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<DATE>2013-12-10</DATE>
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<NAME>Judith Siefring</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P><HI>MERCVRIVS PACIFICVS,</HI> OR, <HI>VOX TVRTVRIS.</HI> A Dove in this Deluge of Divi&s;ion Sent from GODS ARKE, TO Pre&s;ent a Peace-Offering upon the Altar of IEHOVAH SHALOM, Humbly Propo&s;ing A Divine Direction for Compo&s;ing of Contro|ver&s;ies according to Gods Revealed will.</P>
<Q><BIBL>Prov. 18. 18.</BIBL>
<P>Contentiones &s;ubmovet &s;ors &amp; inter Robu&s;tos dirimit.</P></Q>
<P>By <HI>E. M.</HI> Gent.</P>
<Q><BIBL>P&s;al. 85. 8.</BIBL>
<P>I will heare what God the Lord will &s;peake, for hee will &s;peake peace unto his people.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>P&s;al. 29. 12.</BIBL>
<P>Jehovah in diluvio. <HI>The Lord &s;itteth upon the flood; The Lord &s;itteth King for ever; The Lord will ble&s;&s;e his people with peace.</HI></P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>P&s;al. 34. 14.</BIBL>
<P>O pray for the peace of Ieru&s;alem.</P></Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed in the yeare 1644.</P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>MERCVRIVS PACIFICVS;</HI> OR, <HI>VOX TVRTVRIS,</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>_EVery weeke produceth new <HI>Mercuries,</HI> bringing no better Newes then meerely Me&s;&s;a|ges of the Kingdoms increa&s;e of Mi&s;eries, relating nothing but the &s;ad Rumours of a bloody unnaturall Warre, and the fearefull fruits and effects thereof, rapine, ruine, death and de&s;truction. This <HI>Mercury</HI> pre&s;ents you with a &s;overaigne Medicine to helpe and heaale the&s;e your mi&s;erable Maladies, pre&s;cri|bed by the Great Phy&s;itian of both &s;oule and body, and pickt and fetcht out of that Garden
<PB N="2" REF="3"> of his, where the mo&s;t pretious and choyce herbes of Grace, &amp; plants of goodne&s;&s;e grow.</P>
<P>Vnder the Law, he that was not able to bring a Lambe for Sacrifice, was permitted to offer a Turtle-Dove or young Pigeon: In the Go&s;pell a mite freely given, renders a poore Widow liberall; Though Almighty God hath not lent me an hand &s;o large, yet hee hath vouch&s;afed me an heart inlarged with as much faithfull loyalty to my Soveraigne, and true love to my Countrey, as any &s;ubject in the Kingdome, which I &s;hall ever be ready really to expre&s;&s;e even with the &s;acrifice of my life, and all that is mine.</P>
<P>In this deplorable time of di&s;traction, what good &s;ubject, true Chri&s;tian, and hearty well wi&s;her to the happine&s;&s;e of the Com|mon-wealth, can enjoy an heart not de&s;ir|ing, an head not devi&s;ing, and an hand not endeavouring to produce &s;omething which may conduce to an happy conclu&s;ion of the&s;e unhappy di&s;&s;entions. Every hand hath brought &s;ome &s;tickes of &s;inne to increa&s;e this flame; Let every heart and &s;oule &s;end &s;ighes and grones to Heaven, &amp; wi&s;h with <HI>Ieremiah</HI>
<PB N="3" REF="3"> their heads Fountaines, and their eyes Rivers to poure out the teares of true contrition; For the quenching and extingui&s;hing the con&s;uming fire of the&s;e Controver&s;ies, that the voyce of the Turtle may againe bee heard in our land, that the Alarmes of warre may no longer &s;ound in our eares, that there be no more leading into captivity, no more complaining in our &s;treetes, but the Lord may give us beauty for a&s;hes, and the gar|ments of gladne&s;&s;e for the &s;pirit of heavi|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>In publi&s;hing this en&s;uing tract, I de&s;ire the integrity of my meaning may not bee mi&s;-interpreted, I pre&s;ume not to advi&s;e or direct, but humbly pre&s;ent to the &s;erious con&s;ideration of the learned and grave Sages and prudent Pillars of the &s;tate of this di&s;|joynted Kingdome, &s;uch Texts of holy truth as it hath plea&s;ed God by his Spirit to direct me unto, and to point out unto me, and &s;uch propo&s;itions as by a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the &s;ame Spi|rit I have deduced thence, conceiving them materially conducing to an Accompli&s;hment of an happy conclu&s;ion of the unhappy
