THe Pamphlet begins with that of Solomon , That a wise man foreseeth an evil , and preventeth it , but fools go on , and are punished : What wisdom then can the Parliament hope to finde in his advice , that foresaw not the loss of his place , but went on and was punished for interrupting them ? But ( to prevent the sleighting of the Pamphlet ) he tells us , It is the Judgement of all the Parliaments friends in England , that they are ruining the Good Old Cause . A full Judicatory indeed ; did he not speak by Hyperbole ? Hath he tried , or doth he know the thousandth part of the Parliaments friends ? 't is likely the Excluded Army Officers judged so , and the late armed Sectarians ( as he calls them ) judged so : But are they this Parliaments friends , that took up Arms against them , and turned them out of doors ? blessing God that Hell was broke up ( as one of them canted it ) to whom Parliaments are Antichristian , as Mr. Robotham ( in his Treatise on the Revelations , and in the Dedication of it to Oliver ) with Deering , Pinchion , and Chillingworth , learnedly proves . What sober person of England took up Arms against this Parliament to cast them out ? What Sectarian did not ? of would not ? I hope ( of his All ) he w●ll except the Lord General Monck , Okey , All●red , Morley , &c. with all the Army now in London , from thinking the Cause now nigh its Interment by this Parliament .

But he addes , Men must not go a step beyond reason : True , but what reason had he for marching against this Parliament , and breaking them up ? the Parliament act ( in his judgement ) without reason in excluding the rebellious Army Officers : but they acted rationally in excluding the Parliament . It will ruine the Cause ( he thinks ) to moddel the Army , and sleight the Sectarians , but not for the Army and Sectarians to eject the Parliament . He proves it thus :

The Parliaments Army is unsettled , their H●use divided ; their Friends discouraged , their Trade decayed , their Treasure exhausted , and ●he●r Enemies increased ; therefore the Cause is dying .

1. The Army is unsetled , and not like to be otherwise , while there are so many strange faces among them . 1. This is not the first time the Army hath been thus unsetled , and yet the Cause much advantaged by it : witness the Moddel in 1645. and 1647. and other times , when nigh , if not full as many Officers were changed , as now . 2. You think the Soldiers will not follow their new Masters : Do you think meet that the Parliament mainta●n an Army , who will march under no other Conduct than what pleases the Rendezvouz ? 3. Where had our Parliament been , and how unsetled had the Nation been , had not the Army been thus unsetled , and master'd ? 4. Were the Soldiers so zealous for their old Officers ( as you think they are ) why did they revolt from them , and with scorn contemn their Authority , not staying ( though much intreated ) till their Officers were indempnified ? 5. If that truly meritorious p●ice of our Blood and Treasure ( the Blessing of a Commonwealth ) be obstructed by this unsettlement of the Army , we must found our ruine on your Treacheries : Not but that we see the Cause ( under God ) sufficiently secured by this renowned Parliament , and General Monck : but if it should be cast ( as you would have it ) into the late Officers and Sectarians hands again , this Parliament ( as formerly ) must endure a third Martyrdom , and the best of Causes turn to the worst of Curses , an Arbitrary Sword-dominion . 6. The Parliament have laid by the Anabaptists ( not ( as you averre ) because of a different perswasion in Religion , but ) because they are true heirs to the Munstrian spirit , evidenced in their late Rebellions , and therefore they still cherish those more sober Anabaptists , that hated those Extravagancies of the Army and Sectarians . 7. And since you judge , the Parliament not to trust Capital Offenders , why do you complain ? What can be a more Capital Offence , than to chop off the Parliament , the Politick Head of the three Nations ? yea , the Majesty of the people was thrust at , and thrust out by your Swords in their Representatives . 8. But you dislike the Parliaments trusting the Presbyterian , because Booth and Love opposed them . Sir , the Commonwealth intends to thrust out Faction , and to trust all ( as far as may be safe for it . ) Did not Lambert , Fleetwood , and the whole host of Sectarians , not onely oppose , but depose our Parliament , yea expose them to the mercy of a Bullet ? Did Presbyterians ever break up Parliaments , as you have done ? Yet Presbyterians are not trusted as Presbyterians , but as obedient to government : To which frame of spirit could the Sectarians come , this Parliament and Commonwealth have a ring for their finger , aswell as they had a Jewel for Lamberts ear , while he obeyed .

