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<DATE>2010-11-01</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<PB N="1" REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>Letters of Advice: TOUCHING The Choice of Knights and Burge&s;&s;es.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Super&s;cription.</HI> To the Honourable Cities and Counties, of <HI>LONDON, We&s;tmin&s;ter, Surry,</HI> and <HI>Southampton,</HI> (to whom I am e&s;pecially obliged) and to all other the Honourable and Wor&s;hipfull Counties and Corporations throughout the Kingdome of <HI>England,</HI> and Dominion of <HI>Wales,</HI> to whom the choice of Knights and Burge&s;&s;es for Parlia|ment doth appertaine; humbly pre|&s;ent the&s;e.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Honoured, and Beloved,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>HAving, lately, received Information, that both <HI>Hou&s;es of Parliament,</HI> are not onely re&s;olved to call their fal&s;e and Apo&s;tate Members to a ju&s;t account; but, for ever, al&s;o to di&s;able them from returning to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">at Parliamentarie tru&s;t and dignitie, which they have unworthily di&s;ho|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ured and de&s;erted; I pre&s;umed thereupon, that the vacancie of tho&s;e many <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">oomes which are now void by their failings, and the want of tho&s;e <HI>Wor|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ies,</HI> whom God hath (perhaps for our &s;innes) called out of this life &s;ince <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">e <HI>Parliament</HI> began, would &s;hortly nece&s;&s;itate the renewing of that num|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">r of <HI>Knights</HI> and <HI>Burge&s;&s;es,</HI> which compleats the <HI>Hou&s;e</HI> of <HI>Commons.</HI> I <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">jectured al&s;o, that the more &s;peedy Summons would be &s;ent forth for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">eir election, becau&s;e the wi&s;dome of our <HI>Great-Councell</HI> failes not (I hope) <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> con&s;ider, how ca&s;uall their pretious lives are who now &s;u&s;taine the heavy <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">then of publike affaires; how intollerable it might prove, if the pre&s;ent <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">pporters</HI> thereof &s;hould be much more dimini&s;hed; how po&s;&s;ible it is that, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> me time or other, advantages may be taken by the paucity of the number, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">indammage the <HI>Publike,</HI> by tho&s;e who wait for &s;uch opportunities; and,
<PB N="2" REF="2">how many accidents may &s;uddenly happen, to di&s;turb that means of a free election, which is now cleare in many parts of this Kingdome.</P>
<P>Therefore being woefully experienced, in the manifold mi&s;eries, wherein|to this <HI>Nation</HI> is plunged, by the corruption, and in&s;ufficiencie, of Per&s;ons heretofore cho&s;en (or pre&s;umptuou&s;ly intruding upon that <HI>High-Calling;</HI>) and perceiving no publike meanes provided for prevention of the like mi&s;|chiefe hereafter, nor any man privately contributing his advice, toward the regulating of tho&s;e <HI>Elections,</HI> from whence our pre&s;ent calamities have &s;prung; and wherupon the remedie both of pre&s;ent, and future mi&s;chiefs, may depend: I have, upon the&s;e, and the like con&s;iderations, ha&s;tned to &s;end a|broad among you my humble <HI>Letters</HI> of <HI>Advice:</HI> Not, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> one arrogating a &s;ufficience fully to direct or advi&s;e in all things pertinent to the due choice of your <HI>Knights</HI> and <HI>Burge&s;&s;es;</HI> but rather as one (&s;en&s;ible of the common danger) offering his weake indeavours to be a meanes of &s;tirring up, and pro|voking others, of more &s;ufficiencie, to take timely notice of his intention; and to imploy their better judgements, in perfecting the&s;e good purpo&s;es toward the procurement of a prudent managing, and execution of your <HI>Ele|ctions.</HI> And, I de&s;ire, for your own &s;akes that, my good meaning may not bee utterly de&s;pi&s;ed, or made void.</P>
<P>For, I addre&s;&s;e not the&s;e lines, for &s;uch private and corrupt ends, as tho&s;e for which you heretofore received many letters from Lords, and La|dies, to &s;huffle into your <HI>Elections,</HI> tho&s;e of their <HI>Court-Cards,</HI> or of the <HI>vul|gar pack</HI> which might be mo&s;t &s;erviceable to their own de&s;ignes; but, hone&s;t|ly to di&s;charge that duty, whereto I am obliged both by our Nationall Cove|nant, and my per&s;onall affection to the <HI>common-good;</HI> and, &s;o, to prepare before the dayes of Election, tho&s;e of inferiour rank, and meane&s;t capacities to whom the free choice, of <HI>Knights,</HI> and <HI>Burge&s;&s;es,</HI> appertaines, by pre&s;en|ting unto them needfull Cautions, and Con&s;iderations, that they might there+by (if po&s;&s;ible) bee rendred more capable, and more con&s;cionable <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> their Duties, to their Countrey and them&s;elves in that point; and become willing to be in&s;tructed, how much it concernes their own, and the Public Intere&s;t and Safety, to be well advi&s;ed, and heed full in the &s;aid Elections And, to that end, I be&s;eech you, to whom the&s;e <HI>Mi&s;&s;ives</HI> do come, (and among whom, better <HI>Oratorie</HI> is wanting) that their words, or contents may, in private, or at your Conventions in publike, be &s;o &s;ignified to tho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> illiterate per&s;ons, who&s;e Voices are, u&s;ually, given by an implicit Faith; th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> they may more di&s;creetly conferre them, for the time to come,</P>
<LG>
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<L>Le&s;t, by that cour&s;e, which the&s;e were wont to run,</L>
<L>Both good and bad, together be undone.</L>
</LG>
