<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2007-03-30</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A85013">
<STC T="W">F2423</STC>
<STC T="T">E86_16</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99871589</BIBNO>
<VID>124001</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A FAST
SERMON
PREACHED
On Innocents day
BY
<HI>THOMAS F&V;LLER,</HI> B. D.
Mini&s;ter of the <HI>Savoy.</HI></P>
<P><BIBL>2 SAM. 2. 26.</BIBL>
<Q>Then Abner called to Joab, and &s;aid, Shall the &s;word de|voure
for ever? knowe&s;t thou not that it will be bitterne&s;&s;e in
the latter end? How long &s;hall it be then, yer thou bid the peo|ple
returne from &s;ollowing their brethren?</Q></P>
<P>LONDON,
Printed by L. N. and R. C. for JOHN WILLIAMS
at the &s;igne of the Crowne in Saint <HI>Pauls</HI>
Church-yard, 1642.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>A FAST
SERMON
PREACHT ON
Innocents day.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>MATTH. 5. 9.</BIBL>
<Q>Ble&s;&s;ed are the Peace-makers.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_ON this day a Fa&s;t and Fea&s;t do
both ju&s;tle together;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1.</NOTE> and the
que&s;tion is, which &s;hould take
place in our affections. I pray
let <HI>Solomon,</HI> the wi&s;e&s;t of Kings
and Men, be made Doctor of
the Chaire to decide this con|trover&s;ie,
<HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7. 2. <HI>It is better to go to the hou&s;e of
<PB N="2" REF="3">
mourning, then to goe to the hou&s;e of feasting: for it
is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his
heart.</HI> Let us therefore di&s;pen&s;e with all mirth
for this time, and apply our &s;elves to lamentation.</P>
<P>2. Wee reade <HI>Ezra</HI> 3. 12. that when the foun|dation
of the &s;econd Temple was laid by <HI>Zerubba|bel,</HI>
the young men &s;houted for joy: <HI>But many of
the Priests and Levites, and chiefe of the fathers, who
were ancient men, that had &s;een the fir&s;t hou&s;e, when
the foundation of this hou&s;e was laid before their eyes,
wept with a loud voice, and many &s;houted aloud for joy.</HI>
Thus what if young men be &s;o addicted to their
toyes and Chri&s;tmas &s;ports, that they will not be
weaned from them, O let not old men, who are or
&s;hould be wi&s;er, and therefore more &s;en&s;ible of the
&s;innes and &s;orrowes of the State; let us who are
Prie&s;ts, who&s;e very profe&s;&s;ion doth date us anci|ent,
be tran&s;ported with their follies, but mourne
while&s;t they are in their mirth. The French Pro|verb
&s;aith, <HI>They that laugh on Friday, &s;hall cry on
Sunday.</HI> And it may plea&s;e God of his goodne&s;&s;e
&s;o to bring it to pa&s;&s;e, that if we keep a &s;ad Chri&s;t|mas,
we may have a merry Lent.</P>
<P>3. This day is called <HI>Innocents</HI> or <HI>Childermas</HI>
day; a day which &s;uper&s;titious Papi&s;ts count un|luckie
and unfortunate, and therefore thereupon
they will begin no matter of moment, as fearing
ill &s;ucce&s;&s;e &s;hould befall them. Indeed I could wil|lingly
have &s;ent their follies in &s;ilence to Hell, le&s;t
by being a Confuter, I become a Remembrancer
of their vanities: but that this fond conceit mu&s;t
be rooted out of the minds of the ignorant people.
<PB N="3" REF="3">
Why &s;hould not that day be mo&s;t happy, which
in the judgement of charity (charity which though
not &s;tarke blind with <HI>Bartimeus,</HI> with <HI>Leah</HI> is al|waies
tender eyed) &s;ent &s;o many Saints by <HI>Herods</HI>
cruelty to Heaven, before they had committed any
actuall &s;inne. Well, out of &s;acred oppo&s;ition and
pious cro&s;&s;ing of Popi&s;h vanities, let us this day
begin, and this day give good hand&s;ell of true re|pentance.
<HI>To the cloane all things are cleane.</HI> To the
good all dayes are good: We may &s;ay of this day
as <HI>David</HI> of <HI>Goliahs</HI> &s;word, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 21. 9. <HI>There is
none like that, give it me.</HI> No day like this day for
us to begin our &s;anctified &s;orrow, and to hearken
to Gods word, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the Peace-makers.</HI></P>
<P>4. In this and the two next Chapters Chri&s;t ha|ving
a Mountain for his Pulpit, and the whole Law
for his text, &s;eeks to clear it from tho&s;e fal&s;e glo&s;&s;es
(corrupting the Text) which the Prie&s;ts and Phari|&s;ees
had fa&s;tened upon it; and &s;hewes, that Gods
Law was not to be narrowed and confined to the
outward act alone, but according to the will of the
Law-giver (the Surveyour that be&s;t knew the la|titude
thereof) is to bee extended to the very
thoughts of the heart, and takes hold of mens wic|ked
inclinations, as breaches thereof, and offences
again&s;t it. We u&s;e to end our Sermons with a Ble&s;|&s;ing,
Chri&s;t begins his with the Beatitudes, and of
the eight, my Text is neither the la&s;t nor the lea&s;t,
<HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the Peace-makers.</HI></P>
<P>5. Ob&s;erve in the words the be&s;t worke and the
be&s;t wages; the be&s;t worke, <HI>Peace-makers:</HI> the be&s;t
wages, <HI>They are ble&s;&s;ed.</HI> I begin with the worke,
<PB N="4" REF="4">
which &s;hall imploy my paines and your attention
this day. Now the goodne&s;&s;e of peace will the
better appeare, if we con&s;ider the mi&s;ery of warre.
It is &s;aid, <HI>Gen.</HI> 12. 11. <HI>And it came to pa&s;&s;e when A|braham
was come neere to enter into Egypt, that hee
&s;aid unto Sarai his wife, Behold, now I know that thou
art a faire woman to looke upon.</HI> Why Now <HI>I know
thou art a beautifull woman?</HI> Did <HI>Abraham</HI> live thus
long in ignorance of his wives beauty? Did he now
fir&s;t begin to know her hand&s;omne&s;&s;e? Learned
<HI>Tremelius</HI> on the place &s;tarts and an&s;wers the ob|jection
<HI>Now,</HI> that is, when <HI>Abraham</HI> came into E|gypt,
as if he had &s;aid, When I &s;ee the tawny faces
and &s;warthy complexions of the &s;un-burnt Egpti|ans,
thy face &s;eemeth the fairer, and thy beauty
the brighter in mine eyes. I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e, I ever
prized peace for a pearle; but we never did or could
&s;et the true e&s;timate and value upon it till this in|terruption
and &s;u&s;pen&s;ion of it. <HI>Now</HI> we know, be|ing
taught by deare experience, that peace is a
beautifull ble&s;&s;ing: And therefore we will con&s;i|der
warre fir&s;t in the wickedne&s;&s;e, then in the wo|fulne&s;&s;e
thereof.</P>
<P>6. Fir&s;t, warre makes a Nation more wicked.
