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
that Schism Heresie Ignorance Prophanesse and Atheisme flow in upon us Seducers multiply grow daring and insolent pernicious bookes poyson many soules Piety and Learning decay apace verie manie Congregations lie wast without Pastors the Sacrament of Baptism by many neglected and by many reiterated the Lords Supper generally disused or exceedingly prophaned confusion and ruine threatning us in all our quarters In all Humility therefore c. we out of conscience and in tender regard to the glory of God and the salvation of our people beseech your Honours that a form of Church Government according to the Word of God and the example of the best formed Churches may with all possible speed be perfected and confirmed by your civill sanction that Schismaticks Hereticks Seducing Teachers and soule-subverting bookes be effectually suppressed c. And what was their answer The Lords they answered like Lords professing much joy at the zeale and care of the Ministers of those Counties for the preventing the further increase of Heresie Prophanenesse c. They desire them to continue in their indeavours therin say they wil not be wanting to give them al incouragement c. they assure them that they wil improve their power for suppressing of Error Heresie seducing Teachers and soul-subverting books likewise for the setling of Church-Government according to the Word of God c. Here was a Lordly answer but that they had not consulted the House of Commons for they return another and indeed their common answer viz. That the most of the particular desires of their Petition were then under consideration and they hope will be brought to a settlement speedily c. O the miraculous care and diligence of that House There was scarce ever any Petition for redresse or reliefe in any things presented unto them but they were just then in Consideration of them and hoped that they would be speedily ordered as they desired only through some intervening obstructions they could not do as they would But how came it to passe that the Commons had most of those particulars under their consideration and had proceeded so far in them as to hope for a speedie settlement therein and yet the Lords knew of no such thing at least forgot it quite in their answer Well but let that passe How much of all these faire promises hath been performed either by the one House or the other from that time to this Why so nothing but the just contrarie that everie abomination complained of in that Petition is increased to that height and hath received that countenance from some of the Petitioned as well as some of the Petitioners that though each of them deserve a particular sad complaint in a sharp Petition yet 't is thought but vain for any to petition or complain to them of them all And do but remember what successe all other Petitions since that from other Counties either for Religion or King or Lawes or ought else that good is have found at their hands and hope for reliefe or redresse from them if you can Examine throughly in the last place whether those men both of the Clergie and Laity which have been since these unhappie divisions reviled slandered and persecuted under the names of Popish and Popishly-affected persons have not in former times been to their power verie manie of them as zealous propugners of the Protestant Religion and as earnest opposers of Poperie and Superstition and whatsoever seemed to incline that way as anie men whatsoever yea above anie of those whom ye now most adore as also whether they have not all these sad times through to the eternall honour of their Religion as well as of themselves both in their owne and in other Nations as manie of them of note as have been forced abroad held firm to their first faith and to each principle thereof notwithstanding all temptations of poverty and want attending that their constancy and all allurements of large supplies and honourable imployment and preferment if they would desert or dissemble it whiles they whom ye have cried up magnified and idolized as the great Pillars and supporters of the Protestant Religion have both in former times failed like staves of reed and falsified like broken bowes and now in these times have shuffled and shifted not only from post to pillar but from seeming to be pillars in one profession to seeming and being anie thing that might serve the times in another even to their owne everlasting shame and to the reproach of that Religion which they have pretended Put these and all those other particulars mentioned in this second consideration together and then judge whether it be not high time for all those that are true Protestants indeed according to that distinctive name so long used to look to their Religion and to themselves least otherwise they be suddenly cheated of it or at least of the happy and long injoyed freedome of professing and exercising it and that by those that pretended and so seemed for a while to be most devoted to it and least Popery so much objected and so falsly charged upon those that least deserved it be within a while obtruded on them by those who have suggested those objections and forged those accusations as the stales and cries whereby to draw men within compasse of their nets and snares there being no such ready way to catch and insnare any creatures as by imitating their cries and calls and by setting some of their owne kind or somethings verie like them for stales You cannot but remember who it was for his blood is yet fresh in some of your skirts that told you when he was on the Scaffold that it was part of his Prayer that the tumultuous people of this Nation might not be like those Pharisees and their followers who pretending a feare of the Romans coming and taking away their place and Nation when there was no such cause only they made use of that suggestion to further their mischievous designe of murthering the innocent had at last the Romans brought upon them indeed and were utterly ruined by them The factious tumultuous people of this Nation have in all other things the most resembled the Pharisees that ever did any people God of his mercy grant that they do not also resemble them in this 3. Next to the consideration of the dangerous and deplorable condition of Religion here in this Kingdome be pleased as many of you as have any spark of Religion in you timely to consider the state and condition of your King I forbeare the assaying any description of his condition because 't is so well knowne and so far beyond the being comprehensible in a description by the best of Artists as I likewise abstaine from all Epithetes or Periphrases to set it out by or to set mens passions on worke to condole it the condition of our King being above all sympathie of passion even of his most loving and compassionate Subjects as