<P>That my <HI>Advice</HI> intended, may be the more willingly entertained, I will fir&s;t make bold to remember you of tho&s;e mi&s;chiefs and inconviences, which are ob&s;erved to be the fruits of incon&s;iderate Elections; and, how traiterous you are unto your &s;elves and Countrey, therein. I will next pre&s;ent you with a briefe Character, or Qualification, both of tho&s;e whom you ought to reject, and of tho&s;e, who are fit to be elected for your <HI>Knights</HI> and <HI>Burge&s;&s;es,</HI> in Parliament. And, la&s;tly, I will offer to your con&s;iderati|on, that, which I conceive to be the be&s;t meanes for preventing partiality in choice; and &s;o, con&s;equently, for repleni&s;hing the Hou&s;e of <HI>Commons</HI> with &s;uch Members, as &s;hall be likely (by Gods ble&s;&s;ing) to become In&s;truments of removing our pre&s;ent mi&s;chiefs, and of e&s;tabli&s;hing a happy Peace among us for the future; if we be not grown &s;o corrupt a Body, that, we will not be repre&s;ented, by good and di&s;creet men; which, it &s;eemes, was, formerly, our fault, and made us choo&s;e a Repre&s;entative Body, in corruptions and failings, like unto our &s;elves.</P>
<LG>
<L>The <HI>Butterflies</HI> produce not <HI>Bees;</HI></L>
<L><HI>Good-fruits</HI> grow not on <HI>evill-trees.</HI></L>
</LG>
<P>I will, as I &s;aid, only remember you (for, things apparent need no proofe) into how many plagues and mi&s;eries this Common-wealth is plunged, by the rottenne&s;&s;e and giddine&s;&s;e, of &s;ome, formerly cho&s;en to be Members of the Repre&s;entative Body of our Commonaltie: and how perfidiou&s;ly they have betraied their tru&s;t, to their perpetuall infamie, and to the indangering of our everla&s;ting &s;laverie both to <HI>Tyrannie</HI> and <HI>Poperie;</HI> which joint-bondage would have been nothing le&s;&s;e accur&s;ed, then that of <HI>Egypt,</HI> whether con&s;i|dered as a temporall, or &s;pirituall &s;ervitude: and, God onely knowes, how long it will yet be, ere the&s;e I&s;lands &s;hall be totally delivered from the dan|gers, whereinto tho&s;e Traitors have formerly brought them. Thus mi&s;erable are they able to make us, on whom we conferre a Parliamentarie tru&s;t, if they be not wife, and con&s;cionable men; for, we give them power, not onely to make us Slaves, Beggers, and liable to the Hangman at their plea&s;ure; but, to &s;ubmit us, al&s;o, to tho&s;e Decrees which may, <HI>gradatim,</HI> bring our Po&s;te|ritie to be Turks, Pagans, and Va&s;&s;als to the Devill; which, if you believe not po&s;&s;ible, (becau&s;e not yet come to pa&s;&s;e) believe, at lea&s;t, that which you &s;ee, of the condition and practice, of them whom you have unworthily and unwarrantably elected; and con&s;ider, what may be further po&s;&s;ible, by their bringing &s;o farre back upon us (as they have lately done) tho&s;e Antichri&s;tian &s;laveries which we thought pa&s;t feare of reviving.</P>
<P><PB N="4" REF="3">
But, perhaps, mi&s;chiefs and inconveniences of le&s;&s;e concernment, will &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> up &s;ome to be more cautious in their Elections, then the&s;e; let &s;uch therfore take notice, that, by heedle&s;ne&s;&s;e in this dutie, they &s;hall make Tyrants and Fooles, Lords over them, who will fawne and court them, till they are ele|cted, and then, &s;corne and trample them under feet, putting &s;uch an im|mea&s;urable di&s;tance, betwixt them&s;elves and others, of that Body whom they repre&s;ent, and out of which they were cho&s;en, as if they had forgot|ten what they were; and that the re&s;pect due to a whole Committee, at lea&s;t, if not to the whole Hou&s;e of Commons, were due to their &s;ingle Votes, and Per&s;ons: yea, &s;ome of their deportments &s;hall be &s;uch, as if it were <HI>Cri|men lae&s;ae Maje&s;tatis,</HI> to &s;peak to them, or of them, or in their pre&s;ence, but as they plea&s;e to permit: and they will &s;o take upon them, and &s;o demean<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> them&s;elves likewi&s;e, as if to favour their Clients, to &s;uppre&s;&s;e tho&s;e who<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> they di&s;affect, to &s;trengthen their Faction, to further their private de&s;ignes, to &s;ecure their owne e&s;tates, and to defend their per&s;onall Priviledges (though to the utter ruine of all publike Liberties and true Pietie) were the chief end of their Calling. And what good can be had, or what benefit can be look for, from &s;uch a choice? Or what better choice can be made; unle&s;&s;e you &s;eri|ou&s;ly, prudently, and con&s;cionably mannage your Elections?</P>
<LG>
<L>When Wolves are by the Flock for Guardians cho&s;e,</L>
<L>Who marvailes if their skins, and lives they lo&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<P>The only means to be delivered from &s;uch mi&s;chiefs, is, by humbly &s;uppli|cating the divine Mercy; by truly repenting our &s;ins; and by taking mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> heed hereafter (then we have done heretofore) that we be not traitors to our &s;elves, in fooli&s;hly giving up the di&s;po&s;ure of our e&s;tates, lives, liberties and con&s;ciences to them who will &s;ell us for old &s;hoes, and &s;erve us, onely to &s;erve their owne turnes to our de&s;truction: Therefore, I be&s;eech yout<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> be warie, whom you &s;hall now, or hereafter, elect; and make us not irreco|verably unhappy, by li&s;tening to the in&s;inuations of unworthy per&s;ons, wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> will importune you, by them&s;elves, or others, to put our Bodies and Sou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e into their hands; complying with all &s;hewes of curte&s;ie and humility, til<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> their purpo&s;es are obtained; and never afterward regard your Per&s;ons, you<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Cau&s;e, your Mi&s;eries, or your Petitions: but, over-look you with &s;uch pride and de&s;pight, as if they had neither received their power from you, nor fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> your welfare; but meerly to exalt their owne vanitie: or, as if every one of them had in his &s;ingle capacitie, conferred on him by his Election, &s;uch a mea&s;ure of all Virtues and Sciences; and received &s;uch an extraction out of the Body repre&s;ented, that none of his Electors had left in him&s;elf, either wi&s;|dome,
<PB N="5" REF="3">hone&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ie, or pietie, in compari&s;on of his; though but the day before his Election, all the good you heard or knew of him, amounted perhaps to no more, but that he was a good Hunt&s;man, a good Faulkner, a good Game&s;ter, or a Good-fellow; who, having a good e&s;tate in his Countrey, where he was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ho&s;en, a good opinion of him&s;elfe, and a good mind to be a Law-maker, was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">lected by his neighbours, who had rather adventure the undoing of them|&s;elves, their po&s;teritie and the whole Kingdome; then hazzard his frowne, or <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he Lords, or Ladies di&s;plea&s;ure who &s;ollicited for him: Which follie that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">on may now &s;hun, both for the remedie of pre&s;ent evils, and for the better <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tabli&s;hing our ju&s;t Priviledges, with the common &s;afetie; let your care be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">o avoid the choice of &s;uch as the&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1 <HI>Men over-lavi&s;h in &s;peaking,</HI> or in taking extraordinarie plea&s;ure to hear <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hem&s;elves talk: for, a man full of words is neither good to give, or keep <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">oun&s;ell.</P>
