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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A23597 England's great interest in the choice of this new Parliament dedicated to all her free-holders and electors. Penn, William, 1644-1718. 1679 (1679) Wing P1278A; ESTC R222717 7,049 4

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ENGLAND'S Great Interest IN THE CHOICE OF THIS New Parliament Dedicated to all her FREE-HOLDERS and ELECTORS SInce it hath pleased God and the King to begin to revive and restore to us our Ancient Right of Frequent Parliaments it will greatly concern us as to our present Interest and therein the future Happiness of our Posterity to act at this time with all the Wisdom Caution and Integrity we can For besides that 't is our own Business and that if by a neglect of this singular Opportunity we desert our selves and forsake our own Mercies we must expect to be Left of God and good Men too It may be there has never happened not only in the memory of the living but in the Records of the dead so odd and so strange a Conjuncture as this we are under It is made up of so many unusual and important Circumstances all affecting us to the very Heart that whether we regard the long sitting of the late Parliament or its abrupt and most unexpected Dissolution or the Prorogation of the last and its surprising Dissolution or the strong Jealousies of the People and that universal agitation that is now upon the spirit of the Nation and the Reasons and Motives thereof so far as we can reach them there seems never to have been a time wherein this Kingdom ought to show it self more serious and diligent in the business of its own safety To be plain with you All is at Stake and therefore I must tell you That the Work of this Parliament is First To pursue the Discovery and Punishment of the Plot for that has been the old Snake in the Grass the Trojan Horse with an Army in the Belly of it Secondly To remove and bring to Justice those Evil Counsellors and Corrupt and Arbitrary Ministers of State that have been so Industrious to give the King Wrong Measures to turn Things out of their Antient and Legal Channel of Administration and Alienate his Affections from his People Thirdly To Detect and Punish the Pensioners of the former Parliament in the Face of the Kingdom This Breach of Trust being Treason against the Fundamental constitution of our Government Fourthly To secure to us the Execution of our Antient Laws by New ones and among the rest such as relate to Frequent Parliaments the only true Check upon Arbitrary Ministers and therefore feared ●ated and opposed by them Fifthly That we be secur'd from Popery and Slavery and that Protestant-Dissenters be eased Sixthly That in case this be done the King be released from his burdensom Debts to the Nation and eas'd in the business of his Revenue And let me be free with you if you intend to save poor England You must take this General Measure viz. To guide and fix your Choice upon Men that you have reason to believe are Well Affected Able and Bold to serve the Country in these Respects The Words of the Writ at least the Import of them are To chuse Wise Men fearing God and hating Covetousness and what to do says the same Writ To Advice the King of the Weighty Matters of the Kingdom Let us not then play the Fools or Knaves to Neglect or Betray the Common Interest of our Country by a Base Election Let neither Fear Flattery nor Gain Byass us We must not make our Publick Choice the Recompence of Private Favours from our Neighbours they must excuse us for that the Weight of the Matter will very well bear it This is our Inheritance all depends upon it Men don't use to lend their Wives or give their Children to satisfie Personal Kindnesses nor must we make a Swop of our Birth-right and that of our Posterities too for a Mess of Pottage a Feast or a Drinking-bout there can be no Proportion here and therefore none must take it Ill that we use our Freedom about that which in its Constitution is the Great Bull-wark of all our Antient English Liberties Truly our not Considering what it is to chuse a Parliament and how much all is upon the Hazard in it may at last Loose us fatally by our own Choice For I must needs tell you If we Miscarry it will be our own Fault we have no Body else to blame For such is the Happiness of our Constitution That we cannot well be destroy'd but by our selves and what Man in his Wits would Sacrifice his Throat to his own hands We the Commons of England are a great part of the Fundamental Government of it and Three Rights are so peculiar and inherent to us that if we will not throw them away for Fear or Favour for Meat and Drink or those other little present profits that Ill Men offer to tempt us with they cannot be altered or abrogated And this I was willing to give you a brief hint of that you may know what Sort of Creatures you are and what your Power is lest through Ignorance of your own Strength and Authority you turn Slaves to the Humors of those that properly and truly are but your Servants and ought to be used so The First of these three Fundamentals is Property that is Right and Title to your own Lives Liberties and Estates in this every man is a sort of little Soveraign to himself No man has power over his Person to Imprison of Hurt it or over his Estate to Invade or Usurp it only your own Transgression of the Laws and those of your own making too lays you open to Loss which is but the Punishment due for your Offences and this but in Proportion to the Fault committed So that the Power of England is a Legal Power which truly merits the Name of Government that which is not Legal is a Tyranny and not properly a Government Now the Law is Umpire between King Lords and Commons and the Right and Property is One in kind through all Degrees and Qualities in the Kingdom Mark that The Second Fundamental that is your Birth-right and Inheritance is Legislation or the Power of making Laws No Law can be made or abrogated in England without you Before Henry the Third's Time your Ancestors the Free-men of England met in their own Persons but their Numbers much encreasing the Vastness of them and the Confusion that must needs attend them making such Assemblies not practicable for Business this way of Representatives was first pitch't upon as an Expedient both to Maintain the Commons Right and to avoid the Confusion of those mighty Numbers So that now as well as then No Law can be made no Money levied nor not a Penny legally demanded even to defray the Charges of the Government without your own Consent then which tell me what can be freer or what more secure to any People Your Third Great Fundamental Right and Priviledge is Executive and holds proportion with the other two in order to compleat both your Freedom Security that is Your share in the Judicatory Power in the Execution and Application of those Laws that