WHether it is not Blasphemy in a high degree, to attribute to God the contradictious imaginations which arise in mens minds through the Temptations of Satan, working with their ambitious and covitious desires, to say that God has set such things upon their hearts, though contrary to the written word of of God, and Principles of Law and Reason, the only guides of all so­ber English-men in all actings both as men and Christians? And whe­ther this has not been the constant course of some Enthusiasts, or pre­tenders to immediate inspiration in the Army, and especially the ring­leaders of this late Rebellion against the Parliament, viz. Lambert, Packer, Creed, &c. For did they not say in the year 1653, when they met at the Cock-pit to seek God, That he had set it upon their hearts to dissolve (as they call'd it) the long Parliament; and in the same year, they pretended that God had set it upon their hearts to call the little Juncto, which call'd it self a Parliament; and in the latter end of the same year, they pretended to seek God again, and then they said, God had set it upon their hearts for to put the Government of the Nation upon their General Oliver Crumwel, whom they called a Protector by an Instrument of Government made by themselves, as Oliver himself upbraided them, eight of them having the making of the said Instrument, Lambert some time after carrying the Sword before him at the Instalments; & they met in the year 54 at St. Jameses, & told us they had 4 things set upon their hearts, as the Fruit of their seeking God three daies, one of which was the necessity of Successive yearly Parliaments; But finding themselves pretty warm, and well at case till 1659, at which time Richard's Parliament began to question their good Penny-worths that they had purchased, and they saw their Inte­rest began to decay, and some of them like to be questioned for their Arbitrary and Tyrannical Actions, done in their Protectors time, then they sought God again, as they said, and repented, and took shame to themselves, and then God set it upon their hearts (as they said, to in­vite all the Members of the Parliament that were interrupted the 20th of April 53 to sit again, who they averr in their invitation, were the [Page 2]Asserters of the Good Old Cause, in whose hands God made it to pro­sper, and that if they would be pleased to return to the diicharge of their Trust committed to them, they would stand by them, according to their duty, that they might sit in safety.

After the victory which God gave the Parliaments Army (as Lam­bert in his Letters called them) over Sir Geo [...]ge Booth, by taking away the Hearts and Resolutions of the Enemys, so that the contest was so small, and the opposition of Booth's party so weak, that not above two men (that ever we heard of) were kill'd on the Parliaments party, so that the victory seemed rather from Heaven then from men; After this they say, they sought God at Darby, what they should do to im­prove that victory, and then they say, he set it upon their hearts to of­fer those Proposals to the Parliament which were sent up from the Northern Brigade to Fleetwood, which (when the Parliament having knowledge of it) did not well rescent; but some Officers or London put the said Proposals into another form, and presented it to the Par­liament, which whilst it was under consideration, they again pretended that God set it upon their hearts, that a Letter subscribed by 9 Grand Officers of the Parliaments Army, should be sent with a Copy of the Proposals to each Regiment in the three Nations, inviting all the Soul­diers to subscribe them, that so, if God did not set it upon the Parlia­ments hearts, to give them an Answer suitable to their ambitious de­sign, the whole Army might be by them drawn in, and engaged to force the Parliament. Whereupon the Parliament, having the Letter aforesaid brought into the House, to put a stop to this dangerous de­sign, Voted the Commissions of those 9 Subscribers void; Whereup­on they pretended, that God set it upon their hearts to interrupt the Parliament again. And because they would put all good people out of hopes that ever there should be a reconciliation betwixt them and the Parliament, (which was then propounded by many well-affected persons in and about the City of London, as the only expedient in their understanding to prevent more blood-shed) they met about the 15 of October in VVhite-hall Chappel, and repented that they had invited this Parliament to sit again, and of all their former Repentances. Thus attributing all their Contradictions, hypocritical Actions, Re­bellions, Self-seekings, to the immediate Inspiration of the God of Righteousness, Truth, Constancy, Order, with whom there is no shaddow, of turning or change.