Surely, &s;wearing and Sabbath breaking do not ad|vance
the keeping of the fir&s;t Table. And as for
the &s;econd Table, how hard is it in the&s;e di&s;tracted
times to be practi&s;ed? Yea, it is difficult to &s;ay the
Lords Prayer, the Creed, or ten Commande|ments:
The Lords Prayer for that Petition,
<HI>And forgive us our tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, as wee forgive them
that tre&s;pa&s;&s;e again&s;t us.</HI> The Creed for that Arti|cle,
<PB N="5" REF="4">
<HI>The Communion of Saints,</HI> which doth tye and
obliege us to the performance of all Chri&s;tian of|fices
&amp; charitable duties to tho&s;e who by the &s;ame
Chri&s;t &s;eekes &s;alvation, and profe&s;&s;e the &s;ame true
Chri&s;tian Catholike faith with us: The ten Com|mandements
for that precept, <HI>Thou &s;halt not kill:</HI> and
though men in &s;peculation and &s;choole di&s;tincti|ons
may &s;ay, that all the&s;e may be ea&s;ily performed
in the time of war; yet our corrupt nature, which
is &s;tarke nought in time of peace, is likely to be far
wor&s;e in warre, and if the&s;e times continue, I am
afraid wee &s;hall neither &s;ay the Lords Prayer, nor
beleeve the Creed, nor practi&s;e the Commande|ments.
And as hard it will be preparedly and pro|fitably
to receive the Sacraments, when wee &s;hall
drinke Chri&s;ts bloud as on to day, and go about to
&s;hed our brothers bloud as on to morrow.</P>
<P>7. Secondly, let us con&s;ider the wofulne&s;&s;e of
war, and that both in its &s;elfe, and in its attendance:
See a Map of war drawne by a holy hand, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 87.
63. <HI>The fire con&s;umed their young men, and their mai|dens
were not given to marriage, their Prie&s;ts fell by
the &s;word, and their widowes made no lamentations.
The fire con&s;umed the young men.</HI> Wee behold with
contentment ripe fruit to drop downe to the
ground, but who will not pity greene apples when
they are cudgelled downe from the tree. <HI>And the
maidens were not given in marriage.</HI> So that the fai|re&s;t
flowers of virginity were faine to wither on the
&s;talke, whereon they did grow, for want of hands to
gather them. <HI>The Prie&s;ts were flaine with the &s;word;
Sed quid cum Marte Prophetis?</HI> Well then, there
they were, though they were none of the be&s;t of the
<PB N="6" REF="5">
Prie&s;ts, being lewd <HI>Hophnee</HI> and <HI>Phyneus,</HI> and there
they were killed, for ought I know, if the&s;e times
hold, Gods be&s;t <HI>Samuels</HI> mu&s;t goe the &s;ame way.
<HI>And their widowes made no lamentation.</HI> You will
&s;ay, the more unnaturall women they: O no, <HI>they
made no lamentation,</HI> either becau&s;e their griefe was
above lamenting, &s;uch as onely could be managed
with &s;ilence and amazement, or el&s;e becau&s;e they
were &s;o taken up with deploring the publike cala|mity,
they could &s;pare no time for private per&s;ons
to bemoane their particular lo&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>8. But warre is not &s;o terrible in it &s;elf, as in its
attendants; fir&s;t the Plague which brings up the
reare of war: the Plague, I &s;ay, which formerly
u&s;ed to be an extraordinary emba&s;&s;ador in this Ci|tie
of <HI>London,</HI> to denounce Gods anger again&s;t it,
but is of late grown a con&s;tant legier, and for the&s;e
many late yeares hath never been clearly removed
from us: &s;urely &s;ome great unrepented &s;in lyes on
this City, that this con&s;tant puni&s;hment doth vi&s;it
us, which will be more terrible when it &s;hall be ex|tended
over the whole Realme.</P>
<P>9. Secondly, Famine, a waiter in Ordinary on
Warre. Truly it may &s;eeme a riddle, and yet it is
mo&s;t true, that <HI>Warre makes both le&s;&s;e meat, and
fewer mouthes:</HI> Fir&s;t, becau&s;e in time of war none
dare attend husbandry, wherewith <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith,
<HI>The King him&s;elf is maintained.</HI> Secondly, becau&s;e
Souldiers &s;poile more out of prodigality, then
they &s;pend out of nece&s;&s;ity: When our Saviour
multiplied loaves and fi&s;hes, there were tho&s;e ap|pointed
who tooke up the twelve baskets of frag|ments;
but, alas, no &s;uch care is taken in &s;ouldiers
<PB N="7" REF="5">
fe&s;tivals. Hitherto indeed wee have had plenty
enough, and as yet in this City are not &s;en&s;ible of
any want. But you know next <HI>Pharaohs</HI> full eares
came <HI>Pharaohs</HI> bla&s;ted ears, next <HI>Pharaohs</HI> fat kine
came <HI>Pharaohs</HI> lean kine; &amp; I pray God poor peo|ple
&s;or this years &s;tore be not next year &s;tarved.</P>
<P>10. Thirdly, wilde bea&s;ts, &s;ee Gods foure cardi|nall
puni&s;hments reckoned up, <HI>Ezech.</HI> 14. 21. <HI>For
thus &s;aith the Lord God, for much more when I &s;end my
foure &s;ore judgements upon Jeru&s;alem: the &s;word, and
the famine, and the noy&s;ome bea&s;t, and the pe&s;tilence to
cut from it man and bea&s;t.</HI> Some perchance wil &s;ay,
that there is more danger of wilde bea&s;ts in our I|land,
which is invironed with water. Truely there
need no other wilde bea&s;ts then our &s;elves, who are
Lions, Beares, Boares, Wolves, and Tygers one
to another. And though as yet wee were never
plagued with wilde bea&s;ts, yet wee know not how
&s;oone God may hi&s;&s;e for them over, and for our
new and &s;trange &s;ins, cau&s;e new and &s;trange puni&s;h|ments.
Now conceive a City as bigge as your
thoughts can imagine, and fancy the Sword mar|ching
in at the Ea&s;t-gate, and the Plague comming
in at the We&s;t-gate, and Famine entring in at the
North-gate, and wilde bea&s;ts pa&s;&s;ing in at the
South-gate, and all meeting together in the Mar|ket-place,
and then tell me how quickly will your
voluminous Citie be abridged to a poor pittance.</P>
<P>11. But hitherto wee have only &s;poken of the
mi&s;eries of War in generall, but the wor&s;t is &s;till
behind, for we are afflicted with Civill war, many
warres have done wofully, but this &s;urmounteth
them all. In Civill war nothing can bee expected
<PB N="8" REF="6">
but a ruine and de&s;olaion. What &s;aid <HI>Mordecai</HI> to
<HI>He&s;ther, He&s;ther</HI> 4. 13. <HI>Think not with thy &s;elfe that
thou &s;halt e&s;cape in the Kings hou&s;e more then all the
Jewes.</HI> So let none in what hou&s;e &s;oever, in the
Kings Hou&s;e, or Houfe of Lords, or Hou&s;e of
Commons, or &s;tronge&s;t Ca&s;tles, or walled Towns,
or fenced Cities, flatter them&s;elves with a fond
conceit of their &s;afety, for if Civill warres conti|nue
long, they mu&s;t expect as well as others to bee
devoured, yea, none can promi&s;e great Per&s;ons &s;o
much happine&s;&s;e as to bee la&s;t undone: For, for
ought any knowes, it may come their turnes to be
the fir&s;t, as being the faire&s;t markes to invite envy
and malice again&s;t them. Meane time poore <HI>Ire|land,</HI>
which as the man in the vi&s;ion cryed to Saint
<HI>Paul, Come over into Macedonia and helpe us,</HI> which
hath &s;o long, &s;o often, &s;o earne&s;tly intreated, im|plored,
importuned our a&s;&s;i&s;tants, mu&s;t be lo&s;t <HI>of
cour&s;e.</HI> The Prote&s;tants there which have long
&s;wom again&s;t the tide till their armes are weary,
mu&s;t at la&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity even give them&s;elves over
to bee drowned: That Harpe, which when it was
well tuned, made &s;o good mu&s;icke, mu&s;t now and
hereafter for ever <HI>bee hung upon the willowes,</HI> a &s;ad
and &s;orrowfull tree, and our di&s;traction will ha&s;ten
their finall de&s;truction. We reade, <HI>Deut.</HI> 28. 56.
