AN INSTRUCTION TO JUDGES & LAWYERS,  
That they may act and judge as the Judges did of old, and that they may see how they are degenerated from them that judged at the first, and that in reading this thorough, they may see what hath been lost, and how they may be restored by the power of the Lord, into that which the Iudges were in at the first, and that without money or reward justice might be done. And how people have been put to death for that which they should have restored, or been sold for their theft; and how the owners and the thief hath been wronged since the Iudges of old. And also concerning Bills and Writs which hath been the Form, but not of sound words, they having more in them and charging more upon the people then what is truth, which hath been contrary to the Law, So say, and and so do.  
And concerning the poor mans cry, who knows his matter and business himself, and is able to speak to it( according to the Law of Equity which is grounded upon Reason) without hiring a councillor or an Attorney.  
Given forth to the intent men might consider these things, and come to the life of God, and live as at the first, that Justice might run down, and Truth and righteousness may be set up.  
G. F.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate.   

Instructions to Judges and Lawyers, &c.  
THe Law came by Moses, given forth from God, added because of transgression, which went over all transgressors, which was the higher power, a terror to the evil doers, a praise to them that do well, not made for the Righteous, but for sinners; and this Law was perfect and endures for ever, according to that of God in every man which is transgressed, which power the soul must be subject to, that is immortal, and all the laws among the heathen was called inventions of the heathen which was not received from God.  
The Law of God was, he that smote a man that he died shall be slain for it: if a man lieth not in wait, so that God delivereth him into his hands, then I will appoint him a place whether he shall fly; If a man steal an ox or a sheep and kill it or fell it, he shall restore five Oxen for an Ox, and four sheep for a sheep, and not be hanged for it. Now the Law of God doth not say that a man shall die for the Ox, or for the Sheep, but restore, and if he have not wherewith, he should be sold for his theft, and he should make full restitution. If a man burn another mans field of standing corn, he should make full restitution, and thus the judges was to judge.  
And Moses the chief Magistrate had this Law, and for all manner of trespasses, for Oxen, Asses, Sheep, Raiment, lost things which another challenged to be his, both parties should be brought before the Judges, and whom the Judge should condemn, he should pay double to his neighbour, and he should make full restitution; and the King was to give himself to the reading this Law of God, and the Judge was to judge according to it, not for gifts and rewards which blinded their eyes, for God who is a Judge among Judges, who gave forth his Law, when the Kings & the Judges transgressed his Law, he cast them out among the heathen; and so men and people by the Law of God was not to die for stealing of cattle or money, but restore four fold, five fold, or seven fold, or double, this was the Law that was just, or if they had not wherewith, they were to be sold for their theft: here the thief had space to repent, and here the poor people who had their goods stolen away from them was no losers, but to hang the thief, he hath no space to repent, and the poor man that hath his goods stolen away may be undone if it be not restored; now if this be not out of all equity, judge you?  
Now the Apostle who Preached Christ the end of the Law said, Let him that stolen steal no more, but labour in the thing that is good, Now here was the Law among Christians, he did not say hang him,( but gave him space here to repent) neither did the Law bind the man that lost his goods to be at the charge to prosecute the thief to death and loose his goods both.  
And the Apostle  told the Jews that the Law was good in its place, and was made for murtherers & man-slayers and thieves, &c. and he puts a difference betwixt this, and the Gentiles inventions; now if the Judges in Israel should have hanged all for stealing cattle, or Corn, or Money, or clothes to the value of 13 d. and not the owners have the things stolen restored them again, would not the Prophet have cried out of them, their hands were full of blood, they had cast the Law of God behind their backs, and they had neither mercy nor equity? and God turned them among the heathen that be in the earth, that will destroy a mans life for the creatures, for clothes, for money; And is not this a proof that whole Christendom which puts men to death for clothes, for Oxen, for Asses, that they be out of the Law of God and the Gospel both, among the Heathen, and worse then the Jews? for life was for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe; now this was the Law of Equity, now if they stolen other creatures, money, or Oxen, or Sheep, they were to be sold for their theft, and bring seven fold, or four fold, or five fold, or double back to the owner they had stolen from, and if he had it not, he was to be sold for his theft, and not to be hanged for it; And this was the manner of the Judges judgement at the first: Now when the things shall come to be restored as they were at first, and the judges as they were at first, no man should die for cattle, for money, for goods, the Judges would not hang them, but make all the thieves go to restore to them that they had stolen from, by four fold, or five fold, or seven fold, or double, and make them to make full restitution; if they have not wherewith, to be sold for their theft, then it shall be said that the Judges hands are not full of blood, but that they are restored as they were at first; and thus they must judge without gifts, which hath blinded their eyes, and doth now blind their eyes, without rewards, without respect of persons the rich or the poor, but judge equal judgement; Now how can it be said but that their hands are full of blood; judge. And Kings that thus make a Law, that men shall prosecute men to death that have stolen things from them, or else be guilty of theft, and they lose their goods, and the thief lose his life, and have no restitution, and then they judge for Oxen, for Asses, for Horses, for money, for clothes, to the value of thirteen pence, will put men to death, will hang them, which according to the Law of God should be restored seven fold, or five fold, to those from whom they have stolen, which this would make men beware of stealing, and break down the spirits of men, and if they had not wherewith, to be sold for their theft; for God saith, If a thief be found breaking up, and he be smitten that he die, if the Sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood  shed for him, for he should have made restitution and not taken away his life. Mark that ye Judges how ye differ from them of old, and from the law of God: Now all ye judges that  shed the blood of men for their theft, who have not  shed mens blood, is not all your blood to be  shed for them, and to be required of you by the Lord God in the whole Christendom? and will not God come upon you and execute his Law if man should not; for you by the true judgement of the Law should have made them have made full restitution to the owners, not to have taken away their blood, except they had taken away ●●ood; but if the thief be found breaking up, and be smirten that he die, there shall be no blood  shed for him, if the Sun be not risen upon him. Now hath all the Judges been as at the first, that hath taken away mens lives, and hanged them for stealing of cattle, goods or money, corn, Oxen, sheep or clothes? and have a Law that they should prosecute them to death that the goods were stolen from, and the owners hath had no restitution; and hath taken away the thives life, or that he should be guilty of theft, and the Judge would not let the thief live to restore? Now can any man living in the Law of God, or in Christ the end of the Law the Apostles doctrine uphold such things which saith they must restore four fold, or seven fold, or five fold to the owners; and which saith let him that hath stolen steal no more, but labour in the thing that is good? is not this the Scripture, the Law of God, and the Apostles Doctrine? and them that will kill and hang, and cause others to prosecute to death them that hath stolen cattle, money, & goods; and the law saith he shall not die for such things, no blood  shed for him; if the thief be killed, and the Sun be risen? Now must not their blood be  shed, which causeth blood to be  shed? Doth not blood touch blood? Is not blood for blood, wound for wound, stripe for stripe, and life for life for a thief, except it were in the night? and hath not all these judges that have been up, and Kings put men to death, and taken away their blood, and hanged them for stealing Oxen, Asses, Sheep, money, clothes, robbing houses, since the Judges was not as they were in the beginning, which hath not caused thieves to restore double, four fold, or five, or seven fold; if they have not wherewith, to be sold for their theft; and let him that hath stolen steal no more, but labour in the thing that is good: But first how can he restore four, or five, or seven fold, when ye hang him? or can he be sold for his theft, and so that he might come to repentance? and how can he that hath stolen steal no more, and labour in the thing that is honest, and follow the Apostles Doctrine when you hang him? will not here all the righteous Judges rise up in judgement against you, and all the true Apostles and Christians, and judge you to be among the Heathen, and see you to be contrary to the Law and the Gospel? and hath not all these things got up since the apostasy from the Apostles, and the Judges as they were at the first? And hath not all these Judges risen up contrary to that? And is not all these actions practised in the whole Christendom? And must not all these things be restored, as they were in the beginning( which hath been lost) into the right order, and manner of right Judgement, equal and just, righteous and measureable, that the life of the Law should be known, and the equity of it, and the righteousness of it, and the Apostles Doctrine Preached which was the end of it? and should not the