therefore that other must needs be so cruell and uncharitable as never to forgive me that wickednes Why Though God did leave thee to thy self and so thou through want of Grace didst deal most injuriously and wiâ—kedly with another yet thou canst not without injury to the Spirit of God conclude that therefore he will also leave that other so to himselfe as that he shall revenge hiâ— selâ—e on thee The King is the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill And therefore having done that which is evill yea most abominable evill thou hast cause to be afraid as the Apostle there argues But withall as thou art there told he is also a minister of God to thee for thy good and therefore if thou wouldst not be afraid of the power doe that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Cease to doe evil and learn to doe good break off thy Rebellion and return to thy Allegiance and thou shalt finde that the King will be to thee not a revenger to execute wrath upon thee for thy evill because that thou hast forsaken and abhorrest thy self for it but a gracious receiver of thee to mercy because thou art returned to thy dutie and art resolved to persevere in that dutie for the King knows well that mercy as well as truth preserves a King and his throne is upholden by mercy But suppose the King were not so eminently inclined to mercy and forgivenesse as he is Remember what he tels you who was a King himselfe The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water he turneth it whithersoever he will and therefore doe but you turn to the Lord and to your duty and you need not feare but the Lord will turne the Kings heart to you for your good They that despaire of Gods shewing them so much mercy upon their repenting of their iniquity as to turne the Kings heart to them so as to remit unto them what they have deserved to suffer temporally how can they hope for so much greater mercy from God as that his own heart should be so turned within him as the Prophets expression is as to remit to them what they have deserved to suffer eternally if they despaire of Gods mercy in the lesser degree how can they hope for his mercy in the greater God does t is confessed oftentimes chastise and afflict and so make use of men as his instruments for that purpose temporally those whose sinnes he pardones and forgives eternally As Daniel Job c. But then they are not such as despaire of finding mercy in a temporall deliverance but such as hope for mercy in a deliverance temporall if God see it good for them and waite in faith and patience Gods will and pleasure in it Gods mercy is infinitely greater then mans and so the cruelty of men may be feared where the mercy of God is hoped for and relied on but that feare where t is as it should be does not banish the hope of deliverance from that crueltie that is most feared David chose rather to fall into the hand of God because his mercies are great then into the hand of man That is when David had sinned and had his choyse of temporall iudgements for that sin offered him by God he chose rather to have a temporall judgement of Gods more immediate inflicting by his owne hand such as the plague is then a temporall judgement inflicted by the hand of man such as the sleeing before enemies and being pursued by them is and yet by the way when David did at any time as he did often fall into the hand of man he never dispaired of deliverance from that hand but on the contrary patiently waited for it and confidently expected it But David did not chuse so to fall into the hand of God rather than the hand of man as to adventure to doe any thing which was displeasing to God and so to run the hazard of his punishing him either with temporall or eternall judgements rather then to venture the displeasing of man and so to suffer what he could lay on him which is the case of too mâ—ny in these dayes No David knew well what I beseech you all to consider that in that sense t is a fearefull thing to fall into hands of the living God infinitely more fearefull then to fall into the hands of the most cruell of men To descend yet lower for men in dispaire descend very low and he that would lend them his hand to recover them must follow them close Let it be supposed as I am confident t is yet but a supposition that the abuâ—â—d mercy and â—lemency of the King should be turned into the extremity of rigoâ— severity and being injured by thee beyond expression he should exccute vengeance on thee beyond moderation T is acknowledged that he that is a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill may himselfe doe evill and pull Gods wrath upon himselfe By his executing wrath upon another for he may sooe â—…termixe too much of â—is owne wrath with it but if he should thou must willingly submit to the execution thereof and leave the sinne of his executing it to himselfe to answer for and him to God to be called to that answer But t is a crime to be abominated by all men upon