Quest. WHat is your name?

Answ. Reformation—A blessed one.

Quest. Who gave you that name?

Answ. The Parliament. A blessed one.

Quest. What did the parliament then for you?

Ans. They did promise and vow three things in my name. First, to maintaine the true, Ancient, Catholick, and Apostolicke Religion. Secondly, to defend his Majesties Royall Person in his just Preroga­tives. Thirdly, to preserve the Priviledges of Parliament, and the li­berty of the Subject.

Quest. Dost not thou thinke that thou art bound to beleeve and the Par­liament to doe as they have promised for thee?

Answ. Yes verily, charity obligeth me to beleive no Parliament can be so damn'd, as to take an oath, with intention and resolution to breake it, and make the Covenant a very stalking horse to all their designes, blinding the People with specious pretences only.

Quest. Hath the Parliament truly and faithfully kept their Cove­nant?

Answ. No verily, but violated every particular branch thereof.

Quest. What texts have you to prove that?

Answ. Their severall apocriphall orders, and ordinances extant, which at pleasure they vote, and unvote, doe, and undoe as they see occasion to the necessitating and undoing of us all.

Quest. Is not the true Religion established and maintained according to the best reformed Churches of Christendome?

Ans. No indeed, but the best Reformed Church of Christendom is deformed, by irreverently forcing her to conforme to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Kirke of Scotland.

Quest. Dost thou not believe thou art bound by the Covenant, stedfastly to labour and earnestly endeavour the setling of Presbyterie in this King­dome?

Ans. Truly no, but rather to destroy all possible hopes of it, and the very covenant it selfe: which is impossible to keep, for if the Scottish Presbiterie be allowed to be the best, and we confirme, and establish that forme of Government we confound the second Article, which is to preserve the King in his just Prerogatives. Monarchie (his due) and Presbiterie being incompatiable, and altogether inconsistent, nor can the libertie of the Subiect be at all maintained, where an usurping power challengeth the priviledge to exercise Tyrannie over the very consciences of freeborn Subjects.

Quest. Is not the King defended in his royall Person, and his just Pre­rogatives?

Answ. Yes indeed, as well as Colonell Whallyes Regiment can defend him, and of his just Prerogatives as yet, he enjoyes just nothing.

Quest. How is the condition of the King then good or bad?

Ans. The Kings own conditions are extreamly good, but he stands in a very bad condition, being in the nature and extremitie of a Pri­soner.

Quest. Is the King a Prisoner;

Ans. Certainly not so free as he ought to be, amongst those many high, and just Prerogatives of a King, he enjoyes not the liberty of a Subject to goe where he pleaseth.

Quest. How is the priviledge of Parliament and Liberty of the Subject maintained?

A The priviledge of Parliament, hath confounded the Libertie of the Subject, and the liberty of the Subject, destroyed the Priviledge of Parliament.

Quest. Is it not then a free Parliament?

A. The parliament is free enough to give to themselves what they take from us, but no free Parliament.

Q. Is it not very just and reasonable, that this present Parliament should be dissolved?

A. No expectation of peace and happinesse without the dissolution of this most dissolute Parliament, and it should be the desire and reso­lution of the whole Kingdome, to free it selfe from the tyrannie and oppression it suffers, and the feare, otherwise of an evitable second war, &c. The Houses consisting of two severall irreconcileable Factions; the weaker and opressed will be alwayes plotting and practising to maintaine and support their reputation in the Country, which shall ever be preserved in their ancient ignorance, to their own undoing and confusion.

Q. What hopes have you, that the Army according to promise, and just ex­pectation will dissolve this Parliament.

A. Truly little, for now, that Partie prevailing in the House, the Army hath an Authoritie and Vote to countenance all their Actions, which otherwise might have been questioned; So they will preserve mutually each other, to the destruction of us all.

Q. What necessity is there for the Synod to sit longer?

A. None, for if Libertie of Conscience be allowed; there will be no use of forme or priscription for Church Disciplince.

Q Why are they not dismissed, without further trouble to themselves and us?

A. There is a mysterie, in that they serve for better use to the Par­liament. The Synod hath in Sequestration Church livings, to the va­lue of six hundred thousand pounds yearly comming in. The Parlia­as much otherwise; they are well contented to devide the spoyle. The Parliament borrowes conscience from the Synod, the Synod derives law from the Parliament.

Q. Will the long deluded People endure this long, which conduceth not to the good, but ruine of the King and Kingdome?

A. Certainly no, nor can it be long safe for those, that thus impri­son, and enthrall the King, captive and enslave the Kingdome, that will not be longer subject to the usurpation and controlement of fel­low Subiects.

Q You speake as if there were a probabillitie of resistance, if they should maligne the King, or infest the Subiect. What power could any obtaine to op­pose and impede their designes, they having posest themselves, of that ever fa­mous, and memorable City of London, the Navy at Sea, and maintaining a powerfull Army at Land?

A. The eyes of the whole Kingdome, are intent and fixt on the King, and looke upon him, as the only uniustly suffering and injured Partie, crucified between to Factions. The Army by not executing their pretences, and not perfecting their promises, hath contracted a generall hate; and by delaying the Kingdomes peace, and welfare (which depends altogether on the Kings happinesse and safety) are grown burthensome and intollerable, so that their continued sufferings will force them to shake off their tamenesse, and rouze up thoughts thirsty of revenge.

Q. If the Army have good intentions, as they have plauceable pretences, what meanes this cruell delay? why is not the King setled, Prisoners of warre released, the Parliament dissolved; and the Army disbanded?

A. Their tedious delayings, draw their intentions into a suspect of being ill, that they meerly pursue designes of their own interests, with­out reflecting on the great concernment of King and Kingdome, that by their flow motion they gaine the advantage of reducing the whole Kingdome, under the power and command of the Army, which they will never be able to compasse, for if they reflect on their present state there is a division in their Army (as well as in the Houses of Parlia­ment) which cannot be cemented but in the King, the proper Center where we must meet and agree in.

Q. What is the best and readiest way to procure and establish our constant durable Peace and happinesse?

A. The most Certaine and infallible way is to referre all to his Sacred Maiestie, offer him innocent and spotlesse hearts, white and nnblotted Paper. He writes a faire hand, let him imprint his own conditions, and that is the way to perpetute our blisse, ye doe violence on his modestie far, but doing our dutie, would so overcome him, that he would not aske so much as we ought, and should most chearfully submit to him.