<PB N="4" REF="4"> and de&s;tructive differences now depending betwene his Maje&s;ty and the Parliament I tru&s;t none will be &s;o uncharitable as to con|temne or condemne my purpo&s;e herein, as too pre&s;umptuous for tendring propo&s;itions tending to &s;o great a ble&s;&s;ing as peace; nor a|ny &s;o malitiou&s;ly impious as to deride or de&s;|pi&s;e &s;o divine a direction becau&s;e pre&s;ented by a weake and &s;infull in&s;trument, God is plea&s;ed oftentimes by men and meanes, in humane imagination, mo&s;t unworthy and infirme to bring to pa&s;&s;e weighty and won|derfull matters, <HI>out of the mouth of Babes he or|deyneth &s;trength, and revealeth to &s;uch, what he concealeth from the worldly wi&s;e and prudent.</HI> Tis as ea&s;y with God to worke with|out meanes, as with and again&s;t them, as by either, tis all one to God be cleane or go wa&s;h; yet we are not &s;o much to depend on his will hidden, as to neglect to practi&s;e his will revealed; &s;o to doe is rather a badge of ra&s;h pre&s;uming then any notable courage of faith. Againe good Coun&s;ell is not to be va|lued by the per&s;on, <HI>&s;aepe etiam holitor valde op|portuna locutas,</HI> the proverbe tells us. And
<PB N="5" REF="4"> &s;urely he's &s;icke to the ruine of him&s;elfe that refu&s;eth a Cordiall, becau&s;e pre&s;ented in a &s;poon of wood, we think not the wor&s;e of Gold becau&s;e pre&s;ented in a bag of leather; Good wine is as whol&s;ome taken in an ear|then cup, as a Goblet of gold. God to whom the hearts of all men are open, knoweth that my &s;ole, and principall intention herein, is onely his glory, and the good and Peace of His Maje&s;ty, His Parliament and Kingdoms.</P>
<P>And thus much I doe with &s;inceritie of heart prote&s;t, and to u&s;e the words of Saint <HI>Paul,</HI> Rom. 9. <HI>I &s;ay the truth in Chri&s;t I ly not, my con&s;cience bearing me witne&s;&s;e in the Holy Gho&s;t, that I have great heavine&s;se and continuall &s;orrow in my heart,</HI> For the&s;e di&s;con&s;olate divi&s;ions in the Kingdome, and could wi&s;h my &s;elfe &s;acrificed for the accompli&s;hment of an hap|py union between his Maje&s;tie and Parlia|ment, and without cea&s;ing alwayes have made mention thereof in my prayers, be|&s;eeching the God of Peace, who maketh men to be of one minde in an hou&s;e, by &s;uch meanes as to his omni&s;cient wi&s;edome &s;hall &s;eeme mo&s;t meet to unite them, and to work
<PB N="6" REF="5"> a &s;peedy reconciliation betweene them; And that after often fa&s;ting, Humiliation, &amp; hear|ty prayers for an happy Accommodation, I was directed unto the&s;e texts of Holy Scrip|ture herein &s;pecified, as it were by the imme|diate finger of God, and have received &s;ince Revelations hereunto conducing, dictated (if I may &s;o &s;peake) by Gods good Spirit unto me, which I never yet di&s;clo&s;ed to any per|&s;on, nor doe I thinke fit at this time to pub|li&s;h, but &s;hall hereafter (God directing me) being required, declare them. Now the&s;e things which I write concerning <HI>Lotts,</HI> before God I lye not, I neither received them of man, nor ever till now imparted them to any man, neither was I taught them but by the revelation of God, the Father of lights, who hath continually incited me by the motions of his holy Spirit, to publi&s;h the &s;ame, touching and checking my con&s;cience for concealing, &amp; not &s;ooner divulging ther|of: God is my witne&s;&s;e, my aime is not vain|glory, or any other reculiar end for mine own purpo&s;es, but the Peace and the happine&s;&s;e of the Kingdom, and his alone glory, to whom
<PB N="7" REF="5"> onely all honour, power, and prai&s;e, is to be a&s;cribed as mo&s;t ju&s;tly due. <HI>I will ble&s;&s;e the Lord who hath given me coun&s;ell, my reines al&s;o in&s;truct me in the night &s;ea&s;on,</HI> P&s;a. 16. 7. <HI>Dominus portio partis meae, &amp; calicis mei, tu &s;u&s;tent as &s;ortem mea~. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; Thou &s;halt maintaine my Lot.</HI></P>
