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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80048	Judges judged out of their own mouthes or the question resolved by Magna charta, &c. Who have been Englands enemies, kings seducers, and peoples destroyers, from Hen. 3. to Hen. 8. and before and since. Stated by Sr. Edvvard Coke, Knt. late L. Chief Justice of England. Expostulated, and put to the vote of the people, by J. Jones, Gent. Whereunto is added eight observable points of law, executable by justices of peace.	Jones, J., Gent.; Coke, Edward, Sir, 1552-1634.; England. Magna Charta.	1650 (1650)	Wing C4938; Thomason E1414_1; ESTC R13507	46,191	120

chief Court could command Bishops to give their clergy to such as ought to have it another cause was That the life of a man ought to be tryed before Judges of learning and experience of the Laws of the Realm for Ignorantia Judicis est saepenumerò calamitas innocentis These are the reasons that the Lord Coke alledgeth why some Pleas of the Crown were taken from Sheriffs Castellans Escheators Coronors and Bailiffs under which names saith he are comprehended all inferiour Judges Justices and Courts of Justice albeit saith he it be provided by the 9th chap. of Mag. Charta That the Barons of the five Ports should have all their Liberties and Customs These general words saith he again must be understood of such Liberti●s and Customs as are not afterwards in the same Charter by express words taken away and assumed to the Crown Might not the Kings inferior Courts command ordinary Ministers to give men their Clergie Expost and Quer. And might not that serve before Magna Charta as it is usual since For seldom or never in our memories did Bishops themselves attend any court for that service and now should they be necessary onely for that imployment So the Kings Court would be onely to command them but if Bishops may be spared why may not that Court for that cause And if by this Charter the King resumed some Pleas of the crown from those that formerly had them dor●● et follow that he resumed all Ple●● from those that formerly had them And if under the name of Bailiffs be comprehended all Judges and Justices are not the Judges of the Common-Pleas and Barons of the Exchecquer so comprehended And are none of them of such learning and experience in the Laws of the Realm to try the life of a man as Judges of the Kings-Bench Or else why are they sent for Goal-deliveries aswel as Judges of the Kings-Bench are Was it not provided by the 9. chapter of Mag. Charta That London and other Cities Burroughs and Towns as well as the Barons of the five Ports and other Ports should have their Liberties and Free-Customs Are all these now resumed by this 17. chap Who can understand so Or what meaneth the L. C. by his riddles Shall Magna Charta contradict it self though the Lord C. would and doth here and elsewhere Are not Commissions of Oyer and Terminer usual for Tryal of mens lives where Judges of the Kings-Bench cannot reach or dare not go Doth not London and other Corporations execute their Charters by their Recorders when the Kings-Bench gives them leave and then do not the Judges of the Kings-Bench grant that such Judges may be as learned and experienced in the Laws as themselves for the Trying of mens lives Are not mens lives Tryable for matter of Fact and not of Law except Treasons that reach to thoughts Are not Jurors the Judges of matters of Fact What great learning or experience in Law is requisite for a Judge to pronounce the sentence of death where the verdict hath determined the life But how many true men have been hanged and thieves saved by Judges interposing and obtruding their pestifferous pretended learning and experience in the Laws between the weak consciences of ignorant Jurors and the truth which kind of Jurors they make Sheriffs return for such purposes when they may have such returned as know the Facts and have sounder learning and experience in express Law than themselves All Wears from henceforth be utterly put down by Thames C. 23. Wear● c. and Medway and throughout all England but onely by the Sea-coasts It was specially given in charge by the Justices in Eyre saith the Lord C. that all Juries should inquire of all such as Fished with wears and Dams L. C. upon M. C. fol. 38. and it appeareth saith he by Glandvil lib. 9. c. 11. That when any thing is unjustly occupied within the Kings demesne or obstructed in publick waies or Rivers turned off their right channels or Citie-streets built upon and in general as often as any nusance to the Kings holding or his High-way or to any Citie is committed That is a purpresture viz. an Inclosure whereby one in chroacheth or maketh that several to himself which ought to be common to all or many and every publick River or