no power either from God or Man to change or act any thing in the Government without his Majesties Consent and that no new Law can be made without the Concurrence of the Royall Power And whethes in this Querie our Author doth not slily incite the People to Rebellion by insinuating â—â—to them the Doctrine of Iuspopuli or that they have a farther power of securing themselves that is indeed of undoing themselves than they yet know of VIII Whether it will not be for the perpetual Honour of the Magistrates of London to be first in this work forasmuch as that famous City hath woful experience in their many dreadful Burnings that the tender mercy of the Papists towards them is Popish Cruelty ADD Whether it will not be a most dreadful thing for the City of London to hearken to this Preacher of Sedition forasmuch as not only by the Dismal Fire he speaks of but also by a most violent Plague which he hath forgot to charge on the Papists and several other ways it hath already felt the most severe Judgments of Almighty God for having been prevailed on to bear so principal a part in the late Rebellion and to be amongst the first in that Cursed Work and hath long since learnt by woful Experience that the fair pretences of making the King Glorious are sure to end in Cutting off his Head IX Whether that Costly Monument erected near London-bridge is not to be a perpetual Land-mark for all English and Forrein Protestants forever to remember 1666. September 2. when those cursed I lotters began to set Fire at a Baker's House in Pudding-Lane which by their Emissaries was conducted on for four days together till it laid in Ashes thirteen thousand two hundred Houses laying waste three hundred seventy three Acres of Land within the Walls and above sixty three Acres without the Walls with eighty nine Parish-Churches ADD Whether that Costly Monument which was likely to have been Erected for his Late Majesty had not been a perpetual Land-mark for all English and Forrein Kings to remember 1648. January 30. when those Cursed Rebels cut off their Sovereigns Head and for twelve years together kept out the Lawful Heir till all the Acres of the Three Kingdoms Groaned under their Oppression And whether the Heads and Quarters of Traytors justly-Condemned and evidently Guilty on London-Bridge are not a better Testimony that those Rebels Murthered their King than the Monument near it is that the Papists Fired London which was never laid at least on the English Catholicks till an Hunger-starved Villain did it to get his Bread X. Whether the Spanish Invasions 1588. and the Gunpowder-Treason 1605. together with the cruel Murders and Massacres on some hundred thousand Protestants Men Women and Children in the Netherlands Ireland Piedmont and the Albigenses be not a sufficient Warning to England That they beseech their God and their King and their Parliament That no Papist of such destructive Principles may dwell in our Land ADD Whether the Rebellion begun in England 1641. the Murther of King Charles I. 1648. together with many Rebellions Murthers and Massacres transacted by Pretended Reformers as well in the Netherlands and France as all over Germany and elsewhere be not a sufficient warning to all Governments whatsoever to Repress such Reforming Pretences And if this be not done in England whether the King hath not sufficient Reason to beseech God that at least a Pendrel a Gifford or an Huddleston may be left of the Papists for fear there should be occasion again for such Loyalty as theirs XI Whether such a Day as this doth not loudly Call for Repentance that Protestants have been persecuting each other and for Vnity in Affection among all â—rotestant Subjects whether Conforming or Dissenting in some lesser Points And that as Brethren they unite in such a Combination or Conjuction as was in Queen Elizabeth's time with good Success to defend the Crown Religion and Kingdom against the common Enemy of Mankind Forasmuch as the Episcopal Protestants as well as others must lye down in the same Bed of Flames together if the Pope and his Party get the upper hand ADD Who they were that Made the Bed of Flames if it must be so called whereupon the late Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews lay down and that larger one which not long ago held all the Bishops of the three Nations with such as adhered unto them And whether those who called the said Arch-Bishop Judas and a Persecutor of the Children of God always looked on Lawn-sleeves as Rags of Antichrist affirmed the Cross in Baptism and Bowing to the Altar to be meer Idolatry and the like will content themselves with saying that Episcopal Protestants dissent from them in some leffer points when they get the upper hand And whether they did so formerly when they had it And whether it be not more probable that such vast numbers of them should have it again than an Handfull of Papists especially if they can but inviegle the Episcopists themselves to help them thereunto Who it was that had the title of the Common Enemy during the late Usurpation XII Whether it be not the Duty of all Good Protestants to pray for the