IT is amazing that a People so zealous for their Liberties , s●ould neglect the natural , safe , and certain way of securing them , when they have often had recourse to the most violent Remedies , and have run the utmost hazards to secure their Property . This is the only Country in Europe that enjoys ●ny freedom under a King , and it mortifies any thinking Man when he considers in how many successive Reigns our Constitution has been aim'd at , how precatiously we hold it now , and how often the opportunities of a secure Establishment have been trifled away , when ob●in'd by the boldest Attempts that were ●ade successful by an apparent P●ovi●ence .

As the Restoration of K. Charles II . ●o the last Revolution was the work ●f the People of England : nothing could ●ve brought it about in so miraculous a manner , but the weight of the whole Nation in opposition to the Conspirators against our Constitution . And if the succeeding Parliaments ( which are call'd the Representatives of the Nation ) have not establish'd by proper Laws those Liberties , and that Government for which the People drew their Swords , it must be concluded , those Assemblies did not truly represent that People .

Whether they have done so ought well to be consider'd ; and if they have not , to find where the fault lay , were a useful discovery : and it is highly necessary that the Boroughs of England should be well apprised of the present circumstances of Affairs , and of the sentiments of Mankind at this time ; that by a proper and discreet choice they may secure at once the Happiness of their Country , and their own Reputation , which are both in danger .

The opinion of the universal Corruption of this Age cannot be conceal'd ; it is made evident by those that Elect , by those that are Elected ; buying Elections , and selling of Votes are Consequences . And if this should appear to be the present Case , such a House of Commons cannot pass for a Representative of the People , but a Representative of a few dissolute , mercenary Persons , possest of Voices in the Boroughs , of England . The consequences of such Thoughts they will do well to consider : which must induce all true English-men ( at a proper time ) to seek other methods of being better represented .

When I speak of a natural , safe and certain way of preserving the Liberties of England , I mean the securing a free , uningag'd House of Commons , consisting of the Rich , Honest and Able Men of the Kingdom . When the balance of the Government went out of the hands of the Nobility and the Church-men , if a sufficient Provision had been made for this , now happy had we been , and what Mischiefs and Dangers had been prevented to this Nation ? From Henry the 7th to ●his time our Annals had contain'd the Names of Princes on the Throne fit to have been the Predecessors to our glorious King : but true it is , he must have lost his Title of Deliverer , as we had saved the P●●ce of our Redemption ; for our Const●tution would have preserved us from those Dangers and Violences from which he came to free us , and we had not had a whole Generation conspiring for a hundred years together ( tho in different ways ) against our establish'd Government , when sworn to support it . If our new Barrier had been well fortified , and if our Representative of the People had been contrived to answer in deed to the Name , all our Kings had been Q. Elizabeths . But our Elections in inconsiderable Boroughs , and our Members being qualified to serve two Masters , were such mistakes in our Fundamentals , that as they have produc'd our past Misfortunes , they must produce the like under bad Princes , or evil projecting Ministers .

A House of Commons chosen truly by the People , incapable of Pension , and Place ; and the King and Kingdom had been incapable of Misfortune : they had been out of the reach of all human Power , and , with due submission , above Fate ; since such a Government would have made us the proper Objects of Divine Protection , and not only have secured our Greatness and Glory , but our Religion and Morals too , which I fear are all going together .

In such Circumstances we should have had no cause to fear the Scotish cunning of K. James I. No King of Scotland could have made a Scotch Parliament of such an English Assembly . Such a Monster as Buckingham , and upon so monstrous a foot of Favor , could never have grown to such an exorbitant size under such a Constitution : he had soon been prevented in the apparent prostitution of our Wealth , in his apparent neglect of the Honor and Interest of the Kingdom , in his apparent and treacherous dealings with the French , and the publick Enemies : his Iniquities had never been screen'd by a Party ; in a word , he had not fallen a Victim to a private Hand .

Under such a Government his pious Son had persued the like measures in vain : his French Wife , his scandalous Favorites , his unlaudable Bishops , his own insolent and unconstant Temper could never have brought him to the Block : all the Blood shed to no purpose in those Wars had been sav'd ; he could never have lost his Life , nor his Kingdoms ; he would only have lost his Title of Martyr .

