THE LAWYER OF LINCOLNS-INN REFORM: OR, An Apology for the Army.  
Occasioned by IX Queries, upon the Printed Charge of the Army, against the XI Members, and the Papers thereto annexe●; submitted to the public consideration of all Lovers of Justice, Truth, Parliaments, Army, and their native Country.  
By the Author of The Case of the Kingdom, etc.  Psal. 62.4. 
They only consult to cast him down from his excellency, they delight in lies.  
Printed in the Year, 1647.   

The Lawyer of LINCOLNS-INN Reform.  
SInce this Learned Gentleman's usual way of Queries, argue rather a disease of ill concoction in the Brain, than any reasonable Conclusion of what He undertakes, and is but a piece of Leigerdumaine to amuse men's Understandings, by feeding the Fantasy with such Fears and Jealousies, as the weaker sort of men (fruitful enough in these times) create unto Themselves out of what they read, rather than any Satisfaction to the more solid part of the world: Give leave then to wonder, how He or any man dare own so much Impudence and Virulence in such a Time as this, against so potent, so religious, so resolute, so well-accomplished, welldisciplined, and victorious an Army; the Justice of whose proceed, as it triumphs beyond Apology (being backed with all the Reason of an Honourable policy, and undeniable expedients for the good of the Kingdom;) so it must endear them to the present, and shall ennoble them to all future generations.  
Therefore touching the first of these Cob-web-contrivanes by way of Querie, wherein those unspotted Letters and Declarations from the Army (no less admirable for Style than Equity) are most maliciously traduced as of dangerous Consequence; and the incomparable General, Officers, and Soldiers, taxed of Arbitrariness, and breach of the Houses privileges, because those Declarations and Charge against the Members went to the Press without Leave from the House; I suppose the general approbation of men, and the sudden desertion of those Members (Argument enough of guilt) will clearly evince, that their Complaints were not causeless, but of only concernment and Consequence to the Interest, Peace, and Happinesse ●f the English Nation, against all foreign Encroachments of those, whose practice is, under pretence of Reformation, by themselves and some Apostate (with many deluded) Englishmen their Agents, to make what Mercats they please of the Public, to serve private ends. And further, it is time to consider what manner of men these are, and what Tyranny they would not execute (were their power answerable to those bitter passions, which they give us a Taste of upon every least occasion) seeing they interpret so necessary and harmless an Act in the Army, as a bare permission of their Papers to the Press, into a sense of Arbitrariness and breach of Privilege; whereas they have done nothing this way, but what is most equitable in order to their own vindication, and satisfaction of the whole Kingdom, whose ignorance of the grounds of their so meritorious Engagement, might have made them capable to entertain any monstrous impressions and representations whatsoever, against the Proceed of the Army. And truly, it is high time also, that some Course were taken for stating the Privileges of Parliament into certain Limits, that men may no longer wander in this particular, as in a wilderness or Maze, nor run upon every Turn of humour and discontent, to secure themselves and their Designs, in the various, endless, and invisible Labyrinth of Parliamentary privilege.  
Touching the second Querie, wherein the Proceed of the Army are said to be the same with Jack Cade and his rebellious popular Army, and so an Argument is founded upon this Supposition, on that Statute of 31. Hen. 6. cap. 1. concerning the Rebellion of Cade, to nullify the Charge against the Members now Impeached, viz. that ALL INDITEMENTS (or Charges) IN TIME COMING IN LIKE CASE, UNDER POWER OF TYRANNY, REBELLION, or STIRRING HAD, SHALL BE OF NO RECORD NOR EFFECT, BUT VOID IN LAW; and so not to be received now by the Parliament till the Army be disbanded. An Argument as rare, as the mad Impudence of those many vile and inhuman Aspersions wherewith he hath bespattered his Paper, is horrid and unpardonable! But first, to wipe away that of Tyranny, it cannot be unknown to all men, that as this Army behave themselves with so much Temper, that few where they come have Cause to complain of wrong or damage, so the Principal motive of their thus Engaging is, to Crush that Serpent in the Shel, which (if hatched to maturity) would have given an irrecoverable wound to Monarchy and Liberty; and as the Kingly power must have been rendered as contemptible here, as the same design hath made it beyond Tweed; so the freedom of the subject must have dwindled into the same misery, leanness, and poverty, or worse than many of our poor Countrymen do suffer, as slaves under the power of Asia.  
