RUMP ENOUGH: OR, QUAERE for QUAERE, In Answer to a Pamphlet, entitled, NO new PARLIAMENT, OR, Some Quaeres, or Considerations, humbly offered to the present PARLIAMENT- MEMBERS.  
LONDON, Printed for any man that loves Peace, March 14. 1659.   

RUMP Enough, &c.  
ALthough That Pamphlet, which Occasions This, considered in itself, is not Worth a Reply: Yet, in regard of the Contrivers, and of the End it tends to, it may deserve one. I look upon it, as nothing else, but the fanatics late Petition, sliced into Quaeres; by some unskilful hand; and with a Harmless kind of Simple Malice, directed to elude the Justice, and Necessity of their great patron's Dissolution.  
I shall not much Insist upon the business, beyond the Obligation of a Formal Answer: but I shall take such heed to That, as to leave little place for a Return; and in the rest, make the old saying good▪ that one Fool may ask more Questions, than Twenty Wise men can Answer.  

The Quaere's are as follows. 1. Whether this be not the Parliament, and these the Persons, who began the War with the late King? And if so▪ whether it do not highly and nearly concern them, even for their own sakes, to be the Parliament that shall take up and close the Quarrel, and not leave it to others, especially, if as the general voice goes, the King's Son must be brought in?  

Ans▪ This is not the Original Parliament; That was composed of Three Estates; King, Lords, and Commons. Further, these very Persons now sitting, declared the King, a Party with them in the Quarrel; beginning the War, in the King's name;— For Him, not with (that is, as it lies here Against) he. If thus; the House must be Divided, as well now, in the Question, as formerly it was so in the War. The Parliament (even in the Quaerists' sense) were those, that (suitably to their Duties, and Engagements) Voted a peace, in order to the pres●rvating of his Majesty, but there was a Faction too, that contrary to Honour, Faith, and Conscience, did forcibly seclude their Honester fellows, (by much the Major Part) and prosecute, and put to Death the King; Those that have been Honest, are safe: nay, and so should those be too, that will at last be so, by my consent: but I demand    

Quaere.  
What Equity, or Reason is there, that those Persons who murdered the Father, and are still professed Enemies to the Son, should have an Equal Benefit with Others, that were Affronted for their Loyalty to the Former, and are at present upbraided (as if 'twere Criminal) for their Affection to the Latter? If the King's Son must be brought in, whether they will or no, what have we to do further with those People, that declare they'll keep him Out, if they can?  
2. Whether this Parliaments first undertaking and prosecuting the War with the late King were Just, and upon good and Warrantable Grounds? If it were (as no doubt it was) and God having by his Providence, after a long Interruption of some of them, and a longer Seclusion of the rest, restored them to their Trust, whether they ought not now to stand to their first Good Principles maintain their first Good Cause, and secure all the good people that have been engaged with them and by them?  

Ans.  
The war was just, in that part of the Parliament, which declared for the King, and acted accordingly, but unjust in those that swore to preserve him, and intended to murder him. That the Parliament ought to stand to their first good Principles; we are agreed. In so doing; they are to bring to condign punishment, — the infrringers of their Privileges;— the introducers of Arbitrary power— the Obstructors of successive Parliaments; The murderers of the late King;— the subverters of the established Government, &c.—  
I grant you further, that they are obliged to secure all the good people that engaged with them and by them; but not consequently all those that acted violently against and without them▪— now my Question.    

Quaer.  
How is it possible, for those that began upon Principles of Contradiction, (as the saving and destroying of the King, &c.)— to stand to their first Principles.  
3. Whether this be not that Parliament, and these the very persons, who by the good esteem they had among the people of their Integrity, Faithfulness and Constancy; whether I say, this be not the Parliament, who by these and other means engaged the Honest and Well Affected of the Land in the aforesaid War? And if so, whether this Parliament having new power in their hands, are not obliged in Duty and good Conscience to secure all the said honest and well affected people for this their Engaging and Acting under them, and not leave them as a prey to their prof●ssed enemies, nor their terms of Peace to be made by they know not whom? Another Parliament, which there is too great cause to fear, will be too much made up of such as neither have been nor are friends to the Parliaments cause, nor to those that engaged in it.  