<P>The fir&s;t Text of holy Writ which Almigh|ty God was plea&s;ed to point out unto me, is recorded by the Pen of the Holy Gho&s;t, in the hand of a Prince, who&s;e wi&s;edome is war|ranted by Gods word to be the onely gift of God.</P>
<Q><BIBL>Proverbs 18. 18.</BIBL>
<P> <HI>Contradictiones comprimit &s;ors, &amp; inter potentes dijudicat</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Lot cau&s;eth Contentions to cea&s;e, and maketh a partition among the mighty,</HI> On which the marginall note in the Bible hath this ob&s;er|vation; <HI>If a controver&s;ie cannot otherwi&s;e be de|cided, it is be&s;t to ca&s;t Lotts; for that appea&s;eth their controver&s;ie, which are &s;o &s;tout, that other|wi&s;e they cannot be pacified.</HI></P></Q>
<P>The 2. text pointed out unto me was this;</P>
<Q><BIBL>Prov. 16. 33. </BIBL>
<P><HI>In Grenium coniicitur Sors &acirc; Iehov&acirc; autem e&s;t tota ratio ejus,</HI></P>
<P><HI>The lott is ca&s;t into the lapp, but the whole di&s;po&s;iti|on thereof is of the Lord.</HI></P></Q>
<PB N="8" REF="6">
<P>Hence we may learne by what power Lotts are governed &amp; di&s;po&s;ed. To &s;ay or be|leeve they are ordered by fortune is a vaine imagination, by &s;pirits or divels a &s;uper&s;titi|ous &s;uppo&s;ition, by the heaven or the &s;tarres a ridiculous cogitation, <HI>A Deo &s;olum temperan|tur, They are wholly, and onely governed by God.</HI> Hence Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> the mo&s;t learned, and mo&s;t orthodox of the Fathers, preventing an objection which might ari&s;e concerning the u&s;e of Lotts, that it may &s;eeme to be a tempt|ing of God: &s;aith <HI>Ne&abque; vero periculum e&s;t ne vi|deamur tentare Deum, is enim e&s;t, qui &s;ortes dirigit.</HI></P>
<P>Now three things are principally con&s;iderably in Lotts.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The nature of them according to their de&s;cription. in Scripture, the Fathers and other writers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The lawfulne&s;&s;e of them &s;et forth by the Antiquity, Authority and In|&s;titution thereof. Proved by pre&s;idents in the old and new Te&s;tament by Gods direction, command and approbation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The u&s;e thereof
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The thing, matter, or cau&s;e, about or concerning which they are to be u&s;ed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The time whe~ to be u&s;ed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The manner how to be u|&s;ed.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST> </P>
<P>Concerning the nature of Lotts, <HI>ab effectu, They cau&s;e contentions to cea&s;e, and determine dif|ferences
<PB N="9" REF="6"> betweene the mighty,</HI> Prov. 18. 18. Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> upon p&s;al. 30. &s;aith, <HI>Sortes nihil aliud e&s;&s;e, qua~ in dubitatione humana, divinae voluntatis indicium.</HI> Lotts are nothing el&s;e but a decla|ration of Gods divine plea&s;ure in humane dubitation: a divine re&s;olution of humane doubts. <HI>Peter Martyr</HI> to the &s;ame purpo&s;e &s;aith, <HI>Sortiri nihil aliud e&s;&s;e, qnam aliquid agere, ex cujus even tu rem incognita~ po&s;&s;umus deprehen|dere,</HI> Ca&s;ting lotts is the meanes from who&s;e event, wee di&s;cover unknowne and hid|den things. <HI>Aretius</HI> and other Interpretors upon the fir&s;t of the <HI>Acts,</HI> affirme the ele|ction of <HI>Matthias</HI> into the place of an Apo&s;tle by lott, to be a divine voyce, and a divine choyce; <HI>Quod &s;ors cecidit &s;uper Matthiam divinae vocis in&s;tar e&s;t, ut ille non minus &agrave; Deo electus habe|retur quam reliqui undecem.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly, concerning the lawfulne&s;&s;e of the u&s;ing of Lots.</HI></P>