Under so just a balance of Power , as the Sons would have avoided the ill Consequences of their Father's Fate , so would they probably have avoided all the French Infection which they receiv'd in Body and Mind : They had not receiv'd ( Sons of the Protestant Martyr ) the French Religion , and above all Contagions a French Inclination , the most fatal Poison that could enter the Blood of an English King . Such a Government would soon have discover'd the Protestant Mask K. Charles II . only pull'd off at his death . Such a Parliamentary Constitution would not have suffer'd the avow'd and open Apostacy of the next Heir ; the Bill of Exclusion had then past , and had prevented the setting up , the pulling down the late King with such hazard and expence to this Nation . Such an Establishment would have prevented that late damnable invented Project o● corrupting Parliaments ( which I must mention in this place , because it began a● this time ) that cursed Project , which defeats all our hopes , which poisons us in our mothers milk , which murders us by the hands of our Parents , which infect● the only Cordial that can preserve ou● Being , which makes us accessory to ou● own Fate , betray'd by those we chuse to represent us , made slaves by our Protectors , and given up by those elected t● defend our Liberties , ( but of this , and the terrible Consequences I shall take farther notice . ) Such a Constitution would have prevented that Inundation of Pro●aneness , Leudness , and Immorality , in●roduc'd by K. Charles II . and his Athe●ical Wits , to fit the Nation for the in●ended Yoke of Popery and Slavery . To that end was all Learning and Virtue ex●loded in his Reign , scorn of Religion , ●ontempt of a publick Spirit , derision of ●etters ; and a pretending Wit above rule , ●earning , or Scruples , being the sure and ●nly recommendations to his Favor , and ●ublic Imployments . No Government ●t must leave Mankind , as the Deity dos ●is Creatures , in a state of Freewill , and ●erefore in an exercise perhaps of pri●at vices , or conceal'd villanies : but in ●ch a true English Establishment we had ●ever seen a rampant Erench Whore , o●enly governing our Councils ; we had ●t seen an English King ( well under●anding Seafaring matters ) an open In●ructor to his Brother of France in the ●ysteries of Navigation , Building and ●rade . And to evince , as I go along , the ●terest of King and People equally to ●bsist in a steady , good , and incorrupti●e Administration , the Elder Brother ●d never died an unnatural death in such ● well regulated Protestant State , as ●ould not have admitted of a bigotted , ●adstrong , Popish Successor . But let us ●ave this artful King , trick'd in his ●ricks , outwitted by such a Brother , plot●d against by his Son , unpitied by his ●bjects , tho making way for such a Suc●ssor , abandon'd at last by his Bishops , ●d with nothing to save him from a fu●re Account , but Extreme Unction from ●e Priests of the Whore of Babylon .

And now to the last , and in my opinion ●e best of the wicked Reigns ; for the ●oject of a Standing Army under a Po●sh King did but hasten our Deliverance , ● did the Expedient of an Heir under a ●elly of Clouts . The Son must really be ●t , and the Army must be Protestant , I do not say really so , for the Name will do But I shall say less of the living Prince , because of his Misfortunes . He lives , and without a Crown , which is Punishment great enough for Follies having the excuse of Conscience , and Mistake . Yet I can hardly contain when I remember he is the cause , that all Mankind have been getting our Wealth , while our own recompence is , that we have got rid of himself . However I forgive him all the rest , but having left behind that worst of Evils , a pretence to a Protestant Army , in a good Reign , and in times of Peace : and I will only lay to the charge of his Brother of blessed memory , all the Mischiefs arising from corrupted Parliaments .

Now to this great point , and our most pressing Danger , and the present and future Remedies of them . I have hitherto bin shewing what Violences , what Infamies , what Follies , an uncorrupted Parliamentary Constitution would have prevented ; which evinces sufficiently what we have to expect in future times , if a secure Settlement be not obtain'd under a good King against the notorious increase of Corruption in our Age . It is now come to such a height , that it may almost be said , A wise Prince must comply with it : for as in a weak and low condition , the Physician must not apply the proper Remedy till the Patient has strength to bear it ; so in our low and corrupted State , when Patriots must be hired to serve their Country , when Whigs go resty without Pension or Place , and begin with untimely barking against the Government in War , to conclude with prostitute bawling for it after a Peace ; I say , when this is our case , till effectual Laws have recover'd our Constitution , it must be confest , our Princes have an excuse for practising the base arts of Corruption , especially in times of eminent danger , which allow of no delays . This makes it plain that amongst Men , Lawgivers must only seek for coercive Honesty ; and Legislators remembring that most necessary part of the most perfect Prayer , Lead us not into Temtation , should have that principally in view for King and People , that neither be led into it . No Emperor but envies the least Bird upon the wing : but since Flying is impossible , the great Vicegerents of God upon Earth are content to walk upon two Legs with common Porters ; and either Kings must drop from Heaven , and then let them be Jure divino , or Mankind must be Slaves , unless they provide such happy and irresistible Laws as may restrain the love of Power , as well in Kings , as in Statesmen . I will only desire the example may be given me , of the best of Kings succeeding a bad one , who ever made it his choice to give up any Authority or Acquisition , tho obtain'd by his Predecessor by means he would not have practised himself . Since then the Evils of bad Princes are permanent , and the good Establishments of just ones often overthrown by those that are Arbitrary , what Methods for the good of Mankind and Society , but to find Chains strong enough to bind a Tyrant , which can only be made here in England , when a good King with upright Ministers beat the Anvil , and uncorrupted Parliaments find Fire and Materials ?

