THE LAWYER'S Looking-glass: OR, A clear Discovery of the Dangerous Snares, wherewith the Practisers of Law endeavour to entangle Your Highness, and to make you the Patron of their Injustice, and Oppression, and so to lead you as the blind Ship-money Judges led the late blind King into a Ditch; Which God forbidden.  
TOGETHER, With some seasonable preparatives to remedy this great evil: For the glory of GOD, Your Highness' Honour, and the Peace and Welfare of these Nations: AND, All God's People both Ministers of the Gospel, and Members of the Army, and others; specially in and about the Cities of London, and Westminster, are earnestly desired (as they will answer it at the great day of Account) to speak words in season, and otherwise use their best endeavours to strengthen the hands of Your Highness and Council in carrying on the Work of the Lord against the Mighty.  
LONDON, Printed for Jeffery Corbet. Febr. 20. 1655.   


The Lawyer's Lookingglass.  
May it please your Highness,  
THe Spirit saith; Do justly, love mercy, lose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke. And, Let judgement run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. And, Execute ye judgement, and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hands of their oppressors. And, To do justice and judgement, is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. And, Justice exalts a Nation, and the work of Justice shall be Peace: Mic. 6.8. Isa. 58.6. Amos 5.24. jerem. 22.3. Prov. 14.34. Isa. 32.17. And, Any Cause for Debt, or other Civil difference, may be speedily heard, and determined in weekly Courts of Equity in the several Counties, and cost the people little or nothing, according to the practice in the Court of Requests, London, which sits twice a week in Guild-Hall, by virtue of a good Law made in the 3d. year of King james, and the 15th. chapter; and according to the late practice in every County in Ireland, where the Justices of Peace did by Commission hear, and determine thousands of Causes, and put the people to little or no charge; the Defendant being warned to appear by strict Summons, without any chargeable, disgraceful, or vexatious Arrests or imprisonment, and both parties having liberty to plead their own Causes. But the practisers of Law turn Justice and Judgement into Gall and Wormwood, and extort vast treasures from the people, by delay and obstruction of justice. And it is most clear, That the various sorts of Writs, Sheriffs fees, Bailiffs fees, Bail fees, Attorneys fees, Solicitors fees, Prothonotaries fees, Secondaries fees, Registers fees, Clerks fees, Lawyers fees, Gaolers fees, with multitude of such like, are merely chargeable, impertinent, and vexatious inventions to delay justice, and dishonour God, and pick the people's pockets: And those proceed differ no more from absolute Robbery, than Hypocrisy doth from open Profaneness; for Thiefs take men's money by several ways of stealing and the practisers of Law by exacting their wages of unrighteousness And that which is worst of all, they endeavour to make your Highness' the Patron of all their fraudulent devices, as the Ordinance for alteration of Names, and Forms doth witness.  
2. The Spirit saith, He that stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he shall cry, and shall not be heard. And, Woe unto them that decree unrighteous Decrees, to turn aside the Needy from Judgement, and take away the Right from the poor of my people, that Widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the Fatherless. And, As a roaring Lion, and a raging Bear, so is a wicked Ruler over the poor people: Pro. 21.13. Isa. 10.1, 2. Prov. 28.15. And the practisers of Law have the cries of your poor oppressed people continually in their ears yet are they like the deaf Adder, and commonly make a prey of the Widow and Fatherless: and many Causes have depended in the Courts at Westminster, some 10. some 20. years, some more, some less, by the Lawyer's purposed delays of justice, for their own sinister ends, to the utter undoing of the oppressed people. Moreover, the multitude of unrighteous Decrees, Judgements, Orders, Rules, and other proceed upon Record in the Courts at Westminster, will clearly demonstrate, That the practisers of Law are in combination to obstruct Justice, and oppress the oppressed with cunning pretences of Law and Equity; and that which is worst of all, they surprise and induce your Highness to be at above 20000 l. a year charge, in maintaining them to be like Lions, and Bears, to rend and tear your poor people in pieces.  
3. The Spirit saith, Hatred, variance, wrath, and strife are damnable sins: and, The love of money is the root of all evil: and, The getting of treasure with a lying tongue, is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death: and, Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: and, He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight: Gal. 5.20. 1 Tim. 6.10. Prov. 21.6. Prov. 12.22. Psal. 101, 7. Nevertheless, the practisers of Law, for love of money, do encourage the people to persevere in the damnable sins of hatred, variance, wrath, and strife; and they are accustomed to toss lies to and fro for filthy lucre sake, and to call good evil, and evil good; and their custom in telling lies, speaks them in no capacity to tarry in your sight: But they ought rather to be an abomination to your Highness, as they are to the Holy One of Israel.  
4. The Spirit saith, Thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and let them judge the people at all seasons: and, Judges, and Officers shalt thou make thee, and they shall judge the people with righteous Judgement, and shall take no reward: and, The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them, for they refuse to do judgement: and, Can the Aethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? then may ye also do well that are accustomed to do evil. Exod. 18.21, 22. Deut. 16.18, 19 Pro. 21.7. jer. 13.23. And the foregoing particulars intimate, that the Spirit levels at such persons, as Judges, and other practisers of Law, under the notion of wicked, refusing to do judgement; and, that their various sorts of Fees, and other Law charges, are Robery in the Spirits account; and, that through their custom in such Robbery and refusing to do judgement, they are in no capacity to do good, much less are they capable of being Judges, or other public Officers.  
