The Dispersed United: Or, Twelve Healing QVESTIONS PROPOUNDED To Persons of ingenious Principles and Tempers.  
TENDING To stop the mouth of frowardness, Scandals, and Reproaches cast upon those that submitted unto, and acted under the several Governments and Governors [propter commune bonum] that have been exercised over this Commonwealth, since the Interruption of this present Parliament on the 20th of April, 1653.  
By a Friend to Friends of the Civil and Religious Interest of all Good Men.  Si variâsse vocas crimen, variavimus omnes. Gall. 5.15. 
If ye by't and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another.  
Printed in the Year, 1659.   

The Dispersed United. OR, Twelve Healing Questions, etc.  
I. WHether the truth and measure of men's good affections unto this present Parliament, be to be estimated by their ancient and constant adherence unto them; with their lives and fortunes without the least defection, from first to last during the whole time of their former sitting, under all the hazards, Expenses, and charges of a long, dangerous, and doubtful War, having neither heart nor hand in their interruption, but were most passionately grieved and troubled thereat? or by their vain and fruitless declamations, dishonourable reflections, vile reproaches, and bitter invectives against him, or them, that by force and violence, did interrupt the said present Parliament, assuming the Supreme Authority into his, or their own hands?  
II. Whether many (if not most) of those persons that sharpened their tongues like a Serpent, against the late Single Persons (dignified with the Titles of Protector) were not the very selfsame persons that did whet their tongues like swords, and shot out their arrows, even bitter words, against this very Parliament, before their said interruption and either were personally active therein, or abetting the same; or signified their apprrobation thereof, by their great joy and rejoicing thereat? and whether it be not most probable, that (if their importune desires, and impatient expectations, be not soon satisfied, though with public damage in the Judgement of the Parliament) they will gather up their old stones of scandalous reproaches, calumnies, and falsehoods, and cast them against the same men of their quarrel?  
●II. Whether that Thing, called the Little Parliament, did not assume unto themselves the highest dignity, power, and authority of this Nation? as much as the pre●ent Parliament can do? and whether they ●ad the least show of right thereunto, but the power of the sword, to assert and secure them therein? and whether the said late Protectors had not the same? and whether many of those very persons who now seem to be eaten up with the zeal of this House, were not the selfsame persons that were then so zealous to pull down this House, and to build up that other in the room thereof? and whether some of them were not chief Pillars in that building, and many others great Votaries for, and Benefactors unto the same? and whether it was not as lawful to submit unto, and to act under the late Protectors, as to submit unto, and to act under the said Little Parliament? how passionately partial are some men in this age, as if John an-Oake did deserve an Euge boneserve, for that which John astiles must have an ito maledicte.  
iv Whether the quiet submission of the Old assertors of this present Parliament, and their peaceable subjection to the said Little Parliament, during their reign; and afterwards unto the said Protectors, whilst they were in power (there being no other visible authority among the people) can rationally argue any defection in heart, good will and affections unto the present Parliament? The necessity of their submission might be their affliction, but not their sin; but their submission under that necessity could not possibly be their sin.  
V Whether the said known well-affected to this present Parliament, acting under the said Little Parliament or Protectors, in their several capacities of Justices for the Peace, Commissioners for the Militia, etc. for the preservation of the public peace, and the interest of their own well-affected party, the punishment of Vice, the encouragement of virtue, etc. without any subscription or other testimony of their owning that Act of Violence in interrupting the Parliament, and assuming the power of Government unto themselves, but leaving that to the decsion of the great Judge of all Men, Whether (I say) such persons so acting, may therefore be justly accused of defection, in their respects to the present Parliament; or in the least to be disrespected for their so acting? whether it was not their duty so to act, and whether they ought to be sorry for it, and to repent of it? And whether this present Parliament ought not to bless God and them for the preservation both of them and their friends, and the Good Old Cause, viz. the Civil and Religious Rights and Liberties of the known well-affected party, so far as they could by their so acting?  