<P>The world is a circle, God as it were the center of that circle; The wayes of men are lines deduced from this center; If the event of <HI>Lotts</HI> bee not expected of divels nor of &s;tars, nor of any force of For|tune,
<PB N="10" REF="7"> but looked and prayed for to bee dire|cted by God, as before is &s;hewed, and by God iu&s;tituted and appointed, as herein hereaf|ter will appeare; Certainly 'tis lawfull to u&s;e Lotts; That God hath appointed the u&s;e of Lotts to be a meanes of con&s;ulting his &s;acred Maje&s;ty for determining of differences of in explicable difficulty in humane under&s;tand|ing, appeareth not onely by tho&s;e places in the 18. and 16. of the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> but 'tis pre&s;i|dented by many &s;peciall Examples practi&s;ed and u&s;ed by Gods expre&s;&s;e direction and com|mand in his holy Word, <HI>Iudaei jubbente Domino</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Pet. Mart. de Sort. cap.</HI> 7.</NOTE> <HI>in rebus gravi&s;simis u&s;i &s;unt &s;ortibus;</HI> The land of promi&s;e was divided to the children of I&s;ra|el by Lott, <HI>Numb. 26. 55. Io&s;.</HI> 14. and 15. <HI>chapt.</HI> and <HI>Achan</HI> thereby di&s;covered with the accur&s;ed thing to be the troubler of I&s;rael, <HI>Io&s;.</HI> 7. The &s;cape Goat di&s;cerned and di&s;mi&s;&s;ed by lott, <HI>Levit.</HI> 16. The offices of Prie&s;thood placed by lott; <HI>Zachary</HI> his lott was to burne Incen&s;e, <HI>Luk. 1. 9. Ionathan</HI> and <HI>Ionas</HI> deprehended by lott. <HI>Saul</HI> the fir&s;t King of the Iewes elected by lott, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 10. and <HI>Matthias</HI> elected to his Apo&s;tle&s;hip by lott, 1 <HI>Act.</HI> 1. That God hath
<PB N="11" REF="7"> appointed the deciding of deepe and doubt|full differences by lott, is not <HI>Solomons</HI> &s;ole or &s;ingle po&s;ition we &s;ee, but a truth confirmed by many weighty and worthy pre&s;idents in holy Writ, And that the u&s;e of lotts is a divine direction in&s;tituted by God him&s;elfe, and accordingly made u&s;e of by the greate&s;t, gra|ve&s;t, and wi&s;e&s;t Kings, Princes, Prophets and Apo&s;tles, in matters both &s;pirituall and tem|porall of much importance, and ca&s;es of greate&s;t con&s;equence.</P>
<P>The authority of lotts being confirmed, it remaineth that the manner of u&s;ing thereof be in &s;ome part explained, and application made according to the pre&s;ent purpo&s;e, For although this manner of con&s;ulting, and de|&s;iring Gods direction for concluding of Controver&s;ies may lawfully, yet it is not ha|&s;tily, ra&s;hly, or unadvi&s;edly to bee underta|ken but with great reverence, &s;ingular piety, and mo&s;t fervent prayers.</P>
<P>We may not u&s;e Lotts in affaires ordinary, but in ca&s;es of nece&s;&s;ity, when as the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e cannot otherwi&s;e be tran&s;acted; then mans
<PB N="12" REF="8"> extremity is Gods opportunity, <HI>Cum Ratio ac con&s;ilium humanum non amplius locum habent, nec longius progredi po&s;&s;ent tunc &s;ortes adhibere, &amp;c.</HI> When humane Coun&s;els are puzled, hu|mane rea&s;on non plu&s;t, and all humane en|deavours prove fruitle&s;&s;e; <HI>Tunc modus hic con|&s;ulendi Deum adhibendus e&s;t,</HI> then to commit the cau&s;e to Gods determination by Lott, will doubtle&s;&s;e prove mo&s;t profitable. <HI>Nece&s;sitas autem judicanda e&s;t &s;i quid occurrat, &amp;c.</HI> That <NOTE PLACE="marg">Peter Mart. cap. 7. de &s;or|tibus.</NOTE> is to be adjudged nece&s;&s;ity where any diffe|rence ari&s;ing, the compo&s;ing whereof may much conduce to the glory of God, the edification of the Church, and the prevention of &s;ome great evill, which by humane Pru|dence cannot bee otherwayes compo&s;ed, or if it might, yet wherein veterate ma|lice, envie, and other evils and inconvenien|ces cannot otherwi&s;e bee declined, then the Lords divine direction by lott is mo&s;t proper to be u&s;ed for determination thereof.</P>