<P N="2">2 <HI>Notorious Game&s;ters;</HI> for, though I have known &s;ome of them wittie; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> never found a prudent, or ju&s;t man among them. For, how can he be ju&s;t, who&s;e daylie practice is to cheat others of their e&s;tates? Or, how can they <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ave prudence becoming di&s;po&s;ers of the publike Trea&s;ure, who are &s;o fooli&s;h, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s needle&s;&s;ely to expo&s;e their certaine e&s;tates to the uncertain hazzards of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hance?</P>
<P N="3">3 <HI>Men extremely addicted to Hunting or Hawking:</HI> For, mo&s;t of the&s;e, &s;o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hey may pre&s;erve and increa&s;e their Game and inlarge priviledges for their <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">wne plea&s;ure, much care not though it were to the depopulation and impo|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">eri&s;hing of whole Countries, and to the multiplying of tho&s;e wild bea&s;ts, which are one of the cur&s;es threatned for &s;inne.</P>
<P N="4">4 <HI>The hou&s;hold &s;ervants,</HI> or, <HI>&s;uch as are the obliged dependents on Peers of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he Realme</HI> except they be of known and approved integritie. For, though <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ome <HI>Lords</HI> have honourably per&s;i&s;ted faithfull to the Re-publike, both now <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd in all times of Triall; yet, the greate&s;t part prefer their <HI>will</HI> and <HI>plea&s;ure</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">efore the ju&s;t liberties and priviledges of the Commons; yea, &s;ometimes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">efore the &s;afety of the whole Kingdome and the purity of Gods wor&s;hip: And &s;uch Noblemen wil upon all advantages, expect from their Creatures, the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">romotion of their own de&s;ignes and intere&s;ts, how repugnant &s;oever to the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">enerall-Good.</P>
<P N="5">5 <HI>Courtiers, depending meerly on the King's or Queens favour;</HI> For, the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">largement and continuance of their fortunes depend on the <HI>Prerogative:</HI> And, the more that may be improved to the depre&s;&s;ion of the Subject, the ri|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">her and the greater the&s;e grow.</P>
<P N="6"><PB N="6" REF="4">
6 Chu&s;e not &s;uch as are evidently <HI>ambitious or covetous;</HI> for, how pro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> the&s;e will be to &s;ell their Country and their Religion too, for titularie ho|nours or rewards, we have had too much experience of late yeares.</P>
<LG>
<L>The Peoples tru&s;t, or Kingdome, to betray,</L>
<L>To be a Lord, is now the neare&s;t way.</L>
</LG>
<P N="7">7 <HI>Men in&s;laved to Wantonne&s;&s;e,</HI> and, with open impudence per&s;evering <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> that &s;inne: For, &s;uch are a di&s;honour to that <HI>high-calling,</HI> and will not on<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> give a way their e&s;tates and liberties, to fulfill their lu&s;ts, but betray al&s;o the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> owne Lives, their Country, and their Saviour, to plea&s;e their <HI>Dalilahs.</HI></P>
<P N="8">8 Take heed of choo&s;ing tho&s;e, who are <HI>Superlatively proud:</HI> for, the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> will be &s;o pu&s;t up with their Legi&s;tator&s;hips, that after they have &s;ate while in the Hou&s;e, they will be apt to forget they are a part of the Co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|monalty, and be &s;o elevated, that we &s;hall hardly know how to &s;peake <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> make addre&s;&s;es or complaints to them without danger of being que&s;tion<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> for breach of good manners, or infringing their per&s;onall priviledges, whi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> u&s;ually they prefer before the Priviledges of the whole Commonwealth.</P>
<P N="9">9 Chu&s;e not <HI>men immoderately adicted to popularity,</HI> for tho&s;e have &s;o m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|ny to plea&s;ure, protect, prefer, or comply withall; that their wit, lei&s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> and abilities will be wholly taken up in the pro&s;ecution of private accom|modations and conveniences for their Clyents, who &s;hall not onely be &s;erv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> before the publike, but to the detriment thereof al&s;o, rather then faile.</P>
<P N="10">10 Chu&s;e not men reputed of a <HI>Vicious conver&s;ation</HI> in any kind: for, &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> will be &s;ecret oppo&s;ers of all Lawes or Ordinances re&s;training Enormities and con&s;tant hinderers of bringing Delinquents to condigne puni&s;hment.</P>
<P N="11">11 Make not choice of men <HI>Irreligious,</HI> or <HI>inclined either to antiquate Super&s;titions, or moderne Novelties:</HI> for, the fir&s;t will neither further ne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> full Reformation, nor be carefull of pre&s;erving Orthodox Di&s;cipline <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Doctrine from violation; nor much regard, &s;o their temporall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> be exempt from payments, and their per&s;ons from labour and danger, wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> hapneth to the di&s;honour of God, or to the &s;afetie or perdition of Soule&punc; And, the later will advance nothing but what tends to the e&s;tabli&s;hment <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> his Fancies.</P>
<LG>
<L>For, how can he advance true Reformation,</L>