stream the Kings High way If Wears be nusances as I am sure they are throughout England Expost and Quer. and Wales and if Commissioners for Sewers and Justices of Peace for want of them be sufficiently authorized to reform such wrongs and do not because chief doers thereof or sharers in the unlawful gain made thereof themselves why not Justices in Eyer imployed to execute their charge for the general amendment thereof for the publick good One Measure of Wine shall be throughout our Realm C. 29. Measures c. and one measure of Corn viz. according to the Quarter of London and Haberjects that is to say two yards within the list and as it is of Weights so shall it be of Measures This Act concerning Measures L. Cok● upon M. C. fol. 49. and Weights that there should be one Measure and one Weight through England is grounded upon the Law of God Deut. 25. v. 13 14. And this by Authority of Parliaments hath been often enacted but never effected If Weights and Measures throughout England ought to be one Expost and Quer. and that not onely by the Law of God as the Lord C. instanceth but also by this Charter of Agreement between the King and the People Why did not the Lord C. being chief Justice of England sworn to do Law and Justice too and between King and People as partly before did and hereafter further shall appear he was or ought to have been see this point of Justice so highly required by the Law of God and so mutually agreed upon by the Kings of this Land and their Subjects duly executed Nothing shall henceforth be given for a Writ of Inquisition Ca. 16. Inquisition nor taken of him that prayeth the Inquisition of Life or Member but it shall be granted freely A Writ of Inquisition L. C. upon M. C. fol. 42. viz. De odio atia anciently called De bono malo c. which the Common-Law gave a man that was imprisoned though it were for the most odious cause for the death of a man for which without the Kings Writ he could not be bailed Yet the Law favouring the Libertie and Freedom of a man from Imprisonment c. until the Justices in Eyre should come at what time he was to be tryed he might sue out this VVrit directed to the Sheriff c. If a Writ De odio atia was given by the Common-Law Expost and Quer. to a man Imprisoned for the most odious cause even for the death of a man and if the Common-Law favoured the Liberty of a man Imprisoned so that he should be Bailed for such a Fact until

should others that are not such indeed be sheltered to defend or countenanced to offend under that pretence And as for Members of any Court why ought not they to sue and be sued by their Atturneys in other Courts than their own since it is unnatural for any bodie to suffer any of its Members though never so corrupt to be put to any smart which it may avoid And may not nay ought not every just Court avoid such suits and the suspition of their injustice by entertaining them and proceeding therein by leaving them to the justice of other Courts of competent judicature as all other Courts do leave their Members to the mercy of the Courts at Westminster or may not nay ought not all Courts of judicature within their jurisdictions determine the causes of all such Members of the Courts at Westminster as shall be found and arrested within their jurisdictions notwithstanding any Writs of priviledge or other Writs to remove them before they be determined rather than the Courts at Westminster may send for the Members of every Court to be justified by them For who can say he hath ever found any justice there against any priviledged man And how many that be no Members of any Court there indeed are so countenanced as subordinate to some ill Member or other there and have their Law for nothing to bring Fees and gain to one or other of those courts out of honestmens purses and Estates against whom they can shew no colour of right any where but where they know they shall be favored and their Adversaries oppressed And how many men of good Estates have been and daily are not onely oppressed but undone by that means Thirdly for Trespass vi Armis Is it but a common-Plea and consequently proper to all courts of Record and rather to be tryed within that jurisdiction where the offence is committed than elsewhere And hath not the King his Fines imposed and levyed by the authority of all such courts as wel as by the Kings-Bench Fourthly for Replevins may they not as well be removed to and determined by the Common-Pleas as in the Kings-Bench Fifthly what meaneth the Lord by his words viz. Originally restrained but that the Kings-Bench is restrained from having any original Writs Returnable thither in Real Pleas And is it not as much restrained from originals in Personal Pleas that are as Common-Pleas as Real by this Statute Or by what other Statute Law or President is it inabled