NINETEEN CASES OF CONSCIENCE.  
Submissively tendered to Mr. Hugh PETRS, And the rest of his Fellow Commissioners, the TRIARS  
By sundry weak Brethren.  
LONDON, Printed in the year MDCLIX.   
NINETEEN CASES OF CONSCIENCE.  

I  
WHether the Immortality of a man's Soul be a Doctrine at all fit, or suitable to be preached, or taught, either in Pulpits or Books, to the men of this Generation? and whether there be any such thing as a future condition of happiness or misery in another world? Now the ground of this scruple ariseth from long observations in State ever since 1641, till this present 1659.   

II  
Whether it be not a matter of weighty consequence, that a Petition be preferred to the Parliament, to entreat them, that they would pass an Act for repealing, nulling, and making void all oaths whatsoever, taken since 1 Caroli to the 3 of Septemb. 1658? And whether it be not expedient that this be done very suddenly, lest some who may be concerned should in the interim sneak out of the world, and so become incapable of receiving any benefit thereby?   

III  
Whether it would not much advance our long desired Reformation, if those places of Scripture, out of which the Common-Prayer-Book is collected, were diligently sought after, and blotted out of our Bibles, that no mark of the Superstitious Liturgy may remain among us, to make our Children Idolaters?   

IV  
Whether Lying, crying at pleasure, swearing by the living God, murdering men at an High Court of Justice; Perjury three or four times over; eating the Bread of Orphans; grinding the faces of the Poor; trampling on abilities; starving a learned and orthodox Ministry, and exercising worse Tyranny for five years' last past over England than Pharaoh did over Egypt, were sins or ●ot? And if sins, whether any whit more venial in a Saint than a Sinner?   

V  
Whether we have not as good cause to celebrate a solemn Anniversary of Thanksgiving upon the 3 of Sept. as the 5 of Novemb. for the merciful deliverance from the Author of all our co●fusions.   

VI  
Whether a Common wealth modelled (as Mr. Harrington would have it) like to that of Israel, be not now the best kind of Government for us, seeing we have so many Jews amongst us?   

(VII)  
Whether the fellows of Magdalen College in Oxford, have not given Dr. Thomas Goodwin (upon the account of his wife better reason to make an hornbook than Dr. Owen had given him by anybody, to make a primer?   

(VIII)  
Whether his late Highness's Letter to the House was not a large manifesto of the humility of his Spirit, of his forsaking the World, and the Devil; of his Christian valour, and fortitude, a trial of his patience, an exercising of all his virtues, a probate of his desire to save his windpipe, and lastly of his mighty will to inform the world and the worthies thereof how inconstant that same blind whore Fortune is, how burdensome Thrones and sceptres; nay how empty a thing, and how vain is supreme-magistracy: And this Remarqu' may give us occasion to think upon those Comparisons which are frequent concerning this matter: Mr. Quarl● he says, 
Or like a Sun, or like a shade,  
Or like the Gourd that Ionas had &c.  Another, he sings sweetly.  Fortune my foe, why art thou thus unkind, &c. 
Comparing Crowns to Crabtrees, the Pearls upon them to mistletoe-berries which (which we are confident) are profitable for nothing save only to make birdlime to ensnare ambitious mortals, who (as he goes on with the Allegory) are like little birds that hop up and down on little twigs on the highest trees they can find. O (Says the schoolboy) think upon Icarus and Phaaeton thou that aspirest to a Diadem! (Says another classical Author) remember Belizarius, Blind Belizarius reaching out his crippled fingers, and crying, Give poor Belizarius one farthing! O who would not part with an hundred Protectordomes (if he had them) to occasion so many good thoughts in a sinner.   

Ix..  
Whether this Parliament would not quit courtesy handsomely to turn his bones out of the Abbey, who turned them by force, and violence against all humanity, and good manners out of the Parliament House? or in short whether Quid pro Quo be not lawful, and avowable?   

X.  
Whether Machiavel's maxim, for which our Divines rail so at him (viz.) that [Christian Religion makes man Cowards,] be not now sound Doctrine, and most evidently demonstrated his by late highness?   

XI.  
Whether a man may not venture his Soul for the procurement of an Estate, and promotion of his worldly interests, altogether as laudably as for Religion?   

XII.  
Whether it were not a deed of Charity in the Parliament to erect another High Court of Justice, that so the Lord L●s; le might know how to dispose of some of that time, and leisure which they have thought fit to allot him, by discharging him the trouble of being one of the Keepers of the great Seal of England? And whether we ought not to think in Charity that the House discarded him of his dignities in tender compassion to his Soul, that so he might have convenience to repent him of his blood guiltiness, and other crying Sins, which can the pared off with his nails.   

XIII.  
Whether Sermons should not be put down as well as plays, the meetings being far greater, the A●●ores more seditious, and fewer soldiers being there, by their good wills?   

XIV.  
Whether the Whore of Babylon that Man of Sin, be in good earnest (after so many disputes) a Man, or a 〈◊〉, or an Hermaphrodit●?   

XV.  
Whether old Oliver Cromwell, and Dr. John Hewyt, are now within sight of one another; and if not, how many Leagues over the gulf is that parts 'um? And truly the resolution of this one doubt (if the gulf were stated to be but narrow) would make many men in this world excellent Swimmers, in hopes one day to make use of their Art, when the time shall come that they must either Sink, or Swim.   

XVI.  
Whether they best deserve of the State who have hazarded their persons, and estates, or they that have ventured their Souls and Consciences for the Good Old Cause.   

XVII.  
Whether we be not much happier now than we have been any time this seven years before, in regard we have again gotten over us the Harp, and cross, one being an inctrument of mirth, and the other a badge of our Religion; whereas before we had a great white ramping lion over us: now a lion is a beast of prey, and the property of beasts of prey is to devour (as we all know.)   

VIII.  
Whether the Devil be not a Malignant, because he is so hot for Monarchy? and whether (if the Act of Oblivion will not quit him) that one Argument be not enough to persuade men to defy him and all his works?   

(XIX)  
Whether, seeing that Liberty of Conscience is now generally granted to all men, it be not the best exercise for poor witty cavaliers to write Pamphlets, and the best recreation for rich Commonwealth's men to read them?   
The End.