Doomes-day to LAWYERS, OR, An Alarme for new LAWS.

CHAP. I. How the Author comes to ingage in this Work, and why? And how the Lawyers are Antichrists State-Army of Locusts.

THE Administrations we are under are either Ecclesiasticall, Three sorts of Administrations. (so called) or Civil, or Spirituall▪ As to the first, I have upon the importunity of Church-Members made up my accounts in an Idea of Church-Discipline, called a Tabernacle for the Sun, &c. Sold at the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard: 1. Church Discipline. Wherein appears how Ecclesiasticall formes and Administrations must be every day more and more refined and reformed, and be more glorious, till all selfish, sensuall, and carnall, Prelatick Interests be pared away; and till Ecclesiasticall be turned into the spirituall, as the higher and Head of that Administration▪ So shal2. Spirit-Discipline. all spiritual (which I hope ere long to publish in an Idea of Spirit-Discipline) be swallowed up in Christ the Ocean which all spiritual Administrations but lead us into: But as to the Civill, upon the request of some faithful Commonwealths Members (and of those3. Civil Discipline. the grave sort, of 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, years of age and more, wherby) I much incline (could I procure so much time) to give an accou •• to all the World in an Idea of Civil Discipline; how Civil Forms must be every day too, more and more refined and reformed till we have Gold for Brasse, and Silver for Iron, Isa. 60. 16, 17▪ and violence be no more heard in our Land, which will be in the fifth Monarchy now entring: But all Civil Formes are (as yet) accompanied with a world of corrupt, close-cleaving Interests, which doe deprave the Government, and deprive us of that good which is the end of Civill Policy. Now, as it is Gods Designe in these latter days to pare away and purge Ecclesiasticall Formes, and so to make them serve the Spirit; I say, it is also a glorious Designe of his to purge the civil Administration of those detestable corruptions and dregs, which doe attend it, and to pare away a •• All are a purging apace from Tyranny. wicked, personal, humane, selfish Interests, and to make the Civil serve the Ecclesiasticall, and officious to the Saints and Churches, Isa. 60. 3. 10, 11. as the lower principle is to observe☞ the higher and be obedient, Rev. 21. 24. Wherefore as sure as Israels God will throw down the Tyranny of the Ecclesiasticall Administration, so surely will he also crush and throw down the tyranny of the Civill Administrations, that our veriest Exactors shall be righteousnesse, Isa. 60. 14, 17, and the Sons of them that afflicted us, shall come bending to us, &c. Isa. 49. 23, 24. But we shall be far from oppression, Isa. 54. 16. Zach. 9. 8▪ as the Scriptures doe hold out very fully. I shall in this Treatise, and at this time doe no more then instance in that unsupportableThe Tyranny of Lawes and Lawyers. &c. Sim. Tyranny of the Laws and Lawyers as they now are: For as there could not be a Church-Reformation as long as the Antichristian, National Clergy were highly countenanced, and accounted the Pillars of the Church; so is there as little likelihood of State-Reformation, as long as the corrupt, cruel, oppressing, cursed Crew of Lawyers (for so they are the accursed Tribe of this Nation, as will appeare by and by) be accounted the Pillars of the State. Now as the downfall of the corrupt Clergy with their Cannons was the fatall blow to all Church Tyrants, and soul oppressors; So will the downfall of the corrupt Lawyers and their Termes, bee destructive and irrecoverable to all State-Tyrants, and body-oppressors; till which be, I dare oblige, life, liberty, and all I am, at stake, that the State will never thrive, nor the faithfull people in this Commonwealth be ever sensible of a good Reformation, or ease, or☜ Liberty; as long as the most lamentable Mil-stone of the Norman yoake • yes yet unremoved, and pressing of them to death. It is not the removals of the little burthens, or lesser weights wil help them, as long as they must yet be embondaged by the Lawyers. Or what if Taxes should be abated, and Tythes abolished? the sence of this and all else would be lost, as long as the Lawyers are yet left to squeeze out mens Estates, Liberties, Lives, Blood,The great burthens of the Nation. Hearts, and all. It is true, that Tythes have lived so long that now they are grown (like an old man) uselesse, decrepit, and quite out of account and credit; and they doe but trouble to take up time or roome in this world, they will speedily be thrust aside: And so will Lawyers, with their Termes, for their stinking breath is already offensive. The rich Romish Gluttons are fattened up by Tythes, and crammed up to the mouth, whilst the poor Gospel-Lazarus's cannot have the crumbs for their mouth; wherefore as Nebuchadnezzars Image had the Head gold, the Arms silver, the Thighs brasse, the Feet clay; so have Tythes and Terms, and the lower they are, the worser in every age. They will be ere long dashed to peeces, Dan. 2. 31, 34. and not endured. In the mean time, Tythes and Taxes are but niblers, but the Laws and Lawyers (as they now are) are the swallowers. Mice may be niblers, Sim. but the Cat that keeps them in awe, is of an eating kind, she devoures more at one bit, then the poor Mouse would at twenty; and eates up them too at last: And so the Lawyers. For theSim. most ravenous fishes have the widest mouths; and I am sure, to hear them plead at a Bar, you would easily think they would find no bones in a Bag of mony. But seeing I am to ingage against them as the greatest Tyrants and Oppressors of this Commonwealth, and as such as will stunt the growth of this State, unlesse they be cut off from sucking out the blood, and life, and heart, in her veines and vitals: I will be so ingenious as first to give them☜ notice of it; and if I prove not to their faces by plain dint of Scripture and Reason, that they are as wicked a Generation of Cheates and Tyrants as the Earth bears, I will abide their worst, and bid the test and contest with any of them all.

But this I shall premise, That my zeale to God; for Christ; andWhat puts the Author upon this Work. his Servants; (who suspire most sadly under the Norman, as wel as Babylonian Yoak) with my unfained affections to my dear Countrymen, and to the true Liberties, Laws, and Rights of this Commonwealth, have cast me upon this Campania of discourse, and made my Spirits quick and keen to this combate against the proudest Goliah of them all; for I have a little stone in my hand, that must hit them on the foreheads, &c. before I fetch their Heads.

But before I goe further, Methinks they aske what Call IQ. What Call. have hereto? and bid me shew my Warrant.

Which I will offer in the first place, as signed by all the powers Answ. and Lawes in Heaven and earth, which (I think) is then sufficient; and to be clear, I produce my Call hereto, 1. From the Law of Nature. 2. The Law of Nations. And lastly (but not leastly) from the Law of God. • . The Law of Nature proves and gives a cal.

1 The Law of Nature, which saies, Ephes. 5, 39. No man ever yet hated himselfe, but loves and cherishes himselfe: This Law teaches us to maintaine and defend our lives and liberties; yea, and fellow-members too, against all injuries and wrongs. The Heathens themselves would tell the Lawyers, that the Law of Nature puts men upon opposing them, at this nick of time for their tyranny and injustice. See but Cicero lib. 1. c. 3. Offic. who says, 〈◊〉 . Tull. Cicero. That Nature (the common mother of mankind) commands and ordaines that every man endeavor and procure the good of another whatsoever he be, only because he is a man; otherwise all bonds of society, and mankind must needs run to ruin. Can the Lawyers deny? (yes, that they can, and durst deny any thing for their own ends, for it is their trade) but can reason deny this Warrant signed me by Nature? The very Roman Law allottedRoman Law. a punishment to that person, or neighbor, that would not do what hee could to rescue and deliver a very slave from the outrage and injustice of his Master; And shall not we for the freeborne people of England? Besides saies Cicero further, in sayingCicero. that thou must only attend on thine own affairs, lest thou shouldst wrong others, and thereby be unjust thy selfe in another kind, thou dost thereby abuse the Law of Nature, and abandon humane Society, in that thou wilt not afford all thy endeavors, either of mind, body or goods, for the necessary preservation and priviledge of the whole. So that I say this Law hath signed my Warrant with her broadest seale to do all I can in word and deed, writing and discoursing, against the injustice, cruelty, and unsuffer able, sinful, accursed Practises of the civill and uncivil Lawyers; and not that I thereby would wrong them in the least, to write of them thus, but that I should wrong my dear Country, and Country-men (at the least) if I doe not (thus endeavour) to right them against the Lawyers; who would, and doe enslave them, contrary to the Lawes of God, nature, and Nations: ☜ And therefore I must not so mind my own private and personall affairs, as to forget their tears, sighes, moans, and complaints The Lawyers complained of. which some of my own Country-men, yea, of fourscore years of age (yea, great Professors of the faith of our Lord Jesus) yea, honorable persons have made to me, and many others of their miseries, slaveries, and importable sufferings under these cursed Lawyers, by tricks and cheats. So that the Law of Nature looks for it at my hands, as long as my hand will hold a pen, to protest☜ against such crying sins (of Scarlet-dye) which the unnaturall Lawyers live by. And to conclude this first Consideration, of the Law of Nature, observe,

1. That the Law of Nature is one and the same to all Nations Observ. 1. Isidorus in lib. 5. c. 4. Etymolog. Jus naturale est commune omni nationi. (quoad prima principia) inclining all a like (ad agendum secundum rationem) to things according to Reason; now Reason is either speculative or Practick; the first cheifly looks at, and is busied about necessaries, (circa necessaria;) but the second is (circa contingentia) about circumstances; the first proceeds ad propria; the second ad communia. Now this Law of Nature hath among all the same principles, though (it may be) not the same conclusions among all (through some miscarriages.) Yea, furthermore, in irrationall creatures, Nature hath a Law to defend herselfe from Tyranny and oppression; and this is by instinct in Dogs against Wolves; Lambs against Foxes; Buls against☜ Lyons; and so between Chickens and Kites, Pigeons and Spar-Hawkes; Partridges against Hawks, &c. So that it is irrationall (yea, worse then so) to question the lawfulnesse of defending our selves, lives, and Estates from these greedy (ungodly) Devourers; seeing that so to doe is to question the imprinted Law of Nature. But to be short.

2 Obs. That this Law of Nature (i. e. quantum ad prima Observ. 2. principia) is unchangeable in all ages, which doth not (yet) exempt an addition of all good Expedients and things usefull.

3 Obs. That this Law of Nature (est scripta in cordibus Observ. 3. Aug. in l. 2. confes▪ c, 4. tom. i hominum) is indelible (quem nec ulla delet inquitas) that is, as to common reason; Although it may, as to secondary commands, as in the Law of the Nations, or the like; either propter malas persuasiones, or propter pravas consuetudines. And so in Rom. 1. 26. we read of some that were given up to most vile sins (contra naturam) not only contrary to reason (which is the constitutive difference betwixt man and beasts) but against nature, which is contrary to the very genus of a Creature by nature. And so not onely the corrupt devouring Lawyers, but I beleeve, others that let them alone to goe on in their unnaturall tyrannies and abominable sins, will be found offenders against this Law of Nature. For as Justice is built upon this twofold Basis, 1. ThatJustice. none be wronged. 2. That Good be done to all, as much as may be. So also there is two sorts of Injustice: as 1. In those thatInjustice of two sorts. doe the injury and oppressions; and in this seate the Lawyers sit. But then 2. In them that suffer these oppressions and injuries to be done (under their noses) that might deliver us (it may be.) And I wonder how any one honest man in England can forbear writing, printing, petitioning, protesting against this ungodly Generation of Lawyers, preaching and proclaiming them on the house top for the Egyptian plagues of this Commonwealth, and the vilest Tribe that are. Surely the Lords controversie with them (which is great)☞ will come nigh their Fa • tors and Abettors too, and all that can see and suffer them every day (as they doe) to live by sin, to tell lies in open Courts, and to make a trade of oppression, perjury, lying, false-swearing, forswearing, cheating, devouring fatherlesse and widows, and beggering many honest godly soules by craft and cruelty. It is a shame if any man in England who can write but a line of them upon his own knowledge puts not pen to paper, and gives not out his grievances to the world, that those in Power may know the TRUTH, nothing but the TRUTH, and the whole TRUTH of them. But,

4 Obs. All profitable, good, and vertuous acts (i. e. humaneObserv. 4. as of Justice,) are according to this Law of Nature: for agere secundum virtutem is nothing else (as to us) but agere secundum rationem, to act according to the principle of reason. But least hereVertuous acti ons considered two ways. be a mistake, we must know, that it is one thing to see vertuous acts, as they are actions in themselves, (for so they are to be considered in propriis speciebus, not of the Law of nature, but according to their vertue, which is given beside nature, as Art; or above nature, as grace, or the like) and it is another thing to see them as they are rationall, vertuous, and morally good, (as just, mercifull, &c.) and so they appertaine to the Law of nature; for every thing naturally inclines to operation according to its forme, as Fire to heat, Sun to shine; and so a rationall principle to doe rationall good, and vertuous (humano more) actions. In this sence saies Damasc. in lib. 3. Orth. fid. c. 14. Actus virtuosi subjacent legi naturae. Hence, as I take it, that notable Moralist M. Tully Damas •• n. tels us in Rhet. lib. 2. de Invent. f. 4. Res a natura profectasM. Tully. (& aconsuetudine probatas) legum metus & religio sanxit: that ordinary Religion hath ordained it, that the matters of the Lawes (human) be fetched from nature: And indeed it is hence that human lawes, or Lawes of nations are derived from the Law of Nature, as the only rule of reason (and therefore of rationall actions and lawes) left standing and perpetuall.

These four Conclusions thus asserted, and assented to, I challenge☜ all the Lawyers on this side hell, to enervate or deforce the full commission which I own (to write against them under hand and scale) according to the Law of Nature.

Secondly, The Law of Nations says, Luk. 6. 31. As you would 2. The Law of Nations gives a call. that men should doe unto you, doe you also that unto them; or else as one of Terences golden Sentences (for the Lawyers care little for the Scriptures, which I have tryed of late by bringing out a Bible for the Statute-Book, but they could not abide it) whoTerence. says the same, Ut tibi • ieri vis, alteri sic seceris. This Law of Nations is to be brought out of the Law of Nature; and looking so alike the other, I shall say the lesse to it; for that as Conclusions are drawne (ex principiis) out of principles in all Arts and Sciences; So humane Lawes, Civill Lawes, or the Lawes of Nations are to be drawn out of the Law of Nature, and the Principles of Reason, as so many Axioms or demonstrative Conclusions.

But to the thing, The Law of Nations distinguishes between meum and tuum, Possessions, Estates; and gives fixed limits, The use of this Law. and makes confines, which every man is bound to defend against all Invaders, Cheates, oppressors whatsoever; now who do invade other mens estates? eate up, and devoure them by incredible The Lawyers complained of. Fees? prolonging Suits? crafty Tricks? and Subtleties? depauperating millions of men? and devouring millions of mony? till they have got by cheates, fetches, and Fees all mens Lands (almost) into their hands? who doe thus like the Lawyers? Are there any greater Theeves (or may I not say Knaves) in the world thenTheeves. they are? When Diomedes was brought before Alexander for Piracy: Says Alexander, How now Fellow? what a Pirat? Ah I says he, indeed I am a Pirat, for that I robbed a few Fishermen in a Cock-boat; but if I had scoured the Seas as thou hast☞ done, and spoiled all the World with an Army and a Navy, I had been no Pirate but an Emperor by this time. So it may be, might a poor silly Fellow that was hanged for fourteen pence have told his Judge; ah! Sir! I must be hanged for such a trifle (contraryWho are the worst Theeves to the Lawes of God, Exod. 22. 3, 4. 2 Sam. 12. 6,) yea, and of Nature,) It is true, I am a Theefe, and must restore it manifold, or else be sold for my Theft; But my Lord, had I been a Lawyer, and robbed thousands of their Estates every terme, and spoiled many Gentlemen, Yeomen, Widows, Fatherlesse, and almost all England of their Estates, then I had been no Theefe, but (may hap) My Lord too, by this time. But I must tell the Lawyers for their learning (however man accounts of them, yet) God accounts them but Theeves and Robbers, Isa. 1. 23. Prov. 22 22. Isa. 10. 2. Job 12. 6. Dan. 11. 13. Ezek 22. 27. and by these and many more Scriptures, I am confident, many whom they have judged for Theeves or Breakers of the Law, shall judge them for the worst of Theeves and Law breakers that are (i. e. breakers of the Law of Nature, the true Law of Nations, and the Laws of God) and that some who have been hanged (at the day of Judgment) shal escape when they shall not; for as Alexander had no more right to rob, then Diomedes; but ('tis true) he had more power to do☞ mischeife, and was not easily brought to account and suffer for it; So the Lawyers have no more true Lawes, or right to rob theTheeves hanged at Tyburn les, guilty then some Lawyers. People of this Commonwealth by Cheates, Extortions of Fees; or the like, then those that are hanged at Tyburne have. But 'tis true, they have more power (and lesse need) to doe mischeife, and to make a spoile of other mens Estates, and as yet though as sure as God is 〈◊〉 heaven they shal be called to account) they cannot be brought to a triall and suffer for it. But as to my Warrant I say, it is by the same Law that I would hinder a Theefe from stealing, or a Servant from purloining of his Masters goods and estate; or that I would discover one that hath done so, or warn such as are so wronged, or like to be so robbed. So that☜ the Law of Nature, of Nations, Civil Lawes, Municipial Laws, and all, doe oblige me against these uncivill, unnaturall, and unsufferable Lawyers. I know some of them of my Kindred The Authors resolution. and Acquaintance, and those of the Great ones too, will bee angry at the heart with me for this my faithfulnesse to the Nation; But shall I tell them of one honest Lawyer? (which is rare Ile promise you, as black Swans, we use to say: wherefore I must go far enough for him) and that is Papinian, which would reprove Caracalla to his face, though he died for it? And would they have me go behind the door? why it is not for one Paricide, but Homocides, Oppressions, Thefts, blood, and the Death and Estates of abundance, that I am bound thus to appeare in publick. A Heathen could say, Let Justice be done, though the world perish for it. And should I be negligent of my duty? or be possessed with a pusillanimous, pannick foolish feare of loosing great mens favor? worldly means? liberty? life? or the like? no, I trust in Egyptians. God I shall not; and therefore for good to those Lawyers that repent, I thus write. Amongst the Egyptians if any one man hadDiodor. Sicu. l. • . c. 2. seen another distressed by Theeves or Robbers, and did not accordingSim. to his power presently assist him all he could, at least by discovering the Robbers to the Magistrates, he was adjudged worthy to die; and had for the first offence or mulct divers blows on his body, and was to fast three daies together. And to tell theThe Authour put upon this. truth, above halfe a year agone, (and some a year) I have seen weeping (most sadly distressed by these Nationall Robbers) so as I was put on by many afflicted, yet pious Christians to make discovery of them to the Magistrates in the late Parliament; but consulting too much with flesh and blood; and knowing how many Lawyers were amongst them, I did it not; since which I say, I have suffered the Mulct; for I have been well buffetted since, and lashed in my mind, and scourged in my spirit for my remisnesse herein, and fasted too; but now I am almost ready to conclude my self not worthy to live, if I should let them alone longer in their daily robberies, and not (at least) write against them to discover them to this Parliament in Authority now over us. Whether menTheir Robberies how? would rob by force or by fraud, 'tis all one, for we must resist them, or we violate this Law of Nations, which hath most strictly obliged us to the preservation and priviledges of the Commonweale. So that it is to breake the Law, and betray our Country, Pliny Alex. • b Alex. to let them thus alone. We find in Pliny lib. 4. and Alexand. ab Alex. lib. 6. c. 4. The Law of Tyrannicides honors the living with rich and memorable recompences., and the dead with high and honorable Epitaphs, and Statues, that have been Defenders of their Countries Liberties and Priviledges, from Tyrannicall Oppressors and Intruders; as Harmodius and Aristogiton at Athens; Brutus and Cassius, in Greece; Aratus of Sicyone, &c. and can men meet with more cruell, crafty oppressors and intruders (as we shall prove them all to be by and by) then the Lawyers are? Well then, I hope hundreds and hundreds will suddenly arise (besides my selfe) in their capacities and places, to☞ It is against the Law not to discover them. defend their Liberties and Priviledges against these Tyrants and Robbers. For the Law made against Forsakers and Traytors, takes hold with both hands on those who contribute not their best assistance against these wretches: Oh! cowardly Souldiers! will you counterfeit your selves sick when you should fight? or cast off your Armes and run away now? O no! rouze up your selves!A word to honest men to be up. Is there an honest man in England that dare sit still yet under the judgement of these Locusts? for shame! for shame friends! up! up! petition! print! and all! As in a publick fire every one mustSim. work to bring Hooks, and Buckets, and water, and Engins, and all we can, to quench these consumers! hold! wait not for a ceremony now! as for the Captains of the Watch first to call you; or that the Governors of the Nation must appear first to put out this flame! ☞ No! no▪ but every man must up, and about it, draw water, climb to the top, wait not for a word of command, but make hast about the businesse, for it is good for all that the fire be quenched; and if thou waitest for the word, these Consumers (in their flame) may hap to have the mastery, and do more mischiefe of a sudden then we are aware of. Thus our Warrant is signed in the second place by the Law of Nations.

Thirdly, The Law of God saies, Luk. 10. 27. Love the Lord 3. The Law of God gives a call to this work thy God, &c. and thy Neighbor as thy selfe. Besides the Law of Nature, and Nations, the Law of God is unavoidably necessary (ad ultimum finem.) Now this Law of God gives me Warrant as a Minister, and as a Man, to proclaime the injustice, oppression, lying, cheating, deceit and villanies of this wicked Tribe; Amos. Expos. as Amos 4. 1. Hear the Law of the Lord, O yee Kine of Bashan! yee which oppresse the poor, and crush the needy; that is, O yee Judges and Lawyers! that are fed with the best and fattest things; abounding in wealth and stores! and they are such Kine whose bellies are filled for a day of slaughter, which is signifiedComplaint of the Lawyers. ☜ by Bashan.—and they say to their Masters, bring wine. By the poor, is meant the borrower; but by the master is meant the creditor; now these wretched Lawyers do not (as they ought to doe) justice for the reliefe of the poor Debters against hard hearted Usurers, but rather they oppresse the poor▪ and fulfill the desires of the rich misers to the wrong of others; and then they say, come your cause will carry it, bring us wine, a quart or pottle of wine to make merry with. But God will confound this their carnality and covetousnesse. Amos 5. 7. Hear, O yee that turne judgement into wormwood! and have made the Laws bitter to the poor and honest people, and have made their remedies worse then their diseases, and have managed the causes of the righteous with so much sin, as have filled them with frequent sorrows and tears; abhorring true reason and equity. Vers. 11. For as much therefore, as your treading is on the poor▪ &c. That is, your greatest violence, disdaine, abuses, and base injuries are done to them, to screwze,Expos. and grinde them under your filthy feet. Ver. 12. I know your manifold transgressions, and mighty sins, in afflicting the just, taking Bribes (or Fees) and turning aside the poor in the gate from their right; i. e. when the poor have nothing to give them, they get them into prisons, to lie and rot there. The Germans have a Proverb, that the rich are hanged up by their purses, and Germans Prov. the poor by their necks. Thus by injustice (as the Prophet saies) the Tyrannicall Tribe of Judges and Lawyers grow great, get estates, build stately houses, have pleasant Gardens, and ruffle it out in Angles of luxury and pride, and whilst Angels protect them they behave themselves like Demi-gods; But God will reward 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 them in their kind. Micah 2. 1. 2. Woe to them that devise Micah. Expos. iniquity; that is in Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 lye, vanity, &c. who do this like the Lawyers? and when the morning is light they practise it; So away they run to Westminster, and there plead their lies. V. 2.Of the Lawyers. They covet fields and take them by violence, and houses and take them away; So they oppresse a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. But thus saith the Lord, Vers. 3. Behold against this Family (i. e. of Lawyers) or these Inns of Courts) do I devise an evill, &c. and Vers. 4. In that day shall one take up a parable, and lament with a d • lefull lamentation, and say; wee be utterly spoiled. Thus the Lord complaines and threatens them very speedily, and to purpose, as will appear ere I have done with them. Now Gods Word gives me warrant all along to cry aloud and spare not. Should Whoredome be suffered in the open streets without open reproofes? or Drunkennesse, or the like? Why the • should oppression? injustice? lying? perjury? violence? cheatingThey trade in sin. and such like Knavery? is not one sin, as much sin in the sight o • God as another? I apprehend my Commission to lead me as largely against the Lawyers, who make a daily trade of sin (a • lying, swearing, cozening, oppressing and wronging the Fatherlesse ☞ and Widows, and all this in open sun too, hereby getting mony) as it does against Drunkards, Swearers, Whoremongers, wh • every day live by their sins, making a trade of them, and getting mony by them! O how bitterly God complaines! Heaven1. The pronunciative Law of God. Earth! and Creatures groan at such a company of as vile wretche • as the earth bears! that live by sins! and have no other trading and that they should be yet tolerated to have open practise! Je • 6. 29. The Founder melteth in vain, for the wicked are n • J • remy. plucked away. I wish one day it appeare not all one with ope • Expos. toleration of Drunkennesse, Whoredomes or the like: But I am bound in conscience to bear testimony against it, and say with th • Prophet, behold the end is come, the end is come, • watcheth for thee, behold, it is come. Ezek. 7. 6, 7. their tim • is come, their day of trouble is near; these judgements are inculcated, because the Lawyers will not beleeve (it may be.) Ver. 8 Now will I shortly poure out my fury upon them. Ver. 10, 11 12. Behold the day! behold tis come! the morning is gone forth the rod hath blossomed! violence is risen up into a rod of wickednesse • None of them shall remain! Nor of their multitudes! Neither shall there be wailing for them! The time is come! The day draweth nigh! Gods Word to me is, to declare against their Injustice and Tyranny, Cheating and Lying, and to warn them, Whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. Ezek. 2. 7. And if they will hear, Ezek. 33. 12, 15. Say, Son of Ezekiel. ☜ Man, if the wicked will restore the pledge, and give again what they have robbed, and walk in my statutes without committing iniquity, they shall live, and not die. Thus far the Law of God gives me power. So Psal. 82. 2, 3. How long will ye judge unjustly? and accept the persons of the wicked?