to have any originals returnable to it for debt when the Register and Ret. brevium have no such Presidents as aforesaid Is not therefore all the practice of the Kings-Bench for debt unjust and perjurious as aforesaid and moreover a faint Action c. as the prisoners for debt in that Court have lately set forth by their Petition to the Lord General and his Officers concerning this matter A Free-man shall not be ameirced for a small fault Caput 14. Ameirciaments but after the quantitie of the fault and for a greater fault after the manner thereof saving to him his contenement or Freehold And a Merchant shall be likewise ameirced saving to him his Merchandize And any other Villain than Durs shall be likewise ameirced saving his Wainage if he fall into Our mercy And none of the said Ameirciaments shall be assessed but by the caths of honest men of the Visionage Carls and Barons shall not be ameirced but by their Peers and after the quantitie of their trespass No man of the Church shall be ameirced after the rate of his spiritual benefice but after the rate of his lay teuement and the quantitie of his trespass A Free-man here Lord Cook upon Magna Charta fol. 27. hath a special understanding saith the L. C. and is taken for a Free-holder and this appeareth by this clause Salvo contenemento suo viz. Saving his Free-hold c. This Act extendeth to Ameirciaments not to Fines imposed by any Court of Justice c. Free-men are not intended to officers or ministers or officers of justice c. The Writ of Moderata misericordia giveth remedie to the Partie that is excessively ameirced c. Albeit the Law of England is a Law of mercy yet it is now turned to a shadow for where by the wisdom of the Law these Ameirciaments were instituted to deter both Domandants from unjust suits and Defendants from unjust defences which was the cause in former times of fewer suits c. If amerciaments were instituted to deter Plantiffs from unjust suits Expost and Quer. and Defendants from unjust defences and were the causes of fewer suits in former times how comes the Law turned to a shaddow in the Lord Cokes time when in the Kings-Bench and Cmmon-Pleas am erciaments were as frequent and greivous as in any other time and suits no fewer nay more numerous than before as Records of both Courts declare unless he means that all the Writs in the Register and Natura brevium both original and judicial whereby suits were determined amongst neighbours friendly at home became useless since Habeas corpus c. carried all to Westminster And that there injustice shaddowed under the name and habit of justice remunerated the litigious supporters of her being with such shares of her spoils that though she trebled their amerciaments she made them alwaies gainers unless when to satisfie their revenge rather than their purses they commuted their monies for counsels and countenances to undo the opposers of their malice whereby both parties became loosers and often ruined and injustice onely remained the gainer and increased her kingdom as the Divel doth his by such suitors and made more suits for Westminster than all the Courts of Errors and their Judges Lawyers and Attorneys there shall wear out while they live without extraordinary helps of their servants No town or Free-man shall be distrained to make Bridges or banks C. 15. Bridg. Banks but such as of old time and of right have been accustomed to make them in the time of King Henry our Grandfather No Banks shall be defended henceforth C. 16. Banks but such as were in defence in the time of King Henry our Grandfather by the same places and the same hounds as were wont to be in his time Both the next precedent chapters sufficiently expound themselves so that the Lord Coke speaketh no more to this matter but that the Mirrour saith That diver Rivers and their Banks were in his time appropriated and blocked up by divers persons to debar common-fishings which were wont to be used there in the time of King H. 2. And I believe there are many more so done more lately which Commissioners for Sewers shall do well to look to No Sheriff C. 17. Pleas Crown Constable Escheator Coroner or any other our Bailiffs shall hold Pleas of the Crown One mischief before this Statute L. Coke upon M. C. 30. was saith the Lord Coke That no Court but the Kings