Christians live in more mercy then the Law? and do not they live contrary to the Law, worse then the Jews which you used to say were hard-hearted, who takes away mens lives for such things as goods and cattle? Is not this crueller then the Law, crueller to the thief, crueller to him that the goods were stolen from? are not these the Judges that do so that are called ravening Wolves? and how can you differ from the Heathen in this, who will kill, hang one another, knock one another on the heads for goods, and earthly things? which was not the Law of God which went over all transgressors and trespasses, and measured equally, and was for the subduing of mens wills that acted unequally, and the righteous Judges among men God honoured, and the Kings was to give themselves to the reading of this righteous Law of God; and is not this Law of God cast behind Kings and Judges backs, and Rulers in the whole Christendom? And do you not think you would slay mens thievish natures to let them live and restore four, or five, or seven fold to the owner from whom they stolen? or if they had it not, to be sold for their theft? was not this the way to convince them, and to bring them to repentance? but to take away their lives and kill them contrary to the Law, and bid them ask mercy of God, and you give them none, nor the Law, are not you contrary to the Law, cruel? and doth not these actions show that ye are neither according to the Law of God nor the Gospel, to hang thieves and not let them restore to whom they had stolen from? or if they had not wherewith, to be sold for their theft? and he that stolen steal no more, but labour in the thing that is good? Now is not this Law and Gospel? and are not you out of this in the whole Christendom, and found among the Heathen, that will knock men on the head for stealing goods, cattle, money; and not suffer them to live to make restitution, or to be sold for their theft, to labour in the thing that is good? So are not all your mercies here cruel, and judged with Law and Gospel? So the Lord open your understandings that you may come to see and feel these things in these Ancient of Dayes, in which the Lord is restoring things as they were at the first, and bringing things to pass that hath been past, and letting see what hath been lost, and recovering things as they were at the first, and giving judgement on the contrary; and now shall men be judged according to the Law and Gospel: Therefore now I would have all men to repent every where and do so no more. Let these things that hath been past be sufficient, and ye Judges in the whole Christendom, and Law-makers that makes Laws to take away mens lives for Creatures, hath invented laws of your own contrary to the Law of God, and not made them that men should restore, or be sold for their theft, or steal no more, but labour in thing that is good, according to the Gospel; and you Judges that hath executed these laws, and you Kings that hath made and caused them to be executed, you have not given yourselves to the Law of God, but to your own inventions, and acted unrighteously, unmeasurably and unequally; if the blood of all you Judges and Kings should be equally required for all the blood of the thieves, and do ye think it will not be required at your hands who have thus acted contrary to the Law? And you measured by the Just Law of God, and found out of it, which is as you will find a sharp School-master, and yourselves mingled among the heathen, who hath taken away the thieves blood and not caused them to make restitution, and so wronged the thief, and wronged the owner they had stolen from; and so wronged yourselves, and are Judged by the Law of God: It was said to the Judges they should not do unrighteously, no unrighteous thing in Judgement, if the Judge had caused him that had goods stolen to prosecute the thief to death, and taken away the thiefs life for goods, and not have made the thief restored and saved his life, they had done unrighteously in judgement, and not righteously; Thou shalt rebuk thy neighbour, and not bear his sin; Now this was the Law, and he did not imprison them that did rebuk these openly in the gates, as the Christians do now; for them that rebuk sin in the gates, rebukes his neighbour, and will not bear his sin; the Magistrates now will cast them into prison, Levit. 19. You shall keep all my Ordinances; Now do not you all break all the Ordinances of God, and put men to death for that which they should restore, or be sold for their theft? Do not all you Judges and Kings break the Ordinances of God, that kills them, tramples upon them, and casts his Law behind their backs? and doth not this show how darkness hath ruled among Judges and Kings of the Earth, since they have not been restored as they were at the first? All you Magistrates and Judges that hath not Judged as they did Judge at the first, and so fallen into the Heathens spirit. And will not the blood of the thieves be upon you all in the whole Christendom, who hath not been as the Judges and chief Magistrates was at the first? but hath taken away the blood of thieves for the creatures, which should have restored double, or four, or seven fold for their theft. You have been contrary all to Moses and them that was in the beginning, and destroyed mens lives which you should have saved them to have restored to them which they had wronged, and that was equity, if not, to be sold for their theft until they had paid it; and him that had stolen, steal no more, but labour in the thing that is honest, and this is equity, and like law and Gospel; so reform and come into that which doth restore, ye that be in the things that be lost for God is restoring people into things as they was in the beginning who is come to judge: Solomon who was a King said before honour was humility; Now all Kings, Magistrates & Rulers upon the earth, before they have honour they must have humility; not that which is feigned, but that which is good and pure, not like the fury of Nabuchadnezer, not like the brittle Christians that not doffing of the hat will confounded all Religion, Church and profession; and if they will not give them that; they shall have no justice; now here is buying and selling Justice, not giving them it because they will not give them the hat; Now the hat worship, that honour, that Idol is set up by transgressors; But men that be in the Law of God which is over transgression, which the Soul must be subject to they mind not the hat, but the Law, to bring every soul to be subject to that which is the higher power and not the hat; and there is the humility where the soul is subject to the higher power which is immortal, and the soul which is immortal; and so all worship set up in the transgression out of truth; and honour that is worldly and comes to dust, which men in the transgression calls civil, if they give them the hat it is a civil thing; it pacifies the rage of the transgressor, give him his Idol the hat, set up by the transgressors; but break down his Idol, and bring him to the witness in him to seek the honour which comes from above, from God, and turn him from the honor that is below, which God will slain and lay in the Dust; and not give him this, the hat honour, hat worship, hat humility, and he will rage.  
But now before this honour which is from above, is the humility; and so that which is civil and leads into the civility destroys that which the transgressor sets up, and that which he would have, which is not civil, for that keeps but up the peace of the wicked, which must be broken, which stands in the feigned humility which is below; but the hat honor, the hat worship which hath his honor below, and the feigned humility gets their honour from below, and the true humility is before the honour that is from above that turns from transgression; so all that would have honour they must not be furious nor passionate nor envious, for that is the fruit of the Heathen; they must have the humility before they have the true honour that is from above, which stains the other, and that which brings to the true humility; and that which brings men to the true humility, leads out of the transgression to the principle of God in them, and that all must come to, before they come to the Law of God which is equal, righteous and perfect, and goes over all transgressors, and lets them know the higher power which receives not honour of men; how can you believe that receives honour one of another, and not the honour that cometh of God onely? so there is the mark of the unbeliever: For how can you believe that receive honour one of another, and not the honour that comes from God onely; so they that receive honour one of another are in the first Adam, which was in the transgression, and doth not receive the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened them withal, which will not receive honour from men, and the hat is an honour from below among men that are in the transgression, one of the transgressors Idols, which that must come to the dust which looks for it, and the hat both; and if they have not the hat civility, that nature will rage; so civility doth not come out of that ground, but it comes out of that ground which is out of the transgression.  
Job was a Judge and Judged in the Gates, and broken the jaws of the wicked, he was legs to the lame, eyes to the blind, a help to the helpless. Elihu saith to him who was a young man, I am full of the matter the spirit within me constrains me, And to the rest of his friends, Hear me, I pray you accept no mans person, neither let me give flattering titles to man; for I know not to give flattering titles; for in so doing my Maker would soon take me away. Now mark all ye that give flattering titles to men, and know how to give flattering titles to men, are not ye contrary to Elihu? did he speak a lye when he said his Maker would take him away in so doing? And is not all these flattering titles? And people hath learned to know how to give flattering titles to men, and one to another; contrary to their Maker, contrary to Elihu: and doth not the Maker take you away, sweep you away, who hath given up yourselves to learn to know how to give flattering titles one to another? And is not this to please men? which if the Maker take them away for so doing, is not he against it? Job 32. Therefore beware all ye that are giving flattering titles to men, or a knowing how to give titles to men, least your Maker suddenly take you away.  