<L>Who neither hath right Rules nor firm Foundation?</L>
</LG>
<P N="12">12 Elect not tho&s;e <HI>Male-contents,</HI> who are ob&s;erved by di&s;cour&s;e or pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|cti&s;e, to be enemies to the whole frame and con&s;titution of our Government for, the&s;e will prove ill-Coun&s;ellers; and rather de&s;tructive then helpefull, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> repairing and curing the ruines and de&s;tractions of the&s;e Times.</P>
<P N="13"><PB N="7" REF="4">
13 Make not choice of <HI>Children under age:</HI> for, to me it &s;eemeth not onely <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nnece&s;&s;arie, but ridiculous al&s;o, to commit the managing of the mo&s;t weigh|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">y aff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ires of the Common-wealth to tho&s;e who are not by our Lawes capa|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> of governing or di&s;po&s;ing their private e&s;tates: E&s;pecially; &s;eeing the ma|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">or part of <HI>Voices,</HI> which the vote of an ignorant child makes up, may con|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">rme a Re&s;olution to the publike dammage.</P>
<P N="14">14 Permit none of tho&s;e to be Elected, who have heretofore procured, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> cuted, or countenanced oppre&s;&s;ing <HI>Monopolies,</HI> or beene active in extort|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">g <HI>Shipmony, Coat and Conduct-mony,</HI> or in any illegall exactions injurious <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">o the Rights and Priviledges of the <HI>Commons:</HI> For, though &s;ome of the&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ay, now perhaps, be better Patriots and other wayes affected: yet, if there be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">thers untainted. not unworthy of your choice; good rea&s;on it is that they <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hould be preferred before the&s;e.</P>
<P N="15">15 Chu&s;e not men who, knowingly, &s;tand <HI>Out-lawed,</HI> or &s;o far indebted <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hat they dare not walk: abroad without protections, except in &s;uch ca&s;es as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ay in equitie be allowable; for what can be more ab&s;urd or unju&s;t, then that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ey &s;hould &s;it as <HI>Law-makers,</HI> who &s;ubject not them&s;elves unto the Lawes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">force? and what can be more unrea&s;onable, then to make the Fountaine of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;tice to be an ob&s;truction to her owne due proceedings, to the &s;cand l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hat High Court which ought (as much as po&s;&s;ible) to be compo&s;ed of &s;uch <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">embers as are every way without exception? I hope the Land is not yet <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> full of beggers and bankerupts, that there may not be 400. men found in it, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ly qualified for this &s;ervice, without &s;training a priviledge in this kind.</P>
<P N="16">16 La&s;tly, avoid in your Elections, the choice of tho&s;e <HI>who make meanes to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ve them&s;elves cho&s;en:</HI> For, in my opinion, it di&s;covereth in them &s;o much <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">rrogance and &s;elfe-conceit, that they are worthy to be rejected; though the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;tome of the times made it heretofore &s;eem no infringment of mode&s;tie and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ought many di&s;creet and hone&s;t men <HI>In&s;anire cum vulgo,</HI> to be over-&s;een or company. Doubtle&s;&s;e, the cau&s;e of mo&s;t or tho&s;e evills which are fallen <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">on the&s;e I&s;lands, have been occa&s;ioned by &s;ome of the&s;e Intruders. The <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;e-hood, pride, co vetuou&s;ne&s;&s;e, hypocri&s;ie, apo&s;tacie, cowardice, ignorance, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">artialitie, Athie&s;me, &s;en&s;ualitie, &s;elfe-love and &s;elfe-conceit of &s;ome of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">e&s;e, hath di&s;tracted, divided, impoveri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hed, and almo&s;t undone us at this pre|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ent; and, the totall accompli&s;hment thereof will follow, unle&s;&s;e God &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ve you grace to be con&s;cionably carefull in your choice of the Knights and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">urge&s;&s;es to be &s;upplied: and cau&s;e tho&s;e to purge them&s;elves by repentance (if <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">y &s;uch remaine in the Hou&s;e of Commons) who have intruded as afore&s;aid, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> beene heretofore incon&s;iderately and unworthily elected by others: For,
<PB N="8" REF="5">the chiefe Deliverers of Gods people in di&s;tre&s;&s;e, and their able&s;t Captai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> and Governours, were they who mode&s;tly &s;ought to put off, rather then ar|rogantly to intrude upon, &s;uch places: And, it may be ob&s;erved, that <HI>Saul</HI> w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> fitter to Raigne when they found him hidden among the &s;tuffe, then when <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> tooke care to be honoured before the people.</P>
<LG>
<L>The cur&s;ed Bramble &s;trove not to be cho&s;e</L>
<L>The <HI>Forre&s;t-King&punc;</HI> till &s;ome did him propo&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<P>The&s;e are they, the choice of whom, I &s;hall humby advi&s;e you to avoi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> in your Elections, as much as po&s;&s;ible you can: Yet, let your proceeding <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> with &s;uch di&s;cretion, that you neither expect men ab&s;olutely free from <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> imperfections (lea&s;t you be compelled to &s;eek them in another world) no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> examine every mans failings, with &s;uch &s;everitie, as may &s;candalize ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters"> and de&s;erving men: For, the be&s;t are &s;omtime traduced, and evill &s;poken o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> by Malignants and wicked per&s;ons, without cau&s;e: which may ea&s;ily be di&s;|covered, by diligently examining who they are that &s;peake evill of &s;uch And, upon what grounds they traduce them: Or, by a prudent and charitab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> examination of te&s;timonialls given on their behalfes, who are traduced.</P>