But whether it is not the God of this World, the Prine that rules in the Aire of Covetous and Ambitious minds, that promses his Wotship­pers the Kingdomes of this world, and the Pompes and Glories thereof, that has set all these contradictuios things upon the Officers hearts, let all sober Christians judge. And it were well if these late Officers of the Army and their Accomplices, would for their own Souls sake lay to heart ere it be too late, and seriously consider, that God will not be mocked, nor the people deluded, as the Scripture of God assures, and all the reason in the world confirmes.

Whether it is not the most rediculous non-sence that ever was heard of, that they who in their representations of October the 5th, confessed the Army was the Parliaments Army, and themselves their faithfull Servants, and in their Proposals of April the 15th, called them the supreame Authority of the Nation, and upon that account took their Commissions from them, that these men I say, should in their late Pamphlet call'd the Armies Declaration (the greatest abuse that ever was offered to the Army, that a few Officers should put out things of such nature in the name of the honest Soldiers of the three Nations) make it their chiefe charge against their Master the Parlia­ment, that they would have made the said Officers of the Army subject to them; as if it were a crime to expect subjection from their hired Servants.

Whether the Officers of the Army: (viz) those lately Cashired, and their accomplices calling all their Papers the Papers of the Army, and presuming the whole Soldiery of the three Nations to be engaged in all their Ambitious Actions and quarrells doth not plainly declare that the said great Officers account the inferior Officers and Soldiers to be their menial Servants, Lackeys, and Gromes, to whom they give Housing, Food, and Cloathing, whereby they are oblig'd implicitly to espouse all their Lords and Masters quarrells, as the manner of Servants is to do right or wrong.

And whether these great Officers thus thinking, do not abuse them­selves and their Brethren the inferior Officers and Soldiers, who are only Servants to the Common-wealth and their Parliament, from whom they have their Pay, and from whom they may expect lawfull preferment.

Whether it is not a thing Incongreuous to say, and scarce Imagina­ble to think that Gen. Monck should bring in the King, or be for his Interest, as some would maliciously Insinuate, seeing he hath alwayes [Page 4]as well as now been true to the trust Committed to him, and never was so forward to set up a Single Person as these men which have now Interrupted the Parliament in Octob. 12 59. who were the men which contrary to all Vowes, Covenants, Promises and Ingagements, did set up the late Tyrant Oliver Cromwell, and his Son Richard. And whe­ther Gen. Monck hath not given a sufficient testimony to all the World, that he is against the Kings Interest, for when Sir George Booths party was up, he caused all the Lords and great men in Scotland to take an Oath, not to stir for, or in the behalf of the King, and hath now againe Ingaged them to stand by the Parliament.

And is it not great Folly and Madness to think that these nine men which were once Officers of the Army, and their Confederates who have now violently thrust out the Parliament, should reforme our Lawes, and take away Tithes, or do us any good who have already laid violent hands upon that fundamentall Law, which of all other is the most ease and greatest security to the people, that is to say the Act againe asserted or made by this Parliament, Octob. 11th, 59. (viz) that no money should be Levied but by consent in Parliament, which indeed is not a new Law, but that old Fundamentall Law which all our Parliaments have asserted and the late King in the Petition of Right confirmed, and all our Fore-Fathers have challenged it as their Indube­table Right, that no money should be Levied on them upon any pre­tence whatsoever, without consent in Parliament, by which Law, and by no other meanes our Estates are secured from all Tyrants; And no King or Single Person though the greatest Tyrant that ever was set over us durst presume to violate that old standing Law, and hence it was that Cromwell (though he and his Confederates were in their hearts against Parliaments) yet they was fain to call pretended Parliaments to get them money of the people, and indeed riches were an Intollerable burthen, if the Possessors were not the Master thereof, and allow any in supream Authority but the Power or Right to take a penny without consent in Parliament, and they may if they please take a pound and by the same rule ten pounds, & so all that any man hath and the people have no way to releive themselves, but by the Sword of Military Justice.

