Considerations by way of Sober Queries, Whether the State and Condition of the three Nations have been, or may be bettered, or made far worse, by the sitting and acting of the Remnant of the Old Parliament, without a Free and Full Assembly, chosen by the Consent and Election of the People, which are most concerned therein.  By THO. LE WHITE Esq 
1. WHether Parliaments heretofore have not been the Darlings of the people, and whether at present they are not the Starvelings of the Nation?  
2. Whether the Parliament hath either bettered the Church and State, or made them worse (under the umbrage of reformation) since their putting down of Kingship, Peers and Prelates?  
3. Whether of late they have not made all the Counties in England their enemies, in rejecting their Petitions and Addresses to them for a Free Parliament, and whether it be not against Law, Reason and the ancient Custom of England, to debarr the Counties and ancient Boroughs of their free choice of Knights and Burgesses by limiting them with Qualifications?  
4. Whether this way of Qualifications be not of the same nature with that of Richard the second, who made choice of such members for a Parliament as fuited to his own ends and pleasure, and on the regret and dislike of the people, guarded and defended his packed Parliament Viris armatis et sagittarij, guarded them with armed men and Archers?  
5. Whether the Laws enacted by a confined Parliament, can either by Law or reason, oblige the people to obey them, when as they shall be debarred the freedom of their Elections, siince 'tis their Birthright to choose their own Laws, by their Respresentative?  
6. Whether this way of Qualification and debarring the Natives of they just Rights, will not be a furtherance of the increase of our distractions, and in the conclusion bring all to confusion?  
7. Whether on these our distractions and disagreements, it may not invite Charles Stewart (as they call him) to come in with a foreign Army, and to Land his forces in sundry places as in the year 1600, Don John de Aquila did Ireland; the more to distract the Queen's forces, as at Kings-sayle, Baltimore and Ben Haven?  
8. Whether then he will not find ten for one that will side with him, and whether then many of the Parliaments Soldiers will not revolt from them, & adhere to him?  
9 Whether then the Parliament will find any of their old fast friends, which lent them their Money and Plate on the Public Faith, which they never restored, or any of those, that all along the late war assisted and stood close unto them, to the loss of all they had, yet never got any reparation, other than slights and scorn, neither a groat more than out of old oliver's private purse, and that also taken away from poor wounded and maimed Soldiers, sufferers and redeemed slaves, whilst many of these which now do, and will fit at the Helm, have enriched themselves beyond reason and measure?  
10. Whether as the affairs of she Nation are now carried on, there are any hopes of better times.  
11. Whether, as concerning the Church, there is any expectation of bettering it, since by those Commissioners authorized by the Parliament to put out all scandalous and deboist Ministers, they have thrust out too many Pious and Orthodox Divines, and placed ignorant Sectaries, and illiterate Mechanics in their rooms, and many Churches left without any man, either to teach, preach or pray; and the most considerable Live let out by the Commissioners to their Sons or friends and servants, at the fifth part or less than the yearly value, and yet no account given to the State whereby not so little as 100000 li. hath been pursed up in silence, which would, and may yet serve for payment of the Soldiers, would the Parliament look into it in time.  
12. Whether a stander-by, may not sometimes see more than they which play the Game; and than whether it be seditious to tell the Gamesters wherein they played amiss?  
13. Whether then, in such cases, it be Felony or Treason publicly to declare the wilful errors of a few, or such as will not be told of their faults, especially when they concern a multitude, even the Peace and safety of the Nations?  
14. Whether it suits with Justice, that my Lord Craven should lose all his Lands, when his greatest delinquency lies in the greatness of his Estate?  
15. Whether it suits with Justice, that Sir John Stowell (though a most notorious Delinquent) should not have the benefit of his Articles on the taking in of Excestter, since the very Heathens evermore made good their faith given to an enemy?  
16. Whether it was not high ingratitude in those that have vilified the parts and person of the late Protector Oliver, both before his death and since, who as all men knows, was the only instrument (under God) to reduce the three Nations to peace and quietness: as also to disgrace, dishonour and distrengthen both his worthy Sons?  
17. Whether this Parliament hath not of late years, and after they had quitted themselves of the late King's power, under pretence of supplying the Church with able and Pious Mimsters, by Tryars of partial spirits, admitted & approved of sundry men of no great merit, refusing such (though learned and Pious men) as have been legally presented by their Patrons, whereby the very Inheritance of divers Noblemen and Gentlemen, who anciently have had Jus Patronatus, a Right by Law belonging to their Lordships, have been debarred of the tied of their Representatives?  