The highest Compliment I can make this King is to say , This is the time for so glorious a Work , and we have great reason to expect his utmost assistance : For in truth , Deliverance and Reformation are his very Title . There is this unanswerable Argument to prove it must be now or never : Some Infections must be check'd in time , or Remedies will come too late ; and I am sure we must flux now , or never expect to see a sound Nose on the face of the Government . Such a precarious Peace as we have obtain'd is hardly a Blessing : but because it sets Parliaments at liberty to settle our shatter'd State , let no time be lost then , when we are so unsecure of its lasting . But as I would willingly give some hints that may be serviceable at all times in the great Cause of Liberty , so I shall take notice , and that only from Observations of the last Reigns , what are the most dangerous Symptoms threatning a People with loss of Liberty : and when most of those Circumstances concur at once ( any one of which dos threaten ruin ) then I need not say a Government is most in danger , and that the speediest and strongest Antidotes should be provided against the influence of so many malignant Constellations join'd together .

To begin then with what the Reign of K. James the 1st will afford us : The most dangerous Circumstance that could attend a Nation was a reasonable obligation to set upon the Throne a Prince born and bred up in another Country , who must retain a Forein Heart , who must be partial to the Poople , to the Customs of his native Land ; who must therefore be unacquainted with the Men , Manners , Privileges , and I aws of those Territories he is newly come to govern . This Partiality is natural , and for that reason justifiable : and therefore as it seldom happens but that Princes transplant them selves to a richer Soil ( as was the case o● K. James ) so the Wealth of the mor● opulent Nation must always be prostituted to raise and supply the Favorite of the poorer ; and 't is all can be expected , that they be not raised by hasty an● unmerited Favours : besides , it is almos● impossible but the Interests of the Tw● Nations or People must interfere , if h● retains the Jurisdiction of both , as thi● Scotch Prince did . How perplext must the best of Kings be in his divided thoughts ●d inclinations ? and where , and to ●hom must Nature and Education incline ●m ? It may happen , as in this case , ●at the unforc'd Constitution of one ●ountry allow'd a greater Power , and ●eater Prerogatives than was consistent ●ith the Laws of the other . How shall ●e spirit of a Prince brook the refusal ● that in one place , which he was us'd ● the submission to elsewhere ? How ●n he easily change a Bent created per●ps by Nature , and confirm'd by Cu●om ? In one Country requir'd to head ●rmies , in another oblig'd to encourage ●eets : In one Country Troops are the ●pport of Mens Property , in the other ●ey must prove the ruin of their Liber●es ; this distinction Princes cannot ea●y make . Religion too , the great guide ●f Mens Actions , or at least their pre●nce , differs almost in all Countries , ●en where it agrees in name : and we ●ow by bloody experience how little ●e Protestant Religion of the Scots did ●gree with our Episcopacy . Innumera●e are the Mischiefs arising from such a ●ircumstance ; but I confine my self on● to what were the apparent dangers in ●e case before us .

Another dangerous Symptom appear●g in the Reign of K. Charles the 1st ●as this , That all his arbitrary Designs ●ere carried on , and disguis'd under the ●ask of the most precise Piety . Such ●pious Projects as arose from Insolence ●nd Pride , that were carried on by ●each of Faith , that tended to the effusi● of the best Blood in the Nation , were ●lways transacted in Forms , with Fast●g and Prayers . As his Shipmony was ●aintain'd by his Judges , so were all his ●ther Expedients to inslave the Nation ●reach'd for by his Church , and labor'd ●or by his Bishops .

Another threatning Circumstance was the advantage with which K. Charles the 2d came to the Throne . The Nation was then intoxicated with Joy : and he made as ill use of that opportunity , as Noah's Daughters did of their Father's Drunkenness ; as they went in to him , so he got in to his People , and with all sly Arts and Corruption began the fatal ( well-improv'd ) Project of bribing Parliaments . And that none might have a scruple of Conscience against this highest of Crimes , betraying their Country , Religion in his time was the jest of his Favorites : but for himself , he had a different one ready for every Nation , and sort of People he had to do with ; a Papist in France , a Presbyterian in Scotland , a Churchman in England , a Quaker with Penn , an Atheist with Hallifax . A most dextrous practice this in all Princes that persue it , who thus easily impose on good people willing to be deceiv'd .