<HI>That in a great Famine the eye of the mother &s;hall be
evill towards her &s;on and towards her daughter,</HI> &s;hee
&s;hall grudge every mor&s;ell of meat which goes be|&s;ides
her owne mouth, preferring nature before na|turall
affection. If the&s;e times doe continue, <HI>Lon|don</HI>
will grudge <HI>London-derry</HI> her daughter, and
<HI>England</HI> Mother generally of <HI>Ireland</HI> (as a Colony
<PB N="9" REF="6">
deduced from it) will grieve to part with the lea&s;t
meat, money and munition to it.</P>
<P>12 But all the&s;e Mi&s;chiefes are nothing in re|&s;pect
of the la&s;t, namely the &s;candal and di&s;honour
which hereby will redound to the Prote&s;tant reli|gion,
whereof a true Chri&s;tian ought to be more
tender and &s;en&s;ible, then of any worldly lo&s;&s;e what|&s;oever:
<HI>Tell it not in Gath, nor publi&s;h it in A&s;calon,
le&s;t the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce, le&s;t the
daughters of the uncircumci&s;ed triumph.</HI> O what
mu&s;ick doth our di&s;cord make to the Romi&s;h ad|ver&s;aries.
We reade, <HI>Gene&s;.</HI> 13. 7. <HI>And there was a
&s;trife between the heard-men of Abrahams cattel, and
the heard-men of Lots cattell, and the Cananite, and
the Perizite dwelled then in the Land. And Abra|ham
&s;aid unto Lot, Let there be no &s;trife, I pray thee,
betweene my &amp;c.</HI> Wherein ob&s;erve, that the Canaa|nites
and Perizites being there in the Land, is men|tioned
as a motive with <HI>Abraham</HI> to make him
make the &s;peedier accommodation with <HI>Lot,</HI> le&s;t
the true religion and &s;ervice of God &s;hould &s;uffer
in the cen&s;ure of Pagans by their di&s;cords, being
Uncle and Nephew, ingaged in a brawle by their
&s;ervants di&s;&s;ention. How many Canaanites and
Perezites behold our bloudy differences, and clap
their hands to &s;ee us wring ours, yea, in&s;ult and re|joyce
to &s;ee us &s;heath our &s;words in one anothers
bowels; wee u&s;ed formerly to taske the Papi&s;ts of
cruelty to Prote&s;tants; but hereafter, as <HI>Abner</HI> &s;aid
to <HI>A&s;ahel,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2. 22. <HI>How then &s;hall I hold up my
face to Joab thy brother:</HI> So how &s;hall we looke in
the face, from this day forwards, of our Romi&s;h
adver&s;aries. Tell them no more of their cruelty to
<PB N="10" REF="7">
the Prote&s;tants at <HI>Hedlebergh,</HI> of their cruelty to
Prote&s;tants of <HI>Magdenberge,</HI> of their cruelty to the
Prote&s;tants at <HI>Rochel;</HI> for if the&s;e wars continue,
wee are likely not onely to equall, but to out|doe
the&s;e cruelties one to another; &s;o that di&s;|charging
this accu&s;ation of bloudine&s;&s;e again&s;t
them, it will rebound and recoile in our own faces.
Put all the&s;e together, that warre makes a Land
more wicked, makes a Land more wofull, is bad
in it &s;elfe, is wor&s;e in its traine, de&s;troyes Chri&s;ti|an
people, and di&s;graces Chri&s;tian profe&s;&s;ion, and
then will all have ju&s;t cau&s;e to &s;ay as it is in my
Text, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the Peace-makers.</HI></P>
<P>13. If any object that peace al&s;o hath her mi&s;|chiefes
which attend thereupon; for it brings
plenty, and plenty brings pride, and pride brings
plagues upon it: peace makes men pampered, and
with <HI>Je&s;&s;urun</HI> to kick again&s;t God. War indeed
brings <HI>cleanne&s;&s;e of teeth,</HI> while&s;t peace brings <HI>ful|ne&s;&s;e
of bread,</HI> which is as bad and wor&s;e, making
men pre&s;umptuou&s;ly to rebell again&s;t God. The
an&s;wer is ea&s;ie, woes may come from peace, but
they mu&s;t come from warre; mi&s;eries ari&s;e from
the very u&s;e of warre, which come but from the
abu&s;e of peace, being e&s;&s;entiall to warre, but acci|dentall
to peace, inherent alwaies in the one, ad|herent
too often to the other: in a word, in war
calamities proceed from the thing it &s;elfe, in peace
from men, abu&s;ing it.</P>
<P>14. <HI>Object.</HI> But peace without truth is rather
poy&s;on then a cordiall: O let us not be like the
thir&s;ty traveller, who &s;o long longs for water, that
at la&s;t he drinkes mud and water together, not only
<PB N="11" REF="7">
without di&s;tinction or di&s;ta&s;te, but even with de|light:
O let us not with <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> &s;o dote on the
<HI>Dalilah</HI> of peace, as to get her love to betray truth,
wherein our &s;trength lyes. Some perchance would
propound peace unto us, but on &s;uch &s;ervile con|ditions
as <HI>Naa&s;h</HI> the Ammonite offered a truce to
the men of Jabe&s;h-Gilead, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 11. 2. <HI>On this
condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may
thru&s;t out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproacb
upon all I&s;rael.</HI> And &s;o if we will give in truth to
boot, and put out our owne eyes into the bargaine;
forfeit the true faith and knowledge of God, with
the purity of his &s;ervice, then perchance a peace
may be proffered us; but as <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aid to <HI>Simon
Magus, Act.</HI> 8. 20. <HI>Thy mony peri&s;h with thee,</HI> &s;o let
&s;uch a helli&s;h peace peri&s;h with tho&s;e that &s;eek to
promote it.</P>
<P>15. In the an&s;wering of this objection, give me
leave as <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Act.</HI> 2. 29. <HI>Men and brethren, let
me freely &s;peake unto you of the Patriarch David;</HI> &s;o
let me boldly and fully &s;peak in an&s;wer to the ob|jection:
If leave be denied mee: I know whence
my commi&s;&s;ion is derived, I am an Emba&s;&s;adour
for the God of Heaven if I &s;peake what is fal&s;e, I
mu&s;t an&s;wer for it; if truth, it will an&s;wer for me.