Long Life of the King That He may live so as becometh the same Religion it being an Enemy to all Vice and the Maintenance of all Virtue Forasmuch also that the Removing of the King as the Papists call it is the most likely way to let in Popery and a Thousand other Miseries upon this poor Kingdom ADD Whether it be the Duty of any good Man to preach as the Puritan Doctors do that Magistrates lose their Authority when they commit a Mortal Sin Whether by this Querie our Loyal Author doth not endeavour to throw some dirt on the King and whether it be not to be suspected that he prays backward for him Whether His Majesty be not in greater danger of being made a Glorious King as the Presbyterians call it as the most likely way of letting in Anarchy Confusion and a thousand other Miseries upon this poor Nation than of being removed by those who are only hated for being truly Loyal XIII Whether it be not high time for all the Protestants in England to Resolve as one Man That they will stand by and maintain the Power and Priviledges of Parliament Together with the Power and just Rights of the King according to the Laws of the Kingdom so as the one may not Intrench upon the other ADD Whether it be not high time on this intimation of our Author for all good men to take care lest the ill should once more begin to beat their Drums FOR KING AND PARLIAMENT XIV Whother it be not the Duty of all Good Protestants to be heartily Thankfull to God for the timely Discoveries of this Hellish Plot and also to pray that God would preserve the King and Kingdoms witnesses that they may finish their Testimony to the well becoming so signal a Work and
SOBER AND SEASONABLE QUERIES Humbly Offered to all GOOD PROTESTANTS IN ENGLAND IN ORDER TO A CHOICE OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT THE SECOND EDITION With Considerable Additions by another Author Interrogabo vos ego unum verbum Respondete mihi Luc. 20. I. WHether the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland are not designed for Destruction by the Hellish Conspiracy of the bloody Papists as hath been declared by two Parliaments and sufficiently proved by the King's Witnesses before the Judges of this Kingdom ADDITION Whether the abovesaid Kingdoms are not designed to be brought to the same pickle they were in during the late Troubles and Usurpation And whether the publick and open Murther of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews and the ensuing Rebellion in Scotland be not far better proofs thereof then the single Testimony of an Infamous Person on which the first of those two Parliaments Declared that there was an Hellish Conspiracy And whether the Second Parliament were more Infallible or less Factious than the First And whether the Judges and so worthy a Jury on maturer thoughts and after so much Consideration were more mistaken in the Acquital of Sr. George Wakeman a principal Conspirator and accused by the two most Principal of the King's Witnesses than the same Judges and other Juries were in Condemning the Rest at first and during the suddain Heat and Passion of the People and before the Contradictions or weakness of the Evidence grew so manifest as it is at present Whether it be impossible for such as have been great Rogues and notorious Perjurers all their lives to continue so when once they are become the King's Witnesses Whether Those who by false Oaths destroy the King 's best friends are not rather witnesses against him than for him II. What posture of Defence extraordinary is the City of London and Nation in at the Discovery of so Hellish a Plot to defend themselves from the Insurrection of Papists at home and Invasion from Papists abroad suitable to the desires of a Loyal Parliament ADD Whether the Parliament thought the King whose Life was particularly aimed at in any great danger from this Popish Conspiracy when on the first Discovery thereof and when the Papists were supposed to have an Army ready they were as hot in pressing the King to Disband the Forces which he then had as in their Clamours against the Hellish Plot And though they proposed the Raising the Train-Bands I ask whether it be suitable to the desires of a Loyal Parliament that the King should not have the choice of such Soldiers as were for the defence of his own Life III. Whether Prorogation and Dissolution of Parliaments at such a time as this doth not fill the hearts of Protestant Subjects with evident fears of Destruction and gives the cursed Plotters too too much ground to believe as they boast that yet their day is coming ADD Whether Prorogation and Dissolution of Parliaments had not been a better expedient for the securing the late Kings Crown and life than the making them first Triennial and after perpetual which gave those cunsed Plotters too too much Opportunity of accomplishing those accursed ends which they now Boast of and are ready to act over again IV. Whether have we not great reason to fear that the Papists will not hereby take encouragement to proceed in their Hellish Design to Murther the King who they know is sworn at his Coronation to maintain and