
           pret●●●●s
           of
           Clyents
           informations
           .
           These
           things
           may
           e●sily
           be
           reformed
           by
           you
           ,
           if
           ye
           will
           ,
           O
           ye
           men
           of
           high
           degree
           .
        
         
           And
           because
           you
           are
           the
           Patrons
           of
           
             Englands
          
           Statutes
           ,
           and
           have
           power
           to
           redress
           the
           Grievances
           which
           by
           your
           Law
           cannot
           be
           redressed
           without
           you
           ;
           I
           have
           presented
           you
           with
           these
           lines
           printed
           in
           red
           letters
           ,
           because
           ,
           though
           
             Tophet
             is
             p●epared
             of
             old
             for
             Kings
             ,
          
           because
           of
           their
           crying
           crimes
           ;
           yet
           Parliaments
           sins
           are
           sins
           red
           as
           scarlet
           ,
           of
           a
           deep
           and
           double
           dye
           ;
           and
           they
           must
           be
           accountable
           to
           him
           by
           whom
           their
           Legislative
           power
           is
           limited
           .
           Repent
           therefore
           ,
           O
           Parliament
           of
           
             England
             ,
          
           and
           be
           not
           as
           your
           predecessors
           the
           former
           Parliaments
           .
           Parliaments
           have
           been
           Pillars
           of
           Popery
           ,
           Panders
           to
           the
           Whore
           of
           
             Babylon
             ,
          
           abominable
           Idolators
           ,
           propagators
           of
           Adultery
           and
           Covetousness
           in
           the
           Clergie
           :
           Parliaments
           have
           been
           Murderers
           of
           Saints
           and
           sinners
           ;
           Parliaments
           have
           done
           and
           undone
           their self-denying
           Ordinances
           ,
           been
           puff●d
           up
           with
           pride
           ,
           tyrannous
           towards
           their
           inferiours
           ,
           slavish
           to
           their
           superiours
           ,
           submi●ting
           to
           force
           against
           freedom
           ;
           using
           publike
           fraud
           and
           private
           fl●ttery
           ,
           to
           the
           destruction
           of
           the
           people
           .
           Therefore
           whatsoever
           
             heavie
             bu●dens
          
           they
           bound
           ,
           and
           
             grievous
             to
             be
             born
             ,
          
           you
           must
           unbinde
           ,
           loosing
           the
           b●nds
           of
           wickedness
           ,
           undoing
           the
           heavy
           burdens
           ,
           and
           let●ing
           the
           oppressed
           go
           free
           ,
           and
           breaking
           every
           yoke
           ,
           so
           much
           as
           the
           putting
           forth
           of
           the
           finger
           ,
           or
           speaking
           vanity
           .