THat having formerly addressed our selves, by our severall humble Petitions, unto the high and honorable Court of Parliament, for redresse of our intolerable grievances, and Christian slavery, suffered under the heavie and unexpressible yoke of tyrannicall Im­prisonment, where they that rule over us make us to howle, Isa. 52.5. Isa. 52.5. A thing in it self surpassing the tyranny of Turks and Pa­gans, [Page 2]and not to be paralleld in any other Kingdome or State throughout Christendome. Being also a thing far different from the liberty of the Subject, and quite contrary to the Contents of Magna Charta, and the Petition of Right. Both which were also ratified and confirmed by his Majesty, for the benefit of all his people. And whether Imprisonment for Debt, be a thing consonant to the word of God, wee refer to your pious judgements, upon your serious perusall of these severall portions of holy Scripture, viz. Psal. 14.4. 6. Psal. 53.3, 4. Psal. 82.2, 3, 4, 5. Psal. 94.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 20. Isa. 3.14, 15. Isa. 10.1, 2, 3, 4. Isa. 58.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Jere. 5.27, 28. 30. Ezech. 22. Micah 7.2, 3, 4. Zach. 8.16, 17. Mat­thew 23.23. 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3. with many other such like places, proving the unlawfulnesse of Oppression, Imprison­ment for Debt, and the neglect of Justice for reliefe of such whom the Lord hath afflicted, Psal. 69.24. 25. 26. through severall crosses and losses, by sea and land: Whose afflictions also have been re­doubled upon them by the tyranny of some persecuting Nimrods, whereby they are brought to extreame want and misery. Yet notwithstanding all this, their miserable bodies are daily sacrificed by the merciless Common Law, unto the tyranny of Jaylors, and their adherents; as also to the op­pression of their cruell merciless Creditors.

Thus having (as we said before) addressed our selves by our severall Petitions of complaint, but by what unjust hand we know not, our complaints have been hitherto obstructed, and we thereby (for these three years past) have not reaped the pleasing fruit of our humble & just desires, for the work of our reliefe in, and release from, these our severall dunge­ons of misery, and places of tyrannicall oppression, notwith­standing the Dormant Ordinance of Parliament to that effect.

The anchor of our hope now resting on heaven, and on you the pious servants and instruments of God, for the cry­ing aloud in the ears (and stirring up) of all those Worthies, to whom the Lord hath committed the sword of Justice, to [Page 3]and for the work of our deliverance and speedy accomplish­ment of our just desires.

Wee doe therefore in all humilitie, beseech you by the mercies of God, to commiserate these our present deplora­ble conditions, and to make these our grievous and unjust oppressions manifest unto that high and honorable Court of Parliament, that so thereby wee may become capable of their great care, for the honour of God, in the reliefe and re­lease of us his afflicted and long oppressed members, by the flowing streame of true justice and judgement, Exod. 23.6, 7, 8, 9. without re­spect of persons, in a free current, without any pecuniary charge (which is a thing, that our extreame povertie cannot reach unto.)

And that this just and pious act of reliefe and release, may through their wisdoms be conferred on us, by men truly fea­ring God, and hating covetousnesse, and not by any co­vetous Lawyers, seditious Atturnies, oppressing Jaylors, Psal. 10.3. nor by any their adherents, who (like unto the Masse-Priest) have ever (by their calling and profession from their youth) been taught this one impious Principle, viz. Give me my fee, 1 Cor. 6.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. or else No Peny no Pater noster, no money, no Justice, no true judgement nor mercy.

In confidence of your pious favour to be extended for the accomplishment of this our humble request, wee shall ever continue our prayers for you and all your pious underta­kings, and send our praises to heaven for you, as for the pious instruments of our delivery from these seminaries of ini­quitie, and seed- plots of all abomination, tyranny, and op­pression.

FIrst, They conceive themselves to have been most unjustly and tyrannously detained in prison, by the corrupt practi­ses, wayes, and meanes, of evill minded Judges, covetous Lawyers, Levit. 25.23, 24. 35. 43. seditious Atturnies, and by and for the particular benefit of cruell exacting Jaylors; Especially such of them who are allied to persons of eminency in the State: Contra­ry to the lawes of God, the lawes of Nations, and the funda­mentall lawes of this Kingdome.

For, The words of Magna Charta are these, viz.

That no freeborne Subject shall be detained in prison for Debt, Will. 2. chap 18 Magna Charta 9. of Hen. 3. chap. 19. Re­gis. [...] 77. D. Homine [...] sel [...]o 6. 3. Edw. 1. chap. 15. & Anno 5.9. & A [...]no 25. Edw. 3. chap. 4.any Ordinance, Law, Act, or Statute, made, or hereafter to be made to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

And the power of this law is not, nor ought not to be ex­tinguished at this day, being a perpetuall Law, and obtained by the bloud of many thousands of our ancestors. By which they freed themselves and us from being slaves, and thereby have made us free-borne Subjects, and for divers other most weightie causes, whereupon it was first founded, being at this day styled and taken to be the Fundamental law of this land. And all Statutes that shall be made in any one particular point, contrary to Magna Charta, are voyd by the Statute of the 42 Ed. 3. chap. 1.

Secondly, In regard of the continuance of these unjust and tyrannous courses. For that ever since the beginning of this Parliament, the poore prisoners have been by no wayes nor meanes inabled, Gen. 18.19. freely to reape the fruit of Justice, for their release out of prison, and reliefe against their oppres­sors; For, notwithstanding all our severall grievous com­plaints, [Page 5](these three years past) against our oppressors, and crueltie of Jaylors, and their merciless Substitutes, our com­plaints have been slighted, Hosea 4.1, 2. and we our selves still detained in prison, under the cruell bonds of oppression and Christian slavery.

