The Downfall of Old Common-Council Men
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A77010.0001.001
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
THE DOWNFAL OF OLD COMMON-COVNSEL-MEN.
BEING Their great Repulse at GVILD-HALL last Friday by the Committee, who extruded the Old out of their corrupted Offices, and elected New in their Places.
FIRST, Showing their manifold corruptions, and unequal Taxations, which they imposed chiefly on their poor Parishioners, and connived on the Rich, which hath been too common an Abuse used by them.
THEN Exactly describing, how they have oftentimes robbed the poor of their due, and detaining the Charity of other men from them, have put it up in their own purses.
LASTLY, Showing the Manner of their Arreignment at Guild-Hall, with the Cause of their Downfall, and the others Uprising.
Composed by JOHN BOND, Scribimus, & scriptis consumitur igne Libellus.
LONDON, Printed for T.H. MDCXLJ.
THE DOWNFALL OF OLD Common Council Men.
THere is nothing more plausible, nothing more commendable, and nothing more respected in the public eye of the world, then the impartial equity of Justice, embraced by subordinate Officers. But e contra, on the other side, nothing is more exploded, nothing more ignominous, and nothing lastly more despicable in the common detestation, and epidemical contempt of all men, then the disparity of injustice executed by them. For inferior Officers are but Vice-gerents from Superiors, and if a blinded error, or temerarious relapse be committed by the former, it must needs consequently be reflected on the latter. So that their offense is not so great, quo peecaverunt seipsi, sed quo peccata suae in alios injiciunt, is that they have offended themselves, but in that the aspersion of their own offense is cast upon others.
〈1 page missing〉4 Their abuse of connivance to the rich, exclaims highly against them, and becomes so obstreperous, that it cries for necessary, and dependent urgency of Justice against them, according to their impious demerits. The rich, able, and sufficient men were excused oftentimes, and poor men were then coactively urged to pay for them.
Thus like fortune, ubi nihil, aut minimum est, arripiunt, ubi omnia, aut saltem maxima sunt, addunt amplius: they take away from those who have nothing, or very little, and add more to those, who have all things, or at least the greatest. And their offense is so vicious in this regard, that I blush, or at least am ashamed to add any further a constructive addition to their coniving malignity.
5 In saving themselves from all payments whatsoever, they were very officious in their Offices; and whether poor or rich, the wealthy, or indigent did pay, they would be sure to pay nothing themselves: yea sometimes they would detain money too, and putting it up into their own purses, they would oftentimes say (poor honest men) that they were willing to pocket up such wrongs as those. So that the meanest of the Parish did yearly pay more then the chiefest of them. And this was a most shameful, unbeseeming, and intolerable abuse, and is so basely incongruous to their Offices, that nothing but just execration can be reflected on them, for their so voluntarily blinded equity and injustice. I must retract my deviating pen a while, lest it should digress in a too distant aberration from those three in that former Propositions. I must therefore recall myself to the explication of the cause of those numerous varieties of corruptions; The general and prime cause thereof, seriously conceive from their too licentious liberty in committing those errors without any contradiction, prohibition, or opposition: So that the continuance of their corruptions, and duration thereof without interdiction, was the chiefest cause of the varieties that descended from that inhumanity: and a second cause may be deducted from the non annual election of them.
Wherefore these precedent particulars being maturely, and seriously considered, and revolved by the City: All the old Common-Council-men were arreigned by the Citisens, and consequently a select Committee was appointed to meet at Guild-Hall, to regulate these abuses, which have been by them committed. And being accused, they were found so inexcusable delinquent and peccant, they were incontinently excluded from their corrupt Offices, and New Common-Council-men elected in their Places.