But to come to the directive power of Gods Law, see Judg. 2. The directive Law of God. 5. 23. Curse ye Meroz, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof. And that it is incumbent upon us by Gods Law to defend our Liberties against all Tyrants and Oppressors (as I said before) is without doubt, Hos. 5. 11. 1 Cor. 7. 23. See what Mattathias • Mac 3. 43. said to his Brethren. Come, let us restore the decayed state of our people, and let us fight for our people, and for the Sanctuary. So that it plainly appears, we may do all we can for the decayed estate of this Commonwealth, against the corrupt, cruel, and cursed innovations of the devouring Lawyers, (as well as other Tyrants that were Lords over us;) and for the restoration of our Primitive liberties, and freedom of Justice (as we shall show by and by) at every mans door, That righteousness may run down like a Isaiah. Expos • Gods Law is to be obeyed against mens. River in every street, Isa. 48. 18. And be as common as the waters in the High-way: So that herein the Law of God engages us, Et nullus subditur legi inferioris contra superiorem. What then? though some Humane Laws, (through the corrupt, close, and clandestine Interests of men) should not allow this liberty? our consciences are not bound to humane unjust Laws, which run run-counter and justle against Gods? but as 1 Pet. 2. 13. to submit our selves to mens laws (propter Deum) for God. Nemo astringitur mandato inferioris, cum superiori mandato dirigatur. ☜ So that we are bound to mens laws but secundum quid, as we say; but we are absolutely obliged to Gods Laws. And in obedience to Gods Word, we must not onely endeavor to free our selves, but our neighbors from Tyranny and Oppression. Love thy neighbor as thy self.

Let me a little digress (now) for the Publicks sake in this myA digression. discourse; not onely to acquaint the Governors of our Nation, how much the Message from Burdeaux in France, or any other Nations concerns us; for we are bound by the Law of God to help our neighbors, as well as our selves; and so to aid the Subjects To assist our Neighbors. of other Princes, that are either persecuted for true Religion, or oppressed under Tyranny. What mean our Governors to take no more notice of this? How durst our Army to be still, now theFrance, &c. work is to do abroad? Are there no Protestants in France and Germany (even) now under persecution? And do not the Subjects of France that lie under the Iron yoke of Tyranny, send, and seek, and sue to us for assistance? Well, wo be to us, if we help not the Lord, Judg. 5. 23. against the mighty! For it is the Lord hath sent for us thither, and calls for a part of our Army, at least, into France or Holland. Therefore, Cursed be they that do the work Holland. of the Lord negligently, or, but by halves, Jere. 48. 10.

Object. O! but some will say, What call have we?

Object. Answ.

Answ. Can ye have greater? You are called thereto by God, and Men?

Object. We have no example for it.

Object. Answ. 1.

Answ. 1. Suppose it so, yet by faith it is ye must subdue Kingdoms, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lyons, quench the violence of fire, wax valiant in fight, and turn to flight whole armies, Heb. 11. 33, 34, 35.

2. Stay for such ceremony, and your help may come too late.2. Mattathias (I told you of before) fell pell-mell upon the work, as soon as ever necessity called for it, and opportunity seconded it.

3. Your work is not to be after the commandments, or e •• mples 3. of men, for that is the way to be broken, Hos. 5. 11. Isai. 29. 13. But by you the work of God is a strange work▪ to confound the wisdom of the wise, &c. But

4. If nothing else will serve, there is ample example for you4. Examples of this. both in Scripture and History; in Scripture, we know Hezekiah, though King onely of Judah, 2 Chro. 30. yet looked after them of Israel too, though under the Dominion of the King of Assyria; yet even to those subjects of Assyria that were one in Hezekiah. faith, he sent Messengers to invite them to come into Jerusalem, and he gave aid to them (though against the Laws of the King of Assyria) to destroy their Idols and Idolatry, and to set up the true worship; so may we assist our friends in France, (if we are called to it) and invite them to us, to joyn with us: And we may (yea, and must, if we sin not) send help and aid to them, till their Idols and Idolatries be hew • n down, with all their high places; and so go on, till that France (whom I conceive the second of the ten Vide Chap. 5. ☜ horns, Rev. 17. 12. Dan. 7. 9, 10.) have her Judicat •• y Throne set up, Psal. 89. 14. & 9. 4. also; and then the work will run on round about, without much of our help; and all the ten horns will tumble apace; and in few years Babylon will be faln; and Christ reign to the total extirpation of Antichrist. Another example is given us by good Josiah, 2 King. 22. 2 Chro. 34 & 35. who out of true zeal to God, took upon him to expel Idolatry, not onely out of his own Kingdom, but also out of the King of Assyria • sJosiah. dominions. But now we are, or may be sent for to do it in France or Holland, or the like; wherefore, let me tell our Army A word to the Army. and Statesmen, that if they belong to the Lord yet, and if God hath good to do by them yet, that then they shall not be able to sit☜ The work will go on beyond Seas. still long; for if they will not take their work abroad, they shall have it home, as sure as God lives, and is righteous. For where the Kingdom of Christ comes, there is no such thing, as bounds or limits, or Rivers or Seas, that shall cage up or confine the fervent zeal and flaming affections of an Army, Representative, or People spirited for the work of Christ; which is more and☜ more publick, and looks beyond Seas now. O no! no more then the bounds or limits of a Parish shall confine a Minister of the Gospel, to the Spiritual work of Christ.

In History we have examples enough. Constantine the Christian Examples. Constantine the Emperor. makes Wars against Licinius the Emperor, for his persecuting the Christians, in punishing and putting them to death, and depriving them of their Christian liberties; so that after Constantine had warred for the oppressed ones, he compelled the oppressor Licinius to give liberty to the Christians in matters of Religion, and then he put him to death in Thess • lonica for his Devilishness and Cruelties to his Subjects. And after him we finde that Constans threatned to war upon his own, and elder brotherConstans.▪ Constantius, for banishing Athanasius from Alexandria, because he was so hot an Antagonist against the Arrians: and this war would have been a bloody one too, had not Athanasius been restored. And is it possible, that Constans (who adhered to them that were the Orthodox Christians) for the restitution of the Biship, thought his call to war sufficient? And shall not we upon suit The call abroad. and petition of the oppressed City of Burdeaux? and Subjects of France? or distressed English in Holland? imploring aide against Tyranny, and Persecution, think we have call enough, for the restitution of Christ, his Kingdom, Saints? Liberty of the poor oppressed Protestants? and the deliverance of distressed Cities? Citizens and Subjects? For shame away with this irrational, irreligious, and unchristed spirit! and take courage upon☞ Gods command, mens call, the spirits motion, and Christs arrand in the world, and call the scarlet whore that sits on that Horn of the Beast, to a strict account for the innocent blood that is to be found there upon the Inquisition. Thus Theodosius madeTheodosius, So • om. l. 7. c. 18. war on Cosroes, King of Persia, to deliver but a few Subjects (fewer then are in the City of Burdeaux) from tyranny and persecution.

But upon a more civil account, we know the Roman Commonwealth, Romans on a civil account. and the Lacedemonians, and Thebans, and Spartans, have ever sent succor and assistance to their Neighbors, when oppressions and tyrannies compelled them to implore it, as now the B • rdelois do of us; and must we not aid the afflicted and distressed? There is a notable sentence of the Spartan Senate left upon Spartans. Justin. lib. 1. Diodor. lib. 2. c. 3 • . Record. For the Spartans being Lords of the great City Byzantium, they made Olearchus Governor there, who kept up the corn (in the time of wars) for the Souldiers, and let the Citizens die for hunger; but Anaxilaus, a great Citizen, disdaining such tyranny, enters into treaty with Alcibiades to deliver up the Town, who indeed was received soon after. But Anaxilaus being impeached by Articles, pleads his cause himself, (for Lawyers were not then as now) and his Judges acquitted him, with these words, Wars are to be made with Enemies, not with Nature▪ for it is against the very Law of Nature, that those who should bee their Defenders and Preservers, prove more cruel the enemies.

So as it is against the Law of Nature, for the King of France to be worse then an Enemy to his own Citizens and Subjects; So it is an much against the Law of God (should they supplicate to us for assistance) to be worse the • Neighbours, and then such Professors and Pretenders for the Kingdome of Christ, as we make a noise of in the world to be; if we strike not (now) in for the interest of Christ, and take not the opportunity to visit those coasts, and to view the condition of the Protestants and oppressed ones in that Kingdome. So let us come into our own CountryExamples at home. K. H. 2. H. 8. for examples; did not King Hen. 2. war against the Emperor Charls 5. under the colour and command of defending and delivering the Protestant Princes? yea, K. H. 8. made ready to helpe the Germans, if the Emperor should oppresse them▪ And shall we sit still? now the eyes of all oppressed and distressed ☜ Protestants and Subjects (in all Nations round us) are upon us? and the rather for that we pretend to do all for the Interest of Christ, and Liberties of people. Nay, in this we have all the advantage that can be; that whereas others waged wars with their own Interests, In the name of Jesus Ingagement. ours will be with Christs, who is to rule all Nations; theirs about meum and tuum, ours onely for Christ and his Kingdome. Oh then! that our Powers, and Armies, and Navies, and Churches and all together would joyne in one, to ingage together as one armed man! And in the name of Jesus now to proclaime liberty to the captives and oppressed ones of other Nations, Numb. 32. Josh. 4. 12. Deut. 3. 20. abroad as well as at home; were there but once a Proclamation made in the name of Jesus Christ; O how many would come running under his banner from all parts! beyond expectation: of such too as are not yet known to the world, and then woe be toA Proclamation to be made. Gog and Magog. The Gaddites desired to be at rest, and to go no further, but to stay on the other side Jordan, and to live there; which though Moses assented to, yet it was with this proviso, that they should goe on and assist their other Brethren with their whole worke, and go through-stich with it now they had begun • t, until the Israelites had conquered the Land of Canaan; yea, and to goe first out, as the Van (because they would first sit down) and if they refused to doe thus, then they were anathematized (and destined) to destruction, like them that were adjudged Rebells Gaddites who now? at Cadesh barnea, and none of them (by the decree of God) were ever to enter into the Land of Canaan. So such of the Army, Representative, and Commonwealth that have 〈◊〉 heart to go further beyond the Seas (Jordan) but would be • rest, on this side, should hear a Moses say, what? what? y •• brethren go on and fight further for Canaan? and you sit still? a • live lazing and idling at home? No! no! away: you that wo •• first sit down, and lay down Armes, and live in Peace, get you first out beyond Jordan, for you shall not returne to your Cattle and Corne, and fine finical fig-leaves, to be Coached and complimented into effeminacy and fooleries; no, nor yet to dwell • When tis time for the Army to rest. home in England with your wives, untill the Lord hath driven 〈◊〉 enemies before you, and granted a place to your Brethren beyond Jordan, as well as to you on this side it; and then you shall 〈◊〉 turn in peace, and with welcome, and be innocent before the Lo •• and his people Israel, and abide in quiet, but not till then. Therefore, Uriah said, 2 Sam. 11. 11. The Ark of the Lord, and Israel Uriah. and Judah abide in Tents, and my Lord Joab, and the Servants of my Lord are encamped, &c. And shall I goe into 〈◊〉 house to eate, to drinke, and to lye with my wife? as thou live • and as thy soule liveth, I will not do it! O brave Souldier! come on then! let's be gone abroad, and get on the other side the ri •• ☞ in the name of the Lord Jesus! and those that will not doe it, li •• the Rebels at Cadesh barnea they must be cursed, and never en ••• into the land of Canaan, which is on the other side the Riv ••• Wherefore to our Neighbors both at home and abroad, let every one discharge his duty aright; and let not Holland or France b • forgotten (and it shall be a door of hope to us in the valley of • chor.) For beleeve it, upon perpending the concomitants (wise ••• know what I mean, Hos. 14. 9.) there is a necessity of taking all 〈◊〉 opportunities to show our love to Christ and his Kingdome; and our charity to our oppressed, and afflicted, imbondaged neighbours: and let not men dispute so much whether it be lawfull 〈◊〉 Our Warrant for this. defend or strike in for anothers liberty, and deliverance, if it w ••• lawfull to doe so for our own, seeing we must love our neighb ••• as our selves. Diligit in proxime▪ quod in seipso diligit, • diligit proximum eandem ob causam, propter quam diligit s • ip • um: if we love Christ then in our Nation, why not in another and if Justice, and Peace, and Piety, and Righteousnesse among our selves, why not among others? O for shame sirs! let's rub •• eyes, and look about us! And after the wicked Lawyers have had a b • ng, let us beat a march, and alarm the whole world. Jer. An alarm. ☜ 50. 2. Declare ye among the Nations, and publish, and set up a standard, publish and conceal not, (till ye) say, Babylon is taken. Who is on my side? (saith the Lord.) Who? Come against her, from the utmost border (even Ireland and Scotland) open her store-houses, cast her up as heaps, destroy her utterly, let nothing of her be left: Wo to them, for their day is come, the time of their visitation. The vengeance of the Lord our God, yea, the vengeance of his Temple (or Churches,) Jer. 50. 26, 27, 28, 29.

I intended not this length, but the Lord will have it so; and so I come in again to the Lawyers, having proved my warrant by the Law of Nature, of Nations, and of God. Which Law of Vide Chap. 5. God is of all the necessary, seeing that mens judgement (especially in particular contingencies) may be divided, and produce divided and different effects, till the divine law directs them: for Psal. 19. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, the testimony of the Lord Laws of men must breathe by Gods. is sure, the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoycing the heart, &c. From whence ere long all other Laws among men must fetch breath. And then as the Psalmist says, Psal. 147. 19, 20. He ☜ sheweth his word to Jacob, his statutes and judgements to Israel; and he hath not dealt so with any other Nations; as for his judgements, they have not known them. This will, I trust, be fulfilled in a short time, as soon as ever the Lawyers once tumble. In the mean time, says the Lord, Isa. 3. 20. Wo be to them that Wo to Lawyers put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Vers. 23. Wo be to them that justifie the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousnesse (or righteous cause) of the righteous from him, &c. And Isa. 1. 21. O! How is the faithful City become an Harlot, &c. Companions of Theeves. Vers 23. Every one loveth gifts, and follows after rewards; they judge not for the fatherless, norwidow, &c. Therefore saith the Lord, Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries! and will restore thy Judges as at first, (how that is, we shall hear hereafter.) But wo be to thesePriests and Lawyers the two Plagues that rose together. wicked ones!

The two Plagues of this Nation rose up both from the bottomless smoke, and are the Priests and Lawyers; both alike they keep up a corrupt, carnal, Antichristian interest; the Priests would fill the cup of the Whore for the Nation to drink of, and the Lawyers would cloath her with scarlet; but wo be to us! if either be suffered to trade: for, because thou hast let go them that I have appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for theirs, and thy people for theirs, 1 Kings 20. 42.

They must fall together, seeing ever since Edward the third his time in England, they were advanced together, i. e. as to their height in interest. The Lawyers (who are Tyrants and OppressorsLawyers Locusts. of the Civil state) may as well be compared to the locusts mentioned Rev. 8. 3, &c. as the Priests, (the Tyrants and Oppressors of the Ecclesiastical state.) For

1. Out of the smoke, which darkned the Air as well as the Sun, 1. Arising out of the bottomless pit smoke. (Earth as well as Heaven;) and so out of that Antichristian darkness which arose upon the State civil as well as Ecclesiastick, came these locusts, Vers. 2, 3. upon the Earth, and Lawyers into this Kingdom (as we shall shew afterward.) Vide Malmsbury, Malmsbury. in William the second his time, they proceeded from the Romish Clergy.

2. Locusts are unclean Creatures, many times translated2. Unclean Creatures. Grashoppers; and the Midianites and Amalekites that came against Israel in Gideons days, Judg. 7. 12. were said to be like Grashoppers, which, says Cooper, signifies Bodily oppressors, Egyptian plagues, as Exod. 10. 13, 14. Grievous! Such are theCooper. Lawyers all over the Nations, and they never are in such multitudes, but they are most grievous plagues as can befal a Nation▪ we had need to seek in hast to our Moses's and Aarons, by whose means I am perswaded they will be swept away of a sudden into the Red Sea.

3. Locusts have their strength in their multitude. O what3. For multitudes. heaps of this noysome Vermine may you see at a time in the Temple! or Westminster-hal! Nullum unquam fuisse human • ordinis institutum, quod magis brevi tempore crevit, &c. These do make up the numerous Army of Antichrist (in this State) against Christ, and are to torment men, Rev. 9. 3, 5, 7, &c. and so4. For their variety of orders. Exod. 10. 14. they cover the Earth.

4. Locusts have their variety of orders, and ye may see them noted in their several colours and marks. Thus have Antichrists ☜ L • ity (I mean) Lawyers, as well as Antichrists Clergy (I mean) the Priests. It were but lost labor to enter into this number of his name, of to reckon up the variety of orders, and degrees of this brood of the Beast, distinguished by several Forms, Sects, and Habits of divers Fashions.

5. Locusts are of earthly dispositions, greedy devourers, insatiable5. For their earthly dispo▪sitions. for covetousness; always desiring, but never delighting to work, sow, labor, nor plough, but to eat up the fruits of other mens labors; and to fall on, cease upon, and take possession of the best Meadows, Valleys, and pleasant places of the Land; now the Lawyers (as well as Priests) are such a plague of Locusts. For☜ what fertile or fruitful Soyl in England, that they have not ceased upon? and eat out▪ and (with ravenous fees) bought out the best estates in the Land? What have these Lawyers (like the Locusts) but a mouth and a helly? a huge mouth (at the Bar) to bite off, and as big a belly to take in: A mouth to gape for it, and a belly A mouth, and a belly. to get it; a mouth to plead for it, and a belly to feed on it; a mouth to serve, a belly to consume; but all this while no hands to do good, or deal out to the poor and oppressed.

6. Locusts have a leap (like Grashoppers) and so have the6. For their leaping. Lawyers; for like the Leopards they get their prey, Sali • ndo, by leaps, which are sometimes very large; and as to the things of God, or Religious Exercises, we shall finde few of them frequent them, unless by leaps now and then: so by fits and jerks they will seem (may hap) serious, as if they set for Heaven, and may promise much. But I always except such as were Lawyers, and areException of▪ some. converted, or (it may be) some that are (yet) so accounted, who are godly and conscientious, and cannot close with the common sort or ordinary practise of greedy, griping, selfish, oppressing Lawyers; but such are not very many: And I must needs say, I cannot see how an honest man of a tender conscience, can continue☜ No honest man can live a Lawyer. a Common Lawyer with them, in pleading and practising as they do; for doubtless he will lie under very desperate and daily temptations to trade with sin. But as to the sect of them in general (excepting some particular (rare) ones; such Zeno's as are honest Tit. 3. 13. and godly amongst them) these Locusts may leap to a little honesty (it may be) on Sundays; but all the days after, they follow their old trade of lying, and oppressing, and eating up the greens of☞ Greg. Moral. Job 39. 23. the Land. Subitos dant saltus, sed protinus in terram cadunt. Their ordinary going is but higgle-haggle▪ here and there, this way and that, on this side, and on that too, for any Cause or Client; so they meet but with an Angel in the way.

7. These Locusts (that help to make up the Army of Antichrist)7. Like to Scorpions. had a power like to Scorpions given them, Revel. 9. 3. and so have the Lawyers.

1. Scorpio est blanda facie, sed caud • pungit occulte. The1. Flattering faces, full of craft and cruelty. Scorpion hath a flattering face, and so these Locusts, Revel. 9. 7, 8. Their faces were as the faces of men, and they had hair as the hair of women. But Vers. 10. their tails were like to Scorpions that had stings to torment men. All this signifies their Hypocrisie and craft, as well as cruelty to hurt us. Exterius boni▪ sed interius mali (sayes one.) For (Scorpio blanditur vultu, sed Carthus. in Ap • . percutit cauda) these Scorpions will finely fawn to thy face, but they torment with their tail, when thou thinkest danger is over. This signifies (also) their (varias fraudes) sundry sorts of tricks and frauds (as Cotterius tells us) to deceive and do mischeif Cotterius. with; therefore they have womens hair, as well as mens faces. As the Apostle sayes, 2 Pet. 2. 3. Through Covetousness, with fained words they make merchandise of men; for they seem the faces of men that are most discreet, wise, prudent, eloquent, yea, and affable, and courteous; but as Pliny, lib. 11. c. 25. sayes of the Scorpion, Cauda semper in ictu est, nulloque momento meditari Pliny. cessat, ne quando occasioni desit: Their tail is continually in motion to torment us, and every moment ready to take occasion to sting us; and as Paul in Rom. 16. 18. sayes, With fair speeches and flattering words, they deceive the simple.

2. As Scorpions ever since they were cursed (in Gen. 3. 14.2. They eat the dust, as it is a curse. Thou art cursed above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all thy days) I say ever since with their tails (which torment us) they gather up the dust of the Earth, and feed altogether upon earthly things as their meat. Scorpio cauda lingit, & isti spiritualia temporibus postponunt. So they, like the unclean beasts under the Law, creep 〈◊〉 all four upon the Earth, and all this upon their belly too. O bitter curse! they cannot abide the things above. And this make them ready to receive Petitions, opinions, causes, complaints, many hours together about Bodies and Estates; but cannot abide▪ a Petition They cannot abide a plea out of Scripture that concerns Soules, which lately I tryed their patience with before the Lords Commissioners, but upon the naming of a Scripture or two, they would not hear it; at which drawing my Bible out of my Pocket, and telling them that that was the Statute Book to be used in such cases, and beginning to open some Scriptures, I came to that in Ezek. 22. 27. Her Princes are ravening. Wolves, they seek to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain, &c. but they fell a chasing and fuming, and could not endure it. But

3 Scorpions sting, but not dead at first, but the wound works2. They sting deadly and by degrees. Pliny. by degrees; and Pliny saies plainly, that the venome runs along the veins, by little and little, till it comes to the heart and kils them. The Lawyers like them sting deadly, and it were better they killed us right out, (Rev. 9. 6.) then to consume, perplex, paine, grieve, and afflict us to death by degrees, the plague of them is the worse: Habent venenatam suam potestatem. Thus these Locusts are like Scorpions.

8 These Locusts were Monster-forme, and that multi-forme, 8. Monsters. being made up of many sorts of creatures; so the Lawyers are (i. e.) Foxes for subtlety, Vipers for venome, Dogs for mouthing it, but Tygers for tearing it, and cruelty.

But 1. In their Body, horses prepared to battle, Rev. 9. 7.1. In their bodies. Horses not common, but kept up, and fed, pampered Jades, that work not, but feed hard, and eate and drink of the best; therefore saies the Apostle 2 Pet. 2. 12. They are as bruite beasts lead with Full of fury for Antichrist. sensuality, and yet like Horses prepared to battle, that is, full of fury, and rage for Antichrists designe, and against the Gospell of the Lord Jesus. Cum fervore & impetu procedentes, sine Carthus. Dei timore, & discretione currentes in conculcationem electorum; & sicut equi (saies Beda in loc.) non sua ratione sed Beda. sessoris impulsu aguntur, ita diabolico spiritu agitati feruntur contra Christum. They must needs go whom the devill drives: and thus like the horses, Job 39. 25. They mock at fear, and go on as bold as blind Bayards (furiously) for Antichrists interest, • s his Army for Civill affairs. Besides, it seems they are cruell and given to Blaodshed, and under pretence of Treasons, breach of Law or the like, they cause the faithfullest to suffer, as Sir Walter Rawleigh told them to their faces.

2 On their Heads, as it were crowns, &c. So are these Locusts, 2. Their Heads or Lawyers, Antichrists Army of crowned men in Statematters, as well as the Priests and Clergy his Army in Ecclesiasticall matters; not only in their wear of Caps like Crowns, but in that they get the legislative Power, and have (more regum) in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Prima Leo, postrema, draco, media ipsa chimaera. Par. in loc. the manner of Kings, Lords, and such like persons, imposed laws and ties to consciences, tyrannizing and oppressing all the people of God as their Vassals and Subjects: Thus the Lawyers are Antichrists Horses kept up for his battle, being monster-form, magni-forme, and multi-form; But Christ he rides upon his white horse, conquering and to conquer.

