A Friendly LETTER To Such as have [...]oices in Election of Members To Serve in PARLIAMENT.

Dear Countrymen,

You have a Good King, willing to fol­low the Advice of his Great Councils, and for that end, disires frequent Par­ [...] which give you the Happy Oppor­ [...] of making your king, your selves, and [...]ow-subjects Comfortable. Your Fore­ [...] that made Laws for the due Election [...] to serve in Parliament, and settled [...] be duly paid them) foresaw, or had [...]ed That few or none, will take so [...]t and Trouble upon them, at their [...] and Charge; and strugling about E [...] Feasting and Treating Extravagantly, [...]ing Electors for their Voices, began [...] Time when the Rebellion was hatch­ [...] [...]th broke out in 1641. wherefore King [...] [...]he First, in a Book supposed to be writ­ [...] [...] in his Troubles, saith, He had rea­ [...] [...] he saw it, to fear the sad Consequences [...] ever since Men of good Estates and princi­ [...] [...]ve been forced to spend High, and Contract [...]s, in Opposition to Persons of Ill Designs. [...] taking Parties to be Elected, hath raised [...] and Differences between Neighbours [...] Relations, that Hospitality, and in­ [...] [...]rotherly Love and Charity, is at a low [...] You have reason to suspect all that Court [...] your Voices, spend their Estates in hopes [...]y themselves at the Nations Cost; and may rest assured, that such as get or im­ [...] their Estates by Oppression and Wrong, [...] hot Redress, but make Grievances: You [...] that Butchers are not allowed to be of Ju­ [...] in Cases of Life and Death; and in Cases [...]een Party and Party, Judges and Juries to be indifferent: And will you make Choice Lawyers, Attorneys and Solicitors, or any [...]ed on the Sores of your Brethren, to be [...] Grand Inquest, who are Judges to Re­ [...] as well as Juries to Present your Grie­ [...]? Have you not seen what Disturbance [...] or two of a Jury have given the rest? And [...] Injustice and Oppression pack'd Juries have been guilty of? I could weep to see any Feast and Treat the Rich, and send the Poor Empty away: And how backward too many are to do Brotherly Offices for any of different Opi­nions, in Points of Religious Worship, though the good Samarijan stood not upon such Nice­ties; yet I hope every City, County and Bur­rough may find such to Represent them, as have plentiful Estates, and Husband the same well, and do all the good Offices they can, to pro­mote Brotherly Love among their Neighbours; and restrain not their Charity from the Poor of different Perswasions; and would you Chuse such of Liberal Estates, Sweet Dispositions, and Universal Charity, they by God's Blessing, would soon settle things upon the best and furest Foun­dations, whereby Peace and Happiness, Truth and Justice, Religion and Pitty, would be Esta­blished among us,

Gentlemen,
The Trust reposed in you, and that you re­pose in such as you Elect, is a Talent, whereof a strict Accompt will be required at the Last Great and General Audit; therefore as you Tender the Honour, Wealth and Safety of your King, your Selves, and your Fellow-subjects, suffer not the Fumes of Strong Drink, and To­bacco, and Garnished Dishes, to make you Sell your Selves, and your Posterity, as your Gran­dame Eve, and Grandsire Adam did, for a Gol­den Coloured Apple; and as Esau Sold his Birthright for a Mess of Pottage; but like Men of Understanding, let your Zeal be according to Knowledge, for the Election of your Repre­sentatives: And let your Meetings be without Heat or Passion, that the Persons Out-voted may approve your Choice; or at least, have no Just Cause to Condemn it: And that Present, and After-ages, may Applaud your Discretion, is the Hearty Desire of

Philanglus.

[...]don Printed, and Sold by John Whitlock, in Stationers-Court, near Stationers-Hall, 1695.

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