like a goodly Oake or the Cedar of Lebanon was cut down with all his boughes and branches of Magistracy and 2. all the Seers that were the eyes the light Those were the 2 witnesses and the reverend Governours of Gods Church and instead of them to bring in the wild-bore out of the wood the great Vsurper to destroy the vineyard of Christ and Gebal and Ammon and Amalec the Philistims with them that dwell at Tyre Ps 83.7 the whole rable of Presbyterians Independants Anabaptists Quakers and other sects which are the false Prophet to devour the revenues of the Church and to destroy all the houses of God in the land and so to corrupt the whole Service of that good God that had so graciously done such great things for us as I have fully shewed it heretofore and will hereafter be manifested for truth every day more and more And if these things be a good requital or a just thankfulness to God for all the benefits that he hath done unto us judge you What God hath done for every one of us in particular 1 What good things he hath bestowed on 〈◊〉 But to leave these monsters of men for their imparalell'd ingratitude let us return to our selves here present and see what God hath done for every one of us for he made thee a man or a woman when he might have made thee a beast and he gave thee all thy limbs thy sight and thy senses when thou mightest have been born like him that was so blind from his mothers womb I am sure thou wouldst be very thankful to that Chirurgion that would but preserve thy finger and what thanks owest thou to him that gave thee all thy members and whatsoever else thou hast good wit larg memory strong body comely proportion loving wife sweet children riches honour favour preferment and all that thou hast all is from God And that which is far better then all these for herein Dedit te tibi Deus He did but onely give thee unto thy self and those temporal blessings that are momentary but he redeemed thee from the pit wherein there is no water and in this thy redemption Dedit se tibi Deus God gave himself unto thee and his onely Son to die for thee he sends his servants to teach thee and his Holy Spirit to work all the good gifts that are in thee to make thee a good Christian here that thou maiest be for ever blessed hereafter And 2 From how many evils he hath preserved us 2. If thou hadst these eyes to look behind thee thou mightest see not only how much good the Lord God hath bestowed upon thee but also from how many evils he hath preserved thee for Satan like a roaring Lion would have devoured thee thine enemies that rose up against thee would have undone thee if the Lord himself had not been on thy side Ps 124.1 2. and as the Psalmist saith they would have swallowed thee up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at thee yea thine own self many times by thy desperate riding running jumping or the like mightest perhaps have broken thy bones thy limbs or thy neck if thy good God had not reached his hand to save thee from falling as he did to Saint Peter to preserve him from sinking And are not these things blessings worthy to be remembred O that we would therefore prayse the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men And that we would sometimes cast our eyes behinde us to see what requital we have rendred unto God for all those benefits that he hath done for us and especially for bringing our Gracious King unto us and restoring both the Church to her purity to her rights and service of God and the Common-Wealth to its peace and tranquillity For as the Prophet David saith I called mine own wayes to remembrance So should every one doe call his wayes to remembrance that if he findes he hath been carefull in God's service and a faithful Steward in God's house it may be a comfort unto his Conscience Quia immensa est laetitia de memoria transactae virtutis because the remembrance of former virtues and of our Service and thankfulnesse unto God will bring a great deale of joy and comfort unto our selves or if he hath blasphemed Gods Name neglected his Word robbed his Church and offended his Majesty he may repent and as Job saith abhorr himself in dust and ashes But that I may the better and the sooner perswade you to fear God and to serve him Two things to be considered to move us to serve God and to doe that which is just and honest in his sight I shall with Moses desire you to remember the days of old and consider the years of many generations and therein to observe but these two things First How God blessed those that walked in his wayes Secondly How he plagued those that neglected his service and transgressed his commands 1. How God blessed those that served him 1. Enoch walked with God and God took him to himself Noah was a just man and God preserved him from the deluge Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph feared the Lord and the Lord blessed them in all that they took in hand and the Prophet David generally saith Psal 112.1 2 3. blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that hath great delight in his commandments his seed shall be mighty upon earth riches and plenteousness shall be in his house Proverb 10.7 c. 20.7 and his righteousness endureth for ever and Solomon saith the like that the memorial of the just is blessed and his children are blessed after him And therefore if thou lovest thy children and wouldest have them to grow great and to prosper in the world be just in all that thou doest and neither rob God of his right nor oppresse cozen or defraud thy poor neighbour which not done are the chiefest if not the onely things that will bring the curse of God upon thee and thy Posterity For 2. How God plagued those that transgressed his commandments and neglected his service 2. Do but cast thine eyes behind thee and consider how God plagued the unrighteous Generations and you shall finde that when the old world corrupted their wayes the Lord swept them all away with the deluge when the cry of Sodom and Gomorrha came to the eares of God God destroyed them with fire and brimstone so when the cry of the innocent servants of Christ shall not be heard to have justice done unto them because of the great friends and power of their oppressours then as the Psalmist saith The Lord will hear their cry and will help them And here to terrifie offenders from their wickedness I could willingly enlarge my discourse to shew the fearful examples of Gods judgement against many sorts of Malefactors but my short allowance of time will scarce permit me to give you
of Genua who promised to deliver Constantinople into the Emperours hands so he would make him King of such a place that he desired And Mahomet yielded and assured him that he would do it and so he did Pet. Primanday c. 39. pag. 423. for as soone as ever the said Justinian had betrayed the City into his hands he presently made him King for that good service which he had done unto him but for a reward of his treachery to his Lord and Master Augustulus he cut off his head within three dayes after And so all the wise men that I have read of do conceive that no good service done to succeeding Kings can merit the blotting out of the perjury and perfidiousness of Traytors to their former Kings and Masters but that after they be rewarded for their good turns done to the latter they should likewise receive the merit of their perfidiousness to the former Theodorus in Collect. l. 2. The reasons why perfidiousness should not be pardoned And the reason is rendred by the foresaid Sages 1. Because that as Theodoric the Arian said when he cut off the head of an Orthodox Deacon whom he loved because he revolted to please Theodoric as he thought to Arianism they that keep not their oaths and faith to God can never be faithful to any mortal man Flav. Vopisc in vita Aurelian 2. Because that as Aurelian said when he suffered Heraclemon which had done him so good service to be slain he could not believe that he which would betray his Countrey and prove faithless to his own Prince could ever continue faithful unto him but that upon the like discontent or hope of a greater gain such Traytors as will turn the leaf and saile with every winde will become as treacherous to their latter benefactors as they have been unto their former Masters And therefore though we should forgive them as Christians yet it is neither wisdome nor pollicy to believe them as friends because not onely the Fable of the Snake but the Son of Syrach also teacheth us what little credit is to be given to reconciled friends Eccles 10.12 And the wise heathen bids us semper diffidere to suspect such faithless men continually Object But what if the Kings and Princes have promised Pardons unto the Traytors for some special service done unto them Can they afterward punish them for their precedent offences unto others I answer that as Cicero saith Sol. every man is bound and much more it is for the honour of a Prince to keep his word and promises inviolable though upon some exigent necessity he may be constrained to make the same to his prejudice and against his will and it was well said that the bare word of a Prince should be of as great force as the oath of a private man But though Kings and Princes should inviolably observe their words in their Pardon 's granted unto Rebels and Traytors and other Malefactors Not to countenance and favour those that have been Traytors and why yet as Philip King of Macedon answered Lasthenes that betrayed the City of Olynthum and Augustus Caesar said to Rymetalces King of Thracia that had forsaken Antonius to joyn with him that he loved the treason that did him good but he could not endure the Traytor that betrayed his Master And Alexander Severus was of the same minde but that he joyned cruelty with his hatred unto the Traytors for when he had inticed many Captains of Piscennius Niger his Competitor of the Empire to disclose their Masters secrets and had served his turn of them and settled his affairs he made all those Traytors Herod l. 3 and their children also to be put to death as Herodian writeth So the wisest men conceived that they ought not to countenance and favour those that had been Traytors unto other Princes though they had done good service unto them and that for these three reasons 1. For that he which hath turned one leaf can turn another and he that hath betrayed my Father may upon the like hopes and surmises betray me likewise and he that hath been a Rebel knows the way to become a Rebel 2. For that this honouring and magnifying of Rebels and Traytors to former Princes for their good service done to latter Masters may prove to be an encouragement for others to become Rebels and Traytors in like manner against their Kings For when amongst many thousands of Rebels they see but few punished the rest pardoned and many of them favoured and preferred why may not the seditions think that they shall either prevail or if miss of their enterprise they may escape the fortune of those few that shall be punished and be magnified like those that they do see thus rewarded 3. For that this favouring and countenancing of those that have been Rebels and false is a great offence and discouragement to those that have ever continued faithful and loyal especially if they see themselves postponed and neglected And therefore the Kings and Princes that I told you of thought it neither wisdom nor policy to regard and favour those whom they pardoned for their treachery to their former Princes though they had done never so good service unto themselves and if all Kings did so I believe fewer Traytors would spring up among the people And this appeareth plainly by our new Plotters of Rebellions and Treasons now amongst us in this Kingdom of Ireland for who and what are they that doe thus murmur and mutter against both God and his Anointed the King and his Lieutenant the Church and Common-wealth But those that have been members of the Beast and limbs of the great Anti-Christ the Rebels and Traytors that rose and warr'd and some no doubt but had their hands or fingers dipped deep in the bloud of that blessed Saint and glorious Martyr our late most gracious King Charles the First and having escaped their just deserved shame and death and being so highly rewarded by their Grand Masters for their great wickedness with the lands of the Irish without distinction whether they were bloudy Murderers and Rebels against their King or innocent Papists that were both loyal unto their King and succourers of the Protestants and now seeing the touchstone of truth and justice rendring to every one his own according to his merit either of nocency or innocency they stamp and stare and being moved with madness like boyes at blinde manbuâ—â— they let fly their Arrows even bitter words nay false scandalous rebellious and treacherous words against the King against his Lieutenant and against the peace and happiness of this whole Kingdom they care not whom they traduce so they may stir up the coals of contention and move the discontented to a new Rebellion And what wayes do they take for this but the very same which they had learned and practised before in England under the Long-Parliament 1. To tax and to traduce the good King for doing that they know
all things aright one eye will scarce serve the turn but they must be like these beasts full of eyes one eye to look to the Complainants charge another to mark the Defendants answer and another to observe the quircks and subtleties of the Pleaders and all this they must behold and see not without a great deal of patience and a great deal of circumspection for as Seneca saith Qui parte judicat inaudita altera aequum licet statuerit ipse haud aequas est And therefore though the crie of Sodom and Gomorrha was great and their sin very grievous yet the Lord would not destroy them but he saith I will go down now and see whether they have done according to the cry of it and if not I will know Gen. 18.21 So there is another cry amongst us that the power and priviledge of Parliament doth many ways wrong men and against many poor men stop the current of justice It were well to do as God did to see whether it be altogether according to the cry of it for you may be sure that priviledge is accursed and woe be to that power that maintains wrong and stops justice and it will be a great deal more for your honour to lay aside that power and to suppress such a priviledge then to support it And I think few but such as never were in power afore would use it So when the report came that the men of any City became Idolatrous and the seducers of the people to idolatry as now our Anabaptists and Quakers withdraw their neighbours to their faction and rebellion the Lord saith Deut. 13.14 then shalt thou enquire and make search ask diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought Then for the second point If thou findest it true V. 15 that thou seest they have done it thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that City with the edge of the sword and destroy it utterly For 2 The eye of doing justice that offences should not be suffered to go unpunished Aug. Epist 182. ad Bonifac 2 when with these eyes they do see the offence they should not let the offender escape quia impunitas delicti inuitat homines ad malignandum because the leaving of sin unpunished is the chiefest encouragement to invite other men to sin for by favouring one you hearten many and as Saint Augustine saith Illicita non prohibere consensus erroris est not to restrain sin when you see it is to maintain sin in them that do it and he that suffereth it which should hinder it is as culpable as he that commits it And Solomon saith He that justifieth the wicked or saith unto him thou art righteous and so let him go unpunished and quasheth all that shall be proved against him him shall the people curse and Nations shall abhor him and such a Judge deserveth very well to be accursed Prov. 24.24 And it is most certain that the suffering of oppressors intruders and the like malefactors to pass away unpunished will bring the curse of God upon any Nation and especially upon them that should hinder it and will not do it For nil doctores nisi ductores the Ministers of mercy can do no good though we preach never so well except the Ministers of Justice will maintain that good because we can but forbid the corruption of the heart and they must prohibit the wickedness of the hand when as we onely have the words of exhortation and they onely have the sword of correction And therefore seeing the eye of Justice should not wink and connive with the transgressors the false-hearted subjects and traytors the oppressours and plunderers of