Now such as fines people because they cannot swear, and will not take an Oath, but obeys Christs command, who saith swearing was in the old time; and that they should perform their Oath to the Lord; but I say unto you now, Mark, now are you come to this, now, swear not at all, but let the communication be yea, yea, nay, nay, whatsoever is more cometh of evil; and above all things my brethren swear not at all, not by Heaven, not by Earth, not by any other Oath, lest you fall into condemnation; but in all your communication let your yea be yea and your nay, nay; for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil. Now you that compel, and fine and imprison the Brethren which keeps the commands of Christ, and cannot swear, and are the believers that cannot come into the condemnation among the swearers, are ye not all false Christians? have a name but are dead from the life, and such as have trampled upon Christs command and the Apostles; denies both their Doctrine, and doth not his will? are you in him that hath all power in Heaven and Earth given unto him? Are you not all fallen into condemnation, according to the Apostles Doctrine? is not Christ the end of Moses, the Prophets, Abraham and David, and before they was that swore, and redeems men out of strife, in whom the Oath is the end of controversy? Must not the Angel that swore bow to Christ who saith swear not at all, who hath all power in Heaven and earth given to him? Therefore all ye Magistrates upon the earth that hath fined the brethren, and imprisoned men because they will not break the command of Christ, and transgress the Apostles Doctrine, and come into condemnation; But are at yea, and nay in their common occasions; and whatsoever is more then these is evil; and you are not onely transgressors of the Law of God and Christ, but are compellers of others to break the Law of Christ; and imprisons others and fines them if they will not; which they are ready if you will have any more then yea and na●, of the Saints and brethren, to give the word of two or three witnesses, that so the word might be established; for Christ which was before Oaths, which was in the old time, and is the end of oaths, saith that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word should be established; so saith the Apostle, who commands the Brethren, above all things swear not at all; and tells them the danger, least they fall into condemnation; but in all their accasions keep to yea and nay, for whatsoever is more then these comes of evil; and men should be judged according to the Gospel when the secrets of all hearts should be revealed, and God will judge the World by the Man Christ Jesus, wh●●s prepared and ordained, who is come to Judge the World in the righteousness, God will Judge them in equity according to the Law; for that is equity; who hath commanded yea and nay in their common occations.  
Now you that make Acts for profaning the Sabbath day, to make a fire, to gather sticks, to gath, meat on that day was a profaning that day, for there was one stoned to death, and this was the Jews Sabbath, called the seventh day. Now the Saints meet together on the first day of the week, Christ rising on the first day, the first day of the week the Christians did not call the Sabbath; and so by your acts you corrupt Justice, stops the true Christians and the people of God from meeting together on the first day; and so contrary to the Act which saith they should not be hindered from meeting together to and fro to the worship and service of God, and they strain their goods, and take away Horses from them, and make havoc of their goods, and spoiling, and carrying into prison contrary to their own Law, and the practise of the Apostles, as though they neither regarded the Law of God nor man, and the Instrument of Government saith, All that profess faith in Christ Jesus and own God, except they be Papist and Prelacy, except it be for licentiousness, though they differ in judgement, they shall be protected. Now the corrupt Justices acts contrary to this Instrument of Government, and throws it aside, and acts according to their own wills, and fines, and compels people to come the Steeple-house; and so in many places in this Nation are worse then the Jews to the Gentiles, which did not so compel them, the Christians after conversion, to come to their Temple, or Synagogue, or Offering, this is contrary to the Law of equity and Gospel, compelling others to do that which they would not do themselves; for would they be compelled to come to all other Christians meetings? and this is to bring people into Wildernesses and to quench the spirit; Now the Law is to keep down mens wils; and that men should not act in their own wills: if they do usurp, and act Illegally, and unequally, and so become Tyrants, which the Lord rebukes for his elect sake, and Judges, and cuts off: Now there is an act made that if any shall speak to a Priest that is called a Minister while he is going to the Steeple-house, or from it, maliciously or on set purpose, he shall be fined or sent to the house of correction, or six Moneths imprisoned; Now malicious wickedness is to be stopped and Judged, and by this act corrupt Justices in their wils makes such use of and destroys the liberty and order; comforting and edification of the Church; for if any thing be revealed to another that sits by let the first hold his peace, for you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and be comforted, so that if any speak as he is moved of the Lord God, or reprove a Priest for his pride, and lets him see when he errs in his Doctrine, going or coming from the Steeple-house, or among his people, he is sent away to Prison, as a malicious disturber by the Justices and Priest, who hath got a company of swearers to swear the other did it maliciously or wickedly, and so are become Judges of their hearts, and so seeks to destroy the Authority of the Church which all may speak one by one. Ah poor people that you should have no more insight into things, for this is for stoping the word of God, and limiting the spirit, and against the Apostles Doctrine, and against the Church of Christ, and so holding up Antichrists Church, and persecution, that men should have no more patience, but persecute the people of God, that fears God, and speaks his words; now, and if they were gain-sayers to convince them, that they should have no more Authority that calls themselves Ministers, but for goals and houses of correction, who are Cains, and kills Abel, who have the marks of the false Prophets; who wears the Sheeps clothing, the beast and Antichrist, slays and kills the Saints and brethren, who hath the spiritual weapons to wrestle with the powers of darkness, but the other wrestles with flesh and blood, and casts that into prison: And like unto the Jews that turned against Christ, and the Apostles of Christ, and the Saints; for the sheep the Lambs, never killed, the Goats, and the Wolves, and worried them, but they got the Sheeps clothing, whereby they might deceive and worry, tear and destroy, whereby they might be like the Sheep, having the outside; so now, they are discovered from the Sheep by their fruits; & so by Justices have people been compelled to go to steeplehouses, and prisoned for not going, and prisoned for going, when they are moved of the Lord, and so men by this act have made a prey upon the innocent and the just, that many hath been prisoned, and whipped, and beat for speaking the word of the Lord God, as they are moved of the Lord, freely as they have received, and not for stipends, and augmentations, and gleab lands. Then there is an act for vagabonds, and sturdy beggars, and this the Justices have turned upon the righteous, for when the Sons of God, and his servants, and daughters, have been moved to reprove sin in the gates; drunkards or swearers, or to speak the word of the Lord in the markets, and reprove them for their cozening and cheating, and exhorted them to yea and nay in their common occasions, they have taken them up and whipped them for Rogues and sturdy beggars, the servants and sons and daughters of the Lord God; and thus the sword is turned backward upon the righteous, and he that reproves sin in the gate is become a prey. Now this Act would have often took hold upon the Prophets who went into the Temple, and cried to the heads and Rulers, and declared against their sins and transgressions, therefore take heed of making any thing as to hold up sin and transgression, or turning that upon them that is made for sinners and transgressors upon the righteous which are sent of the Lord to cry against sin and sinners, and to reprove them, and this act, by the malicious, would often have taken hold on Christ & his Apostles, who often went among the Jews, to cry against their Synagogues, and Temple. Now if you say, it takes hold upon none, but upon the malicious and the wicked, then let none that are wicked execute it, nor the malicious, for the malicious will turn against the righteous, and such quencheth the spirit of God in themselves and stops it in others, and will follow and hold up that which God never commanded, and such Prophets and shepherds, which are of the earth, and the worlds teaching for money and the fleece, seeking for their gain from their quarter, such run, but God never sent them.  
And the last Parliament made an act, that such as denied the Sacraments and the Scriptures to be the word of God.  
The Scriptures of truth are the words of God, as in the twentieth chapter of Exodus, God spake all these words, and Christ saith, my words, and John saith in the Revelation, he that adds to these words, and takes from these,( Mark) words not a word, and Christ is the word saith John in Revelations, who comes to fulfil the words of God, which was before the words was in whom the words ends.  
And the words, Sacraments, there is no Scripture will hold them up but the Papists common prayer book, and that act will take hold upon the Apostles.  