<P>God had appointed, and annoynted <HI>Saul</HI> by the hand of <HI>Samuel</HI> to be King of I&s;rael, yet to take off the &s;u&s;pition of partiality, or affe|ction, which might have been &s;uppo&s;ed by
<PB N="13" REF="8"> the people to be in <HI>Samuell</HI> towards <HI>Saul,</HI> and al&s;o to prevent the &s;edition, and di&s;&s;ention which might have ari&s;en among the tribes if the election had beene left to the &s;uffrages of the people, (each 'tis probable would have beene willing to have exalted his owne tribe, and <HI>Saul</HI> who though the loftie&s;t in &s;tature yet of the lowe&s;t tribe and family, &s;hould not have beene &s;ent for from &s;eeking his Fathers A&s;&s;es to &s;it as &s;upreame, and &s;way the &s;cepter over &s;o proud and potent a peo|ple) God performes his owne purpo&s;e, prevents divi&s;ion among the tribes, and cleeres <HI>Samuell</HI> of that a&s;pertion, which the people might have ca&s;t on him, and directs the election to be made by <HI>Lott,</HI> which the Prophet accordingly performes, wherein we may note the excellent faith of the prophet, who after he had annointed <HI>Saul</HI> to be King, yet feares not to commit the election to lott; and admire the riches of the wi&s;dome of the only wi&s;e God, who directed &s;uch a way to avoide contention.</P>
<P>To bring my di&s;cour&s;e neerer home, from <HI>I&s;rael</HI> to <HI>England,</HI> how dolefull are our di&s;&s;en|tions? how lamentable our divi&s;ions? and
<PB N="14" REF="9"> how much a determination thereof is to be de&s;ired? how great a nece&s;&s;ity there is of a &s;peedy reconciliation betweene the King and Parliament, I wi&s;h wofull experience did not too plainly manife&s;t. Have not all hu|mane endeavours hitherto beene fru&s;trated? how many Petitions, Propo&s;itions, Me&s;&s;ages, An&s;wers, Declarations, Remon&s;trances, and Prote&s;tations, have pa&s;&s;ed, to beget a right under&s;tanding betweene the King and his Parliament? Yet all have rather exa&s;perated then appea&s;ed, rather increa&s;ed then any way extingui&s;hed the flame of this contention; How many dayes and monthes of humilia|tion, have beene &s;olemnized? how heartily and earne&s;tly hath the Lord of Heaven beene &s;olicited, and importuned, by prayer fa&s;ting and mourning? and which is mo&s;t deplora|ble, how much blood, unnaturally &s;pilt? how many barbarous tragedies acted? how many thou&s;ands (many of them not of the meane&s;t) mi&s;erably ma&s;&s;acred and murthered? and yet the raging &s;word not &s;heathed, nor the&s;e de&s;tructive divi&s;ions determined, no Balme is found in <HI>Gilead,</HI> no Phi&s;itian to heale the ga&s;ping wounds of this bleeding Kingdome.</P>
<PB N="15" REF="9">
<P>Now the Lord hath &s;ent his word to heale us, he maketh wars to cea&s;e in all the earth, why &s;hould not then this pacificall proverbe and &s;alutiferous &s;entence of wi&s;e <HI>Salomon</HI> be now &s;ea&s;onably received into con|&s;ideration? why &s;hould not that divine di|rection delivered, devi&s;ed. and di&s;po&s;ed by God him&s;elfe, and practi&s;ed by his &s;er|vants, Kings, Princes, prophets, and Apo|&s;tles be now u&s;ed, for the cea&s;ing of the&s;e con|&s;uming contentions betweene the King and his parliament?</P>
<P>Forces are continually rai&s;ed on both &s;ides, and &s;tratagems daily devi&s;ed for ruine and de&s;truction, whereas both pollicy and pow|er, might be better imployed to procure a comfortable reconciliation. For the happy ac|compli&s;hment, whereof, God hath pre&s;cri|bed this way of his owne in&s;titution, where|by he may give the Iudgement according to the iu&s;tice of the cau&s;e without re&s;pect of per&s;ons; <HI>ca&s;t your burthen upon Him, devolve</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a:</HI> 37. 3. 6.</NOTE> <HI>&s;uper Iehovam viam tuam: Committ your waies unto the lord, and tru&s;t in him and he &s;hall bring it to pa&s;&s;e, he &s;hall bring forth your righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e as the light, and your Iudgement as the noone day.