And what I have to &s;ay, I will divide into foure
Propo&s;itions.</P>
<P>16. Prop. 1. <HI>Cur&s;ed be hee that &s;eekes to divide
Peace from Truth.</HI> I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e I was never bred
upon Mount Ebal, neither did ever my tongue take
delight in cur&s;ing. The rather, becau&s;e we may ob|&s;erve
<HI>Deut.</HI> 27. 12. that the mo&s;t eminent Tribes
<PB N="12" REF="8">
from w^c^h the Princely &amp; Prie&s;tly men de&s;cended,
<HI>Levi, Iudah, Ephraim,</HI> &amp; <HI>Benjamin,</HI> took their &s;tati|on
in Mount Gera&s;in, to &s;hew, that Magi&s;trates &amp;
Mini&s;ters are principally to inure their mouths to
ble&s;&s;ing. And yet for tho&s;e that feek to &s;ever peace
from truth, I cannot refrain my &s;elf, but mu&s;t &s;ay,
<HI>Cur&s;ed be they in the city, and cur&s;ed be they in the
field, cur&s;ed be they in their basket and in their &s;tore,
cur&s;ed be they in the fruit of their body, and in the
fruit of their land, in the increa&s;e of their kine, and in
the &s;tock of their &s;heep, cur&s;ed &s;hall they be when they
come in, and cur&s;ed &s;hall they be when they go out.</HI></P>
<P>17. Pro. 2. <HI>Before this warre began, wee had in
England truth in all e&s;&s;entiall to &s;alvation.</HI> Wee had
all nece&s;&s;ary and important truths truly compiled
in our 39. Articles. We had the word of God truly
preacht (I could wi&s;h it had been more frequently
and generally) the Sacraments duly admini&s;tred,
which two put together doth con&s;titute a true
Church. S. <HI>Paul,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 18. being to prove the
re&s;urrection of the dead, pre&s;&s;eth the Corinthians
with this among other Arguments, <HI>Then they al&s;o
which are fallen a&s;leep in Chri&s;t are peri&s;hed.</HI> Putting
them a mo&s;t uncharitable ab&s;urdity, that in ca&s;e
the dead ari&s;e not againe, they mu&s;t be bound to
confe&s;s, that all the Saints formerly decea&s;ed were
peri&s;hed. And &s;urely, &s;uch as deny that England
before this warre began had all e&s;&s;entiall truth to
&s;alvation, mu&s;t of nece&s;sity &s;plit them&s;elves on the
&s;ame uncharitable rocke, and pa&s;&s;e a &s;entence of
condemnation on all tho&s;e which dyed in our
Church before the&s;e two yeares la&s;t pa&s;t.</P>
<P><PB N="13" REF="8">
18 3. Pro. <HI>Many errors in Doctrine and inno|vation
in di&s;cipline, did creepe fa&s;t into our Church.</HI>
Arminian po&s;itions, Tenents, rea&s;on to Gods
grace, invaded the truth of the Word in many
places. One Ceremony begat another, there be|ing
no bounds in will-wor&s;hip, wherewith one
may &s;ooner be wearied then &s;atisfied. The inven|tors
of new Ceremonies endeavouring to &s;upply
in number what their conceits wanted in &s;olidity;
and God knowes before this time where they had
been if they had not been &s;topt.</P>
<P>19 4. <HI>Pro.</HI> The be&s;t and onely way to purge
the&s;e errors out, is in a faire and peaceable way;
for the &s;word cannot di&s;cerne betwixt error and
fal&s;hood, it may have two edges, but hath never
an eye. Let there on Gods ble&s;&s;ing be a Synode
of truely grave, pious, and learned Divines; and
let them both fairely di&s;pute, and fully decide,
whats true, whats fal&s;e; what Ceremonies are to
be retained, what to be rejected; and let civill au|thortie
&s;tampe their command upon it, to be ge|nerally
received under what penaltie their de&s;cre|tion
&s;hall think fitting. But as long as Warre
la&s;ts, no hope of any &s;uch agreement; this mu&s;t
be a worke for Peace to performe. So then under
the notion of Peace, hitherto we have and hereaf|ter
doe intend &s;uch a Peace, as when it comes we
hope will re&s;tore truth unto us, in all the acciden|tall
and ornamentall parts thereof; and adde it to
that truth in e&s;&s;entialls to &s;alvation, which we
enjoyed before this Warre began, and in this
<PB N="14" REF="9">
&s;ence I will boldly pronounce <HI>ble&s;&s;ed be the Peace|makers.</HI></P>
<P>20 Come we now to con&s;ider what be the hin|drances
of Peace: the&s;e hindrances are either ge|nerall
or particular. The generall hindrance is
this: The many nationall &s;innes of our kingdome
being not repented of; I &s;ay of our kingdome, not
of one Army alone. Thinke not that the Kings
Army is like <HI>Sodome,</HI> not ten righteous men in it,
(no not if righteous <HI>Lot</HI> him&s;elfe be put into the
number) and the other Army like <HI>Syon</HI> con&s;i&s;ting
all of Saints. No, there be drunkards on both
&s;ides, and &s;wearers on both &s;ides, and whoremun|gers
on both &s;ides, pious on both &s;ides, and pro|phane
on both &s;ides, like <HI>Jeremies</HI> figges, tho&s;e that
are good are very good, and tho&s;e that are bad are
very bad in both parties. I never knew nor heard
of an Army all of Saints, <HI>&s;ave the holy Army of
Martyrs,</HI> and tho&s;e you know were dead fir&s;t, for
the la&s;t breath they &s;ent forth proclaimed them to
be Martyrs. But it is not the &s;innes of the Armies
alone, but the &s;innes of the whole kingdome which
breake off our hopes of Peace, our Nation is ge|nerally
&s;infull. The City complaines of the am|bition
and prodigality of the Courtiers, the Cour|tiers
complaine of the pride and covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e of
Citizens, the Laity complaine of the lazine&s;&s;e and
&s;tate-medling of the Clergy, the Clergie com|plaine
of the hard dealing and &s;acriledge of the
Laity, the Rich complaine of the murmuring and
ingratitude of the Poor, the Poor complaine of
<PB N="15" REF="9">
the oppre&s;&s;ion and extortion of the Rich: Thus
every one is more ready to throw durt in anothers
face then to wa&s;h his owne cleane. And in all
the&s;e though malice may &s;et the varni&s;h, &s;ure
truth doth lay the ground-worke.</P>
<P>21 Of particular hindrances, in the fir&s;t place
we may ranke the Romi&s;h Recu&s;ants, <HI>Is not the
hand of Joab with thee in all this,</HI> was <HI>Davids</HI> que&s;ti|on
2. <HI>Sam.</HI> 14. 19. but is not the hand may we all
&s;ay of <HI>Je&s;vites</HI> in the&s;e di&s;tractions. <HI>Many times
from my youth up have they fought again&s;t me may</HI>
England <HI>now &s;ay, yea many times from my youth up
have they vexed me, but have not prevailed again&s;t
me.</HI> At la&s;t, the Popi&s;h party perceived that the
&s;trength of <HI>England</HI> con&s;i&s;ted in the unity thereof.
(<HI>Samp&s;on</HI> is halfe conquered when it is knowne
where his &s;trength doth lye) and that it was im|po&s;&s;ible
to conquer <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Prote&s;tants, but by
<HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Prote&s;tants. Is this your &s;pite and malice
O you <HI>Romi&s;h</HI> adver&s;aries, becau&s;e you could not
overcome us with <HI>Spani&s;h</HI> Armadoes, nor blowe
us up with Gunpowder trea&s;ons, nor undoe us
with <HI>Iri&s;h</HI> Rebellions, to &s;et our &s;elves again&s;t our
&s;elves, fir&s;t to divide us, then to de&s;troy us. Well,
God knowes what may come to pa&s;&s;e. It may be
when we have drunke the top of this bitter cup,
the dregs may be for your &s;hare, and we may all
be made friends for your utter ruine and de&s;tru|ction.</P>
<P>22 Next, the Papi&s;ts the Schi&s;matickes are the
hendrances of our Peace. The&s;e know their king|dome
<PB N="16" REF="10">
cannot be e&s;tabli&s;hed but by Warre, as a&s;|&s;ured
that the wi&s;dome of the State is &s;uch, as will
bla&s;t their de&s;ignes when matters are &s;etled. I
have heard (when a childe) of a <HI>Lawle&s;&s;e Church,</HI>
&s;ure the&s;e if they might have their will, would
have a Lawle&s;&s;e Church and a Go&s;pelle&s;&s;e too;
and yet they as fal&s;ly as fondly conceive that the
State gives approbation and connivance to them.