A Priest sends for a Writ from London out of the Courts that such a man must appear in his own person, and when he appears in his own person, they will not take it for an appearance, but he must appear by an Attorney; now this is contrary to the Law, which is, so speak and so do. And the Priests will sue men and women in the Courts at London, and make them go, it may be, two hundred miles: the Priest doth not preach to them, they do no work for them, they have not hired them; and thus they will sue them for a matter of a groat or twelve pence, &c. as they pretend, whom they do no work for; and this is not equal nor righteous, nor according to the Law nor Gospel, which is equity; and that is not a Court of Equity that will give the Priest that: And the Priests put in their Declarations against them they have sued, whom they do no work for; and they will say in their Declarations, that he hath thirty loads of Corn, so many Pigs and goose, so many loads of Wheat, and so many Kine, and this he puts in at the Courts at London; a multitude of lies, when as he hath not a quarter so many, and some not at all, not a big, nor a Goose, nor a cock of barley; and them that have such things, they will put in their Bill and Declaration three times as much as they have, and so this large Bill three times more then a man hath, the Priest puts against him he doth no work for; the poor man in taking a Copy of it, must give eight pence per sheet, and it may be the sheet doth not consist of above sixteen lines; and then when the poor man hath proved the Priests Bill to be full of lies, the liar is not punished, that works not for the poor man; I will have means, saith he that is called the Priest; and then the poor man gives in his answer against his lies, that hath done no work for, nor hired him; and then the Judges they will not take it, unless the poor man will swear and break Christs command, and deny himself to be a Christian, and enter into the Jews and Heathens state, and become like them, swearers, which Christ and the Apostles saith, swear not at all; then cries the rash, and fierce, and furious Judge, will be not swear? take him away, and cast him into prison, into the Fleet, and there lies eight of them, besides more in many goals of the Nation because they cannot swear; and then when the Judge and Priest hath gotten this Christian into prison, because he will not swear to his answer, then the Priest goes home, and makes havoc of this poor mans goods, and takes his very corn, beasts, horses, plough-gear, and beds, cheese, bed-clothes, childrens clothes, shifts, to the very childrens bibs; and thus many Christians, because they will not break Christs command, and give him means, them they do not work for, are thus used by them whom they never hired; but their rejoicing is in the Lord, and comfort, and not in men that will not do them justice; the cry is now, if he will not swear take him away, and if he will not give the Priest tithes, though he never hired the Priest, nor set him on work, take triple damage of him, and then wreck him; and then the Priests who hath a Commission, whose consciences are so seared, to take of them they no work for; they will take triple and triple, as you may red in the book called, The sufferings about tithes. Now if these doings is not the way to bring the hand of the Lord upon a Nation, judge ye that are wise and sober in heart, and what Courts these are, that have no more feeling of justice amongst them, to pled the cause of the poor country men, that are not skilled in their ways and inventions.  
Now saith the Writ the Priest hath brought forth, you must appear in your own persons; when the poor man comes two hundred miles to the Court, and doth appear by the Writ, though the Priest hath done no work for him, nor he hath not hired him, saith the Court, you must appear by an Attorney, this says the Court; but says the poor man, did not you grant out a Writ that I should appear in my own person? I but says the Court, you must fee an Attorney, give him ten groats; I but says the poor man, why did you wrong me by a Writ, and bring me up hither, and say I must appear in my own person; and how can I say I appeared in my own person, or how can you say I appeared in my own person, when the Attorney appears for me? and so I make you liars, and myself both in this case; and so I see the seat of justice is not amongst you: then the poor man cries, and is grieved to see the Bar stand up against Justice and Innocency, and says the poor man, I am able to pled my own cause, and the Judges of old was to hear the cause of the poor as well as the rich, and there is no talk of Attorneys, or ten groats fees to them, and I am able to pled my own cause: Oh how are the Judges lost from the state they were at first in the dayes of Moses, cries the poor man, that I cannot be heard except I will give an Attorney money, and give him a gift? oh says the poor man, this is contrary to Moses, this is contrary to the Judges of old, and the Prophets of God, who said, Gifts blind the eyes of the wise; oh says the poor man, now I see the wise eyes are blinded with their gifts, Lord help me, for thou art just, who judgeth amongst the Judges, how contrary are these to thy servant Moses; who bids the Judges hear the cause of the poor as well as the rich, and now I cannot be heard neither in answer nor in appearance, except I will fee an Attorney, give him ten groats, ten shillings to a counselor, though I know my cause myself, and am able to speak of it: Justice was never bought nor sold for money, for that is of God free, saith the poor man.  
When I have entred in my appearance, and taken a copy of the Declaration against me, and given in my answer, the Judge and Court will not receive it, unless I will transgress my Redeemers command, and swear; oh grief! oh lamentable cries the poor man, the cause of all these things coming out against me is the Priest, he hath done no work for me, I have not hired him, yet he summons me up two hundred miles, I must appear personally, and when I come there, the Judge tells me, that gave forth the Writ, I must appear by an Attorney, and fee him, cries the poor man, here is no truth neither in Priests, nor Judges, nor Courts, who say I must appear personally, and when I come here, an Attorney must appear for me, and make me a liar: Oh lamentable, cries the poor man, is justice fallen to the ground? who would have thought the Judges had been so; and when I give in my answer, I must have a Counsellors hand, and he must have ten shillings: Ah saith the poor man, you are for money, I am for justice, I know my own cause, I need not have a counselor: The Law being grounded upon Reason, I know Reason and unreasonableness, so I by that means, and every poor man, is able to pled his own cause, and appear in his own person without Attorney and counselor: And says the poor man to the Judge and Lawyers, how can you give these men, according to Reason, on which the Law is grounded, triple damage of me, whom he hath done no work for, nor I never hired him, neither is he my Teacher, Christ is my Teacher, neither is he my Priest, Christ is my Priest, neither is he my Leader, Christ is my Leader, neither is he my Bishop, Christ is my Bishop: Alack for you, says the poor man, I looked for justice amongst you, and equity, and the Law of God amongst you, according to Scripture, to do as you would be done by, should another man come and take triple damage of you that never did work for you, you never hired, nor you owe him nothing? now consider this, that the Law is, to do as you would be done by, and the Lord is my help, saith the poor man.  
Now it is an unjust thing for one man to be compelled by a Law to mend another mans house, anothers meeting-house, which they worship in, as to mend the old Mass-house, called the Church, in which the world sets up their worship, for all these Masse-houses was set up since the dayes of the Apostles, set up East and West with a across at the end of them: Now them that will have them, let them maintain them, if they will, if they will not, they show but their covetousness, and a dishonour to their Church; and them that will have a ministry let them maintain it, and keep them within the Law and Gospel, and let them not sue other Congregations and Assemblies to maintain them they do no work for, for that is abominable and unrighteous; so every Congregation and Assembly maintain their own Ministers, if they will have them, that they like best, and let none be cast into prison about Religion, and let not a Minister or another Congregation go out of his own to sue another of anothers Congregation, and cast him into prison till death if he will not give it him: The Lord God is come to teach his people himself, and these shall not be the Teachers of his people, that will destroy mens lives for means, neither do they follow Christ, who comes to save mens lives; so that is a false Ministry, who will destroy mens lives for means; let every one maintain his own meeting-place; and his own Minister, that will have one, and there is the Law of Equity, for should all the Congregations, the Quakers. Baptists, Independents, Seekers Brownists compel the Priests to maintain their meeting-place, or give their Speakers maintenance, and if the Priest would not give it them, sue them at the Law, have them before Courts; cast them into prison till death, get a company of men and spoil their goods, take away their cheese, bedding, shifts, clothes, swine, wool, corn, beasts, horses, plough-geer, the very bibs for children, and drink their beer, and let the rest which they cannot drink flow on the floor, as the Priest did in Kent and his company? or again, should the Independents compel the Baptists, or the Baptists the Independents, to maintain their meeting-house and Minister, if not, cast them into prison, and hale them before Courts? or should the Quakers compel the Independents, or Baptists, or Seekers, or the Priests, to maintain their meeting-house and their Speaker, and cast them into prison till death if they would not, and spoil their goods, such as they do no work for, as the Priests do, then they should be their examples, and follow them; but they abhor such things, who have Christ and the Apostles for their examples, and they follow them.  