Answ.  
'Tis not the gaining of a good esteem, but 'tis the Practice of Integrity, that recommends a worthy Person. I may believe well of a cheat, and ha' my pocket picked. But after that; I think, I should deserve a yellow coat, ever to trust that fellow again, though he should plead;— he had my good opinion formerly.— Some I confess are yet in Being of those whose Interests raised the War, but these are not the men our Quaeristmeans: (and beside; the most considerable of that number, are in their graves) For the rest; (to wave his Argument from power to Conscience.—) Those people that dare not stand to the Test of a Free, Legal Parliament, must not presume to act themselves, as an Authority without Law, or Limit. In fine;— If this be the same Parliament. that sirst engaged— them—    

Quaere.  
Why should the Secluders, and their Adherents;— Those, which by Force of Arms, Baffled this very Parliament, in 48▪ 'scape better, than the Cavaliers, that fought against it, in 42?  
4. Whether this be not the Parliament who by many Declarations and Remonstrances, by Protestation and Vow, by Solemn League and Covenant have declared and engaged themselves before God, Angels, and Men, and have thereby drawn in and therewith engaged all honest People to assert and defend their just undertaking and one another therein? whether as things now stand, (when this just Cause, which through God's assistance could not be won from us in the field, is in great danger to be stolen from us by the dark contrivances of its and our adversaries) if this Parliament should dissolve at such a time as this, and leave all, both Cause and all engaged by them in it to another Parliament, the greatest part whereof may be no friends but enemies, or at least strangers, or but little concerned in the first undertaking; whether this would not be exceeding contrary to all those former Declarations, Remonstrances, Protestation, Vow and Solemn League and Covenant.  

Answ.  
I do allow,— the Members of this present Session, are those Persons, that stand engaged by Oath and Covenant: and to that Oath, and Covenant, we appeal.— For granted; they stand bound to protect all the Honest people they have engaged; but not the Knaves,— the Covenant-Breakers; I desire only this.—    

Quaere.  
Whether or not, are they that took the Covenant, bound to protect the violators of it?— Nay, can they purge themselves of manifest Perjury, and Complication, should they not prosecute the obstinate opposers of it?  
5. Whether it be not more than sufficiently manifest, what will be the carriage of these Enemies to the Parliaments Cause, and its Adherents, when they get power into their hands, since they are so forward already in their discourses to charge the Parliament with Treason and Rebellion in their first undertaking the War, and look on all their Friends as rebels and traitors for assisting them in the Prosecution of it, and who are now in all places contriving and promoting the electing of such into the New Parliament as are Enemies to the present Parliament, their Friends and Cause, wherein if they prevail (as 'tis too likely) their work is done? how absolutely necessary is it then for the present Parliament to continue their Session, for prevention of these miss hiefs, which otherwise will ensue.  
Upon these and many other very weighty Considerations, it can by no means be accounted either honourable, or just, or safe, or prudent for the present Parliament to dissolve themselves, till first they have fully asserted, and vindicated their own just undertaking, and the faithful adherents to it and them, and not to leave ●oth themselves and their Friends to the Malice and Revenge of a vanquished Enemy.  
If this should be, we may bid Adieu to the Honour and Renown of English Parliaments, and to all future hopes of assistance from the People, whatever the necessity may be: And let English men bid farewell both to their Civil and Religious Liberties, if after so high a Conflict for them, with the expense of so much blood and treasure, and having by God's blessing subdued their opposers, yet after all to be exposed to a far worse Condition than before, which O God forbid: We hope for better things from our present Parliament: All that we add, is only this, If the KING must come, none so fit to bring him as our present Parliament.  

Answ.  
'Tis not the Parliament is charged with Treason, but that Rebellious Faction;— that, by an Insolence, praevious to the murder of his Sacred Majesty, threw out the major party of their Fellow-Members, which interposed to save him— and 'tis in their behalfs, this pitiful, half-witted Pamphleter engages. Should these Gentlemen sit, till they found a Free Parliament their Friends, they'd hardly Rise betwixt This, and the Day of Judgement: and that's all they desire. Alas! a Trifle.— The Care they take of our Religion, and Civil Rights, in truth is a great Favour from them, that never understood their Own.— If the more sober, conscientious Persons at the Helm, think not fit to dissolve so soon; these JONASSES, however, must be thrown overboard, to save the Vessel.— He that dissents▪ let him produce his Reasons: and in particulars, but show what Good, they 've either Done, or Meant us; to balance the Calamities they have engaged us in. I should be glad to see these Men Repent; hardly, to see them Govern.— These Folks are Ruined, if they do not Rule; the Nation, if they do.— The Question then, is but—    

Quaere.  
Whether is more Prudential; by saving of some half a score Secluders, that We should Perish; or by their SPEEDY dissolution, that we should save ourselves?   
FINIS.