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="16" REF="10">2. We mu&s;t expect the event of the lotts from God alone, <HI>Proverbs.</HI> 16. 33. the lott is ca&s;t into the lapp, but the whole di&s;po&s;ition thereof is of the Lord. <HI>So then he that doth not feare the iu&s;tice of his cau&s;e, needs not doubt the iudgement of his God in di&s;po&s;ing thereof by lotts, non enim re quie&s;cet virga improbitatis &s;uper &s;ortem Iu&s;torum,</HI> the rod of the wicked &s;hall not re&s;t upon the lott of the righteous P&s;alme. 125. v. 3.</P>
<P N="3">3 Wee mu&s;t abandon all uncharitable con|ceits, and all dishonourable deceites <HI>P&s;al. 5. 6. The lord will abhorre the deceitfull man and &s;uch as &s;peake lea&s;ing,</HI> no mentall re&s;ervation of malice mu&s;t be reteined, no rancorous core of revenge mu&s;t remayne, nor any preceding pa&s;&s;ages of malevolence or envy, continue in the minde or memory.</P>
<P N="4">4. Wee mu&s;t withall po&s;&s;ible piety, religion, and reverence call upon God in hearty pray|er for his direction in, and his ble&s;&s;ing on, our endeavours; At the election of <HI>Saul,</HI> the peo|ple ('tis &s;aid) &s;tood all before the Lord, xpo|po&s;itors render it, praying. At the election of <HI>Matthias</HI> to his Apo&s;tle&s;hip, the Apo&s;tles joy|ned in prayer.</P>
<P>If a &s;olemne day of humiliation, fa&s;ting and
<PB N="17" REF="10"> prayer might be &s;et apart throught the whole Kingdome, humble and hearty &s;upplicati|ons &s;ent to heaven, if the Kings Maje&s;ty, the Parliament, Prophets, Mini&s;ters, and People, (how&s;oever di&s;-jointed at this pre&s;ent in their opinions and actions) would all joyn in their prayers and affections to the Lord of ho&s;ts <GAP DESC="foreign">, the &s;earcher and knower of all hearts; and although they di&s;tru&s;t each other, yet would tru&s;t the only ju&s;t God, and com|mit the judgement of their great cau&s;e to his hands, who only can and mu&s;t determine it, implore his mercifull and powerful ayde and a&s;&s;i&s;tance, who is <HI>wonderfull in coun&s;ell, and excellent in working</HI> to decide this mo&s;t un|happy di&s;&s;ention according to his owne di|vine direction by Lott, why &s;hould it be doubted, but that our good Lord would &s;hew his paternal pitty &amp; mercy to this Nation, and vouch&s;afe an happy union. God hath not for|gotten to be gratious, his mercy is not gone for ever, his compa&s;&s;ions never faile. Hee that feeds the Ravens, clothes the Lillyes, takes care even for Sparrowes, &s;hall he not be entreated to magnifie his mercy in taking this matter of &s;uch weighty importance into his owne
<PB N="18" REF="11"> hands, in delivering his people by his wi&s;e|dome and omnipotency from de&s;truction o|therwi&s;e inevitable. <HI>The Lord will ari&s;e and have mercy upon Sion, for the time to have mercie thereon is come, that hee may heare the mourning of the pri&s;oner, and deliver the children appointed for death.</HI></P>
<P>Hee will bring to pa&s;&s;e his owne worke in his owne way, and declare by ca&s;ting of Lotts which part he hath cho&s;en, and who&s;e propo&s;itions and purpo&s;es mo&s;t conduce to his glory, the honour and happine&s;&s;e of the Kings Maje&s;tie and his Po&s;terity, the e&s;ta|bli&s;hment of Truth and Peace in the Church and Common-wealth. <HI>Iehovah Iireh,</HI> the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 22. 14.</NOTE> Lord will be &s;eene in the Mount of his mer|cy, and provide his people a gratious way of deliverance from de&s;truction and de&s;ola|tion; Hee will prevent the King with the ble&s;&s;ings <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 21. 3.</NOTE> of Peace, and &s;et a Crowne of pure gold upon his head; And though his people <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 68. 13.</NOTE> and Church have lyen among the pots of black darkne&s;&s;e and affliction, yet &s;hall they &s;hine as the wings of a Dove covered with &s;ilver, and her feathers with yellow Gold, And all men to Gods eternall glory will