Eyre still And why not Writs Gratis sent to the Sheriff of every Countie to enquire of offences and offendors against the great Charter And doth not this Statute prove that Sheriffs ought to have such Writs and to make such enquiries And that the King referred himself as well as others to the judgements as well of Justices in Eyre as of the Justices of the Bench and that he would have his Writs granted as well against him as others and that Gratis doth it not futther prove that Kings accounted the Justices in Eyre his Justices and their Court his Court as well as the Kings-Bench how therefore doth the Lord Coke hereafter call them new Justices and their Court new Court But more of that in its place Now having done with so much of Mag. Charta as I promised and with the 5 Chapter of the Statute of Marlebridge and the 8 of the Statute of Glocester Here ensueth the Confirmation of the great Charter made at London 10 Octob. Anno 25. Ed. 1. three years before that which is Printed before it because that containeth all the Charter in 38. chapters at large and this but 7. In the First of which it confirmeth both Charters and every Article thereof both made 9º H. 3. in general words as followeth viz. Edward by the grace of God Cap. 1. Charters King of England Lord of Ireland and Duke of Guyen To all those that these present Letters shall hear or see Greeting Know ye that We to the Honour of God and of Holy Church and to the profit of Our Realm have granted for Vs and Our Heirs That the Charter of Liberties and the Charter of Forrests which were made by the Commonalty of the Realm in the time of King Henry Our Father shall be kept in every point without breach And We will that the same Charter shall be sent under Our Seal aswel to Our Justices of the Forrest as to others And to all Sheriffs of Shiers and to all Our other Officers and to all Our Cities throughout the Realm together with Our Whits in the which shall be contained that they cause the foresaid Charters to be published And to Declare to the People that We have confirmed them in all points And that Our Iustices Sheriffs Maiors and other Ministers which under Vs have the Laws of Our Land to guid shall allow the same Charters pleaded before them in Iudgement in all their points That is to wit The Great Charter as the Common Law And the Charter of the Forrest for the Wealth of Our Realm The Title of this Statute saith the Lord Coke is Confirmationes Chartarum de Libertatibus Angliae Forrestae L. C. upon Cons C. f. 526. viz. The Confirmations of the Charters of the Liberties of England and of the Forrest And true it is saith he that hereby the said Charters are expresly confirmed but they are also excellently interpreted which is a Confirmation in Law for here is nothing Enacted but is included within Magna Charta And by the Commonalty saith he is to be understood by the consent of all the Realm by Authority of Parliament and many times by the Commonalty of England is signified an Act of Parliament c. before Printing and before the Reign of King Hen. the 7th Statutes were Ingrossed in Parchment and by the Kings Writ Proclaimed by the Sheriff of every Countie this was the ancient Law of England that the Kings Commandments issued and were published in form of Writs as then it was An excellent course and worthie to be restored c. This Clause saith he is worthie to be written in letters of gold viz. That our Justices Sheriffs Majors and other Ministers which under us have the Laws of the Land to guid them shall allow the said Charters in all points which shall come before them in Judgement And here it is to be observed That the Laws are the Judges Guides or Leaders according to that old Rule Lex est Exercitus Judicum viz. The Law is the Judges Armie Tutissimus Doctor viz. The safest Teacher or Lex est optimus Iudicis Synagogus viz. Their best Synagoug And Lex est tutissimus cassis viz. Their safest Fortress There is an old legal word saith he called Guidagium viz. Guidage which signifieth an Office of guiding Travelors through dangerous and unknown ways Here it appeareth that the Laws of the Realm hath this Office to guid the Iudges in all causes that come before them in the ways of right Justice who never yet misguided any man that certainlie knew them and truly followed them The sence of the words That the great Charter is to be holden for the Common Law is that it is a Common Law to all in amendment of the Realm that is of great mischiefs and inconveniencies which oppressed the whole Realm before the making thereof Expost and Quer. Doth nor the Lord Coke by all this his expression commend this Statute very highly Why did he not in his duty cause it to be observed in his time And had not Iustices of the Forrest and other Iustices Sheriffs Majors and other Ministers of his time had they received the Great Charter with the Kings Writs power thereby as well as he to cause the said Charter to be published to the People and that the King had confirmed it in all points Why did he by neglecting his duty to send the said Charter and Writs unto them accordingly make them fail of their duties Doth not the Lord Coke confess by this clause Worthie as he saith to be written in letters of gold That Sheriffs Majors and other Ministers as well as Justices and other Justices as