addition to your shame that ye should suffer your selves to be gulled fooled by such unworthy inferiour base fellowes even those of the lowest of the people and Priests like to them such as many of this Countie would formerly have scorned to have seen in the same room with them except it had bin in a Shire-house or Towne-house at a publike Asâ—ise or Session yea such aâ— should they now be but pluckt and stripâ— of all that they have cheated and stolne by Sequestrations Collections of Excise and other illegall Taxes they would be the most contemptible of Monsters Now adde to all these Judgements but one more which me thinks I should not speake of nor any man of compassion heare without crying out with the Prophet Isaiah once and againe My loynes are filled with paine pangs have taken hold upon 〈◊〉 as the pangs of a woman that travelleth I was bowed downe at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the seeing of it my heart panted fearfulnesse affrighted me the night of my pleasure hath he turned into feare with me chap. 21. v. 3 4. or as 't is in the next chapter v. 4. Looke away from me I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me c. Behold a terrible devouring Famine is hastning upon this Kingdome this Countie is most likely to drinke deepest of that Cup of Gods â—urie so farre as Gods unsearchable Judgments can be guessed at by mans shallow reason and observation How neere a Famine is to the doores of other Counties is best knowne to God and them onely this is knowne to every one that knowes ought of Gods Word and wayes That when God hath brought the Sword upon a people to avenge the quarrell of his Covenant and that people doe not repent of their transgressing his Covenant but instead thereof transgresse it more and more as we have generally done in all Counties of this Kingdome for ought that I could either see or heare 't is Gods usuall course then to send both a Plague and a Famine too upon such a people that they may devoure what the Sword spares So God professes to doe Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. and in sundry other places But for this Countie unlesse we shut our eyes as we have done too often we cannot but see a sore Famine already at our doores and ready to breake in upon us suddenly The Sword we drew our selves against our selves when it would have bin otherwise in all likelyhood quiet and since we drew the Sword God seemes to have bent his Bow in the Clouds as it were with the Bend towards us as though upon our forgetting our Covenant with him so much he would forget his Covenant with us so farre as to destroy us with Raine though he never will again destroy the world so Never was this Countie so richly furnished with all sorts of Graine in their fields and they so hopefull as they were this yeare which makes me to feare a Famine the more for when God intends to bring his sore Judgements upon a people he usually takes that for his time when men least thinke of any such thing and when there is most expectation to the contrarie which renders his Judgements so much the more sore as when there is most shew of peace and securitie then does God if provoked commonly bring the Sword and so when there is most expectation of plentie and fulnesse that time does God make choyse of to send a Famine because as I but now said the Judgement is most sore when the contrarie is most expected and then also is the hand of God most seene in it and the Judgement best discerned to be from his hand which are the two principall reasons that some later learned Divines have given from S. Ambrose and others why God sent the generall Deluge in the Spring time when all things were in their flourishing glory and the Season most unlikely for such a Floud But to returne if this be a digression to what I was saying Never was this Countie so richly furnished with all sorts of Grain and they so hopefull as they were this year till they began to imbrue their hands in their brethrens blouds and since that even from that very time if the observation of many more beside my selfe doe not faile us the Lord hath caused it to raine upon these parts whatsoever it hath done upon other in such a manner and measure and for so many dayes together as the like hath scarce ever been or at least hath not been transmitted to us by any tradition or record that I could meet with insomuch that the faire-promising chearefully flourishing Corne-fields of this Countie are now likely to afford little other Harvest but what as the Prophet sometimes threatned will be an heape in the day of griefe and desperate sorrow And what then will ye doe when the Armie hath devoured that little which remaines of your old store and consumed what they can get of your new for they will be first served though you all yours starve Other Counties will be so far from supplying your wants if they should be able that they will scarce pittie them or you and a commanding Navie at Sea will hinder all foraine Kingdoms from bringing any reliefe to you and you from fetching any from then Then perhaps when your children shall crie for bread and ye have none to give them and they shall swoone away in the streets or poure out their soules into their mothers bosomes when your comely Wives and Daughters whose countenances were faire and comely shall have Visages blacker then Coaâ—es and when ye and your soones shall looke so thin and gastly that ye shall not be known to those of your familiar acquaintance then perhaps you will think those that dyed by your swords in a better condition then you yours that lived to perish by Famine then perhaps you will discerne betwixt the times of having a King and the times of having none but every man to doe that which is right in his owne eyes then perhaps those Rulers of yours that made you first to crie and at last to howle may be as great an abhorring to you as they are now a delight then perhaps the feet of them which have preacht Peace unto you may be again thought beautifull whereas for some years their very faces have bin looked on if deigned a Look by divers of you as loathsome and odious and had all the dirt throwne on them that you could rake together then perhaps those Lands and Tithes of the Church which some of you have swallowed and others gaped after will be thought reasonable as well as just to be restored againe when you feele such a sore Curse upon your owne lands and the fruits thereof for the sacrilegious robbing of God and his Church of theirs then perhaps those lying Prophets which beguiled and seduced you into Faction Sedition and Rebellion and so brought the Sword Plague and