<P>Now, in coun&s;elling to make choice of &s;uch as may be be&s;t confided <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> I &s;hall be verie brief; becau&s;e, by the foregoing Cautions touching their quali|fications whom you are to pa&s;&s;e by, directions are tacitly given, to inform<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> what manner of men they ought to be, who &s;hould have Nomination in you<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Elections: To wit, Men whom you know, or believe (by their te&s;timon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> who&s;e fidelitie you &s;u&s;pect not) to bee of upright conver&s;ations, unrepro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|able (as far as humane frailtie will permit) prudent, &s;tout, impartiall, &s;ober<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> well-experienced, Lovers of their Countrey, grave, meek, humble, religious and rather eminent for their vertues and abilities, then for their wealth, birth or titles: And, yet not &s;o poore or meane, as to make their per&s;ons liable t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> contempt, or in danger to be expo&s;ed to a temptation through extreame ne|ce&s;&s;ities. Of the&s;e qualifications being a&s;&s;ured, or at lea&s;t well per&s;waded by good information (and not wilfully deceiving your &s;elves, or negligently permitting others to deceive you) proceed cheerfully to an Orderly Ele|ction; and commit the event to God, without di&s;tru&s;t of his ble&s;&s;ing therein that his mercifull providence may &s;upplie that, wherein your weakne&s;&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> improvidence may faile: and que&s;tionle&s;&s;e, a good event will follow.</P>
<LG>
<L>For, when our wayes we prudently di&s;po&s;e,</L>
<L>God crownes our hopes, or better things be&s;towes.</L>
</LG>
<P>But, you will &s;ay, perhaps, evill cu&s;tomes have &s;o di&s;ordered your Ele|ctions, that though you have con&s;idered the danger of making Choice <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">
<PB N="9" REF="5">Randome; or, according to their per&s;wa&s;ions, who abu&s;ed your credulitie and &s;implicitie heretofore: and, though you are al&s;o truly de&s;irous to regulate your choice according to good Advi&s;e: yet, &s;o much is a&s;cribed to Cu&s;tome (though evill) And, the corruption and cunning of tho&s;e who are mo&s;t pow|erfull in managing tho&s;e Elections may be &s;uch, that the well-affected &s;hall be over-borne; or tho&s;e contrivances perhaps practi&s;ed, whereby your Votes may be neverthele&s;&s;e transferred to a wrong Partie; as it hath often happened <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">n times pa&s;t.</P>
<P>To prevent this, I will offer to con&s;ideration, what I have conceived may be helpfull again&s;t &s;uch fraud or fal&s;hood; and conducing to the regulating of your Elections for the time to come: And (though the wi&s;dome of this generation may, perhaps, deride it) I &s;hall not repent the propo&s;all thereof: becau&s;e I am a&s;&s;ured it will availe to the publike &s;ecurity, and &s;hall be both entertained with approbation, and practi&s;ed with good effects, when the time cometh in which this Kingdome mu&s;t be re&s;tored to that happine&s;&s;e, which we have lo&s;t; and &s;hal be made ble&s;&s;ed, by that Reformation which we de&s;ire. My Propo&s;itions are the&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1 That at your conventions of the Freeholders or Burgers, to elect Knights of the Shire, or Burge&s;&s;es, no mans pre&s;ence may be admitted of, but his who is intere&s;ted in your Elections: For, they who intermeddle imper|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">inently, in other mens matters, do very &s;eldome bu&s;ie them&s;elves to an ho|ne&s;t purpo&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2 That no man be permitted at &s;uch meetings, (before or after choi&s;e made) to provide banquets, or make co&s;tly preparations, for their entertain|ment, by whom they are cho&s;en: for, it is a kind of embracing his cho&s;ers; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd to me it &s;eems an unproper Complement (if nothing were corruptly in|tended) that he who confers the benefit, &s;hould be at the charge of giving Thanks; for, he that is Elected undertakes the &s;ervice for his Electers.</P>
<P N="3">3 That either at, or before the times of meeting about your Elections, you confer together, and take care, throughly to informe your &s;elves, what per&s;ons you know, or by common Fame, conceive to be fitte&s;t, to &s;erve the Republike, for your &s;everall Counties or Burroughs, according to the di|rections afore-expre&s;&s;ed; and that you then give in the names of &s;o many as are conceived, and agreed upon, by a con&s;iderable number of voices, worthy to be pre&s;ented (be they more or le&s;&s;e) rejecting none, who &s;hall be &s;o brought in. And if two are to be cho&s;en, let foure of them, and if one, let two, which have the mo&s;t voices, make triall by Lot, to whether of them God will be plea&s;ed to di&s;po&s;e the place, or places, to be &s;upplied: &s;o, both
<PB N="10" REF="6">God and man, concurring in their Elections, much corruption thereby will be prevented: and, where mans judgment faileth to make a right Election, Gods providence (if he hath any plea&s;ure in us) will correct your errours; and if he hath decreed our de&s;truction, what will it the more, or le&s;&s;e, pro|fit us, that we chu&s;e our own De&s;troyers, by that meanes?</P>