And as for Rebellion, the second gudgeon which this bookish madman hath fished out of the statute, for his friends to swallow in opinion against the Army; It is a most senseless thing to call that a Rebellion against Parliament, when men do Act merely for those Ends, whereto they were first Commissionated by Parliament, against a visible Plot of particular men on foot, to amuse, abuse, and surprise the Parliament underhand so fare, as to make them upon misinformations, contribute toward the prejudice of the whole Kingdom and themselves, in dis-countenancing and dis-contenting this Army; to whom (next under God) the Nation must owe the reinvestiture of freedom, against the secret undermine of all such darke-lanthorne Patriots. For, though their Adversaries make an Advantage by scandalising them as enemies to the Privileges of Parliament, (which is the main design of our Sottish Lawyer throughout his Queries) yet it cannot be so taken, since the Charge reflects only upon a prevailing party of private Interests, many of which have unduly crept into the House to serve by-ends, and over-awe the more Noble Party; and so being in this desperate condition, think to shelter themselves under the notion of Parliamentary privilege, that they may with the more liberty and security, contrive the ruin of those greater ends, for whose protection and preservation they were first admitted or intended (viz. the Rights and Privileges of the People;) so that the Army in accusing the Heads of these men, cannot be said to infringe the Privileges of Parliament, but rather to preserve them, lest through the infection of corrupt Members, they be tainted with Infamy, by being extended to countenance private wrongs or public mischief. Nor is this only a surmise to gain a good opinion of the Army; for that needs not, seeing their Intentions are so apprehended by most people of the Kingdom, not only in point of the Houses privileges, but also in relation to the common freedom of the subject, with a Restauration of the King in Parliament with such Honour and freedom, as may gain a lasting Repute to those Acts that shall be provided for by the Royal Assent, in that behalf: which (to the joy and happiness of all true Englishmen, that have not lost themselves in a Scottish-Mist) will prove the blessed consequence of that unparallelled piece of Virtue in the Army, which is so perniciously blasted with a Story of jack Cade, and a frantic slander of Rebellion and Tyranny.  
To the third Querie, wherein the Charge is excepted against, as too general and ambiguous, against eleven eminent Members, most of which have done gallant service in the field, without descending to particulars of persons, fact, time, place, etc. and so a most illegal, injurious, arbitrary accusation and proceeding, contrary to all Rules of Justice and Equity: I shall extract several Passages out of the Armies own Papers, in justification of their Charge against all prejudice and calumny; as first, the Conclusion of the Charge itself (if the eager Gentleman had not overlooked it) might have satisfied him that they intended not to dwell upon Generals, though it were first offered in such terms, but descend to make good in particulars, each Head against some of the Persons, and some one head or more against each of the Persons; and shortly to give in the several particulars against each Person respectively, and make them good by proofs, when the House of Commons should admit thereof; the Army desiring to have and reserve to themselves, the liberty of exhibiting any farther Charge against all or any of the said Persons.  
Hear also the words of the last Declaration from the Army, which say; Whereas many of the things whereto the Charge relates, are things spoken, moved, or done in the House, so as we have yet no clear way opened, particularly to Charge or mention Them, or to produce proofs to Them, without some pretence against us of breach of Privilege; and therefore (though we think no privilege ought to protect evil men in doing wrong to particulars, or mischief to the public, yet) we have been hitherto so tender of Parliament Privileges, as that we have only Remonstrated the evil of such things done; and supposing the House to have been (as we did and do believe, and if way were open without breach of Privilege, should not doubt to prove it was) some ways misinformed, deluded, surprised, or otherwise abused in those things by evil Members, we have frequently in former Papers (before the Charge) put the Parliament upon it (who without colour of breach of Privilege might do it) to find out and discover who they were that had so abused Them, and to disengage the Honour of Parliament from such evil practices and designs of such Incendiaries.  
So that after so manifest Remonstrating to accuse and convince them by particulars, what doth our Lawyer, but play the Jack, by crying out injustice, injury, iniquity, and illegality of proceeding, upon surmised grounds of the Armies managing the Charge in general, ambiguous, and uncertain terms, which they have thus publicly disclaimed?  