5. The Spirit saith, One Achan brought the fierce wrath of the Lord upon Israel: and, One Haman had well nigh confounded Ahasuerus and his 127 Provinces: and, God abhors solemn Fasts, and other transactions, and counts them but tything Mint and Cummin, where judgement and righteousness is neglected: and, Because sentence upon an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil. Ios. 7.19. Esth. 389. Isa. 1.11, to 18. Amos 5.21. Mat. 23.23. Luke 11.43. Eccles. 8.11. And woeful experience witnesseth, that the practisers of Law have from age to age been the achan's, and haman's of this Land, and confounded the Powers who are fallen before your Highness; and now endeavour to surprise and induce you, to use that Power to obstruct, which God hath given you to expedite, Justice: and because they go unquestioned and unpunished, therefore their hearts are fully set in them to do evil. Upon which account, they surprised your Highness and Council, during your multiplicity of other public affairs, so as to admit of no Exception against any man that was elected for the last Parliament; they knowing well, that their incapacity of being Members would otherwise have been laid open, in regard your Highness' righteous Principles, expressed in the Instrument, declare, That none but men fearing God, and of good conversation, should be Members of Parliament; and their constant practice in delaying and obstructing justice, and turning it to gall and wormwood, and making a prey of the widows and fatherless, and rending and tearing the poor people in pieces, and tossing lies to and fro out of mere covetousness, which is Idolatry, and the like, do witness. That they are so far from fearing God, that they cast his commands behind their backs, and say by their actions, Who is the Lord that we should obey him? And that which is worst of all, As the Ship-money Judges, and other Lawyers, and their complices, were the grand Incendiaries of the late bloody Wars, and confounded the late King, some going away with him, and others staying in the long Parliament to play the King's Game, whereby they poisoned that Parliaments Counsels, and at last confounded them; even so, the practisers of Law and their complices made parties to confound your Highness in the last Parliament: And those practisers of Law that pretended most to be your friends, sit 5 months, and made not one good Law to cause Justice and Judgement to run down like a mighty stream, to reconcile this divided and discontented people, and confirm your Highness' establishment in righteousness.  
6. The Spirit saith, Money answereth all things: and, Our blessed Saviour wrought a miracle for want of money, to pay Tribute to the Supreme Magistrate: and, Soldiers be content with your wages. Eccles. 10.19. Mat. 17.27. Luke 3.14. Nevertheless, the practisers of Law, and their complices (to discontent your Soldiers, and keep your Highness in want of money, and open the mouths of publick-faith persons, and others to exclaim against you) have many months obstructed a Commission for Discoveries, whereby above 200000 l. might have been brought into your Highness' Treasury before this time without the least trouble to your Highness or Council. And though a sufficient Commission was drawn up many weeks since, with great deliberation, and good advice; yet that Commission is obstructed in some Lawyer's hands to this day. Mean while, contrivances have been had to confer that power upon Lawyers, who have not time to do the work, or others who have no will to the work, or upon so few, as no good can be expected from them; when as many persons, whose names are related in the Reasons following, are ready to serve your Highness gratis, rather than this good work should fail. Moreover, the delay already hath lost your Highness above 100000 l. by the death of Concealers or Discoverers, or Witnesses; and many hundred thousand pounds more is in danger to be lost; and hundreds of people, who have debts justly due from the Commonwealth by Public faith, and otherwise, are some of them gone already, and others ready to go with sorrow to their Graves, through want of satisfaction, to the great dishonour of God, and your Highness, and the Commonwealth.  
7. The Spirit saith, Take all opportunities for doing good. And, Abstain from all appearance of evil. And, Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. And with hold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. And, Woe to that man by whom the offence cometh. And, Neglect to strengthen the hands of the poor and needy, was one of the sins of Sodom, which cried to heaven for vengeance: Gal. 6.10. Heb. 13.16. 1 Thes. 5.22. Prov. 3.27. Matth. 18.7. Ezek. 16.49. Gen. 18.20. But the practisers of Law, do commonly justify the wicked, and condemn the innocent, both which are an abomination to the Lord. Yea, they take all opportunities to justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him. And that which is worst of all, they take advantage from the multiplicity of your Highness' Public affairs, and surprise, and induce your Highness to withhold good from your oppressed people, in neglecting to strengthen their hands, by appointing Commissioners to deliver them from their oppressors. And thus a great offence cometh by the practisers of Law, and they wilfully incur that dreadful woe, to uphold their gainful trade of sin. For many persons are ready and willing to sit daily, and serve your Highness and their Country gratis, to hear and redress the complaints of oppressed people, against whom Justice hath been obstructed in the Courts of Common Law, and Equity, and other places. But the practisers of Law, knowing well that such Commissioners would soon lay open their mystery of Iniquity, designedly say, your Highness must not exercise the Legislative power. Notwithstanding they know, That the safety of the people is the supreme Law: And that, Necessity brings a privilege with it. And that your Highness hath bound yourself by Oath, to cause Justice, and Law to be equally administered. And to make Laws and Ordinances for the Peace and welfare of the People, until order shall be taken in Parliament concerning the same, as by the 30. Article in the Instrument appears. And this clearly intimates. That where Parliaments, and inferior Magistrates fail, your Highness stands bound by your Oath to supply; and the last Parliament met, and made not one good Law for the Peace, and welfare of the People: whereby it is apparently a duty still incumbent upon your Highness.  