3. They had Faces like the faces of men. That is, least me▪ 3. Their Faces should loath and abhor them for their cruelty and cursed dispositions, they insinuate into great places, Kings Courts, and Pallaces, &c. by simulation, and fine glozing flattering shewes of humanity and humility, having learned the art of dissembling in the Inns of Courts, having it infused as a principle which Kings andWith their art of dissembling. Rulers held (by their authority) that none was fit to Rule, unlesse he can dissemble. These Lawyers never more dissemble, the • ☞ when they resemble the faces of men; For they put the fairest faces on the foulest actions. There be no greater Flatterers in the world, and they smile at the most distance: And (methinks) now the Lawyer (is like one nigh drowned,) he fastens upon any ne • hand, in hopes to save himselfe: but soft sir!

4. Hair as the hair of women, Rev. 9. 8. That is, as Cotterius 4. Their Hair. notes, 1. Varias fraudes, their variety of art to deceive an • insinuate. 2. Ornatum illicitum, their unlawfull attire, to makeCotterius. a great show with fine, soft and delicate ornaments. And 3. Effoeminatos mores, their effeminacy and womanish fancies a •• fashions: and like women, O how they love their long hair! & delicate ☞ comam alunt, pingunt, mulcent, powdering and painting it!

5 Their Teeth as the teeth of Lyons, Rev. 9. 8. Such an expression5. Their Teeth Terrible. is in Joel 1. 8. Voraces & truculenti sunt, that is, th •• are ravenous and cruell; so that in the description of them, there is falsi boni simulàtio, & veri mali dissimulatio, & Aper • Saevitia. A semblance of good in their faces, a dissemblance fevill in their hair, but dentibus, crudelitas significatur, byLyra. their teeth is figured out open cruelty and tyranny, and bee sure these State Locusts, or Lawyers where they cannot get what they would with the first or second, they bring in the third, and show their teeth to the purpose, in tearing away mens Estates, Liberties and Lives too if they can, omnia rapiunt, aeraria exhauriunt, 〈◊〉 devorant, agros vastant, cru •• les & saevi sunt in pios, qui 〈◊〉 manus eorum incidunt, making themselves rich by others • uine.

6 They had Habergions of Iron, Rev. 9. 9. That is their outward 6 Habergions of iron. defences, whilst corrupt Laws and Lawyers have been a long time (especially in these five months, that they have so • arfully tormented us, I mean for the hundred and fifty years last • ast) kept up by secular Powers, so that there was no opposingPareus. them; Quibus munitae ut a nemine facile laedantur, they had power to hurt all that while, but none could hurt them.

7 And the sound of their wings, like the sound of Chariots, 7 Their wings and priviledges Rev. 9. 9. This State-Army of Antichrist being (as we heard be • re) so crafty, cruell, fierce, strong, forcible, and armed with secular Powers, and all means to hurt men with: They have wings, • at is, such things, advantages, and Priviledges, with which they • ie high in boldnesse and ambition, and are elevated exceedingly, and lifted up, and especially to the terror of honest people. Beda Beda. writing on this place saies Expavescendum magis, quam exporendum. It is rather trembled at, then interpreted how this Army of these Locusts increase, For with their wings they make such 〈◊〉 huge noise, as amazes and amuzes men, and makes them afraid of them.

For the noise is first, Confused, like the sound of many Chariots, The Army of Locusts. uttering no distinct noise, terrifying the people with horror • t their loud clamorous voices, lamentable lying, pleadings, and disputes, and violent jangleings, and indistinct voyces which others must not rightly understand.

Secondly, it is Comfortlesse, for they neither sound glory toNoise of their wings, what • ☜ God, good, nor peace to men; but all vexation, Suits, troubles, and mischeifes that may be. As K. Jabin in Judg. 4, 2, 3. had one hundred Chariots of iron, and for twenty yeares vexed Israel sore, but these have a hundred and twenty years vexed England sore, so that nothing but ruin and undoing is looked for from them; and a man needs no more trouble then to be within the sound of their Chariots and Lawes, Ile warrant him, his hea • will ake and quake too. For as Diversi currus diversis vis cum Lawyers perplex us, and how? impetu • urrunt &c. Diverse chariots, run divers waies, and all furiously to battle, so do these Antichristian State Locusts, 〈◊〉 Lawyers, divers ways perplex • s, and s • ing us out of one Court in • another, with unreasonable restlesnesse, till they have run over • or ruined us with violent contentions and torments, and that which is worst, is, that they are so numerous, and run so many ways that we can by no means escape them.

8. These monsterous Locusts have stings in their Tailes▪ Re • 8. Stings in their Tails who? 9. 10. not only the Priests and Prelates, and so Antichrists Ecclesiastical Army had their tailes, as Officials, Commissaries Proctors, Registers, and such like, that did grievously afflict and torment men; but also the Lawyers, Antichrists State-army have their long tailes too with terrible stings, and such are Soliciters, Clerks, Bayliffs, Serjeants, Goalers, and such like; and it is so much to their advantage in tormenting men to have terrible tailes that they will have none to execute their Warrants, Writs, Orde •• or the like (as near as they can) but the most cursed gracelessSuch multitudes of Clerks &c. are against Justice, and true Law, Mir. of Just. fol. 246. Villains they can get; and by this means are men in the Country (above all places) abused, by bloody Villains, drunken Sots, who sit night and day drinking and swilling upon an honest mans scor • whom they have served with a Warrant, or so, and yet use him ( 〈◊〉 may be) if hee bee a man fearing God, worse then a Dog in beating, bruising, pulling, threatning and abusing him all manner of ways, if he do not fill their Pouch▪with mony, and their Paun •• with liquor up to the throat, these torment so with their taile • that some men had better be hanged right-out then so used, and vers. 6. Seek death but cannot find it. Mors optanda magis. whilst Clubs and Canes lie thumping upon the backs of poor peopple that once come under the Bum-Bailiffs, being so crue •• plagued, pulled away from their Wives, haled up and down by head and ears, bereaved of their Relations, and robbed and spoil •• of their Estates, and comfortable subsistance Judge Arnold was hanged for saving a Bayliff from death, who had robbed the people by distresses, and extorting mony from them. See Mir. of Just. sore, p. 241 and now the Bayliffs do it daily, and no justice.. Oh! how sad this torment of their TAILES? as thousands can testifie to th • •• oure! So that all the Lawyers Estates cannot make amends for the world of mischeifes they have done, and yet doe daily with their Tailes, which are most violent, virulent, and venemous.

Thus they are described in their monster-formity, or monstrous deformity.

9. These Locusts have a limited Power. As 1. To Persons,9 Their limited power. Rev. 9. 4. that they should not hurt the grasse, nor the green things, ior the trees. 2. To time. Ver. 5. 10. they had power to hurt but five months.

1. To Persons, The Saints who are of three sorts, resembled1 To persons. by grasse, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , weake yet sappy: And 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by green flourishing things. And 3. by trees of the highest and tallest stature in Christ, viz. Fathers, Young-men and Children, 1 Jo. 2. yet all are to abstain from Lawyers, and the Lawyers are to have nothing to doe with them, for as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 6. 1. dare Et electi licet percutiantur, non reputant laesionem Hugo in loc. any of you goe to Law before the unjust? But as it is in 1 Tim. 1. 9. The law is not made for a righteous man; but for the lawlesse and disobedient, for ungodly, and for sinners, for unholy and prophane &c. So it is in Rev. 9. 5. for them that have not the seale on their foreheads.

2. To Time. But five moneths, Quinque menses brevitatem 2 To time. Andreas Casarie • s. temporis exprimere arbitramur. Primasius reads it six months, but the Septuagint says five, yet the obscurity hereof hath puzzled most Expositors as to the time; for taking in Scripture sence a day for a year, Numb. 14. 34. at thirty days to the Month, yet five months is but one hundred and fifty yeares which is a short time; but to this I think Bullinger says well, that the allusionBullinger. is made to the time of the Locusts or Grashoppers coming forth which is about April (as we say) and continues to September, i. e. the five hot months; so these Locusts have a Summertime of doing mischeife for about the space of one hundred and fifty or one hundred fifty five years, which will be a hot time for them indeed; they sing, and leap, and devoure.

Don Pluto dares not to assay though he be Prince of hell. So much as Lawyets dare, though they their souls to Angels sel.

M. Brightman tels us what Troops of millitary Locusts the Sa • ac • ns Brightman. 1 The military Locusts. were; beginning Anno 630. to flye and leape about, and for one hundred and fifty years, i. e. the first five months they did miserably torment. But beside them the Religious western Locusts came in by swarmes in their hot Summer-months, and the •• 2 Religious Locusts. a world of Priests, Jesuites, Monks, Friars, and after them Prelates rose up apace; In the daies of Innocentius (so called) the third they began with abundance of power to torment men as they listed, and this continued to 1360. a hundred and fifty yeares Whereas Wickliffe full of the wind of the Spirit began to blow vehemently, after whom others followed and ceased not, till this Egyptian plague were (as to the greatest torment and terror of it) over.

But besides all these; the third sort are the State Locusts, viz3 State Locusts the Lawyers, who arose out of the bottomlesse pit smoak too, as hath and will yet (further) appear: But we must not reckon from the first time of power given these sort of Locusts to hurt, (for that is of long standing,) for we shall find in Edw. Confessors time. An • 1043. how the Common Law (so called) arose out of four Nations,Common Law when it arose. and gave a being to some; but after that William the Conquerer altered, and disused Edwards, and kept (for his own corrupt ends and interest) more to the Danish and Saxon, appointingLawyers. Termes, and thereby bringing forth an abundance of Lawyers, but as yet they were little, and their interest was a poor puny thing till Edward the thirds time about one thousand three hundred and odde, and all this while it was but as one friend pleaded for another; but now the weather began to grow warme upon them in one thousand three hundred sixty nine and so continued to K. He • 7: one thousand five hundred and four, or thereabouts. But the • as Rastall in his abridgement notes, Acts were made in favor to Rastal. And so Stowes Chron. in loe. them; and their Summer-months to do mischeife, and to torment the people came in a pace, and continued hot to them, that they had and did almost what they listed, and had their Lawes, and Liberties, and Priviledges inlarged all along: So that they were to this day in their vigor, thus in Q. Eliz. 8. An. 1566. they were fostered up by her Acts of grace to them, and they have to this day had their flourishing Summer and time to prosp •• in; and to sing, devour estates, eate up the poor, and torment the people; but now their five months i. e. the one hundred and fifty years are upon expiring, and their power to torment will bo •• more by a yeare or two; not but that they may have a being yet, butThe Lawyers end within a year or two. ☜ not as they had before, to doe mischeife; They shall prevaile no longer, for their madnesse shall be evident to all, 2 Tim. 3. 8, 9. their September is hard by, and a West wind will remove them out of those places wherein they have sat, and sung, and plagued us for five months. Concerning the Locusts, Hildegard hath a prophecy, which is,

In those days shall arise a sort of blockish Fellows, proud, Hildegard▪ Prophesie. covetous, perfideous, and crafty, eating upon the sins of the people, preferring themselves before other men, of arrogant disposition, and voide of all shame or feare of God, in inventing new mischeifes, strong and stout; but all prudent men and faithfull Christians shall curse this pestilent order. They will flatter noble men, and lay hold on whatsoever they can get, and howsoever it be gotten by stealth, robbery or legerdemaine. And alas! they will receive any thing, from Rogues, sacrilegious persons, Usurers, Adulterers, Apostates, Whores and Bawds of Noble men, perjured persons, corrupt Judges, Tyrants or any that live contrary to Gods Law. They shall live a delicate life, and get a certaine fulnesse of an abundance of all worldly things, though it be to their own eternall damnation. And they shall every day wax more and more wicked, with minds more and more obdurate. But when once their crafty Conveyances ☜ shall be found, then shall their large Gifts (and Bribes and Fees) cease, and they shall goe from house to house hunger-bitten. Then shall the people pursue them with this out-cry: Woe be to you miserable wretches! that are ordained to sorrow! the devill has guided you! your heart is without grace! your mindes unstable! and your eyes blinded with vanity and folly! Remember the time when yee were in sight happy, pleasant flatterers, lovers of the World, drunkards, ambitious, Patrons of wicked facts, pollers & pillars of all ruin, unsatiable sowers of discord. Then the people shall say, out upon you get you packing hence! ye Captains of mischeif! For ye are fallen headlong into everlasting shame and reproach, by God's just judgment. Thus we have done with these Locusts, onely say further Ver. 12. One woe is past! It is past indeed at the downfall of this Antichristian State-Army, as well as at the downfall of Antichrists Ecclesiasticall Army of Locusts. And whilst we have offered these considerations of the Locusts, wee doe not exclude a more spirituall and refined meaning of those words in the full sence of them.

But to conclude this Chapter; We might well wonder, how the Lawyers yet stood, seeing the Priests and Prelats and such like Locusts were swept away, but that their five months (we finde) began here in England after the Priests and Prelates; yet now the day of their destiny draws nigh. Wherefore gird up thy loins, saith the Lord, and speake unto them all that I command thee; Jer. 1. 17. be not dismaied at their faces, least I confound thee before them.

CHAP. II.

That there is a CIVIL POLITY and LAWS, and what is the right PRINCIPLE thereof, and how to be obeyed above Laws, or Lawyers.

THere is no man so irrational as to deny the due use of Civill Discipline, and (for the well ordering of civil affairs) of sound Lawes; but a religious man much more knows a necessary use of such a Polity and Government, in subserviency and subordination to Christ, and his Kingdome, though specificallyIn civill Discipline. 1 Reges. 2 Leges. 3 Greges. Lawes. distinct therefrom, even in terminis. In Civill States must bee 1. Reges, 2. Leges. 3. Greges, Magistrates to rule, Laws to rule by, and Subjects to be ruled thereby, and all these ought to be in obedience to Christs Kingdom. Now the Laws are the Nerves and Sinewes of the Commonwealth; or if we will the Axle-tree of our State upon whose firmenesse and fitnesse we move. BeSim. sure they be sound then, and such as do not oppresse the people of the Commonwealth, for if they do, they render our Rulers by them for Oppressors and Tyrants. The reason of it is in Calvin Instit. lib. 4. c. 20. 14. who says that the Law mutum esse Magistratum, Calvin. & magistratum vivam esse legem, &c. is a close Magistrate, but the Magistate is an open Law; so that if the Law be close tiranny, the Governors thereby must needs bee open Tyrants. ButLaws necessary. for civil Order and use, good and plain Laws are unavoidably necessary; this will appeare upon the very definition of the Law, which is quoddam dictamen practicae rationis, a certain dictate Law defined. of practicall reason. For as in speculative reason, out of indemonstrable principles naturally proceed certain conclusions of sciences, And explained the knowledge of which are not naturally brought forth in us, but by art and industry and invention of reason; So Certes, it is requisite that humain reason bring forth some particular orders, and dispositions out of the Law of Nature, and out of that certaine common and indemonstrable principles, which particular dispositions and orders are called human Laws, whilst they keepe such conditions as appertain to equity and reason, and so says Tully l. 2. de Invent. f. 4. and gives this reason for it, quod initium Tully. juris a naturâ profectum, &c. because the beginning of human right and Law is to arise from Nature, and is confirmed by practise, and then we are bound unto obedience; res a natura profect as & consuetudine probat as legum metus & religio sanxit. Let none think mee then an ex lex, whilst I am with Calvin Calvin Instit • . l. 4. de ert. Mediis. calling upon all honest men to inquire after the constitution and equity of our Laws. Ut decet, intuemur, legis constitutionem & equitatem, cujus ratione constitutio ipsa fundata est. Now though the constitutions be divers, yet the equity is (or ought to be) one and the same in all Lawes, as is in Exod. 22. 1, 2. Deut. 19. 18, 19. in this sence with Augustin de lib. Arb. lib. 1. c. 6.Austin. tom. 1. I affirme the use and necessity of humane Laws, so they agree and keep to their first principle and ends. Thus Isidorus in Isadorus. lib. 5. Etymolog. c. 20. saies, Laws are made, ut earum metu humana • o • r • eretur audacia, tutaque sit inter improbos innocentia; to correct and restraine audacity, and to countenance and defend innocency and honesty. As to the necessary use of honest humane Laws: the first consideration (I conceive) incumbent is the right and true principle or rise of Civill Lawes. The principle is the clear Light, Reason, Equity, and UnderstandingThe Principle of the law. of things in themselves in abstracto, as abstracted from all humane constituted Forms. This principle is the life and perfection of good Laws. Hence is it needful that all Humane Laws be derived, and fetched from the Law of Nature, which is prima regula The Law of nature. rationis, and according to this rule is a man, or thing, said to be honest, true, and just. This is by the Wiseman, Prov. 20. 27. called☞ The candle of the Lord in man, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or the light, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Sept. or Lamp of the Lord, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Aqu. Symm. Thod. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , men have reasonable souls, which serve to enlighten them in inferior matters, which is implyed by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a rational breath, Spiraculum vitae. For as the Hebrew Doctors do affirm the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 points out the upper or supream region of reason, yea, the very top and flower (as one sayes) of a reasonable soul, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ;Culverwel. or else as it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a soul sparkling and glittering with intellectuals, and shining bright with the light of reason, this is the Candle.

But to give light, one word, first, of Nature; secondly, another of the Law of Nature; and a third, of the Light of Nature, as the principle of the Law that I here handle.

1. Nature, I mean not that which the Schoolmen call Natura 1. What Nature is? Durand. Culverwel. naturans, as Durand, and others; but as it is scattered and diffused into divers particular Beings, it is the very same with Essence▪ and it fingers forth; First, Originem entis, which as Culverwel calls it, is the very genius, and I may say, genus of entity; yea, entity or being its self; for a thing cannot be without its nature: And secondly, Operationem entis, for all essence boils and bubbles out into several and serviceable operations, and acts; and hence it is, that customs of long standing, are accounted Natural, and Law oftentimes, as Galen sayes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ▪ Galen. But,

2. The Law of Nature, is that Law which is seated intrinsecally, 2. What the Law of Nature is? and indeed, esential to a rational Creature, insomuch, as such a Law is as necessary to have being, as such a Creature; and indeed one is connatural with the other. But the greedy Lawyers long f •• a further latitude, and say, Jus naturala est quod natura omnia animalia doc • it, &c. And in this their sence, the sensitive Creatures they would have their Clients, as under this Law but the Schoolmen school them, till they cool them for it, and inform them of their folly in it: For surely, they are so used to Fees that the Birds, Beasts, and Fishes, by their good-will, should do their homage to their great god Terminus in their Courts. But☜ this we confess, in the very sensitive creatures there are some simulachra, apish imitations, or shadows of morality amongst them; some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as the Philosopher sayes: But this is far from the Law of Nature which we speak of, whilest as Suarez sayes, they are deficient in the duties, yea,Suare • . and branches of the Law of Nature, as to acknowledge and adore • Deity. Inter brut • silent leges: Therefore the learned Grotius Grotius. does thus describe the Law of Nature, Jus naturalo est dictatum rect a rationis &c. And Chrysostom calls it too, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ;Chrysostom. A radical knowledge, which is also fundamental in mans being, which blossoms and burgeons out into the best fruits of morality: For this too, we finde Philo our friend, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .Phile. Right Reason is that fixed, sure, and unshaken Law, 〈◊〉 not written with hand upon a peice of Paper, or like a dead 〈◊〉 Letter engraven upon a Pillar, but penned with the point of a 〈◊〉 Diamond, yea, the finger of God himself in an immortal minde. So Plutarch sayes also, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,Plutarch. &c. The Law was never limited to Paper or Writings, but to Reason; it is situated in the centre of a Rational Being. Plato too tells us plainly forPl •• ▪ this, that other Laws were but a Comment upon it, yea, and infirmiorum hominum Commenta too; but this was the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Brightness and orient • ustice of Nature. And in this sence Cicero sayes it is, Non scripta, sed • ata Cicero. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Sim. lex.

Thus for the Law of Nature, which is like Gold in the lump, out must be beaten out into the leaf: Hence the Natural Conscience is, centrum notitiarum communium.

3. The Light of Nature is Reason, or the Intellectual Lamp 3 The light of nature. set up in the soul. This is the Cannon Law in the essences of men, without which, all Laws are erroneous; for let this Lamp of Reason but once out, and we are left in the dark to court shadows, and complement, cloudy forms, Idea's and Idols of mens make; so that reason it is which promulgates the Law of Nature, and makes the difference between 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Now though the formality of humane laws flowes from men who ha • ☞ their own Interests, yet the sinews and life of all true Law • have their sperma and spirit in the Law of nature. But besides, there is a Law of Nations which lies between the Law of Nature, Law of Nations. and Civil Law; and this is either per con • omitantiam, th • is, when several Nations in their several conditions and capacities, yet have some of the same positive Laws, or else per communicationem (which is indeed the most duly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) by compacts and leagues together reciprocally. But now as to huma • Humane Laws. The principle of them. Laws, which Tully calls Leges populares, and the Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they have their rise from Reason, which is therefore to be first considered, for that there is a necessary co • catenation between first principles and conclusions; and as Suarez Suarez. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . sayes, Veritas principii continetur in conclusions: The truth of the principle is, or ought to be in the product; so must reason (as the principle) be in the Laws; and he that serves the Form ☞ and shifts the Principle, i. e. Reason, is the Traytor; and an Apostate Tully. to his own nature, and the God of it. This makes Tully to tell us, that Veralex est rectaratio, naturae congruens, di • fusa in omnes, constans, sempiterna, &c. Reason is the true Law, which hath a natural congruity, is of a large latitude a •• diffusion, and never dies.

Hence, what have Governors and Legislators to do, b • 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (as we say) expound upon the Law of Nature? and enlarge her borders? But to make haste, take up the • Corollaries.

First, That there is nothing more agreeable to Nature, th • 1. Corol. Law, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , seeing it is founded in Nature.

Secondly, That all just and honest Laws are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 2. Corol. steps of true Reason.

Thirdly, Reason and clear understanding (which is the proper3. Corol. principle) is the best Judge of Civil Laws; and it renders • man a Judge, even when the form of the Laws renders him one judged; for that which hath the highest command, is the suprea • Judge, but Reason hath the highest command; so also that which is the most perfect in every kinde, is the rule of the rest; but Reason is so.

Fourthly, Some disobedience is more lawful (i. e. according4. Corol. to the rules of God and Nature) then subjection, i. e. When the Dictates of Reason do cross the Injunctions of Form; in such a case he is not the Traytor, who does contrary to the Formaliti • s of the Law, but he that denies Reason, and does contrary to the principle of it; for that, the principle is supream to the letter; therefore the greatest Rebellion, Disobedience, and Treason, is against Reason, Equity, and Understanding. Nullus subditur legi inferioris contra superiorem.

Fifthly, Humane Laws must no longer be kept up, then they 5. Corol. keep up the principle of them, which is Reason; but in cases of contest betwixt the Letter of the Law and Reason, we must side with the principle: In talibus non secundum literam legis, sed recurrendum ad aequitatem (Jurisperitus in digesto veteri, Lib. 1. tit. 3. leg. 24.) In this sense (sayes the Prophet) Isa. 10. 1, 2. Wo, to them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that grievousness which they have prescribed, to take away the right, &c. This is a sad curse! which hath continued long in England, which certainly the Lord will visit Lawyers for, and corrupt Judges.

Sixthly, As Reason is restored to more perfection and clearness, 6. Corol. all the Laws and results of such Reason must be amended and corrected: Now like Hezekiahs waters, by degrees true equity and reason is rising apace, higher and higher, out of its Chaos; so that in this light and discovery, according to its degree, must tumble down all corrupt Forms, Letters, and Laws. So that this Resurrection of Reason, or the Principle, will prove the ruine☜ of persons, and personal interests; and that is the reason that the Wisemen are employed by the present Herods of our age, under pretence of worshipping this Infant (so as yet) to tell them, how and where they may destroy it, in its first appearances, least it live and reyn them out of the saddle; and this they hope to do by murthering the children of Reason; but in vain, though as yet true Reason is counted the Traytor to the acted Forms.

Seventhly, Reason restored to latitude and liberty, will ride 7. Corol. in triumph in the spirits of men, and draw all forms after her, as her Vassals, Subjects and badges of her conquest and dominion: and in trophie of triumph, Reason shall sit in her Majesty on the Throne as Sovereigne, and Lady-Law in command. And then an Aristotle acknowledges 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .Aristotle. Then the Law rides triumphantly, when its filled with reason; and then reason will call corrupt forms and Interests to account, as guilty of much innocent and precious blood. It is not the principle, but the domineering form which must be brought to the Bar for the greater Persecutor and Tyrant, and☞ engine of destruction, who with a Wolfe-like nature, tears a peeces the Lamb-like appearances of Equity, Truth, and Reason. Now that time will be glorious indeed, when Righteousnesse and Truth shall possesse mens hearts, and when the principle shall be restored in a civill reference, as well as in a spirituall: (says Mr. War) thenWarr. shall be the triumph, and the tumbling of all tyrannical forms and Laws in Church and State.