<P>This determination of Election by Lots, though it may now &s;eem new, was warrantably practi&s;ed by the lews, in the election of their fir&s;t King, as appeares, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 10.20. For, the Tribe of <HI>Benjamin</HI> was cho&s;en, and <HI>Saul,</HI> out of that Tribe, by Lot, before the Kingdom was e&s;tabli&s;hed upon him. The like cour&s;e was taken, to &s;upply the room of <HI>Judas,</HI> the apo&s;tate Apo&s;tle (eve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> in tho&s;e Primitive times, wherein the Gift of di&s;cerning Spirits, was confer|red, in greate&s;t mea&s;ure:) and after the Congregation of Believers had cho&s;en out from among the Di&s;ciples tho&s;e two, whom (according to out ward ap|pearance) they judged fitte&s;t for the Apo&s;tle&s;hip, <HI>Matthias</HI> was elected by lot, out of tho&s;e two; perhaps, to be a patterne to &s;ucceeding times, in wha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> manner they might be&s;t make choice of Officers, for prevention of a parti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> election. And doubtle&s;&s;e, this way, of electing by lot, was, in after-ages, pur|po&s;ely di&s;allowed, omitted, and changed, as &s;uper&s;titious, by the fraud and corruption, of tho&s;e Prie&s;ts and Prelates, who perceived, that, if &s;uch practice &s;hould be approved and per&s;i&s;ted in, as warrantable; it would ne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+ther be ea&s;ie, nor po&s;&s;ible for them, to keepe the di&s;po&s;ure of Dignities, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Preferments, in their own power, for the advantage of them&s;elves, and thei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Favourites; by which they had wanted the chief pillar in their Antichri&s;tia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;tructure. This, other Politicians ob&s;erving, the Civill Magi&s;tate, in mo&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> States, learned their &s;ubtilty, and have followed, ever &s;ince, their example in vilifying or neglecting lots; and in electing of temporall Officers, accord|ing to &s;uch means, or Votes, as may bring in whom they plea&s;e, and effect that which will be mo&s;t advantagious to their particular ends. Which no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> profitable policie being di&s;covered, if now elections by lot, were againe revi|ved, and practi&s;ed in the choice both of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, and Temporall Offi|cers, it might be a meanes to re&s;tore hone&s;ty and piety to their primitive be|ing, in Church and Common-wealth; where Officers have hither to been ar|bitrarily cho&s;en, by their corrupt Superiours, and Patrons, for private ends</P>
<P>Take this Overture into your con&s;ideration, as you &s;ee cau&s;e (for, I pred|it no further) and therewithall, if you like the motion, take heed that your bo&s;e not lots, to determine what is already determined, or determinable by the Word of God, by po&s;itive humane Lawes, or by common rea&s;on; and, beware al&s;o that ye make not God an Vmpire in triviall and indifferers
<PB N="11" REF="6">things, which are at your own free choice: for, that were a &s;infull temptation of God, and a profanation of that Ordinance, which, being con&s;iderably and rightly u&s;ed, may be a means of much good, and of preventing much evill. For, if the <HI>Kings Maje&s;ty, Supreme Magi&s;trates, Officers of State, Pa|trons of Church-Livings,</HI> and other who claime the di&s;po&s;ure of the pro|fits and executions of all places in Church and Common-wealth, could po&s;|&s;ibly be per&s;waded to re&s;igne to the Church, and to their Countrey re&s;pe|ctively (and unto whom by mo&s;t ancient right they appertaine) a free electi|on or nomination of Officers to all publike places; referring all &s;uch particular elections to tho&s;e unto whom, by calling, they mo&s;t properly belong; doubtles hone&s;t and experienced men would be &s;till preferred. Yea, &s;hould we refer to the Votes of both <HI>Hou&s;es of Parliament</HI> (when they &s;it) or to the Votes of the <HI>Privy Coun&s;ell,</HI> they not &s;itting, the nomination of all <HI>Officers of State,</HI> who&s;e places are void? To the <HI>Sergeants at Law,</HI> the voting of <HI>Judges, Chiefe-Ju&s;tices,</HI> and &s;uch like Officers: To the <HI>Benchers</HI> of the Innes of Court, the voting of <HI>Sergeants:</HI> To <HI>Clerkes</HI> of the Chancerie, and of other Courts, the voting of their chiefe Officers: To <HI>Freeholders</HI> and <HI>Burgers,</HI> the voting of Knights and Burge&s;&s;es, according to their lawfull cu&s;tomes: To the <HI>Vniver&s;ities,</HI> being fir&s;t purged, the voting of &s;ending forth able Per&s;ons for the Mini&s;terie, when Church-livings are void: To the <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> within a certain limit, wherein Livings of greate&s;t value are vacant, the vo|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ing of removing thither &s;uch per&s;ons from inferiour Cures, who are mo&s;t e|minently de&s;erving in the Church: And &s;o proceed in all other nominations or elections <HI>con&s;iderat is con&s;iderandis;</HI> and then let the finall determination of the &s;aid elections and nominations be concluded, as it &s;hall plea&s;e Gods pro|vidence to di&s;po&s;e of them by <HI>Lot;</HI> It &s;eemes very probable that, by this means the <HI>Reformation</HI> we de&s;ire would be much facilitated, yea halfe effe|cted; and that mo&s;t of the corruptions now complained of both in the Church and Commonwealth, would be beaten down at one blow. For, if this cour&s;e might be taken, there would be no admi&s;&s;ion of ignorant and Symoniacall <HI>Pastors;</HI> there would not be &s;o ea&s;ie an entrance for <HI>bribing-Magi&s;trates,</HI> or other corrupt <HI>Officers; Men</HI> would neither &s;o glory or tru&s;t in <HI>Riches,</HI> as they do; becau&s;e their tra&s;h would be able to purcha&s;e nothing but things of it own value: <HI>Hone&s;ty, Knowledge, Piety,</HI> and other <HI>Virtues,</HI> would be more accounted of, more &s;tudied, and more practi&s;ed; as mo&s;t con|ducible to our <HI>well-being</HI> here, and to our happine&s;&s;e hereafter: and men vi|ciou&s;ly inclined, or unprofitably &s;pending their times, would by degrees be|come more con&s;cionable, or more a&s;hamed of their cour&s;es.</P>
<P><PB N="12" REF="7">
Perhaps <HI>good</HI> and <HI>di&s;crect men</HI> may, at fir&s;t hearing, &s;tumble at this: but, &s;ure I am, <HI>incurable Fooles,</HI> and <HI>incorrigible Knaves,</HI> will be mad at the motion, and never conde&s;cend therunto. For, if they &s;hould put their pre|ferments to God and their Country, they would have little hope of advance|ment: And therefore I neither expect their Vote in this <HI>Matter,</HI> nor their ap|probation of this <HI>Letter,</HI> for being an In&s;trument to offer unto con&s;ideration: Propo&s;ition &s;o mi&s;chievous to their con&s;titution. How&s;oever, the Overturn is now made, and tendred in publike; <HI>Valent ut valere pote&s;t.</HI> Perhaps it comes forth in a good &s;ea&s;on: if not, God hath another time for it, where|to I referre it, and the effects thereof to his good plea&s;ure.</P>