well as those at Westminster have or ought to have the Law of England to be their guid and ought to allow Magna Charta in all points which in any Plea shall be before them Why then do the Iustices at Westminster by their Habeas corpus and other Writs as aforesaid disturb and prevent all Sheriffs Majors c. to exercise their Offices before Judgment or after without proof of Injustice or manifest Errors committed by them in their Iudgements Why do not the Iustices at Wistminster when they have Persons and Causes brought before them by virtue of their Writs allow Mag. Car. to be Pleaded before themselves since they will suffer no others to hear it How can it be true when they do not that the Law is their guid Do not they assume the sole Guiding Learning Interpreting Exercising and Over ruling of the Law to themselves when they suffer no other Iustices or Ministers of the King but themselves to have any Judgement therein as aforesaid Why do they bely the Law so much as to call it their Guid their Teacher their Army their Synagogue their Fortress when it is manifest That their Attorneys their Sollicitors their Catch-polls and their Goalers are their Guids Teachers Supernumerous Armies and Invincible Fortresses as they trust but may be deceived

the foresaid Iustices as far forth as appertaineth unto their Offices And besides these things granted upon the Articles of the Charters aforesaid The King of his special Grace for redress of the grievances that the people hath sustained by reason of his Wars and for the amendment of their Estate to the intern that they may be the more ready to do him service and the more willing to assist and aid him in time of need hath granted certain Articles the which he supposeth shall not onely be observed of his leige people but also shall be as much profitable or more than of the Articles heretofore granted One of the causes for the making this Act L. Coke f. 537 538 539. was saith the Lord Coke as in the Preamble is suggested that there was no certain punishment in many points established by the said Charters against the violators of the same which also by this Act saith he is remedied And the word People here saith he doth include all the Kings Subjects c. And again the word Pain ne fuit estable some read saith he Pain ne fuit execute and that is true in effect but the Original is Pain ne fuit estable that is no pain was set down certain And saith he fol. 539. This Act had but the force of a Charter until confirmed by this Parliament the 34th Ed. 1. And that these Charters should be read four times in the year in full County here is an order taken for the publishing And Ou remedie ne fuit avant c. is to be construed saith he where no Action was given by the Kings Writ to be pursued at Common Law c. Again here saith he for the better Execution of those glorious two Lights Magna Charta and Charta Forestae a new Court and new Justices were appointed c. Again saith he these clauses against the Kings Servants out of their places as well as others And to hear the Plaints without delay day by day and to determine them without admitting such delaies as be at Common Law was the first ground of the raising of the Justices called Trail Baston and their Courts so called in respect of their precipitate proceedings from day to day without such convenient leisure and time as Common Law allowed c. they in the end had such Authoritie as Justices in Eyer but albeit they had their Authoritie by Act of Parliament yet if they erred in judgement a Writ of Error did lie by the general Rule of the Common Law to reverse the Judgement in the Kings-Bench which being once resolved and known and their Jurisdiction fettered with so many limitations their Authoritie by little and little vanish●d Expost and Quer. Was there any certain Pain established by this Statute against the violators of Magna Charta other than by Commission in Eyer that the Justices might determine and punish the Offendors by Imprisonments Fines or Amerciaments according to the Trespass Ought not the Justices of the Kings-Bench to have so punished all such as were Indicted before Sheriffs or Justices in Eyer who had power to inquire and certifie them of all such Offendors and Offences against Magna Charta by the Statute of Marlebridge 51. Hen. 3d Doth not the Lord Coke say elsewhere That all Statutes ought to be construed so as that there should be no failer of Justice should not the Justices of the Kings-Bench have construed Magna Charta so Doth not the 14th chap. of Mag. Charta expresly direct That all offendors ought to be Amercied by their equals according to the quantitie of the Trespass Doth the Lord Coke speak truth when he saith this Statute gave any man Remedie for the certaintie of the punishment other than Magna Charta did before Was it