IT is not unknown (but too notoriously known) to the whole world the abuse of this our once hap­py Kingdome of England, by a mercinary Souldi­ery, and some few mercinary mens wills, whose wills are their Lawes, and what they will (and nothing else) shall be adjudged Law or reason, when indeed all they doe is beyond Law and Reason, the fundamentals of all Government, the breach of Liberty, and restraint of Conscience, forcing men to swear, to forswear them­selves, or else unjustly to forfeit an Estate. And if the question be asked, in whom the legislative power of the [Page 4]Nation at this time resides, no other can properly be so cal­led but the Souldiery, who assume to themselves the Government of all things, doing that they know not what it well meanes, or they pretend to mean that they intend not to do; they seem to act, and not onely seemingly, but actually do act that which the most High is said to do, (that is) to set up Kings or Rulers, and pull them down at pleasure. First a King, then a thing called The Keepers of the Liberty of England (and indeed in one sense they are justly so called for they keep our Liberties from us.) Af­ter that a Protector, and after him another with loud ac­clamations of joy and congratulations of the people to Crown his inaugeration; yet the Souldiery at this is not well pleased, they quickly forget the gifts of mourning, their red coats given them at their Mr. Olivers Funeral, and like the Weather Cock turn with the next wind and depose him (who I verily believe since our unworthiness called the other, I mean the late King Charles of fa­mous memory away to receive a reward beyond an earth­ly Crown, that would have setled (with that so free cho­sen Parliament) the Nation in Peace and Happinesse. But this pleased not their humors neither, he must out or they must down, and he no sooner out but an assump­tion of Government is taken to themselves, but not fine­ding an expedient convenient to their purpose, knowing better how to weild a Sword than a Scepter; after a lit­tle playing with the Government, they resigne it into the hands of those blood-hounds (the Rump) who have been the undoing of the Nation, who must not rule neither long, for they are called in May and dissolved again by the Souldiery in October following; after them comes a pit­tiful Committee of Safety, amongst whom, and of whom it may be said rake Hell and skim the Divel you could not find such a pack of R— two of the chiefest I will not forget to name, Ireton and Tichbourn, alias Tyburn, the last [Page 5]deserving for a hasty sentence by him and others (not many years past) pronounced to be hanged at Tyburn, (and the first named to receive the same punishment at the same place) His name and the name of that fruitful Tree, differen [...]ing onely in two letters, so that I humbly con­ceive it his destiny, which is not so much improbable but a little time may effect: two fellows perfidious, never true to any trust, two that any man may lead to perpetrate any villanies, two of the chiefest Actors in undoing the City, two constant revealors of the City Counsels, two who for a little gain are ready to sell their own souls to the Di­vel, (but I believe they are not now to sell, but rather sold long agoe) two whose actions never agreed with their pretentions; and last of all, two, who accounted themselves Saints from whom (and all such other pre­tended Saints) good Lord deliver me and every honest man.

Next after this Committee of Safety (who sate not long) in came the Rump once more, fellows whose actions are without parrallel in any Nation. Now un­der and by what spetious pretence this Rump Acted as a Parliament, take in generall Termes, which is, That the late King Charles together with the House of Peers, and themselves, did Enact that they should not be adjour­ned, Prorogued, or otherwise Dissolved, unless it were by an Act of their own making, well, grant this, they were called by the Kings Writt, and certainly if all Writts in his name cease at his Decease, they must likewise needs cease to be a Parliament, or if they claime a Po­wer to sit, by vertue of that Act, why the House of Peers secluded? or any of the Members of the House, of Commons, the Act extended as well to one, nay all, as to this Rump: besides, there is not one tittle mention­ed in that Act, to the purpose they Act by; that is, that [Page 6]the King gave them power by vertue of that Act to take upon them the Government of the Kingdoms after his Decease, to take away his own life, seclude the House of Peers, or any of their fellow Members, for the King being Caput principium ad sinem, no man cannot but con­clude, that upon his departing this life the Parliament determined.

