DEMOCRITUS TURNED STATESMAN: OR TWENTY QUERIES Between jest and Earnest, proposed to all true hearted Englishmen.  
Semper ego auditor tantum? nunquam ne reponam vexatus toties?  
Si natura negat, facit indignatio—  
Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci.  
LONDON, Printed in the year MDCLIX.   

DEMOCRITUS TURNED STATESMAN: OR Twenty Queries between jest and Earnest, etc.  

I.  
WHether it be not convenient that the doctrine of Copernicus, who held that the world turns round, should be established by Act of Parliament, which our late changes, alterations, and revolutions, in part have verified; and that Tycho Brache, with the Gang of the contrary opinion be adjudged Heterodoxal, and that from henceforth it be enacted, that what persons soever do profess, publish, or hold forth any other Tenent contrary thereunto, be adjudged Anathema, Maranatha, and that public thanks be given to Vrncent Wing, for the great pains he took in the composure of that excellent piece called Harmonicon Coeleste?   

II.  
Whereas it is humbly conceived fit by Machiavil and his Pupils, that all the Gangrened Members of the body Politic be cut off, lest putrefaction of the whole should ensue. It is therefore worthy the consideration, whether it be not expedient to employ an Ambassador to the man in the Moon, to procure habitations for our new Courtiers, (greater Antipodes to the present Government, than the old constant Cavaliers:) And for the better effecting thereof, it is deemed necessary, that the great Clerk Doctor Wilkins, Warden of Wadham College in Oxon, in regard he hath the greatest knowledge in that new Plantation, be desired with all speed, to provide his winged Chariot for their convenient carriage, and that he undertake the employment of a Coachman to conduct them thither?   

III.  
But if that design fail, Whether it be not expedient to ship them all for Oceana, and that Mr. Harrington our famous modern Columbus discoverer of that floating Te●ra incognita, be desired to be the Pilot to conduct them thither, who for his pains deserves to be made Knight of the Sun, and that in a grateful remembrance of his good service, it should always be called after his name, (viz.) Harringtonia?   

iv  
Whether it be not convenient, or rather necessary, to call all persons to an account that have any way contributed their assistance for the establishing of the late deceased Tyrant as chief Magistrate of this Commonwealth? and whether any person, or persons, who have any way abetted him, and endeavoured to confirm him in his Tyranny, or Acted under him in any places of trust, Power, or sat in any Parliament, or Convention summoned by his Writ; be fit to be entrusted with any office in the Commonwealth as 'tis now settled?   

V  
Whether it be not a great contempt of the law enacted by this Parliament, that made it Treason for any one person to aim at the sole Government of this Commonwealth, to suffer such person to go unpunished, in despite of the said law; and whether it be not prudence to have such person brought to condign punishment, that hath transgressed that law, to terrify others for the future, for making the like attempt?   

VI  
Whether those Apostate Officers of the Army, that were Active, and grand Instruments in suspending and disturbing this Session of Parliament, as well as secluding, imprisoning, and injustly detracting several members of the same Parliament before, that were eminent assertors of the people's liberties, against Tyranny and oppression, conscientious propagators of the Gospel, and establishers of the fundamental, municipal law of the Land, and Valiant Champions of the (true Old Cause;) And by their Declaration of Aug. 22. Anno Dom. 1653. as also by a pasquil called the true State of the Commonwealth, An. 1654. declared this session of Parliament to be actually and finally dissolved from being any more a Parliament, (by an extraordinary providence) but also branded the members thereof ignominiously for a corrupt party, carrying on their own ends, to perpetuate themselves as supreme Authority, never answering the ends which God and his People expected from them, exercising Arbitrary power, and swallowing up the ancient liberties, and properties of the people, and to perpetuate their miseries, vexations, and oppressions through the multitude of unnecessary Laws, and Ordinances, concerning their own particular interest as they there at large remonstrated, be fit persons to have any employment either Military or Civil within this Commonwealth?   

