Woe unto that Kingdome and people, where the wicked walke on every side (without controul) and the vilest men are exalted to places of eminencie and trust,Isai. 10.1, 2, 3, 4. that they may op­presse and do violence with both hands, yea, that they may the more effectually exercise their cruel tyranny of injustice and oppression (without let or hindrance) upon the poore, the needy, the afflicted, oppressed, and long imprisoned, in especiall upon such as honour, love, and feare God, and most earnestly wish the peace and prosperity of this Kingdome, some such as these have been brought to most untimely ends by Jaylor, and their substitutes, others quite lamed by their Iron fetters, others of them have surfered unjustly, most cruel and heavie afflicti­ons in severall prison houses and denns of cruelty, from some (eminently supports) Jaylors, and their cruel substitutes, yet hi­therto none of these oppressed Christians have been righted; but rather discouraged from seeking any redresse, their severall Articles exibited against Jaylors, extreamly slighted, and them­selves still exposed to the inhumane rage and unlimited cruel­tie of these Jaylors, and their hellish substitutes, to be by them (if not murthered) yet beaten, abused, reviled daily, and starved to death, and decreppit by Irons, for instance the prisons of the Kings Bench, the Fleete, and Newgate.

Behould they tread upon the poore, they afflict the needy, they murther the innocent, and crush the prisoners under their feet, before the face of the most high, not re­garding the Lord of Hosts, nor his Power, nor his Justice, nor his Judgements, although he hath divided them, in setting the Prince against the people, the Father against the Sonne, and one friend against another, and hath set the sword as a destroyer of them all, yet they still provoke the Lord of Hosts, the God of Justice unto wrath and indignation against themselves, by neglecting the due execution of Justice, Judgements and mer­cy, in a free current (without respect of persons, and the wages of Balaam) intituled, Fees, Nowyeers-gifts, and Bribes: It seemeth [...] Riddle, not only to me, but also to many thou­sands in the Kingdome, that the greatest Contest betweene King and Parliament, being for the Liberty of the subiect (and hath been the cause of so much efusian of Christion blood [Page 6]for almost 5. yeers together) the Peers of the Realme constant­ly enjoying the same, and yet the commonalty hitherto most unjustly debarred of the same, and still inslaved (as formerly) unto the arbitrary will and power of a few mercinarie Lawyers whose profession and gayne inslaves them to the will and dis­position of the very worst and skum of men and women, and ingages them (as hirelings) to maintaine their cause at any barre of justice (so called) for the price of iniquity; I meane for their fee of ten or twenty shillings, be the cause never so bace and unjust, so by them mayntained. It is therefore to be considered, whether it be agreeable to justice, and the freedome and prosperity of this Nacion, that the prosperity and flourish­ing state of a few Lawyers, Atturneys, Jaylours, and their ad­herents should be preserved before, the just liberty, peace, and well being of this whole Nation and their posterities, and whether it savour of Christianity or any Charity, to inslave your brethren to their works, and unjust wills, & to coope them up (as a bird in a cage) in your prison houses, and not to pro­vide for their subsistence there, or for their determinate time of delivery from thence; but expose them to the oppression of their adversaries, and the severall mercies cruelties of Jaylors and their cruell substitutes for many yeers, or whether the in­richment of a few Lawyers, Atturneys, Solicitors, Clarkes and Jaylors, be to be preferred before the flourishing Peace and tranquility of this whole Nation, and also whether it be accor­ding to Gods Law (whose people we professe our selves to be) that justice should not be executed nor administred unto the poore of the Land in particular, nor to all in generall, without the price and reward of iniquity, I meane without paying to Judges, Lawyers, Atturneys, Clarkes, Jaylours, their depu­ties and servants, their severall great (unjust) exacting Fees, Fees I say, and Newyeers gifts (besides Bribes) for expedition, and setting downe of a sause for hearing, or else it may be staved off by many jugling tricks and devices of our Lawyers from be­ing heard, since the 44th. yeer of Queene Elizabeths Rayne un­till this present, especially in the Court of Chancery, where the succeeding Orders (like so many vipers) still eat up and de­vour all the preceeding Orders, or that Court, and one cause [Page 7]of 40. l. value, produceth at the least 700. severall orders before it be determined, and the expence of that Suite (on the Plaintifs part only) amount unto 2500. l. at the least, these and such like causes (and the severall commitments upon the same) makes Lawyers and Jaylours laugh, and both plaintiff and defendant to come heavily home by weeping crosse, to the utter ruin of them and their posterity, and at the last inforces them to sell their Lands to their Lawyers, and Atturneys. We reade that Samuel judged Jsrael many yeeres, yet we reade not, that he nor any of his Servants and subordinate Officers exacted or rceived any fees and rewards of the people for the administration of Justice, or that the people were barred from pleading their causes (but only by Lawyers, Advocates, and Atturneys) or that ever there were such a generation of men, or Instruments of contention knowne, or appointed by Gods Law, to the overthrowing of many a poore and righte­ous mans cause, by their severall tricks and unjust devices ten­ding meerly for their owne ends, and self-advantage of private gayne, although to the apparent inslaving of the Nation, and ruine of the People.