8 When this principle is restored, the Lord alone will be exalted • . Corol. in that day, and wee shall stand on even ground, in a perfect level, as to selfish Interests or Forms, and one shall be equalThe right Leveller. with another in Justice and Law. Without this principle of reason men are degenerated, dethroned, and Nebuchadnezzar-like turned among the Beasts; which whilst a rationall man, who hath this principle cannot indure, he meets with roaring Buls and Beares ready to tear him in peeces; but God will deliver him out☞ Suarez. of the Den of Lyons, who would have with Suarez, omnia praecepta (both as to principle and conclusions, or Laws thence) a Des auctore naturae, all Laws of God, according to this principle of reason▪ which are then (and not else) binding in foro conscientiae, in conscience. And for explication of this, Hierocles and Pyth • goras doe both utter these words. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .Hierocles Pythagoras. To obey right Reason, and to bee perswaded by it, is to obey and bee perswaded by God himselfe &c. And Socrates had such like sayings often in his mouth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .Socrates. It does not behove a rationall man to be perswaded by any thing but by right Reason, that hath the seale of God upon it; so that, as this Principle is exalted, the Lord will be exalted with it, and by it in the State.

Ninethly, Because Reason is not the perfectest Principle of all,9 Corol. and because ratio humanae non potest participare ad plenum dictamen rationis divinae, sed sue modo & imperfectè, humane reason cannot partake of a perfect plenary measure of divine, therefore the Spirit of God is given to some to perfect that principle for the Lords worke and use, as will be abundantly in these last ages;☜ • ow the fuller reason is of divinity, the more perfect and absolute it is. Divine Reason is the eternall Law of Government in the supream Law-giver and Governor; therefore all reason of Government, and Laws in inferior Law-givers, ought to be derived and received in speciall manner from this eternal Law of God which standeth and abideth for ever.

Tenthly, Not Persons, but Principles are to make, determine, 10. Corol. define, and refine Lawes; so that we are not to be ruled by the Arbitrary wils of Judges or Law-givers, but by Reasons; Hence it is the Power, or the Principle that we are in subjection unto, and not the person simply; so that the highest Treason and Rebellion is against Reason it selfe: and we may obviously judge then of the Lawyers in this sence, as the veriest Trait • rs that are in the☜ 1 Tim. 1. 10. world; and ere long this Principle will recover and become Law to every man; for other Laws are made for the disobedient, saies the Apostle, that is, such as obey not this principle; so that such a Leveller as aimes at the principle, is an honest man; Its mans declining from the principle makes him like the Horse or Mule, that needs to be restrained by curb, bit, or bridle, Laws and Mulcts.

Eleventhly, In the absence of this principle, the greater light11. Corol▪ guides the lesse, and men submit to better understandings; and hence humane Interests and Factions prevaile amongst men, and some mens persons are had in admiration, and made Idols of, and worshipped: the nescience of the Principle endungeons us in civill darknesse, and makes Idols of Formes. Tis true, the injunctions of Forme, pretend to be a Kin to Reason, but whilst wild men weild them, or they be bent or bowed to serve some mens designes, humors, lusts, and passions, they become abominably corrupt; and then he is the honest man, that is rationall, a friend to the state, and desirous of its good indeed, that holds to the first principle; yea, call him what you will, yet he will be found faithful to that God, that will break the Iron yoke, and go forth in great indignation against Tyrant-forms and Laws, which have usurped the throne of Reason, and taken away her honor. For this end hath Reason so great controversie against the Laws and Civil Forms, and God himself is on Reasons side: Yet for orders, or necessities sake, we grant some reverence to be given to the Form, so Reason be not robbed; but the truth is; the Sons of Reason are but few, (as yet) and they are under persecution, by reason that the Forms are many, and backed by many, and give☞ protection to none but their own followers, that brutishly yeeld subjection to them; and the less reason is with them, the more they hurt and tyrannize.

Twelfthly and lastly, As the principle arises, the Laws are altered;12. Corol. for manifestum est quod verbo humano potest & mutari lex, & etiam exponi, in quantum manifestat interiorem motum Tho. Aquin. & conceptum rationis humanae, Tho. Aq. 1. 2ae. 97. 3. 0. But to be clear, Laws are of two sorts.

1. Such as are the results of humors, designs, corrupt passions, 1. Laws Lusts. and lusts of men, tending to establish them and their greatness: Law in this sence is nothing else but will, custom, lust, and power of men; and is as corrupt as those that made it: What are Oaths? Advouchons? Fealties? Homages? &c. and many other badges of slavery? but the bare issue of their own greatnesses and lordlinesses, and to establish them therein? yea, and other Laws that seem fuller of reason, yet they are, according to the Interpreter or Judge, made corrupt presently. Thus Form hath got up in the room of principle, and lust, and will, and humors of great men, in the room of Reason; insomuch, that many times Reason is made the offender, and criminal thing, yea, and☞ oftentimes condemned by form, lust, will, or passions, and designs of great men, yea, and sometimes too charged with Disobedience and Rebellion against the State; and so will be, till innocency appears and triumphs, and then the light of reason will shew the error, and lay the very same faults at the door of form, and of mens humors, and lusts, which oppose Reason and Right; and then it will be obvious, that the Judges, Lords, and Lawyers, that sit and condemn, do condemn the just, when they do most deserve to stand at the Bar, and to be condemned for judging and censuring Reason to suffer; being it is they, that do contrary to that rule, Rom. 13. Let every soul be subject to the higher ☜ powers. Now Reason is highest, though corrupt Laws and Lawyers, and lusts of men would make her lowest and least.

But secondly, other Laws that be in appearance more rational,When Laws are, and are not to be obeyed. and for common good and safety, yet when the observation of them (Fit damnosa communi saluti, non est observa • da) is made obnoxious to common good, we are then to obey the Law and Light of Nature.

To instance, a City is besieged by a potent enemy, wherefore allSim. the Ports and Gates are by the Law required to be kept shut, and not one to be opened, and this is for the publick good; but the siege being raised, the enemy gone, and danger over, this Law must be altered, because it is no longer for publick good; but it is obnoxious ☜ to the publick, not to open the Ports and Gates to trade in and out: Now, and in such a case, if the Law be not changed, why then contrary to the Letter of the Law, the Publick Liberty and Priviledges must be preserved. Some men know what I mean by this instance.

But one instance more. After the conquest of William, were Courts and Terms established at Westminster, and to the disadvantage of the Publick, the Law was taken from their own doors, and in their several Counties, where they might have had justice Terms down, and why? for a little matter, and in a few days controversies determined; but all this was altered to advantage the Darling of Prerogative and Royalty, which they preferred before the common good, and therefore forced men to their great charges and expences, to Post to London, and to take long journeys, and attend many years (it may be) in Suits of Law, and lose all at last: But now the case is altered, seeing Prerogative that was so nursed up, is now down; for the publick good it ought to be then, that Law and Justice should be in all Counties again, and at every mans door, as was before; and these ungodly Terms and Westminster Courts beJustice is a Leveller. down, and equal Justice be done to all alike with a level hand to rich and poor; otherwise there is a Darling yet, which is more preferred then the publick. But I will say no more as yet to that; onely this, That all the Demetriusses of this Diana begin (already) to cry out for fear, at the change of their long established forms, (whereby the publick hath been inslaved) and whereby they have made gain, by great fees and extortions; so that the day of the Principle, and Equity is terrible to them, and a Lilburn is as bad as a Tiburn to them.

These twelve Corollaries drop out from the light and law of nature; so that, Nos legem bonam â mala nullâ alia nisi naturalinormâ dividere possumus, &c. By that Law we discern andM. Antoninus. divide betwixt good and bad; and because as the Emperor M. Antoninus said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are equivalent; the Law of Nature, the Law of Nations, and the Law of God, require reason, i. e. The principle to have the preheminence of all humane Laws whatsoever, and that for these Reasons too.

1. Because this Light of Nature, i. e. Reason and clear understanding Reas. 1. Light of nature is a certain light. of things rational, is a lumen certum, such a light as makes a clear and certain discovery of things within its sphere. There were a sort of Academicks and Scepticks, who had this Motto, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I cannot comprehend or reach; and indeed onely God himself can perfectly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an object; their radical principle was but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to hold every proposition in aequilibrio, in equal ballance, and that there was an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an equilibrity of reason for the affirmation or negation of any opinion or perswasion. But this is a black error, yea, a heresie of an irreconciliable antipa • hy against Reason, and the light of nature; which gives a certainty of knowledge in things rational, which first peeps out in sence, but shines in the understanding as bright as noon-day. And yet I assert, that God the eternal entity, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 must needs be the Fountain of certainty. But reason (though her colour goes and comes in motu & fluxu, sayes Culverwel,) yet in her sphere sees certainly, and deals faithfully with men; therefore mens Laws must be made by this, and this Reason be a Law above all humane Laws.

2. It is a lumen tranquillum, a quiet light, and the want of Reas. 2. A calm peaceable light. this causes much contention and quarrelsomness; were this light but followed, or reasons voice regarded, it would stop many a suit, compose many a difference, sheath many a sword, quench many a flame, cure many a wound, comfort many a soul, and stay much blood, dispel much jealousie, sullenness, and suspition, and what not? In the dark men are foes with friends, and friends with foes, and they fall out, and cannot tell for what; but when Reason comes, Passion is rebuked, breaches are soon made up, and all • verboyling lusts of men scummed away, which are (as the Orator sayes) averse, a rectâ ratione, and contra naturam.

3. It is a lumen jucundum, a sweet, pleasing, and chearful 3. A sweet pleasant light. light, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Reason is the smiling light of nature, and her crown of Roses; the very frowns and supercilious threatning brows of nature, in many cruel, and (almost) unnatural Laws, are hereby paved, levelled, and pared away, and turned into pleasing looks upon the poor as well as rich, without respect of persons: And thus the dark dismal night is chased away into a lovely, • ightsome, and welcome day.

4. It is a lumen dirigens, a light for the feet, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,4. A guide or leading light. the guiding and directing light. Hence Schoolmen call Reason the Principium movens omnium actuum humanorum, the moving principle; therefore this principle is to be preferred: Would not one that is lost in a dark night, be glad of a Candle?

5. It is lumen derivans, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , lumen à lumine, a5. A light derived of divine. derivative light, it is but scintilla divinae lucis, a Beam of the Body, or a borrowed excellency of Divine Reason. So that God himself is the Eternal spring and Head of reason; and hence it is that the light of faith, and light of reason, will both shine in one heart; and Reason uses such a prospective-glass to discover, amplifie, and approximate some amiable objects. Now seeing Reason is derived from the most Divine Principle, it ought to be regarded and preferred, because in time, Isa. 60. 19. shall be made good.

6. It is lumen ascendens, an aspiring, growing light, as Prov. 6. An aspiring light. 4. 18. The light of an upright man shineth more and more, to the perfect day. In every age Reason reaches higher, therefore in every age the Laws should be corrected and pared away from all self-seeking interests, according to the measure of Reason, while☞ ought to be most of all regarded, as the standing rule. But if 〈◊〉 be thus, let us make this use.

Use. Let no man hide his light under a bushel, but out with 〈◊〉 A Call to our Countreymen, to let out the light of reason for the reforming of Forms and Laws against Reason. for the publick good, and benefit of the whole Civil firmament 〈◊〉 it is contrary to the nature of true light to be kept up, and 〈◊〉 reason to coop it up▪ Nothing makes man more useful as to 〈◊〉 then reason; and to cabbin it up, is the way to coffin it up▪ 〈◊〉 limit it, is the way to lose it▪ Therefore for shame Friends! 〈◊〉 Countreymen! can we be idle? Let us bring out Reason to 〈◊〉 form all Forms and Laws that are against Reason; and this 〈◊〉 openly in publishing, printing, and discoursing.

Obj. This is the way to be hanged for our Reason; what brougtObject. Sir Walter Rawleigh to his untimely end, but his too much reason and understanding? And so others are thereby brought tamper with Laws, and the State, and (it may be) lose their li •• for it, under pretence of Traytors.

Answ. It may be so; but let a man be called what you 〈◊〉 Answ. Who is the honest man. because he prefers Reason, as the principle of the Law, yet 〈◊〉 an honest man.

2. It is Satans design (in civil affairs as well as spiritual) 〈◊〉 blur and blemish the most serviceable and faithful men, 〈◊〉 naucious and nocuous terms, to render them odious to the wo •• and then to cut them off whiles there is none to pity them.

3. He is the greatest enemy to common good, and traytor th •• Who is the greatest enemy and traytor. can be, that betrayes his Reason, and becomes a slave to enforce Forms and Laws of men, that are tyranny and oppression, and 〈◊〉 gainst Reason.

Object. But Humane Laws do bind the Conscience to obedience.Object.

Answ. It is true, if they be just and honest, they do, as 〈◊〉 Answ. 8. 15. By me they decree justice; but if they be dishonest, and 〈◊〉 just, and inconsistent, with a rational principle, they do not.

Laws are said to be unjust two ways: First, When they 〈◊〉 Laws unjust, how and when? contrary to humane good and welfare; and this is two ways 〈◊〉 1. Ex fine, when they be burthens, and hinderers of common 1. When contrary to humane good. good and benefit, and rather tend to advance some private goo •• and selfish interest of great persons, or the like. 2. Ex form • when they are dispensed, dispersed and executed by an uneven and unequal hand, for though they tend to the publick good, yet they may be unjustly executed, and so made yoakes and burthens to some above others; so that then they are flaws not Laws, magis violentiae sunt quam leges, and as Aug. de lib. arbit. l. 1. c. 5, Lex Augustin. esse non videtur, quae justa non fuerit, unde tales leges non obligant in foro conscientiae, &c. Such Lawes are not binding the conscience to obedience, but it is a greater sin to obey them, and disobey Reason; then it is to obey Reason, and disobey them.

Secondly, Lawes are unjust when they are contrary to divine 2. When contrary to divine good, Use. good, and such especially are to be disobeyed, Act. 4. 19. for God is to be obeyed before men.

Lastly, Remember your reasonable service to God, and certainly, honest, just men may upon a civill or rationall, as well as a religious score, be said to suffer for God, and with the witnesse of a good conscience, 1 Pet. 2. 19. And this is thank-worthy if a man for his conscience towards God suffer griefe, wrongfully. Martyrs in State-Mattars, and on Civill accounts. This the Lord looks on and owns, and crowns in our sufferings upon a civill account as well as otherwise. So that many that have been by corrupt Antichristian State-Lawes put to death for their opposition and disobedience to such unreasonable Formes will be found faithfull ones, yea, and Martyrs too, in that day of the Lord. For though the Forme promises protection to its own Followers, yet the lives of others that prefer Reason must be sacrificed, and their blood poured out to quench the flame and fury of enraged Formes and unreasonable Laws.

Object. But we are bid to obey the Higher Powers.

Object. Answ.

Answ. True, as wee said before, in things honest and just: But,1. 2.

2 Those that despise this Principle, and so highly prize, and prefer the forme, they oppose the higher Powers, and speak evill of dignities. So that by this Law of God, many condemned for Traytors and Rebels by their Judges, may be justified, and their Judges themselves be condemned for Traytors to true Reason, which is the highest Power.

Wherefore in a word, will we live like men? make use of the light of Nature among men; and sit not still, till the Laws be regulated☜ by Reason, as the Principle of them.

Quest. Who should do it?

Quest. Answ.

Answ. They that have power to make them, have power to mend them, Now condere legem to make a Law, or to ordinare aliquid in bonum commune, to ordaine any thing that tendsWho are to make and mend Lawes to the publick good, is either done by the commonalty (as we cal it) or by some that represent them, as appeares in the next Chapter. Hence saies Isidorus in l. 2. c. 1, Etym. Lex est constitutio populi, Isidorus. secundum quam majores natu simul cum plebibus aliquid sanxerunt. Therefore let all the free-borne English look out for reason, and prefer the principle above all formes, yea, above all persons, but to that at last.

Thus to conclude, the Laws which we call for, are such as firstWhat Laws we would have. flow from the Law and Light of Nature. Secondly, for the publick and common good. Thirdly, made by such as represent the publick Commonalty. 4▪ As directive and Rules to humane actions. Hence saies Suarez, Lex est mensura quaedam actuum moralium, Suarez. ita ut per conformitatem ad illam, rectitudinem moralem habeant, & si ab illa discordent, obliqui sunt. And Plato inPlato. plaining of his politicall Idea's makes a graduall description of a Law by four steps.

1 He cals the Laws 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 things fitting, but for that this is too general. He cals a Law 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but lest anLaw of Subjects defined. evill Law should be established by the multitude, he cals it 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is taken sometimes for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and at other times for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . But 4. Laws he calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 :

Aquinas cals the Law an Ordinance of Reason for the promulgation Aquinas of publick good, taking care of the publick; and such we wish for. And so saies Suarez too, Lex est commune praeceptum, Suarez. justum ac stabile, sufficienter promulgatum. the Law is a publick Precept, just and stable, proclaimed openly to all. These definitions we allow of, and such Lawes we account necessary to this Commonweale, 1. Wherein publick good, with olive branches1. to all is cheifly and solely intended. 2. Which flow from a cleare2. understanding and Reason, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c.3. 3. Which carry life and vigor with them to work. And lastly,4. proclaimed and made known to all in a publick manner, very emphatically and sufficiently in their Native Language, and so as that none may plead ignorance, and with this I conclude this Chapter.

CHAP. III.

The right RISE and ORIGINAL of all good LAWS, and how the People have been robbed of their RIGHT to this day, with the INCOME of corrupt LAWS and LAWYERS, the true Rise of their Interest, Innes of Court, and Trades by sinne. And in order thereto, what it is the People expect from their Conqueror, the LORD GENERALL, and the Army.

I Propose, yea, I purpose brevity in the following The People give the rise to their Laws. Chapters, having passed through the most material of this discourse; but before we can go further, we must find out the Rise of good Lawes, which appears plainly to be from the People, who being most sensible of their own burthens are most capable of making Laws for their owne ease and welfare. Cicero M. Tull. Cicero • . owns this in his Offices lib. 2. Cum premeretur olim multitudo ab iis qui majores opes habebant, statim confugiebat ad aliquem virtute praestantem, &c. Jus enim semper quaesitum est aequabile, neque enim alitur esset Jus id si ab uno bono & justo viro consequebatur, eo erant contenti, cum id minus contingeret Leges sint inventae, &c. When the poor people were oppressed by the rich ones, they presently made choise of some that excelled others in worth and wisdome to represent them, and when they obtained from some honest, just and good man, redresse of wrongs, they rested satisfied; but that failing they were forced to Lawes, and invented Laws for their liberty, not for their bondage or slavery. To this saies Isidorus l. 3. Etym. c. 21. Constituitur enim Isidorus. Communitas Cavitatis ex multis per ••• is, &c. The Commonalty makes Lawes consisting of many persons that represent the publick, So saies Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 2. c. 21. and lib. 22. c. 6: Nullus potest condere leges, nisi communitas, vel personae publicae. vices ejus gerentes. So that it appears to any unprejudiced▪ and honest man that those Lawes which have in their bowels freedome, and honesty, do owe their homage to the peoples choise; A people rightly principled (as before) with Reason and Understanding are the proper originall (in that sence that Origo is a re ad rem,) and rise of rationall Laws which are laid out altogether for the peoples rights, and Liberties, from hence we have these Observations.

1 Obser. Reason and Judgement goes before to create a capacity,Observ. 1. Freedome and Honesty follows after to execute and fulfill it. 2 Obser. Justice and Equity must be in men, before they comeObserv. 2. to be in the Lawes of men. 3 Observ. The rationall honest people in generall are theObserv. 3. true originall or rise of those Laws which they are Governed by. 4 Obser. The genuine intent of Lawes in their originall is toObserv. 4. curbe and keep in (principally) the Princes, not the People; the rich, not the poor; Oppressors, and Tyrants, not others of the people; To bridle Great ones who are most lawlesse, and to keep Governours within their due Precincts of just and righteous Government. 5. Obser. True Laws as they arise from their originall, areObserv. 5. not to burthen, but to ease; to grieve, but to relieve; to hurt, but to helpe; to insnare, but to take care for peoples Liberties and Freedom. 6 Obser. As Laws cannot be made but by the peoples voice; Observ. 6. so a Judgement cannot be (rightly) executed, but by the peoples concurrence: So that Sicut cogens aliquem ad aliquam, legem non publicâ authoritate sancitam servandam injust è facit, ita quis alium judicans non habens authoritatem, vel usurpand • sibi judicandi potestatem, graviter peccat; As to compel one to keep such Laws as are against the Liberties of the People, and have not their originall from the people is Tyranny and injustice; So to passe Judgement upon any one of the free-born people by an Usurped power, and not derived from the people, this is no lesse Tyranny and Injustice. But all this while I speake of a rightly principled, people that are in their capacity.

Use 1, Where abouts are we then? as to the Laws and Lawyers? Use 1. or whence had they their original? by what Rules do they proceed? And to the originall of the Lawes, first, we shall findOur Laws and Lawyers their original. (them) since the Norman Conquest, that the Lawes were a Norman bondage, an Iron Yoake and Coller about the necks of the free-borne people to this day. For as Fortescue tels us, c. 17. Regnum Fortescue: Angliae primo per Britones, deinde per Romanos, iterum que per Britones, deinde per Saxones possessum, extunc per Danos, iterum que per Saxones, sed fin • liter per Normanos, &c. This Nation hath been under divers Conquests, so that severall alterations have thereby been made of the Laws, either in part or in the whole upon every Conquest, and if at any time the Conqueror continued any Laws which the people allowed of, it was for his own ends, to ingratiate himselfe into the people thereby, and yet to espouse his own Interest. For as one saies ch. 2. p. 6. of his Survey of English Laws, so some noble, and notable Theeves, Sim. doe (as Hinde the Robber) return back again some part of the moneys they take from the poor Travellers, to be the better thought of, and the lesse pursued. But this is certain the honest hearted Britains lost their Laws and Lands together, though theBrittains lost their Laws and Lands together. Saxons (and so the Normans after them) allowed of some of their Laws (after they were Saxonized) for their own ends. Now the reason of all is, that the Conqueror was evermore carryed on by his own will and lust which he looked upon above the peoples Rights and Liberties, and meere force being partial, would never suffer a Jury of Freedome. Thus Will. the Conqueror altered some, and quite took away others of the Laws that were in Edward the Will. the Conqueror Confessors time; which Laws were so allowed of, that Kent and other places would never have yeelded to him but on condition they should keep their own Lawes; But notwithstanding his ingagement to them, and his oath at his Coronation, he takes away those Lawes that were the peoples Priviledges, and at his ownHis perjury to set up Norman Laws and Lawyers. pleasure makes Lawes, destructive to the peoples good and publick weale, only to advantage his own Interest, and promote Prerogative. By him, and the Saxons before him, our English civill Laws were so barbarously razed up from their foundation, principle, and original, that we were made, and have so continued absolute Slaves to Great men; and whereas before, when the people were the rise of the Laws, they were wont to curb and controle the exorbitancies The people made slaves. of Great ones, and were therefore principally intended, but now they are changed, and are made principally to enslave and oppresse the poore and commonalty or free-borne English, and to make them Vassals, and doe homage to great mens humors▪ Thus Great men got a latitude ore the free-born people, and could oppresse by law; and by the proudest Principles of self-Interest, and worldly Greatnesse, stand upon the pinnacle of power and tyranny (yea, on tip-toes to be high enough) for men to fall down and worship them, in offering sacrifice to their lusts, and in doing homage to their huge wils: Thus great men were followed as consonants follow Vowels, with obsequious flatteries, and complacentAnd Fools. compliances of the simple fellowes and servile spirits that have lived in the world before us, who easily adored these golden Images, and gave up their rights as they were the free-born people of England) for a free will Oblation. O these Prodigall! and stupid white-livered people! It is pitty they were Englishmen! And Cowards. that would give that away for a word or good look from a King, Courtier, or Conqueror, which will cost much time and labour to recover. Obsequious and servile spirits are but faint and treacherous Guardians of Englands just Rights and Priviledges: ☞ Upon this advantage hath great mens Interests gotten in, and tiptoed it over the people, when the poor silly people durst not but open the door at their knock, they could not do lesse then enter in, & shut us all out for Fools. And when once they had got the possession Laws made to keep in slaves. of the Law, their first work was to secure themselves and their own Greatnesse by a guard of Laws against the Liberties and Freedom of the people; in so much that our Cannon being thus turned upon us, they charge us with thunderings, threatning of us for Traytors and Rebels by the letter of their Lawes, if we but stir a step towards our Freedome; so that the Laws are forced to accuse, kill, and condemn their own Mother, and the best Friends they have in the world. Thus the Law became any thing or nothing at the☞ commands and courtesie of great men, for which I blame not such as were ravished of their Rights against their wils, when all their • ing and crying out for help (in corrupt times) could not save • em from being deflowred. But it is folly upon a hill, to lose this • r virginity, if it be possible to save it; and never was moreHopes of recovery. What William the Conqueror did, that Oliver the Conqueror is to undo, and how? • pes of help, then now (the people being Conquerors) to get • m under this Norman tyranny, if we cry aloud, and complain God and men; and in our applications to the Lord General, • d the Parliament, we declare our wrongs, and call aloud and in • ssantly for justice upon those villainous Laws that have ravished • d robbed us of all our rights; ere-long (then) it may be all the • to question and sentence those Laws: Let us consider, but • at William the Conqueror hath robbed us of, and then we • all know what Oliver the Conqueror ought to restore us to, • d re-invest us with, as our own; as

1. Whereas, the Laws, the free-born people that were rational, 1. In the original of the Laws. • d in a capacity, were the Institutors of, by their Deputies or • resentatives; William the Conqueror usurps that power, and eates all Laws in his name, and so ever since they have run in • e Kings name, as in an orbe above the people, on purpose to • rannize over the people: Hence sayes Philip Honor: Cum à Phil. Hon. • ulielmo Conquestore, quod perinde est ac Tyrannus, institu • • i • t leges Angliae, admirandum non est, quod solam princi • is utilitatem respiciant, subditorum vero bonum desertum esse • id •• tur. Seeing the Laws of England have been made by • ill • am the Conqueror (and from thence the Tyrant) it is not to • e wondered at, that they onely regard the Interest and Preroga • ive of the King, and seem to relinquish the right and liberties • the people, and so not at all to favor or be-friend the freedom • f the people. But this must be amended, for the interest of great • es will byass the Law, till the people be reinfranchised, and • ll there be no Laws but such as arise from the peoples voice.