VII.  
Whether a Weathercock, a King-fisher, a pliant Willow, a piece of Wax capable of all impressions, a time Server, A Persian still sacrificing to the rising Sun, a Lord Precedent under the late Tyrant, of his High Court of Injustice, a man that hath made justice quick sighted, and redeemed it from blindness, be a fit Keeper of the Commonwealth's conscience?   

VIII.  
Whether a hot brained Parrot, that multiplies words without matter, a new Courtier, an Apostate from his first principles, and the Good Old Cause, as appears by a Speech he made in the last Parliament in the behalf of R. C. be fit to be restored to his place of Attorney general for South Wales.   

IX.  
Whether Pride and arrogancy, one who is of yeasterday and knows nothing, a Clerk, or Barrister of nine years standing, in his heart a Quaker, yesterday a Protectorian, this day a Republican, to morrow what you please, a favourer of levelisme, and one that is not constant in any thing but inconstancy (save only in the opinion that there are no witches, nor can deserve death, though an Act of Parliament be made to that end) be fit to be a Judge in Wales.   

X.  
Whether a Debaucher of both the Protectors, an oppresser of his Country, a persecutor of the Godly, one that sacreligiously rob God's house, to build himself sumptuous Palaces, and hath purchased 5000 l. per annum, who never fought nor drew a sword in anger, be fit to sit in that venerable assembly of the Commonwealth's representatives; or whether it be not fit for him to be rejected and his estate fold to pay just public debts?   

XI.  
Whether it be lawful for an ignorant Scribbler to vent his pettish humour, malice, and reproaches against those persons, who in the Seat of Judicature have behaved themselves upright, just, and honest, and done the Common wealth singular good service during both the late Protectors Government?   

XII.  
Whether, Levellers, Dippers, Independants, Presbyterians, Jesuits, Donatists, Manaches, Pelagians, Enthusiasts, Schismatics, Heretics, Hypocrites, Devils incarnate, yea what ever the present power will have them to be, of any Religion, of all Religions, of none at all; the true Orthodox and learned Divines Ordaels'; Knaves, Fools, yea favoure●s of their brethren learned in the same faculties; and Telenus house of Correction in a Mercurial new found Land; Be fit persons to be entrusted with the power over the Consciences of honest and religious men; And whether some of them, that are so well acquainted with 〈◊〉 sterious Art of Bribery and Simony; And such Simon M●gus as by 〈◊〉 ●●nack of Registry hath increased his estate from a Parsonage of 100 ● per annum, to 1200 l. per annum land of inheritance, ought not in Justice and prudence be called to an account, and their Estates acquired by the ruins of the Church and several poor Ministers, be sold towards the payment of arrears due to the poor banckrupted common Soldiers, that suffer hunger, and want, while such enjoy the streams of Tagus in their coffers?   

XIII.  
Whether it be not a matter of dangerous consequence to permit, a crop-eared Pettifogger, a reviler of the Saints, a constant opposer of powers, an unwearied Scribbler, a Demoniac, possessed with a legion of hellish Fiends, the Spirit of contradiction to publish a scandalous libel against the Good Old Cause, and the defenders thereof in such a juncture of time, wherein most Spirits are factious and apt to take fire? like tinder at the least spark of encouragement dropping from a fiery pen.   

XIIII.  
Whether a Plagiarius, a Demetrius, a Gaoler of our liberties, and one who in the last assembly was in a probability to suffer for his unparallelled crimes, be fit to be trusted with the command of the most important place of the Nation, and whether it be not necessary to expose him to he sword of justice, who hath so much abused the sword of the Commonwealth?   

XV.  
Whether it will not be wisdom to look back to the occasion of the late bloody and unhappy war, and gradually to the prosecutions thereof; and the end that was proposed at the beginning: and when the continuance of the medium conducing to that end was everted; And then to return to the place where passion captivated reason, and there to build a happy Government upon the Basis of the True Old Cause, according to the first principles that were owned by all good people?   