<P>I will now conclude the&s;e my Letters of Advi&s;e, with that which mu&s;t be the beginning of your Elections; even with a heart lifted up in prayer to God the Father, for a ble&s;&s;ing on your endeavours; and, with an earne&s;t de|&s;ire, that you may make choice of &s;uch men, as may be fitly qualified with naturall abilities, for the well di&s;charging of that tru&s;t which you repo&s;e in them; and, by the grace of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the &s;anctification of his holy Spirit, be &s;o furni&s;hed, and &s;o &s;eparated, for the work which they &s;hall be called unto; that they may be a means of bringing peace againe into our Borders, even that Peace which pa&s;&s;eth all under&s;tanding; and which &s;hall prevaile, to the e&s;tabli&s;hing of Truth, and to the introduction of that Kingdome, for which we patiently attend. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<DIV2 TYPE="postscript">
<HEAD>The Po&s;t&s;cript.</HEAD>
<P>AS I was about to make up the&s;e LETTERS, I remembred (by what I have ob&s;erved, and by &s;uch complaints as I have heard) how po&s;&s;ible it is, through the great hypocri&s;ie now raigning, that, when your be&s;t indeavours have been u&s;ed in the&s;e Elections, many Members may neverthele&s;&s;e be cho&s;en, who&s;e performances of their duties will be wilfully unan&s;werable to your ju&s;t expectations; (e&s;pecially when by a long <HI>Se&s;&s;ion,</HI> or <HI>Parliament,</HI> the wor&s;t affected &s;hall finde meanes how they may &s;e urely know and &s;erve each other, by &s;ecret compliances, for their private advantages, to the publike dammage; or by conceiving them&s;elves &s;o inve&s;ted with an irrevocable Tru&s;t, that they are above controule?) And, when I called, like wi&s;e, to mande, how many (&s;ince this <HI>Parliament</HI> began) &s;eeming excellent <HI>Patriots</HI> at the fir&s;t, have after turned Faces about, for want or right affections, and good <HI>Principles,</HI> to the great griefe and amazement of their hone&s;t Friends; And how many accounted wi&s;e, upright, &s;tout and religious (yea, and &s;ome
<PB N="13" REF="7">after they had been deeply ingaged, both by acting, and &s;uffering for the be&s;t Cau&s;e) have afterward, through &s;otti&s;h folly, feare, delu&s;ion, or di&s;hone&s;tie, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">aggered, and fallen totally from their fir&s;t and ju&s;t Re&s;olutions; I thought <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;itting upon the&s;e: con&s;iderations, to add, by way of <HI>Po&s;t&s;cript,</HI> a line or waine touching your duties after choice made, for the better prevention of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hat generall de&s;truction of our Liberties, which is threatned, by the &s;preading <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">f that pe&s;tilent <HI>Gangrieve.</HI> And my Advi&s;e to &s;uch purpo&s;e is briefly this.</P>
<P>When you have elected &s;uch as you conceive well qualified for the publike <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ervice, you mu&s;t a&s;well endeavour to keep them, as to chu&s;e them &s;uch, by <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">aving alwaies a watchfull-eye over their demeanours, both in their private, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd publike duties, and actions, &s;o far forth as in civilitie, and without inju|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ie, they can be pried into. To that end, you mu&s;t ob&s;erve their A&s;&s;ociates, with whom they mo&s;t conver&s;e; you mu&s;t ob&s;erve to whom they are mo&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">inde; of who&s;e affaires they are mo&s;t zealous; in who&s;e defence they often|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t and mo&s;t readily appeare, to whom they have heare&s;t Relations, of &s;trict|&s;t obligements: you mu&s;t ob&s;erve likewi&s;e, what Fame reports of their af|fection or di&s;affection, to tho&s;e Cour&s;es or Propo&s;itions which concerne the <HI>Commonalty;</HI> lea&s;t you loo&s;e a <HI>Tru&s;tee</HI> before you be aware. Moreover, you <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;t take notice of their diligence, prudence, faithfulne&s;&s;e, or &s;toutne&s;&s;e in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">our Service, to cheri&s;h it by due thankfulne&s;&s;e and acknowledgements; and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">f their apparent negligence or failings; that if they be not unpardonably de|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">tructive, they might be awakned and lovingly admoni&s;hed, as there &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ecau&s;e, by di&s;creet and re&s;pective expre&s;&s;es from the Body of your <HI>Coun|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ies</HI> or <HI>Corporations;</HI> by whom they were cho&s;en: remembring them lovingly (if they forget it) that though they are above you, being joyned to our whole <HI>Repre&s;entative-Bodie;</HI> yet (being con&s;idered apart in their &s;ingle capacities) they are &s;ervants and inferiours to their re&s;pective Counties and Burroughs; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd that, by them, they may be called to account, for every omi&s;&s;ion or com|mi&s;&s;ion worthie que&s;tioning; either before the pre&s;ent <HI>Parliament</HI> whereof they are Members, or before the next that &s;hall be &s;ummoned: And doubt|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;&s;e, that <HI>High-Court</HI> will commend and thanke you for &s;o doing.</P>
<P>This is your priviledge by the &s;upreme Law, called <HI>Salus Populi,</HI> which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s the mo&s;t ancient, and mo&s;t undeniable Charter, yea the &s;umme of all the Charters in the world, tending to the pre&s;ervation of humane Society: and who&s;oever goes about to take from you the benefit of this Law, is not onely <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Traitor in the highe&s;t degree; but (again&s;t him &s;o endeavouring) doth make <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">l&s;o every thing, without exception, to be lawfull, which is nece&s;&s;arie to the e&s;tabli&s;hment and pre&s;ervation thereof. By this <HI>Law</HI> the <HI>Parliament</HI> hum|bly
<PB N="14" REF="8">requires of the <HI>King,</HI> that which pertains to it owne and our &s;afety, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the pre&s;ervation of tho&s;e Priviledges which are e&s;&s;entiall thereto; and, b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the &s;ame <HI>Law</HI> you may freely petition for, and boldly claime from all <HI>Parlia|ments,</HI> what&s;oever is nece&s;&s;ary for the generall &s;afety; and from this <HI>Par|liament</HI> in particular, without feare of deniall: For, I can witne&s;&s;e their in+couragement hereunto, by their cheerfully accepting of, and by their open re+turn of thanks for Petitions in that kind.</P>