We read <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 50. 21. where Gods &s;pirit rec|kons
up many &s;innes which the wicked had com|mitted,
that God &s;aith; <HI>The&s;e things ha&s;t thou
done, and I kept &s;ilence; thou thoughe&s;t that I was al|together
&s;uch a one as thy &s;elfe: but I will reprove
thee, and &s;et them in order before thine eyes.</HI> In
which place of Scripture three things are con&s;ide|rable.
Fir&s;t, God is &s;aid to keep &s;ilence when he
doth not pre&s;ently and vi&s;ibly puni&s;h offenders,
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> 35. 22. <HI>O Lord keep not &s;ilence,</HI> and &s;o <HI>P&s;al.</HI>
83. 1. <HI>Keep not thou &s;ilence O God.</HI> God, for rea|&s;ons
be&s;t known to him&s;elfe, and for &s;ome known
to us, namely, to make wicked men &s;wel and break
with a Timpany of good &s;ucce&s;&s;e for the time,
does not outwardly expre&s;&s;e the di&s;like of their
bad cour&s;es, in inflictine a &s;uddain and &s;en&s;ible
puui&s;hment upon them. Secondly, ob&s;erve the
fal&s;e Logick &amp; bad inference of wicked men&punc; who
who conceive that God is altogether &s;uch an one
as them&s;elves, yea make acce&s;&s;ary and confederate
with them becau&s;e &s;ilent, therefore con&s;enting:
<HI>Qui tacet &s;atis laudat.</HI> Thirdly, &s;ee time wil come
when in time be&s;t known to him&s;elfe he will pub|likely
<PB N="17" REF="10">
reprove them, and &s;hew not onely his free
di&s;&s;ent but full di&s;plea&s;ure. Thus Schi&s;matickes
improve them&s;elves upon the clemency &amp; long &s;uf|fering
of our State. Becau&s;e they are taken up with
matters of higher concernment, and are not at lea|&s;ure
to &s;toope to their puni&s;hment, as imployed in
bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of more pre&s;ent and pre&s;&s;ing impor|tance;
Separati&s;ts and Sectaries conceive that
they favour, what they doe not puni&s;h. But time
will come when to the glory of God and their own
honour, though &s;lowly, &s;urely they will vi&s;it their
offences, and as the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> &s;aith; <HI>Set their &s;innes
in order before them;</HI> who have beene the partiall
cau&s;e of the di&s;order and confu&s;ion of this king|dome.</P>
<P>23 Thirdly, tho&s;e are enemies to Peace, who&s;e
beeing meerely con&s;i&s;teth by Warre and di&s;centi|on.
Indeed the truly noble Engli&s;h &s;pirits, de&s;ire
a forraigne Foe for a marke for their Bullets; but
many there be rather turbulent then valiant, <HI>who
as Demetrius by this craft they get their gaine,</HI> de|&s;ire
a perpetuity of Warre for their po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion.
We read in <HI>Plutarch</HI> of one <HI>Demades</HI> who by pro|fe&s;&s;ion
was a maker of Coffins, and he was bani&s;h|ed
out of rhe City of <HI>Athens</HI> for wi&s;hing that hee
might have good trading; that wi&s;e Sare truly in|terpreting
the language of his wi&s;h, as de&s;iring
&s;ome epidemicall di&s;ea&s;e; his private profit being
incon&s;i&s;tant with the publike floura&s;hing of the
Common-wealth. So tho&s;e people who are un|done,
and cannot live but by undoing of others,
<PB N="18" REF="11">
certainly wi&s;h no good to our Church and King|dome,
but mu&s;t needs be State Barrettors to
keep the &s;ore alwayes raw, betwixt Prince and
people.</P>
<P>24 Let us now come to &s;ee the meanes, wherby
private per&s;ons may and mu&s;t endeavour the ob|taining
of peace; <HI>The fir&s;t is prayer, pray for the peace
of Jeru&s;alem;</HI> let every one in that prayer which he
u&s;eth in his Family, or private devotions, build a
roome more and inlarge it, to pray for peace in
our I&s;raell.</P>
<P>25 Secondly, let us petition for peace, not on|ly
to the God in Heaven, but to the Gods on earth;
fir&s;t to his Maje&s;tie, but alas there is a great gulfe
between us &amp; him fixed, &s;o that they which would
pa&s;&s;e from hence to him cannot, neither <HI>can they
pa&s;&s;e to us that would come from thence.</HI> The &s;ins of
our Realm are amounted to &s;uch a height that we
de&s;erve this and wor&s;e puni&s;hment. Next, let us
petition to the High and Honourable Court of
Parliament, next under God and the King the hope
and help of our happine&s;&s;e, Let none &s;ay it is pre|&s;umption
to petition them, as undertaking to tell
them of what they are ignorant, or to put them in
remembrance of what they may forget, for herein
we apply our &s;elfe to them, in immitation of our
acce&s;&s;e to God, and &s;urely their greatne&s;&s;e cannot
and their goodne&s;&s;e will not be di&s;plea&s;ed in our
compliance and conformity to &s;uch an Archi|type.
True it is that God, <HI>Matthew</HI> 6. 8. <HI>Our Fa|ther
knoweth what things we have need of before we
<PB N="19" REF="11">
aske him,</HI> and yet it is his will and plea&s;ure to be
&s;ought too by our prayer. And &s;o no doubt that
High and Honourable Court, though that they
know fulwell that peace is that we &s;tand in need of
yet they take delight in our duty, yea expect our
&s;ervice herin to petition for peace, that &s;o our beg|ging
of peace, may in effect be a mode&s;t &amp; manner|ly
expre&s;&s;ion of an harty thanks for their long and
con&s;tant endeavours herein. Wherefore what <HI>Ter|tullus</HI>
&s;aid flatteringly to <HI>Felex,</HI> we may &s;ay truly
and feelingly to them; &s;eeing that very worthy
<HI>deeds are done to this Nation by their providence,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 24. 3.</NOTE> <HI>we
accept alwaies, and in all places with all thankfulnes.