Another certain warning of ensuing mischief ( the very Porpoise before the Storm ) is a Standing Army ; which tho it prov'd unsuccessful in K. James's time , yet it immediately preceded his intentions of subverting all our Laws , Human and Divine . He thought his Project as infallible as his Pope , when so many of his Troops were Papists and Foreiners ; being secure too of Ships from abroad to transport more Strangers when wanted . But all this was spoil'd with one word , Popery . Heaven had in store an Antidote against a Popish Army , pray God preserve us at all times from a Protestant one .

Now having recapitulated all these Circumstances of approaching ruin , which we so narrowly escap'd in the foregoing Reigns , what would become of us if these difficulties should bear upon us ( as in a Hurricane ) all at once ? Whenever they do , well may the Nation fear their impending Fate . Yet after all I say , a free uncorrupted Parliament would soon dispel these Clouds . Under such a Government as I have mention'd , K. James the 1st had bin compell'd to have made use of English Councils in governing an English Nation : he had bin oblig'd to have provided for his Scots Favorites out of his Scotch Revenue : he had no doubt bin supplied with the Mony of England , but forced to have laid it out for the Honor and Interests of that People . Suppose the Nation prepossest for him as they were for K. Charles the 2d , reliev'd from long Wars , from Confusion , from Cromwels and Usurpers ; such a Parliament would not then have sat still in idle rejoicing , but wisely have prevented the Causes of future mourning : nay , give him the Standing Army of the unfortunate Prince of his name ( let it be a Protestant one too ) yet such an Assembly with their steady Wisdom and Vigor would have rescued their Country from all these dangers . All I can allow , but the Circumstances of K. Charles's corrupted Parliament : for the Incorruption of that is my only Remedy to all other Evils ; when that falls out with the rest , there is nothing left but for honest men to show the Nation the Precipice upon which they stand : And much may be expected from so brave a People , when wak'd out of their Lethargy , and well apprised of their danger . I shall conclude this part with the Questions of K. James the 1st upon his accession to the Throne , Do I make the Bishops ? Do I make the Judges ? If to this he might have added , Do I make the House of Commons ? To such fatal Interrogatories the Answer is too plain .

Having treated ( and with a Freedom an Englishman may well take ) of the Circumstances of the last Reigns , I come to a Subject with more difficulty to be handled . What the People and Parliament have to do at present may well be gather'd from the foregoing Considerations , yet I must say something of the Revolution , and what has hapned since , were it only to acknowledg the Obligations we owe to our present King . The Oppressions and Dangers from which he reliev'd us were so grievous , and the Advantages we might have procur'd our selves by his coming were so great , that we ow him the utmost Gratitude , not to be overpaid by any thing but by such a confidence in his Virtue , as ( forgetful of Times past and to come ) should make us neglect the Opportunity he has given us of securing to our selves , the never being so much oblig'd to any other . This were the worst requital we could make him , to let it be possible by our negligence , that any person should ever rival him in his glorious Title of Deliverer .

Our present King has now the same Game he has all his Life bin succesfully persuing abroad , and the same business he has bin bred up to in other Countries ; but he has now other Tools to work with , a divided and corrupted People . His Declaration assures us , he came to secure our Constitution , so as no ill Prince , no evil Ministers should be able to violate it for the future . I shall not now repeat what he has done in person towards all this ; it were unnecessary Flattery to repeat Actions done in the face of the Sun : but my business at present is to consider what has bin deficient ; and , as I propos'd at first , to give some hints where the fault lies , and how it came about that we have bin expos'd to such hazards , and are yet unsecure ; and this to the end the Scene of his great Life may be perfected , and his Promises made good to us , in an Establishment secur'd against future Attemts .

I must confess I cannot wholly acquit the Convention , and other following Parliaments . I doubt all the unnecessary hazards to which we have been expos'd , all our unsuccesful Undertakings , all the misgiven and mispent Treasure , all that is deficient , or left undone to the compleating our Security , must in a great measure be laid to their charge . It is well known , many in Pamphlets , more ● Discourse , accuse them both of weak●ess and corruption : But they should ●onsider that such a War was what ne●er came afore into the hands of a Parli●ment ; the dangers and difficulties suc●eeding and increasing from year to year , ●ere enough to amaze and distract the ●reatest Assembly . I shall be far from ●assing so hard a Judgment upon them ; ●y only wish is , if they have done well , ●at they may never do otherwise ; if ●ey have committed errors , the like may ●ever happen . My Ambition is their ●lory ; only out of zeal to their Honor , ● shall take notice of some Complaints ●ade by others ; and from my self take ●e liberty to say , that this ensuing Par●ment made free by a happy Peace , ●ust make the Nation so for ever , or for ●er lose their Reputation .