18. Whether in Mr. Henry Miles his Case, and Proposition presented to ●o the Parliament, for a Register to be chosen in every County, for Registering ●…l Contracts, Sales of Lands, Leases for years or Lives, in their respective Counties, at the doors of the Inhabitants, and at the tenth part of the charge, he Vendors pay for their Inrowlment at London, and those County Registers very Term ordered to send up a Transcript of all the Contracts, etc. to the Grand Register at London, where there, as also in the Country, search might have been made, etc. for avoiding of all fraud and Covin, etc. and the said granted to the said Miles under the Broad Seal of two Kings, approved by two Lord Keepers, two Attorney Generals, and all the Judges of the Land: and the same well relished, and approved in Parliament, as also the persons chosen for the execution thereof by the Parliament, to be only such as had suffered much in the late War. And yet notwithstanding this setrlement, the whole work (so benesicial to all the Nation, so much approved, by the Votes of Parliament) blancked, cast aside, and stopped by one Lawyers only means?  
19 I say again, without scandal, or any seditious thought, but only to move the faulty to amendment, Whether Parliaments as well as Kings may not be told of their faults, especially at such a time and season as this is, wherein the Universal people stand●gazing what may be the sad issue of our present distempers, divisions, and distractions?  
20. Whether it were civil or handsome to quarrel and affront the City, in pulling down their Gates and Portcullisles, and imprisoning some of their Aldermen and Common-Counsel-men, who in their greatest distress, jent them ready money, Plate and Jewels, and supplied them with men and their best assistance?  
21. Whether Kings or other Princes, assuming absolute power to themselves without any to control them in their exorbitances, as the Roman Senate had their Tribunes, and the great Court of Arragon which over ruled them in their extreme actings, be not most necessary to be put in practice in a Free-State and Commonwealth.  
22. Whether the present Remnant of a few Parliament Members of the old and illegal Assembly, aught in Law or Reason, to assume to themselves an absolute power over the three Nations, without a King, a Protector, the Nobility, or some partner with them in the Government, that may qualify that their assumed power?  
23. Whether on supposition, that the Counties and Burroughs choose, and elect any of the secluded Members for filling up a Free Parliament, the remnant of the old Parliament can or ought in reason except against these so chosen?  
24. Whether that Kingdom or Nation can be safe and secure, where a King, or a few shall assume the sole and absolute power of Government unto themselves, without some one or other Partner that may control them on all Just occasions? And lastly, quaritur on due consideration, Whether a mixed Government (as ever it hath been in England) will not be the best, safe and secure Government for this Nation, and all others.  
25. Whether the present doubling of the Taxes on the universal Nation, will not bring the Parliament into an Odium altissimum, make them hateful to the whole Nation, whereas legally and with ease, they may raise within two Months, not so little as a Million out of that wherein they have been most notoriously cozened and deceived, were theypleased to hearken to the discovery?  
26. Whether, as concerning that regreet and dislike which all the Nation take, against that absolute and Arbitrary Power of some few, which at present assume the sole power of Government to themselves, so anarke and hateful to the Universal people, may not be regulated and balanced by setting up again the Lords House, and that all the Nobility of the 3 Nations, may be assembled to sit, Act and Vote, as they in their own house anciently have done, in a Full and Free Parliament; whereby the Government may return into a mixture of Government, since Kingship, Single persons, and proud Prelacy are laid aside, that so the present remnant of the old Parliament, may gain the last love and respect of the whole Nation; especially. since it appears not to any man of reason and reading, wherefore the Nobility and Barons of the Land, should be excluded out of the great Council, which in all ancient times, have withstood the Arbitrary Power of our Kings, and recovered the ancient Laws of the people, even Magn Carta, and Carta de forresta, as in many precedents its apparent, amongst which this one only we shall here insert, as the Record every where extant manifests. Henry surnamed Bew-cleark, youngest son to William the conqueror, staving off all Parliaments which might and would cross him in his design to Rule at will and pleasure, after 15 years of their discontent the Lords enforced him at last to call a Parliament, at Salisbury, where he was compelled to restore unto the people their old Laws, the Record runs thus: Legam Edwardi vobis reddo, cum illis emendationibus, quibus poter meus eam emendavit Concillio Baronum suorum. I restore unto you the Laws of King Edward, as they were amended by my father by the Council of his Barons. Hence we may see the power and use of the barton's of those times, and in sundry other Reigns how courageously they stood up, & oftentimes fought for the Liberties & Freedoms of the people. Why now, and in these times they should be put down, and excluded from the great Council as useless, is past many wise men's understanding; especially by an inconsiderable number of the lower, or middle sort of the people; but rather admitted as we have before said, for the balancing of arbitrary power, assumed by an inconsiderable number, in respect of a Full and Free Parliament?  
27. Whether the Parliament in the late war, did not raise their Forces against the King's arbitrary Power; And whether at present they assume not to themselves an absolute and Supreme power over the 3 Nations.  
28. And lastly, Whether in these times of divisions, distractions & Factions, they do take into their consideration that of Solomon viz. Oppression makes a wise man mad? And whether there is not a kind of ambitious madness amongst those which said (as is reported) they would fire the City when they could not obtain so much money as they demanded on Lo●n?  
FINIS.   

LONDON, Printed for the Author. 1660.