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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A81414 A Dialogue between Adam and John, two citizens of Bristol, about electing of Parliament-men. 1690-1699 (1699) Wing D1300A; ESTC R171766 4,741 4

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Popish Pretender ● upon the Throne of Great Britain All their Actions tend to this however some of them deceive us by acting more cunningly and cautiously than others of them but I am sure none of them can desire to choose into Parliament such Gentlemen as are fittest to support the Government of Queen ANNE and the Protestant Succession And therefore provided the Character of the Gentlemen who stand Candidates for being chosen into Parliament be otherwise Equal so it be indifferent to me which of them be chosen This shall be my Rule I 'll always be against the Man whose Interest is espoused by the Papists Nonjurors or Jacobites John But may not you and I who are of the Church of England as well say We will be against the Man whom the Protestant Dissenters are for for they are not Friends to our Church Adam No Neighbour the Case is very different For though the Protestant Dissenters think their Way of Worship better than ours yet as I said before they agree with us in the same Articles of Faith and differ from us only in Ceremonies and they are not so far Enemies to our Church as to wish it destroy'd nor is it their Interest it should be so for the Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists and Quakers do all know they live happier under the Church of England with the Toleration than they should under either of those Parties if uppermost And as they can never agree amongst themselves which of those Parties should be the Established Church as Experience hath shewed us It is the Interest of every one of those Parties to desire and endeavour the Support of the Church of England as the Church by Law establish'd And Interest will not Lie Besides they are united with us in the same common Interest against a French Government against Popery against a Popish Pretended Prince and for the Good and Peace of Great Britain in the Protestant Succession Whereas it is the Interest of Papists to destroy our Church and the Protestant Religion it is the Interest as well as the Endeavour of Papist Nonjurors and Jacobites That the French King should get the Better of us and Establish the Popish Pretender as King of these Realms And you see the Pope did not only make Publick Prayers for Success in the late intended Invasion but also furnish'd a vast Sum of Money out of his own Coffers to help the French King and the Pretended Prince to carry on that Design John I like your Reasoning very well and as you have more Years and more Experience than I have I shall be glad to have your Advice upon this Subject Adam Well Neighbour I 'll be very free in telling you plainly my Thoughts which in general are always to pitch upon the best of those who offer themselves to be chosen But more Particularly I would look after a Man of good Morals And if among those who offer themselves to be chosen there be one of whose Steadiness in Parliament to the Interest of England you have had any Trial I would chuse that Man I would chuse Men of visible Estates and then if their Abilities prove such that the Government should think fit to put them into Profitable Employments you are secure they will not be so easily Byast to forsake the true Interest of England if ever a Court Administration takes wrong Measures as such Persons may be who have little or nothing to Live upon but the Favour of the Court The Stake which a Man has in England by his Estate is to them who chuse him a Security for his good Behaviour in Parliament I would chuse Men of Revolution Principles such as shewed upon all Occasions that they were hearty for the Support of the Revolution under the late King William hearty for Supporting the Government of Queen ANNE and of the Protestant Succession These Things I look upon as Principal Foundations and if ever you have Gentlemen offering themselves to your Choice whose Characters and Conditions are such as answer your Wishes in all these aforemention'd Respects I would in the next place chuse Men of Experience in Parliamentary Affairs rather than such who know nothing of the Matter I would chuse Men of known Ability in Parliament For really Neighbour we receive a Benefit in our own private Trade and Way of Living by having such Representatives as well as the Publick And I have been assured by very knowing Men That the Two Members which are chosen for our City have oftentimes by their able Speaking in Parliament obtain'd Things which were good for the Trade of our City and prevented Mischiefs which we should have felt if our Representatives had not been able to speak for us in the House of Commons And much more may we suffer in Publick National Affairs if we don't chuse Men that have Ability to Debate and Reason in that Assembly And believe me Neighbour there is a great deal of Difference between an Ability to talk to our Comrades as you and I do now or for Gentlemen to talk to us their Inferiors or Discourse in a Coffee-house I say there is a great deal of Difference between that sort of Ability and between a Capacity to Discourse and Argue in such an Assembly as the House of Commons In the next Place I would chuse Men of our own Country for they are most likely to know what our Interest is and to take care of it These are General Rules from which there may be some Exceptions for you sometimes see Men of very small Estates have as much Integrity and less Ambition than some Men of greater Fortunes And the experienced Virtue of some Gentlemen has deservedly engaged some Cities Burroughs and Corporations to chuse them into Parliament though they lived at London or other Parts of England very Remote and have no Estates in the Counties where they are chosen But there is one Error we are apt to run into Namely to Vote for this or t'other Man because he Buys at our Shop Employs us at Work or Treats us with good Drink And in the mean time we suffer infinitely more by the Mischief done to the Publick through our Representatives want of Integrity or Ability than what those aformentioned private Advantages can make us amends for Therefore whenever-you go to Elections of Parliament-men lay aside all private Considerations and chuse such Men as are fittest and best able to Represent you For 't is the Welfare of the whole Nation depends upon the good Choice of a Parliament and your Liberties Properties and Well-being are all included therein FINIS