This is the Time in which Parliaments ●ould exert themselves for the Nations ●appiness , and their own Fame . All ●ankind have observ'd , this is the second ●volution unimprov'd by Parliaments the same Age ; the one as ineffectual the good of England in the hands of ●triots , Whigs and Dissenters , as the ●er was in the hands of Cavaliers and ●urchmen : Which makes Men apt to ●clude , the fault lies in that part of our ●nstitution on which we most rely . And ● common reason given by all why Par●ents have mismanag'd , is , that they ● so manag'd themselves : They do not ●y suppose them subjected to the power ●ings , to the influence of great Men , ●he arts of old and crafty Statesmen , but accuse them now of being led by beardless Politicians , by upstart Prentices in business , neither supported by Fortune , Dignities or Experience , and only buoy'd up by projecting Insolence . If this were the case , to what are we reduced ? This is not Phaeton unfortunately conducting the Horses of the Sun , but a Carrier driving Pack-horses , and Beasts of Burden , which jog on their appointed Stages for their pensions .

The propos'd limits of a Sheet , and not the Subject , confine me ; and therefore I shall repeat but one Objection made to the Wisdom of our National Assemblies , which is , that the Members of a Convention freely chosen , brought together at this Revolution , and miraculously deliver'd from the highest Oppressions , should admit of the old Underminers of our Liberties for the new managers of Reformation : and this I may say as to their Integrity , who would have admitted of such Corrupters , but to be corrupted ?

It may very well be said to the justification of some ; When there was no Government , no Ministers , no Mony , no privy Purse , who could influence ? It must be confest ( and here is the fatal Error ) if there was Corruption , it was from within : Nay it is plain , they must bribe themselves , and only with hopes and expectations ; they were qualify'd by the Constitution to have places , every Fool was well qualify'd in his own thoughts , and every Knave betray'd his Trust and his Country to make himself worthy .

Men have not only alter'd in our times , but Parties have chang'd their principles and practices : if so , what cautions can be great enough in such an Age ? I come therefore to those considerations , what wise and honest Men should do in this critical juncture . I shall propose preventing Physick , safe , were there no present Disease , were there no Corruption in our Land , were all upright from the Lord to the Commoner : Yet I doubt the Golden Age would not succeed , were all wise as Solomon , and after God's own heart as David ; we know the follies committed by the one , the impieties by the other ; let no Man depend too much upon himself , let no Government depend upon Men . Presumption is the highest Sin , and Prevention the highest Wisdom .

I doubt not but some will think , and more will say , I have writ a tedious Preface to a very short Treatise ; that without so much repetition , without enumerating so many Diseases , and times of Infection , I might sooner have given my short Receipt , which is this ; Good People of England , elect those to represent you this Parliament , who most probably will secure your being truly represented for ever : in other words , Those who have Virtue enough to incapacitate themselves from any Service but that of their Country , while they take that Trust upon them .

Now towards making such a Choice , my Instructions shall be as short as my Advice ; Chuse Rich Men . For you may know who are Rich , and cannot know who are Honest : One you think honest may take Mony , but one that is rich do's not want it . Let no Character of Party recommend or prejudice : Poor Whigs , poor Tories , want equally Places , and will act alike to get and keep 'em ; bu● be sure if they want Mony much , they have not much Ambition . Therefore avoid the younger Sons of Lords , who ful● of Pride , with empty pockets , will endeavour , at the Nations cost , to becom● rich Commoners . It is needless to advise against those whose Actions have discover'd them in foregoing Parliaments those worst of Villains , who began lik● Patriots , to conclude like Parasites .

Thus I conclude , like a Quack , undertaking my Remedy shall cure all Distempers , whether they lie in the Heart o● the Brain . No matter what sort of Me● conspire , whether the bold Projects ( flaming like Comets in the Sky ) threate● multitudes , or whether the softer Methods ( like Mines under ground ) wor● hidden mischief . Such a National A●●●mbly , under the Qualifications I hav● mention'd , would repel the Bashaw , an● defeat the Courtier , and prove strong ●nough to secure us from the most dange●ous Designs , those drest up with Zea● and disguis'd by Improbability . Such ● Parliament would secure us from Relig●ous Leudness , Protestant Arbitrarines● and Parliamentary Slavery .