their brethren be they of what Nation you will Jew or Gentile and of what condition you will high or low which might think it favour enough to have their wickedness pardoned though they be not honoured and magnified when the same deserves rather to be severely punished then any wages to be connived at but I will pass from this point that is too hot to be held long in my hand And yet I must tell you that this should no ways countenance the condemning of any man that is innocent for the Scripture is very plain that justum innocentem non condemnabis neither is it any justice to punish Mephibosheth for Ziba's fault but as every horse should bear his own burthen so should every man suffer for his own faults so let the rebels that were murderers and traytours suffer and spare them not but let the innocent go free 2. I say that as the Magistrates and Judges should be like these Beasts full of eyes so should the Ministers and Preachers of Gods word be likewise full of eyes For otherwise it were to no purpose either for the Judge and the Magistrate or for the Preacher and Minister to be like Lions full of courage unless they were also full of eyes and their eyes should be sharp and quick-sighted like the Eagles eyes for the blind Lion may soon fall into the snare or ditch and then his strength and courage will availe him nothing And therefore as well the Minister as the Magistrate should be like unto these Beasts full of eyes and especially to have two eyes at the least 1. The one of famous learning and knowledg And 2. The other of a blameless life and conversation 2. That the Ministers and Preachers should be full of eyes And if the Minister wanteth either of these he is but monoculus an one-ey'd Priest not fit by the Law of God to serve at Gods Altar that would have his Priests without blemish 1. The Priests lips should preserve knowledge 1. The eye of Learning The eye often signifies the understanding and the eye by the idiome and customary phrase of the Hebrewes is often put for the whole minde and understanding of a man quia oculi sunt pracipui mentis indices because the eye is the most principal index and declarer of the minde so impudicus ocolus impudici cordis est nuntius an unchast eye is the witness of an unchast heart saith St. Hierom and a pitifull eye is the testimony of a good mercifull man Therefore the eye put for the minde and signifying the understanding the Ministers that ought to be full of eyes ought to be full of knowledge and understanding for if they want knowledge how shall the people get the knowledge of Gods Lawes from them that know nothing themselves The people must needs perish and they shall be liable for their destruction for when they perish through the Preachers fault I will require their bloud at the Preachers hand saith the Lord. Ezech. 3.20 And therefore those Ministers that have taken upon them the charge of souls and do either want the eye of learning and the light of understanding or else keep it in themselves like the fire that is in the flint stone
the wilderness where there is no bread neither is there any water Which a man might think was but very reasonable for men over-wearied with long travel and most tedious journeys and destitute of their necessary food to demand such a question without any great offence yet you see how highly God is displeased with them and how severely he doth punish them for their murmuring and the demanding of this question of him that was their Governour And if murmuring against Moses be thus punished what punishment deserves the murdering of our King And if this I say that seems to be so light an offence be so severely punished with no less then death what punishment think you do they deserve that not only speak words even bitter words and demand questions beyond loyalty and without reason without honesty but also rebel take armes and fight and most barbarously murder their own lawful just and most excellent Prince Shall this people be thus punished for words and shall these men escape for their horrible deeds or shall we pardon them whom God saith He will not pardon For when King Manasseh shed the innocent bloud but of his Subjects the Lord saith which I do not remember be saith of any other sin in any place that He would not pardon it 2 Reg. 2â— 4 Truly if we do suffer these that rebelled against their King and murdered the Lords Anointed to live and to flourish as men guiltless of all fault and not do our best to bring them legally to their just deserved punishment then certainly we are as culpable as if we shed innocent bloud for he that justifieth the wicked or pardoneth a Rebel and a Murderer Prov. 17.15 and he that condemneth the just or killeth an innocent man even they both are equally abomination to the Lord because the Lord professeth that He will not justifie the wicked Exod. 23.7 Gen. 9.5 6. or spare him that sheds innocent bloud And therefore of all other men I do profess that I cannot endure that any one that hath born Armes to fight against his King should be rewarded with any part or parcel of the Revenues of the Church of Christ and the inheritance of God for their great wickedness against God and if they must needs be rewarded for any good service that they have done since let them be rewarded otherwise and as the Jews would not put the price of bloud into their Treasury so let not the Treasury of Gods Church be given for the reward of any man that had his hand in shedding bloud So I have done with the punishment of this people but not with the fruits of their punishment For 3. Their punishment puts them in mind of their sins 3. Their Repentance and confession and brings them to repentance for their sins and to say unto Moses We have sinned because we have spoken against the Lord and against thee And so the Brethren of Joseph when they were afflicted said one to another We are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul Gen. 42.21 when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us And this is the reason why God doth punish us The reason why God punisheth his children not because he delighteth in the afflictions of his Creatures but that his punishments might bring us to repentance Quia plagae dant animum and as Saint Gregory saith Oculos quos culpa claudit paena aperit The eyes which sin hath shut stripes will open as here it hath opened the eyes of these murmurers And I would they would do so to the Rebels and the Murderers of our King But Saint Augustine hath observed that the more you stir filthy puddles the more they will stink so the more God punisheth the wicked the more they will blaspheme God and like unto Pharaoh and Saul grow worse and worse And therefore the Prophet Jeremy complaineth Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved Jer. 5.11 thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction And God himself demandeth Esay 1.5 Why should you be stricken any more seeing my correction doth not amend you but that you revolt more and more So the Rebels and the Murdererâ— of our King were so far from repentance that they proceeded to rob God himself to throw down his Churches and to commit most horrible Sacriledge But as the same Father Saint Augustine saith If you stir a precious oyntment the more you stir it the more fragrantly it smelleth so the more God afflicteth his children the more humble and the more penitent they will be and they willl say with David Psal 119. Psalm 119. It is good for me that I have been in trouble that I may learn thy statutes and it is good indeed for them to be punished for their sins because their punishment worketh repentance and their repentance gaineth pardon and mercy at the hands of God for so 4. The great mercy of God to the penitent 4. When God heard the peoples confession and saw their repentance the Lord said unto Moses Make thee a fiery Serpent and set it on a pole for a sign that as many as are bitten and stung may look on it and live so Moses made a Serpent of Brass and set it upon a pole and as many as looked up to the same recovered but they that refused to look up to it died where 1. You may observe how mercifull the Lord is to the penitent sinner and how ready he is to provide a salve for the sorrowfull soul for though he that hideth his sins shall not prosper yet he that confesseth and forsaketh the same shall find mercy as here this people findeth the same by looking up unto the brazen Serpent but 2. You must understand that as the Wise man truly saith He that turned towards it Sap. 16.7 was not healed by the thing he saw but by thee O God that art the Saviour of all for the Brass had not the virtue or power actually to cure and to convey health to the stinged people but it was the ordinance of God obeyed and believed that restored them to their health and so it is in many other things As Numb 5.27 28. 1. The cursed water drunk by the suspected wife shall cause the thigh of the guilty woman to rot and her belly to swell and should free the guiltless woman and cause her to bear children the which power to distinguish the chaste wife from the unchaste could not be in the Water but in the Ordinance of God that appointed the water so used as it is there expressed to produce those effects 2. The Water in Baptism and the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper have not of themselves the power to wash us from our sins and to feed our souls to eternal life they are but poor things and feeble means too
by-word among the Heathens and our enemies laugh us to scorn Therefore as the good Physitian first seâ—rcheth out the cause of the disease and then prepareth a potion for the cure and as Joshuah when God turned away from the children of Israel and delivered them up into the hands of their Enemies never left searching Josh 7.18 2 Sam 21.1 till he had found out the accursed thing that was the cause of their destruction and David also when there was a famine three years year after year inquired of the Lord what should be the cause thereof so we must inquire and search out the cause why the Lord hath overthrown all our hedges and given us as a spoyle unto our Neighbours And herein as Demodacus said of the Milesians We have committed the same sins and more sins and more hainously than the Israelites did they were no fools but they did the same things that fools did So I say we are no Israelites but I fear we have committed the same sins as the Israelites did Idolatry injustice and contempt of our Teachers nay have we not added unto these Sacriledge Perjury Drunkenness Luxury and all kind of uncleanness Yea have we not made injustice and perjury and sacriledge and contempt of the Ministers and rebellion against the Ordinance of God and many other sins that formerly were but personal sins now to become national when they are committed continued and maintained by the Representatives of the whole Kingdom And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this saith the Lord Vers 19. Yes saith our Prophet wee shall be to them that desire the day of the Lord for it is darkness and not light and it shall be as if a man did flee from a Lion and a Bear met him that is to escape the least and to fall into the greater punishment because the Lion is a more noble enemy than the Bear when as the Poet saith Parcere prostratis scit nobilis ira Leonis But the Bear is a most ravenous raging Beast Hos 5.12.14 that will tear us all to pieces so it is to escape the Sword and to die by Famine to provide against Famine and to be destroyed by the Pestilence which shall follow one another so long as we continue in our sins and the wrath of the Lord shall not be turned away but his hand will be stretched out still As in Levit. 26. after many plagues he addeth I will bring seven times more plagues upon you for your sins And therefore if you would turn away the wrath of God you must turn away from these sins that have provoked him to wrath Quia sublata causa tollitur effectus And then 2. If you would find the Lord 2. The place where God may be found you must go to the place where he resideth for though Enter praesenter Deus est ubique poten or in respect of his omnipotent Essence the spirit of the Lord filleth all places If we climb up into Heaven he is there if we go down to Hell he is there also and as the Schools say he is Supra coelos non elatus subter terram non depressus intra mundum non inclusus extra mundum non exclusus yet in respect of his favourable presence he is not to be found in every place How God filleth all places for if you seek the righteous God among unrighteous men the faithful God among lying perjurers as the Grecians sought for Helen in Troy when she was with Proteus in Egypt we shall be sure to miss him because the holy spirit of discipline fleeth from deceit and dwelleth not in the body that is subject unto sin and therefore the place is to be considered where we must seek him and that is principally 1. The Church of Christ among the faithful And God is found 1. In the Church among the faithful 2. The holy Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles 1. As Joseph and Mary when they lost Christ found him not in the waies among their friends and acquaintance but in the Temple among the Doctors so we shall find him not in the factious confederacies of private Conventicles but in the publique assemblies of Gods holy Church Psal 26.8 which is the place where his honour dwelleth not among Perjurers Lyers Rebels and the like but among the faithful and among those that fear the Lord for The Lord is with them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy and with such he may be found And therefore if you would find the Lord you must not walk in the counsel of the ungodly Psal 1.1 nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful you must have nothing to do with the stool or seat of wickedness which imagineth mischief and doth countenance their wickedness by a Law but where you see the righteous gathering themselves in the name of Christ and joyning their forces in the fear of God there is the Lord in the midst of them Lev. 26.12 even as himself hath promised I will dwell in them and walk in them and will be their God and they shall be my people 2 In the holy Scriptures 2. As we may find the Lord in the Church of the righteous so we may find him in the holy Scriptures not in the Turks Alcoron nor in the Popes Canon nor in mans Tradition nor in any like unwritten verities which are the muddy inventions of distracted brains and the idle vanities of seduced souls we send you to no such places to seek the Lord whatsoever the malice of our adversaries saith of us but we direct you to the pure Word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thy Word is truth and the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 17.17 John 5.39 Aug. Confes l. 11. c. 2. 2 Tim. 3.13 Hieron in ep ad demetriad testifie of me saith our Saviour and therefore Deliciae meae scripturae tuae thy Scriptures are my delights saith S. Augustine and the reason is rendered by S. Hierom because they are able as the Apostle sâ—ith to make us wise unto salvation and all wisdom without this is but meet foolishness for Quid prodest esse peritum periturum what will it boot a man to be wise unto perdition to be subtle to play the Rebel to be a crafty Traytor and to go to Hell with a great deal of wit and learning Aug. quo sup as St. Augustine speaketh Psal 120.4.5 Therefore though you should be constrained to dwell with Meshec and to have your habitation among the tents of Kedar among the Egyptians or Babylonians among them that are enemies unto peace as God knows how soon any of us may be taken by such enemies yet if we leave them and take the holy Scriptures there we shall have the Lord to be our companion though we should be shut up with Jeremy in the dungeon But 3. For the