And for an Indictment to be drawn against a man, That he went over a mans ground with carts, and horses, and sheep, and oxe●, when he went over but only a hedge, on foot himself: Is this simplicity or e●uity, so say and so do, which is the Law? Must not the liar be punished here according to the Law of God? but this is our form said the Judges; but is this the form of sound words which the Apostle bids keep to? have you not trampled upon his doctrine and slighted it? and got into a form of unsound words, and denied the form of sound words? An Indictment is drawn against a man, and in the Indictment it is said, that the man struck him with a fork, sword, staff, and with bis; it may be he never lift up his hand against him; this is our form say they: Now this is not a form of sound words, so say and so de, but a form of unsound words, and so judged by the Law of Liberty; and so though we sand out Writs, that every man shall appear in his own person, and when he comes before us we tell him, he should appear by an Attorney, and give him ten groats, and ten shillings to a counselor, how should we Lawyers live else? we may hang our tools on the hedge, say they: I but says the poor man, I know Equity and reason, to give thee ten shillings to set thy hand to this, and ten groats to an Attorney, and eight pence a sheet, when it may be there is not above sixteen lines in the sheet, this is unreasonable; and whereas you say, I must appear in my own person, and now you tell me, I must appear by an Attorney, this is our form says the Judge. I but says the poor man, this is not a form of sound words, nor the form of the Law of God, so say and so do, but this is the form of lies; for if I say I will appear in my own person, and you say I must appear in my own person such a day, and if I do not appear I should be a liar, and if I do appear, and you will not take it, then you are liars; so you are not come to the form of sound words: and saith the poor man, I have given eight pence a sheet which hath not above sixteen lines in it: The Priest hath put in against me, and he saith, I have thirty load of corn, and so many sheep, and beasts, and oxen, when I have not half so many: and saith another poor man, prisoned at Hartford, the Priest declares, I had so many ducks, goose, calves, and cowes, and apple, when I had none, this is our form, saith the Judge of the Court; oh dear! saith the poor man, what a form of lies? this is not a form of sound words; oh have you trampled down the Apostles Doctrine, and true christians, who should keep the form of sound words! but that is the form of lies, for I keep never a big, nor duck, nor hen, nor goose, nor calf; and did not Moses and the chief Magistrates and Judges at the first say, liars should be punished, and that which he thought to do to another should be done to him? And how can ye have such a form? who is the Author of this form amongst you? An Indictment that a man went over a ground with carts and horses, when he went over a hedge on foot; that a man struck a man with swords, and bills, and pikes, when he hardly lift up his hand against him; that a man hath thirty load of corn, and a hundred of sheep, and thirty goose, and so many cherries and plums, when he hath not a quarter so many; a man must appear in his own person, and then they will not take it without an Attorney; is not this a lie found in this Writ, and a lie in all your forms? unsound words, not a form of sound words that cannot be condemned, but a form or unsound words, which is to be condemned, which is not a form of truth.  
Would it not have been an unrighteous thing in the dayes of the Apostles, for the Jews and Gentiles converted, to be compelled to maintain the Jews Priests, and mend their Temples, and the Gentiles to have maintained the Jews and their Priests which was not converted, as now people are compelled since the dayes of the Apostles, in the apostasy, to maintain the Popes Masse-house, and the Priests made at his schools by the will of men, and preaches at his houses, as Trinity college, Emanuel, St. Paul St. Peter. St. Gregory St. Austins? here is the Popes names that he names his houses by.  
And it is unequal and unjust for prisoners to be brought into a court by a gaoler, and the Judge and court say, he came in by force of arms, because he would not pull off his hat as the Judge said at Lanceston.  
And it is an unequal thing for a man coming into a court before a Judge, and because he will not put off his hat, fine him forty pounds, or a hundred Mark to the Protector, and the prisoner that is fined by him, asketh him for a Law, instruct me in that Law, or that custom, if it be a custom, who was the Author of it, or where is it written in Baliwick or Wappentake? who was the first Author of them? in what Statute is this Law written, that I must pull off my hat, and uncover my head, which is for the service of it? for the Law is for the uncovering of people of all corruption and unrighteousness, and for the keeping down mens wils, who would usurp Authority, and for keeping of men from respecting of persons, for such as do, are convinced by the Law to be transgressors; and so say and so do, and he that so says and doth not, is judged by the Law of Liberty, and the Law is that all men should do equally and righteously, and that is the higher power called, and that goes over all unrighteous power evil doers, and sinners, and there is a terror to them, and murtherers, and is life for life, and blood for blood; and if a thief steal restore five fold, or four fold, or to be sold for his theft, and if they kill a thief in the day time, there shall be blood  shed for him.  
And when the Judge is asked by the prisoner concerning the hat, what Law and custom is for it, and where he may red it? Oh cries the Judge, and swells, and rages, and full of fury, I do not carry my Law books upon my back; I but saith the poor prisoner, the Judges of old was legs to the lame, and eyes to the blind, and a help to the helpless, and why wilt not thou and you inform me of that Law and custom that says, I must be fined a hundred mark, and forty pounds, if I will not put off my hat to you: why will not you instruct me in that Law? why will you keep me and poor people blind, and not instruct me in that custom, if it be one? says the Judge, if you will put off your hat I will do you justice, if not take him away jailer; and thus the poor prisoner goes away uninformed in the Law and custom, not knowing the ground and author of it, the Judge not informing him, contrary to Moses and the Judges of old, and the Scripture, which saith, They shall teach them in the Law, and instruct them in the Law, yea and teach their children the Law, that all might know it and fear.  
Now putting off the hat is but a custom got up amongst the Christians( and fining for not doing it) since the Apostles in the apostasy, a vain custom, set up by Traditions, which is a worship of men, and of the beast, and honour below, and an Idol set up by transgressors; and says the poor prisoner, I never red in all the Courts among all the heathen upon the earth, from the foundations of the world, among all the Courts, and Kings, and Judges, and Magistrates, amongst the people of God, that ever they required, or had any Law or custom, that men should put off their hats that came before them, or else be fined a hundred marks, or forty pounds, or more, or less, to the chief Magistrate of the Nation, lye in prison, or pay it; and I never red amongst all the Assemblies or Congregations of the Saints, that was amongst the Apostles before the apostasy, that ever Christ the King, the chief Bishop, Captain, Shepherd, Law-giver, who hath the Government upon his shoulders, that he or his Apostles commanded any to put off their hars that came before them, if not fine them a hundred marks, or forty pounds, or imprison them till payment. Now there is a custom, that is vain, Heathens set up that be in the transgression, which is an Idol, an honour below, which is the hat, which men if they have it not, they are all in a rage, and will not do them justice without it; so the hat makes all men in transgression fools, and destroys their honour, their worship, not giving it, and throws down their Idol, and such seek the honour which is from above, and worships God in the spirit, and comes into the good custom: You deny civility, cry they, in not bowing the hat to us; that which rageth, which hath not the hat bowed to it, is not in the civility. Now civility is that that destroys rage, and brings men out of transgression, and destroys the Idols honour below, and will-worship, and brings men out of transgression, in which there stands peace & no rage, and this is civility, and courtesy, known out of transgression, will-worship, and honour below.  