<PB N="19" REF="11"> confe&s;&s;e this to bee onely the Lords doing, and a mo&s;t wonderfull worke of his infinite mercy.</P>
<P>The tryall by Lotts is
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. the mo&s;t proper way,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. becau&s;e both parts have appealed to God. and made it his cau&s;e, both profe&s;&s;e the main|tenance of the &s;ame matters, therefore God is the mo&s;t competent Iudge.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. This way is Gods owne direction, other meanes hitherto u&s;ed have failed and beene fru&s;trate, many devices are in the heart of man, but the coun&s;ell of the Lord that &s;hall &s;tand.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. the cleere&s;t way, and mo&s;t infalli|ble,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Becau&s;e Almighty God is a mo&s;t ju&s;t Iudge, there can be no collu&s;ion or corrupti|on in his judgement: All partiall and de|ceitfull &s;iding and dealing, will be prevented and excluded.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Becau&s;e God is the &s;earcher of all hearts, and cannot be deceived, and mo&s;t upright in Iudgement, and hee will give to <HI>Ca&s;er</HI> the things that are <HI>Cae&s;ars,</HI> but will not endure his own glory &s;hould be eclip&s;ed, but will have his truth &s;till maintained, and all Chri&s;tian duties to his &s;acred Maje&s;tie per|formed.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The hap|pie&s;t way,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Becau&s;e the further effu&s;ion of blood will hereby be prevented, a thing much to be de&s;ired, laboured and prayed for.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. God on all &s;ides will by this meanes be glorified, and a ble&s;&s;ed Peace hereby produ|ced, which the God of Peace for his Sonne our Saviours &s;ake, the Prince of Peace, by his holy Spirit of Peace vouch&s;afe to grant, Amen.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<Q><PB N="20" REF="12">
<P>In Bellis civillibus omnia &s;unt mi&s;era, &s;ed nihil mi|&s;erius quam ip&s;a victoria, quoe etiam&s;i ad meli|ores venit, eos tamen ferociores reddit, </P><BIBL><HI>Tull. ad M. Marc.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q><P>Sapientis non e&s;t velle certare, &amp; periculo &s;e velle committere, quia &amp; vincere non e&s;t in pote&s;tate no&s;tra &amp; anceps e&s;t omne certamen, </P><BIBL><HI>Lact. lib.</HI> 6.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><P>Tale bonum e&s;t bonum Pacis, ut in rebus creatis nil gratio&s;ius &s;oleat audiri, nil delectabilius concu|pi&s;ci, &amp; nihil utilius po&s;sideri: Spiritus enim humanus nunquam vivificat membra ni&s;i fue|rint unita: Sic &s;piritus &s;anctus nunquam vivifi|cat membra Eccle&s;iae, nifi fuerint in pace unita, </P><BIBL><HI>Augu&s;tin de Civitat. Dei.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P>I &s;hall conclude with the&s;e Texts of holy Writ,</P>
<Q><P>God is not the God of Confu&s;ion, but of Peace, </P><BIBL>1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 33.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><P>God hath called us to Peace, </P><BIBL>1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 15.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><P>Let us therefore follow after the things that make for peace, and things wherewith we may edifie one another,
<BIBL><HI>Rom. 14. 19.</HI></BIBL> not ruine and de&s;troy one another.</P></Q>
<Q><P>Follow peace, &amp;c. without which no man &s;hall &s;ee God, </P><BIBL><HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 14.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><P>Live in peace, and the God of love and peace &s;hall be with you, </P><BIBL>2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. 11,</BIBL></Q>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