Who, but some Lawyers, are (for these 5. yeeres past) con­ceived to be the only obstructors of Magna Charta, in poynt of the Subjects Liberty, and inslaving their persons in their severall prison-houses, notwithstanding the peoples severall Re­monstrances, Petitions, Declarations, and appeales unto the honourable houses of Parliament, and Commonalty of the Land, and instead of reliefe, their miseries have been augmen­ted to them, by the crueltie of Jaylors (who are counte­nanced) and the poore Prisoners complaints, rejected and themselves discouraged from exhibiting any further com­plaints against them, for Justice and Reliefe? who but Law­yers make merchandise of Justice, and confine the practise of the same, unto the Latine Tongue, and Pedlars French, like unto the Masse Priests, who in like manner confine the Service of God to the Latine Tongue that they may make merchandise of the word of God, and by keeping the people in Ignorance, in­force them (like slaves) to walke by their light, as the Lawyers and Atturneys do by this Nation; For their Tongues devise [Page 8]mischief, working deceitfully, because they love evill more then good, contention more then Peace, and lying, and swear­ing, more then to speak the truth, because contention, strife, and debate, is the only thing that brings the price of gayne, Riches, Honour, and Preferment unto their Mill of conten­tion and profession.

The Lord in mercy looke upon the deplorable, afflicted, op­pressed, and distressed Estate of this distracted Kingdome, and now at the last (after five yeeres expectation) be pleased to o­pen the eyes, and incline the hearts of the honourable Assembly in Parliament, unto the speedy and free execution and admini­stration of Justice, Judgment, and Mercy, in a cleere current without respect of persons, or the wages of Balam, that so the wrath of God may be appeased, his present Judgements di­verted, and the poore, affllicted, oppressed, and long imprison­ed, relieved and released, and also inabled to reape the fruits of justice against their oppressours.Psal. 123.4 Psal. 140.3. Psal. 142.6. And the high and honourable Court of Parliament also, thereby cleerly acquitted of and from the severall blemishes fastned on them (not only in this King­dome but also in other Countries) for the neglect of the due administration of Justice (according to expectation upon their first Summons and convening) and the restoration of the Commonalty unto their just and ancient Birth-right of Liber­ty, according to Magna Charta, and the late Petition of Right, ratified and confirmed by his now Majesty, more then 4. yeers since.

I do also therefore in all humility, most humbly, and ear­nestly, implore the high and Honourable Assembly, Piously to consider, That the miseries happening to one man, at one time, may redound to another man the next, and that the same divine hand of power which at the first, did cast us downe into the dust of reproach, misery, and oppression, is also able at his pleasure, to bring the mightiest, the richest, yea, the prou­dest downe to the like dust of misery, and bands of oppression; Beseeching them also to consider, that if any their carses were the same with us, whether, they then would be willing & con­tented thus to suffer, & to be oppressed by the indirect practise of the Law, and Tyrannie of Jaylors, and their hellish Instru­ments; [Page 9]To be by them close imprisoned, put in Irons, starved, yea murthered in Goale (I trowe not) yea, I am confident that they woud account it a great measure of cruelty inflicted on them, or their posterity; and have not many thousands of an­cient families in this Kingdome, (by imprisonment) been brought to utter ruine and destruction, and have not I knowne divers personages, nobly desended of very ancient Families in this Kingdome, that have perished miserably in Goal, and their misery not pittied by any, nor their death no more re­garded by the Jaylour, nor any his Substitutes, then the bark­ing of a Dogg. These things piously considered (according to the Rule of Christian Charity) it is then to be wished, that the facred Rule of our Saviour Christ might speedily be put in practice amongst the Inhabitants of this Land; from the high­est to the lowest of them. To do as we desire others should do to us, and not like Caniballs, out of meere malice and revenge, (and the great gayne by contention) to devoure one another in pri­son houses, that so the God of Justice, Love, Mercy, and Peace, may receive us againe to mercy, and returne unto us, with healing in his wings.Note this vvell. For behold, wickednesse and op­pression shall not deliver those that are given to it, And there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another, to his own hurt, And because sentence against evill doers is not speedily execu­ted; therefore the hearts of the Sons of Belial is fully set in them to do evell with both hands: For they lye in wayte for blood, they haunt their Brethren with the net of cruelty and op­pression. The best of them is as a Briar, or as a Thorny hedge unto his poore afflicted Brother; And if it be not so now, who will make me a lyer, and make this my speech nothing worth, J [...]be 24 25. For thus saith the Lord, who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of men that shall die, and the Sons of men which shall be made as Grasse, and forgettest the Lord thy ma­ker, because of the fury of the oppressour, as if he were ready to destroy; Feare not the reproach of men, be not dismaid at their lookes, neither be afraid of their revilings; for the Moth and the Worm shall eat them, horrer, coufusion, and eternall de­struction shall take hold of them, And where (then) is the fu­ry of the oppressour? I am he that comfort thee; for I am a just, [Page 10]and a righteous God, who bring Princes to nothing, and make all the Judges of the Earth as vanity; Therefore fear not man, whose breath is in his Nosthrils, for wherein is he to be accompted of; Behold I the Lord execute Righteousnesse and Judgement, for all that be oppressed; Therefore be not afraid of their faces, nor of their haughty and proud looks, for I am with thee.