out of his hands and said this is a Sermon that I carried with me to preach where I should rest on the Lords day but that the Letters that were to the King and to the Bishop of York and others were in the Satchel and he for haste to see the Letters suffered me to put my Sermon and the Grand Rebellion into my Pocket which I feared would have been my death or utter ruine if the Commissioners had seen it Then Sir John having taken out the Letters asked me how I durst at those times carry Letters unto the King I answered they were Letters from those poor Bishops that therein shewed to his Majesty how they were pillaged and persecuted by the Popish Irish Rebels and I knew and had a Copy of what was in them before I would carry them then Sir John said I did wisely to do so and so he went in unto the rest of the Commissioners and left me lockt in the room yet very joyful for having gotten my Grand Rebellion out of his hands but behold still the malice of Satan and the subtilty of his Instruments while I was walking up and down the room and had torn the worst case that I had writ against the Parliament and chewed it in my mouth and threw it away an arrand knave was peeping at the key hole and went unto the Commissioners and told them that I had some desperate or treacherous Papers which he saw me tear then Sir John North comes to me again and aked what Papers those were that I was seen tearing I smilingly answered Alas Sir ever since I came from Sea I was troubled with a looseness and having by chance a loose leaf in my Pocket I pluckt it out and said this is the Paper that I had in my hand to go to the house of office and he looking upon it and finding it of no effect said Is this all And went his waies and then I remembred what our Saviour said When you are brought before Rulers Mark 13.11 take no thought what you shall speak for it shall be given you in illa hora in that very hour what to answer and God also wrought in the Commissioners such thoughts of me and my sufferings by the Irish that they gave me a Pass to go home and delivered me my horses which Captain Flaxon hoped to have had for his reward and the forty pounds which he found in my house and which I told the Commissioners was all that I had to keep me and my Family So graciously did God help me that I went home with joy contrary to the expectation of my Neighbours that informed the Rebels of my return to those parts And within a few daies after was the Battel at Edge-hill at which time I went to his Majesty and waited on him untill he came to Oxford And here in Oxford I printed fiâ—st my Grand Rebellion and afterwards my discovery of mysteries and last of all The rights of Kings where immediately I printed my Grand Rebellion and finding how well and how graciously his Majesty accepted of my endeavours therein I went to Wales and studied my discovery of mysteries or the plots of the Parliament to overthrow both Church and State and by the next Winter I came to Oxford to Print it and being printed Secretary Faukeland misliking a passage that I had set down of the Episcopal power in causa sanguinis would have had it called in but his Majesty would not suffer it to be supprest therefore I resolved by the next Winter to publish as I did my Book of the Rights of Kings both in Church and Commonwealth and the wickedness of the pretended Parliament and in the interim I was perswaded to go to London to see what I could work upon my Lord of Pembroke whom I had served so many years and tutored all his Children whereof two were now with his Majesty and when I came to London I took the opportunity to go unto him For I conceived that time to be the safest time while he was in bed and after much conference with him about the differences betwixt the King and his Parliament and their disloyalty to his Majesty and that I saw he began to be offended and very angry for fear he should deliver me to the Parliament that formerly had caused all that they found of my Grand Rebellion to be burnt I took my leave of him and presently highed me to go out of Town but was denied to pass untill I used my wit to the Maior of London to get a Pass by telling him that I was a poor pillaged Preacher of Ireland that came to London to see my friends and now having some other friends in North-hampton and thereabout And I have his Pass by me to this very day I humbly desired his Pass to go to see them and he pitying my case called for a cup of Wine and commanded his Clerk to write me a Pass without a Fee And then after I had passed a good way towards North-hampton I turned to Oxford and from thence within a while to Wales and from thence to Ireland and after Nasby fight being bound with my L. Taafe in a thousand Marks a peece unto his Majesty for the appearance of Collonel Vangary that returned at Edge-hill fight from the Parliament unto the King with Sir Faithful Fortescue at Beaumares Sizes for taking away a Drove of Cattle from the Drovers of Anglesey and he not appearing our Recognizans were forfeited and I was fain to return to his Majesty with Letters from my Lord of Ormond that Van-garie could not come out of Ireland and therefore his Majesty was humbly desired to remit the forfeiture of our Recognizance which his Majesty by his Letters to the Justices of Peace of Anglesey very graciously did and sent another Letter by me again to my Lord of Ormond but in my passage to his Majesty I was like to be carried to the Parliament by a knave that about ten miles from Aberystwith began to examine me and said that I was a Spy for the King and therefore I must be carried before some of the Parliament Officers to be examined and I had no other shift but to commend him for his care and to tell him that there were too many Spies abroad and I was but a poor pillaged man in Ireland that would very willingly go before any man and I still called for drink until he was perswaded that I was a very honest man and so he let me go in peace And before I could pass into Dublin General Mitton with his Army had entred into our Country and I preaching that Sunday that he came at Rhudhland had an Alarm about midnight and was fain to flee to Carnarvon shire and when he came to Carnarvon shire to slee too Anglesey And because Anglesey was an Island and could not be won if the Inhabitants would be true among themselves we that were true Royalists summoned the chiefest
was risen in Cheshire and was so near the time that I expected and foreshewed his Majesties restauration I took a young Philly that I had of three years old and in a very cold snow and frost in January I went soft and fair towards London hoping that now so many men looking after the coming in of our King and Collonel Monk expected to assist him I should have my Great Antichrist published yet still the Rump was so strong that it could not be therefore I was fain to retire towards Wales again and going from my house by Tocester where I had left my Mare some ten miles in a frosty morning a foot I afterwards went a horse-back but had not rid one quarter of a mile but my Mare whom all my Neighbours there said she was great with foal lay down under me and I fearing she would cast her Foale and so perhaps lose my Mare or forced to leave her behind me was resolved to lead her in my hand and so I did from that place which was Daintry to my house in Wales about seven score miles the way being somewhat fair in the latter end of March. Then having some occasions to go to Ireland being at Holy Head I had notice with the Post from London that the Parliament according as I found in Scripture had voted the coming in of the King and I landing in Dublin about seven of the Clock the next morning being Sunday preâ—ched at St. Brides and publickly prayed for the King I am sure the first man in the Kingdom of Ireland and the next morning went towards Kilkenny and going to Donmore to present my service to my Lady of Ormond I found her as she was ever the most honourable of all the Ladies that ever I knew and taking me aside informed me of the state of Kilkenny and of all things thereabouts so I went to Kilkenny and preached there and publickly prayed for his Majesty the next Sunday after I had done the like at Dublin and then hasted back to Dublin and from thence without stay to Holy Head and resting but one night in mine own house I rode as fast as I could to London and having left all the Lands that I had in Ireland in pawn for 100 li. which mine own self carried to London I agreed for the Printing of my Great Antichrist and immediately after his Majestiâ—s happy arrival in London having the same printed in three Printing-houses and my self paying for the printing of it with ready money I got it presently done and presented it to his Majesty who very graciously accepted thereof But one of my Countrymen had begg'd of his Majesty the Deanery of Bangor yet when I informed his Majesty that my good King and gracious Master his Father had conferred it upon me to hold it in commendum so firm as Law could make it his Majesty was most graciously pleased presently to send to Sir Edward Nicholas to recall the Grant that he had made to Mr. Lloyd but the same being past to the Great Seal my Lord Chancellour to whom I ever was very much obliged knowing my Faithfulness to my late King and best Master and my sufferings for him did most honourably stop it before I could come unto his Lordship and so by his Majesty and my Lord Chancellours goodness I still enjoyed my Masters favour Then things being somewhat setled I went to live upon my Bishoprick in Kilkenny where I found the Cathedral Church and the Bishops house all ruined and nothing standing but the bare walls without Roofs without Windows but the holes and without doors yet I resolved presently to mend and repair one Room and to live in the Bishops house and as I had vowed that if I should ever come to my Bishoprick I should wholly and fully bestow the first years profit for the reparation of the Church so my witness is in heaven that I have done it and have since bestowed more as forty pound the last Summer for repairing the Steeple of the Cathedral * And this Summer six score pounds for to make a Bell worth they say 200 l. and yet a thousand pounds more will not sufficiently repair that Church which I vowed to bestow If I recover the Bishops house and live to it and a great deal of cost more I laid out upon the Bishops house Yet now began my Oppression which grieves me much more than my Persecution because my persecution was personal and concerned my self alone but mine Oppression doth now reach to the dishonour of God and the robbing of Jesus Christ of his service and the destruction of his Servants when as the Church of Christ cannot be ruled without Governours nor instructed without Teachers and neither of them can subsist without maintenance And yet now Noblemen and Gentlemen Souldiers and Citizens and all think no Bread so sweet no Wine so pleasant as that which they snatch from the Altar and no Land so fertile as that which they hold from the Church and keep it by force from the Church-men and to give you a taste of this truth I have printed a Narrative and a true Relation of a Law proceeding betwixt my self and Sir George Ayskue a civil Gentleman I confess and one that hath been Vice-Admiral to the Long Parliament but now is very faithful to our present King and sorry for what he hath been as I verily believe and is a man of a very fair carriage and of very good parts yet bewitched with the disguised spirit of Sacriledge to hold fast in his hands the Lands of the Church and not only he but many others are sick of the same disease as appeareth by the subsequent of this relation A true Relation of a Law-proceeding betwixt the Right Reverend Father in God Griffith L. Bishop of Ossory and Sir George Ayskue Knight c. Sheweth THat the Lordship of Bishops Court alias upper Court belongs to the Bishop of Ossory And as I am informed Jo. Bale Bishop of Ossory dwelt in the Mannor house thereof and was from thence driven by the Tories in Queen Maries daies to flee to Geneva to save his life when he looking out at his Window saw his Steward that was with his Hâ—y-makers killed before his face and he being fled to Geneva Jo. Tonery was made Bishop of Ossory and he made away divers Lordships and among the rest this Bishops Court in Fee-farm as they pre end to one Rich. Shea Bishop Bale being yet alive and lived in Queen Elizabeths daies after Tonery came Bishop Gafney and Bishop Bale still alive and after Gafney came Bishop Walsh and he finding the invalidity of the Fee farmes made by the Popish Bishops while the right Bishop was alive petitioneth to Queen Elizabeth and had her Letters to the Lord Lieutenant and Council to hear the Cause and to relieve the Bishop according as they found the equity of his Cause but before he could have any redress he was killed by some Irish man to
prevent the recovery of the said Lordship as it is conceived in his own house After that came Bishop Deane and he vigorously prosecutes the recovery of the said Lordship and he had not done much more then begun but he dieth Then came Bishop Wheeler and he petitioneth to my Lord of Strafford for the said Lordship of Bishops Court and by the great care and desire of the now most Reverend Primate of all Ireland to benefit the Church of Christ Bishop Wheeler had the Lordship of Frenis-Town that was one of the pretended Fee-farms made by Tonery and formerly yielded the Bishop but 4 li. yearly and doth now yield 50 li. every year yielded up unto him so that Shea might still continue in the Bishops Court and when Wheeler died my gracious King and good Master Charles the First commended me to the Bishoprick of Ossory then came the Rebellion and I was driven to flee before I had received one Penny from my Bishoprick or had continued two Moneths therein but blessed be God for it I was restored by our now most gracious King and having an Order from the most Honourable House of Lords to be put into the possession of all the Houses and Lands of the Bishop of Ossory that the last Bishop died seized of the Sheriffe of the County of Kilkenny did put me among divers other places into the possession of the said Bishops Court and the Tenants attourned Tenants unto me and continued from the _____ dâ—y of April until the 8th day of October following 1662. at which time one Captain Burges and divers others Anabaptists and Sectaries the Tenants of Sir George Ayskue that never come into the Church yet came into the Bishops House and thence expelled the Bishop and his Tenants from his possession And I the Bishop hearing of it went thither my self with two men and my Chaplain Mr. Thomas Bulkley and finding the door open I and my Chaplain went in and one of them that kept the possession affronted and justled me at the door of the Loft to hinder my entrance in and yet I got in and then more and more came into the Room to the number of 9 or 10 persons And some of them especially Captain Burges vilified and threatned me to the fear of my Life and some did shut the Iron Grate and locked it as I conceived to keep me there for their Prisoner and to hinder my two servants that I had sent with my horses to Freshfoord to come in and when they demanded if they meant to murder their Lord and desired to come in one of them that had a Cudgel in his hand said that if he offered to come in there he would knock him in the head and my man answered him with the like menaces and I hearing of their high threats and fearing what mischief might fall out there sent a peremptory command to my men to go home and let what death soever pleased God come to me but after that I got liberty to go unto mine own house I called a private Sessions and Indicted Will. Portis Tho. Collins Jo. Rayman Josias Scot Will. Burges for their forcible entry but the Indictment being removed by a Certiorari to the Kings Bench though I had retained two Counsellors and gave them twenty shillings for their Fee to do things right and according to Law yet through the errour of the Clerke there were some faults found in the Indictment and so the same was quasht by the Judges of the Kings Bench Then I got the best Attourney that I thought was in Dublin and is so reputed by all my friends to draw me another Indictment against the foresaid forcible enterers and being drawn I carried it to Sir William Donvil the Kings Atturney and gave him his Fee to review it and mend it if any thing was amiss in it and make it so as it might stand good in Law the which thing he very carefully did and amended some things with his own hands And I knew not what I could or should do more to draw a good Indictment Then I desired the Justices of the Peace to send a precipe to the Sheriffe to summon a Jury to examine the force which they did upon the said place where the force was committed And though Sir George Ayskue had for his Atturney Mr. Smith the now High Sheriffe of the County of the City of Kilkenny and Mr. Johnson the Recorder of the City of Kilkenny for his Counsellour to plead against the finding of the Indictment true as much as ever they could and another Counsellour stood against it as much or more than either of them both and I had neither Atturney nor Counsellour to say any thing for it but what the Witnesses proved yet the Jury did presently find it Billa Vera. Then I desired the Justices of the Peace to restore me to my Possession but to prevent the same Mr. Smith Sir George Ayskues Atturney having a Certiorari ready in his Pocket did immediately as soon as ever the Jury had brought in their Verdict deliver the same into the hands of the Justices of the Peace and they delivered it to the Clerk of the Peace and the Justices said that now they could not restore me to my Possession because that their hands were stopt and all the proceedings must be transmitted to the Kings Bench by Octab. Hillarii And when I came to Kilkenny I went to the Clerk of the Peace and examined the same Indictment which the Jury found and which I had done before ad amussim very diligently with that Copy which the Kings Atturney had amended and averred to be sufficient and I prayed the Clerke of the Peace to give me a Copy of that Indictment which the Jury found the which he did under his hand and I examined all again and found them in all things to be verbatim word for word agreeable one to another Then by Octab. Hillarii the time set to return the proceedings to the Kings Bench I went to Dublin But there was no Indictment returned still I expected but still in vain At last I complained to the Lords Justices but they answered that they could not help it for they knew not whether the Certiorari was delivered or not At last seeing it was neither returned nor like to be returned I was advised to make Affidavit that I had seen it delivered into the hands of the Justices of the Peace and that I heard it read and then saw it delivered to the Clerke of the Peace and then upon the reading of my Affidavit and a motion made by my Counsel thereupon there was an Order set down that there should be 20 li. fine set upon the Clerke of the Peace if the proceedings and the Indictment came not in by such a day So at last it came in but it was the last day of the Term that it came into the Court and then the Kings Sergeant moved for my possession but the Counsel on the other side