May it therefore please your Highness, to Commissionate all the Field Officers and Captains of your Army, to be Justices of Peace in every County where they are ordered to quarter, and to empower them, and the rest of the Justices, to keep weekly Courts of Equity in the most convenient place in every County; to hear and determine all civil differences, according to Equity, and good Conscience. And to call to their assistance one or two of the ablest Lawyers near them, for advice in difficult cases. Please likewise to grant the foresaid Commission for discoveries, and seriously consider the reasons following, in order thereunto. Please further to empower some persons of integrity, to hear and redress all obstructions of Justice. And by so doing, God will be greatly glorified, your Highness highly honoured, and acquitted from much trouble and clamour; and the oppressed will be set free, and vast Treasures brought into your Exchequer: Besides, the complain in our streets would cease, and your Government be sweetened with acts of Justice and Mercy. In order whereunto, I humbly beseech your Highness to recollect, and seriously lay to heart, the various cross Providences you have met withal since you was Protector: That your forces fled and fell before a shadow; And that not only your open enemies have conspired under Oath of secrecy to destroy you, but those who were your faithful friends all along the Wars, have been, and are still at variance with you. And that, The Spirit saith, when a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his Enemies to be at peace with him. And, When the Host goeth forth, then keep thee from every evil work. And, Have no fellow ship with the unfruitful works of darkness. I humbly beseech your Highness further to consider, That holy Moses did not leave a hoof in bondage; and holy joshua brought Achan to public justice the same day he was discovered. And, Holy job searched out the Cause he knew not. And, Holy David made haste, and delayed not to keep God's Commandments. And, That Saul lost his Kingdom, and the late King his, by delaying such obedience. And that, He that doth righteousness is righteous. And that, The Scribes and Pharisees said, but did not. And that, Your Highness declared in April 1653. That no oppression or wrong should be done the people: And that, If you should do the least dishonour to the name of God, it would be your confusion, and a stain to the whole profession of Godliness. And lastly, I humbly beseech your Highness to consider; That your breath is in your nostrils, and that you have many talents to improve, and that this night your soul may be taken from you, and that you must appear before Christ's tribunal to give an Account of your Stewardship. And, that all your Honours and earthly enjoyments are but vanity, and will be bitterness in the end., unless God give you wisdom from above, to let your light shine that men may glorify God on sight of your good works of judgement and righteousness. Now the Lord make you wise unto salvation, and guide your spirit to redeem the time, and not to know a wicked person, nor suffer any worker of deceit to dwell in your House, nor a Liar to tarry in your sight. In pursuance whereof, your Highness shall not want the daily prayers, and constant endeavours of  
Your Highness' faithful Servant, JEFFERY CORBET.   

Reason's moving that your Highness would appoint twelve men at the least, who are of known courage, fearing God and hating coveteonsness; to be Commissioners in the intended Commission for Discoveries of concealed Estates.  

1 WE the Subscribers, do hereby engage to produce, and prosecute such discoveries, as will bring in above sixty thousand pounds into the public treasury within six months upon the appointment of such Commissioners.  
2 The Commonwealth hath already lost above 100000. l. by the death of Concealers, or Discoverers, or Witnesses, as Colonel Copley, and others can give an account: and there is great danger that much more will be lost, unless such a number of Commissioners be speedily empowered, for prevention of that great mischief.  
3 Your Highness is in great want of money for managing your Public Affairs, and many of your faithful friends are ready to perish for want of their just debts from the Commonwealth: and there is no better way to supply both, then by bringing in the vast Treasures that are concealed.  
4 Twelve such Commissioners may divide themselves, and keep three or four Courts a day, and so dispatch more business in three months, than a single Court can do in a whole year.  
5 The delatory proceed which must needs be in a single Court, upon the multitude of Discoveries ready to be made, will give the Delinquents an opportunity to make friends and parties to obstruct Justice as formerly, by bribery, etc. as Captain Castle and others can give an account, and also   
Your Highness' most humble and faithful Servants: 

JEFFERY CORBET.  
EDWARD PITT.   1. Jan. 1655.  
We humbly conceive, That Col. john Mill, Major Beak, Lieut. Col. john Fenton, Major George Withers, Capt. Edw. Worger, and Samuel Richardson, are persons fitly qualified: And therefore pray that they may be joined in the Commission intended for the foresaid Discoveries.  
The foregoing Reasons were presented to a Member of the Council, the day above mentioned; as a seasonable New years gift, for your Highness and Council.   
FINIS.