feare of anothers punishing thee otherwise then thou wouldest or perhaps then he should for thy wickednesse already committed to proceed on therefore in thy wickednesse and to adde to it the just desert of greater punishment for the preventing as thou thinkest that punishment which is too great Vengeance is the Lords and he will repay recompence every one according to their deeds if not by one revenger or executioner of his wrath to bee sure by another and the suffering patiently by the hand of him whom thou hast injured though his hand should be heavy may not only be a quieting to thy conscience in giving such satisfaction to the person himselfe wronged and to the Law but it may be also such an acceptable satisfaction to divine Justice it selfe through him that hath otherwise fully satisfyed it that no fâ—…r satisfaction shall be required of thee for those injuries thou having made such satisfaction to him unto whom thou didst them And let this sâ—…ce in answer to the distrust of the Kings 〈◊〉 I have but a few words to adde concerning the Kings Party who are by divers more distrusted then the King and then I close up this first Consideration How the Kings loyal and faithful Subjects who in obedience to Gods command and in conscience of that duty in fidelity to the established Religion of the Church of England in testimony of that fidelity in love to their Soveraignes supereminent Graces and vertues and in gratitude to God and him for his exercising them in his regall and Christian goverment of them
came over in about Micâ—aâ—lmas last and multitudâ—s 〈…〉 more have been thâ—â—â— and in other Parts of the Lâ—… past for England within fâ—w moneths when God 〈…〉 many worthy Ministers of the Church of England drâ—… the Sâ—as choose rather to endure some hardship 〈…〉 â—â—rangers then yet to adventure the hazard of worse 〈…〉 own Country Tâ—â—se things I thought it my 〈…〉 with as I have done others already upon â—…ns both in publike and in private and though perhaps they may be sleighted by some engaged with the Sectaries calling themselves Protestants or quarrelled by others that are professed Papists I solemnly avouch before the Almighty God of truth that I have not falsifyed in the least particular of what I have spoken upon mine own knowledge nor varied so far as my memory would serve me from whaâ— others and they men of known honour and honesty have informed me I know well that t is a foule sinne to speake wickedly for God or to talke decestfully for him as Job somâ—times intimated to his friends and I abhor to be câ—arged with a Romish trick my self whilest I endeavour to discovâ—… of theirs Had divers of this Nation but that courage and spirit as to speak what they know to this purpose and but that love and zeale to the established Protestant Religion as to thinke it worthy of their adventuring that courage and spirit which they have in that service you would finde that all this little that I have said is scarce the gleanings to their harvest or an handfull to their Barnsfull for the clearing this discovery of the Jesuits and Jesuited Papists having their hands deep in all our miseries and a desperate designe upon our Religion And let such take heed that God doe not one day require it at their hands in vengeance for that they did it not when he required it of them in dutie I know there are some in this Kingdome of the Romish Religion that have given ample and honourable testimonies of their Allegiance and fidelity to their Soveraign and of their love to their Country for which they deserve all Christian and civill respect and honour that can be shewn them and that makes me so often to use that limitation of Jesuites and Jesuited to distinguish them from such which as hath been often and truly said like Sampsons Foxes look contrary wayes to our furious Separatists and other Sectaries but joyn with them in the setting this Kingdome on fire But t is to be feared that if Religion should come again to be contested for betwixt the Protestants and Papists here in England which God of his mercy forbid the most moderate and loyall amongst the Popish party would loose no advantage that they could catch or lay hold on for the exalting of their own Religion and the pulling down and destroying ours And t is certain that since the first Reformation of Religion in this Kingdome they never had so great advantages given them to that purpose It was a frequent â—aying of an ancient and knowing Dr in Cambridge that had very much observed as well as too much served the times in alteration of Religion and I have heard it severall times cited by a most learned and reverend Professor of that University in his Commencement Orations That if ever Popery came into this Land again to have any power it would be by the Precisian called then the Puritan And what an open broad way the Precisians or Puritans properly so called have made for Popery to march in or to use the Prophet Ezekiels expression how they