2. Williams Conquest brought in Laws, with ▪the Norman 2. The language of the Laws. • anguage and French Tongue, and least any Law should remain of the people) that would not fetch and carry for him, he com • ands them all to speak Barbarism to them, in his own barbarous • guage of broken French, i. e. not to be so much as understood • the poor people: So that ever since the people have been under • aws they understood not, which is a grievous yoke and curse, as •• ut. 28. 49, 50, 51. appears, The Lord shall bring a nation against thee, as swift as the eagle that flieth; a nation 〈◊〉 tongue thou shalt not understand; a nation of a fierce co 〈…〉 nance, which shall not regard the old, nor shew favor to the yo 〈…〉 he shall eat the fruits of thy cattle, and the fruits of thy land, 〈…〉 til thou be destroyed.

Thus William the Conqueror gave the Normans the chi 〈…〉 possessions of the Lands, and he changed all the temporal Law 〈…〉 the Realm, and ever since the Norman Lawyers pleaded caus 〈…〉 Against the Laws of God to be of strange Languages. an unknown tongue; this is contrary to the Laws of God and 〈…〉 ture, as appears Deut. 30. 11, 12, 13. This Law which I 〈…〉 mand, is not hid from thine eyes, neither is it far off: It 〈…〉 in Heaven that thou shalt say, who shall bring it to us? ne 〈…〉 is it beyond the Seas, but it is near thee. Gods Laws to his 〈…〉 ple, were to be known, yea, the Politick Laws were to be 〈…〉 their own tongue, that none might say, we have not heard t 〈…〉 nor known them, Rom. 1. 20. But they had it at the hand of M 〈…〉 Deut. 6. 7. and were to teach it to their children, and talk of t 〈…〉 at home and abroad, when they walked by the way, and 〈…〉 they rose up and lay down; yea, the Heathen abhorred such 〈…〉 ness and brutishness, as to enslave the people under unknown 〈…〉 guages, Esther 8. 9. Then were the Kings Scribes called i 〈…〉 third moneth (Sivan) on the twenty third day thereof, and 〈…〉 Law was written to every Province, and to every people 〈…〉 their Language; and to the Jews according to their Wri 〈…〉 and their Language. The very Heathen had so much equity 〈…〉 reason; therefore in Edward the third his time the Laws 〈…〉 Edward the third. commanded to be Englished, and no more Pleas to be in Fr 〈…〉 or Latin. And honest Vespasian, as soon as he was Emperor, 〈…〉 sentlyVespasian. commanded all the Laws to be written leg • bly▪ in B 〈…〉 that none might plead ignorance in any one of them; but that 〈…〉 people might all understand their Liberties and Laws; and 〈…〉 fore it hath been ever the policy of Usurpers and Tyrants, to 〈…〉 people ignorant of their Laws and Freedoms. But are we not 〈…〉 What the people hope for. delivered? beleeve it, the people cannot do less then expect 〈…〉 their Laws to be abbreviated and Englished, and not one 〈…〉 Plea, or Proces, to be but in English; and that, not like Calig 〈…〉 Caligula. who upon the peoples out-cry of this tyranny, caused the La 〈…〉 be brought openly and set up for all people to know it; but 〈…〉 •• r his own Interest, to keep the people in ignorance, and to en ••• reTyrants would have people ignorant of their Laws. them under tyranny, out of policy he appoints it to be writ in so small a letter, as few could read it, and to be set up so high, as few could reach it. This policy appeared in the late Parliament • ordering of the Law to be Englished, but yet in a mystery too: This policy must be questioned and condemned to death, for the peoples Laws are to be open and known by all; and this right they hope to be restored unto by my Lord Cromwel, as the peoples Conqueror; not as the Norman did, to divide the best Lands, and Mansions, and Mannors of the Nation, to his Natives ☜ and Souldiers, which was an undeniable argument of selfseeking, and of an interest that will be broken apeeces in due time; but to deliver up the peoples Laws and Liberties in their own Language. This God and Nature requires, else it will prove destructive What will be destructive to the Commonwealth. to the welfare of this Commonwealth.

1. That the Free Commoners be kept blinded and ignorant, 〈◊〉 to their own Interests and Priviledges, which are theirs by1. Ignorance of the Laws. free birth-right. 2. To be constrained from all parts round the Nation to come2. Terms at Westminster. to Westminster for justice, or right by Law. 3. To be • orced to put out their Causes to corrupt Lawyers, to3. To buy the Law of Lawyers. plead and censure them, and to make merchandize of them, and of the Law. 4. To wait there for justice four, five, six, eight, or ten years 4. Delay of Justice. in Law, till the Norman Lawyers have made themselves rich by removing suits out of one Court into another, and by retarding of justice, to the ruine of the Client.

Now certainly God will in due time deliver his people out ofDeliverance is promised and expected. this tyranny and slavery, and proclaim Liberty to the Captives that are kept in darkness and misery, under the ignorance of their own rights and priviledges; which is a grievous curse to us, as appears Deut. 28. 49, 50, 51, 52. Jer. 5. 15, 16, 17. And if the Lord make not the General (as his peoples Conqueror) faithful to them herein, it will light sadly on some of this Generation; but yet his people shall be delivered, as Esther 4. 14. For it is one of our priviledges promised us, that we should be restored unto, in these latter dayes, as Isa. 33. 19. among the most excellent priviledges Gods people must partake off, as freedom from bribes, oppressions, blood, &c. Vers. 15. is, Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech, then thou canst perceive; of a stammering (or ridiculous) language (as such is the Lawyers Latin and Norman) that thou canst not understand. Antichrist ☞ in the State, hath kept the poor people in darkness too, under an unknown language, and made this ignorance the mother of their devotion to his Civil Worship and Ordinances. But it is now high-time to tumble, seeing Gods Israelites are to have his LawsPolitick Laws in our own Language, and why? (viz. Political) in their own language, Deut. 30. and that for these ends.

First, That they should be in the mouths of all the people, 1. whereas now they are onely in the mouths of Judges, Lawyers, ☞ Councellors, who are indeed Concealers of the Law, and lock 〈◊〉 up till a silverkey come to open.

Secondly, That they might teach them to their children, 〈◊〉 2. know them; which they cannot do now the Laws are in an unknown language, unless their children be brought up at Inns of Court, or the like.

Thirdly, That the Laws might be all writ upon Posts and 3. Gates; for the people generally to know them all; but now they must go to the Records which lie at Westminst •• , or Inns of Court, or Judges, or Counsellors Chambers, and give a good sum of money too, before they can come at them, so as to know them.

All this is tyranny and oppression, diametrically in opposition toTyranny! the Word of God, the promises of these latter days, and the liberties of the Subjects; so that our expectations must not be frustrated of our freedom from this Norman bondage.

3. Whereas the people had Justice and Law at their own3. Law and Justice at every door in every County. doors in every County and Hundred in this Nation, and their Law was plain and honest, and Controversies soon decided in few dayes by their honest neighbors of the Hundred, who making☞ the case as their own, administred justice presently; were it for a thousand pounds, it might have been recovered at the charge of a shilling or two; for there were several Courts in every County, but the Supream Court in the County was called Gen • rale Placitum, being to determine those differences which the Parish or the Hundred Courts could not decide; and also to ordain Sheriffs, and other County-Officers, &c. But the Conqueror William alters theHow Terms came in at Westminster. Law in this, takes away the peoples liberties herein, and instead of this, he sets up Courts and Terms at Westminster, takes away all Law and Justice out of the Counties, and to keep up his own Darling under his eye, brings all up to him hither by a policy. For he commanded nine men out of every County to be chosen, to make a true report what their Laws were before the Conquest; and after they had so done, he changed the most of them, and brought in the Customs of Normandy in their stead, commanding causes to be pleaded, and all Matters of Form to be dispatcht in French. He revived again the Danish Custom (he beingHow the Jury of twelve men came in. a Kin to the Danes) in Tryals of Rights by twelve men; so that for his own ends and profits, it appears all his Laws were established, and the peoples pulled away from them to this hour. Hence the peoples freedom in their Gemote or Monethly convention for Law and Justice at their own doors, was rent away from them, as appears in the History of three Norman Kings, pag. 98. AndHow Councels of State, Chancery Court, &c. came in. William the Conqueror ordained (says the History) his Councel of State, his Chancery, his Exchequer, his Courts of Justice, &c. These places he furnished with Officers, and assigned four Terms in the year for determining of Controversies among the people; whereas before, all Suits were summarily heard, and determined at home in their own Counties, and in every hundred, Tyranny and slavery, where in. without Formalities or delays. Now it is highly incumbent upon this present Power, and his Excellency the Lord General, to redeem the free-born oppressed people from this Tyranny and servitude; and that it is such a tyranny and bondage, will appear several ways.

1. In that, by this injury done the free Commoners, they are1▪ Their oppression and misery, for right and justice. forced to come up to London, from all parts of England, and to wait at Westminster at great charges and expences, during the four Terms, for Right and Justice, or recovery of their own; which attendance on the Lawyers, is well known to be lamentably chargable: ☜ For though the poor Commoner, that lives threescore or a hundred miles off, could before for a little matter, in a day or two at furthest, have had justice and right at home; Now he must wait long and lamentably, till he make himself poor, and his Lawyer rich, before he can recover his own; and I know them that have been beggered and undone by it; for they not onely carriedTheir long and chargable journeys to London. up to Westminster full purses, and brought home empty, but they have been forced to borrow money at London besides that, to suffice their Lawyers, and to bear their charges home again, with weeping eyes▪ which brought them upon their knees, and made them to work hard night and day with sweat and tears, till their fingers ends aked again; to get up some more money to fee their Lawyers for the next Term, and to finde their long journeys to Westminster again, and yet were compelled for all that, to borrow again and again at London, before they could get home; and if this be not oppression and wrong to the people, what is?

2. The bondage of it is further, for the delaying to do right, 2. Delays Whereas before, all Causes of Controversie were fully and truly determined in fifteen days at farthest, in Mirror of Just. fol. 8. when not a moneth, nor twelve moneths, nor twelve years (sometimes) will be enough for a Lawyer to remove actions out of one Court into another; from one place to another, to enrich himself, and undo his Client; nay, threescore years have some been tormented and hurried out of one Court into another; put to charges, paying fees, preferring Petitions, retaining Counsellors, and yet continue in that bondage and misery. I know many who are in Law, and some have been six, others ten, others twelve, others twenty, others thirty, others forty, others fifty years, and yet as far from help, relief, and right, as at first. O what crying and complaining ☞ of this delay of Justice is in our streets! notwithstanding many Statutes to the contrary, as that of Edward the third, An. 2. cap. 8. in these words, That it shall not be commanded, neither by the Great, nor little Seal, to disturb or delay doing right; and although such commands come, yet the Judges should not cease or delay to do right in any point. So An. 20. of Edward the third, cap. 1. That all Justices do right to all people, not having regard to rich or poor, without being let and hindered: Yea, it is accounted a Maxim (sayes Markham) that the Law hates and eschews delays; and see but Magna Charta, Chap. 29. We sell no man, we deny or delay no man justice and right. Many other Statutes command right to be done to all men without delay, as 22. H. 6. 40. a. v. 2. C. 25. Stat. Glocest. c. 2. and they are sworn to it too, 2 Edw. 3. c. 2. 28 Vide Captain N. Burts appeal from Chance • y, pag. 9. Edw. 1. cap. • 0. 4 Inst. 109. but to no purpose, for they are as slippery as an Eel (and make nothing of an oath, as will appear afterward) whiles they think fourteen, eighteen, or twenty years not long enough to delay justice, but still must be new Motions, new Petitions, new Orders, new Reports, new Demurs, new Deceits, and new Delayes, on purpose to vex and weary the Plaintiff with new Fees, and to undo the poorer sort of people that cannot follow. If this be not injustice, tyranny, and oppression, wronging and robbing the poor of their Right and Liberties, what is?

3. It is a bondage, for that hereby the price of Justice and3. Justice bought at too high a rate. Law, and of recovering of a mans own, is too high for a poor man, he cannot pay for it, and is thereby oftentimes forced to lose it; for that the mercenary Clerks and Lawyers can, as they list, raise the market of their Fees to a great rate, or else delay their orders, or the like. The poor oppressed pay for all. I know an Example. So Mr. Ch. dealt with one Henshaw, borrowed all his money, then kickt him out of doors, then clapt him up in prison, and by • eeing the poor mans Lawyers, kept him there. The late Act of Parliament worth nothing. honest man that lent a Lord his Master (a great Swash) a sum of money upon a sudden, but after some years, seeing his great master refused to pay him, he told him then he must make use of the Law; which the Lord no sooner heard, but sent for a Writ, arrests the poor man, and without Declaration for what, got him into prison, and all to prevent the poor mans suing for his own: by corrupt Lawyers and large Fees, he kept him in Newgate many years, till he was • igh starved, rotted, and stunk to death. So that the poor man must lose justice, because he wants purse enough to pay for it; and a Plea upon the late Act for one not worth five pounds, was not worth five farthings. The Lawyers are such Juglers.

Thus for these and divers other Reasons, this murthering and bloody tyranny requires quick relief from these delayings, charges, deceits, and fees, turnings, windings, and intricacies of the Law. Wherefore with full eyes are the free-born people of England expecting their return out of captivity in this also, by my Lord Cromwels (their Conqueror) means: So that Justice, and plainJustice desired to be had at home. honest Law may be had (as was before William the Tyrants time) at their own doors, and in their own streets, in every County and Hundred in England, which would much inrich the people, and keep the more money in their purses to pay taxes with,☜ and the like; the which doubtless (then) they might do without murmuring. Therefore down with Terms, and such Tradings of Lawyers at Westminster, and spread Law and Justice allDown with Terms and Westminster Courts. bout the Nation.

Object. Thereby many would have but little trading.

Answ. 1. Little the less for that, because the successive Representatives Object. Answ. at Westminster would keep it up, and thereby the City would be frequently full of people from all parts.

2. People, when they come up to London, will have the more1. Trading would not be lost by it. money to buy Commodities, then now they have, seeing the Lawyers are such Money-suckers, and Purse-soakers; but

3. Let not people be deceived, so as to think the promises and2. priviledges which we expect in all the changings and turnings of3. times, tend to set up better trading for the world; for all the earth shall be shaken, and reel like a drunken man; but as the Kingdoms of the world become Christs, so tradings will become mostly a trading for Christ and his Truth, and a taking off of the old world, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

4. Whereas before the Conqueror William (in Edward the4. From Tribute and Taxes. Confessors days) the people lived in much liberty and freedom from taxations, and tribute; yea, Edward the Confessor freed them from Dane-gilt, which the people before payed, being at least forty thousand pounds. But the Greedy Tyrant, William the Conqueror did contrary, and sought to enslave the people with cruel burthens (as we finde in the Summary of English Chronicles, pag. 41.) He made enquiry what riches the people had, Vide The lives of the three Norman Kings, p. 91, 98. how many acres of ground were sufficient for one Plough by the year; how many Beasts to the tilling of one Hide; how many Cities, Castles, Farms, Granges, Towns, Rivers, Marshes, and Woods; and what Rent they paid per annum, &c. All which was put in writing at Westminster, and kept in the Kings Treasury, in a Book called Dooms-day Book. And according to the Roll he imposed heavy Taxations, and squeezed out the • at of the Land to himself. So in Acts & Mon. p. 173. he gave his Normans the cheifest possessions of the Land, and stripped the stoutest of the Nobility and Gentry of all. But now the people are high in expectation of ease and deliverance from heavy taxes, which hitherto have been gathered and required of necessity, for the use of the Commonwealth, and benefit of the free-born people. But now they hope to have the bands of wickednesse loosed, Isa. 58. 6. And that their Conqueror Oliver the Lord Gene tell will set the oppressed free, and undo the heavy burthens, and • ose them and deliver them from this bondage, which appears to bee so, for that Governors are limited by Gods word in Ezek. 48. 18. The Princes shall not take of the peoples inheritance by oppression, and thou shalt not steale, is a mortall command to Kings, Princes, Parliament, Armies &c. Exod. 20. 15. as well as to the poore oppressed people▪ Naboths Vineyard was his own Inheritance and propriety, which the King had nothing to do with by right; for as Bucan says de Magist q. 75, 76. 77. Distinctio dominorum & propriet as possessionum est juris divini, juxta Bucan. mandatum non furtum facies, &c. Distinction of dominion and propriety of possession is of divine right, according to the command thou shalt not steal: It is not said thou shalt not give or lend, or the like, but thou shalt not steal; for that no man can lawfully take away the goods, or propriety of another. Saies Seneca l. 7. de benef. c. 4, 5, 6. Caesar hath the dominion of all things belonging to Seneca. him, but the propriety belongs to particular persons. As the Civilians say, one may make claim to a House or Ship, but not to all the furniture, or lading in the House or Ship. Therefore it is injustice and tyranny for a William the Conqueror to command mens Estates and Purses so, as against all. Law, Liberty of the Subjects, and propriety of the Law to lay Taxations upon them above what they can beare, seeing that Subjects are not to bee dealt with as Slaves and Bondmen. But God himselfe in his Law to Kings, Deutr. 17. 15, 20. calls his people his brethren, and so David did own them for his Brethren, 1 Chron. 20, 2. and so one Bartolus a famous Lawyer in Tract. de regim. Civit. says, SubjectsBartolus are to be held and used by Kings and Governors in the quality and condition of Brethren and not of Slaves; so that our Governors, and the General, must use and ease the free-born Englishman as their Brother.

Fiftly, Wil. the Conqueror brought in another Iron Yoak which the5 From Fines and homage &c. to Lords of the Mannor. people call for ease from, and that appears in p. 99. of the History of the lives of the three Norman Kings. That in all those Lands William the Conqueror gave to any man (as he did much give away to the Normans, yet this covetous Tyrant) he reserved dominion in cheife to himselfe, for the acknowledgement whereof, a year • rent he caused to be paid unto him, and a Fine whensoever th • Tenement or Land did aliene or die; these were bound as Clients to him by oath of fidelity and homa • e; and if any died who • Heir was in his minority the King (Conqueror) received the profits of the Land; and was his Guardian til the age of one and twenty▪ This bandage of slavery is great, & though it is in part taken aw •• by the fall of the Court of Wards, yet there remaineth a very gre • Tyranny under such as are called Lords of the Mannor, for eve • since (says Holinshed) as Lords and Great ones, have held this 〈◊〉 Holinshed. the King, so also have inferior persons and the poorer sort of people held this of their Lords, and in case of disobedience the propr • it • ly does revert. Hence came Lords of the Manor, Landlord, Tena •• Holds, Tenures &c. which are all slavish ties and badges, orig • nally grounded upon m • er conquest and Power inslaving the people. Now, let us but consider the nature of this bondage; fo • when thou that art a free Commoner hast bought a peece of Copyhold-land, and paid all to a penny for it of the Owner, and to • farthing the full worth of it, yet the Lord of the Mannor (fo • sooth) must have his Fine, or else you shall not have a foot of the Land, but hee will ceize on it▪ that never pald a penny for it. Nay more, if you leave it, though it be presently, another Fi •• fals upon it; or if you die, your poor Widow or Fatherlesse chil • that is in need and comfortlesse must pay another Fine for it too, o • a Herriot of the best goods left: which the Lord of the Manno • must have, or else the Land be forfeited: O these arbitrary tyrannous customes! For as Jer. 5. 26, 27. Among my people a •• found wicked men: they lay waite as one that sets snares, th •• set a trap to catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit, therefore they are become great and waxen rich. These grievous Laws are snares indeed. So that fo • Fines and •• rriots, they covet Fields, Amos 4. 1. and take them by force; and houses and take them away, so they oppresse • man and his house; hear O yee kine of Bashan! which oppresse the poor, and which crush the needy, Amos 8. 4. These as the Prophet Isa 59. Turn Judgment backward, Equity cannot enter; and he that refraineth maketh himselfe a prey. These oppressors takes pledges of the poore, which is forbid Jo • 24▪ 9▪ and they turne aside the needy from righteousnesse, and take away the right of the poor, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the Fatherlesse, Isa. 10. 2. Is it not time Fellow-Commoners to call for our freedome from this formality and lust of man? what are these Lawes but the direct issue of Tyranny? and the badges of our slavery? shall rich men thus reign over us? and contrary to all Reason or rule of Righteousnesse thus oppresse the poor? and widows? and fatherlesse? and all with • ealtie • ? Homages? Oaths? Fines, &c. What Law is this but Lust, and Will; Power, and Custome, which is insufferably corrupt and full of that Feminine which Juvinall speaks of▪ Sic volo, sic • ubeo, sic pro ratione voluntas. This absolutenesse in some men over the persons and estates of others, is plaine Tyranny, and without Reason, which the ravenous Conqueror brought in, and will not our Religious and Rational Conqueror take it away then? Shall men (as the Psalmist says) Psal. 94. forge wrong, or frame mischief for a Law? God says plainly, they shall not oppress the poor, and the widow, &c. Exod. 22. 22. Zach. 7. 10. and will not all the godly say so too? Then surely this Supream Power so called, i. e. the Parliament of England, had need to arise and redeem the people (who expect it) from this arbitrariness and absoluteness of men who oppress the poor, fatherless, and widow, with this iron yoke of fines, rents, and herriots to Lords of Mannors, and the like, which was brought in by the lust, humor, will, pride, and covetousness of a Tyrant. Pure Religion visits the fatherless, and the widow, 6, From the Norman Lawyers.

Sixthly and lastly, There is another, and that a most notorious servitude and misery which William the Conqueror brought the free-born people of England into, which by Oliver the Conqueror the people expect deliverance from, or else their lives will be but a burthen to them. This bondage is by Lawyers, for whereas before when the Law was delivered at our own doors, every man was heard to plead his own cause without Sollicitors or Attorneys, since▪ that, the Customs of Normandy were advanced by William the Conqueror, the Courts set up at Westminster, and the Laws commanded to be made, and causes pleaded in French, Lawyers their original. the poor Commoners must of necessity retain Norman Lawyers, seeing they themselves understood neither the Law nor Language.

Thus the poor people were miserably abused, and forced to buy their Law, and come by their own at a dear rate, whilest Lawyers pleaded their causes, and at one tryal of a suit sucked up more money (may hap▪) then a poor man could get by his work, 1. and labor in half a year. So that their rise may be ascribed, first, to the unknownness of the Law, in a strange tongue; secondly, to2. the intricateness and fallacies of it, whereby an honest plain man, was rendred unable to extricate himself; therefore he must have recourse to the shrine of the Lawyer, unless he have learned State-Jesuitism tricks, and quiddities, in some of the Inns of Court; 3. and thirdly, the Terms at Westminster, whilest the Lawyer like the Roman, sets up his god Terminus for all the Country round,Terms. to fall down and adore. The common sort of Lawyers carry a head full of Idea's of right or wrong, and so can run on in a round o • formulary of words to couzen poor simple people: I trust God will undeceive us.