not made more uncertain by referring it to the Justices in Eyers discretion whether Amerciaments Fyne or Imprisonment Doth he not confess plainly when he saith It is true in effect that the Pain was not Executed as some read instead of the Pain was not Established That it was the fault of the Justices of the Kings-Bench in not Executing the Pain of Amercying c. as they might and ought to have done was the cause of Impowering the Justices in Eyer who were but Enquirers before now to determine and punish such Offendors and Offences as they did forbear viz. The Kings Servants with whom by this time they of the Kings-Bench tampered for their Offices And was it not for the same cause the people were Declared to be choosers of Justices in Eyer And doth not the Lord Coke shew a great spight between himself and his brethren whom he would have to be ancient and the Justices in Eyer whom he calleth a new Court and new Justices And shew his Memory to be weak as his Envy was strong when he is forced to give himself the Lye either here or in his Exposition of the Stat. of Marlebridge where he saith They were then Justices and a court though but for Inquirie And upon the 23th Chap. of Magna Charta he saith they used before that time to give charge to all Juries concerning Wears c. Doth not the Lord Coke say fol. 235. That Bracton wrote before the making West 1. which was 3. Ed. 1 And doth not Bracton lib. 3. cap. 11 12 and 13. say Justices in Eyer were before his time Doth not Camden in his Britannia pag. 104. say They were Instituted by King Hen. 2 Doth not Hoveden in his Annais part poster fol. 113. b. confirm the same And add that K. Hen. 2. divided the Realm in six parts setled thre● Justices in Eyer to every part whose names he relateth And doth not the Mirror of Justice lib. 3o. Tit. 1o. Justice in Eyer declare their power at large And as for their Election by the people doth he not say fol. 538. That Magna charta c. containeth the substance of all that is contained in these Articles And doth he not say in his Preamble That Magna Charta is an Act declarative of the ancient Laws and Customs of England before it and no introductive of any new And fol. 558. That of ancient time before the making of this Act all such Officers or Ministers as were instituted either for Preservation of the Peace of the County or for execution of Justice because it concerned all the Subjects of that County and they had a great interest in the due and just exercise of their places were by force of the Kings Writs in every several County chosen in full and open County by the Free-holders of the same County Again saith he So it was then and yet is of Coroners and so it was then and yet is of Knights of the Shire for Parliaments and of the Verdors of a Forest and likewise it was of ancient time of the Sheriff of the County and restored by this Act but this is altered by divers Acts of Parliament Now were not Justices in Eyer therefore

Justices in Eyre should Try him Why not such a Writ still Since odium which the Lord C. defineth to be hatred and atia malice and Prisoners for those causes are no scanter now than in former times And why not Justices in Eyre made since competent Judges by Commission without Writs to determine such matters which before they could but inquire of by Writs as the Lord C. saith elsewhere though he saith here to try them imployed for that service And now if it be Lawfull for a Judge of the Kings-Bench to determine a debt and to grant an Habeas Corpus for money to bring the Prisoner before him to put in Bail Why should he take money for the Writ and refuse sufficient Bail tendred after Oath made of their sufficiency without the plantiffs consent Nay after acceptation of the Bail Why refuse to File it No Free-man shall be taken Ca 2.9 No Free man c. or imprisoned or be disseised of his Freehold or Liberties or Free Customs or be Outlawed or Exiled or any way otherwise destroyed nor we shall not pass upon him but by lawfull judgement of his Peers or by the Law of the Land we shall sell to no man we shall denie or deferre to no man either Iustice or Right Free-man extends to Villains both Sexes Lord Coke upon Mag. Chart. Fol. 46 c. c. Vpon this Chapter as out of a root many fruitfull branches of the Law of England have sprung It containeth nine several Branches First That no man be taken or imprisoned but by the Law of the Land viz. The Common-Law Statute-Law or Customs of England c. Secondly No man shall be disseised viz. put out of his Freehold that is Land Livelihood or Liberties or free Customs such as belong to him by his free Birth-right unless it be by the lawfull judgement and verdict of his equals or by the Law of the Land that is to speak it once for all by the Due course and proces of the Law Thirdly no man shall