have opened the sides of this Church to those enemies of that Faction to enter and repossesse her and what arms and amunition of all sorts they have furnished them with and what ayde and encouragement of all kindes they have given them to make good their entrance and keep their possession is very deplorable to consider and much more deplorable that t is not considered as it should The most learned and acute Divines and Artists are driven from the Schools and Colledges in both Universities The most Orthodox and conscientious Pastors and Teachers are forced from their Pulpits and Pastorall charges The most reverend and renowned Bishops are cast out of their Bishopricks and Episcopall power and jurisdictions and all these are robbed and deprived of their lively-hoods and necessary subsistance yea many of them of their lives and all others that shall succeed them of all hopes of any honourable encouragements And what then may not the enemies of our Religion doe when so much is already done to their hands towards the undoing of this lately most flourishing but now linguishing Church of England Who shall dare to take up the weapons or venture on an encounter with the Adversary whâ—n all our â—toâ—t Champions are gone and onely Children and weaklings with unexpert Tradesmen and Mechanicks are left to graple with Giants and experienced warriers Take away the encouragements and you take away the sâ—…ws of warre who will goe to war at their own costs especiall when they know where good pay and good preferment too are to be had in another service There are too few that serve God out of pure zeale and meer conscience In the combate between the Flesh and the Spirit the Flesh ought to be mortified and kept down as much as possibly may be but in all incounteâ—s wherein the Flesh is to joyn with the Spirit against a third adversary there t is best to let the Flesh have its necessaries yea and its honest allurements and encouragements to or else the Spirit will be but ill assisted and served by it It hath been severall times attempted and the poore simple Country people have been put upon it and incited to it with much earnestnesse and no little deceit That all Tithes should also be taken away from the Clergie and the Ministery be provided for by way of Pension or Benevolence And truely were I one of the Church of Rome or wisht well to the returning of her power and tyranny into this Nation I would now after the taking away of Bishops lands and revenues with the other dignities and honourable maintenance of the Church most sacrilegiously torn from the Governours and Ministers thereof labour and endeavour nothing more For then to bee sure none should dare to speake ought in Pulpits no nor whisper ought anywhere else against any errour or heresie or against any vice or wickednes whatsoever that should finde any favour or countenance in his Parish or in any of his parishioners of power and ability for fear of being cut short in his allowance if not for the present yet at the next Session of Commissioners who would perhaps be so wise of themselves as to think the case might otherwise be some of theirs or to be sure that would be intimated to them as it hath been too often suggested unto Juries in tryals for Tythes And then doubt not but the Popish party would be
against the Crowne and Life of their King against the Power and Priviledges of Parliaments against the Rights and Properties of the Subjects against the Justice and Equitie of the Lawes yea and against the very Orders Degrees of Men and how farre they had proceeded in all these insomuch that besides their former Oathes and Protestations taken for the opposing of such and bringing them to condigne punishment they did very lately professe and declare for the generalitie of them upon all occasions and in all meetings an universall abhorring and detesting of that very Armie and their adherents with all their cursed wayes and courses They O what a be witching stupilying Devill is the Spirit of Rebellion they have listed themselves in the same Armie fought for them and with them in the same encounters run on with them in the same madnesse and given up themselves to them as their slavés and vassals And therefore O my soule come not thou into their secrets unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united Give them shame for their honour and let them that have bin so false to their owne King and Kingdome to their inexpressible Dammages if not Ruine be removed into other Kingdomes for their hurt to be a Reproach and a Proverb a Taunt and a Curse in all places whither they shall be driven The Lord of his mercie give you grace to prevent this sad Curse from your neighbouring and other Counties as also your Kings sore displeasure and Gods heavie indignation before mentioned and all by a speedie returning to God and your dutie and doing those things which belong to your peace honour and safetie and to the peace honour and safetie of the