As to the other part of this Querie, wherein it is said the King himself hath given the lie to some of the Armies Declarations, touching his willingness to remove from Holdenby, and Cornet Joyce his seizing his Person was a treasonable Action. I shall not stand to justify the Cornets Act as tolerable by the rigour of the Law (by which only this confused Lay-Gospeller condemns it;) but if we look upon the impulsive Cause prevailing upon the Soldiery to attempt it, which was (as says the last Declaration) the apprehension of private designs upon the King ere he came from Holdenby, to put his Majesty within the reach of those men's power, who sought for the advantage of his Person, thereby to embroil this Kingdom in a new and bloody War, and strengthen themselves in their mischievous designs, the better to uphold their Faction, and intended domination; then we shall find that this seizing (or rather rescue) of the King's Person, was the very key of the work, to lock up that Cabinet of secret Treasons then and since discovered, which (like Pandora's Box) might else have replenished the world with mischiefs greater than before, and to unlock that door of future peace, which they and their confidents had barred up against the Kingdom's happiness: So that if Cornet joice hath out-witted them, though in somewhat an irregular way against the Letter of the Law, yet I trust this Nation will bear him out against all rigorous Lawyers, because of the happy consequence and effect it will produce both to Prince and People, by setting a period to one tumultuous War, and hindering the Progress of a second, which must necessarily have involved us in inevitable ruin. Nor do they yet give over the design, but use all means to work his Majesty (whose wisdom I doubt not is proof against all flatteries tending to his ruin) to engage and declare for them, or at least to declare Himself a prisoner, thereby to stir up His Party against the Army, who are the sure Guardians of his Crown and Person.  
To the fourth Querie, which is stuffed with a Rabble of slander; as that it was but a pretence of the Army about false informations, misrepresentations, and scandalous suggestions, made against them to the House: For this I hope the House will punish him in calling their wisdom so far in question, as to make the world believe so grave a Senate should upon a mere pretence of the Army retract one of their Declarations; and also right the Army from this scandal of pretence, by some real example, to testify a detestation of his abuse both to Themselves and the Army.  
As also that the Army profess ungratefully and unchristianly touching the business of Ireland in the second, third, and fourth Articles of Charge. And what is it they profess there, but that charity gins at home? and seeing the Irish design to be but a Plot to break in pieces the Army, to make way for the advancement of their Faction here to the oppression and dedecoration of the Prince, Parliament, and People; and to leave them in such a lame abject condition, that the Clergy-lay Conventiclers of the Faction might in the mean while enslave them beyond recovery, they could not without offering violence to their principles, as Englishmen; to their Consciences, as Reliligious men; and to common piety, as lovers of their Country; but stay and see the Flock secured from being made a prey to those Woolves here, who might in a short time have proved as bad as those that had devoured the prey already in Ireland; whose last ruins must be put upon their score, as those who by underhand practices have hindered those many supplies, which might have been sped away long ago, to the assistance and redemption of that poor Kingdom.  
To the fifth Querie, Whether the Army might not as well, by such general and uncertain chargs, impeach the whole House its self as well as those eleven Members? This is more monstrous than all the rest, and calls aloud upon the House to vindicate their Honour from so foul a supposition of guilt, which he endeavours to throw upon them all, equally with the Members impeached and their party, and endeavours to insinuate into men's minds, as if it were the case of the whole House, which as it is contrary to that reverence which the Army owes, and will express to the Worthies of the House, so it requires the wisdom of those Worthies to correct the crafty sauciness of our Lawyer in vindication of their own credit, and terrify other malapert Boutefeux of the faction from the like audacity.  
As for his parallelling the King's demand of the five Members heretofore and the Armies of eleven now, were it not time to leave off the mention of aught that may reflect upon him now, in a time when his honour and the Kingdom's peace are a repairing both together, I could manifest a great dis-proportion (in regard of circumstances) betwixt that act of the Kings, and this of the Army, and prove the invalidity of the instance. And whereas he prints that ordinary scandal in the mouths of all that are of the faction, that the remove of the impeached Members is endeavoured, only that the Independent party might sway and vote what they please; what is it but to yield that those men were the heads of the faction, and held an influence on a great part of the House to serve their own design? who the (Grandees being withdrawn) may chance now to prove honest; which our furious Lawyer needed not to have exclaimed against so fearfully, if he had thought they had been engaged upon such principles before, as would have rendered them lasting friends to the faction: But now, they being gone, it's like every Bowie may run with its own Bias, I mean conscience, and every tub stand upon its own bottom. Then sure that will appear but an ill cause, whose Fautors grow jealous of thriving by fair play above board.  