But as yet in King Williams time, the Lawyers interest (which from the first was grounded on corruption) was but a Jelly, a poor little puny thing: For one friend coming up to London to the Term, about his own cause, for a little matter (towards bearing his charges in his journey) would appear, and plead something for his friends, or neighbors cause; so that it soon came to this, that he that was most versed in the tricks of the Law, and these Courts; would be desired by his Countrey neighbors about him, to undertake a journey to London, and to do their businesses too; and so, they would bear his charges, and give him some small reward.

Thus honestmen would get sometimes Parents, Friends, Brothers, Neighbors, sometimes others to be (in their absence) Agents, Factors, or Sollicitors for them at Westminster, and as yet they had no stately houses or mansions to live in, as they have now (called Inns of Court) but they lodged like Country-men Inns of Court, when, and how they began. or strangers in ordinary Inns. But afterwards when the Interest of Lawyers began to look big (as in Edward the third • days) they got Mansions or Colledges, which were called Inns, and by the Kings favor had an addition of honor, whence they were called Inns of Court.

Thus, those that came to be versed in the ni •• ties and formalities of the Norman Laws, every Term were employed by others of their friends in the Country, and found it sweeter then to follow the Plough; and as Controversies increased, they increased in number, and took up their quarters, and by degrees ☜ grew up into an orderly body, and distinct interest, as now they are; and after they were thus formed into a body, they hired the Temple of the Knights-Templers, for their abode together;The Temple. and as Contentions increased their Interest grew great, and by a long series of time, so great as it is now. What grounds the good people of England have to expect the fall of these Norman Lawyers, and restauration of our Liberties and Freedoms as at first, by Oliver their Conqueror, will appear, first, from their rise and interest, secondly, our bondage, thirdly, their trade and practises (in sin.) To the first.

1. The rise of the Lawyers, was the will of a Tyrant, or an1. The Lawyers rise and interest. Arbytrar • • ower, which was, and yet is a plague to the free-born people of England. 2. Their Interest comes from pride, strife, fulness of Broad, 2. and prosperity. 3. It was at first but a bare title, and upon the ruines▪ of3. others, and by corruption it grew up to an interest, as it is now. 4. Their interest grows great by sin, as lying, cheating, 4. wronging and robbing the poor, and making merchandise of the Law to the free-born people of England. 5. As their interest got up, they would suffer none to plead, or5. be a Lawyer, unless he were brought up in their Courts and Inns, in their trads, tricks, and cheats to sell the Law (at a large rate) to Chapmen (called their Clients,) so that the Law must be bought and sold before it be had. 6. This Interest taught them (ever since) to m 〈…〉 ize and6. ingross the Law, into their own hands, for their own gain and markets. 7. It is an Interest that regards no other, but its self, yea, and7. is resolved to promote its self, though it be with the ruine of others round about. 8. This corrupt tyrannical Interest for fear of a fall (knowing8. how wickedly it st • le in, with robbery and ruine to the people; so that it is a wonder it is suffered to stand all this while.) I say, for fear of a fatal blow, it doth back and barricado its self with secular powers, and use all wiles to establish its own greatness; so as that the fall of it may be costly and chargable to the poor oppressed people.

Thus from the rise and interest of the Lawyers, it is obvious to every rational capacity, what a necessity there is for the throwing down this dangerous and destructive order of the Lawyers, before we can be freed from slavery, tyranny, oppression, arbitrary will and power, and lusts of men; lying and cheating away our estates and liberties, and making merchandize of the Laws of England, and Justice.

These must down, I dare ingage my life on it, before the people☞ can be quiet, or the Commonwealth flourish with Equity and Justice; all Objections to the contrary we shall answer by and by.

Secondly, Our further grounds are from the peoples slavery 2. Peoples slavery by them. under this tyrannical order of the Lawyers: For

First, Let a man now seek the benefit of the Law, he shall1. lose it, and his right too, without the Lawyer be lustily feed for it, and this was not before the Norman tyranny; so that, as the Jews were (in Christs and the Apostl • s days) subject to the Romans, and could not have the benefit of their Law, but by the Romans; so the Commoners of England have been miserably abused to this day, by a company of cheating Lawyers, and cannot have the benefit of the Law, but by these Norman Customers or Publicans, that sit at the receipt of custom.

Secondly, The free-born Subjects of England, are under slavery 2. by these Lawyers, in that they will allow • o Advocates but of their own coat, (forgetting their own first original) to plead a cause: • hich, I the more wonder, for that the Norman and Dane were so near a kin, that the Norman set up several of the Danish Customs; but (I beleeve purposely) he omitted this that King James mentions in his Star-Chamber speech, In some Countries (sayes he) as in Denmark, all their State is governed (onely) by a written Law; there is no Advocate or Proctor admitted to plead, onely the parties themselves plead their own cause, and then a man stands up and pleads the Law, and there is an end. Surely this Custom had been borrowed of the☜ Danes too, but that for the Lawyers, who would lose their fees then. This made some of the eminentest of them, imagine me of a Lilburnian spirit! for that I would ever speak in my own cause, and in others honest causes too, and would hire no mercenary fellow of them all; but I have told their Masters and Lords several times, that I would have my liberty to plead my own cause, which I have done, and carried it too, against four Counsellors in f •• against me. But this made them most enraged enemies to me ever since; and such are afraid their markets must fall, if a man come once to plead his own or his f • iends cause, which is our freedom to do: And we finde it was good Statute-Law in 28 Edw. 1. cap. 11. For mens friends, parents, brothers, or neighbors, to plead for them, without the help of a Lawyer. This must be again, ere the people can be quiet, or sit down under their own freedom; and then there will need no Solicitors, Agents, shirking☜ Cheats, and such alike mercenary train too at Committees; but an honest man shall tell his own tale, as Anaxilaus did in the Spartan Senate, Diod. Sic. lib. 2. c. 37.Diodor. Sic.

Thirdly, Let but Reason speak, and spight of all the World, it3. Lawyers. will appear, That the free-people cannot (either as rational, or as religious) be much longer able to abide this abominable Antichristian, and accursed tribe.

1. As rational; the people cannot spare them for their usurpation,1. Robbers. arbitrariness, and ambition, whereby they become (as to a free Commonwealth.) First, Robbers, who forcibly take away our rights, and as Augustine sayes in Lib. 4. c. 4. De Civ. Dei. Augustine. They are but a rapsody of free-booters; unjust possessors of other mens estates, that tear away our goods against our wills. Hence says Dr. Sutton, Lawyers are like the M • lt of a mans body, whichSim. Sutton. Laurentius says, never grows great, till all other parts of the body decay and perish.

Thus were these Robbers reared aloft by the ruines of freeborn English-mens Rights and Priviledges; and who would not recover their stoln goods? Now as Antiochus was • irnamed Hierax Oppressors. the Hawk; for that he had no estate, no patrimony left him, but preyed upon other mens estates and territories, and by rapine and robbing, picked out a Kingdom to himself. So certainly the 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 Lawyers are such ravenous wretches, that they wrong and rob any to make themselves rich, and like a dog, will try all right by their teeth, till they tear out a peece to themselves from every one they set upon; and as a poor woman, with loud language cryed out to Baldwin the Archbishop, O! O! you eat up my flesh! So may Acts & Mon. p. 230. many cry out against these ungodly Lawyers, Blood-suckers, and Robbers by Law.

Secondly, They are Tyrants too, and such as no rational spirit2. Tyrants by practise, how? can long suffer. Ambition was their first Solicitor thereto, and that they are Tyrants, will appear many ways: For

1. They are ruled not by Reason, but Self-will, which prescribes1. no limits to their lawless affections and lusts, but run out into many out-ragious insolencies and tyrannies, which cannot be numbred, especially in the Countreys. For as an oblique angle diversifiesSim. its self into sundry species, so certainly their tyranny and injustice, according to the variety of accidents, have variety of actions, which without much difficulty cannot be deciphered; all arising from Lust, rather then Law.

2. These Tyrants hate and suspect wisemen most; and fearno2. opposition more then vertue, being conscious of their own vicious courses; so that those upright ears that grow higher then the rest of the corn, they cannot endure them; but they will keep them under, or behead them, especially where honesty and faithfulness make them more conspicuous then others; so that a rational well-grown☞ upright man, must be calumniated, and under some colourable pretext or other cut-off by them. I might instance in Sir Walter Rawleigh, the old Earl of Essex, and others since.

3. They like Tyrants cannot abide a conslux of rational 3. Machiavil in principe. Counsellors; and they account these days dangerous to them, for that we have such publick Assemblies, Diets, or Parliaments, for fear some notably endued with Reason, should discover their rise, interest, and tricks, and so raze them out root and branch, Arist. l. 5. c. 11. Polit. for a pack of Cheats, Knaves and Tyrants, that will ruine the Commonweal.

4. Tyrants love Factions and Divisions, and so do these Lawyers; 4. for without brawls and bitter contentions, many of our busie Lawyers, (like the lunatick in the Gospel,) might walk without cloaths; therefore as Solon said of their Orators, They wereSolon. the winds which raised up the waves, so may it be said of our Lawyers; and such winds, like the Merchants of Lapland, they buy of the Devil; or else, if there be a fire kindled, they run to it, and will be medling with it, not to mend it, but to warm their own fingers. Thus are they like those dishonest Surgeons which lengthen out their cures.

5. As Tyrants they love to keep out of danger, and will have5. good guards, and disarm the people, throw down their Forts, and keep a formidable guard of rough strangers to aw the people, and pillage their purses. Thus, I say, the Lawyers have backed and guarded themselves excessive strong with many Laws, disarming the free-born Englishmen of all, or most of their priviledges and liberties, bringing in Norman and Danish Customs to oppress us, and guard them.

6. As Tyrants they leave no design unattempted to torment the6. people by fleecing them, and filling their own coffers: For like Butlers Boxes, they will be sure to gain, who ere loses, and toSim. grow great, as the Souldier said to Pompey, Per nostram miseriam.

The truth therefore is (and let the Lawyers look to it) they☜ gather up wealth, and lick up riches, like a spunge to be squeezed out again; and as Demosthenes was wont to say, Such men are golden fleeces; their wool is not for themselves, but must be shorn off to cloath the Commonwealth with ere long.

7. As Tyrants they would seem vertuous and honest, the7. more easily to deceive such as trust them; and thus great ones like great Brass Pots, are not withstanding their bigness, carried about by the ears out of one Court into another, as the Lawyer lists, who hath in the Inns of Court been brought up in the art of lying and deceiving. They are crafty theeves, and know they cannot long live in that trade, without putting on some apparel, and exercising some parcel of honesty and justice; but it is at such a time, when the subtlety shall take much, and when like the Panther they allure with the savor of their words, their uglySim. visage is hid, till the poor deluded people come within their reach of being made their prey. Well, yet the Fox will be known by his tail, as in p. 26. of Solicitors, Clerks, Serjeants, Bailiffs, Dr. Featly Ser. p. 495. &c. for all their art. For though they fawn like Spannels, yet by their snarling, grinning, and tearing, we know they are curs. And Lawyers look to it! For as the wily fox, once catched, hath hisSim. skin quickly plucked over his ears, wherewith every fool will☞ have his cap furred: So will you ere long, whose craft and cruelty Colonel Pride himself abhors, and says, It will never be well Col. Prides speech. with England, till mercenary Lawyers Gowns be hung up by the Scotish Trophees: And then every fool will have a fling. But

8. As Tyrants they give a breathing time to torment men8. afresh; and such Tyrants are the worst of all, as was Nero, Commodus, Tiberius, &c. See how men deal with their bottles, letingSim. them stand under the tap till they be filled, and then they hang them up; and so have these done with the free Commoners of☞ England, and with the faithfullest Subjects; or as spunges are letSim. alone a while to lie a soaking, till they have sucked in some good store of water, and then they are squeezed out again; so do these Lawyers let men alone all their vacation time, till they can gather up more money for them, and then comes the Term to squeeze them dry again. And I am of opinion, meerly out of love to themselves here, that their vacation times (so called) were ordered,Vacation times, how ordered. as in Michaelmas Term, to end in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 November, that the poor Countrey-man may go home again and thrash, and sell out his corn, to provide money for the following Hillary term, which in the eleventh moneth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 called January, begins, and ends in the next month 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ad • r; and then the poor Farmer must home to put off his Cheese and Firkin-butter, and all he can to come to the Lawyer again by Easter Term; and because it is a dead time of the year, the vacation is the longer, until the second moneth following 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ziu, called April, which holds to the next moneth called May or Sivan 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and then comes a Vacation time, until the next moneth of June 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which is indeed very short, for that the Countreyman must have nothing to do, but to go home and shear his sheep, and make (with what speed may be) money of his wool, and to come Post up again to supply his Lawyers pocket by Trinity Term, which ends in the same moneth too, to give the poor oppressed people a little breathing, by a long Vacation, as they call it, for they think it too long; onely they know their Clients are plying it hard for them, and are following the Harvest, to have out their hard corn with the first, to make money, and all for a company of Norman Tyrants.

These Lawyers (methinks) are much like the Beast calledSim. Rosomacha, of the bigness of a Dog, but his face is like a Cat, (the Emblem of Contention) his back and tail like a Fox (so we said before;) who useth, when he hath filled his paunch, as full as it can hold, to get betwixt two Trees standing together, and so by squeezing his belly between them, empties it; and then returns to his carrion again. And thus the greedy Lawyers, betwixt two Terms, squeeze all out to fall a fresh upon the oppressed peoples purses, and devour them by whole sale.

Let but Reason speak for the Commonwealth in this case, and if any man that hath Reason, or is a Friend to the free-born Subject ☜ of England, can show better reasons, or more righteousness, for their standing, then we can for their stownding and downfal, I have lost my senses: Thus for their tyranny.

Thirdly, Englishmen as rational men, may no longer abide3. For their Bribes. them for the abominable Bribes which they take, to the corrupting and gangreening of honesty and justice; and they must have them over and above their Fees, and that by their Clients adversaries too, if near a Tryal. Philip King of Macedon, said of a strong Castle, That it was impregnable, if he could not drive in an Ass loaden with gold; and so many causes are battered down by golden peeces: For the Lawyer oftentimes like the Hunter, hunts a man at his Form, but leaves his cause at a loss. DoctorNo right in judgement is to be sold for Fees or Bribes. Mirr. of Just. fol. 258. Dr. Featly. Featly tells us of a famous Lawyer, that refused for a while to patronize a bad cause (which is a wonder that a cause can be bad enough for them to refuse;) but when the party cast before him a sum of good Hungarian Gold, on which were stamped the Images of armed Souldiers, he then cryed out, Thou hast taken me captive, for who can resist so many armed men?

—Quid now mortalia pectora cogis? Auri sacra fames— Virg.

The injection of a dram many times turns the scales of Justice among those men. For as Lewis the eleventh King of France said,Sim. He often won the victory by fighting with golden and silver spears; so may many a great man say, who should else have been surely cast by the honest causes that have come against them in Law. And as the French answered the Helvetians once, who bragged, That their Countrey was so environed with Rocks and Alps, and high Hills, that it was unconquerable; say the French, We could easily climb those Hills, and overcome those Rocks, if we have but Guns that will send in Golden Bullets among you: So certainly, the best cause may be betrayed; and have been lost by bribes. Such showres of bribes have brought many a dreadful Thunderbolt in the tail of them.

Fourthly, Rational men do abhor their rise; and the rise of4 For their incouraging contentions. all their riches, being from Quarrels and Contentions. The Lawyers are but Brethren to the Worms, for both are engendered out of mans corruption: They are then worse, then the worst of our Excrements, or the Dung of this Commonwealth; and do they not stink in our nostrils? Why then, we are not well, and have lost our senses sure. Why else should Englishmen be so mad ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .)▪ as to run to these Norman Lawyers Anviles, for sharp Instruments to hurt their own Countrymen with? whilest they use Upper Bench Writs, b •• as Westminster▪Mastives to bait the☞ Country with? The Lawyers like the Indians strike fire by rubbing two sticks: And some that follow suits in the Law of their managing, are like the Hare in the Epigram, who to save her self from the Hounds, leaped into the Sea, and so was devoured of the Sea dog. I have heard many say, they had better lose their right, then lend it them though it be but to recover it, seeing it is so costly. For as two that contend, one hath a blew face, R • gers on Love, p. 24. the other a bloody nose, but both are well beaten before they leave off; and so it is with going to Law. It is not long since two Brothers Sir H. R. and Mr J. R. of good quality sell out about their estates, and were hot to go to Law, until a Letter which was intercepted, written from one Concealer, I should say Counsellor of the Law, ( • o acounted) to another, was read to these Brethren.

SIR,

I Am retained for one Brother, and take you the other, and I will warrant you, we will quickly pluck them as bare as two Birds that have not a Feather left to hide their skins, &c.

This Letter ended their Law suits; for else as the Mouse Sim. and Frog were both devoured of the Kite, so would Plaintiff and Defendant have been both devoured and eat up by these Lawyers, who live like Salamanders, best in the hottest fires of contention.

Fifthly, Their variety of Frauds and Arts to deceive, do5. For their Frauds. Sim. render them unsufferable to rational men; For as the Fox said to the Lyon, that indeed his tongue was Soveraign, but he had ill neighbors (meaning his Teeth.) So certes we may say of the Lawyers, when their tongue is fairest, their teeth are fearfullest, and they intend to tear away most estate and money then. For whiles a true friend, like a Chesnut, keeps a sweet nutrimental Kernel under a plain rinde, such fainers as these are like Peaches that have harsh rugged stones under a Velvet Coat. There is an Island beyond Arabia (sayes Diodorus Siculus) where the Inhabitants Diod. Sic: Antiq. lib 3. have Cloven tongues; so that therewith they can alter their speech as they list, and imitate Birds in tunes, and speak perfectly to two persons, and two purposes at once, to one with the one part of their tongue, and to the other, with the other part thereof.

Now I know none but Lawyers like them in this; for they will speak for a Fee for one, and yet I know them that have given Advice and Councel to the other, and taken the others Fee too.In Henshaws Case, p. 55. They are like the Amphishaena who hath two heads, and moves two contrary ways at once. The Italians put a Proverb upon Caesar Borgia, and his father Pope Alexander, saying▪ The one never thought as he spake, and the other never spake as he thought: So indeed it may be said of many of these Lawyers, who like Hebrew Letters, must be spelt backward, if once we read them aright.

And now, O what Parasites they are! as the English Papists in Queen Elizabeths days durst temporize to purpose, so do these begin apace; but as the Coriander hath a corrupt root, an unsavorySim. leaf, but a sweet seed; so hath this Faction a filthy root, unsavory actions, but as good words as one would wish, if need be: Yet let them look to it, Gods curse, like a Promoter, must search for all their ill-gotten goods ere long. And as when the crafty Fox that had deceived the Crow of her break-fast, hugged himself for joy, to think of his project; till when he had eaten it, he found himself poysoned with it, and then he repented, and wished the Crow her own again. So stoln goods are sweet to these Deceivers, and they hug themselves in their cheating tricks and☞ knaveries, till their bowels begin to gripe them for it. For the day of Christ that is coming will be a terrible time of torment to them. And as Christ brought that fish to the Hook that had theSim. money in his mouth, Matth. 17. 27. So will these wide mouthed money▪mongers be hooked for it, fearfully ere long. They have gotten great Estates, and bought Mannors and Lands, and taken exact Surveys of them; but they have not yet taken an exact survey of their Consciences, how they came by this money which purchased these Lands, (says Dr. Don, Ser. fol. p. 818.) Our coyn Dr. Don. hath the State on one side, and God with us on the other; and surely, if we see not God with us in what riches we have gotten, they are but counterfeit and falsly gotten, and will gripe us grievously, till we have vomited them out. When Vespasians covetous Officers had filled themselves like spunges, by Rapine and Extortion, the Emperor squeezed them out dry again into the common Treasury, till they had nothing left. Now, although many wish for the fall of the tree, that they may gather up the chips, yet the Lord knows this is not in my heart; but beleeve it, the Laws of God and Nature require a restitution▪ and that what they have ill gotten from the people, be brought into the publick bank again; for they have robbed the Nation with a great deal of ravenousness and art. One Cacus a cunning theif, Sim. when he had stoln any Beasts, he would drag them to the Cave by their tails backward, that by the contrary track of their feet, he might be freed from suspition of theevery; such art and subtlety have the Lawyers had in deceiving and robbing us; that they seems to take another track quite contrary to it, and to go under the name of dues and fees. And besides, their decerts are many in the Law too, which like a Cob-web to Spiders, whilest they make it their dwelling, it is a prison to entangle others in, as flies to feed them. So many Meanders and Intricacies there are in the Law, that like snakes they hide themselves, by folding into many doubles. Wherefore like the Foxes they must have depth of soyl to Earth the wrongs of their poor Clients, and hide their own Crafts; which are too many to live much longer, seeing the honestest cause must miscarry by their cunning tricks and fallacies; and a bad cause shall be so beautifully varnished over by their arts and cheats, that the most innocent honest man that is, shall suffer ruine by them.

I have a Neighbor by me, who was arrested for two hundredMr. • . pounds debt, to a man whose name he never heard, nor face ever saw before, and he was laid in prison thereupon, to his utter ruine, till he proved the Bond forged, the Plaintiff a cheat that lived by such tricks, and yet he escaped scot-free, though there was a knot of them that lived by such cheats. Hence Sir Walter Rawleigh, upon his tryal, hearing the Lawyers for the King plead violently against him, he turns to the Jury, and sayes, Gentlemen, I pray consider, that these sort of men (meaning the Lawyers) do usually defend very bad causes every day in their own Courts, yea▪ and against men of their own Profession too, as able as themselves; what then will they not do against me? & • . I know now an honest Gentleman that had a good personal estate, who lies yet in the Fleet, eat up almost with lice, and near starved, Mr. • . and all his estate taken from him, by the meer cheat of the Lawyers, upon a forged Bond too, for another; onely a man whose face he never saw before, pretending his hand to be in that Bond: But to finish this, O, how miserably tyrannical they make the Law to the free-born Englishman! They make it like a Milstone, Sim. which they drive about with a wheel (artificially) full of cogs and spoaks, under which they grinde the innocent and harmless ones to powder: And can we hear their groans? sighs? sad complaints, and fearful cryes? and we sit still like senceless stones? shall we?