XVI.  
Whether it be not the purest and safest kind of free State, to have a free Parliament elected annually, or twice a year as it was before the Conquest, and after many years; without restraint on the wills of the free People of the Nation; which Parliament may constitute and elect a Senate that shall act according, and subject to the Law of the Land, in the interval of Parliament, and so to be elected from year to year by each Parliament; which Parliaments being the free people of England's representatives, ought not to be restrained, or curbed, by any sort of Court Convention, or Counsel enjoying Coordinate power, for that will be, to abolish the grand inconvenience of one negative voice so much braid against, and to set up a monstrous Hydra of Negatives, (for great care ought to be taken to preserve unity in a Republic, which lieth most obnoxious to popular commotions, and factions) [the Epidemical disease of this Schismatical age;] And further that such men may be elected for representatives in Parliament Councils and Senates as be wise, honest, prudent, and religious; and not factious sectaries, or such as wear both Law, Equity, Reason, and Religion in their Scabards, and Father all their prodigious wilful and exorbitant actions on providence?   

XVII.  
Whether the Army's Declaration, and Seclusion of the Parliament in 1653 were an absolute dissolution of that Session, and whether the people making new Elections by virtue of O. P. his writ, and also most of the Members of the said Parliament owning the said elections to be legal by their endeavours to be elected, and sitting by virtue of such Election, was a confirmation thereof; And moreover whether they can be remitted to their ancient right, by getting possession without the concurrence of an ancient remediable right, which is absolutely necessary to work a remitter.   

XVIII.  
Whether it consists with policy & national prudence to keep such a lawless Army on foot, who are carried away with a whirl wind or tempest of ambition, and walk Antipodes to all settled and peaceable Government, and are ready instruments for any insolent Apostate, or tyrannical Dictator, that will equal them in pretences of Religion (yet denying the power thereof) and like Pompey, will make it his design by secret engines, to cast the State into an absolute Anarchy and confusion, that the State might cast itself into his Armies, in necessity for a protection, and so the sovereign power be ca●● on him, who probably hath neither reason nor law on his side, save only to make good the saying of S●lon, who when Croesus shown him his treasury of Gold, said to him, (that if another came that had better Iron, he would be quickly master of his Gold?   

XIX.  
Whether it be not safer and more agreeable to the present Government of this Commonwealth, and all other free States, where due course of Law is admitted for recovery of rights, or deciding of meum and tuum, and liberty of Subjects favoured, which we have with great expense of blood so long fought for, to raise the Militia in each County, under the command of prudent and religious men, that have interest in their Country, and are concerned in the welfare of the Commonwealth, and not mere hirelings, that will be apt to take any impression, to the disturbance of the public peace, for their own private ends, and will make their swords Patronise intolerable rapine?   

XX.  
Since the Apostles call Religion (our reasonable service to God) insomuch as the very ceremonies, and figures of the old Law were full of reason and signification, but more especially the Christian Faith under the Gospel; as in all things, so in this, deserveth to be highly magnified; holding forth the Golden Mediocrity in this point, between the law of the heathen, and the law of M●humet, which have embraced the two extremes, (for the first had no constant belief or confession, but left altogether to the liberty of professors; and the last on the other side interdicteth all arguments about the matter, and enjoineth unity in the manner of the profession of Religion, the one having the very face of error, the other of imposture, whereas the faith doth both admit, and reject disputations and professions with difference;) Whether then it be not requisite to sertle such a Religion in this Nation, as may consist with the Apostles words, and such a mediocrity that we be neither tied on the one hand to a Mahometan unity of accidental discipline, and manner of worship, nor on the other hand be left to a Heathenish liberty both in the Articles and Principles of Religion, and also in the substantial matter of belief, and decent manner of discipline and confession, since such boundless liberty is the mother of all Sects, Heresies, and Atheism (which this age abounds with, though veiled under the specious garment of tender conscience, who are enemies to all settled Government, whether Monarchy or Oligarchy) except their heretical opinions be favoured, and themselves mounted to the Zenith of preferment, and Stern of Government, which is hoped will never be, though highly at present endeavoured?   
FINIS.