be Outlawed or put off the Law viz. Deprived of the benefit of it unless he be Outlawed by the Law of the Land Fourthly No man shall be exiled c. unless according to the Law of the Land Fifthly No man shall be destroyed c. unless by verdict or according to the Law of the Land Sixthly No man shall be condemned c. but by the judgement of his equals or according to the Law of the Land Seventhly We shall sell to no man Justice or right Eighthly We shall denie no man Justice or right And Ninthly We shall deferre no man Justice or Right c. First Expost and Quer. If no man ought to be taken or imprisoned but by the Law of the Land viz. the Common-Law Statute-Law and Customs of England is it not cleared by our Expostulations before upon the 11. Chapter that Debtors are taken and imprisoned in the Kings-Bench contrarie to the Common-Law of England declared by Mag. Chart. contrarie to the chief Statute of England which is Mag. Char. and which the Lord Coke saith should live as was accorded by King and people for ever And contrarie to the Custom of England declared by Mag. Charta and also by the Lord Coke not to extend to the imprisonment of any Debtours but onely the Kings And are not Debtors other than the Kings so imprisoned as well elsewhere as in the Kings-Bench Secondly if no man shall be disseised viz. put out of his Freehold that is to say His Livelihood Liberties or Free-Customs such as belong to him by his Birth-right unless it be by the lawfull judgement and verdict of his equals or by the Law of the Land that is to say once for all by Due course and Proces of Law Are not Debtors disseised of their Livelihood Libertie and Freedom which belonged unto them as their Freehold by Birth right when they are imprisoned in London Westminster or elsewhere by Arrests and Actions for Debt whether due or not upon meer suggestions of Adversaries not so much to Judges as to Catch-pols without any judgement or verdict of their equals and without Due course or Proces of Law which should be Summons Attachment and Distringas before any Arrest as aforesaid Are they not taken in the Countrey from their Ploughs which are their Livelihood and their Countreys and their Freehold by Birth-right by vagant Bum-baylies and imprisoned there till they give bail to appear at Westminster and thence instead of being remanded home to their sweet Farm-houses large fields and industrious Agricultures are they not sent to stinking Goals close dungeons and idle Monk-cels whereby they are allowed little more ground to walk upon while they live than might serve them to lie under when they are dead Are not all the Corporations of England and their free-chosen Officers that should do them justice at home disseised of their Freeholds by Birth-right and Charters before and since Mag. Char. when they are prevented of the administration of justice in execution of their Offices to which they were sworn and heritable successively from their Ancestours by Custom long before Mag. Char. and since confirmed by the same and by Charters dated before and since by Certioraries Habeas Corpus c. before Judgement and pretence of Errors after and though never any proved or assigned yet the causes never remanded but detained at Westminster where the usual correction of pretended Errours is not by making any thing that is crooked straight but all that is straight crooked so that both Plantiffs and Defendants give their titles for lost in a mist commonly but he that hath the wrongfull possession and money holdeth it and he that hath the right and no money goes to his grave without it Are not all the People of England disseised of their Freehold Liberties Franchises and Free customs when they are deprived of that justice which they ought to have administred amongst them at home by virtue of the Kings Writs original for Enquiries and judicial for Determinations directed to Sheriffs of their own choise in their own Counties or Stewards of Hundreds and Court-Barons in their precincts where the Free-holders themselves are Judges themselves by ancient Common Laws and Customs of England before Mag. Char. and by it declared and confirmed unto them as aforesaid Can Writs of trespass executed for debt or Capiases grounded upon counterfeited Originals be construed by any Law to be due Proces of Law Thirdly Are men lawfully Outlawed upon Exigents for debt grounded upon a repealed Statute and are not all Debtors that are Outlawed so Outlawed Are men lawfully Outlawed that are Outlawed upon Exigents grounded upon Summonitus or Non est inventus counterfeitly returned by Attorneys who at the time of the return were no Sheriffs or competent officers and are not all or most Debtors and Trespassers that are Outlawed in London and Middlesex so Outlawed Are men lawfully Outlawed upon any Exigents that are Outlawed without the

