1. WHether Parliaments heretofore have not been the Darlings of the people, and whether at preſent they are not the Starvelings of the Nation?

2. Whether the Parliament hath either bettered the Church and State, or made them worſe (under the umbrage of reformation) ſince their putting down of Kingſhip, Peers and Prelates?

3. Whether of late they have not made all the Counties in England their enemies, in rejecting their Petitions and Addreſſes to them for a Free Parliament, and whether it be not againſt Law, Reaſon and the ancient Cuſtome of England, to debarr the Counties and ancient Boroughs of their free choyce of Knights and Burgeſſes by limiting them with Qualifications?

4. Whether this way of Qualifications be not of the ſame nature with that of Richard the ſecond, who made choyce of ſuch members for a Parliament as fuited to his own ends and pleaſure, and on the regret and diſlike of the people, guarded and defended his packt Parliament Viris armatis et ſagittarij, garded them with armed men and Archers?

5. Whether the Lawes enacted by a confined Parliament, can either by Law or reaſon, oblige the people to obey them, when as they ſhall be debarr'd the freedom of their Elections, ſiince 'tis their Birth-right to chuſe their own Laws, by their Reſpreſentative?

6. Whether this way of Qualification and debarring the Natives of thei juſt Rights, will not be a furtherance of the encreaſe of our diſtractions, and in the concluſion bring all to confuſion?

7. Whether on theſe our diſtractions and diſagreements, it may not invite Charles Stewart (as they call him) to come in with a forreign Army, and to Land his forces in ſundry places as in the year 1600, Don John de Aquila did Ireland; the more to diſtract the Queens forces, as at Kings-ſayle, Baltimore and Ben Haven?

8. Whether then he will not find ten for one that will ſide with him, and whether then many of the Parliaments Souldiers will not revolt from them, & adhere to him?

9. Whether then the Parliament will find any of their old faſt friends, which lent them their Money and Plate on the Publick Faith, which they never reſtored, or any of thoſe, that all along the late war aſſiſted and ſtood cloſe unto them, to the loſſe of all they had, yet never got any reparation, other then ſlights and ſcorn, neither a groat more then out of old Olivers private purſe, and that alſo taken away from poor wounded and maimed Souldiers, ſufferers and redeemed ſlaves, whilſt many of theſe which now do, and will fit at the Helm, have inricht themſelves beyond reaſon and meaſure?

10. Whether as the affaires of ſhe Nation are now carried on, there are any hopes of better times.

11. Whether, as concerning the Church, there is any expectation of bettering it, ſince by thoſe Commiſſioners authorized by the Parliament to put out all • candalous and deboiſt Miniſters, they have thruſt out too many Pious and Orthodox Divines, and plac'd ignorant Sectaries, and illiterate Mechanicks in their rooms, and many Churches left without any man, either to teach, preach or pray; and the moſt conſiderable Livings let out by the Commiſſioners to their Sonns or friends and ſervants, at the fifth part or leſſe then the yearly value, and yet no accompt given to the State whereby not ſo little as 100000 li. hath been purs'd up in ſilence, which would, and may yet ſerve for payment of the Souldiers, would the Parliament look into it in time.

12. Whether a ſtander-by, may not ſometimes ſee more then they which play the Game; and then whether it be ſeditious to tell the Gameſters wherein they play'd amiſs?

13. Whether then, in ſuch caſes, it be Fellony or Treaſon publickly to declare the willfull errours of a few, or ſuch as will not be told of their faults, eſpecially when they concern a multitude, even the Peace and ſafety of the Nations?

14. Whether it ſuits with Juſtice, that my Lord Craven ſhould looſe all his Lands, when his greateſt delinquency lyes in the greatneſs of his Eſtate?

15. Whether it ſuits with Juſtice, that Sir John Stowell (though a moſt notorious Delinquent) ſhould not have the benefit of his Articles on the taking in of Exceſtter, ſince the very Heathens evermore made good their faith given to an enemy?

16. Whether it was not high ingratitude in thoſe that have villified the parts and perſon of the late Protector Oliver, both before his death and ſince, who as all men knows, was the only inſtrument (under God) to reduce the three Nations to peace and quietneſs: as alſo to diſgrace, diſhonour and diſtrengthen both his worthy Sons?

17. Whether this Parliament hath not of late years, and after they had quitted themſelves of the late Kings power, under pretence of ſupplying the Church with able and Pious Mimſters, by Tryars of partial ſpirits, admitted & approved of ſundry men of no great merit, refuſing ſuch (though learned and Pious men) as have been legally preſented by their Patrons, whereby the very Inheritance of divers Nob • emen and Gentlemen, who anciently have had Jus Patronatus, a Right by Law belonging to their Lordſhips, have been debarr'd of the tight of their Repreſentatives?

18. Whether in Mr. Henry Miles his Caſe, and Propoſition preſented to • o the Parliament, for a Regiſter to be choſen in every County, for Regiſtring •… l Contracts, Sales of Lands, Leaſes for years or Lives, in their reſpective Counties, at the doors of the Inhabitants, and at the tenth part of the charge, he Vendors pay for their Inrowlment at London, and thoſe County Regiſters very Tearm ordered to ſend up a Tranſcript of all the Contracts, &c. to the Grand Regiſter at London, where there, as alſo in the Countrey, ſearch might have been made, &c. for avoiding of all fraud and Covin, &c. and the ſaid granted to the ſaid Myles under the Broad Seal of two Kings, approved by two Lord Keepers, two Atturney Generalls, and all the Judges of the Land: and the ſame well reliſht, and approv'd in Parliament, as alſo the perſons choſen for the execution thereof by the Parliament, to be only ſuch as had ſuffered much in the late War. And yet notwithſtanding this ſetrlement, the whole work (ſo beneſicial to all the Nation, ſo much approved, by the Votes of Parliament) blanck'd, caſt aſide, and ſtopt by one Lawyers only means?