<P>Now therefore, to crown your Elections, and to &s;ecure your own &s;afety if there be any of your <HI>Knights</HI> or <HI>Burge&s;&s;es</HI> whom you know, or probabl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;u&s;pect to be unfaithfull in their <HI>Tru&s;t,</HI> by holding intelligence with your <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+nemies; by doing his duty negligently, or not at all; by complying or pl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">+ting with Malignants (as in the con&s;piracies and apo&s;tacies of <HI>Waller, H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+tham,</HI> and &s;uch like) by protecting, countenancing, or concealing dangerou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Delinquents; by cunningly ob&s;tructing the cour&s;e of <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> or <HI>Propo&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">+ons</HI> tending to the common welfare, or advance of Piety, and good manne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> by di&s;tracting or dividing the Mini&s;ters or Agents of Parliament in their ex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+cution of their <HI>Ordinances;</HI> by di&s;countenancing, oppo&s;ing, or di&s;placing tho&s;e from imployment in the publike &s;ervice, who have given eminen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> proofs of their uprightne&s;&s;e, fidelity, and good affection to their Countrey If, I &s;ay, any whom you have cho&s;en, &s;hall have by the&s;e, or by any &s;uch li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> cour&s;es, ju&s;tly cau&s;ed jealou&s;ies to ari&s;e; let (according to equity, and you<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> late Covenant) information be &s;peedily exhibited again&s;t them, with &s;uch proofs and probabilities as you have thereof: that &s;uch may be purged, or re+moved, and others (if need be) elected in their &s;teads; for the abating <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> your feares, and for the prevention of your detriments; either of which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> con&s;iderable motives.</P>
<P>By this Cour&s;e you &s;hall make tho&s;e perhaps, who will grow over-bo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> with your <HI>Tru&s;t,</HI> to act more hone&s;tly for feare, if not for Con&s;cience: An<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> every faithfull <HI>Knight</HI> and <HI>Burge&s;&s;e</HI> in the Hou&s;e will be both advantage<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and well plea&s;ed to have this band applied to keep their loo&s;e companion<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> clo&s;er to their dutie; yea they will think them&s;elves the &s;afer in their work when they perceive your eyes are open to watch for them, and to take care that they be not undermined and betrayed by tho&s;e whom you have &s;ent <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> among them. If the re&s;t be offended, you need not care; and for my part <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> do not; though I know they will be vext at my Advice, and do me what &s;e|cret mi&s;chiefe they can.</P>
<P>If you neglect this cour&s;e, &amp; this care over-long; the <HI>Malignant Partie</HI> wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> perhaps, be as prevalent in the <HI>Hou&s;es of Parliament,</HI> as they have been in the
<PB N="15" REF="8">Kingdome: and, either peremptorily ca&s;t forth your ju&s;t Suits and Com|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">aints, or els make them mi&s;carrie, or be quite &s;tifted, by Committees neg|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">cting them; or els prepared and mi&s;-informed, to make them tedious, if not mi&s;chievous, to the Petioners. Such things have been po&s;&s;ible heretofore, and &s;ee no &s;uch amendment among us, but that &s;uch things may be as po&s;&s;ible <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ereafter. Therefore, practice according to this Coun&s;ell, and do it quickly, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">efore it be too late; and yet better too late then never: For, if we mu&s;t peri&s;h, is more noble and more manlike, to &s;ink di&s;charging our duties with cou|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ge; then to &s;hrink from them, and fall &s;neakingly, with fear.</P>
<LG>
<L>Much more I have to &s;ay: but, <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Pride</HI></L>
<L>Yet, cannot well, the voice of Truth abide.</L>
<L>So <HI>wicked,</HI> or &s;o <HI>good,</HI> we are not growne,</L>
<L>To heare that &s;aid, which mu&s;t, ere long, be knowne;</L>
<L>Nor will <HI>&s;elfe-love</HI> take warning, care or heed,</L>
<L>(By what is <HI>part</HI>) to help what may &s;ucceed.</L>
<L>Nor will I further urge it, till I &s;ee,</L>
<L>My labours will to better purpo&s;e be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Malignant <HI>Fal&s;hood,</HI> and <HI>Detraction,</HI> too,</L>
<L>Have parts to play, and &s;ome black works to do</L>
<L>Which mu&s;t be done, and undone, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>With profit, publi&s;h that which mu&s;t befall:</L>
<L>And, then (though nev'r &s;o wi&s;e our <HI>Charmings</HI> are)</L>
<L>The <HI>Scorners,</HI> and <HI>Deafe-Adders</HI> will not heare;</L>
<L>But &s;coffe, and per&s;ecute me, till their &s;pite.</L>
<L>Have &s;cowr'd off all my ru&s;t, and made me white.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Gods <HI>violls powred-forth;</HI> yet, makes not them</L>
<L>So ready to repent, as to bla&s;pheme.</L>
<L>His <HI>Hammer</HI> doth not &s;often, but obdure:</L>
<L><HI>The Bile mu&s;t break, before the</HI> Cere-cloth <HI>cure:</HI></L>
<L>For, while the <HI>Plague-&s;ore</HI> &s;wells, the Patient growes</L>
<L>So mad, he takes his friends to be his foes:</L>
<L><PB N="16" REF="9">
And will not be advi&s;ed, till he leaves</L>
<L>His <HI>ravings,</HI> and <HI>Gods-marks</HI> on him, perceives.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But, when my houre is come, will be bold</L>
<L>To &s;peak, what I am prompted to unfold.</L>
<L>For, therefore was I borne; yea therefore, yet</L>
<L>I live, to tell men that which they forget.</L>
<L>And, though but few regard what <HI>now</HI> I &s;ay,</L>
<L>Some do; and mo&s;t men will, <HI>another</HI> day.</L>
</LG>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your true-&s;peaking, and faithfull Servant, and REMEMBRANCER, Geo. VVither.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed by R. A. 1644.</P>
<PB REF="9" MS="y">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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