Notwithstanding I pray you, that you of your Cle|mency
would heare us a few words.</HI> And let us in all
Humility, not directing but be&s;eeching them,
without a tumultuous thought, mo&s;t peacable and
pathetically begge of them and &s;ue unto them to
continue their care in advancing a &s;ea&s;onable and
happy accomodation, that &s;o the ble&s;&s;ing pronoun|ced
in my text may lie both upon them and theirs
<HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the Peacemakers:</HI></P>
<P>26 Thirdly, we mu&s;t be content &s;oundly to
pay for peace, we read <HI>Exod.</HI> 38. 8. <HI>And he
made the Lever of Bra&s;&s;e and the foot of it of Bra&s;&s;e,
of the Looking-gla&s;&s;es of the Women a&s;&s;embling, which
a&s;&s;embled at the door of the Tabernacle of the congre|gation.</HI>
It &s;eemeth that the back&s;ids of their Look|ing-gla&s;&s;es
were made of bra&s;&s;e, which commonly
with us are made of wood, and they con&s;igned
them over for Gods &s;ervice; and good rea&s;on too,
<PB N="20" REF="12">
for formerly they had given their eraerings for the
making of a Calfe; Ju&s;tly therefore now they did
pennance for their pride, as counting it Honour
enough, that that wherein they looked their owne
faces, &s;hould make the foot of Gods Leaver. But
what &s;hould not people give to buy a true peace
and a peace with Truth? O how many yeeres pur|cha&s;e
is it worth? let us not thinke much, to give all
our &s;uperfluities, but to give fome of our nece&s;&s;a|ries,
for the advancing and obtaining of it.</P>
<P>27 Fourthly, ler us bani&s;h out of our mouthes
all words and phra&s;es of contempt and reproach,
(I could in&s;tance in the word, but that it is beneath
the Maje&s;ty of a Pulpit) which the malice of men
hath minted and fa&s;tned on oppo&s;ite parties; O
let us have no other Chri&s;tian name, then the
name of Chri&s;tians, or other &s;urname then Chri|&s;tian
Prote&s;tants, neither an&s;wering to, nor calling
others by any term of di&s;grace.</P>
<P>28 Fifthly, let us with a &s;peedy, &s;erious and
generall repentance, remove the crying &s;innes of
our Kingdome, which as long as they la&s;t, wil bane
all peace among&s;t us. I &s;ay &s;peedy, lea&s;t the phy&s;ick
come too late for the di&s;ea&s;e; &s;erious, lea&s;t the tent
be too &s;hort for the wound; generall, lea&s;t the pla|&s;ter
be too narrow for the &s;ore. Suppo&s;e that the
Sea &s;hould breake forth in this Land, as &s;uch a
thing may come to pa&s;&s;e, <HI>The Lord is King, &s;aith</HI>
David, <HI>let the earth rejoyce yea let the multitude of
of the I&s;le he glad thereatr,</HI> P&s;al. 97. 1. And good
rea&s;on hath the Iles to be glad, as more particu|larly
<PB N="21" REF="12">
concerned, for if the water were not coun|termanded
by Gods Prerogative Royall, it would
&s;peedily recover its naturall place above the earth.
But &s;uppo&s;e the Sea &s;hould break into the Land, it
is not the endeavours of a private man can &s;top it;
what if he goes downe with a faggot on his backe,
and a matrock on his &s;houlder, and a &s;pade in his
hand, his de&s;ire is more commendable then his
di&s;cretion, it being more likely the Sea would
&s;wallow him then he &s;top the mouth thereof. No,
the whole Country mu&s;t come in, children mu&s;t
bring earth in their hats, women in their aprons,
men with handbarrowes, wheelbarrowes, carts,
carres, waines, waggons, all mu&s;t worke lea&s;t all
be de&s;troyed. I rather in&s;tance in this expre&s;&s;ion
of the irruption of the Sea, becau&s;e I finde Gods
anger &s;o compared in holy writ, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 14. 11.
<HI>David &s;aid, God hath broken in upon mine enemies
like the breaking forth of waters.</HI> So when a gene|rall
deluge and inundation of Gods anger &s;ea&s;eth
upon a whole Kingdome, it cannot be &s;topt by the
private endeavours of &s;ome few, but it mu&s;t be an
univer&s;all work, by a generall repentance; all mu&s;t
rai&s;e bankes to bound it. Till this be done, I am a|fraid
we &s;hall have no peace, and to &s;peak plainly
I am afraid we are not yet ripe for Gods mercy,
as <HI>Gideon Judg.</HI> 7. 4. <HI>had too many men for God
to give victory to:</HI> &s;o we are too proud hitherto for
God to give peace too, many of us are <HI>Humiliati,</HI>
but few of us are <HI>Humiles.</HI> Many by the&s;e warres
brought loe, but few made loely, &s;o that we are
<PB N="22" REF="13">
proud in our poverty, and as the unju&s;t Steward
&s;aid, <HI>to beg I am a&s;hamed,</HI> &s;o we are too &s;tout thogh
halfe &s;tarved on the bended knees of our &s;oules,
with true repentance, to crave pardon of God
for our &s;innes, which till it be done, we may di&s;|cour&s;e
of peace and &s;uperficially de&s;ire it but ne|ver
truely care for it, or can comfortably re|ceive
it.</P>
<P>29 And indeed wee may take forcible motives
from our owne mi&s;eries, to endeavour peace by
all po&s;&s;ible meanes; for look upon the complexi|on
of the warre, and doth it not look of a mo&s;t
&s;trange and different hue from other warres. The
wars of <HI>Germany</HI> (which give me leave to &s;ay if
we had pittied by the proxie of a true Simpathy,
we had never &s;o &s;oon &s;uffered them in our owne
per&s;on) were far lighter affliction then ours. In
<HI>Germany</HI> people when hunted with warre took co|vert
in their fenced Citties. But here in <HI>England</HI>
we have no guard again&s;t wars blow, but lye open
to plundering and de&s;truction. <HI>Germany</HI> was a
great Continent bearing &s;ix hundred miles &s;quare,
&s;o that whil&s;t one part thereof was mowed downe
with warre, the other enjoying peace, might grow
up in the meane time. But little <HI>England</HI> (great
onely in her mi&s;eries, &s;evered by the Sea from
other Countries, and by devi&s;ions parted from
het &s;elfe) is a mor&s;ell which civill warre will
quickly devoure. Thirdy, in <HI>Germany</HI> commanly
they lay in Garri&s;on in winter and fought in &s;om|mer;
we read 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 6. 1 <HI>And it came to pa&s;&s;e at
<PB N="23" REF="13">
the time when Kings goe forth to battell.</HI> This all
Comments generally expound of the &s;pring time;
But alas if we in our woes were <HI>Antipodes</HI> to all
others, our mi&s;eries begin when others end, in the
winter time. <HI>Pray</HI> (&s;aith out Saviour) <HI>that your
flight be not in the winter, nor on the Sabboth-day:</HI>
winter fights woful fights, Sabboth wars &s;orrowful
warres, and yet &s;uch are the&s;e in our Kingdome.