The prisoners are brought into the court, the jailer, or the crier knocks off their hats, takes them from them, the Judge is angry and wrath, give them their hats again, saith the Judge, and the poor simplo prisoners puts them on; put off your hat, saith the Judge to the prisoner again; show me a Law saith the poor prisoner; I will show you none, saith the Judge, I do not carry my Law books on my back; show me where it is written; take them away jailer, I will ferk them, saith the Judge Glynn, they will destroy both the Magistrates, & Government, and ministry: Ah cries the poor prisoner, doth the hat destroy Magistrates, and Government, and ministry both? doth it all end in the hat; and will a hat destroy Ministers and Magistrates? I own Magistrates, and the higher Power,( do me justice) and I own the Ministers of Christ, made by the will of God, that will not destroy mens lives for tithes, and spoil their goods, and destroy their families, making havoc of their goods that they do no work for, but such as teach for filthy lucre, love of money, bear rule by their means, seek for their gain from their quarter, can never have enough, seek for the fleece, divine for money, called of men Master, which Christ saith, be not ye so, ye are all brethren; you have one Master, even Christ, and therefore such as Christ and the Apostles cried against, and disallowed; I dare not own, I fear God, who disapproves such, and owns his Prophets, and his Son, and his Apostles, and hears him; so such as God sends I own,( not of men) so I own Magistrates and Ministers, and honour the higher Power with my soul; the Prophets and Apostles of old, and Christ declared against the false Prophets, and Magistrates, and Ministers, and the corruptions that was in them, therefore doth that follow, that they deny the true Magistrates and Ministers? and what a ministry and magistracy is that, which will be destroyed with the hat? Oh what a covering of darkness is got over you! and of prejudice and hardness of heart and wickedness, that now in the ancient of dayes a hat makes such work with you? how doth your transgression appear out of the life of Moses, the Judge of all Israel, the Kings said, uncover not your heads; and David the King, Samuel 2 15. and Moses the Judge, Leviticus 10. and nabuchadnezzar in all his fury and rage, did not cast the three children into the fiery furnace because they would not bow the hat to him, or his courts, or Judges, or Officers, he did not bid fine them, cast them into prison; it was never red throughout all the world, that ever any had a Law or a custom to fine men a hundred marks, or forty pounds, because they would not bow the hat to them, or cast them into prison till payment; and more hath been cast into prison, and fined by the Judges and courts within this age, then ever was in any in the world before, or ever was red of by you which call yourselves the reformed Religion, churches, Ministers, and Government, and nothing will appease your wrath, but that which comes from the dust, and turns to dust; must not that honour be laid in the dust, that looks for that that comes from the dust, and returns to the dust? and is not that the transgressor, that seeks not for the honour which comes from God; when will ye be wise ye Judges and Rulers of the earth, and be instructed, and learn the humility that goes before the honour, that you might be honoured in the hearts of all the people? and to live in the higher power, which every ones soul must be subject to, and that honours it; it is an honour for a man to cease from strife, and to be humble, and to do justice without respect of persons, or without respect of a hat; for if a Lord or an Earl come into your courts, you will hardly fine him for not putting off his hat, for coming before you, but it is the poor that suffers, and the rich bears with the rich, and the poor have been trodden under foot, and the Servants of the Lord for a thing of nought.  
And the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not let sin lye upon thy brother, but reprove them, and thus saith the Law of God and Moses the chief Magistrate; but when this Law was transgressed, they that reproved sin in the gates was made a prey upon, and made himself a prey; and now you persecute them as sturdy Beggars, which beg not at all of you, and such you whip and prison as vagrants, and let vagrants go free, and sturdy beggars up and down your Towns, which is a dishonour to your Religion, Church, Ministry, Teaching, Government, and worse then the Jews, who had tithes, which tithes was enough for Levi, widdows, strangers, and fatherless, and that there need not be a beggar amongst them; and such as reprove sin in your gates, Markets and Steeple-houses, and be in the life of the Apostles and Prophets, you persecute them, and whip them, and imprison them, and sand them away with Passes, as vagabonds and sturdy beggars, as witness Marlborough, and many parts in the West. Now a vagabond is one that is in the wrath and envy, and a murderer, that hath not a habitation in God, that hath not eternal life abiding in him, and all sturdy beggars; and sturdinesse is come in by transgression amongst the wasters, oppressors, and destroyers in the fall, from the Image of God and transgressing of it, which the Law provides, added because of transgression, the higher power, that there shall not be a beggar, and the commandement given, according to the Law, which takes the tenths, will give enough to strangers, fatherless, widdows, Levi the Priest. Now that Priest that takes tithe, the tenths, and will not give the fatherless, widdows, and strangers enough, that there be not a beggar amongst them, he is not under the Law. Now the Gospel, the power of God to salvation to every one that believes; where where Christ is known the Redeemer from the earth, the ninths and tenths both, to reign upon it, there is no beggar there, he reigns upon the earth; this was amongst the Apostles; now they that have set up ninths and tenths since the dayes of the Apostles, they are Apostates, and their tenths they do not make use of to fill the widdows, to fill the strangers, to fill the fatherless, so tramples under the Ordinance of God,( according as they do profess) tenths or tithes, and yet they will say, they are Ministers of Christ, and the Gospel; they are unlike to them( or the Law) which saith, the Priesthood was changed that took tithes, and the Commadment disannulled that gave them, and the Ordinance blotted out, and so they preach Christ and the Gospel, which redeems people out of the ninths and tenths, up to God, to reign upon it; and thus you have lost your savour, and acts contrary to Scripture, and are become that salt that Christ speaks of.  
Let all Judges, Lawyers, Attorneys and Clerkes, lay down their fees, and gifts, and all Priests or Ministers lay down their tithes, stipends, gleab-lands, Easter reckonings, Midsummer deuce, offerings, the Popes wages, let them all go out free, Judges, Priests, Ministers, Lawyers, Attorneys, and none to judge for money, nor preach for money, tithes, nor land, nor offerings, and then it will be seen who loves his neighbour as himself, who will come to the Law from that which blinds him, and then it shall be seen who will preach the Gospel freely, that they may live of it, and who will thrash, and plant vineyards, and get flocks, and this will be the way to restore Judges, as they were at first, out of that which blinded them, and to restore Ministers as they were in the dayes of the Apostles, into that they were in, and this is the Word of the Lord God to you all; and then you shall see who will be serviceable to the Creation, and glorify God in his Generation, and to judge for God without respect, such will break the jaws of the wicked, and are eyes to the blind, and legs to the lame, and a help to them that cannot help themselves, and here the higher powers shall be known, which high and low, rich and poor, all must come to the light, that of God in them, which Christ hath enlightened them withall, before they see it, feel it, and receive it.  
And it is an unequal thing for people to pay Clerks wages for saying Amen, when the people are such as do not hear him that he demands wages of; if they will not give it him, he will strain their goods, and make havoc of them; and this never was in all ages known amongst the Jews, or Heathen, or Apostles, but amongst the Apostates since the Apostles, that ever any had wages and money to say Amen and other things, as giving the Psalm, and turning the hour-glass, which the Priest prays and preaches by: Now this Clerk will have money of them that doth not hear the Priest, nor hear him say Amen, that are of other Congregations his own Congregation is not able to maintain him; now it is known, proved, and tried, that the Priest will not pray without money, but he will have money for it, and preach without money, and sing without money Davids prayers, prophesyings, quakings, fastings, reproachings, cryings, wastings, &c. without money, and by the glass sell it out, by the glass that is his measure, and will have money of them that will not buy of him, nor have none of their merchandise, and hears them not, and sets them not at work; and yet these that sells and preaches Christ, and the Apostles, and Prophets words for money, by the hour-glass, that is the Priests measure, some two or three measures of a day,( there was one moved of the Lord to go into the Steeple-house, and take down the Priests glass before his face, which he was persecuted for, and like to have lost his life, which was at Kendal) and so such the Lord accepts, that sings freely, and prays freely, in the spirit to the Lord, who knows the mind of it, and such comes to know the Scriptures, which was given forth from the Spirit of God; and such as are Ministers of the Spirit, the Lord accepts, and sings in the Spirit, and worships God in the Spirit, they come to live in that that gave forth Scriptures; and do not make a Trade of the Scriptures, words given forth in ages past.  

Some passages and proceedings in Courts.  