But they are pleased still to sit as a Parliament con­trary to all Law, for let any man shew me where ever a Parliament being Dissolved as this legally was by the death of the King, that ever had the impudence to sit and do what they listed, I must confess adjourned of them­selves, or by the King that called them prorogued untill a further time, at which time of meeting the King as he pleases dissolves them. But if they will not acknowledge this a Dissolution you may find one in 1653, for when they understood that Oliver the late Protector was resol­ved to turn them out of Doors (the which he did with a Title befitting them, Rogues and Whore masters) they put it to the Vote whether they should suffer themselves to be turned out, or Dissolve themselves, it past in the affirmative to Dissolve themselves, upon which a Dissolu­tion was recorded not (interruption as they call it) the which if Mr. Scobell their then Clerk durst, he can (if he please) justifie, or the Records themselves if search't would make it evident if these fellows (I mean the Rump) have not alter'd: the rolle, the which no doubt they would not stick to do or make a scruple of, more then their often for-swearing themselves.

Next to bring Oliver and their Power into Competi­tion, they stick and call it (as I said before) an interrup­tion, to which I put this Query, whether Oliver that dissolved them, or they that Acted as a Parliament (when [Page 7]none) had the most & best power, to which I answer, their power was equall alike, though the Rump may urge Oliver receiving his Commission from them ought to have been obedient to their Commands, to which then I an­swer they being called by the Kings Writt (and chosen by the people for their Representatives in Parliament) was the Kings Servants, & by the Oath of Allegiance bound to be faithfull to the King, more then Oliver to them, for they (according to the Law were Traytors, and thereby in­curr'd the penalty of the Law against such offenders in taking away their lawfull Soveraigne which Oliver knew very well, and that it was more lawfull for him to dissolve them, then they to cut off the King's Head, knowing also they were Rebells and Traytors in Acting what they did against the King, therefore no Legall Power but what ever he Acted against them could be no Treason, up­on which a Question here arises, which is, who was Su­preame after the death of the King? to which I answer, not the Rump, nor Oliver, according to our Laws, the Crown being setled Hereditary many Centaries of years before▪ which without doubt ought so still to continue.

But to go further this Rump (as they say) being but in­terrupted and not Dissolved why did not they as well in Olivers time as the Kings time keep up their power; the King demanded but five of their Members, Oliver and the Army under his Command, first gave them a large purge of above two hundred & odd, & afterwards dissolved all, yet the Kings Legall demand of five Members must be voted and adjudged a high breach of the priviledge of Parliament, nay greater then Olivers dissolving all; And if Olivers interruption (as they call it) of them were no dissolution, but only an interruption, why then did they allow of, or contribute too, the payment of any duties whatsoever, and declare to the world that they were [Page 8]under a force, and that the power which dissolved or interrupted them were Illegall, and that if any man paid any duties whatsoever, it was in their own wrong; but they were affraid to lose that which I hope will not be long ere they do lose their Heads, as but just; And if they urge it, was under a force, then likewise from thence do I conclude, That the death of the King, the Dissolu­tion of themselves, the Power we have been and still are governed by, is a force, a meere force, no less, just so, and therefore an Illegall Power. And to add this one thing more, there were Parliaments in Olivers time, and a Parliament in the late Protector Richards time, and if this Rump that now sits as a Parliament were then as they still would be a Parliament, 'tis the weakest reason in the world for any man to say (that because they sate as a Parliament) they only were the supream power, which if it were true that this Rump or pretended Parliament were only (according to Law) ever since the death of the late King the supream power, then they cannot but con­clude but that all the actions of Oliver were Treason, all the Army Traytors, all proceedings in every or any Court ever since Illegall, and most part of the Nation involved in Treason, amongst which number of Traytors (accor­ding to their own made Supremacy and power) a great many of their own gang may be reckoned in the late Com­mittee of Safety, which being true, why ought not those persons to receive the reward of their Treason openly? as their private crimes made them privately guilty of recei­ving condign punnishment.