say or do I could not prevail to have the Record amended according to the original Record And when I saw that I desired my Counsel to desire their Lordships either to grant that it might be amended or to quash it out of hand that I should not spend my self in Dublin but go to begin a fresh and to indict them again and then my Lord Chief Justice answered seeing we desired to quash it let it be quasht which in respect of the Kings fine I conceived should not be done if the original Indictment found by the Jury was good Then I got the Kings Sollicitor Mr. Temple and the Kings Sergeant Sergeant Griffith and Mr. Darcy to draw me an Indictment that would stand good in Law and presently I went to Kilkenny and required the Justices of the peace to send their preÌ„cipe to the Sheriff to summon 24 men to appear at Freshfoord the 23 of the instant which they did accordingly and the Deputy Sheriff appointed these Gentlemen to be summoned Nom. Jur. ad inquirend John Grace of Courtstowne Esq Jonas Wheeler Gent. Rich. Donvil Gent. William Davies Gent. Walter Bushop Gent. Walter Nosse Gent. John Pursel Gent. William Pay Gent. William White Gent. Ralph Hale Gent. Lewis Mathews Gent. Robert Grace Gent. George Lodge Gent. Edmund Butler Gent. Matthew White Gent. William Hunter Gent. Thomas Green Gent. Vincent Knatehbul Gent. Ric. Comerford of Degenmore G. Tho. Bowers of Knoctopher G. Emanuel Palmer Gent. Mathias Reilegh Gent. Chri. Auetstone of Thomastone Tho. Hussie of Gowrom Gent. Toby Boyle of Condonstown Gent. Tho. Tomlius of Lyniate Abby Joseph Wheeler of Killrush George Barton of Goslingstown G. But before the Bayliffs were gone to summon them the High Sheriff was come to the Town and seeing the List of the Subscribed and having conferred with Sir George Ayscue that lay in the next Room where the Sheriff lay he said those men should not serve in the Jury but he would choose a Jury for this business and he nominated such men Anabaptists Presbyterians and others of the most rigid Sectaries that were in all the whole County Yet because I knew two or three of them to be very honest men I was very well contented with them But as soon as ever I was gone from the Sheriff those men were put by and other Sectaries put into the List in their stead * A Jury as my friends that knew them said would hang all the Bishops in Ireland if they were their Jury to try them And the Bailiff coming to me for more money then I had given him for summoning those that the Deputy Sheriff had appointed because now the High Sheriff had appointed men that he had picked out over all the County of Kilkenny Then I suspected some evil determined against me and I desired the Bayliff to shew me the List of those that he was to summon and when I saw those honest men that I knew put our and others put in their room I put the Warrant in my Pocket and bad the Bayliff tell the Sheriff that my Witnesses for the King were not ready and after he told this to the Sheriff he câ—me to me again weeping and crying and desired me for Gods sake to give him his Warrant For the Sheriff was very angry with him and he was utterly undone for shewing me the Warrant but I kept it still in my Pocket And thus was I served with a great deal of travel and charge above 60 li. in seeking to recover the Church Lands which I resolved and vowed if I could recover it to bestow it wholly for the repairing and re-edifying of the flat-fallen Church of Kilkenny And now let the Judge of all the World and let all just and honest men judge whether this be a fair and just proceeding But quorsum haec To what purpose is all this pains of this Relation Is it to taxe and charge the Reverend Judges either of injustice or partiality No By no means I taxe no man but I set down rem gestam the whole matter a capite ad calcem and they the Judges and Counsellours being great Lawyers may find all this to be just and especially to make it seem so to be and though for all cheating Pettifoggers and covetous Counsellours that against the dictate of their own consciences and against their King and against the Church of God will for a Fee sell their souls unto the devil I hate their doings that are Sicutatri â—anua ditis Yet I do from my heart honour and reverence all the grave and just Judges and Learned Lawyers without whose help and Counsel and Judgment we could not live in this Common-wealth And though I failed at the Kings Bench to prevail to procure those Fines unto the King which I conceived should be imposed upon those five that I indicted whereof the chief of them that is Captain Burges is now sent Prisoner to Dublin by my Lord of Ossory which may be a just Judgement that he should be committed by my Lord of Ossory for his abuse done to the Bishop of Ossory yet I have had very fair Justice done me by the Judges of the Court of Claim and I am confident to find the like from them again and to be righted by the Judges of the Court of Exchequer * And so likewise from the Kings Bench and Common Pleas. for the wrongs and damages that I sustained by those that forcibly entered upon my Possessions and do still detain it from me when I shall bring the cause before them Therefore I have no reason for the biting of a mad Dog to hang all the good Dogs in the Countrey or for the abuse or injustice done me by some one man or few Lawyers to exclaim against all others when as the Poet adviseth us Parcere paucorum diffundere crimen in omnes But I do exceedingly tax my self and mine own understanding that understanding both Greek and Latine and having read what Lambert Bolton and Dalton have written of Forcible Entries I should be such a Dolt as not to understand this Proceeding of mine about the Indictment of those Forcible Enterers to be a just and a fair Proceeding Therefore mine apprehension conceiving such proceedings to be foul and very much amiss and that the justice which I had upon the whole matter had not what Pindarus such Justice useth to have that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I thought good to set down the same not to accuse and complain against any one for being unjust or to seek any redress unto my self for I have born and can be contented still to bear more wrongs than this But I do it for these ends 1. To let poor men see how they may be wronged and oppressed and have their Land and Possessions taken from them by great and powerful men and what they are best to do in such a case and my counsel is to be patient because as I said before Levius fit patientia quicquid
Church For as I told you even now that the Government of the Common-wealth was a matter of great moment and to be borne upon the shoulders which are the best able to bear it so the Arke of God wherein all the Government of the Church was included 1 Chron. 15.15 was to he carried upon the shoulders of the Levites 1 Chron. 15.15 To shew that this Government of the Church is no wayes of less moment 1 Chron. 13 10. then the Government of the civil State Therefore when this Arke was put not upon the shoulders of the Priests Numbers 4.15 according to the first institution but to be carried upon a new cart the Lord made a breach upon his people and smote Vzza that he died and so they may well fear the anger of the Lord will be kindled against those that take this Arke of God from the shoulders of the Priestâ— and put it as it was of late into the hands of those that had nothing to do with it Secondly As the Cherubims and these Beasts did cover their faces with two of their wings 2. Why they covered their feet to check our curiosity because we are not able and therefore ought not to prie into secret mysteries so they covered their feet with two of their wings to shew our misery because we have defiled our selves and fouled our feet by our walking in the wicked wayes and the dirty pathes of sin and iniquity And so we are no wayes able to stand and to justifie our selves in the sight of God for we are all become abominable and there is none that doth good no not one But in all men there is corruption in the best men there is defection What the best of all our actions are and in the Angels unfaithfulness hath been found And therefore God hath shut up all in unbelief that every mouth should be stopped and all the world culpable before God for if you looke into the best of all our actions and the choicest wayes that we walk in you shall find that the righteousness which we have by nature is but justitia Gentilium splendida peccata as Saint Augustine calls them or the wisedome of the flesh not sanctified by faith as Saint Paul calls it The righteousness that we have by the Law is but justitia Pharisaeorum which as Saint Chrysostome saith was in ostentatione non in rectitudine intentionis in locutione non in opere in corporis afflictione non in mandatorum observatione and so it was but sceria obducta sin guilded and unprofitable because never perfectly performed no not by the strictest Pharisee And the righteousness which we have by grace is but justicia viatorum inchoated and imperfect and at the best but as menstruous cloaths full of staines but Jehova justitia nostra the Lord is that righteousness which must save us And therefore we should never exalt our selves with high conceits of our own worth like the proud Pharisee but rather fall down upon our knees with the humble Publican and say Lord be merciful unto me a sinner and to cry out with the Prodigal Child we have sinned against Heaven and against thee and we are no more worthy to be called thy Sons For if God should enter into judgement and be extream to mark what we do amiss O Lord who could abide it For no flesh living could be justified That we ought not to hide and cover our sins And therefore we should not stand to justifie our selves and our wayes before God but rather with these Beasts and those holy Cherubims to cover our feet with two of their wings But by this covâ—ring of our feet we must not understand the hiding and covering of our sins as most of us use to do for Solomon tells you plainly that he which hideth his sins shall not prosper Prov. 28.13 but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy and Saint John saith if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 Iohn 1.8 but if we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to clense us from all unrighteousness And therefore though we ought to cover our feet that is not to justifie our wayes before God yet we must not cover our sins but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart if ever we look to obtain forgiveness of the same 3. Why they did flie 3. As they covered their feet with two of their wings so with the other two wings they did flie and that was to shew the readiness of their obedience to do the service of God and to teach all others to be industrious and diligent to do their duties for here you see the Cherubims and these holy Evangelists do not onely go or run but flie very swiftly to do the work of God and to execute his will and therefore the Prophet saith How ready and diligent we should be to do the works of God he rode upon Cherub and did flie he came flying upon the wings of the winde that is his Messengers that he sent to perform his commands were as ready and as swift as the winde He needed no more but say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and saith in me mora non erit ulla Lucan Phars lib. 1. as Curio said unto Caesar So we should all be swift to hear and diligent to do our duties not lazily to go about them like the Snaile of whom the Poets fain that when Jupiter invited his Creatures unto his Feast the Snail came last of all which admonisheth us saith Alciat Sectanda gradu convivia tardo To come slowly to revellings and pleasures but to the Lords Table and to other holy exercises we should not be like the Snail or the sluggard that crieth yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep but we should go nimbly like those that have wings to flie to do their business because as Saint Chrysostome saith sicut in unoquoque mater est diligentia ita universae doctrinae disciplinae noverca est negligentia diligence is the mother of every good act and sloth or negligence is the step-mother or fetters that entangle and choak all learning and discipline And as we ought to use diligence in all that we take in hand Sloth and negligence the hinderance of all good things Cantic 8.14 so we ought more specially to use it in the service of God and to go to our Saviour Christ that bids his Church and every member of his Church to make hast or to flie away as the original word imports and to be like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountaines of spices where she runneth and skippeth for very haste to get away so Abraham made haste to make provision for the Angels that came unto him and so David