WHen a Writ of Sub poena goes out of the Exchequer or chancery, it commands a man to appear in his own person such a day, on pain of a hundred pound; & when the poor man comes to the Court honestly, as the Writ commands, in obedience to the Law, there stands men, called tip-staves, with great staves in their hands, and cries, be uncovered, you, put off your hat, or else it is a contempt; says the poor man, this Writ commands me to appear this day in my own person, on pain of a hundred pound; then the tip-staves pulls him and hales him, and says, he shall not come in, and keeps him out, and bids go get an Attorney to appear for him; then the poor man waits till the Judges rise, and when they come forth of the court tells them, that he is come to appear in his own person, as the Writ commands him: the Judges bids him go to the Office and get an Attorney; the poor man replies, this Writ of mine commands me, all excuses set apart, to appear in my own person, and here I am, is not this appearance? No, said Roger Hill, one of the Barons of the Exchequer, this is not appearance;( take notice Reader) the Statute Law saith, a man shall appear in his own proper person, and the common Law saith, appearance is the parties coming into the court: And whether shall the poor man believe, the Law, or Baron Hill? Body of the Common Law, ch. 42 by E. W.  
Then the poor man goes to the Office, and tells an Attorney that he hath appeared, and desires him to record his appearance which he hath made, and he will give him four-pence for his recording it( which is his due;) says the Attorney, you must first give me ten groats to appear for you, and then I will record it for four pence; the poor man replies, I have appeared myself in my own person, as the Law commanded me, and therefore it is a very unreasonable thing to ask me ten groats for work that I have done myself; says the Attorney, that is not appearance, you must fee an Attorney, for you cannot appear yourself; then says the poor man, this is a false Writ, take it again, and make it right the next time, and command an Attorney to appear, and discharge me: No, no, says the Attorney, the Writ is true, and it is yours, but you must get an Attorney to appear for you; says the poor man, my Writ does not say so, for there is not such a word as Attorney in it, but it commands me expressly to appear in my own person; well, well, says the Attorney, give me ten groats and I will appear for you, and then I am your person; that cannot be, says the poor man, ten groats can never change my person, and therefore I desire thee record my own appearance which I have made, and that will be truth without any lying or dissembling, and I will pay thee for thy pains; says the Attorney, but if I should record your appearance in your own person, what will become of me and all other Attorneys hereafter? says another Attorney, if such as you come we may go hang our tools on the hedge; the poor man replies, I have nothing to do with what you do with your tools, if you had not sent this Writ for me, which commands me to appear in my own person, I could have been very willing to stay at home and follow my work, but seeing the Law commanded me, I thought it my duty to come and obey the Law, for the Apostle says, Let every soul be subject to the higher powers; indeed if I had been sick, or lame, or impotent in my body, that I had not been able to come, then I had a very good excuse, and the Law hath made a very good provision in such a case, in a Statute made the seventh year of King Henry the fourth, chap. 13. the words of the Statute are these as followeth.  
Item. Whereas many of the Kings liege people be outlawed, and many waved by erroneous process, and be so impotent in their bodies by divers malidies & infirmities, that they may not come in their proper persons before the King in his Bench, there to make their svit; to reverse such erroneous process, It is ordained, and established, that every Justice, of the one Bench, and of the other, and also the chief Baron of the Exchequer shall have power to examine the same persons, having such malady and diseases openly known; and thereupon may the same Justices, and the Baron, and every of them, by their discretion, record their Attorney in this case, provided always, that in the Writ of Capias ad satisfaciendum the common Law shall hold place.  
And also by another Statute, made in the seventh year of King Richard the second, it was agreed, That if any man which is of good same be out of the Realm, in such a case he may have an Attorney, and such Attorneys, in the absence of their Masters, may answer for them, &c.  
But( says the poor man) though these be very good Laws, yet this is not my case, for I am not beyond sea, nor sick, nor lame, nor impotent, and therefore I am bound by the Law to appear in my own person.  
( says an Attorney) thou are an impudent fellow, to come to take away our Trade: says another Attorney if you will not have an Attorney to appear for you, we will sand an Attachment for you, and commit you to prison for a contempt.  
Take notice all honest men, if the poor man appear in proper person, as the Law commands him, and will not fee an Attorney, as their will only commands him, this the Lawyers calls a contempt; and judge honestly now between the poor man and the Lawyers, whether this be a contempt or not. Then if the poor man, for fear of the pretended contempt, do fee an Attorney, then says the Attorney, you must answer the bill, or else you will be in contempt; says the poor man, give me the hill, and then I will answer it; but says the Attorney, you must first give a rule; a rule, what is that?( says the poor man) give me a groat( says the Attorney) and I will give a rule for you, for you cannot do it yourself; then the poor man gives him a groat, and then he writes or speaks a few words to the Plaintiffs Attorney to bring in the bill: now says the Attorney, you must answer this bill, or else you will be in contempt; give me it then( says the poor man) and I will give him an answer to it; no, no,( says the Attorney) I must take a copy of it for you, and you must give me eight-pence a sheet for it; that is very dear( says the poor man) & I work very hard a great while for a little money, and truly I am not willing to part with it so lightly, but if you will writ me a copy for as much money as I could get by my work while you are writing it, I should be very willing to pay you, for I am very willing to do as I would be done by; but I will not do so( says the Attorney) for I must have eight-pence a sheet for it; then( says the poor man) if you will not writ it for a reasonable price, let me see it, and I can writ it myself, or else get my friend to writ it for me; no, no,( says the Attorney) we will not let you have the Record to writ a copy of it yourself, nor your friend neither, you must appoint an Attorney to writ a copy of it for you; well then( says the poor man) it appears that I have power to appoint an Attorney to writ a copy of the bill for me, & without me no Attorney can, nor dare meddle with it, and therefore either writ it for me at my price, or else give me it, and I will writ it myself; what a strange man are you( says the Attorney) do you think that we must work at the same rate as you work at? why should you not( says the poor man) for the Scripture saith, Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, do you so unto them; well, well,( says the Attorney) but my fees are due unto me by the Law of the Land; it is true indeed( says the poor man) there was a Statute made in the seventh year of King Richard the second, & the fourteenth chapter, which saith, that Attorneys in the absence of their Master may answer for them, and therefore I being Master am willing to give thee as much as I can get myself, & me thinks thou shouldst be content with it, for I am willing to work for two pence half penny an hour, that is half a crown a day, & work but twelve hours on a day, & I think that is good honest wages, & if thou will not work as cheap as I do, I being thy master, let me do my work myself; but my parents bread me up to this( says the Attorney, and it cost them a great deal of money, & me a great deal of time, before I got any money for myself, and then how do you think my labour should be as cheap as yours? Well,( says the poor man) my parents also bread me up, and gave money to bind me apprentice, and then I served seven or eight years before I got money for myself, then reckon my money and my time, as well as thy money and thy time, and then why should not my labour be as good as thine? And now I ask thee by what Law thou demandest eight-pence a sheet? It is the rules of the Court( says the Attorney) and also an ancient custom; I have heard some say( saith the poor man) that it is a maxim in Law, that an evil custom is to be abolished, and truly I think it a very bad custom, that would compel me to pay an Attorney 8 d. a sheet, and have so few words in a sheet, that a Lawyer or his boy can writ nine sheets of it in an hour, how can you in conscience ask me five or six shillings an hour for every hours writing, and when thou hast done, I could writ as much myself in one sheet as thou writes in twenty, besides I know this, that many times thou hast more work then thou canst do thyself, and then thou hires another man to writ for thee, and then thou gives him but a penny a sheet, and wouldst thou take 8 d. a sheet of me, for that which he can afford to do for a penny a sheet? this is contrary to equity and good conscience; besides Magna charta saith, we will sell no man justice nor right; and therefore I am very hardly used, if I can neither have justice nor right except I buy it at such a dear rate: Well, well,( says the Attorney) if you will not take a copy of the bill and put in an answer, it will be a contempt; then if the poor man take a copy of the bill at this unreasonable rate for fear of a contempt, in reading it over he sinds many things in it that are not true, & then he tells the Lawyer that there is many things in this bill that is not true, and asks why they put such things in? this is our formality( says the Attorney;) then your formality lies( says