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<DATE>2014-10-09</DATE>
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<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140632.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B28700">
<STC T="W">R487</STC>
<STC T="G">816.m.16[24]</STC>
<STC T="C">R225194</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99885922</BIBNO>
<VID>188525</VID>
</IDG><!-- alt.stc G816.m.16[24] --><!-- alt.stc CR225194 -->
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>REASONS for chu&s;ing Sir <HI>Robert Atkins</HI> and Sir <HI>John Knight,</HI> Parliament-Men for the City of <HI>Bristol.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THAT Sir <HI>Robert Atkins</HI> and Sir <HI>John Knight</HI> have had great experience in Parliamen|tary Affairs, and thereby are much more fit to &s;erve this City in that capacity, than Sir <HI>Richard Hart</HI> and Mr. <HI>Earle</HI> who were never there.</P>
<P>That the King's Life, as well as the Nation, is very much in danger by a Popi&s;h Plot, of which is Maje&s;ty his very &s;en&s;ible in his la&s;t Speech; and by his Writ does direct his Subjects to chu&s;e the wi&s;e&s;t and mo&s;t Judicious Men to advi&s;e with in Parliament what to be done.</P>
<P>That with the Parliament we tru&s;t our Lives, Liberties, E&s;tates, and Religion, and what|&s;oever is near and dear unto us, in their hands; &s;o that 'tis again&s;t all Rea&s;on to put out Men, of who&s;e Loyalty, Wi&s;dom and Integrity we have had large experience, and to venture our All with tho&s;e who were never tried.</P>
<P>That the Cities of <HI>London</HI> and <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> and Borough of <HI>Southwark,</HI> and almo&s;t all the places in the Kingdom, have elected their old and knowing Members, thanking them for the pains they have taken: And &s;hall <HI>Bri&s;tol</HI> be &s;aid to be unkind to Sir <HI>John Knight</HI> their hone&s;t old Member, and Sir <HI>Robert Atkins</HI> their worthy Recorder?</P>
<P>That Sir <HI>John Knight</HI> is a very knowing Merchant, and Sir <HI>Robert Atkins</HI> a great Lawyer; and can do much more Service for this City, in getting an Act for Merchandizing to the <HI>Ea&s;t-Indies</HI> and <HI>Turkie,</HI> by their Intere&s;t and knowledg in the Parliament-Hou&s;e, than either Sir <HI>Ri|chard Hart,</HI> or Mr. <HI>Earle,</HI> who have no &s;uch Intere&s;t with the Lords and Commons as they have.</P>
<P>That every Inhabitant of this City may ea&s;ily &s;ee the difference betwixt Sir <HI>Robert Atkins</HI> and Sir <HI>John Knight</HI> on the one &s;ide, and Sir <HI>Richard Hart</HI> and Mr. <HI>Earl</HI> on the other, by the great numbers lately admitted to the Freedom of this City, of which every Lover of the City is de&s;ired to take notice, That Sir <HI>Robert Atkins</HI> and Sir <HI>John Knight</HI> have not made one free on their account, nor would have any of their Friends &s;o do; as highly valuing the Priviledg and Freedom of this great City: and would rather not be Parliament-men than do the City &s;o much wrong, as to make any per&s;on free that has no right.</P>
<P>That &s;everal hundreds have been lately made free, and they no way concerned in it, to the very great detriment of mo&s;t of the Freemen of this City, who will more and more find it prove prejudical to all the <HI>Carpenters, Coopers, Taylors, Shoomakers, Smiths, Joyners,</HI> and other Trade&s;men, Journymen and Apprentices.</P>
<P>That by the&s;e hundreds of Freedoms you may ea&s;ily perceive what Pride and Ambition will do; and if, to be Parliament-men, your Freedoms &s;hall at fir&s;t be &s;o poorly valued; what may &s;uch Men do in Parliament for more Honour? Remember that they al&s;o may give away your ALL.</P>
<P>That the Mayor and &s;ome others have ordered the Town-Clerk and Chamberlain, that Sir <HI>Robert Atkins</HI> and Sir <HI>John Knight</HI> &s;hall have no Copy of the many hundreds that are lately made free, tho they are Ju&s;tices of the Peace, and have power to know. By which every one may perceive their de&s;ign; as al&s;o that &s;everal hundreds of Copies are kept by &s;ome in this City, when-as the per&s;ons they belong to ought to have the keeping thereof them&s;elves; of which an accompt will be taken when time &s;hall &s;erve.</P>
<P>That Sir <HI>Robert Atkins</HI> and Sir <HI>John Knight</HI> were always known to be of the Church of <HI>England;</HI> and as loyal to their King as Sir <HI>Richard Hart</HI> or Mr. <HI>Earl</HI> can po&s;&s;ibly pretend to; tho &s;ome unworthy per&s;ons (who dare not tell them &s;o to their faces) a&s;per&s;e them other|wi&s;e.</P>
<P>That in &s;o great a Concern you are not to chu&s;e for favour nor affection, but &s;uch Men that can be&s;t &s;erve the Nation in general, which we ought to prefer above private E&s;teem or Friend&s;hip: Otherwi&s;e, &s;hould any ill come by chu&s;ing new Men, and putting by good old ones, we may fear the fate of <HI>Rehoboam,</HI> who by advi&s;ing with New Coun&s;ellors, and refu&s;ing the Advice of the old ones, the Kingdom was rent a&s;&s;under: which God grant may never be this Nation's nor this Citie's Ca&s;e. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
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