9. But you suspect the Cause , while one of the Commissioners refuseth the Oath against the Stuarts : Sir , that your Army Officers would never have ventured your places upon ? you never scrupled , either the taking , or breaking any Oath : you have sworn to this Parliament , Oliver , Dick , this Parliament again , and ( might you be admitted ) would doubtless swear once more : thus have you marched and counter-marched in Oaths and Ingagements without scruple ; being so hardy as not to dread an Oath , That Commissioners fault is to refuse swearing , and your honesty is to refuse keeping an Oath . But Sir , they that know the Oath not passed the House ( as you imply in you last page ) will hardly believe it was yet offered , to any Commissioner to take .

10. But you farther suspect the business , because that old Cavalier Sir Anthony Ashly-Cooper , is admitted a Colonel ; what , because ( among all your Lords , Lambert , Hewson , Fleetwood , &c. ) you had none so high as a Knight before ? or are you ashamed to see a disingaged enemy ( as you think ) more faithful to the Parliament , than your self their ingaged Vassal ? Sir Anthony was no old Cavalier , when you would have made him one of Olivers privy Council : but now 't is a sin in the Parliament to receive him , though a duly elected Member . God grant the Commonwealth more such converts .

2. You urge the House is divided , and therefore cannot stand . But seriously , did you ever hear of a Parliament House that was not divided ? Did Christ say or intend , that a House divided in point of judgement or debate , cannot stand : which is the present case . Do not most of the best Acts pass , by dividing the House ? you think you could secure the Cause , if the House were excluded ; why then do you make ready the Coffin , when 't is but divided ? what 's division among themselves , to their ex●lusion by you ? and yet the Cause is upon it 's feet . Sir , an equal division in the House , eagerly prosecuted is a State of War : but a Major vote makes union , because 't is called and obeyed as a vote of Parliament ; which is the present Case , and therefore , yet there is no need of your Coffin .

3. You insist , That the Parliaments friends are discouraged . But Sir , 1. Were they not much more in October last , when they were thrown out of Commission and Credit , only for being faithfull to the Parliament ? the nine Officers Letter , judge you in the ruiners of the Cause ? 2. Whom do you mean by the Parliaments friends ? but such ( as you describe them ) as need the Parliaments pardon , are turned out in this new Model , and removed from the Conduct of the Army . What friends they are , appears by their twice trampling the Parliament under foot , repealing the last Acts they made , valuing nine of themselves at a higher rate than the whole Parliament of England , calling the Parliament ( in their Declaration and Plea ) a rush they catched at , to save themselves from drowning ; imprisoning their friends , turning out of the Army such as stood for them , murdering some that fought for them at Portsmouth , and setting forth what Armies and strength they could make , against the Parliament Generals in the North , and at Portsmouth , for the utter subversion of them ; raising up all the Sectarians of the Nation into a Militia against them . Heavens ! with what face can these men rule themselves the Parliaments friends ? 3. But are the Parliaments real friends discouraged ? Is General Monck , or any Colonel of his faithful Army dissatisfied ? Are the Irish or Scotish Parliamenters troubled and disturbed at these things ? or indeed , any one person that loved the Parliament ? Let the World judge the truth of it . You insist , but their reputation now withers in good mens esteem . True , but as Micaejahs did with Ahab , because he would not do , and say what Ahab would have him . And by calling your self and Complices good men , you shew , that you would speak long enough , before you would speak any evil of your self . Yet , while you call the Army and Sectarian tumuknaries good men ; their own works , and the Nations words declare the contrary . You say the Parliament hath put out good Sir Henry Vane , and let bad Oliver St. John rule the roste . Sir , your judgment which of them is good or bad , might have done well , had not your intended Protector Lambertiz'd : but now you might have suspended it , till you came to Rhadamanthus seat .

But yet you say , you are surer friends to the Parliament , than Oxford or Cambridge , Lawyer or Clergy , Calamy or Case . I believe so to ; in that you sent them home to dye in peace ; while these with might and main chose them to those insupportable burdens of governing this Nation , as the peoples Representatives . You would have sent them out of these Turmoiles into Heaven , with Piques and Musquets , in your late marches against them ; but these would fain keep them here , appears by their late siding against the Army , & Sectarians that fought the Parliament . Your story of Col. Riches unhandsome usage by the House , being so vain : the Gentleman doth and oftentimes hath disproved it : But I do not much wonder at your calumniations , remembring that while the Lord General Monck actually appeared in Arms for this Parliament , you rendered him to the world , as one that had espoused the Interest of Charles Stuart .

