Lex Talionis, OR, A RECEIPT for the Relief of our Present Distempers.  
AS epidemic diseases, when Infection hath possessed the air, reigns powerfully over the bodies of mortals, so sometimes even their Souls seem to be possessed with an universal frenzy, when the spirits of the air hath infused, as it were a spiritual madness into their mindes, to make them not only believe a lie,( even from the mouths of the most Infamous) but like the depraved appetites of the body, which longs for all things that are poisonous to themselves; so they with as much earnestness hunt after all things that may increase their distemper, and give more disorder to their understandings; This is one of the greatest punishments that God uses to revenge the greatest sins with, to give them up to the belief of lies, and put a lie into the mouths of their Prophets, thus punishing sin with sin, makes them run round in a vicious Circulation, and Endless giddiness of error; From thence proceeds all those fears, those jealousies, that thus disturb our quiet, and repose under the government of the best of Princes, and best of Laws: From these suspicions proceed the want of commerce and dearth of trade: From these distractions, Envy and hatred amongst neighbours, Relations, and Kindred: From these fatal feuds false witnesses, Briberies and pensions for perjuries arise: I would it were in my power even with the mixture of my blood to make a salue for these wounds, or give a cordial to these distempers so raging at this time amongst us: I shall now only prescribe the Ingredients as I have received them from a Recipe, under his hand, that cannot lie nor deceive us, and consequently I hope the better antidote against lies, which is one of our present Evils; I shall not compound nor prescribe the measure of them, but leave every one to take what Dose he thinks his own distemper requires: I shall not paraphrase upon their perfections, because none whose madness is not beyond cure, can doubt them, coming from so perfect a principle; plainly therefore, and as I find them, you shall have them.  
The first and most Excellent against the multiplicity of vain and false Oaths, and the pernicious frenzy of Perjury is, Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vain, and if not vainly, much less falsely.  
The second and most particular remedy against the distraction of detraction, is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour.  
The third is, to show us the danger of this distemper, and the Remedy for it is, If a false witness rise up against any man, to testify against him what is not true, The Judges, shall make great Inquisition between them, and if the witness be found a false-witnesse, and hath testified falsely against his Brother, Then shall he do to him as he thought to have done to his brother, so shall you put away the evil from amongst you: and then eyes shall not pitty him, but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot, as Deut. Chap. 19. ver. 16. Neither shalt thou make distinction of persons; but you shall have one manner of law as well for strangers as your own countrymen: Lev. Chap. 24. ver. 22.  
This as you see being the law of God is followed by the Civil law, or Jus Gentium, and called Lex Talionis, as the most equal and rational law of mankind. This did the most wise of Princes set down as a Maxim amongst his Proverbs: A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape, Prov. Chap. 19. ver. 5. And this doth our most equal and excellent municipal laws of our Land intend, when it says, No Free-man shall be convicted but by the testimony of two sufficient, honest and credible witnesses; and their evidence( so called from the composition of E and Video, which is clear and seen) ought to be, as Judge Cock says, luke clariores, clearer then the light itself: And for the greater Caution in this important affair, our Law hath ordained that twelve able and understanding men of the visenage or Neighbourhood, where the fact was said to be Committed, should upon their Conscience inquire, as well into the honesty and Integrity of the person accusing, and the person accused, as the clear and evident matter of fact before them.  
Now if a common, cheat a pickpocket, a horse-stealer, or they whose Life hath been only conversant in cousenings and falsities, without any previous appearance of amendment, shall cause an honest upright and just person to all appearance, and without more probabilitys then his particular asseveration, what person think you( without the prejudice of his Nation) could believe it; But if indeed to pick a purse, to steal a horse, to cheat some young ofe of his money, were the design; none more proper for that consult, then lewd Indigent, and vicious persons; But to raise a War, to Subvert Governments, and introduce a Religion, to use for the principal contrivers of that, those who can raise nothing but a Regiment of Lice, whose credit would not go for a cracked groat, and whose Religion is worse then honest Atheism, is incredible; for amongst Barbarians there hath not perhaps been found, so horrid an example of perjury and partiality as is countenanced amongst us; much less can reason and Conscience look on it without a blushy, and not suffer it to be redressed without a blemish to the Justice of our Nation: Let us therefore have recourse not only to our own reasons, but to the Law of God and Man, as well Natural as civill, and you will find no security too great for innocency, no punishment too severe for perjury.  
This, Gentlemen is our safety both as to Law and Conscience; this is the security of our lives, liberties, and fortunes, against all base, unworthy, and lewd ill-livers, who as they have sold their Souls to 'vice and liberty, so will they sell our lives to maintain their Luxury: If therefore you will free yourselves, and others, from this dangerous Infection; imitate the pious prudence of the Prophet Daniel, where separating the two false witnesses, he entrapped them in their one lie, and caught them in the same snare their lust and malice had laid for innocent blood, whose words crying to Heaven,( much more would her blood, had it been spilled,) she said, Eternal God, which art the knower of all hidden things before they are come to pass, thou knowest they have born false-witness against me, and lo I die, whereas I have done none of those things which those Men have maliciously forged against me, and the Lord heard her voice, and returning to judgement because they had given false Testimony, they did with them as they would have done against their Innocent Neighbours, Dan. Chap. 13. This is the best and only way timely to stop this dangerous Infection from spreading farther amongst us, and prevent those ills that may over-take those that think themselves the securest of us.  
So long live the King, and all that love him, and let the Enemies of our Lord the King be like the young Man absalon, as Kings, Chap. 18. Ver. 32.  
FINIS.