VI Whether, If all the Gentlemen of the present Parliament, that did act under the several powers and forms of Government, set up since their interruption 20th of April, 53, either as Members of the said little Parlimaent or as Commissioners for the Peace or for Assessments, made since that time, or as Parliament men, chosen by virtue of the Protector's Writs issued out to summon Parliaments, or as voting for others in that case, or in some other capacity, were excluded this Parl. there would be a sufficient number left legally capable of the name of a Parliament? And if not, Whether Justice and equity, as well as goodness and charity do not provoke and invite, yea, obl ge them to indulge others as well as themselves for so acting.  
VII. Whether, That by the Laws of true Religion, or right Reason, the people of this Nation are obliged, or aught to oblige themselves, so to own, assert, and adhere unto the present Government, in the way of a Commonwealth, as it is now established, as (not only) to have no hand in the alceration thereof, in any case, under what circumstances soever; but also never to submit unto; or act under any other Government whatsoever, which either by God's providence, or permission, might be brought upon them?  
VIII. Whether those Counties, Cities, Towns corporate, Magistrates, Ministers, or others that made their respective addresses unto the late Protector, owning him as the lawful Successor to his late Father, in the Office of Protector, according to an Act of Parliament, supposed then to be authentic; desiring him to protect those that are good, to punish those that are bad, to maintain the just Rights and privileges of the people of God, and the whole Nation, engaging to assist him in so doing, with their lives & fortunes, and imploring the assistance & blessing of God upon his endeavours herein, and furthermore being induced hereunto by an honest and innocent policy, viz. The procurement of his favour & assistance in their public occasions, as they may stand in need thereof; as also for the disheartening of ill affected persons, waiting for commotions, tumults, and insurrections, upon such changes of the chief Governor; as also for the discouragement of the known enemy in foreign parts, in Flanders, and else where, full of expectations of rise of the people at that time, etc. Whether (I say) the said persons might not make their said Addresses, for the said honest and public ends, with an ingenious retention of their first principles of real affection unto that cause wherein they engaged themselves at first with the present Parliament? And whether, having no hand in their interruption, nor approving thereof, their said Addresses can rationally argue against their most cordial rejoicing at the return of the present Parliament unto the free exercise of their authority, and the finishing the work of a happy Reformation that lies upon their hands? And whether that the undue reflections, & unchristian scoffs, cast upon the said persons, for their said Addresses, do not argue rather the ventosity of their brains; and the vanity of their minds, than the solidity of their judgements and the becoming gravity of their Spirits and behaviour that use the the same?  
IX. Whether the present Parliament, indulging those of the Army upon their acknowledgement of their misprisions mistakes, and misdoings in interrupting them on the 20th of April 1653. and in their setting up or at least assisting, aiding, defending, and securing them that have set up other Governments and Governors since that time, have not much more reason to indulge those that had no hand at all in their said interruption, did never justify or own the same, were hearty afflicted at it, did only submit unto and act under the said Governments and Governors since that time for public peace sake? And whether such indulgence, countenance, and favour unto their old friends renewed and continued, may not be a very good pledge unto the said Army, that there is a true and real oblivion of their said interrupting them? But etc.  
X. Whether that even the present Parliament, Army, with all the distributed, divided, & subdivided parties, Peresbyterians, Independants, Anabaptists, and others, that at first made one single party (united together against the common enemy) have not had their mistakes, miscarriages, weaknesses, and infirmities? Whether they have not sometimes been in the dark, and walked in untrodden paths, and sometimes stumbled and fallen therein? Yea, whether in some ca●es or other they have not made some detection or other, little or much from that good cause wherein they were engaged at first? and if so, whether it be not Christian Policy, as well as true Piety, to bear one another's burdens, to be tender-hearted towards one another, to consider of one another's temptations and snares, and with the Spirit of love, meekness, & compassion, to endeavour to reduce one another to that primitive zeal and unity in the common cause against the common enemy, wherein they were all engaged; to take heed of devouring one another, lest they be devoured one of another, & of the common enemy that would devour them all: That since God is judge, who pulleth down one & setteth up another, builds & throws down kills & makes alive, scatters in his displeasure, & gathers together ag●in in his favour since he judgeth men for their sins, and then in judgement remembers mercy, whether (these things considered) Piety and Policy, Religion & Reason do not invite them all to fear and tremble before God, not to snatch at advantages one against another, but to imitate their Heavenly Father, who (passing by the infirmities of his people) endeavours by mercy, kindness and goodness, to gather them up unto himself, and to make them all one in him? If every of them that hath been faulty should be ●●oned to death, which of them could live? but if only the innocent amongst them should cast the first stone at the guilty, which of them could be hurt?  