and warmes no man or the candle that is put under a bushel and lights no part of the house are in a fearfull case because that as our Saviour saith Matth. 5.13 when the salt hath lost his savour it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot The desperate condition of ignorant and negligent Ministers so when the crier hath lost his voice by being choaked with junkates and the watchman hath lost his eyes by too much sweating after worldly wealth and the Minister cannot preach either through ignorance or negligence they are thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and thrown into the bottomless pit But 2. 2. The eye of a blameless life As the Ministers of Christ should have the quick sighted eye of learning and knowledge so they should have the clear eye of a blameless life and conversation otherwise as Penelope to delude her woers is said to untwist in the night what she spun in the day so by the darkness of their evil life they pull down all that they built by the light of their preaching The Lord saith that the Priest shall not go up by steps unto his Altar Exod. 20.26 that his nakedness be not discovered thereon and Saint Bernard saith there are four things necessary for every Priest ne quid nuditatis appareat that his nakedness may not appear And they are 1. Capiti velamentum a vaile for his head and that is prudent discretion which covereth all his folly and imbecillity Four things necessary for every Priest and is not onely a virtue but the guider and moderatrix of all vertues 2. Corpori vestimentum a garment for the body and that is fervent devotion because it is the office and duty of the Minister to pray for all 1. For the good men that they may continue good and not fall 2. For the evil men that they may rise from their fall And prayer without devotion is like the body without a soul 3. Manibus munimentum a covering for the hands and that is good works because that as our works are strengthned through our prayers Hieron in Lament c. 3. so our prayers are available through our works saith Saint Jerome 4. Pedibus fulcimentum propps and shoes or sandals for the feet and that is a pure and an upright life and conversation because bad Ministers do not dispensare but dissipare bona Domini and rather dishonour then honour their Lord and Master Christ And therefore the Heathen Priests at their sacrifical solemnities were wont to say Innocui veniant procul hinc procul impius esto Casta placent superis pura cum mente venite And as the Magistrates and Ministers should be full of eyes That all good Christians should be full of eyes so all Christians in like manner should be full of eyes to look unto themselves and to their wayes for though as the Apostle speaketh they were once darkness while God winked at the time of their ignorance yet now they are light in the Lord even as the Prophet shewed they should be The people that walked in darkness have seen great light Esay 9.2 and they that dwell in the Land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined because it cannot be denied but that as Daniel saith knowledge is increased and as our Saviour saith light is come into the world And therefore the people should take heed that they love not darkness more then light or that they be not like the fool Harpaste that was as blind as a beetle and yet would not be perswaded as Seneca saith that she was blinde but that the room was dark For I fear that we have too many men that think they want no eyes but that the house of God is dark and wants light but that is because they are bleere-ey'd like Lâ—ah and look a squint and cannot see the truth There be many others that are full of eyes Many are full of eyes yet not like these beasts but of all evil eyes but their eyes are oculi nequam evil eyes such as Saint Peter speaks of and others have eyes far worse My time will not give me leave to discover them But if the Lord should say unto me as he said to his Prophet Amos what seest thou I must answer Amos. 8.2 I dare not tell what I see and if the Lord replies should they that are to be like Lions become as fearfull as the Hares that run away from the noise of the Hounds Have I not often delivered thee as I did Elisha after he had delivered his message unto Jehu when he presently shut the door and fled 2 Reg. 9.3 v. â—0 therefore I command thee to tell me what seest thou Why then if thou commandest me I must tell and I must say with the Prophet that I have seen unrighteousness and strife in the City moreover I saw the place of judgment and wickednâ—ss was there Eccles 3 16. and the place of righteousness and iniqui-quâ—ty was there and I saw the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no comfort because power was on the side of their oppressours c. 4. 1. And worse then the parable of Menenius Agrippa when all the members conspired against the stomach I have seen a monstrous ill-shap'd body cutting off his own most excellent and unreprovable head and the worst Parliament that ever England saw rebelling and warring and doing far worse to the best King that ever England had And I have seen the Commons-house of that Parliament encroaching by little and little upon the rights and priviledges of the Lords as the Plebeians did upon the nobility of Rome till at last they had quite supplanted them felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum I hope O Lord that I shall never see the like again Yet I see one thing more that troubles me much many men that say excepting the conscience of their religion that should not undo them they are innocent from any offence done either against their King or against their neighbors and yet to be driven out of house and home and those that were known to be rebels to have fought against their King to enjoy their Lands and Livings and to become great men and to hold in their fingers the Lands of Innocents of the King of the Church and of God himself which can as hardly be pluck'd out of their fingers as it was to pluck the club out of Hercules's hands for they have got possession of them and possession being as they say eleven points of the Law twelve Juries cannot dispossess them But for the trial of the truth hereof his Majesty hath most graciously appointed and his Grace here doth most favourably countenance these wise and religious men that shall justly and religiously determine these things And I am confident that being wise men as they are they will shew themselves
such miseries how can their hearts sustain these anguishes Our Saviour tells us that they shall cry to the Mountains that they would fall upon them and so hide them from the face of Christ but that cannot be for then Satan will begin to play his part How Satan will now play his part and say not bone Deus O good God to move him to clemency but juste Judex O just Judge to sharpen him to severity though these wretched men were thine by creation yet now they are mine by transgression and though thou hast suffered for them yet I have beguiled them for they have forsaken sacramenta tua thy holy sacraments and they have followed blandimenta mea my wicked allurements they would not be perswaded by thy Preachers but they would needs follow their own pleasures And therefore O thou just Judge seeing they belong unto me let them ev'n be condemned with me So he that before seemed to be an Angel of light is now become a Devil of darkness he that inticed them to all vanities will now bring them to all miseries and he that in paradise would make them like Gods doth now prove that he made them like devils And so now he sheweth himself to be a devil indeed and never so much a devil as now or rather he seemeth now to become a Saint because now he calls for justice Then the Lord will look upon them How wrathfully Christ will look upon the wicked but how shall they be able to endure his looks for fire is kindled in his wrath and it shall burne to the bottome of Hell out of his mouth goe lamps and sparks of fire leap out out of his nostrils cometh smoak as out of a boyling Caldron his countenance will be so grim his lips so burning and his face so full of indignation Job 14.13 that the very Saints will be afraid of his looks and holy Job crieth out who shall hide me untill the anger of God passeth over or as our last Translation hath it O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave that thou wouldst keep me secret until thy wrath be past Malach. 3.2 and the Prophet Malachy demandeth who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiners fire which is the quintessence of fire and like a Fullers sope which scoureth all things to the uttermost and leaves no filth behinde it and therefore how shall the wicked abide his looks and if not his looks how shall they abide his words For now they shall hear that fearfull sentence pronounced against them I lictor liga manus goe Satan thou executioner binde those Kings in fetters those Nobles with links of iron Ps 149.8 and goe ye all or depart ye accursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels and then they shall be adjudged to be cast into utter darkness Matth. 25.41 where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth This is the doom of the ungodly But upon the righteous and those godly men that served him he wil look with such an amiable and chearful countenance that the very sight of it will banish away their fear and replenish their hearts with joy and gladness and he will say unto them come ye blessed of my father you have walked in my wayes you were carefull of my service How Christ will look upon the righteous men that served him you have suffered for my sake and you have relieved and comforted my poor members therefore be you cloathed in white robes and receive the Kingdome which was prepared for you before the beginning of the world And this is the sentence of their absolution Well then if we were like these Beasts full of eyes before to look and to consider of these things now before they come to pass would it no whit move us to seek for the waies of godliness if not I would they that regard it not would look a little further and behold Gehinnon the place where they shall be carried to be tormented For 3. The torments of the wicked in Hell 3. The wicked being as I told you before adjudged by God to receive their doom according to their desert they shall be forthwith carried by the devils into a Lake or darksome Vault that is in the midst of the earth and which burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore And there in that Lake their musick shall be horrours and howlings their meat shall be balls of fire their drink shall be fountains of tears distilling down alwayes from their eyes their torments shall be intolerable their time endless and their companions devils for as Saint Augustine saith In inferno nec tortores deficient nec torti miseri morientur Aug. de tempore serm 55. sed per millia millia annorum cruciandi nec tamen in secula liberandi In Hell the tormentors shall never fail nor faint to punish nor the miserable wretches ever die but for thousand thousands of years punished and never to be delivered quia ibi erit semper velle quod nunquam erit Isidorus de summo bono The perpetuity of their miseries and semper nolle quod nunquam non erit for there shall be a will never satisfied and a nill never gratified never enjoying the ease they would and ever suffering the pains they would not And if you dive into the depth of that dolefull Tragedy of miserable Dives you shall see this truth more fully confirmed But 4. The joyes of Heaven 4. On the other side if you cast your eyes on the joyes of Heaven you shall finde that neither eye hath seen nor eare heard nor heart of man can conceive how inestimable and unexpressable it is for there our bodies shall be freed from all sorrowes and all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes and our mindes shall be satisfied with all the good that can be desired for if thou wouldst have riches riches and plenteousness are in his house if thou wouldst have pleasure in his presence is fulness of joy and at his right hand there is pleasure for evermore if thou wouldst have life he giveth thee a long life even for ever and ever and in brief there is a freedome from all evil and a full fruition of all good things Most happy are they that shall be there And so you have heard of the four things that are before us and that are so imminent hanging over our heads that we do not know how soon they may fall upon us And therefore we should be full of eyes before us that we might alwayes look for the coming of them before they come that when they come they may come to our comfort for either the continual consideration of these things will keep us from the wayes of wickedness or we are past all hope of true happiness and we may be pitied but not helped And therefore let us all most earnestly
sins that is as well the great sins of the great men and the nobility of the house of Jacob as the ordinary sins and transgressions of the common people And because I know no sins that are greater Which are the great sins that do most mischief and more pernicious to the publick good and so destructive both to the Church and Commonwealth as Rebellion Sacriledge and Injustice for that Rebellion Turbabit faedera mundi shakes the foundations and ruinates whole Kingdomes and Sacriledge is the destruction of all Religion when as the props and pillars of Job's house Job 1.19 Judges 16.29 30. and so of the Philistines also being taken away the houses presently fell so the maintenance of Religion and the revenues of the Church being the only outward props and pillars of Religion Sublatis his religio perit when you take away these you may shake hands with your Religion and your Churches shall be as they are in most places here in Ireland weeping and wailing for want of roofs which is the fruit of Sacriledge of which I may truly say as St. Hierom doth against Vigilant Fatebor dolorem meum sacrilegium tantum patienter audire non possum in Epist 53. ad Riparium And Injustice especially when it proceedeth from the Seat and from the Courts of Justice and the Judges of the Law destroyeth all the duties of honesty and overthroweth all civil Societies and causeth Kingdomes to be translated from one Nation to another People as that of the Assyrians was to the Medes and Persians that of the Persians unto the Grecians that of the Grecians unto the Romans and that of the Romans unto the Gothes and Vandals when their Judges became corrupt and the companions of thieves as the Prophet Esay speaketh The Authors resolution And therefore as I hate and abhorr these sins above all other publick sins whatsoever so for Sion sake I will not hold my peace I cannot choose nor cease to cry out against all Rebels and Church-robbers and unjust Judges until they do cease to commit these sins or my mouth be filled with dust but while I am able to utter forth my voice or have means to prosecute my purpose I will never desist but do the uttermost of my power to hinder any man that hath been a Rebel and fought under the great Antichrist and the grand Usurper Cromwell against that gratious King whom they have murdered to hold the Revenues of the Church and to obstruct the Service of Jesus Christ because How to serve God day and night may be two wayes interpreted like these beasts we ought to be as Lions and to do our duties without fear without ceasing and to do it as my Text saith these beasts did it day and night And this phrase may admit a double exposition and that is 1. 1. Interpretation In the sun-shine of knowledge and the glorious light of the Gospel signified by the day or in the glimmering light of the Moon and darksome ignorance of superstition signified by the night they ceased not and gave not over to praise God and to serve him to the utmost of their abilities And they that do so Faithful ignorance preferred before proud and fruitless knowledge God will accept of their faithful service and praises of him in their invincible ignorance and the night time of superstition far better then the proud contempt and careless neglect of our duties in the height of our knowledge and the clear day-light of the Gospel when men know their Masters will and do it not in which case St. Augustines judgement is most certain that Melior est fidelis ignorantia quam temeraria scientia their zealous ignorance will find more favour at the hands of God then the others careless and fruitless knowledge unless it be the fruits of sin and iniquity Aud therefore I doubt not but our Forefathers that lived in the dayes of ignorance and superstition and in their zeal built the Churches of God and endowed them with maintenance for Gods service will rise in judgement against our Gnosticks that in the abundance of knowledge do overthrow the Churches and suppress the service of God and withal rob Christ of his garment to give it you know to whom the Evangelist saith it fell by lot I hope we will not do the like 2. This their not ceasing to praise God day and night 2. Interpretation may be understood of their constancy and perseverance in the faith and the service of God both in prosperity and adversity the Day signifying the joyous time of our prosperity and the Night signifying the sad and grievous times of our adversity And there have been alwayes too too many men How many men use to serve God John 6.26 Psal 4 8. Job 1.10 that as the Jews followed Christ not because they saw his miracles but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled so do they freely praise God while their Corn and Wine and Oyl increaseth and as the Devil falsly said of Job while God doth make an hedge about them and about their houses and about all that they have on every side and blesseth the work of their hands and their substance is increased in the land they will serve the Lord and yet as the Lord complaineth of them In tempore tribulationis recedunt à me when God putteth forth his hand and toucheth all that they have to try them as he tried Abraham then will they start aside like a broken bow deny their faith and be ready to curse God to his face Our Presbyterians like the Apostata's under the first persecutions And such were the Apostata's in the time of the first ten persecutions and our Presbyterians in the time of our late King Charles for while they enjoyed their livings they were right Episcopal men but when deprivation and persecution came they will have none of that but will rather change both their Coat and their Calling then serve God rightly in that adversity and that is to serve him and praise him in the day of our fulness and not in the night that is full of dangers But all the true Saints of God will with these beasts never cease to serve him and praise him as well in the night of adversity as in the best dayes of their prosperity Heb. 11.37 yea though they should be driven to wander like those spoken of by the Apostle in sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented for they are resolved as the same Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.35 that neither tribulation nor distress nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor peril nor sword nor any other creature shall separate them from the love of Christ or cause them to cease from the service of God day or night and such is the resolution of all Gods faithful servants which makes them to be as bold as lions to fear no man and no danger And so much for