La&s;tly, in <HI>Germany</HI> Papi&s;ts did fight again&s;t Pro|te&s;tants,
where as our inte&s;tine wars, are again&s;t
tho&s;e that profe&s;&s;e the &s;ame Religion.</P>
<P>30 It hath been a great cur&s;e of God upon us,
to make a con&s;tant mi&s;under&s;tanding betwixt our
King and his Parliament; while&s;t both profe&s;&s;e to
levell at the &s;ame end. I cannot compare their
ca&s;e better than to the example of <HI>Ruben</HI> and <HI>Ju|dah,
Gen.</HI> 37. There <HI>Ruben</HI> de&s;ired and endea|voured
to pre&s;erve the life of his brother <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI>
and <HI>Judah</HI> de&s;ired and endeavour to pre&s;erve the
life of his brother <HI>Jo&s;eph;</HI> and yet the&s;e two im|bracing
different meanes, did not onely cro&s;&s;e and
thwart, but even ruine and de&s;troy the de&s;ires of
each other; for <HI>Ruben</HI> moved and obtained that
<HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> might not be killed, <HI>ver&s;. 22. And Ru|ben
&s;aid unto them, &s;hed no blood, but ca&s;t him into
this Pit that is in the wilderne&s;&s;e, and lay no hand
upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands,
to deliver him to his Father againe. Judah</HI> al&s;o de|&s;ired
the &s;ame, but being not privie to <HI>Rubens</HI> in|tents,
and to avoid the cruelty of the re&s;t of his
Brethren, propounded and effected, that <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>
<PB N="24" REF="14">
might be &s;old to the <HI>Medianiti&s;h</HI> Merchants, meet|ly
&s;o to pre&s;erve his life; and thereby he did un|ravell
all the web of <HI>Rubins</HI> de&s;ignes, and fru|&s;trated
his endeavours. Thus when God will have
a people puni&s;hed for their &s;innes, hee will not
onely &s;uffer but cau&s;e mi&s;takes without mending,
and mi&s;pri&s;ions without rectifying, to happen be|twixt
brethren who meane and really intend the
&s;ame thing; &s;o that they &s;peake the &s;ame mat|ter
in effect, and yet, be Barbarians one to ano|ther,
as either not or not right under&s;tanding what
they &s;ay each to other. Thus the maintaining of
the Prote&s;tant Religion in the purity thereof; the
vindicating of the lawfull Prerogative of the
King; the a&s;certaining of the ju&s;t rights and pri|viledges
of the Parliament; the defending of the
dues and properties of the Subject are pleaded
and pretended on both &s;ides, as the ultimate ends
they aime at. Well, as our Saviour &s;aid to the
blinde man, <HI>Mat.</HI> 9. 29. <HI>according to your faith
be it unto you:</HI> &s;o, according to the &s;incerity and
integrity of their hearts whom God knowes means
mo&s;t &s;eriou&s;ly, be it unto them; <HI>we wi&s;h them
good victory in the name of the Lord:</HI> and yet even
herein a friendly peace were as much better then
victory it &s;elfe, as the end is better then the means;
for, <HI>ble&s;&s;ed are the Peace-makers.</HI></P>
<P>31 <HI>Objections.</HI> But may &s;ome &s;ay, though we
doe never &s;o much de&s;ire peace, we &s;hall not ob|taine
that ble&s;&s;ing, which is pronounced in my
text, for the Peacemakers are to be ble&s;&s;ed. And
<PB N="25" REF="14">
it is to be feared, that our breaches are too wide
to be cured, and Gods ju&s;tice mu&s;t have reparati|on
upon us.</P>
<P>32 By Peace-makers, Peace-endeavourers are
to be under&s;tood, not only the effectours of Peace,
but even the Affectours of Peace &s;hal be ble&s;&s;ed.
<HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 18. <HI>If it he po&s;&s;ible, as much as in you lyeth
live peaceably with all men.</HI> God out of his good|ne&s;&s;e,
mea&s;ures mens reward, not by their &s;ucce&s;&s;e
but de&s;ires, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8. 12. <HI>For if there be fir&s;t a
willing minde, it is accepted according to that a man
hath, and not according to that he hath not.</HI></P>
<P>33 And yet I am not out of heart, but that there
is hope of Peace, and that as yet our &s;innes are not
&s;weld &s;o high, but that there is mercy with God
for our nation. Fir&s;t, my hope is founded on the
multitude of good people in this land, which a&s;|&s;ault
and batter Heaven with the importunity
of their prayers. We read of <HI>Ptolomeus Philodel|phus,</HI>
King of <HI>Egipt</HI> that he cau&s;ed the Bible to be
tran&s;lated by &s;eventy Interpreters, which &s;eventy
were &s;everally di&s;po&s;ed of in &s;eventy &s;everall Cels,
unknown each to other; and yet they did &s;o well a|gree
in their &s;everal tran&s;lations, that there was no
con&s;iderable difference betwixt them, in rendering
the text; an argument that they were acted with
one and the &s;ame &s;pirit. Surely it comforts me
when I call to minde, what &s;hall I &s;ay, &s;eventy,
nay &s;even times &s;eventy, yea &s;eaventy hundred,
yea &s;eventy thou&s;and, which are peaceable in
<PB N="26" REF="15">
I&s;rael, which on the bended knees of their &s;ouls, dai|ly
pray to God for peace. The&s;e though they know
not the faces, no not the names one of another,
nay, have neither &s;een nor &s;hall &s;ee one another till
they meet together in happine&s;&s;e in Heaven; yet
they unite their votes and centre their &s;uffrages
in the &s;ame thing, that God would re&s;tore Peace
unto us, who no doubt in his due time will heare
their prayers.</P>
<P>34 The &s;econd thing that comforts mee, is,
when I looke on Gods proceedings hitherto in
our Kingdome, his judgements &s;eeme to be judge|ments
rather of expo&s;tulation then of exterpa|tion:
we read <HI>Exod.</HI> 4. 24. that God being an|gry
with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> for not circumci&s;ing his Sonnes;
<HI>It came to pa&s;&s;e by the way in the Iane that the
Lord met him, and &s;ought to kill him.</HI> Sought
to kill him? &s;trange: did God &s;eeke to kill
him, and not kill him? Speake Lord, &s;peake
to the Fire, and it &s;hall with fla&s;hes con&s;ume
him; to the Ayre, and with pe&s;tilent vapours
it &s;hall choake him; to the Water, and with
deluges it &s;hall over-whelme him; to the Earth,
and with yawning chops it &s;hall devoure him.
Well, the meaning is this, God &s;ought to kill
him, that is, in &s;ome outward vi&s;ible manner
whereof <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was apprehen&s;ive God mani|fe&s;ted
his di&s;plea&s;ure again&s;t him, that &s;o <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI>
might both have notice and lei&s;ure to divert
his anger, with removing the cau&s;e thereof.
<PB N="27" REF="15">
He that &s;aith to us, <HI>Seeke and yee &s;hall finde,</HI>
doth him&s;elfe &s;eeke and not finde; and good
rea&s;on too, for he &s;ought with an intent not to
finde. Thus I may &s;ay, that for the&s;e la&s;t foure
yeeres God hath &s;till <HI>&s;ought</HI> to de&s;troy the King|dome
of <HI>England,</HI> manife&s;ting an unwillingne&s;&s;e
to doe it, if in any rea&s;onable time we would
compound with him by &s;erious repentance. Thus
the loving Father &s;hakes the rod over his wan|ton
childe, not with an intent to beat him, but
to make him begge pardon; and &s;uch hither|to
hath beene Gods dealing with our Nation,
that he even courts and woes us to repentance,
as loath to puni&s;h us, if wee would under&s;tand
the &s;ignes of his anger, before it breake out up|on
us.</P>
<P>35 But if all faile, yet tho&s;e that are Peace-makers
in their de&s;ires, doe enter a caveat in the
Court of heaven; That if warres doe en&s;ue,
yet for their part they have laboured again&s;t it.
