QUest. What is your Name?

Ans. Reformation— A blessed one.

Quest. Who gave you that name?

Ans. The Parliament. A blessed one.

Quest. What did the Parliament then for you?

Answ. They did promise and vow three things in my name. First to maintaine the true Ancient, Catho­licke, and Apostolicke Religion. Se­condly [Page 2] 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 believe and the Parliament to doe as they have promised for thee?

Ans. 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, & make the Covenant a very stalking horse to all their designes, blinding the people with specious pretences one­ly.

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

Ans. No verily, but violated every particlar branch thereof.

Quest. What texts have you to prove that?

Answ. Their severall apocryphall [Page 3] 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?

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

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

Answ. Truly no, but rather to de­stroy all possible hopes of it, and the very Covenant it selfe: which is im­possible to keepe, for if the Scottish Presbiterie be allowed to be the best, & we confirme, and establish that forme [Page 4] of Government we confound the se­cond Article, which is to preserve the King in his just Prerogatives. Monar­chy (his due) and Presbiterie being in­compatible, and altogether inconsi­stent, nor can the libertie of the Sub­ject be at all maintained, where an u­surping power challengeth the privi­ledge to exercise Tyranny over the very consciences of freeborne Sub­jects.

Quest. Is not the King defended in his Royall Person and his just Preroga­ [...]tves?

Answ. Yes indeed as well as Collonel Whalyes 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?

Answ. The Kings owne conditions are extreamely good, but he stands in a very bad condition, being in the na­ture, [Page 5] and extremitie of a Prisoner.

Quest. Is the King a Prisoner?

Answ. 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 Libertie of the Subject maintained?

Answ. The Priviledge of Parlia­ment, hath confounded the Libertie of the Subject, and the Libertie of the Subject, destroyed the Priviledge of Parliament.

Quest. Is it not then a free Parlia­ment?

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

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

Answ. 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 Tyranny and oppression it suffers, and the feare, otherwise of an inevitable second warre, &c. The Hou­ses consisting of two severall irrecon­cileable Factions; the weaker and op­pressed will be alwayes plorting and practising to maintaine and support their reputation in the Countrey, which shall ever be preserved in their ancient ignorance, to their owne un­doing and confusion.

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

Answ. Truly little, for now, that Party prevailing in the House) the Army hath an Authority and Vote to [Page 7] countenance all their Actions, which otherwise might have beene Questio­ned; So they will preserve mutually each other, to the destruction of us all.

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

Answ. None, for if Liberty of Con­science be allowed; there will be no use of Forme or Prescription for Church Discipline.

Quest. Why are they not dismissed, without further trouble to themselves and us.

Answ. 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 Parliament as much o­therwise; they are well contented to di­vide the Spoyle. The Parliament bor­rowes conscience from the Synod, the [Page 8] 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 & Kingdom.

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

Q. You speake as if there were a pro­bability of resistance, if they should ma­ligne the King, or infest the Subject. 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 Kingdom are intent and fixt on the King, and looke upon him, as the onely unjustly [Page 9] suffering and injured Party, crucified betweene two 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 growne burthensome and intollerable, so that their continued sufferings will force them to shake off their tameness, and rouze up thoughts thirsty of re­venge.

Q. If the Army have good inten­tions, as they have plausible pretences, what meanes this cruel 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 [Page 10] of being ill, that they meere­ly pursue designes of their owne interests, without reflecting on the great concernment of King and Kingdome, that by their slow 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.

Quest. Which is the best and [Page 11] readiest way to procure and establish our constant, durable Peace and happinesse?

Answ. The most certain, and infallible way is to referre all to his Sacred Majestie, offer him innocent and spotlesse hearts, white and unblotted Paper; Hee writes a faire hand, let him im­print his owne conditions, and that is the way to perpetuate our blisse, ye doe violence on his modestie far, but doing our Du­ty, would so overcome him, that he would not aske so much as we ought, and should most chearfully submit to him.