giving unto them which by continuance in well doing seek glory and honour and immortality eternal life he sheweth himself most gracious and merciful in bestowing upon them what they could not challenge from him and in rendring vengeance to them that obey not God and in plaguing them both in this life and in the life to come he doth but what is most just and upright and therefore the Prophet Esay after he had set down many of Gods Judgements against the wicked addeth That the Lord of Hosts should be exalted in judgment Esay 5.16 and the holy God should be sanctified in justice that is that he should be acknowledged by all men to be most pure and holy and commended for his justice in punishing the wicked according to their deserts And this doctrine of Gods holiness and purity should put us in mind of our duty to be not as the Devil corrupt and unjust but as God commandeth us to be holy as he is holy and to be as he is if we desire to be where he is where no impure thing shall ever come And so much for the first Attribute here expressed 2. Attribute is Gods rule and authority 2. The next Attribute is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord and he is said to be the lord of any thing Qui jus autoritatem dominium habet in aliquam rem which hath right authority and rule over any thing and whose own proper thing is that of which he is said to be lord for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Authority Zanc. de nasura dei l. 1. c. 17. saith Pasor and the Latine word Dominus dicitur à domo saith Zanchius because the Master of the house was wont to be called the Lord of it And this name Lord saith he in the Writings of the Apostles is ascribed to Christ idque millies about a thousand times because he ruleth and governeth not only the little house of his Church Heb. 1.2 3. but also the great house of this whole World as the Apostle sheweth Reason 1 Why the Father is stiled God and the Son Lord. And the reason why the name of God is usually attributed to the Father and the name of Lord commonly ascribed to the Son is twofold 1. Because the Father is the fountain of the whole Deity therefore is he usually termed God and the Son is termed Lord because he is appointed of his Father to be Lord of all things John 17.2 and all power is given unto him over all flesh Reason 2 2. The Father is called God most usually because that in the mystery of our redemption the Father remained still in his Majesty and gave his Son only to be our Redeemer and the Son though he was in the form of God yet was he content not to remain with his Father in that equal Majesty Phil. 2.7 which he had with him from all eternity but He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and so with the laying down of his Glory he laid down also the Name of God and by taking unto him the form of a servant he took also the name of a servant that is in respect of his Father to whom as a servant be became obedient in all things unto death and therefore the Father calleth him his Servant saying Ecce servus meus Behold my servant Esay 42.1 Matth. 12.18 Whom I have chosen whom I uphold which is interpreted of Christ But in respect of us the Son is said to be our Lord and so he is called every where because we are given unto him for his inheritance that we should serve him and acknowledge him for our Lord and Master and so as he is made our Lord the name of Lord is given unto him of his Father And therefore though Christ indeed remained alwayes God and in the form of God wherein he was from all eternity yet because he was appointed by the Father Christ laid aside the Name of God and took two other names The first in respect of his Father and contented himself to be the Saviour of all mankind he humbled himself unto death and unto death he laid down the Name of God and took unto himself two other names As 1. The name of a Servant in regard of his Father to whom he was made obedient as a servant and for which cause he alwayes calleth upon him as a servant calleth upon his Master and referreth all things unto him as to his Lord and Master 2. He took upon him the name of Lord The second in respect of us in regard of us and that is due unto him in a foursold respect that is By right 1. Of Inheritance Christ is our Lord in four respects 2. Of Redemption 3. Of Wedlock 4. Of Creation For 1. He is the Lord our God 1. By right of Inheritance and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands and the Father said unto him Psal 2.8 Dabo tibi gentes in haereditatem tuam I will give the Gentiles for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession And therefore St. Peter saith Let all the house of Israel know for certain or assuredly that God hath made the same Jesus Act. 2.36 whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ And in this respect also he is Lord of the wicked Reprobates though they will not obey him for the Prophet David saith Psal 8.5 6. Heb. 2.8 Omnia subjecisti sub pedibus ejus Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet and the Apostle saith this was spoken of Christ And again the same Prophet speaking of him Psal 110.1 saith that the Lord said unto him Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool Yea more then this he is the Lord of all things whatsoever for Him hath God appointed and made heir of all things Heb. 1. as the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews teacheth and our Saviour himself saith Matth. 28 18. John 18.15 All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth And again All things that the Father hath are mine Whereby you may see that Jure haereditario by right of inheritance as his Fathers Heir he is the Lord 1. Of the Elect. 2. Of the Reprobates And 3. Of all the things in the world 2. By right of purchase 1 Cor. 6.19 20. 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 2. He is our Lord by right of redemption or of purchase for so the Apostle saith You are not your own because you are bought with a price And St. Peter sheweth what price it was that redeemed us and was paid for us No corruptible thing as silver and gold but the pretious bloud of Jesus Christ And therefore seeing Christ hath bought us and redeemed us out of the hands of our enemies he may
justly challenge us to be his servants and himself to be our Lord and Master for so the men of Israel said unto Gideon Judg. 8.22 Rule thou over us and so be our Lord and Governour for that thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian 3. By right of marriage 3. He is our Lord by right of marriage because he is the Husband of his Church and the Church is the Spouse of Christ for so the Lord professeth Hosea 2.19 20. I will betroth thee to me in faithfulness and I will betroth thee to me for ever and the Husband is the head of the Wife and so is Christ of his Church saith the Apostle and therefore Ephes 5.23 as Sarah obeyed her Husband and called him her Lord so Christ being our Head and the Husband of every faithful Soul we acknowledge him for our Lord and be subject unto him as to our Lord and Master 4. He is our Lord by right of creation 4 By right of Creation John 1.2 because all things were made by him as St John testifieth And he hath made us and not we our selves saith the Prophet David and therefore he must needs be our Lord. And no man can deny it for the Prophet saith The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Psal 24.1 the whole world and they that dwell therein And why so He answereth immediately Because he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods And so St. Paul saith God that made the world and all things therein Acts 17.24 he is Lord of heaven and earth And this point of doctrine The former Doctrine teaches us a threefold lesson 1 Lesson in respect of the godly that Christ in all these respects is our Lord and Lord of the godly and of the wicked and of all things else it should teach us this threefold Lesson 1. In regard of the godly it should teach them humility obedience and comfort 1. Humility because they are but servants and the Comique saith Non decet hominem servulum esse superbum It is a very unseemly thing to see a proud servant of an humble master 2. Obedience because the servant ought to be obedient to his Lord and Master and to be afraid to offend him for A son honoureth his father Mal. 1.6 and a servant his master saith the Prophet If Christ then be our Lord and Master where is our reverence our fear and our obedience to him May not he say to us as he doth unto the Jews Why call you me Lord Lord and do not what I say Luk. 6.46 For to say that Christ is our Lord and not to do what he commands us is but meer hypocrisie and with the Jews to say Hayl King and spit in his face 3. Comfort because they serve such a gracious Lord as taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his servants and will case them when they cry unto him that they are weary and heavy laden Matth. 11. as himself doth promise 2. Lesson in respect of the wicked 2. In regard of the wicked it should teach them to be ashamed of their pride and arrogancy to neglect their obedience and to flight the Rule and Authority of this their Lord and Master For as of old when Moses came unto Pharaoh in the name of the Lord he proudly answered Who is the Lord that I should hear his voice And Nebuchadnezzar when the three children were brought before him did most arrogantly demand Exod. 5.2 Who is that God which can deliver you out of my hands So now we have too many that in words profess to be the servants of this Lord Dan. 3.15 Titus 1.16 sed factis negant but as the Apostle saith they deny him by their deeds which they ought to be ashamed to do 3 Lesson in respect of Gods creatures 1 Cor. 4.7 3. In regard of the creatures seeing he is Lord of all things and as the Apostle demandeth What hast thou that thou hast not received from him 1. We ought to be thankfull for what we have and be contented with whatsoever we have be the same little or much for Is it not lawfull for him to do what he will with his own and to dispose of them at his pleasure to give what he will to whom he will but thine eye must be evil because he is good 3. We ought to imploy all that we have for the honour and service of this our Lord and Master for we are but his Stewards and we must give an account how we expend our Masters goods he allows us food rayment and having that the Apostle saith we should be therewith contented And truly for mine own part I do here on this good Day and in this holy Place prosess before you all I am sufficiently contented and fully satisfied and very thankfull to this my Lord and Master for what I have having farr more then I deserve or could expect and therefore whatsoever I sue for to recover from any other it is not to enrich my self or any of my relations wise children or friends but I do it for the service of this my Lord and Master and I will wholly and fully bestow whatsoever I recover for the repairing of this Church so that recovering it I shall be not one peny the richer but this Church shall be the better and not recovering it I shall not be the poorer but the Church shall want so much as I should recover and this is my resolution and if I fail in one tittle of what I say Let these my words be a witness against me in the last Day 3. The next Attribute is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Damascen saith The third attribute is Gods knowledge and providence Three significations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Signification there be two principal Names of God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is or I am as he saith unto Moses and God and he giveth three special significations or Etymologies of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Curro ambio of running and compassing about the world to order and to dispose of all the things that are therein and this declareth the providence of God over all even the least things of this world whereof not any thing not the lighting of a Sparrow upon the ground happeneth as our Saviour sheweth Matth. 10.29 without the providence of God and the Wise man saith the Wisdom of God Attingit à fine usque ad finem disponit omnia suaviter Sap. 8.1 reacheth from one end of the world to another mightily and ordereth all things sweetly and so the Apostle saith that God Portat omnia verbo virtutis ejus beareth up all things with his mighty word or the word of his power which is Jesus Christ and in this sense both Proclus and Plato do interpret the word 〈◊〉
able to make any man blind to make a blind man to see and with Fire that burns every thing else to preserve the three Children in the Fiery Furnace and to make the raging Sea that swallows down and drowneth man and beast to be a Wall of defence unto the children of Israel 3. Respect 3. God is said to be Omnipotent and Almighty because he is able to do what he will not do that is more then ever he did or ever will do for he is able of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham Math. 3.9 And he saith to St. Peter Think you that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more then twelve legions of Angels Math. 26.52 and so he can do many thousand things that he doth not and will not do Titus 1.2 2 Tim. 2.13 Aug. de Trinitat l. 15. c. 15. But it is objected that the Apostle saith He cannot lie and again He cannot denie himself to which St. Augustine answereth that Magna est Dei potentia non posse mentiri it is an argument of Gods great power that he cannot lie or deny himself because that to lie is the sign of weakness and imbecillity when the lyer is not able to do what he saith or to perform what he promiseth And he that desireth further satisfaction in this Point let him look into my Best Religion See the Best Religion where I have handled the same more at large So you have seen how and in what respect God is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almighty and that should teach us a twofold Lesson 1. The one of Fear Two Lessons to be learnt 2. The other of Comfort For 1. God threatneth to â—unish and plague wicked sinners 1. Of fear and he that blesseth himself when he heareth the curse the Lord saith he will not spare him Deut. 29.19 but will blowout his name from under heaven and again he saith Levit. 