Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
evil_n	good_a	know_v	knowledge_n	3,077	5	7.3450	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34348	Considerations offered to all the corporations of England well worth their observation, containing seasonable advice to them in their future elections of burgesses to serve in Parliament, merely in relation to, and so far forth only as such elections affect trade, and are, as will appear hereby, the main cause of its present great decay.		1681 (1681)	Wing C5912; ESTC R25353	8,626	8

chosen the day of the date of the Writ of the Summons of the Parliament And that the Knights and Esquires and other which shall be Choosers of those Knights of the Shires be also resident within the same Shires in manner and form as is aforesaid and moreover it is Ordained and Establish'd that the Citizens and Burgesses of the Cities and Boroughs be chosen Men Citizens and Bugesses resident dwelling and Free in the same Cities and Boroughs and no other in any wise Thus far the Statute which is very short and very plain Here the King with his Parliament observing how at their time Gentlemen Freeholders were sometimes returned for Boroughs who had Interests of their own to manage and these being opposite to those of Tradesmen whose Burgesses they were they were not like to favour these against themselves nor to take that care of Trade as was requisite for the publick good of which and of the ways and means of improving it they were wholly Ignorant These things considered by King and Parliament to prevent the growing mischeif they did very seasonably apply that early remedy of this act of Parliament obliging thereby Corporations to choose Representatives among themselves of their own Cities and Boroughs inhabiting and dwelling among them and sure this was done with as great Wisdom as Justice for since the design of Burgesses from every Corporation was and still is that each City and Borough might have some body on their behalfs present in Parliament well versed in their ways and means of dealing best acquainted with their Greivances and consequently best able to represent them that so through the endeavours of every Burgeses in particular the Mischiefs and Greivances of every part being made known by those who best knew them the whole Nation might be preserved and its Intrests advanced I do not see nor can conceive how any man can be presumed better qualifyed to answer these ends than such men as the Statute directs viz. Citizens and Burgesses resident dwelling and Free in the same Cities and Boroughs and in no other wise and sure for any number of men in any Corporation to set up a stranger for the Election is a bold liberty they assume to themselves of dispensing with Acts of Parliament and that in a matter of the highest nature and consequence imaginable it is imposing their sense upon the Nation and preferring their own private opinion to the Supream Wisdom and Judgment of the Kingdom the King and his two Houses and this I think is sufficient to shew them their plain easie and necessary duty in Elections I come now to shew that it is their Interest also where it might be enough to tell them that the same reasons which induced at first the making that Act of Parliament do at this day oblige in point of interest all men to the just execution of it It is a known rule cessante causa cessat effectus so vice versa should the same causes continuing be attended with the like effects and indeed I should be glad that any man would shew me how according to this Statute most of our late Elections be made out how by your Statute is a Gentleman of the Temple a fit Member for Worcestor or Taunton or how a very worthy Knight resident and dwelling in Southampton Square tho otherwise of very great abilities sufficiently qualified for a Burgess of Plymouth how these Gentlemen I say tho never so learned in all other things can be supposed to understand perfectly the particular Interest of Cities and Towns in which perhaps they nere set foot but at Elections or what reason Tradesmen have to hope or promise themselves that Strangers being Gentlemen whose Interests if they run not directly counter to are yet very different from theirs who choose them should be more concerned for their good tho in opposition to their own than men of their own body obliged by the same Interests and therefore moved by the same considerations is not within my understanding The mischiefs and evils in the Body Politick do thus far resemble the natural body that to know and well understand the distemper is a good step to the cure of it this is by all men allowed so likewise that the knowledge a Physician has of the constitution of a body with reason prefers him to abler means in the cure as most likely to remove the evil common experience demonstrates daily This might be sufficient to shew that t is the interest of Tradesmen to send Members chosen out of themselves yet to make this more plain to matter of Reason I will add matter of Fact and shew them how by neglect of this duty in their Elections they have already actually received much damage 1. What has the House of Commons being full of Gentlemen done as for instance not to run back into times which it were to be wisht were as absolutly forgot as the Guilt of them is forgiven in 1660 It was necessary to improve the revenue of the Crown they did it by easing themselves and laying the burthen upon the Trading part of the people The Court of Wards and Liveries Tenures in Capite and by Knights service were one of the goodliest Jewels in the Crown a high and vast Prerogative it was and such a one by means whereof the Kings of England had a strange hand over all the Gentry by the great Interest they had in all their houses as well over the persons of their Children as their Estates yet this Prerogative extended but to them Tradesmen were not at all concerned this therefore they thought fit to remove but that the Crown might be no loser as there was no reason it should something was to be found out equivalent the Excise which just before had been given for the Kings Life was thought sittest and was accordingly settled upon the Crown in Fee 12. Ca. 2di Ch. 24. II. The taking away these Courts has been as Prejudicial to the Yeomanry as it has been useful to the Gentry who before of Interest were obliged to make their Farms less and to let long Leases at reasonable Rates but now they erect great Farms which few are able to Rent and Rack the poor Tenants III. All the Assessments and Revenues of the Crown are cheifly paid by the middle sort of People as Tenths and first Fruits from the Clergy Customs by Merchants Excise by Brewers Chimney-mony by Tenants Freeholders paying nothing certain to the Crown which is a great disadvantage to the Trading People that Freeholders are not obliged to some Proportion at least in payments with them IV. Upon a Presumption of raising the Product of England many Laws have been neglected which would be highly for the interest of the Trading sort of People and some Laws have been made directly contrary to their Interest which is no wonder when amongst the Law-givers there are so few if any that either understand what may prejudice or advance Trade or if they do