XI. Whether that the appearance of this Parliament again at Westminster in the 7th year after their seeming dissolution, death and burial, be not God's work and his strange work? his Act and his strange Act? beyond the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the prudent, that Sarah should give suck, and the barren bring forth; that Nabuchadnezzar driven from his Kingdom, turned a grazing for 7 years together, should again be restored to his Dominion, Power & Majesty; that the rejected stones shoul● be made the chief corner stones, are not these things the Lords doing and marvellous in our eyes? And is not this a Vision of fear, dread & terror unto the old adverse party, like the coming of the Ark of God among the Philistines, causing them to say, Woe unto us for there hath not been such a thing heretofore; woe unto us, who shall deliver us ou● of their hands? these are they that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the Wilderness: do not their faces gather blackness, and their countenances look pale? do not their hands hang down, & their joints wax feeble; th●ir knees knock together, and their hearts sink like stones, die and fall within them? Are not their hopes like the Spider's web and the giving up of the Ghost? Can any thing imaginable be an anchor of hope unto them, to quiet their troubled minds in this day of their fear? except it be the divisions of their adversaries amongst themselves? were they united, who could hurt them? but if continually divided how can they stand? when one party shall divide into many, and spend their respective opportunities, powers and advantages, to suppress and weaken one another, will not this (in time) prove ruinous unto them all? if these prove goads in the sides, and thorns in the eyes one of another, in matters Civil or Religious; if the Praelatical Presbyterian, the Presbyterian Independent, the Independent Anabaptist, or any others shall assume unto themselves the spirit of infallibility in matters disputable, branding others differing from them, with the odious names of Schismatics, heretics, etc. and not only throw the fire-balls and thunder-holts of excommunication against one another, but incense, and stir up the Civil Magistrate for their imprisonment, corporal punishment, banishment, or death, because of these differences, if upon advantages and opportunities some of the same party get up into th● Seat of Civil Government, and cast down others, as cordial to the old well-affected party, and public interest as themselves, shall gore one another with the horns of their power and greatness, will not this prove destructive at last unto them all?  
XII. Whether the great ends of Government (public peace and liberty, the Civil and Religious Rights of the People) be not more to be regarded, than the forms thereof, whether by Kings, Protectors, Parliaments, or others? And did not all the Vows, Covenants, Engagements, Protestations and Oaths, made unto Kings, Protectors, Parliaments, pretend un●o these ends, and not unto the Persons, Powers and Places of any of these, but with reference hereunto? what are any or all those unto the people, but for the sake of their peace and liberty? when greatness of place, power, and authority make men forget themselves, and the ends of their advancements, (which is no new thing under the Sun) when, because they are above every one, therefore they judge themselves above all, and unto the foresaid ends they prove Physicians of no value; but when the people look for peace, no good comes; for a time of healing, and behold nothing but trouble; their yokes are still made heavy, rods, whips, and Scorpions are still upon their backs, and that without remedy; will they not argue in this case, (let it respect Kings, Protectors, Parliaments, or whomsoever else, all's one) as the Israelites against Rehoboam, What portion have we in David? or inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your Tents, O Israel, and let David see to his own house. And although it is sad, and dangerous, that instead of Crowns and Sceptres, the People should be under the power of Swords and Pistols; and instead of Kings and Princes, Servants should bear rule; yet is Protection by the sword more desirable than destruction by a Law, safety by a Servant, than ruin by Lords and Masters: Can the Parliament be safe except (under God) by the protection of the Army? Can the Army, regularly, legally, and honourably, secure themselves and friends, but by the authority of the Parliament? Hath not either need of the other for the good of both and their whole party? If henceforth this Parl. and Army be knit together like David and Jonathan, if each be friends to each others friends, & adversaries to each others adversaries; if each be to other as their own soul, resolving (as friends) to stick closer to each other than brothers, will not their adversaries melt like snails before them? their hearts fail them? the stouthearted amongst them be discouraged & their men of might be weak as water? and all their late great boastings, and expectations pine away, and come to nothing in.   
The End?