26.23 if you wa k stubbornly and contrary unto me I will also walk contrary unto you and plague you seven times more for your offences and do not you think that God is able to make good his threatnings Therefore we ought all of us to humble our selves and to fear the Almighty God and as our Saviour saith Math. 10.28 to fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul 2. This Doctrine of the almighty power of God 2. Lesson may afford us a great deal of comfort against the Devil our afflâ—ctions and all Tyrants For when we see Satans army and consider his stratagems against us we may well cry out with Elizaeus servant Alas what shall we do 2. Reg. 6.15 But when we remember what our Saviour saith I give to my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand John 10.28 because my Father which gave them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers hands 1 Pet. 1.5 we may comfort our selves and be assured that as St. Peter saith the godly that do serve the Lord shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation because he that is in us is greater and more powerful then he that is in the world 1 John 4.4 5. The last Attribute here set down is which was and is and is to come and this crowneth all the other Attributes of God for without this to be Lord to be a God and to be Almighty would avail little or nothing but to be so and to be so for ever Esai 43.10 Psal 90.2 is all in all and only the honour and prerogative of the Almighty God And so God saith Before me there was no God formed neither shall be after me and the Prophet David speaking to him 1 Tim. 1.17 saith Before the mountains were made and before thou hast formed the earth or the world thou art God from everlasting Exod. 3.14 and world without end and St. Paul calls him the king of ages or the everlasting King and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews Esai 57.15 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as he saith unto Moses I am is his name that is an Eternal being and which inhabiteth eternity and as here these Beasts do say which was that is Lord God almighty and therefore the Maker and Creatour of all the things that are What the former point should teach us and which is that is Lord God Almighty and therefore the ruler and governor of all the things that are and which is to come that is to be as he is Lord God Almighty therefore the rewarder of all men as their works shall be And this Eternal being of God should teach us all to labour for eternity for that which is vain and vanisheth is of nothing worth but the truth is that we shall all be Eternal and for ever either in felicity or misery in joy or in torments and therefore our study and care should be so to live and to serve this Eternal God that we may live with him in Eternal happiness and avoid those Eternal torments wherein the wicked shall be chained for ever For you shall find that as the same Father saith Praeterit jucunditas non reditura manet anxietas non peritura And therefore I advise you all and my hearts desire is that you would be all like these four Beasts as I have explained them in their description and their practice that so with these Beasts you may for ever live with him which was and is and is to come To whom be all Honour and Glory and Praise and Thanks for ever and ever Amen Jehovae Liberatori THE ONLY VVAY TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN A SERMON Preached before the Duke of Ormond's Grace and the two Houses of Parliament in Dublin By Griffith Lord Bishop of Ossory LONDON Printed for the Author Anno Dom. 1664. THE FIFTH SERMON MATH 6.33 and LUKE 12.31 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you I Have not long since began to treat of this Text before the most Religious and most Honourable Person here And what then the time prevented me I shall now endeavour by Gods help to conclude unto you yet with an abstract and an abreviation of the particular Points and Heads I then handled that so you may the better understand the whole And as St. Paul saith Though to us it is troublesome yet for you it is profitable to hear the same things again Quia labilis memoria hominis and good things will soon slip out of our minds And I said then that the Angel Vriel tells Esdras 2 Esdr 8.2 3. the man of God That as the earth hath more dust and clay for earthen vessels then Ore and Mines for gold so this present world hath more men
complicatus a twisted and decompound wickedness consisting of these four special branches that do most commonly walk together 1. Ingratitude 2. Inconstancie 3. Impatience 4. Injustice For 1. 1. Ingratitude They had received from the hands of God the greatest blessings that ever Nation received from a handful of hunger-starved people no more then threescore and fifteen souls to be multiplied and increased Acts 7.14 Exod. 12.37 within the space of two hundred and fifty years to the number of about six hundred thousand men besides women and children And then being cruelly opprest and tyrannized over by Pharaoh King of Egypt to be so wonderfully and miraculously delivered out of his hands so fully and opulently with silver and gold and Jewels and abundance of all manner of wealth and for God himself to guide them and to feed them with the bread of Heaven and the food of Angels What a monstrous ingratitude was it for such a people to murmur against God and to complain against Moses as if God had purposely brought them and Moses maliciously drawn them out of Egypt to be destroyed in the Wilderness of Arabia petrosa the most uncomfortable place of all the earth And is this the thanks that they render unto God for the wonders that he wrought for them in Egypt and the fearful things that he did by the Red Sea where they exceedingly rejoyced for their deliverance and sang that excellent Song of thankfulness unto God saying That he had triumphed gloriously and thrown the horse and his rider into the Sea Exod. 15.1 But 2. They had now changed their thoughts 2. Their inconstancy and their levity and inconstancy is shewed unto the world and so they continued alwayes a fickle and giddy headed people never constant in any thing but in inconstancy for though Moses brought them out of bondage and eased their shoulders from their burdens and their hands from making the pots yet when he had been but forty dayes absent from them they will needs make golden Calves and cry out These be thy gods O Israel that brought thee out of the land of Egypt And though King David subdued all their enemies the Philistines 1 Chron. 18. and the Moabites and Hadarezer King of Zobah and the Syrians and the Edomites and the Ammonites and had given them rest on every side and Solomon his Son had brought them peace all his dayes 2 Chron. 1.15 and made silver and gold at Hierusalem as plenteous as stones and built them such a glorious Temple for the service of their God as had not the like in all the world yet when his son Rehoboam did but a little discontent them they presently cry out 2 Chron. 10.16 What portion have we in David And w have no inheritance in the son of Jesse And so though Jesus Christ healed their sick raised their dead cast out their devils and by their own confession did all things well and therefore as it were to day spread their garments under his feet and cried Hosanna yet as it were to morrow they had no other note then Crucifie him crucifie him And such was the inconstancy of this people that though at first they joyfully received admired and loved the celestial Manna yet now they say in plain terms Our souls loatheth this light bread Numb 21.6 3. Their impatiencie 3. Though the Heathen man Menander could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the part of a wise man to bear all calamities and misfortunes patiently because as Horatius saith Levius fit patientia Quicquid corrigere est nefas When as another saith Dat spatium quo se crimine purget homo Patience yields a man a time and space to purge himself from that sin which hath brought his calamities upon him Yet this people for this their travel which they thought too tedious betwixt Egypt and Canaan grew weary of it and fell into such impatiency that they could not contain themselves but they must secretly murmur and then publiquely with open mouths complain against God himself and against his Servant Moses as if they had dealt too cruelly and too maliciously with them But 4. Their Injustice Amos 3.2 4. How unjustly they do this it is apparent to all the world for God professeth You only have I chosen that is for his own inheritance and his own people of all the nations of the earth And Moses continually ventured his life spent himself wholly to do them good to provide them food to procure them flesh Numb 11.12 to draw water for them out of the Rock and to carry them in his bosome as a nursing father beareth his sucking child yet so palpable was their injustice thus falsly to accuse both God and man And this was the sin of Israel The sin of England just like the sin of the Israelites and this was the sin of England in a far greater measure and a much higher strain then they did For When God much more merciful to us then he was to them had more abundantly shewed his wonders and his favours to us then he did to any other Nation under Heaven as in our deliverance by Jesus Christ from sin and Satan whereof their deliverance from Egypt and Pharaoh was but the shadow and sending to us such pious Princes so stout a Protestant as Queen Elizabeth so wise so learned and so peaceable a King as King James and so milde a man so religious and every way so excellent and surmounting all other men in all piety and goodness as King Charles the first to bring us out of the Egyptian darkness of errors and superstition and to preserve the pure light of the Gospel amongst us which no Nation under Heaven had the like yet we did not only murmur and complain against God and against his Annointed but we raged and railed we rebelled and murdered the best of Kings and our own most gracious Governour that like an Angel Pellican gave his own bloud to give life unto his children so fa◠did we exceed these sinful Jews in all wickedness But 2. Having seen their sin 2. Their punishment what followeth but their punishment which is alwayes at hand even at the heels of sin for God having heard their murmuring the Lord sent fiery Serpents among the people and they bit the people Numb 21.5 so that many of them died where you may observe how just and how proportionable their punishment is unto their sin for as the people like unto Serpents spitted out their poyson against God and his Servants so God sent these fiery Serpents to disgorge their venom against this people And you may observe further that if God did thus severely punish the murmuring and the words of this people for the Text saith no more But that they were discouraged because 〈…〉 the way and therefore spake against God and against Moses saying Wherefore have you brought us out of Egypt to die in
2.4 The bloud-thirsty how detestable Which sheweth how detestable beyond my ability of expression are those bloud-thirsty men that so maliciously and wickedly do hunt after the life of man and do shed the bloud of so many Innocents no waies like that good God which made not Death nor desireth the Death of any sinner much lesse the destruction of the Righteous nor yet like Alexander that knew not God yet knew this that when his Mother Olympias that was a bloudy woman lay hard upon him to kill a certain innocent person and to that end said often to him that she carried him Nine Moneths in her Womb therefore he had no reason to deny her answered her most wisely Good Mother ask for that some other reward and recompence because the life of man is so dear Am. Marcellin l. 14. c. 10. that no benefit can countervail it and the unjust taking of it away is so hainous that it is impossible for any mortal man to make satisfaction for so great an offence Matth. 3.7 What shall we say then to those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that when their own most gracious King doth so often sollicite for peace do still make them ready for battel and have taken away the lives of so many thousands of men 2 Thes 2.3 truly if they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet certainly they are the sons of Apollyon the children of the Destroyer Death how terrible that without speedy repentance can receive no better reward then damnation But as life is the sweetest and the most excellent of all things that are in this world Aristot. Ethic. l. 3. c. 6. so death saith the Philosopher est omnium terribilium terribilissimum because this bringeth our years to an end finisheth our daies and puts a period to all our joyes and though there is but one way of life for all men and that one alike to all to come naked out of their Mothers womb yet Job 1.21 as the Poet saith Mille modis lethi miseros mors una fatigat Statius Thebaid l. 9. There are a thousand waies to bring any one of us unto his death And here the Prophet threatneth death unto the people of Israel many waies The Israelites how threatned Quocunque aspiciunt nihil est nisi pontus aether Ovid de Trist. For the City that went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred and that which went out by an hundred shall leave ten to the house of Israel that is as Remigius and Hugo say Vers 3. the Israelites shall be so plagued by the Assyrians 2 Reg. 18.10 as well in the three years siege of Samaria as also before and after the same by the Sword Famine and the Pestilence which Sicut unda sequitur undam do ever follow like Jobs Messengers one in the heel of another the sword alwaies bringing famine and the famine producing pestilence so that almost all shall be consumed and scarce ten of an hundred shall be left And as the Spirit of God saith unto Esayas Go tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not Esay 6.10 Then said the Prophet Lord how long and he answered until the Cities be wasted without Inhabitant and the houses without man and the Land be utterly desolate So now this distressed England how threatned and how miserable we are though formerly most happy Kingdom is threatned to be scourged in like manner with the worst of wars famines and pestilences Praesentémque viris intendunt o nonia mortem And as the Poet saith all that we do see say we are appointed to be destroyed and destined unto death when as S. Bernard saith Quos fugere scimus ad quos nescimus we know whom we would shun but we scarce know where or to whom we may flee to be safe and secured of our Lives for as Jeremie saith Servants have ruled over us Lam. 5.8 9. and there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand We get our bread with the peril of our lives because of the Sword of the Wilderness And therefore as our Prophet saith Wailing is in all streets they say in all high-waies Amos 5.16 alas alas and they call the husbandman to mourning and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing Esay 34.5 6. 2 Reg. 8.1 Amos 4.10 Yet seeing the sword is the sword of the Lord and it is the Lord that calleth for Famine and the Pestilence is the scourge of God which he sendeth amongst us as our Prophet saith and that God never draweth his sword How God dealeth with his people and throweth away the Scabberd as if he never meant to put it up again never sends a famine but in that famine he can feed the young Ravens that call upon him and satisfie the hungry with good things and never powreth out any plague but that in the greatest infection he can preserve his servants that although a thousand should fall besides them and ten thousand at their right hand Psal 91 7. yet it shall not come nigh them and never sendeth any temptation but if the fault be not our own 1 Cor. 10.13 he doth with the temptation make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it because he being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 and the God of all comfort to them that fear him as well as the God of Justice to render vengeance to them that offend him hath the suppling Oyl of Mercy as well as the sharp Wine of Justice to powre into the wounds of every penitent sinner therefore our Prophet here joyneth to the Lamentation for Israel an Exhortation to repentance and though he threatneth Death for our sins yet he setteth down an Antidote whereby we might if we would preserve our life and though I confess the Physitians are very useful Physitians how useful and to be honoured as the Scripture speaketh to be sought after especially in the times of sickness and Mortality yet I am sure that neither Hippocrates nor Galen nor all the School of Salerne the whole Colledge of Physitians shall ever be able to prescribe a Potion so precious and so powerful to pâ—eserve your Life as I shall declare unto you for God which is truth it self hath said it Seek the Lord and you shall live wherein I desire you to observe Two parts of the Text. 1. A Precept the best work that you can do Seek the Lord. 2. A Promise the best reward that you can desire And you shall live 1. The Precept twofold 1. In the Precept you may see there are two words and so two parts 1. Seek which is the Act that all men do 2. The Lord which is the Object of our seeking wherein most men fail 1. The word seek doth presuppose that we have lost or be without the Lord and so we have indeed we lost Paradise