persecuted Protestant Religion your oppressed King and this otherwise perishing Kingdome I know there are very many amongst you in this Countie of very much Religion and Loyaltie Honour and Honestie O that God would but give you that Spirit and Courage which is required in the exercising of those excellent indowments and without which those excellencies will be of little benefit to others or comfort to your selves nay they will aggravate your shame here and your confusion hereafter For your poore countrey-men will say as many of them have alreadie said If such and such had in due time shewne themselves to be what they seemed and wee thought them wee had shewne our selves to have bin other then what we are now thought and are And you know to whom God gives most of them he requires most and it will be lesse tolerable in the Day of Judgement for those that knew their Masters will and did it not and had their Masters favour and made no good use of it to his service then for others therefore stirre up these graces in you and improve them to your Lords best advantage And truly I doe not despaire of many others of you that doe now walke or rather run in most desperate wayes and courses But if you shall goe on let me tell you what further Curses and Judgements doe yet threaten and hang over you All the bloud as I before intimated that shall be shed by this your ingagement by whomsoever it be shed will be justly charged upon you and the Cryes and Curses of the Widowes and Fatherlesse made so by your folly and madnesse and of the Fathers and Mothers made Child-lesse will crie loud in the eares of God against you Woe unto that bloudie Countie will such and such and such a poore Widow say for had it not bin for them I had not bin now bereft of my deare Husband nor my poore Infants of their deare Father Cursed be that Rebellious Countie will such and such and such a poore Fatherlesse Child say for had it not bin for them my honoured and tenderly loving Father that had escaped the Sword all these sad Warres through till then had then returned home in peace to my disconsolate Mother and me and wee had had peace ere this in all our borders For ever detested be that pernicious Countie of Suffolke will such and such and such Parents say for had not their Swords made us Childlesse wee had now enjoyed those sweet Pledges of our Loves and Comforts of our Age which now wee are deprived of O let not the seditious Countie of Suffolke will Men Women and Children say be named amongst the other Counties of this Kingdome but with some brand of infamie and dishonour for had it not bin for them our Swords had ere this bin turned into Sythes and Sickles and our Speares into Rakes and Forkes and we had bin reaping and gathering in our Corne and our Hay and our other fruits of the earth with joy and gladnesse and refreshing and solacing our selves therewith in rest and quietnesse whereas now our troubles feares are increased and we see little hopes of reaping ought but the accursed fruits of their and our owne wicked doings or if we should we have lesse hope of enjoying it but that others will eat it up and devoure it Reward thou them therefore O Lord as they have served us 'T is true none ought thus to imprecate vengeance on you but to pray for you which have thus despightfully used them and theirs but if in the bitternesse of their soules such Curses or Complaints to God against you shall fall from them and God shall not suffer them to fall to the ground he himselfe having denounced such Curses upon such practises and you by yours so justly deserving them poore soules what can ye plead for your selves or who will regard your plea Againe as it is to be feared that some will deliver ye up to God for his avenging their sufferings and wrongs on you and yours so it is not to be slighted what others may doe in prosecuting their owne revenge on you for how may every Countie of this Kingdome be inraged against you when they shall see that you thus desert them in all their endeavours and labours for Peace and Truth and joyne with those that are the vowed enemies of both Who knowes whether all the other Counties may not like those other Tribes of Israel when the Tribe of Benjamin struck in with those sonnes of Belâ—al that had abused the poore Levits Concubine and refused to deliver them up to Justice when their Brethren demanded them Judg. 20. arise 〈◊〉 one man and come against you to battasle And though perhaps like those Benjamites you give them a foyle or two at the first yet at the last being the more incensed smite you with the edge of the Sword at well the men of every Village as the beast and all that come to hand and set on fire all your habitations that they come to The like sinnes in Israel and England have beene often and often punished with the like punishments In the next place thinke of the evill that is comming to you though we hope it will be to the good and peace and happinesse of this whole Nation