Sixtly, Lawyers unsufferable Fees fill all mouths with wofull6. For their Fees. exclamations and eyes with willing expectation of their fall. For as no sooner was the Apple in Adams mouth, but the Devill was in his Maw; So no sooner does one Fee them with anSim. Earth-Angel in their hand, but the Devil doubles fees with Hel angels in their hearts; and they fall to lying, pleading, cheating,☞ wronging and oppressing as fast as they can, without fear of Heaven or Hell. It would make an honest mans heart to ake to hear how fast and confidently they will lye, and like it well too. We laugh at the Indians for casting in such store of Gold, every yeare into the River Ganges, as if the streams would not run currently without it; and others laugh at the English as much, for when the current of Justice is stopped (as 'tis oft) in many Courts, the foolish people can (as yet it seems) find no better way then that theSim. Indians use to open them; and shal we never be wiser? Indeed Pliny reports of Apis the Aegyptian God, that he never gave answers to private men, but è manu consulentium cibum capiendo, by taking meat out of the hands of such as were his Clients, and sought counsell, else he would be dumb. Is it not so with us? Doe not the Norman Lawyers the like? Let the Lawyer be greatly retained, or the Law shall be greatly detained. And what will☞ retain them? as much as they can take out of their Clients hand at once? no! For one that is eminent and belongs to the Councell of State, told me he had it from a Gentleman of four thousand pound per annum, that upon a motion to be made to the Lords Commissioners, he retained his Counsell for one word to them, and put five peeces into his hands, but the Lords sat not that day: The next morning the Gentleman made a fresh sally, and gave a fresh salute to his great Counsell with gracious Angels, and filled his pawes againe with two golden peeces (for he was as hungry as ever since yesterday) but the Lords sat not that day neither. But the next day the Lords sat for certain, so he comes to his Counsellor (or Concealer) Mr. M. Sir (saies he) be mindfull of my businesse, I pray, it is but one word, to make but one motion to them this morning; Sir (saies the Lawyer) I have nothing to doe with it, no! (says the Gentleman) I hope you will Sir; speake but one word. Sir (says the Laweer) what doe you tell me of your motion,This is contrary to the Stat. A • . 18. of Ed. 3. Ile not meddle with it, for I am not retained to it. (Now it seems the seven peeces had not power enough to hold him three mornings but to make one motion; Mr. M. was as hungry againe as ever, he must have more or else be dumb,) So that the Gentleman was glad to run and borrow two peeces more, (having notAnd contrary to true Law Mir. of Just. fol. 64. so much about him) to retaine or keep his Counsell close to it, to speake one word to the Lords Commissioners for him. Is not this a most unsufferable cheating of the free-born English-man? and are not these crys of oppression and Norman Tyranny very loud and lamentable? And is not the Law and Justice to be sold at so high a rate, so as causes many an honest heart, and poor man to sit, sigh, and complain, and loose his Right for want of mony? seeing eight or nine pounds can pay and pray but for one word.Tully. Tully tels us, that the mouth of the Lawyer is an Oracle for the whole City; but if in this mouth there be a gilded tongue, it will prove like the Oracle • f Delphos, which Demosthenes complainedSim. of in his time, that it would speak nothing but what Phillip would have it say, by giving it a double Fee. So full Fees, finde full mouths, and can create in the Lawyers any likenesse, or mouthfuls of Plea's upon any account right or wrong. As Demosthenes who pleaded vehemently against the Milesian Ambassadors the first day, but in the second day appeared in another likenesse, and pretending he was not well, would not plead against them at all; but his neck being wrapped up, and his face muffled about, he pretended hee got the Quinzee, and could not plead against them; but the people perceiving the occasion of it was a secret bribe given him by the aforesaid Ambassadors, they termed his Malady (I was going to say melody, for such tricks are the Lawyers mirth) they termed it Argentangina, not the QUINSIE,☜ but the COINZIE, or silver-mumps; such cheating tricks they have to get Gold their God. I was informed within few dayes by an Honorable Religious Lady, of Rowles cut out for coine, and five hundred pound per annum lost thereby; and of one that offered for twenty peeces to put other Deeds into the Rowles, which may one day be knowne. So that of all men alive it is the worst medling with these men, who mind nothing but to feather their own nests, fill their own purses, and feed their own paunches. Like a Capon that is cold and naked, who in the absence of the Hen Sim: will run to her nest, not out of any love to the Chickens, but to warme his own sides; they regard neither Cause, nor Client, Justice, nor Law, but how to get (like Pettifoggers) Orphans, Widows, or poor oppressed mens Estates, and to eate men out in Fees and Extortions. Therefore as a Lacedemonian answered a Physitian once, who asked how he did, the better (said he) for Sim. that I meddle not with you, and take none of your physick; So may we say to the Lawyers, for none are well that are tampering with them: And I confesse that I am one of them that had rather loose my right, than run into their hands; and yet I am beholding☞ to one of our new Committees, that would turn out as honest a just Cause as ever came before them, and they confesse it, and (all men know it, that have but heard of it) yet to the amazement of 〈◊〉 honest men▪ who had better hopes of them, they would turn it over • o these Tyrants, notwithstanding they acknowledged that the remedy would then be worse then the disease. O when shall Justice and 〈…〉 run downe like a mighty streame in our streets! this promise wee wait for, and then Justice will be easier and cheaper to come by, and men be more honest then they are now. We read of one Verconius in the time of Dr. Benson on H • s 7. 7. Alexander Seve •• s, how he abused many in taking mony and Fees for preferring their Suits, and doing them little or no good▪ which cheating in those daies was so detestable, that he was adjudged to be hanged up in a Chimney, and so to be choaked with smoake, for that he sold smoake to the people. And it is not strange that in these daies, this decei. and design of the Lawyers to sell smoake, and cozen the Commonweale should be countenanced? How can the peoples expectation be answered? not only in the continuing and keeping up this accursed Crew, but in Committees throwing out honest Causes into their dishonest hands? Wee are afraid too many of the Norman race, are now in Government, and their love to Tith-mongers and to the Lawyers, and turning ore honest Causes to those Locusts of the Commonwealth, makes our hearts☞ ake for them, as well as for ourselves. I cannot but speake, for a very Dog runs on with a courage, when he is maintained by a more noble nature then his owne; as when a man puts him on • Beleeve it, I say, for I must speake it, to deale so mildly with the corrupt Laws and Lawyers, as only to regulate or better moddel them, is a pretext which will bring us but into new bondage; and they had better tell the honest people they'le hang them all up at their own doores, then not deliver them (now their expectations are so high) from this Norman tyranny, wherein the people are robbed of their Laws and Liberties; or then not throw downe Termes, to set up Justice at our own doores, and not to throw down this selfish, arbitrary, contentious Interest of the Lawyers, which arose out of the corruptions and contentions of the worst of men, and is the fruit of lying, cheating, oppressing, perjury, deceit, and tyranny. For surely, surely, such a weak purgation (as some men speak of) will but stir the rough and tough humors, and anger them the more. Shall such men as these scape scot-free, and nothing but thunder and lightning upon many honest men and Ministers of this Nation? Some of our new Parliament have already put heart into these vermine, whilst they have caused (to my knowledge) some vertuous souls to sit weeping behind doors, or in corners complaining that they cannot tel where to have Justice, or to whom to petition for right: yea, a Gentlewoman big with child, that did but beg for an order to have her linnen and things fit to lye in (that are detained from her by a Malignant in the Country) and shee (poor heart!) must be turned by (for all her tears) most hard-heartedly, and bid to go to the Law, which was the ready way to ruine her, and like the Flounder to leap out of the dish into the fire. Well, the Lord make them wise! for if they beginSim. thus, I fear they will end worse; and if they be so ready and prodigall to cause the godly people to shed their tears, I pray God☜ Cook of Grais • nn at the la • e Kings tryall. Thucydides. they prove not as ready to cause them to shed blood. But in the mean time to shew mercy to the wicked, is cruelty to the good (as one said.) And as Thucydides says lib. 1. They are not only Tyrants which make other men Slaves; but they are much more so, who have power and means to suppresse Tyrants, and to prevent their oppression, and yet doe it not, nor take care about it, but rather continue the oppression upon the poor, &c. O sad! Let☜ The Parliaments great work about Tithes and Laws. ☜ the Magistrate look to it then! Their worke is great, as to the Law and Lawyers, as well as to the Tithes and Priests; and it is not soft wood, or bending lead which is fit matter for a Carpenters Rule, nor are such (flexible dispositions) as wee have met with hitherto fit for the work of this Generation. Salomons Throne had carved Lyons; not Apes, nor Asses, nor yet Foxes are fit for that throne of Judicature in our daies, which is to be for the typified Salomon. Wherefore the Lord (the Counsellor) be with the Parliament so, as to execute true Justice upon these Norman Tyrants; and if it fall upon them in a vehement showre or storm (seeing they are ripe in the field) it shall onely be to lay them down that are fittest for the sickle, or the sithe.

Lastly, Reason suggests to us, that it is time to be freed from7. For that they are strangers. them, seeing they are strangers, and of the Norman Line, that have usurped this power over us. When the will of their great master, William, advanced them upon our Tombs, and Ruines, many an honest Noble Britain was brought to beg their bread, and their possessions taken from them (sayes Holinshed) and given these his greedy followers. And then as the Lord of Oxford said to Queen Elizabeth (as she was playing on the Virginals, and the ledge being taken away for the Jack • to be seen) Your Majesty may see (sayes he) how Jacks went up, and Heads went down ☞ together. Well, I shall mention no more to this, then what the foresaid Thucydides sayes in his 1. Lib. That amongst others they were the Tyrants and Traytors which assumed the title of Protectors of Greece, and Defenders of the Country, and yet stirred not to deliver the Country from the oppression of strangers. Is he not a Nero that can see the burning and ruine of his City, without reluctancy or trouble? And have we not some Caligula's, that could wish all the honest men in England (especially the Ministers) had but one head, that they might strike it off▪ at a blow. But to conclude the peoples expectation (as they are rational) in the downfal of the Lawyers up-start, and ungodly Interest, several other things might be said; but this is all now, that Justice calls for it (as to the Commonwealth,) and Charity challenges it, as to set the oppressed free.

Secondly, The people cannot as religious (as well as they are2. Lawyers live by sin, as Rational) longer endure this notoriously wicked interest of ungodly Lawyers; for that of all the Nation, they are the men that are tolerated to live by sin, and to make a trade of sin openly, and hourly, as (briefly to instance in some.)

1. Lying, which is as the Nerves and Sinews of their Calling; 1. By Lying. for they cannot plead a Cause without lying; one or the other must be the lyer in every Cause. Let them not think at the day of the Lord to escape scot-free, for their art▪ in lying, though they call them witty eva • ion • , or pretty homo • ynies, or at the most but equivocations: At the day of judgement no such Pleas, nor Fees will be taken, or serve turn to help them; nor can their Father, the Jesuite Bercana, be able to save them in that day, nor all the sub • leties of the Jesuites their Brethren. Wherefore the Lawyer needed not to have been so angry with the poor Scotchman, A Lawyer once attainted of false pleading, or maintaining an unjust action, or cause, is to suffer bodily punishment. Mirror of Just: f. 230. for speaking broad, when he reading his Morning Service out of Joh. 8. with these words, Your Father the Devil was a lyer from the beginning; pronounced it as well as he could, Your Father the devil was a Lawyer from the beginning. But the Lawyers I hear were angry with him; and what need they▪ can one be a Lawyer, and not a lyer? then there may be fire, and not heat; seeing as heat is an unseparable property of fire, so is lying of a Lawyer; and the ablest Lawyer is so accounted, because he is the ablest lyer, and can best plead the worst Causes, and the wickedest untruths.

These as the Prophet sayes, Isai. 32. 7. Devise wicked devises to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right; the words are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for as the vulgar reads it, Fraudulentia instrumenta sunt pessima: And these consult and study tricks and lies to wrong us of our right, as the Man of God tells us. Job calls such, Forgers of lies, Job 13. 4, 5. or Inventors, that have gotten the art and trade of making lies; insomuch, that an honest man may blush but to read over one of their Declarations against another. O the grossest! palpable! known lies that they own in every Declaration. But (sayes Job) O that ye would hold your tongues! which were more wisdom for you! So Isai. 59. 3. 4. Your lips have spoken lies, your tongues have muttered perversness; none calleth for justice, nor any (of you) pleads for the truth, but trust in vanity, and plead lies, conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity; and making it indeed a cause of the Devils, seven times more the Devils, then it was before. And if they get an honest mans cause (though a good cause) into their hands, yet by their lying and sinful management of it, they make it dangerous and devi • ish, Dangerous todeal with them. ☜ Hatching Cock • trices eggs, Vers. 5. and bringing out iniquity, insomuch, that it is very dangerous to put a cause into their hands, or to take one out of their hands, though it goes well (as we say) on our side; yet he that eat • their eggs, will be sure to be poysoned. Hence saye • the Prophet, Vers. 7, 8, 9▪ 10. Wasting and destruction are in their way, there is no judgment in their goings, they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein, shall not know peace. Therefore is judgement far from us, neither doth justice overtake us; we wait for light, but behold obscurity, &c. Vers. 15. Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil, maketh himself a prey, &c. i. e. By these savage Beasts he shall be ruined and spoiled. Now the righteous hateth lyers, Prov. 13. 5. as well as the lyers (or Lawyers) hate those that are afflicted by them (says Solomon)▪ Prov. 26. 28. And so sayes he, in Prov. 6. 17, 18, Six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are abomination to him: First, A proud look; secondly, A lying tongue; thirdly, Hands that shed innocent blood; fourthly, An heart that deviseth mischief; fiftly, Feet swift to it; sixtly, A false witness that will speak lies; seventhly, One that sows discord among Brethren. Now the very children in the streets can easily understand all this in the Lawyers, yea, in their constant practises; and can men of conscience, fearing God, any longer abide them? that live so openly and notoriously by sin? If the Governors will suffer this, they have as muchA word to our Governors about them. reason (and Religion for it too) to set up and suffer drunkenness, whoredom, or other sins, in the sight of God and men, in open Courts, to be bought and sold at Westminster-hall, or the Parliament door. And I do beleeve it, yea, am sure of it, that the Lord will, by some sudden stroke, declare as much to this Nation, if this living by sin, and these monopolizers of lying, swearing, cheating, and oppressing, be much longer continued up. Therefore I take no great care concerning this matter; for as a little before the ruine of Nineveh, (so now) saith the Lord, Wo! wo! wo be to you, for you are full of lies and robberies, and your prey departeth not, Nahum 3. 1. Vers. 5, 6, 7, 8. Behold, I am against thee, I will cast filth upon thee, I will make thee vile; and they that see it shall say, Who will pity them? I pray God then give our Governors Grace and Religion enough (before this Decree come forth) to declare and decree down these trades of sin; for if both in the Law of God, and Light of Nature, it be abominable to commit adultery by open day light in Westminster-hall before all; what is it then to plead a hundred lies in one morning; is not lying a sin, as well as whoring? or what would you say to see a woman lie down to sin, before a beast? and will ye? (O ye Governors, if ye fear God!) will ye see hundreds of men (every T • rm time) to prostitute their souls, and lie down to commit sin with Satan every morning (next their heart too?) to engender and bring forth lies, and many such mis-shapen Monsters (as Robinson sayes in his Essayes, p. 164.) of the Devils own seed Robinsons Essayes. and begetting. Every morning, O how many are in travel to bring forth most monstrous foul sins in the open Courts? and can an honest Parliament sit so • igh them, and own them? if any object, O but it is for the peoples good! they speak like fools then; for is sin for the good of the Nation? then see Isai. 59. 2. and Jere. 5. 25. Or was it unlawful to commit fornication with the Moabites, to draw them (thereby) to Religion? or is it unlawful and wicked, to steal from the rich to relieve the poor? and yet not unlawful to trade in lies (grant it were to do good?) This pretence of theirs makes them mock, and merry at sin, and they oftentimes do as beggers, cover one patch with another, and a lesser patch with a bigger. But a servant of them, a little honester then his☜ master, told him, That if he did not couch his lies more close, and make them more cleanly, he should tell them himself, for all him, and a vouch them too, for he did not like the trade. Thus for this; the people as religious, are obliged to look and labor for the fall of this ungodly interest and trade.

2. To heap up the measure of sins, and make us ripe for judgments; 2. For Perjury. they cause much false-swearing and for-swearing, by compelling the poor people to useless, sinful, and unnecessary oaths, and making nothing (many of them) of an oath themselves, which is horrible sinful, and unsufferable. For although there is a holy solemn kinde of swearing, which is a part of Gods worship, yet it is by the Name of the Lord, Isa. 65. 16▪ not by Baal, nor Malcham, Zeph. 1. 5. nor by faith and troth, which some are so prodigal of, that swear all away; nor yet by the Bible, or kissingOaths unlawful. the Book: Much less lawful is it to force any to an oath, which is done daily by the Ceremonies of kissing the Book, and laying on hands, whereby the sacred Name of the most high God is greatly dishonored, and prostituted to millions of filthy and unclean lips, upon slight, and sleeveless occasions. O crying sin! of taking God, Name in vain! for which I am sure, He will not hold them guiltless▪ Oaths ought to be never used but on holy-days; and it were a☜ thousand times better a mans ex • rements should run from him▪ and he not know it, then such oaths, and he not minde them when he hath made them. Lawyers (many of them) make as light of an oath, as that Hoast did, who told his Guest in Lent, he might eat flesh in another Inn; For Sir, sayes he, we are bound, but they are but sworn.

Sometime since, a Gentlewoman, and Sister of mine, was left a Widow to some considerable Estate and Goods, but the Court requiring her to take oath, that the Inventory was true, she refused it, as not onely scr • pelling that oath, but any oath; the Court perceiving her (out of Conscience) inflexible, up starts one of the Lawyers (who never saw her before; nor since▪) Ha! sayes he! this Gentlewoman hath a nice conscience truly. Come, sayes he; give me it, give me the oath, I will take it for her; and so (for fear of losing his fees, if no oath had been taken) he takes it at a venture, (though he knew nothing of the Inventory) yet he would take his oath it was true, and made no bones of it.

O! what brave desperadoes these Lawyers are! they will make a notable sally for sinful fees then. If Samson will set so on the City gates, what withes can hold him? and if these Lawyers dare venture so lustily upon oaths, what Laws will hold them? He that enters into a Statute, conceives the extent of it to reach his Body, Lands, Goods, Estate and all; now an oath, what is it? but such a kinde of Statute entered into, and acknowledged before God, the Judge of this World. The condition is, To say the truth, nothing but the truth, and the whole truth, &c. which is extended on Goods, Lands, Peace, Liberty, Estates, Bodies, Souls, and all; and yet in slighting and casting away such oaths, what do they? but to take their own word, slight, and cast away the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is no wonder then, they are so unsufferable, being guilty of a world of perjury, (Ah crying sin!) in this sad Nation. And as in Jere▪ 23. 20. Because of swearing, the Land mourneth; therefore, saith the Lord, I will be a swift witness, Mal. 3. 5. against false swearers, and against those that oppress the widow, the fatherless, &c. Therefore, upon the score of Religion, the people appear against this ungodly tribe, and trade of the Lawyers. The Leapers in Israel were forced to go with their cloaths rent, their heads bare, their lips covered, and to cry out unclean! unclean that we are! It were well if the Lawyers (at the least the worst of them, that are Blasphemers and perjured) went with a rent on their cloathes, a writing on their Breasts, and a brand in their foreheads▪ that all men might know them for a company of perjured wretches, and beware of them, till other course were taken with them.

Thirdly, Religious mens mouths are much open against them,3. For innocent blood and murther. for a great deale of blood which they are guilty of; what Innocent hath suffered, and not by their c • aft and cruelty? by corrupting of the Jury, construing the Laws as they listed▪ or the like; besides the lives of many thousand Theeves, who ought to have beenTheeves. sold, or have made restitution for their Theft▪ as appears in Gods Law, Exod. 22, 3, 4. which is the best. It is manslaughter to put any to death for meer theft and a bloody Law against Gods, of Tyrants invention. Mr. Ch • dley hath writ very well to this; therefore say only thus, that the Law (in its virginity) did ackowledg it that none▪ ought to bee hanged for the • t, Mirror of Ju •• fol. 102, 257. Pretended Traytors and Enemies, Holinsh▪ Chron. Juries wronged But I say besides their blood, how many thousands by their subtilty have been destroyed, and some or other of the most eminent for Reason and Religion, or of both in all ages, have been murdered by their malice and injustice; Sometimes putting honest men to death for Rebels, Traytors or the like, onely for words; which Tyranny and accursed cruelty of theirs is condemned by bloody Queen Mary her selfe in the first year of her R. Ch. 1. and is absolutely contrary to their own Law, in the Statute of Hen. 4. 2. Yet to colour over cruelty with craft-paint, they would ever pretend they were put to death for matters according to Law; but least the honest Jury of the neighbourhood, or upright consciencious Countrymen should discover their cheats and tricks which they have ever had to take the best, honestest, and faithfullest mens lives away in England; they would make thè fact what they list to have it, and tell the Jury it was grounded upon good Law▪ which they must not question nor inquire further into, but must take it (upon their words) in trust: Wherefore (to keep up this trick to kill men) they made it a maxime amongst them, that the Jury must not meddle with the Law, no (by no means) only with the fact (i. e. as they have stated it, which they pretend to be by Law, and the Jury must have no cognizance of the Law upon which the Fact is grounded, for Fellony, or Treason, or the like) This is so destructive to the true Lawes and Liberties of England, that no man might (then) say his life is safe, but to satisfie some mens lists, the Lawyers could easily take it away. Besides our first Fundamentall Lawes (before the Norman Tyrant) the Laws of God, and the Law of Nature, all account it incumbent upon the Jury to judge of the Law, according to which▪ the indictment is drawne▪ and Fact stated, as well as of the Fact; and not to take it upon trust from the Lawyers, those Norman Intruders and Tyrants words,Juries right. least thereby they become also guilty of innocent blo • d. Yea, thisCooks Instit. Littleton. is good Law too of England, that the Jury should take notice of the Law as well as of the Fact, in 1. Part of Cooks Institut. Sect. 366. fol. 226, 227, 228. and in Sect. 368. says, Where the Inquest may give their verdict at large, if they will take upon them the knowledge of the Law upon the matter, &c. Cook saies▪ The Jury if they will take upon them the knowledge of the Law, may give a generall verdict. This is honest dealing, and English A Lesson for Jury-men. Right, and hereby may an honest, godly▪ consciencious Jury preserve many a Brother English-mans life, which the Norman Tyrants would else take away. O that all Jury men would learn this Lesson, whch the Laws of God, and Nature, Conscience, and honesty would teach them! to take knowledge of the Law as well as of Fact, and to trust the Lawyers no longer; who by this abuse, and bloody cheat of theirs are guilty of hundreds of innocent, precious blood, and have by their over-awing and befooling our Juries made them guilty of the like blood and murthers, hoping they shall drink of the same cup. But the Lawyers know they are worse then hanged to have this truth known▪ and owned by all English-men, and Jury-men: this made poore Judge Jermin atJudge Jermins speech. Guild-hall to stamp and storme so at the Tryall of JOHN LILBURNE, who though of a haughty spirit, yet pleaded this honest Doctrine. O, says the Judge, you broach an erroneous opinion, viz. That the Jury are Judges of the Law, which is enough to destroy all the Laws in England (he might have said, all the Lawyers in England, and so all their forced intruded Laws, and I think so too) There was never such a damnable Heresie broached!—oh! oh! poor hearts!—this comes home to them it seems! for by this they will appear, they are as bloody murtherers (so they may make their markets of Mens lives) as any that tread (or ever trode) on English ground? And besides (many a noble, honest, brave man, that have been thus basely slain by these Norman Tyrants and Intruders) sometimes they have slain men▪ upon unknown Laws too, not only upon Laws, which they never knew whom they have murthered; but upon Laws never divulged, nor (orderly) published to Englishmen, that they might know them; beside which, some were in a language they knew not; and then saies Hide (in his Arg. against the North▪ Commissioners Hide. of Oyer and Terminer p 411. Miser a servitus est, ubi jus est vagum aut incognitum. O our miserable! insufferable slavery! to be under Laws which are dubious or uncertain! and which we know not. And that eminent Oracle of the Law▪ Sir Edward Cooke. Cooke, in the Proeme to the third part of his Institutes; and also in the fourth part fol. 332. hath the like, and in many other places. Besides all this, some brave men they have murt hered, to please and humour the great ones their masters of the times▪ So to keep up Kingly Prerogative of old, a friend to the publick, or the people, was soon found and judged an enemy to the King; and it was quickly compiled and comprised into Articles of high Treason to be but faithfull and honest to the peoples Interest; I pray God this be not the thing that keeps up the Lawyers amongst☜ us now, viz. to keep up the Interest of the Great ones; and keep down the peoples Right and Liberties. That like Popiclus (ofO • to • rising. Ch •• n. l. 3. e 7. Polonia) they might by murthers and oppressions over▪ awe the people, so as that they should not dare to demand their Rights, and then make themselves absolute and hereditary.

Thus I might go on all day, to show how many ways they are guilty of the most grievous murthers, and of as able men as ever the Earth bare; and to fast from blood▪ hath been Lent-time to some. But I conclude the Catalogue with this trick (to make up their measure) to get (yea, honest) men into prisons, and many times upon meer cheats, as we heard before in Pag. 55. and then to keep them there (purposely) till they be starved to death, and •• t up with lice, and die worse then dogs Imprisonment of any man till he die in prison is manslaughter, by th •••• y law▪ vi •• Mir. p. 88. of Iustice • . 27▪ 28, 30. 274. so to suffer any (though never so poor) to perish for want, p. 228. Or to delay to releive prisoners till any one dye is manslaughter. f 30. One Judge P • rine was hanged▪ for this.. Let a man but take a view of one place (amongst many others.) i. e. the Upper Bench, how many hundreds have they most miserably (worse then Turks) tormented, and starved to death? O England! England! does blood (precious blood) bid thee call for Justice upon these Intruders, or Lawyers, and shall we sit still? Hark! Jere. 4. 31. I have heard a voice of the daughter of Zoin, that bewaileth her self (in anguish) that spreadeth her hands, and saith, Wo is me now! for my soul is wearied, because of murtherers. They murther the innocent, Psal. 10. 8. and the fatherless, Psal. 94 6. and poor; yea, they are polluted with blood, Hos. 6. 8, 9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as troops of robbers, they wait for men (sayes the Prophet) to murther them (by consent, it is in our Translation, I know not how it was thrust in, but the word is) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Shechem, the shoulder; which signifies either, that they do it with one shoulder, or else (which I like best) they murther Expos. the shoulder; i. e. such as are most eminent, high, able, and the worthies. So that, thus saith the Lord, Hosea 4. 1, 2. the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land (for that) by swearing, lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. This is one ground more of the great complaint the free Commoners have against these Norman Tyrants or Lawyers, which is as hideous to the honest Englishman (that fears God) as Julius Caesars Robe was to the Senate-house, that saw it stabbed through, with so many holes, and bloodied in so many places. Thus are the Laws and Liberties of this poor Nation lost, which makes us groan to God and men.4. For their cheating and stealing. Judge Hall was hanged because he saved T • ustrom the Sheriff from death, who had taken away goods from many men against their wills (though for the Kings use) for that it was robbery. vid. Mirror. of Jus • f. 241, 241. And do not the Lawyers rob thus daily?