19. I ſay again, without ſcandal, or any ſeditious thought, but only to move the faulty to amendment, Whether Parliaments as well as Kings may not be told of their faults, eſpecially at ſuch a time and ſeaſon as this is, wherein the Univerſal people ſtand • gazing what may be the ſad iſſue of our preſent diſtempers, diviſions, and diſtractions?

20. Whether it were civil or handſome to quarrel and affront the City, in pulling down their Gates and Portculliſles, and impriſoning ſome of their Aldermen and Common-Counſel-men, who in their greateſt diſtreſſe, Ient them ready money, Plate and Jewels, and ſupplyed them with men and their beſt aſſiſtance?

21. Whether Kings or other Princes, aſſuming abſolute power to themſelves without any to controule them in their exorbitances, as the Roman Senate had their Tribunes, and the great Court of Arragon which over ruled them in their extream actings, be not moſt neceſſary to be put in practiſe in a Free-State and Common-wealth.

22. Whether the preſent Remnant of a few Parliament Members of the old and illegal Aſſembly, ought in Law or Reaſon, to aſſume to themſelves an abſolute power over the three Nations, without a King, a Protector, the Nobility, or ſome partner with them in the Government, that may qualifie that their aſſumed power?

23. Whether on ſuppoſition, that the Counties and Burroughs chuſe, and elect any of the ſecluded Members for filling up a Free Parliament, the remnant of the old Parliament can or ought in reaſon except againſt theſe ſo choſen?

24. Whether that Kingdom or Nation can be ſafe and ſecure, where a King, or a few ſhall aſſume the ſole and abſolute power of Gouernment unto themſelves, without ſome one or other Partner that may controule them on all Juſt occaſions? And laſtly, quaritur on due conſideration, Whether a mixt Government (as ever it hath been in England) will not be the beſt, ſafe and ſecure Government for this Nation, and all others.

25. Whether the preſent doubling of the Taxes on the univerſal Nation, will not bring the Parliament into an Odium altiſſimum, make them hateful to the whole Nation, whereas legally and with eaſe, they may raiſe within two Months, not ſo little as a Million out of that wherein they have been moſt notoriouſly couſened and deceived, were theypleaſed to hearken to the diſcovery?

26. Whether, as concerning that regreet and diſlike which all the Nation take, againſt that abſolute and Arbitrary Power of ſome few, which at preſent aſſume the ſole power of Government to themſelves, ſo anarke and hateful to the Univerſal people, may not be regulated and ballanced by ſetting up again the Lords Houſe, and that all the Nobility of the 3 Nations, may be aſſembled to ſit, Act and Vote, as they in their own houſe anciently have done, in a Full and Free Parliament; whereby the Government may return into a mixture of Government, ſince Kingſhip, Single perſons, and proud Prelacy are laid aſide, that ſo the preſent remnant of the old Parliament, may gain the laſt love and reſpect of the whole Nation; eſpecially. ſince it appears not to any man of reaſon and reading, wherefore the Nobility and Barons of the Land, ſhould be excluded out of the great Council, which in all ancient times, have withſtood the Arbitrary Power of our Kings, and recovered the ancient Laws of the people, even Magn Carta, and Carta de forreſta, as in many preſidents its apparent, amongſt which this one only we ſhall here inſert, as the Record every where extant manifeſts. Henry ſirnamed Bew-cleark, youngeſt ſon to William the conquerour, ſtaving off all Parliaments which might and would croſs him in his deſign to Rule at will and pleaſure, after 15 years of their diſcontent the Lords enforced him at laſt to call a Parliament, at Salsbury, where he was compel'd to reſtore unto the people their old Laws, the Record runs thus: Legam Edwardi vobis reddo, cum illis emendationibus, quibus poter meus eam emendavit Concillio Baronum ſuorum. I reſtore unto you the Laws of King Edward, as they were amended by my father by the Council of his Barons. Hence we may ſee the power and uſe of the Bartons of thoſe times, and in ſundry other Reigns how couragiouſly they ſtood up, & oftentimes fought for the Liberties & Freedoms of the people. Why now, and in theſe times they ſhould be put down, and excluded from the great Council as uſeleſs, is paſt many wiſe mens underſtanding; eſpecially by an inconſiderable number of the lower, or middle ſort of the people; but rather admitted as we have before ſaid, for the ballancing of arbitrary power, aſſumed by an inconſiderable number, in reſpect of a Full and Free Parliament?

27. Whether the Parliament in the late war, did not raiſe their Forces againſt the Kings arbitrary Power; And whether at preſent they aſſume not to themſelves an abſolute and Supream power over the 3 Nations.

28. And laſtly, Whether in theſe times of diviſions, diſtractions & Factions, they do take into their conſideration that of Solomon viz. Oppreſſion makes a wiſe man mad? And whether there is not a kind of ambitious madneſs amongſt thoſe which ſaid (as is reported) they would fire the City when they could not obtain ſo much mony as they demanded on Lo • n?