Seasonable and Healing Instructions
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A91262.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
Seasonable and Healing Instructions, Humbly tendered to the Freeholers, Citizens and Burgesses, of the respective Counties, Cities and Boroughs of England and Wales, to be seriously recommended by them, to their respective Knights, Citizens and Burgesses, Elected and to be elected for the next Parliament.
W E the Freeholders, Citizens, Burgesses, Commons and Freemen of the respective Counties, Cities, and Boroughs of England and Wales, taking into our serious Considerations the many late various Forms and Revolutions of our public Government, with the miserable Distractions and Oppressions of our ruinated Churches and Realms since the violent changes of our ancient established Kingly Government, and Constitution of Parliaments, consisting of King, Lord's, and Commons, by whose united Counsels and Interests we were happily secured against all treacherous Plots and Conspiracies of foreign Enemies, and pernicious Domestic Vipers, and advanced to the highest degree of worldly Peace, Prosperity, and Felicity. And finding by above eleven years sad Experience, that there is neither Hope nor Probability of restoring our 3. shipwreck'd Nations to their Pristine Tranquillity, Unity, Wealth, Honor, Traffick, Security, but by a speedy Restitution of our ancient Form of Parliaments, and public Regal Government; and with all observing, that in the Writs of Summons now issued for a Parliament to be held at Westminster, on the 25th. day of April next, there is no known single Chief Governor, nor yet any real Commissioners nominated, (but only Fictitious Utopian Keepers of the Liberties of England ) with whom the Members appearing in Parliament can neither confer nor consult, concerning the difficult and urgent Affairs either of the Realm or Church of England; And that all the Lord's and Great Men of the Realm (the ancientest hereditary Members of Parliament, the Grand Counselors of the Kingdom, and Chiefest Assertors of our Liberties in all precedent times) are totally omitted out of these new Forms of Writs, and all Clauses in them, contrary to all former Presidents, without whose concurrent Advice and Assistance with the Commons House in this approaching Parliament, no firm Peace or Settlement can probably be expected, a full and free English Parliament, (from which no legal Members, much less the whole Englsh Peerage and Nobility ought to be excluded, being the principal thing the Generality of this Nation lately petitioned and declared for, as the only Instrument under God to compose all Differences and dissenting Parties, and put a happy period to our manifold long-lasting Distractions and Confusions: Have thereupon apprehended it our bounden Duty, seriously to recommend these ensuing INSTRUCTIONS to our respective Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses elected, and to be elected and returned by us for our Representatives and Trustees in this approaching Parliament; who receiving full and sufficient Power for themselves, and the respective Commonalties of the said Counties, Cities and Boroughs from the said Commonalties alone who elect them, to do and consent to all such things as shall be ordained by Common Council of the Realm in the said Parliament, in their Rights and Behalfs, are thereby obliged in point of Duty and Conscience as their public Servants and Proxies, vigorously to pursue all such just Prescriptions for the Common welfare and Establishment of our Native Country, as they shall present unto them.
We therefore eanestly desire and require them in pursuance of the Trust reposed by us in them, to improve their uttermost Endeavors and Counsels, (there being no particulars prescribed to them in the Writs themselves, as heretofore) to effect these few Individuels.
1. To restore the ancient Constitution, Rights, Privileges and Freedom of our English Parliaments, their respective Houses and Members, and to preserve them from all future Mutulations and Violations by armed Force or otherwise, that so they may by free un-interrupted and combined Counsels proceed to the speedy Settlement of our distracted Churches and Nations, without any Diversions or Obstructions by Soldiers or popular Tumults.
2. To re-establish the ancient Fundamental Regal Government of this Kingdom, and the Dominions thereunto belonging (under which we and our Ancestors in former Ages have flourished in great Peace and Prosperity) according to our known Laws, Oaths, Protestations, Covenants, and multiplied Declarations, and secure it against all future Underminings and Powder-plots of Jesuitical and Fanatick Conspirators.
3. To revive and ratify the miserably subverted and violated Great Charters, Fundamental Laws and Statutes of the Land, made for the preservation of the Persons, Lives, Liberties, Free-holds, Estates and Properties of all English Freemen, against all Arbitrary and Tyrannycal Judicatures, High Courts of Justice, Proceedings, Trials, Executions, Judgments, Banishments, Imprisonments, Confinements, Confiscations, Forfeitures, Attainders, Outlawries, Sequestrations, illegal Taxes, Impositions, Excises, and public Charges whatsoever, not granted by Common-consent in Parliament, and to prevent all future Contempts and Violations of them, after so vast expenses of Treasure and Blood for their just defense.
4. To establish an able, learned, Orthodox Ministry, and just and righteous Magistracy throughout our Dominions, and to take special care that the Gospel of Christ may be duly and sincerely preached, propagated, the Sacraments and public justice freely and rightly administered in all places, without neglect or obstruction, to the consolation, protection of all good Christians, and well-doers, and the terror and suppression of all Malefactors.
5. To advance all sorts of Trade, Merchandize, and Navigation, by diminishing all excessive Customs, Excises, Imposts at home, by making Peace and holding good correspondence with all foreign Kings and Nations abroad, and using all other good means conducing thereunto.
6. To redress all public Grievances, Oppressions, Frauds, and Misdemeanours; to diminish, retrench and regulate all exorbitant Taxes, Excises, Imposts, Fees, Extortions, Salaries and superfluous Forces, Garrisons, Officers, (Civil or Military) by Land and Sea.
7. To procure a speedy, honorable, safe, Christian Treaty and accord with our long Exiled Protestant King, and Royal posterity, upon moderate, just, righteous terms and Propositions on either side, whereby the bleeding Protestant cause and Religion, (much endangered in all places) may be promoted and secured, the Plots of Popish Enemies to extirpate them prevented; the Peace, Government, Laws and Liberties of our Kingdoms, restored, preserved, and perpetuated to posterity; the just public Debts of the Nation and Soldiers arrears discharged; a general Act of Indemnity▪ Pardon and Oblivion for all sorts of persons justly capable thereof, procured; all former Injuries, Feuds, Animosities totally extinguished, and all just sales of justly confiscated Estates, made without Fraud, Govin, practice or Duresses for valuable considerations, confirmed or recompensed; that so all parties and interests being perfectly reconciled, may henceforth studiously endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace, and to live peaceable and quiet Lives under their lawful Kings and Governors in all Godliness and Honesty; being all Members of one and the same Mystical politick Body, having all one Spiritual and Temporal Lord▪ one Faith, one Baptism, and one God, and Father; which should both persuade and oblige them to put away all bittern • sse, wrath▪ anger, • lamour, evil speaking, and all malice, and to be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven them, forbearing one another in love. But if we still proceed to bite and devour one another, (as we have done for many years by-past) we shall suddenly be consumed one of another, and made a prey to our common Enemies, which the accomplishment of these Instructions by God's blessing, and the Parliaments wisdom, will prevent, and make us once more THE GLORY AND LADY OF ALL CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS, as we are now their reproach.