4. As men are religious, they rally up against these ungodly Lawyers for their open Robberies and Cheats; which (speaking too before) I shall adde little to, having told you, of their tricks, and arts, which their Inns of Court bring them up in to get mony, and abuse the oppressed people, by Fe • s and Bribes; but Trop donne soyt repele, There will come a day of reckoning for them; and all that they have knit up by their rapine, will be unravelled again with a witness ere long; and these Powder-masters will be blown up with their own provision then. Shall I count them pure, with their bag of deceitful weights (saith the Lord) Mi • . 6. 11, 12. For the rich are full of violence; the inhabitants have pleaded lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouths. Vers. 16. For (according to their Norman customs) the statutes of Omri are yet kept, that I should make thee a desolation. Trust not in your robberies, nor lies, saith the Lord, Jere. 7. So saith David, Psal. 94. They frame mischeif for a Law, and gather themselves against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the Innocent, God will recompence them in their own malice; the Lord our God will destroy them. They judge for rewards and hire, and build up with blood, Micah 3. 10, 11. They are brass and iron, they are revolters. Jere. 6. 28. Every one loveth gifts (and fees) and judge for rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come to them. O! I will ease me of these my adversaries! Isai. 1. 23, 24. What are their Inns of Court, but as Job saith, Chap. 12. 6. Tabernacles ☜ of robbers which prosper. And as Solomon sayes, Prov. 21. 7. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them, because they refuse to do judgement.

The Searchers (of God) shall be sent out to seek out all their ill-gotten goods; for which they will be arrested with a vengeance, as the veriest Fellons that are; though it is true, as yet we have robbery for right, and oppression for judgment. Small theeves are condemned to die for it, whiles great National ones ride rattling in Coaches. I warrant you the poor sneaking Solicitors and Clerks, yea, the Bum-bailiffs, and Serjeants, (that abuse men, and beat women great with childe, as one J. Turvy did a Gentlewoman the other day, and yet not punished,) I say such as these say, it is good gleaning after them that run away with whole sheaves, and whose robberies are accounted rights, because countenanced, connived at, and priviledged forsooth. O sad! are we such slaves yet? As the same River that runs through diversSim. regions, hath divers names, and yet it is the same River; so theft hath divers names; in Souldiers it is called spoil and plunder, in Governors called Cessments, tribute, &c. In Lawyers called Fees, in others Gifts, and Bribes; in Church, they call it Sacriledge and Simony; in State, Oppression and Tyranny; in Law, Corruption and Bribery; and when this one River rises up into a Spring-tide, or swells up to the bank then it is called Usury. But☜ in a poor naked man it is called Theft and Fellony (without any other fine minced words, which were coyned to cover great mens knavery) and such a one must be murthered for it, without mercy or clergy (as they call it) Dalton, fol. 226. Although in truth itDalton. is the same River that runs, and the same thing (though new in name) in all these; but the same Cob-web which some (Spiders) can dwell in, shall hang others. As among the old Lacedemonians, theft amongst them was never punished, where it was carried cunningly and secretly; but he that was discovered for stealing, and did it not neatly, he was punished not so much for stealing, as for behaving himself no more covertly and cunningly in it. So whiles poor men suffer mulct for a little matter, because it is open plain theft; these rich ravenous Robbers do it with art and cunning, and have coyned a new name for it too, to guild it over, and so scape scot-free, though they rob us daily of a thousand times more then all the Theeves in England besides. But their Dooms day Book will be brought out ere-long, where it is set down to a tittle what they ow to this Commonwealth upon this account, first, for the principle, and then secondly, for restitution; which☞ the people upon the alterable Laws of Religion are raised high to expect.

5. For oppression too; the people as religious are resolved5. For oppression. 22. Q. 12. a. 2. against them. For as Aquinas sayes, A tyrannical interest, having no proper address for the publick welfare, but onely to satisfie a private will, and to bring in particular profit to those that appertain to that interest, cannot in a reasonable or religious construction, be accounted and continued as lawful; and therefore the rising against such an ungodly selfish interest, and the disturbance of it is not unlawful, nor ungodly; neither may men be esteemed Rebellious or Seditious for so doing. He speaks honestly for us, let the Lawyers then look to it, for hitherto have leane kine (as Pharaoh saw it in his dream) eaten up the fat, and they have made gain of oppression, Isa. 33. 15. So that whilst we looked for judgement, behold oppression; and for righteousness, behold a cry, Isai. 5. 7. Some of my honest Countrymen of threescore, yea, of fourscore years of age, have with weeping, told me of the tyranny, and infinite injustice and oppression of these Godless (especially if Goldless) Lawyers, and how they have devoured and destroyed them; how long they have been suing for their right, and at last gone without it; how they have been hurried out of one Court into another, and used as the Cat that flings the Mouse out of one claw into another, to make sport, and then at last devours it. Several in a day have suspired out such stories of these wicked intruders, as would make a tender heart to ake and quake.Ministers suffer by their tails.

Ministers have been stung with these Scorpions terribly (and I could name some who have been with me about it) when meerly through malice they were arrested by ill neighbors or enemies, and of all men they have been most abused, beaten, bruised, and uncivilly handled by these Locusts and their tails, i. e. Serjeants, Bailiffs, or the like. Yea, the widow hath come crying and wringingWidows sufferings. her hands to me, for that the Lawyers had inveigled and gotten in her son (a Swash) or the like; and so perswaded him (by good words full of hopes) to arrest the poor widow (on purpose) to bring the estate into the Lawyers hands, that neither of them should have it, but spend it out in Fees and Laws.

How many hundred of these stories could I tell? but if everyExample. Englishman that hath suffered by them, should but print it to the world, they would appear the most odious Tyrants that ever the Earth bare. As I was taking Boat to Westminster the other day, a Yeomanly man desired to go in the same Boat with me, who sate and sighed, as if his heart would break all the way, having an honest face; and he telling me he was a Lincolnshire man, I asked him the cause, and he told me, how he was undone by the Lawyers, how he had a good estate and mony, but now all was gone, and •• te up by going to law, and he was put off from one time to another, and out of one Court into another; and came up every Term with all the mony he could make; and that he had continued in law these twelve years, and yet his businesse was as far off as at first; sighing and weeping and wishing, that he had never seen their faces, and earnestly praying that he might be the last might suffer by them. Thus by chance (sometimes) severall in a day I meet with, that tell such lamentable stories of the Lawyers, as it is a wonder to hear; who are grown so griping, that they touch and take, and will quickly squeeze out the intrals of the fattest purse into their own pawnches, leaving nothing behind but skin. ☜ It was but a fained tradition that Brittain bred no Wolves, for there were such store (saies Abbot) that Kings laid it as an impositionIn his Discription of the World. p. 196. upon the Kings of Wales to bring in certain hundreds yearly: So it is a meer fable to fancy all Tyrants and oppressors cut off, with the late Tyrants head! why alas! how many hundreds of them may we meet at Westminster every Term time. But, saith the Lord, I will feed them that oppresse thee with their own • lesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, and all shall know that I am the Lord thy Saviour, Isa. 49. 26. This the people look for.

6. Their pride is intollerable, and their Goliah-like looks fright • . For Pride. the timorous Israelites, who dare not behold them, but with Cap and Leg: yet let them know (for all their French, or Spanish, or☞ Curtizans Meal-tub powdred upon their hair, I say they may know) that a Silken Halter is but a halter for pride. So their haughtiness shall be laid low, when the Lord shall be exalted, Isa. 2. 17. God shall bring down their pride together, with the spoil of their hands, Isa. 25. II. Their crown of pride shall be troden under foot, chap. 28. 3. with Sodom-suffering for this Sodom sin, Ezek. 16. 49. I beleeve they will look like Caligula upon me, when they meet me now; and as the Bore whets and sharpens his tusks in his own foam; so will these proud Sparks▪ (whose, garbs like the Sicilians, are sinful and luxurious) they will whet and sharpen their hands, heads, hearts, tongues, and all against me in foam and anger for revenge. They are already so inraged against me, that it hath been said, Wo to me, if ever I fall into their hands: and I beleeve it; but my God will be too hard for them all within a little while; and he that shall come, will come, (i. e. in his fifth Monarchy, as may appear in the last Chapter,) and then as Jere. 48. 29, 30. We have heard his pride, &c.

For these and hundreds more Reasons, all Englishmen, whetherThe peoples eyes on the Lord General, for deliverance from all these Norman Tyrants and tyrannies. rational or religious, call aloud for deliverance from this Norman yoke; and it is chiefly for this end, the peoples eyes and cryes are directed to the Lord General, as the Instrument by whom they are recovered out of the Norman Tyranny, and have conquered the Norman; and therefore are to return out of captivity, and to be restored to their Laws, Liberties, and Priviledges; that the Lawyers may be reduced and squeezed into their first poor and beggerly principles, that the Temples and Inns ☞ of Court be sold, that the Lawyer go home to his calling in the Country, that he was in at first (before he grew up into an interest) that Terms be down, and Justice dispersed into all Counties andVide chap. 5. Hundreds, that men may have justice at home: And if our Conquest produce not this deliverance from the Norman tyranny and injustice, we had better have been hanged up at our own doors; for Justice is delayed, the Law corrupt and full of intricacy, and unknown to most, and people oppressed, undone, and putAnd why so? to death upon trivial occasions, and many destroyed for want of a Formality, or Punctilio in Law, and all our Freedom and Liberty lost.

Now to conclude this Chapter, know the poor oppressed people and free-born Commoners, are passionately looking upon the Lord General for a restauration of their Rights and Liberties, which they lost by William the Conqueror, for these Reasons.

1. William the Conqueror wa •• ed upon his own account, and Reason 1. O • : the Conqueror conquered not for himself but for the people. for his own Ends, and fought meerly for himselfe, and so robbed the people of all: But our Generall Oliver the Conquerer went out to War, and ingaged against the Normans, and got the Garland (through mercy) upon the Peoples account, and for the people to free them from tyranny and oppression, and this he hath often and often declared to the Nation and Commonalty, and for this (next to the Interest of Christ) he hath had the peoples prayers, and purses, and persons, and hearts, estates, blood and all; and upon this score have so many Battles been fought, Towns taken, and Victories obtained in these Nations. Therefore as Austin Augustine speaking of the History of David and Goliah Serm. de temp. (saith) nemo pugnavit in valle Terebinthi donec David veniret ad praelium, no man ever fought in the valley of Ela • or Terebinth, 1 Sam. 17. Turpentine trees, till David came: So no man did ever appear so openly, so publickly, so solemnly to act the part of so excellent chivalry in the peoples cause against the Goliah's (and those that bid defiance to Israel) as this our Generall did, who is the peoples Champion. The cheifest Oath the Athenians ever took was this, Pugnabo pro sacris, & pro patria, cum aliis & ☜ solus; I will fight for God and my Country, whether I fight with my fellows or alone for it. Wholesome meat breeds good blood; so a good cause, good courage in men: this good Cause on the side of our Conqueror carryed him out, and brought him off with good Successe: and can it (now) be forgot or abandoned? Tu pia tela feres (saies the Poet.) The Jewes never acquitted themselves so worthily, nor fought so faithfully, as when they fetched their Armour out of the Temple from the Priests hands; nor could our Country men have been such Conquerors, • nder the Lord Generall, had not the faithfull godly people of this Nation brought them armour and magazine out of the Temple of the Lord, insomuch that they fought with consecrated weapons, which were kept in their hands by the faith and prayers of Gods dearest, and the Commonwealths faithfullest Servants▪ ☞ and shall they now be left in the lurch? God forbid! when the Israelites went to war, they first consulted with God, and the Priests gave answer from God by the Ephod; though in latter times (says Josephus) they guessed at the ovent by the glowingJosephus. or duskishnesse of the Diamonds on the Breast-plate, which if they shined bright shew good successe; but if they looked dim and failed, or changed into a pale Colour it portended ill successe; all along these (late) Wars the precious Diamonds (that are on Christs the High Priests Breast-plate) did shine; the most excellent and discerning Saints in England did confidently fore • ell and foreshew the good successe of these wars, and they glowed to ▪ have Israel go: and so they do now (as much, if not more) to have the Army march on, and to remember their work on the other side the water (and not to rest on this side Jordan (as wee said in the first Chapter) although the Diamonds doe looke dimly as to some selfe-seeking Gaddites, who are alwaies (almost) a • Worcester-house, or Drury-house to have their portion allotted them here, and to go no further. But ah! alas! is all done?—is all done at home yet? why doe not we follow the victory over the Norman Tyrants? H • nnibal said to his Souldiers, Qui hostem vicerit mihi erit Cart haginensis; so let my Lord General say, come sirs! we fought and have conquered for the people, and upon their account; now let us deliver them up their own Laws and Liberties, and free them fully from these Norman Intruders and Intrusions▪ and whosoever hath conquered shall carry theVide Declaration Aprill 164▪ and Ma • ch 16. 18 tryumph of an Englishman over all these Normans; we will no • seek nor set up our own private Interests (though power be in our hands) because we ingaged all along for the Peoples and the publicks; and for that end, God hath given us power in our hands to deliver them, and throw down the Normans. As when Titus Sim. had taken the City of Jerusalem, his Army saluted him Emperor, and presented him with Crowns and Garlands, by way of congratulations; which he modestly refused, saying, He had done nothing more then lent his hands, and help to God (and his people) who hath declared here (by our Conquest) his fi • rce wrath against this sinful people. Thus should his Excellency say, I have but lent my help to God, and his poor people that were held in unsufferable slavery, by the tyranny, oppression, and injustice, robbery, and wrongs, which William the Conqueror brought upon them; from all which we are to deliver them, and against all which (with all the Norman Lawyers and Oppressors) God hath justly declared (by our conquest of them) in his fierce wrath against them: This is the first Reason, why the peoples eyes are so on his Excellency, being their Conqueror.

2. William the Conquerors Army were strangers, and outlandish Reas. 2. They are ou • Countrymen that have conquered. cruel Kites, and therefore made all that was the peoples of England their prey, without mercy; but the case is now altered, this Army were our own Countrymen, and Fellow-members (under the Norman tyranny) with us; so that the Law of Nature calls upon the Army of our Brethren for our deliverance, and recovery from these alien • tions. We finde this in France, Anno 1483, 1522, 1531, 1549, 1560. by divers Decrees of Parliament, the care they had to recover and wring the power out of the hands of strangers, intruders, invaders, and usurpers. Strangers unsufferable. So in the Assembly of the Estates at Toures, where King Charls the Eighth was in person, divers alienations made by Lewis the Eleventh, were repealed and annihilated, and divers great places of power and trust were taken away from strangers, and given to their own Countrymen, as from the Heirs of Tancred, of Casthel, &c. So also they did in their last Assembly at Orleans. What makes so much opposition now in France against their yong King, and the old Queen, about Mazarine, but that he is an intruder, and a stranger? How can we then be content to have Usurpers, Intruders, and Out landish Normans, to eat us up? and possess our Estates? Laws? Liberties? and all. Charlemain (sayesAemilius. Paulus Aemilius, lib. 3.) did once endeavor to subject the Kingdom of France to German strang • rs; but the free-born Frenchmen most stoutly withstood it, to the face of their King, and chose the Prince of Glasconny for their mouth, most couragiously to declare against it, that they would not suffer it, that forrainers should rule over the sub • ects of France; and certainly had Charlemain proceeded in that business, it had come to the tryal of the Sword. So in Anno 1195, 1200, 1269, 1297, 1303, 1325, 1330, and 1360. we shall finde how faithfull the Frenchmen were to their own nation against strangers; yea, at any time when strangers had gotten any portion of their Land, they kept their right, and the command, and the Laws to themselves; so they did when any was in the English hands; and if strangers (as the English) obtained their Rights, Laws, and Liberties by force, and so took away their Soveraignty and Command, as at the Treaty of Bretaigny, &c. yet that Treaty was not kept, neither were they bound (by the Law of Nature) to hold to such an agreement (wherein strangers were greatest, or Governors in their own Land) any longer, then till they could get deliverance out, or recovery of such alienations. And shall we after recovery, lie under the Norman Laws, and their Outlandish tyrannies? Will not all the World then count us fools?

But some may object, O but this hath been so long (for time)Object. that now it is too late to recover!

Answ. It is true, so great hath been the tyranny all along toAnsw. keep up Kingly, or Lordly Prerogative, that the poor people have been banged and bandied about like Balls; so as that hardly a great man or good man, might be found in an age, that had so much sence of the peoples sufferings, as to lend a helping hand to them that were beaten, abused, imprisoned, starved, banished, ☞ stead, or burnt to their very bones, by insolent and insupportable oppressions; but if by chance one dared to venture it, to appear for the poor inslaved peoples rights, he was presently (in post) attached, impeached, and condemned to a most miserable death, or at least banished for a factious, seditious, Rebel or Traitor, or one thing or other; and then it may be such a faithful man for his Country should scarce finde a Brother, a Friend, a Reuben (among all) to say of such a poor afflicted Joseph. O! let us ☞ not kill him, for he is our Brother! But by this means, I say, viz. the craft, and cruelty of great ones, and the ignorance and connivence of others in this Nation, have the people been so long abused and imbondaged; but notwithstanding there is no presumption of time, nor prevarication that can prejudice the peopleOur rights not lost. of their right. No tyrannous intrusion, or continuance of invasion, can by any length of time (I say) prescribe against our lawful Liberties and Rights, which we now lay claim to: The Commonwealth lives and never dies, notwithstanding daily and alternative revolutions or resolutions; no lapse or lask of times, or turn of individuals can deprive the people of their just right, which we hope our Brethren of the Army will help us with (as our own) and free us from strangers. It is no time as yet, to leap after Grashoppers, or slie after Butter-flies, that is work for boyes, and not men; nor should they sit down, as if they had done enough now, because they have gotten Arrears to purchase Lands, and Mannors, (insomuch, as one great man (I could name) amongst them, was taking care (in my hearing) for no less then a☜ whole County to pay him:) But Brethren, do ye forget what ye fought for? why do ye not set the poor people, your Fellow English men, and Country-men free then from the Norman Tyrants, and restore to them their Goods, Laws and Liberties again? What though some great men (may hap) are content as they are? and are in the conspiracy (combined with others) to betray us? and to leave us now in the lunch to sit in the suds? yet I tell you Sirs, this treachery will be rewarded one day; for they cannot make the free Commoners lose their Right nor Liberties; and as sure as God is righteous, these prevaricators and people-cheators will be remembered, and shall have their Right; although now their Hairs are gum-powdered, their Hearts may be gun-powdered☜ one day; for the people are now past children and fools, to be so cheated by the Normans as they have been. And if the people of Rome condemned their Captains and Generals of their Armies, for capitulating with the Enemies, to the disadvantage of the publick and peoples right (though necessitated to it sometimes;) how then shall the free-born people of England, think you, be able to endure this yoke of tyranny, and these Norman intruders to enthral them? and this to be suffered too, by our Brother-Countrymen, that could, and should redeem us? being not compelled, but rather complemented, not forced, but rather flattered into this woful omission of their duty to their Country. Wherefore forA word to the Army. Gods sake, and the good peoples sake, let my Lord General, with the Army, be awakned to the sighs, groans, prayers, tears, and continual cryes of the faithful people for freedom from this Norman iron-hearted yoke, which crushes hundreds of honest hearts to death: The Lord knows it, it is my conscience makes my compassion boil over thus, on their behalf.

3. This Liberty from the Norman tyranny in Laws and Lawyers, 3. This liberty is our birthright. &c. we be all born to; it is our own due by birth-right, which appears by variety of Records, Chronicles, and Statutes; besides what was said before, we finde it acknowledged by the Norman corrupt Judges themselves; as in the case of Sir William Herbert reported by Sir Edward Cook. Now a mans House or Land may be let, leased, morgaged, or seised on by Usurpers (that have no right to it) for some time, but he holds his right as his inheritance, in hopes to recover it again one day; so do we our Liberties; and indeed, if we be not now restored unto them, our Brethren will be little better then the Norman Tyrants to us, seeing they may deliver us and restore us to our right, but will not. Sirs! you know the Merchants non-payment of his custom due, forfeits all his goods: I say no more—

4. The people are in absolute expectation hereof, from the many4. There be several and solemn engagements made to do it. solemn engagements and protests, made by my Lord and the Army, in the sight of God, Men, and Angels, to deliver them out of Tyranny, and to restore them to their Rights and Liberties, (I might name New-Market, Triple Heath, Dunbar, Worcester, &c.) It is true, William the Conqueror made many promises and protests to the people too, to defend their Laws and Liberties, and took solemn oaths so to do three several times, (as all the Chronicles tell us) but the difference in the peoples hopes☞ and hearts of these two Conquerors engagements must be this, That whereas William the Tyrant regarded not his Engagements to keep them, but on the contrary most cursedly introduced his own Laws and Lusts, and robbed (like a Beast of prey) the people of all their Right, and Liberties, and so set up that bondage of Terms, Judges, and Outlandish Lording practises over the poor bleeding people; yet that now Oliver their Conqueror (a better Christian) will keep (out of conscience to God, and them, being a man fearing God) his several solemn Engagements and Declarations to the people, and contrary to the Norman Tyrant introduce the Laws and Liberties, and Just Rights to the poor, weeping, praying people, as was before the cursed Norman Conquest. Hence it is, that as men reckon their riches not by what money they have, but by what Bonds and Leases they can produse, so we reckon upon all the promises and protests of his Excellency and the Army; which Bonds being due to the people,☜ if they pay them not, they are resolved to put them to suite before a just Judge ere long.

5. They are the more earnest and intent in this their expectation, 5. Fast actions best. for that the first actions in any Sacred or Civil Constitution (in respect of those which are to succeed) are like the original to all the other after draughts, or like the Copy to all that write by it: Now as every man hath a Christen-name (as we call it) before his Sir-name, so is it fit that the Lord Generals (and the Armies) first Virgin-Act, be for Christ, and for his Churches which bear his Christen name, and then next that to his honor (and sirname) the peoples liberties be delivered them from the Norman Free-booters. But it is true, there be some Members of the Army (whom I have met at Drury House they know,) that are so troubled with the itch (of—getting Lordships) that they are altogether forgetful of the people, unless it be how to oppress them by fines and fixe-ness (i. e. pride) and are never well, but when they be rubbing upon the poor, and scraping off their scabs upon honest people of this Commonwealth. But I think it is true of some (though God forbid it should of all) that rather then Souldiers will lose their game, they will shoot the poor Pigeons out☜ of their Dove-Coats. But

6. And lastly, upon a Scripture account the peoples expectations 6. Scripture promises. are drawn high for deliverance by the General, and the Army; for that the promise is, And your Governors shall be of your selves, Jere. 30. 21. Now hitherto, they have been strangers Jer. 30. 21. of other Nations, of the Norman race, and therefore Tyrants and Oppressors. I know some open that Scripture as to Christ; but they may know, that it speaks to Gentiles, as well as to Jews; and to the Governors of Nations, as well as the Governor of Judah and Jerusalem; and it agrees with Dan. 7. 18, 22. Where the Saints of the most high must take the Kingdom; which is to be after the Antient of days hath sat, and the judgement be set (as was in 1648.) But sayes one to me (who is now aCap. Ch. great Purchaser too, but to my knowledge before that, he was of another minde, and made not his Kingdom of this world) what do ye tell us of setting up Christ? why his Kingdom is spiritual, and we have not fought for his Kingdom; but for this Kingdom, viz. a Civil Government, and such matters which Christ meddles not with. Answ. But, my Gentleman may know, the stone Rev. 11. 15. cut without hands will meddle with all the Kingdoms of the World, Dan. 2. 34, 35. and then with this, and so it hath; and then wo be to his purchase! For behold, sayes the Lord, I am breaking down, and plucking up all, Jere. 45. 4, 5. And seekest thou great things for thy self? But in that day his servants shall rule, and that in the midst of us. Wherefore, the Lord make ou • Army mindful of this fifth Monarchy, and remember the Saints of the most high that groan (yet) under most grievous oppressions by the Government of Strangers. Not but that I am clear of Pythagoras his opinion, who says, That a worthy stranger is to Pythagoras. be preferred before an unworthy Citizen and Kinsman; yet withal, that our worthy Fellow Countrymen, and Freeborn Britains are abundantly to be preferred above unworthy strangers and wicked Normans. For though, it is better a theif feed us, then a Shepherd devour us; and it is better to have a Robber do us justice, then a Justice rob us; and it is more profitable to have our Estates saved by an intruding Guardian, then wasted by one legally appointed; yet these Theives, Robbers, Intruders do devour us, rob us, and destroy us of our Rights and Priviledges: and will not our Army help us? How can they (then) answer it to God and men should they frustrate the incessant expectations of all the honest people in England? and not deliver them from these Tyrannies and Usurpations? but force them with full mouths to cry to Heaven for Justice. But we trust, there is no fear; for it was the Duke of Medina that said, His Sword knew not how to make a difference betwixt a Protestant and a Papist; but as his☞ Excellencies sword, so his word (we hope) will make a large difference between Britains and Normans; such as love, and such as hate the true Laws and Liberties of the Commonwealth of England; and then he may be stiled not Defender of the Faith, but Defender of the Faithfulness of Gods People, and the Commonwealth in all her due Rights. Thus far for this third Chapter.