the poor man:) And then if the poor man writ a plain honest answer, and bring it to the Lawyer, and say, here I have brought my answer to the bill; this is not an answer( saith the Attorney) you must go to a counselor, & get him to writ an answer for you; why should I do so,( saith the poor man) must I answer the bill, or the counselor? no saith the Attorney, you must answer the bill, but you must get a counselor to do it for you, for he will writ it according to law, and put his hand to it; I can answer myself in truth( saith the poor man) & put mine own hand to it; and why should not my own answer be taken with my own hand to it, I being the man that is commanded by the Law to answer; if you do not get your answer with the Counsellors hand to it( saith the Attorney, it will be a contempt. Then if the poor man for fear of a contempt do go to a counselor, then he must first give him his fee, and then if he be but an ordinary counselor, it may be ten shillings may serve, but if he be a great one, which is gotten to the degree of the Coife, or a Sergeant at Law, then it will be more; and then the counselor will writ an answer, and dress it finely with many fine Lawyers words, many of which the poor man knoweth not what they mean, they being to him as a strange language, and by his so doing he sets a new face upon the poor mans answer; and so his answer becomes such a one as pleaseth the counselor, whether it pleaseth the poor mans own conscience or not, for if the poor man be conscientious, & would pled honestly, according to the Scriptures, and the just and righteous laws of this Nation, then the counselor will not put his hand to it, except it please him,( so in very truth) it must be the Counsellors answer in the poor mans name, and if the poor man will not put in such an answer, it is called a contempt; & when the counselor hath drawn such an answer in the poor mans name, then he must go to his Attorney, or some other man, and get him to engross it in parchment, and then he must pay for that also; and when the poor man hath done all this, he must go before a Master if it be in chancery, or before a Baron if it be in the Exchequer, and then he must be sworn to that answer, & give the Master or Baron that swears him 4 d. but if the poor man declares, that he cannot swear for conscience sake, because Christ hath commanded, swear not all, then neither Master nor Baron will take his answer, but chide him, and frown upon him( & said Baron Nicholas) if you will not swear, we swear, and if you will not swear, you shall go to prison for a contempt: show me that law( saith the poor man) that commands me to swear to my answer.( said Baron Nicholas) we know a law, though you do not; tell me then when that law was made, & by whom( saith the poor man) that I may red it, for the Law of England is to be red to the people four times a year in full county, as appears by the 28 year of King Edward the first, & the first chapter, and many other good laws, & therefore I desire to know when that law was made, that commands me to swear to my answer; Get you gone sirrah( said Baron Nicholsa) I profess if you come before me again I will lay you by the heels.  
Then if the poor man, for fear of a contempt or prison, do swear to his answer, then saith his Attorney, here will be replication, and I must take a copy of it for you, & you must give me eight pence a sheet for it; when the poor man reads it, he finds it an ill-favoured thing, saying, that the answer is altogether untrue, unjust, and insufficient in the law, then the poor man tells his Attorney( this is not true) this is our formality ( saith the Attorney;) then your formalities are lies( saith the poor man;) well, well,( saith the Attorney) now you must put in a rejoinder to this Replication; what is that( saith the poor man?) give me money( saith the Attorney) and I will put it in for you, you cannot do it yourself; and many such like dirty things( as these) he calls to the poor man for money for.  
After all this the poor man is served with another Writ, commanding the poor man to appear in his own person, to hear judgement, & when the poor man hears his name called, he answers, here I am; where is your counselor, saith the Judges? I am here myself( saith the poor man;) but you must have a councillor to pled for you( saith the Judges) Is this cause mine, or is it a councils( saith the poor man?) no it is your cause, saith the Judges and Lawyers; well then saith the poor man, if the cause be mine, then hear me, for the righteous Law of God, and the just law of England commands the Judges to hear the poor as well as the rich, without respect of persons, and so it doth not command you to hear the counsel only, but me, whose the cause is; if you will not have counsel your cause will suffer, saith the Judge; I am sure, saith the poor man, a councillor cannot pled my cause, except he have instruction from me what to pled, and therefore if I am able to instruct a counselor what to pled, I am able to pled my cause myself, for greater is the teacher then he that is taught, & therefore I say, I know my cause better then a counselor; but saith the Judge, you may be ignorant of the law for all this, and therefore you must have counsel: but saith the poor man, if I know my cause myself, as to matter of fact, you the Judges are to inform me, if I mistake in matter of law, for that end are you set there as Judges. But for all this if the poor man be overruled, and be driven to put his cause into a councils hand, then between the Counsel and the Judges, they can make the poor mans cause look with what face they please, & the poor man shall have no more law, but just so much as they please to measure him out; and then then if the counselor that pleaded for him be but an ordinary counselor, he will have 20 s. if not 30. & if he be a Sergeant at Law, or Coifeman, then 40 s. a fee. Then if the poor mans cause be cast, if it be matter of imprisonment, the poor man must go to prison, and then neither Attorney, nor council, nor any of them all will go to prison for him, nor give him his money again: in few words, here is the poor mans case, the poor man pays for all, and suffers for all, and the Lawyers goeth away with all, and the poor man must stand by and see himself robbed of his birth-right.  
And now all sober people consider the poor mans case, if it be not against law & reason to be compelled to come to a Court, & when he comes must not do his own work himself for fear of contempts, as they call them, but must hire other men to do it, whether he will or no, & must pay them for it at a very high rate, giving them more money for one daies work, then he himself can get in ten, and if they spoil his work, yet they will not give him his money again; now is not this far worse then any manual occupation? as for example, if a man go to a joiners shop, or the like, & bid him make him a bedstead, and give him his money before-hand, if the joiners tools be nought, & he spoil it in making, yet the man will expect, as very well he may, that the joiner shall make him a good bedstead, fit for his service, and stand to the loss of the bad one himself, or else give the man his money again; and if so, why should not the Lawyers try the poor mans cause again at their own charge, till they make it hold, & so show themselves workmen of their trade, or else give the poor man all his money again, & let him either seek better workmen, or do his work himself next time. And now I require of all, or any of you Judges or Lawyers.  
1. Whether there be any law in England, that calls it a contempt for a man to come into a Court with his hat upon his head? if there be, tell the poor man when that law was made, and by whom.  
2. Whether there be any law in England that calls it a contempt for a man to appear and answer in the court without an Attorney? if there be, tell the poor man when it was made, and by whom.  
3. Whether there be any law in England, that calls it a contempt, for a man to writ his own answer truly, and in plainness of speech, according to his own conscience, under his own hand, without the help or hand of any Counsel? if there be, tell the poor man when it was made, & by whom.  
4. Whether there be any law in England, that calls it a contempt, for not swearing to his answer, when as Christ hath commanded, swear not at all, & in obedience to his command the poor man dare not do it for conscience sake; if there be such a law, tell the poor man when it was made, & by whom.  
5. Whether there be any law in England, that calls it a contempt for a man to pled his own cause in a court without a counselor? if there be such a law, tell the poor man when it was made, and by whom.  
If there be no such laws as I here query, what have you done, O you Judges and Counsellors, &c. to commit some poor men to prison for coming to the Courts at your commands with their hats on, which God hath given them for a covering? & what have you done, in committing many other poor men for contempts, as you call them, for want of answers? when as they came to you with answers in their hands, and would have given them you, and you would not receive them, because they could not swear for conscience sake, though they have declared their answers to be true, as in the fight of God, yet have you, or your ministers, put some of them in one prison, and some in another, in several parts of this Nation, and some in a dungeon near twenty foot deep.  
O ye Judges of England: would you have such judgement measured unto you again, as you have measured unto these poor men? sure you would not.  
O ye chief Magistrates of Engl. who putteth such Judges in authority, and suffers them thus to oppress just men, whose consciences are so tender to the Lord; is this according to your promises and engagements unto the Lord in the day of your distress? sure I am it is not; and therefore all you chief Magistrates & Rulers in Engl. fear and dread before the Lord God, who will not be mocked, least he come against you unawares, and drawn you, by the same arm and power, as he did them that are gone before you, & appoint you a hypocrites portion, for saying, and doing the contrary.   
P. M.  
THE END.