To the sixth Querie, Wherein he taxes the Army as quarrelling at the Houses Votes, on purpose to keep from a disbanding, to over-awe Parliament, City and Kingdom, and endeavouring to throw all old and new elected Members out of the House, that are not of their Party, with some exceptions also at the latter Elections in Cornwall, Wales, etc. for the prevention of which, and the conquering those other Gugawes rambled up in this sixth Querie, our Lawyer desires to awaken all honest men in time. And surely, had not men need of an awakening, the Presbyters faction had never been adorned with so many Proselytes in England; but now it is high time to open their eyes, that they may see who the men are, that have hoist up such Votes by indirect means, on purpose to pick a quarrel with the Army, by putting them upon such extraordinary ways for the safety of themselves and the Kingdom, as in a time of less necessity and danger, they could not have adventured without a blemish of their Reputation: And it is so much the more trouble to them, to be reduced to this pass through the subtlety of their Adversaries, that they cannot assert the honour, freedom, and Privileges of Parliament, but that they take occasion to wrest all their proceed in Sequiorem, and represent them as Anti-Parliamentary, to the inobserving and more easy understandings.  
As concerning the Elections in Cornwall, etc. I had rather take the sense of the Army, many of whom have been present there, than the opinion of our Lawyer, who pronounces them all fair, with as much confidence as if Mahomet's Pigeon gave him Intelligence from all corners of the world.  
In the seventh Querie he huddles over many Particulars of the same nature with those in some of the former; and both the seventh and eighth contain nothing but matter of railing, scaudall, and misrepresentation, pretending that the Army acts against the Parliament and their Privileges, which I have sufficiently refuted upon the former Queries; and ironically flouting them with the name of Saints, Saviour's, Protectors, and the godly Party, telling them, they comply with the Malignants once in arms, complaining of the Breach of Articles, and craving reparation for their wrongs, etc. But he never considers, that equity is due to our worst enemies; and being loath to give the Army the honour of their humane and equitable intentions, never tells upon what gronnd they are thus compassionate to their quondam-Adversaries; which certainly expresses as much honour and justice, together with hope of tranquillity to the Kingdom, as can possibly be imagined, by a due consideration of the right, quiet, and immunity of His Majesty, his royal Family, & late Partakers; supposing a spirit of common love and justice, diffusing itself to the good and preservation of All, will be the only way to make up the most glorious Conquest over their hearts (if God in mercy see it good) to make them and the whole People of the Land lasting Friends.  
But the main Scandal in the eight Querie is a story wherein he parallels the proceed of the Army with the Anabaptists at Munster, with the same ungracious impudence, as he does by the Rebellion of jack Cade in the second Querie, and so gives the City an Alarm to stand upon their Guard. It's well you'll be content with that posture now, but certain it is, the Design, when it was first conceived in darkness, and the privy junto of Confederates had travailed with it a whole night, was brought forth in the morning, a fair Cockney with the face of a new war; which was nourst up very carefully for a few days, till the Citizens saw it would prove a very chargeable brat, and so it was immediately smothered. I appland their wisdom, that they were able to see themselves made but a stalking-horse to serve other men's private ends; and I cannot but commend their resolution to free themselves from all such like purse-milking Complots for the future, which tend only to draw on the guilt of innocent blood, and drain the public treasure of the Kingdom and City, to support the ambitious interests of particular men. And as for the Army, I doubt not but all men of this famons City uninterested (or not wrought upon and amused by persons Interested) are really satisfied with their candid and sincere Intentions towards this City, so often promised declared and remonstrated: And if through the seditious provocations of such furies as our Lawyer, they entertain a causeless jealousy, and be urged thereby to act in prejudice of the Army, that passionate love which I bear to the renown and glory of this delight of the Nation, makes me tremble to think into what fatal Consequences such cursed Counselors would allure and ensnare them: And therefore they had best be well advised, that they behave themselves with such moderation, as to do nothing but in order to their own defence, from the injuries of discontented enemies within, and without the least shadow of provocation to their friends without, it resting upon their wise carriage, either to bury the seeds of war, sedition and tumult, in an honourable Peace, or the happiness and glory of Great Britain, in a new Rupture.  
To the ninth and last Querie, wherein he taxes the Armies demand of a speedy Answer to their Remonstrance, to be the highest, arrogantest, and unreasonablest that ever was proposed, etc. I shall say no more but this, that necessity admits of no delay in Affairs of this nature, seeing it were as much as to put themselves to the hazard of an Aftergame, when their enemies are visibly active upon the Counterplot.  
And I shall conclude only with one Antiquerie, in opposition to his nine Queries, viz: Whether if the Author of those impudent, false, and seditious Queries, have no ears to lose, he deserve not to be cramped in that right Thumb, which hath heretofore condemned so much Law and Divinity to confusion; and now at last, most impiously scandalised our best friends, as enemies of the Kingdom.  
FINIS.