But you fervently urge , That the Sectarian and Charles Stuart both cannot be suppressed . I suppose your mean the rebellious Sectarian , for others the Parliament suppresses not ; and then I answer ? 1. The rebellious Sectarian is as much an enemy to the Cause of a Commonwealth , as Charls Stuart , for he ran into Monarchy with Oliver , Richard , and Lambert , against a Commonwealth ; yea into such a Monarchy as never was exercised in England . 2. If the Parliament cannot ( as you judge ) keep down both , they must in prudence , rather accept C. Stuart , than any other single Person : and admit the old Monarchy , rather than that Canonical Government , Sword-men and Sectarians have set up . 3. Why cannot the Parliament keep down the Sectarian and C. Stuart , rather than the sober party and C. Stuart , whom they lost out of their respect to the Sectarian ? 4. God is the same , and the Army ( as to its strength ) the same , and the conduct ( being in that most experienced Souldie● , General Monk ) far better ; Why then is the Coffin now brought forth ▪ 5. You dishonour the Parliament of England , by insinuating their Interest to be so narrow , as ( if you are said aside ) they cannot find persons capable to wield their sword in the face of their most daring enemies . Admit the turbulent Sectarians were indulged , they would do the Commonwealth asmuch service as they did you ; to wit , hide their heads in the day of trouble . 6. In brief , the Good old Cause is maintained , not by rallying up Sectarians , against the sober Party , but Commonwealths-men against a single Person ; and till the Commonwealth is framed , it is uphold by this Parliament and Army , and the many thousands , ingaged upon the account of several Lands bought of the State ; which is a firm Basis , while Sectarianism ( upon too sad experience ) appears to degenerate into the vilest Monarchy . And after the Commonwealth is formed , 't is supported by its own sweetness and profitableness . Thus Royalists and Sectarians must both be kept out of office , to uphold the Commonwealth .

4 , You say decay of trade will force the people to destroy the Parliament and the Cause ; as judging they were the Causers of it . Not so , for 't is clear that the storms the A●my raised ( while rampant ) made rich men unwilling to venture their Estates in way of trading ; but the Armies hurle-burlies being now laid , by the election of the turbulent Officers , trade will soon revive , with such lifts as the Parliament will give to it .

5. You say , Our Treasure is exhausted , it will be difficult to come by more , and the Army will not fight without pay ; therefore the Cause must fall . 1. Who exhausted our Treasuries , but the late Officers ? who hardned peoples hearts , but the late Officers and Armies Abuses ? 2. Would you ( if you were in place again ) fight without pay ? or will the Sectarians , if the Parliament accept them ? 3. The Parliament will be able to give the Army pay , and fill up their Treasuries better than any other Interest . 4. To ease the people of Taxes , the Parliament hath farmed out all the Offices of the Nation . 5. Your Expedient of receiving again the late rebellious Officers and Sectarians , will neither make the Tax come in the faster , nor the work be carried on the cheaper , since both Sectarian and Wallingfordians are perfectly hateful to the people ; so that your way will never keep the Cause out of the Coffin .

6. You farther urge , That the Parliaments enemies increase , therefore the Cause must fall , and farewel to it for ever . 1. Its strange men should say their enemies increase , who within these two Moneths , had two Armies in England against them , and now not a man that takes up a sword against them ? 2. The sober sort of English men that were once Neuters , are now won to the Parliament , for their sub●ecting the Military to the Civil Sword , and humbling the campant Sectaries and Army Officers . 3. These new enemies ( as you call them ) are old ones , having fallen off from the Parliament with Ol●ver , 7. years since ; and proved their enem●es asmuch as any ; and therefore sure you speak Ironically , when you say , the Parliament kicks off their fastest friends ; when they lay aside such as have twice tr●mpled on them . 4. You confess Malignants , Neuters , and Presbyterians come into the Parliament , and surely this is hot loosing friends , or increasing enemies . 5. The Parliament is hastening in that noble and glorious struction of a Commonwealth ; which when once settled , how ambitious will men be to sit under the shadow of it . 6. They are about to fill up the House , which will actually ingage the whole Nation . I like your advice of so bearing to put all magistracy ●nto one pe●swasion● hand : which is a danger at the heart of all you said before , concerning Sectarians and your equal Commonwealth is inconsistent with your Officers you plead for .