For whatsoever is not of God is from the Divell. But injustice, contention (and the instruments of the same) Oppression, Bribery, imprisonment of men unjustly, starving, and murthering of men in Goal, are not from God; Therefore from the Divell: And who­soever doth them, doth the will of his father the Divell; for he is a murtherer from the beginning, and the grand Enemy to Justice, Love, Mercy, and Peace. Therefore if we be of God, we must then do the works of God, and manifest the fruits of the same. And these are the works of God; To execute justice and judgement, to shew mercy, to relieve the Widdow, the fatherlesse, and the stran­ger, and to let the oppressed go free. Let us therefore now at the last (by suppressing of Contention, Injustice, Tyranny, and Oppres­sion, and the wicked instruments of the same; And by a speedy ad­ministration of justice, judgement, and mercy) try the Lord our God, and see if the Lord will not forthwith powr down his mercies [Page 12]on us, withdraw his present judgements (of Devision, Sword, and Plague) from us, and heal the Land; and so become a father of mercies, a God of comfort and consolation, unto us, and our poste­rity after us.

It is to be wished, that the Lawes of England favoured of as much justice and mercy, and were but as truly executed with­out respect of persons, as the Lawes of some Forraign Nations are, & that there were some honest men appointed, for the Visita­tion of Prisons every first Munday in the Month, for to restrain the cruelty of Jaylours, and to know the causes of mens Impri­sonment; To whom the prisoner declaring himself by Peti­tion, declares the reall value of his estate (and as in the presence of God, affirms the contents of his Petition to be the whole truth) unto which the Commissioners then subscribe. Let the Creditors see this Petition, and by the next Visitation day, either disprove the contents thereof, or else the Petitioner to be set free, upon the assignement of the two third parts of the said declared E­state unto them. In the mean time, the Creditors, or party impri­soning the Debtor, are to take care for his subsistence in Goal, and to discharge all just Prison fees.

And if the Creditor happen to disprove the said Debtors Pe­tition before the said Commissioners, and prove that he hath concealed some part of his estate; then (for a punishment to such a deceiver) his whole estate is, by the said Commissioners assigned to the Creditors, and both he, his wife, and children, deprived of their third part of the same; and the said fraudu­lent Debtor is then also adjudged to stand in the Pillory (and a hole punched or bored through his ear.) But upon the Debtors discovery of his whole estate (be it more or lesse) really and truly, then the Commissioners do forthwith assigne two third parts of the said estate to the Creditors, and the other part thereof unto the said Debtor, for and towards the future sub­sistence of himself and his wife, and education of his children: And further, that if any Debtor, do of purpose take up goods & monies, with an intent to defraud (and take a prisoner as his surety) by assigning over in trust the said estate to some of his friends (this being proved) then the said Commissioners have power to assigne all the said estate unto the Creditors, prohibi­ting [Page 13](by proclamation) all persons from paying or delivering unto the said cheating Debtor any monies, goods, or Lands, or to any other persons for his use, but only unto the Creditors; And the said Cheator or fraudulent Debtor, is then also ad­judged to stand three hours in the Pillory, and to have then both his Nosthrils slit up (by the common Hangman) or some base Hounds-Cut:) Such a course as this, truly and justly put in execution here in England, would soon increase the number of honest men, and produce (if not inforce) honest and plainer dealing, from, and amongst all men, and it would also destroy the great number of Deceivers, Oppressors, Extortioners, and Gentlemen-cheaters, as well as common-Cheaters, and all Knights of the Post, common Bail-men, and all such cunny-catching deceitfull companions. The opening of this gap (I doubt not) will draw upon me, the rage and malice (if not the curse) of all Knights and Gentlemen Jaylours and their Sub­stitutes, as also the revengefull fury of some evill-minded Law­yers, Atturneys, Clarkes, Soliciters, Sergeants, and Bumbay­liffes: From whose Milles (by this meanes) the great gainfull waters of contention, fraud, injustice, and oppression, will be dreyned dry, theit deceitfull craft fall to the ground, and their Goddesse Diana quite drowned in the Sea of Englands Peace and Tranquility.