1. WHether it be not a needfull Testimony of thankfulnesse to God, who hath wrought so happy a change in the Common­wealth, and dissolved a new syranny (become here­ditary) so unexpectedly, so speedily, so easily, and without bloudshed, that the Parliament appointed a solemne Thanksgiving for such a signal mercy recei­ved, both in behalf of the whole people, delivered from so manifest a slavery against all our fundamental Laws, and also in reference to themselves, whom God hath so highly honoured as once more to make them his chosen instruments, and to put into their hands so great an opportunity to make this Nation, with the Dominions thereof, a happy, free, and flourishing Commonwealth?

2. Whether they be not obliged more then ever any other preceding Parliaments were, to chuse and bring into all their Councels, Committees and Offices (Military and Civil) men of unbiast judgements, and unblameable conversations, who have not acted arbi­trarily under the usurped power of a single person in despire of Parliaments. And whether it be not proper for this present Parliament, who changed the Govern­ment [Page 2] from a Kingly to a Commonwealth, to introduce speedily into their steads (who have so shamefully for­saken the Good Old Cause onely) such as would not act in the Councels of Oliver, nor in the Army, or were otherwayes for their fidelity outed of their Com­mands, nay, most arbitrarily casheered, imprisoned, banished, and oppressed in their persons and estates? untill such be rewarded and restored (in all respects) who will not suspect the present power in all their o­ther enterprises, how spacious soever?

3. Whether therefore the present Representative ought not to lay aside in themselves, and zealously to oppose in any of their Members all perpetuation of power, ambitious self-seeking designs (how cunningly soever covered, or contrived) and to have ever in their mindes that precept of our Saviour given expresly to such as should be Christian Magistrates in future ages, whereby he plainly pleads against all Courtly pride and pomp in Christian Governments, as Heathenish and unholy, forbidding them to be like the Kings of the Gentiles, exercising Lordship over the people; to be called Benefactors, Protectors, or by any other such like proud, vain-glorious titles? ye shall not be so, but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the youn­ger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve, Luke 22. whereby is signified the moderation which ought to be in Christian Governors, looking more at their burden, and the discharging of the trust which they have un­dertaken, then any outward Honors or Commands over others, which onely puff up Aspirers, transform­ing them into Parasites and Apostates, Courtiers and Canaanites on the Good Old Cause?

4. And since it hath pleased Almighty God of his mercy so highly to honour our Army (at least the honest Officers and Souldiers in it) as to touch them [Page 3] with a Remorse for their failings, and backslidings from that Good Old Cause, against all Monarchy, Tyran­ny, or usurpation upon spiritual or civil Liberties, to which God by his continual prospering them, and they by their frequent Vows, Remonstrances, and De­clarations have so often born witnesse, and now, also hath given them both grace to confesse openly, and power to make amends for what they have through infirmity done amiss, by restoring the Parliament to their Supream Authority, from whence they were most audaciously, and lawlesly expelled; whether it would not be yet their Christian duty, and worthy of so good beginnings, to examine seriously their own hearts be­tween God and themselves, how they can hope to make their confession of their backsliding appear real, sincere, or sufficient in the sight of God or man, so long as they do not onely not confess withall, and lay open the enormous faults and misdoings, but also extol and magnifie the unhappy memory of their Grand backslider, who either seduc'd, or compelled them to those errors and sins for which they now professe to be so truely penitent?

5. Whether any man who truely hates his sin, can love or praise the memory of him who was not onely the Associate, but the Author thereof? especially con­sidering, that what ever he did worthy of praise, he did before the time of his breach of faith to his Superiors, and whilst he stood fast and fixt to the Good Old Cause, wherein God prospered him; he never since having done any thing from the time of his aspiring to Mo­narchy against his faith and manifest judgement, but lived to his own sorrow and perpetual disquiet, day and night; nay, which is worse, to the sorrow, asto­nishment, and scandal of all good men, (who little ex­pected such things from him) and dying disappointed [Page 4] of his utmost designs, left the State Bankrout of Trea­sure, Honor or Interest, by unprofitable Wars with­out advice of Parliament, and the Commonwealth im­poverished by decay of Trade; and lastly, the Army deprived of many faithfull Officers (yet too honest (for ought we finde) to be taken in) reduced to those Arrears which they themselves complain of in their late Representation, such as they never felt, nor are like to feel under the liberal pay of a free Common­wealth, if God in mercy, and men in Justice vouchsafe to make us such?

6. Whether it were not an Act of prudence in the Parliament, becoming true Statesmen, to look back up­on the Records and Examples of former ages, what hath been done heretosore by Nations or Common­wealths delivered from Tytanny, to their Tyrants li­ving or dead, to their Memory, Posterity, and Relati­ons; to the Tarquins, to Manlius Capitolinus in Rome, one­ly for affecting Monarchy, though before he had saved the Capitol and their Gods from the Gauls. What turned Collatinus further off his Consulship into banish­ment? fell it not thus forth in the free State of Flo­rence, with Cosmus the first founder of Tuscan Tyranny? As the Commonwealth of Greece highly honored such as suffered for their Countrey, so did she not (on the contrary) not onely deprive such of all place and power, but also deeply punish all Tyrants and Trai­tors to the Supream power of our Soveraigne Lords the people? did they not thus serve Catiline and his Crew of deceitfull Senators? thus Millain served the Swissers: thus the Hollanders, in the infancie of the Belgick freedom, served their Parasites and Apostates, striving to strangle their Liberties by conspiracies and complots. How [...]ared Themistocles, Miltiades, Cumillus Coriolanus, &c. for their over-ingrossing of power? [Page 5] what became of others, whose statues were tumbled down, and whose bones and dust was tost into Tyber? and marked with other ignominies?

7. To do by their example in such a manner, is it not a duty incumbent upon us (rather then to reward their infamy with our own reproach in their remain­ders) so as no ambitious Hireling hereafter may pre­sume upon the like Apostacy, by hoping that either himself shall escape punishment dead or living, or that his posterity at last shall go away with good rewards for his Treason and Treachery, which to this man and his family hath for ever blotted out the memory of his former merits?

8. Lastly, is it not a happy presage of a publick spirit, where a people are zealous and jealous in pur­suance of their publick Liberties, in not permitting any such growth of power as may probably or possibly supplant it? And seeing the least error or male admi­nistration of Government, is, or ought not to be easily forgiven, how stands it us upon for the future to take Tyranny by the foretop; to consider our Counsellors elected, and our good old Martial Officers rejected? Have not the late practises of notable and abominable memory, taught us to trace Tyranny forth of one form into another? in this sense ought we not to eye sub­stances before shadows, lest swerving from the Rules of a free State, or through ignorance of the principles thereof, we appear unarmed against the Rapes of old, and up-start Aspirers, or Monsters of mankinde, cove­ting to consume their Countrey?