Misdemeanours are comprehended all breaches of Magna Char and all Offences against all Statutes in force and concurrent with Mag. Char. and the Petition of Right which all Justices of Peace and Magistrates in their several jurisdictions are Authorized and sworn to hear and determine without fear favour or respect of persons How then to be excused or delayed by any Writ or command of any Superiour And how are the Judges of the Kings-Bench whereof the chief was the Kings Deputy by Writ now Superiour or equal to any other Judges or Justices If that maxim be true moritur Actio cum Personâ But the Office of a Deputy dyeth with its Master as a Letter or Warrant of Attorney with its maker the King-Bench may be spared as well as his person And all causes in this Common-wealth be called Common-Pleas and tryed by the Common Law of the land and Verdicts of common people and Free-holders of every County and Corporation before the Free Judges Magistrates freely chosen by the said Common and Free-People to justifie them at home and not before mercinary makers expounders and sellers of all Lawes and Liberties as they please at Westminster And doth not the said Stat. of 28. Ed. 3. warrant Justices of Peace or any two of them whereof one to be of the Quorum to call and keep Sessions as often as they see need to do justice to their Countrey See the Stat. at large and Cromp. I. P. fol. 112. and F. H. I. P. fol. 10. Whereunto adde That as Magna Charta compriseth all the Law of this land agreed upon by Kings and People and would be read and published in English as aforesaid for the better understanding thereof by all English People to the end that the ignorance of their Law should be not excuse for any of them to transgress it So how needless it is if not pestiferous to have this Common-Law reduced to a private mercinarie Trade or particular science exceeding the seven Liberal by such professours thereof as have and do endeavour to disguise mask and hide it from all but themselves in base French and Latine intricacies and obscurities to the end to make all persons offendors thereof and none excusable but by their resolutions of their own Riddles which are alwaies answerable to their Fees be the cause right or wrong whereby the cure of Law becometh an incurable disease until that superfluous mercinary profession be abolished or regulated so as the best and soundest Lawyers may be used in Parliaments as in former times to sit upon Wol-sacks to answer to what that high Court shall be pleased to aske them and not as members of that Court to make Lawes and Oaths for others which they never observe themselves but for their own gain and the peoples damage To which end they alwaies preamble their inventions against Mag. Char. with titles of Acts for the good of the people when in their subsequents they hurt all but themselves As passing by all former their last Acts for the inlarging of poor prisoners for debt sufficiently witness whereby neither creditor nor debtour are any way relieved but both further entangled and Lawyers Fees more procreated Videat experientia Conclusivè That there can be no firm peace or end of Wars till there be an end of mercinarie professours of Law less needful or useful for Parliaments or People than Bishops or such as might be used there or elswhere for saying or reading prayers while these neither pray preach nor study but their own lucrative magnificence every where upon the peoples purses Adde lastly Such Justices of Peace as will not execute Mag. Char. with its confirmations and the Petition of Right and desert and wave the execution and practice of contradictory Statutes for zeal to their Creatours or fear to be unmade by those that made them ought to be deserted and waved by all good Patriots of their countrey as excommunicated persons and breakers of M. Chà And such onely as will execute Mag. Ch. c. ought to be confirmed by the choise of the People in their Counties respectively whereby they may act as the ancient Conservatours of the Peace did by the Common Law of England before Mag. Char. and since which was to conserve the Peace of England by all necessary means word or sword unlimited by Prerogative Statutes devised by mercinary Lawyers to steal from the People their birth-right Authority in the name of the King unto themselves to sell delay and deny it at their pleasures which to do is apparently contrary not onely to Mag. Char. and the Common Laws of England and also to common reason but chiefly to the divine Providence of God for neither Law Reason nor Divine justice would ordain a man to conserve the publike peace of Gods people which peace as they is his own without giving that man an unlimitable power by which he may execute his Office and without which he cannot FINIS