defend the Protestants Religion and so is solemnly engaged against them whereby they may subvert the Government by bringing in a Popish Successor in whom is all their help and hope ADD Whether wee have not some reason to hope that hereby viz. by Prorogations and Dissolutions of Parliaments factious People will be discouraged from proceeding in the Hellish Design of their Predecessours to Murther the King who they Know is as solemnly engaged against the Presbyterians as against the Papists and hath much more cause to be affraid of the former who slew his Father and sought his life also to take it away than of the latter who fought for his Father and preserved Him And consequently whether they may not hereby be hindred from Subverting the Government and bringing in a Common-wealth in which is all their help and hope V. Whether any Speeches to or in Parliament in favour of a Popish Successor is not of direct tendency to prepare the Nation to make Tryal of it again as if the dreadful Effects of Queen Mary's Reign were or ever can be forgotten whose great promises were sealed with Fire and Faggot ADD Whether any speeches to or in Parliament against the Lawful Successor whether Papist or Protestant be not a breach of one of those Oaths which are now so strictly required of all Parliament-men and also Directly contrary to the Principles of Protestant Religion which deposeth no Prince on the account of Heresie much less on the account of a Profession which it acknowledgeth a safe way to salvation And whether the Nation is not likely to be more happy under a Prince of known Clemency and Generosity than under a Company of Base-spirited Crop-ear'd Sequestrators or Committee-men VI. If so what are we to think of them that have or shall discountenance or endeavour to corrupt the King's Witnesses or that do indulge arraigned Traytors impudently to asperse the Justice of the Land ADD What shall we think of those who admit of Infamous persons for credible Witnesses and who are at a vast expence to induce men of desperate fortunes to swear away the lives of his Majestie 's Loyal subjects Whence was it that Oates and Bedlow had 6. or 700. li. a-piece to dispose of And how was it that they could lay it out on account of the Plot as they say they did unless it were in Hiring under-Swearers Whether those who swore that Naboth was guilty of Treason and are called in scripture Sons of Bolial ought not to have been so grievously discountenanced because they were the King's Witnesses And whether Naboth's Judges if they had discountenanced them had not prevented the Shedding of innocent blood And whether they who cry out against the Judges and Jury for their having acquitted Sir George Wakeman and some others do not more impudently asperse the Justice of the Land than those did who Pleading for their Lives could not defend their Innocence without alledging that they were wrongfully accused VII Whether it is not the indispensable Duty of all Protestant Magistrates whatsoever with the People of England to consider with themselves and consult the Learned in the Laws what Power God and the King and the Laws have put into their hands for the prevention of Popery and Slavery both from themselves and posterity lest their Ignorance and Security bring Destruction without Recovery ADD Whether it is not the indispensable Duty of all good Subjects to apply themselves to the King for the Redress of all Grievances whatsoever as also to know that they have
be of an humble Behaviour before Almighty God the King and Kingdom That they may obtain Mercy at the Hand of God and not be Cast-aways to themselves while they are of such publick use and Benefit to these Bleeding Nations Add. Whether it be not to mock God to institute Days of Fasting or Thanksgiving on the account of a PLOT which we have yet no reason to believe And whether or no our Author doth not tacitly hint as much when he owns a necessity of Praying that the Witnesses thereof may behave themselves better than they do For what Truth is to be expected from Men who by their own Confession were full of the worst Crimes before their pretended Conversions and still continue in the eye of the World of most insolent and scandalous Behaviours And consequently whether our said Author had not good cause to wish that they had a little more of the Presbyterian Twang and would be content to Debauch it secretly that they might the better Cheat the Nation and carry on so signal a Work And whether it be not for the credit of our Countrey that he is forced to desire that the said Witnesses may live to finish their Testimony out of fear that should these rare fellows once drop off there would none be found amongst our Honest Countrymen Rogues enough to supply their places and carry on their abominable Trade But had they leases of their lives till they should finish their Testimony I question not but Methusalem would prove a Youngster to them since they have got a trick of Accusing such as they never knew or saw before in their lives and after this rate their Testimrny must needs last as long as the world Whether the Nation Bleedeth