To His Highness the Lord Protector, and the Parliament of England, &c.

To his Highness the Lord Protector, and the Parliament of England, &c.

Mortal Gods,

THe Eternal Being, without which nothing can be, hath made of one blood all nations of men Act. 17. 26. Men are the off spring of God, v. 29. and made in his own image, Gen. 1. 23. and therefore God said unto our fa∣thers soon after the floud, Whoso sheddeth man•• blood, by man shall his blood b•• sh••d, Gen. 9. 6. Yea, (except in some special cases) bloud must be shed for the bloud of a thief: for he should have lived to make full restitution, Exo. 22. 3. And therefore you ought to be more tender of a mans life, then of matter of estate: and all things what∣soever ye would that men should do to y••u, ye should do even so to them, Mat. 7. 1. And I have so much charity to∣wards you, to hope that you are not void of all huma∣nity, but have some natural aff••ction; so that if any of your children or neer relations through poverty should fall to steal, and happen to be hanged for the value of 13 d. ob (or press'd to death for not ••peaking) it would touch you to the quick. And think you that other mens children and relations are not as dear and precious to them, as yours are to you? And this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 say, not that I allow of theft, nor do I know any of my relations guil∣ty thereof; but only shew unto you the unnatur••lness of the act and fact of putting men to death for simple Theft; that so you may be thorowly sensible and sor∣rowful, and you hearts may be made better, Eccl. 7. ••. You know it's a common thing to arraign men for stealing Horses; a man is hang'd ordinarily for a Mare: for your Law values not a man more then a horse: Is not this a brutish estimation, O ye Heads of Great Britain?

You have sate now above these 40 days twice told,

and passed some Acts for transporting Corn and Cattel out of the Land, and against Charls Stuart's, &c. but (as I humbly conceive) have left undone matters of greater concernment▪ amongst which, the not curbing this o∣ver-much justice in hanging men for Stealing, is one; the not supp••••ssing the Pressing of men to death for not a〈…〉〈…〉ing against them••elves, is ano••her▪ And wh••t th••••k 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of tak••ng awa•• mans life upon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 single testi∣mo••••▪ (especi••lly be••••g for such small m••tte••s c••n you j••stfie the s••me before the great Law giver, who is a∣〈…〉〈…〉e and to destroy? If you cannot, then be as ••ilig••••t to make a thorow Reformation as I have been 〈…〉〈…〉e Solli••i••••••ion.

W•••• ye 〈◊〉〈◊〉 also, that it is a general grievance and open di••grace to the Nation, that the Publick debts are yet un∣paid, although you are deeply engaged by Art. 39. of this present Government? Ye know the Laws are executed with great seve••i••y against Pick-pockets, petty thieves, and silent malefactors, who are press'd to death for hol∣••ing their tongues, and are taken pro confesso: But judg in your selves, Wh••t••••r are the greater sinners, those who steal for meer ••••••••ssity to supply their present wants, or such as defraud the old soldier of his Pay, & the laborer of his hire, and borrow money and not pay again but engage f••ith and promise upon it, give Debenters, Bills and Bonds for it, and establish Securities to satisfie it, and afterwards by force or fraud take it, or suffer it to be taken away again; and yet again binde themselvs by a solemn O••th, as in the presence of God, that the Se∣curities given shall remain firm and good, and not be made void or invalid upon any pretence whatsoever▪ and afterwards neither regard debts nor debtors, but suf∣fer many of them to perish, while justice is bought and sold, and cometh by a drop at a time, and doth not run

down as it ought like a mighty stream: And by swearing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, men break out, and blood toucheth blood. And for these things doth the land ••ourn, Hos. 4. ••. 3.

In the land of Israel there was s••••••i••l prouision made for the poor, the fatherless and the w••dow 〈…〉〈…〉y stranger was ••ot to be forgotten in that land: ••o〈…〉〈…〉 Theft was much more to be punished ••••••n now, 〈…〉〈…〉 Thieves then were not driven to su•••• straits and c••l••¦mities as many now have been and a••e ••••ill here in Eng∣land, (under such rude Forms of Government) by ca••u∣alties, as impotency of body, loss of estates, bad deb••s, like the Publick faith and arreres of souldiers, so much undervalued, as if the High & Mighty States of England were broken. And God then gave free liberty amongst the Jews, for a man to eat his fill of his neighbours field, vineyard, or oliveyard: but by the rustical law of England, men arrest men as tresp••ssers for coming upon their ground, and obtain Judgements against them for Costs, although there is no damage. Such p••actices ••s these disq••iet the Land, create combust••o••s, bring con∣fusions, and procure work for a sort of Villain 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Catchpoles, and employ a company of lascivio••••▪ Lub∣bers, I mean the lying Lawyers, whose h••ads are full of mischief, and their pens dipt in gall and wormwood▪ their tongues are as sharp arrows, their teeth as swords and spears, and their throats open 〈…〉〈…〉 ••••vour and swallow up the poor and needy fro•• 〈…〉〈…〉: These are like a sweeping 〈…〉〈…〉 leaving them a shilling to be a shield of de••ence▪ 〈…〉〈…〉 in their pocket, to encou••••••r with 〈…〉〈…〉 Hunger: and so the poor mens noses are h••ld ••o ••••e Grindstone, and their faces ground away, as may be seen by their countenances: and the Poor's poverty comes to be

their absolute destruction, and swarms of beggers and thieves ingendered in the Common wealth by Pecunia∣〈…〉〈…〉s▪ and the poor mans Suit cannot go on currantly w••••••out money, though his Cause be never so just, but 〈…〉〈…〉e a Lawyer may easily be got to speak twenty 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••••••••st him for 10 s. and cloak his lyes with pre∣t••••••••s of Clyents informations. These things may e••sily be reformed by you, if ye will, O ye men of high degree.

And because you are the Patrons of Englands Statutes, and have power to redress the Grievances which by your Law cannot be redressed without you; I have pre∣sented you with these lines printed in red letters, be∣cause, though Tophet is p••epared of old for Kings, because of their crying crimes; yet Parliaments sins are sins red as scarlet, of a deep and double dye; and they must be accountable to him by whom their Legislative power is limited. Repent therefore, O Parliament of England, and be not as your predecessors the former Parlia∣ments. Parliaments have been Pillars of Popery, Pan∣ders to the Whore of Babylon, abominable Idolators, propagators of Adultery and Covetousness in the Cler∣gie: Parliaments have been Murderers of Saints and sinners; Parliaments have done and undone their self-denying Ordinances, been puff••d up with pride, tyran∣nous towards their inferiours, slavish to their superi∣ours, submi••ting to force against freedom; using pub∣like fraud and private fl••ttery, to the destruction of the people. Therefore whatsoever heavie bu••dens they bound, and grievous to be born, you must unbinde, loos∣ing the b••nds of wickedness, undoing the heavy bur∣dens, and let••ing the oppressed go free, and breaking every yoke, so much as the putting forth of the finger, or speaking vanity.