But had these nine men which the Parliament voted out of Commission, and these their Confederates that are in Commission still in the Army power to Abollish Lawes, and a mind to do the people any good, they would first have Abollished those Lawes which were grievous to the people, the Law by which the Lords [Page 5]of Manners vex the poor people of England, and the Law for Excise and new Impost, and such other Lawes, by which the Persons and Estates of men are prejudiced, but instead of so doing they have pretended to Abolish and have declared that Law voyd, by which the peoples purs is eased, and there Estates secured from being at the Wills of Usurpers. Oh blind Souls which cannot see that these men do but flatter us with good words, and fair promises of good things, and in the mean time they do us all the evil they can. But one thing is very observable in these men, when they declare against our good Lawes they are peremp­tory, but when they talk of doing us good, then its doubtfull whether they can or not; and therefore they tell they will do their indeavour to reform the Law; suppose they should presume to give Lawes that might seem good, yet should we accept of any thing at their hands, we should therein make our selves slaves for ever. Some say that if we receive any thing of the Devil, though it be but the worth of a pin, we make our selves his slaves forever; Whether that be true or not yet I am sure, if we should receive any Lawes of these men, or own them for our Masters once, we should therein make our selves slaves to them for ever.

Whether the Warr with the King and the contest which the Par­liament had with Sir George Booth and his party was upon any other account then this that they denyed the Parliament to be the Su­preame Authority of the Nation, and that the Parliament only had the dispose of the Militia, and of the Purss of the Nation, and that none had power to make or Abolish Lawes, but the Supreame Authority of the Nation (viz) the Parliament.

In all which Wars these men and their Confederates served the Parliament in Asserting these things; And do they not now stand con­demned in their own Consciences whilst they do the contraty things, According to that of the Apostle, Rom. 2.1. therefore you are In-ex­cusable O men, which have fought against the King and his party, Sr. George Booth and his party, and yet do the same things your selves; dare you slay thousands, sire Townes, destroy Familyes, and all to as­sert the Parliaments power, to despose of the Militia, and to make and Abolish Lawes, and da [...]e you now fight against the Parliament, sure the Judgment of God according to truth is against you which commit such things, Rom. 2.2. but I know you are Scripture proof, who have [Page 6]forsoken the Laws of God and Reason, Nature and Nations, and fol­low the sudden rash figments of your own brains, and call it the lea­dings of Gods providence, because you had not half an hours time to consider, and resolve upon the Treason and rebellion committed a­gainst the Parliament, Oct. 13.59. as if Traytors and Rebels were the more to be commended, because they do their business quickly. See your Letter Oct. 29. to General Monk, and the Officers in Scotland, 2. Papraph. 3.4. Laines.

Whether it's not great madness and folly to believe the promises of these men now, whose present actions are contrary to all the Promi­ses, Engagements, Oaths and Declarations that ever they made in their lives; yea contrary to the Solemn Promises made when they received their Commissions of the Parliament.

Whether its safe for the Commissioners of the Fxcise or Custom, or any Treasures of the Nation to part with any mony to Lambert, and his party, seeing all men know they have not power to demand a penny, or authority to command on man, their Commissions being taken away by Authority of Parliament; yea by the same authority of Parliament, which gave them and all other men the Authority by which they act as servants of the Common-wealth.

Good people keep your Money, and then no body will care for, (or strive) to be Lords over you.

Whether such Commissioners of Excise and Custom, will not be in as much danger as Packer, and the rest of them that were partys in that conspiracy, and to suffer as Rebels and Traytors or at least to repay the mony out of their own Estates again, which they pay at their com­mand?

Why the Queries signed by VVill. Clark Secretary, and the other Papers, as the Declarations and Letters from Gen. Monck may not be seen and understood by the honest people in the City, that if they be good we may adhere unto them, if bad we may bear our Testimony a­gainst them?

And whether the Lieutenant of the Tower will not fall under the same condemnation of high Treason, if he shal furnish them with Arms and Amunition?

Thus have we discovered by these Queries, the spirit of the men of this age, who have presumed to put the examples of heathen Soul­diers in rebellion, And yet pretend to be Christians in Religion.