any otherwise at present than by innocent Blood XV. Whether all the Counties Cities and Corporations in England are not at this time more highly Concerned than ever to make Choice of such for Parliament Men as may not Sell but Save them to the Happy Settlement of our present Protestant King and Government Add. Whether the said Counties Cities and Corporations are not at this time more highly concerned then ever not to make choice of such for Parliament Men as either were Members of the Rump or are of the same Breed Spirit or Principles XVI Whether therefore it be not the Duty of the People to choose such as are well known to be Men of good Conscience and Courage throughly Principled in the Protestant Religion and of high Resolution to maintain it with their Lives and Fortunes Add. Whether therefore it be not the Duty of the People to chuse such as are well known to be Men of good Consolence and Loyalty thoroughly Principle against Faction and Fanaticism and of high resolution not to draw their swords against their Sovereign but on the contrary to defend him with their lives and Fortunes XVII Whether all true English Men ought not seriously to consider what they trust the Parliament with viz. their Estates Liberties Religion and Lives And should they be undone in any of these when it is too late they may Lament themselves That they are undone by making such a Choice as have undone them by Law Add. Whether all true English Men who love quiet ought not seriously to consider how far Parliaments are to be Trusted or believed and whether sometimes they may not deceive the People as the long Parliament did and made them repent when it was to too late And whether it doth not follow from this Querie of our Author when he supposeth that the people may be undone by the Acts of Parliament and lament too late that it is not in the Peoples power to take up arms and Right themselves as he would insinuate above And whether thence it doth not likewise follow that Parliaments may be naught their Votes and Declarations prejudicial to the Kingdom and consequently a Dissolution convenient which answereth his first and third Queries And whether our Author urging the People to so much Care in their Elections lest as he says they be undone by Law hath any great respect for his Majesty in whose Prudence and Godness he ought to have had some confidence that let the Parliaments endeavour what they pleased no such Law should pass as was destructive to his Subjects XVIII Whether it should not be the great Care of all Counties Cities and Boroughs to consider who have been formerly Pentioners or Favourers of Popery And whether they are fit again to be Intrusted with their Religion Lives and Liberties Add. Whether it should not be the great care of all Counties Cities and Boroughs to consider who have formerly on pretence of preventing Popery incited to sedition and Rebellion and whether such as under colour of Religion destroyed the King subverted the Government and enslaved their Countrey or the like men are fit to be again entrusted and put into any Capacity of doing the same And whether an Honest and Loyal Protestant is not at this time in danger of being called though not proved unless by sale-Oaths a Pentioner and Favourer of Popery XIX Whether you are not bound to consider those worthy Members of the late Parliament who have already Faithfully served you and the whole Kingdom with their Persons and Estates And now shew your Esteems of them and Acceptance of their former Services by an Vnanimous Choosing of them again Forasmuch as they are best acquainted with the Deplorable state of these Kingdoms Add. Whether it be not wholly to frustrate the end of the Dissolution and most highly to affront and Censure his Majesties Wisedom in that Act to Chuse the same Parliament again And whether this Scribler together with Doctor Oates whom he imitates and defends ought to be permitted in this manner though he had more reason than he hath to upbraid the King and his Council and that I may use his own way of speaking impudently asperce the Government of the Land And whether our said Scribler beginning with fears lest the Papists should Kill the King does not in most of his Queries inculcate that the People ought to be more affraid of the King himself than of any thing else XX. Whether it be not your indispensable Duties to endeavour to make their Elections easie by bearing your own Charges and the Charges of the meaner sort of Freeholders lest such as would Heartily serve you be in time Discouraged to undertake that good Work of preserving you and your Posterities in your lawfull and undoubted Rights Add. Whether this Querie be not a kinde of gathering Contributions and Inviting in the second time of silver Spoons Thimbles Bodkins and Whistles for the Reviving and Carrying on the GOOD OLD CAUSE XXI Whether may we not without breach of Charity conclude That if known Pentioners do now Buy Seats in Parliament they do intend again to make Merchandize of all that is dear to us And whether will not all Freeholders and Electors be deservedly accounted Infamous and the