Thirdly, In regard the Jaylors are still countenanced, and suffered to persist in their tyrannous courses and cruell pra­ctises upon prisoners; by murthering of some, starving o­thers to death, & decripping of others by their iron fetters; Job 24.14.22. which is a thing manifest to many prisoners, and others also.

Fourthly, In regard the Jaylors (notwithstanding the just unlimited power of this Parliament) most impudently still persist, in threatning the poore prisoners with their iron fetters, and in practising this their cruell tyranny on some, as also by posting of some of them from one prison to another, Psal. 31.13. and from one part of the prison to another, upon their pri­vate distaste taken against any of them; Psal. 58. as also by suffering and also causing the prisoners to be violently assaulted and beaten in their chambers, by their instruments of crueltie; by reason whereof their lives have been and are still indan­gered, and their estates utterly ruined.

Fiftly, In regard the Jaylors are also still suffered to exact their unjust extorting fees, and without controule, 42. of Eliz. to op­presse, defraud, and deceive the prisoners of their gifts, and Legacies; as also of the collection-moneys due unto them by the Statutes of this Realme, and to detaine some men in prison, meerly for their own unjust exacting fees, untill such time as some Legacy comes for release; to the hazard, yea, often to the losse of the prisoners life. In all which severall extreame oppressions, the poore prisoners have hitherto reaped no redresse.

Sixtly, In regard of these distracted times, the charitie of the Basket also much fayling; By reason whereof, divers pri­soners for debt, have been starved to death, and more are [Page 6]like to follow the same way daily, if this barbarous oppres­sion course of crueltie, for imprisonment of men for debt, be still suffered to continue in this Kingdome.

For these and many other most pregnant reasons, J [...] 4.11, 13. ready to be manifested, if by Justice countenanced, and not by the subtiltie of some powerfull personages still obstructed; the poore prisoners ought in all reason and conscience to injoy their liberties, and also for that purpose to be speedily by Justice relieved and released. For wee are a people spoy­led of all our estates, credits, and callings; and many of us from being formerly painfull and profitable Bees in this Common-wealth, Pro. 21.3, [...], 10 are now by these inhumane courses made Drones, Pro. 21.22, 23 yea, we are rather, as men buried alive, and by the meer subtle practises of the persons aforesaid, wee are all of us insnared in holes, and hid, yea, buried in prison-houses. Behold, Isa. 42.22. wee are set apart for a prey to oppression, and none delivereth us, yea, for a spoyle to Lawyers and Jaylors, and none saith, Restore unto them their right. And if it be not so now, Job 24.25. who will make me a lyer, and make my speech no­thing worth?

Wee beseech you therefore by the mercies of God, seri­ously to consider these things, and let not the bloud of the innocent, and the groanes of the oppressed, cry any longer for vengeance, lest their cry fall heavie upon the whole Kingdome. For, as the blessings of God shall crowne those people, that truly and freely execute Justice and Judgement between man and man, without respect of persons, and with­out any pecuniary reward; Amos 3.10, 11 so wrath and destruction shall be upon all neglecters thereof.

For, Psal. 58.1.4. 5. 10. 11. They know not to doe right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and oppression in their palaces; and abhorre him that speaketh uprightly; Amos 5.10, 11 12. 15, 16. 24. and tread upon the poore, and afflict the just, and take Bribes, and turne aside the poore from their right.

Therefore as yee expect the favour of God, and his bles­sing on all your weighty matters, even the peace and eternall [Page 7]welfare of your soules, as also the peace, Levit. 26.6, 7, 8, 9. 15, 16, 17. 37. plentie and prospe­ritie of this Kingdome; Then must you seek good and not evill; establish true Justice and Judgement, according to Gods law; and let Judgement run downe freely as water, and Righteousnesse as a mighty streame; and then, (yet not till then) no doubt but the Lord God will be gracious unto the remnant of his people, and heale the Land.

If you shall doe all these things, Isa. 40.23. and feare the Lord your God, who onely worketh wonders, and is able to bring Prin­ces to nothing, and make all the Judges of the earth as vani­tie, and weaken the strength of all the mightie; Then shall yee not be destroyed; For, what doth the Lord require of thee, O man, but to doe Justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God: To relieve the poore, the widow, and the stranger, and to let the oppressed goe free? Then shall your light break forth as the Sunne, and the Lord your God will have mercy upon you, and divert these his present judgements from you, and heale your Land; Then will he crowne you with Victories against your enemies; and will also cover your heads in the day of Battle; Yea, he will then also blesse all your designes, Deut. 28.7. 10. 20. and will utterly confound the secret Counsells of all the mightie Achitophels of these times.

But if yee shall neglect the due execution of Justice and Judgement, in all your Cities, then shall your adversaries still remaine, as Goads in your sides, as Rocks of offence, and continuall stumbling blocks to you and your posteritie, untill ruine and desolation take hold on all the places of your habitations in the Land.

Run to and fro through the streets, Jere. 5.and see if there be any that executeth Judgement, and seeketh the truth. But they are as wild horses, every one neighing after his neighbours wife; Yet they say, Psal. 73.6. 8.No evill shall come upon us, neither shal we see the sword, nor famine; Shall not my soule be avenged on such a Nation as this, saith the Lord? Who lay waite, and set snares and traps to catch men, [Page 8] and to bury them alive in Prison-houses; yea, they surpasse the deeds of the wicked, because they judge not the Cause of the fatherless, and the oppressed, and the Right of the needy doe they not judge.

For I considered all the oppressions that are done, Ezech 4.1.and behold the teares of such as be oppressed, and they have no comforter, and in the hands of their oppressors there is power, but the oppressed have no Comforter; And if it be not so now, who will (or can) make me a lyer, and make this my speech nothing worth? Job 24.25.