If a man &s;laine were found in the field, and it
not knowne who &s;lew him, God provided <HI>Deut.</HI>
21. 7. That the Elders of the next City &s;hould
wa&s;h their hands in the blood of an Heifer, and
&s;ay, <HI>Our hands have not &s;hed this blood, neither have
our eyes &s;een it, be mercifull, O Lord, unto thy people
I&s;rael whom thou ha&s;t redeemed, and lay not innocent
blood unto thy people of I&s;raels charge, and the blood
&s;halbe forgiven them.</HI> So this one day will be a
comfort to the con&s;ciences of godly minded men,
<PB N="28" REF="16">
that they may appeale to the God of heaven, how
they have prayed heartily for peace, have petitio|ned
humbly for Peace, have been contented to
pay deerly for peace, and to their powers have en|devoured
to refraine them&s;elves from &s;innes, the
breakers of peace; and therefore they tru&s;t that
Chri&s;tian <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Prote&s;tant blood, which &s;hall
be &s;hed, which hath beene and hereafter may be
&s;hed in the&s;e wofull warres, &s;hall never be vi&s;ited
on their &s;core or laid to their charge.</P>
<P>36 But if all faile, and if we mu&s;t be involved
in a finall de&s;olation, then let us goe to the <HI>A&s;&s;u|rance
Office</HI> of our &s;oules, and have peace of con|&s;cience
with God in our Saviour. It was wont to
be &s;aid <HI>A mans hou&s;e is his Castle,</HI> but if this Ca|&s;tle
of late hath proved unable to &s;ecure any, let
them make their con&s;cience their ca&s;tle, if beaten
from all our parapets and outworkes, let us retire
to this &s;trength for our defence; It may &s;eem, be
it &s;poken with all reverence, a blunt expre&s;&s;ion
of the holy &s;pirit, <HI>Luk.</HI> 12. 4. <HI>Be not afraid of
them that kill the body, and that have no more that
they can doe.</HI> Yea, but one may &s;ay they may kil me
with torment and with torture, make me drop
out my life by degrees; why the totall &s;ome of
their malice, is but to kill the body, <HI>and then they
have no more that they can do.</HI> But they may forbid
my body Chri&s;tian buriall; herein they do not do
but &s;uffer, for the living wil be more troubled then
the dead, if thy corps be not committed to earth
<PB N="29" REF="16">
&s;o that this in effect is ju&s;t nothing. Then let
Drums beat, and Trumpets &s;ound, and Banners be
di&s;plaid; let &s;words cla&s;h, and pikes pu&s;h, and bul|lets
flye, and Cannons roare; warre doe thy wor&s;t,
Death doe tby wor&s;t, Devill doe thy wor&s;t, their
&s;ouls &s;halbe happy that &s;leep in the Lord, for they
re&s;t from their labours. However, if it be po&s;&s;ible,
and if &s;o great mercy be &s;tored up in God for us,
we would rather have peace in this world; and on
the promoters therof let the ble&s;&s;ing in the light
and re&s;t, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the Peacemakers.</HI></P>
<P>37 And now as I began with the mention of
the Fa&s;t, &s;o to conclude with the &s;ame, let us keep
this day of humiliation holy to the Lord. Some
perchance may make this but a mock-fa&s;t, and fa&s;t
for &s;ome private and &s;ine&s;ter ends, but every one
that will may make it a true fa&s;t to him&s;elf, ther|in
to be grieved for the mi&s;ery of Gods Saints.
God complaines, <HI>Amos</HI> the &s;ixt, of the glut|tonie
of the I&s;raelites, wherein wee finde
the compleat Character of an Epicure, mak|ing
wantons of his five Sences, entertaining
their eyes with <HI>bed&s;teads of Ivory,</HI> ver&s;e 4. curi|ous
to behold for the milk-whitene&s;&s;e thereof;
plea&s;ing their feeling, <HI>they &s;tretch them&s;elves on
Couches;</HI> courting their eares, <HI>they chant to the
Violl,</HI> ver. 5. contenting their ta&s;te, and making that
&s;ence a Pander both to gluttony and drunkenne&s;&s;e,
<HI>they eate the fat of Lambes, and drinke Wine in
boules,</HI> ver&s;e 6. delighting their &s;mell, <HI>and annoynt
them&s;elves with the chiefe oyntments;</HI> and then con|cludes
<PB N="30" REF="17">
all with this &s;harpe clo&s;e, <HI>but they are not
grieved for the affliction of Jo&s;eph.</HI> Wherein the
Prophet alludes to the &s;tory of <HI>Jo&s;eph, Gene.</HI> 37.
24. who was put into a pit without water (ex|cept
&s;uch as flowed from his eyes) where he mu&s;t
either dye for want of meat, or dye for being meat
to wilde Bea&s;ts; and yet in the meane time his
Brethren, though they &s;aw the angui&s;h of his &s;oul,
<HI>Gene.</HI> 42. 21. (made vi&s;ible and tran&s;parent
through the windowes of his weeping eyes, bended
knees, begging tongue, folded hands) did mo&s;t
barbarou&s;ly <HI>&s;it down to eate;</HI> I dare boldly &s;ay they
&s;aid no grace with a good heart, either before
meate or after.</P>
<P>38 Ju&s;t &s;uch is the cruelty of many of us, (who
profe&s;&s;e Chri&s;tianity) to our Brethren in the
Countrey, becau&s;e as yet the City of <HI>London</HI> is
as the Land of <HI>Go&s;hen,</HI> being light when all the
re&s;t is darkned with mi&s;eries, they lay not to heart
the afflictons of <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> which our Countrey-men
do &s;uffer. Where is the man that &s;ounds a retreat
to his &s;oul when he feeles it marching to fa&s;t in
myrth, who abates a di&s;h of his Table out of prin|ciples
of Con&s;cience, though perchance many doe
out of rea&s;ons of thrift; and I am affraid all &s;hort|ly
mu&s;t doe out of nece&s;&s;itie. Well, if we be not
the more penitent, it may come to pa&s;&s;e, that that
&s;ad dance which hath beene led all over the King|dome
will come to us to this City at la&s;t, and God
grant we pay not the Mu&s;ique for all the re&s;t.</P>
<P>39 Remember <HI>&V;riah</HI> who kept a Campe in
<PB N="31" REF="17">
the Court, and would not enjoy tho&s;e plea&s;ures
the marriage bed reached unto him. Thinke of
<HI>Mephibo&s;heth</HI> lame but loyall, who went not out
with <HI>David</HI> in his per&s;on, but attended him with
his affections, and during the Kings ab&s;ence, <HI>dre&s;|&s;ed
not his feet,</HI> (enough to gangrene them) as not
caring for his owne feet, while&s;t his Soveraignes
head was in danger. Seriou&s;ly con&s;ider <HI>Nehemiah,</HI>
who &s;ympathized with the calamities of <HI>Jeru&s;a|lem,</HI>
which &s;added his countenance even in the pre|&s;ence
of the King. Two things onely can make a
Courtier &s;ad, &s;ickne&s;&s;e (which cannot be di&s;&s;em|bled)
and his Princes di&s;plea&s;ure. <HI>Nehemiah</HI> had
neither of the&s;e, he was in perfect health, and he
&s;tood <HI>rectus in curia,</HI> right in his Soveraignes e|&s;teeme,
as appeares, <HI>Nehemiah</HI> 2. 2. by the Kings
favourable and familiar que&s;tioning him, <HI>why is thy
countenance &s;ad, &s;eeing thou art not &s;icke?</HI> So then,
it was nothing el&s;e but the impre&s;&s;ion of the &s;uffe|ring
of Gods Saints, which clouded the brightne&s;&s;e
of his countenance with &s;adne&s;&s;e. And God grant
we having the &s;ame cau&s;e, we may have the &s;ame
compa&s;&s;ion with him. Amen.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>Errata.</HEAD>
<P>Page 2. read, not us who are Prie&s;ts: p. 13. line 3. r. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">trea&s;on to
Gods grace: l. 14. r. betwixt truth and errour: p. 28. l. 27. r. but
they may forbid my body chri&s;tian buriall.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