vengeance in his anger so when the Jews were grown incorrigible he saith Jer. 21.7 He will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their life and they shall smite them with the edge of the sword and shall not spare them nor have pity nor have mercy upon them and such a sin is murder and the shedding of innocent bloud whereof the Lord saith Deut. 19.13 21 Et vide Ezek. 8.17 18. Thine eye shall not pity him but life shall go for life And such a sin is the sin of Rebellion which is as the sin of Witchcraft and spreadeth it self like a Gangrene and infecteth many millions of men and therefore the resisting of authority deserveth more severity and less clemency than any sin as you may see it in the punishment of Corah Dathan and Abiram who in the judgement of God himself deserved no less than to be consumed with fire from Heaven Rebellion how horrible a sin or to be sent down quick to Hell which in the judgment of Optatus is so fearful and unparallel'd a vengeance shewing the transcendent odiousness of rebellion that the like cannot be found since the creation of the world because rebelling against lawful Authority is no less than fighting against the divine Majesty and therefore the most holy Saints of the Primitive Church that were most innocent in all their lives would notwithstanding suffer the most cruel death rather than they would resist this ordinance of God or otherwise if they had so impudently reviled their Heathen Judges and so rebelliously resisted their persecuting Kings as you see many have done of late against the most gracious Princes the Church had never canonized them for godly Martyrs but had registred them among the most wicked Malefactors 3. Contempt of the Priest was the last The third sin of the Israelites Ver. 10. but not the least sin whereby the Israelites lost the Lord when they hated him that rebuked in the gate and abhorred him that spake uprightly that is the Prophet or Preacher saith Cornelius à Lapide because the Jews had their Tribunals and Judgements in the gates of their Cities as Moses sheweth and therefore Jeremy Amos Deut. 21.10 and the rest of Gods servants sate also in the Gates as you may see * Jer. 17 19. Esdras l. 2. c. 8. to rebuke the wrong Judgements as St. Hierom and Lyra note and to speak uprightly that is Perfectum sanctum sermonem a perfect and a just Judgement as the Septuagint and Symmachus render it and this the people hated and abhorred which is the height of all iniquity to reject the Prophet and to exclude his counsel from our judgements Sinners that reject their Teachers and Pastors are incurable for as the Gout is the shame of the Physitian because he cannot cure it so this is the plague of the soul and a sin that is incurable for though a man commits many and great sins and leads a very dissolute life yet if he will dutifully hearken unto counsel and patiently bear with his rebukes there is great hope of his amendment but as the diseased that is deadly sick and yet like Harpaste that would not be perswaded that she was blind though she could see no more than a milstone will not believe that he is sick and cannot indure the sight of his Physitian runs on a pace to death without any hope of life so the Judges that hate the Prophets company and abhor the assistance of the Priests in their judgements as the Israelites now did and that sinner who doth hate his Teacher and shuns the society of him that seeks to save his soul have little sign of grace and as little hope of eternal life and therefore the Scripture describing the deadly estate of the most desperate sinners such as with Ahab had sold themselves to work wickedness saith they are like those that contend with their Priests Hos 4.4 of whom there is little hope and less good to be expected any waies for is it possible that a blind man should find his way when he beats away his Leader Or that a child should thrive when he bites and beats away his nurse that gives him suck So it is impossible that they should do well which hate the light or that they should ever learn any good which abhor the Teachers of all godliness Gem. de coelo l. 1 c. 22. Job 9 9. The Preachers like the Hyades Geminianus tells us thâ—t the Ministers of Gods word are like the Hyades whereof Job speaketh 1. Because the Hyades or Pleiades as we translate them are watry stars so called from their effects the word Hyades of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying nothing else but rain So the Preâ—chers pour Respect 1 out the showers of heavenly doctrine upon the barren ground of our souls to make them fruitful even as Moses saith My doctrine shall drop as the rain Deut. 32 2. and my speech shall distill as the dew Respect 2 2. Because that as when the Pleiades do arise the daies lengthen the Sun is hotter and the Earth produceth more plentiful fruits so by the preaching of Gods word the light of truth is increased the heat of Christian love and charity is kindled and the holy fruit of all good works is increased Therefore if the Preachers be as the rain to make us fruitful as the light to direct our waies as our Fathers to instruct us and as the Angels of God to bring us into heaven as the Scripture testifieth that they are then I beseech you tell me what holy fruiâ— what heavenly light or what Christian good can be in them that despise their Teachers and expell their fathers from their societies Yet this was the sin of the Israelites and I fear we cannot free our selves from it for how have they been used since the beginning of this Parliament Was not he most cried up that cried most against the Church and Church-men And men of no note became famous in the House by making invective speeches against the Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 4.13 Heb. 11.38 and 37. and he was deemed most eloquent that was most bitter against them and how hâ—ve they been handled ever since Voted out of all their means and not any thing left them to buy them bread graviora morte and being thus made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things unto this day as the Apostle speaketh they are either cast with Joseph into the dungeon or driven to wander in desarts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth being destitute afflicted tormented And I may say of some of them with Jeremy Jer. 5.9 they that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets they that were clad in scarlet embrace dunghils they sigh and seek bread and have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve their souls Lam. 4 5. 1.11 And shall I not
soon have put down their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries the haters of the Lord should have been found lyars but their time should have endured for ever 3. Because he is able both to performe his promise and to satisfie Reason 3 our desires which our Prophet sheweth at large saying Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion Ver. 8. and turneth the shadow of death into the morning and maketh the day dark with night that calleth for the waters of the Sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth that is as St. Hieron sheweth Fortificare debiles seek him that is the Creator of all things that is mighty to save and able to do whatsoever he pleaseth to strengthen the spoyled Ver. 9. as Vatab. and Arias say or as Aquila turns it subridere potentiam potentium to scorn the strength of the mighty and to destroy the destroyer And therefore if God be with us though we be weak and our enemies strong we few and they many yet we need not fear them because we rely not upon our own strength but upon the assistance of our God qui dividit contritionem super fortitudinem which casteth abundance of destructions upon the mighty as the Septuagint render the words of the Prophet and though we be simple and our enemies subtle and crafty full of all politique devices to raise men and to get money and to unite their strength by wicked Covenants Oaths and Associations yet we need not fear because we relye not upon our own wit but upon the wisdom of God which can destroy the wisdom of the wise 1 Cor. 1.19 and cast away the understanding of the prudent and turn the counsel of Achitophel to his own destruction Prov. 21.30 non est concilium contra eum and therefore O my beloved Brethren seek the Lord and fear not but as Moses saith stand still that is Exod. 14.13 constant in your resolution for the service of your God and the King and behold the salvation of the Lord which he will shew unto you this day or at this time 1 Sam. 14.6 2 Chro. 14.11 For there is no restraint unto the Lord to save by many or by few as both Jonathan and Asa testifie 2. The promise 2. The promise as I told you at first is the best of all desires you shall live the former part was like the toylsome labour of the Inhabitants of Persepolis when they cut the wood with their axes but this latter is like the feast that Cyrus made unto them Justia l. 1. hist when they had finished their Labours durus labor sed merces dulcis though the labour is hard yet the reward is sweet and it never troubles us to take great pains where we shall be well paid but to labour all night with the Apostles and to catch nothing How ill some masters reward their servants durus est hic sermo this is a hard saying after a hard labour but it is not so in Gods service for though in following the lusts of the flesh and the vanities of this World excessit medicina modum the reward that the Devil gives us shall be a great deal sorer than all the pain we have taken in his service for he deals with uâ— Val. Max. l. 9. c. 3. Curtius hist l. 3. as Alexander did with Clitus Calisthenes and other of his chiefest Captains or as Darius did with Eudemus to expose him unto death when he forsook his own native Country and deâ—icated his whole life to his command yet in the service of Christ it is far otherwise whatsoever a man doth for him he shall be rewarded a hundred fold How abundantly Christ rewardeth his servants and though he gives but a cup of cold water for his sake yet for this he shall not lose his reward And therefore this should incourage us to seek the Lord because our reward doth so far exceed our work Mat. 10.42 But let us consider the nature of this promise thou shalt live that is live long live well and live for ever For 1. The seekers of God shall live long Psal 37.2 1. Though the bloud-thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their daies and the ungodly shall be soon cut down like the grass gemit sub pondere tellus when the earth is weary to bear them on it yet if we seek the Lord our daies shall be long in the Land which the Lord our God given us and though the pestilence that walketh in darkness Psal 91.6 and the arrow that flyeth in the noon day do threaten our death at every hour yet when a thousand shall fall besides us and ten thousand on our right hand it shall not come nigh us such is the reward of serving God 2. They shall live well Isa 3.10 2. They shall not only live for a miserable life is not so good as a happy death but they shall live well and happily while they live for surely it shall go well with the righteous saith the Prophet and King David saith the Lions may want and suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good and the reason is rendred by the Apostle Psal 34.10 because godliness hath the promise both of this life and of the life to come And 1 Tim. 4.8 3. They shall live for ever Psal 37.27 3. If we eschew evil and do good we shall live for evermore gloriosum imperium sine fine dabit and God will give us a Kingdom without ending And therefore seeing this promise is so plentiful it is worth our labour that we should seek the Lord. Object But here it may be some will demand how doth he performe his promise for did not the Prophets the Apostles and all the Martyrs of the Primitive Church seek the Lord and believe in Christ with all their hearts and yet was not Zachary stoned in the Courts of the house of the Lord Micheas killed by Joram Amos knockt in the head with a club Isaiah sawed in pieces by Manasses John Baptist beheaded How they that sought the Lord were used in this world St. Stephen stoned James killed St. Paul beheaded St. Peter crucified St. Thomas killed with a Javelin St. Mark burned and what shall I say of Simeon Polycarpus Justinus Attalus Marcella Apollonia and abundance more of holy Saints Alii ferro perempti alii patibulo cruciati Euseb Ec. hist whereof alii flammis exusti some were burned others beheaded and all deprived of their life for seeking the Lord and confessing Christ And for any happy life the servants of God do lead doth not St. Paul say that all which will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and afflictions do wait for them in every place 2 Tim. 3.12 Acts 20.23 Psal 37.36 Luke 16. and when the ungodly flourish like
Father and the Holy Ghost be ascribed all honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Jehovae Liberatori FINIS THE PERSECUTION AND OPPRESSION Which as Solomon saith is able to make a wise man mad OF JOHN BALE That was called to be Bishop of Ossory by the sole Election without any other mans Motion of that pious King Edw. 6. AND OF GRUFFITH WILLIAMS That was called after the same manner to the same Bishoprick by the sole Election without any other mans Motion of that most excellent pious King and glorious Martyr Charles I. Two Learned men and Right Reverend Bishops of Ossory LONDON Printed for the Author 1664. I. THis John Bale was a great Schollar and a Doctor of Divinity in the University of Oxford in the time of King Edward the sixth and he himself wrote a Book which the Right Worshipful and my much honoured Friend Sir James Ware lent me wherein he setteth down the vocation persecution and deliverance of himself and out of that Book I have drawn this Abstract of his life and persecution and expulsion from that very house from whence I was also expulsed and for which I am still oppressed and troubled 1. His Vocation was by the meer good will without any sollicitation of any other of that good King Edwards when he saw him in South-hampton he sent unto him by divers of his Nobility to bid him prepare himself to go to be the Bishop of Ossory which he obediently did and transported himself and his Family into Ireland and being consecrated at Dublin though with some opposition by reason of the Popish inclination of the Catholick Clergy he presently went to Kilkenny where 2. His Persecution did begin for he no sooner began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ which he incessantly did but the most part of his Prebends and the Popish party opposed and contradicted him and within a very little while after the death of King Edw. 6. he was exceedingly persecuted by Barnaby Bolger and the Popish Priests and others that sought his death in his house this Bishops Court alias Holms Court Rich. Foster a Deacon Rich. Headly John Cage and the Maid where he saw five of his houshold Servants four men and a maid of sixteen years of age killed before his face and so had he been slain also had he not shut the Iron Grate of his Castle and kept the Kearnes out until the good suffereige of Kilkenny with a hundred horsemen and three hundred footmen brought him away in the night time and so delivered him out of their hands and forthwith sent him to Dublin from whence his life being there likewise hunted after he was conveyed away in a Marriners apparel and in his passage to Zealand was cruelly tossed by tempests and was taken at sea and carried to St. Ives in Cornwall where a wicked fellow named Walter accused our Bishop Bale of High Treason before the Justices there yet being not able to prove any thing against him the good God delivered him out of their hands And yet not long after one Martin an English Pirate did most falsly accuse him of many hainous crimes as the pâ—â—ting down of the Mass in England caused Doctor Gardiner Bishop of Winchester to be imprisoned and poysoned the King and many other hainous things which brought him abundance of troubles and vexations with the Captain of the ship wherein he passed towards Holland as himself relateth at large from fol. 38. of his Book of his persecution unto fol. 42. And because they are so fully exemplified and expressed by himself there together with the rest of his troubles and persecutions which he had in Ossory in Dublin and in his passage by Sea towards Germany in the Book that himself printed of his Vocation to the Bishoprick of Ossory and his persecution in the same I will set no more down here but refer my Reader to that Book II. GRiffith Williams born at Carnarvon at fourteen years old was sent to Oxford from whence by reason of the hard usage of him Junonis ob iram by an angry Juno that was his Unckles virago he was fain to betake himself within two years after alienas visere terras and failing to pass into France where he intended he was forced to retire into Cambridge where having no friends nor money a Country Gentleman of Harleton named Mr. Line having but one little Son about eight years old took affection unto me and entertained me into his house and table to tutor and teach that young Child and being there I got my self admitted into Jesus Colledge where as it came to my course I kept my Exercise and within two years after having gotten a Certificate from Christ-Church in Oxford of my study and good carriage there for two years before I had my degree Bachelour of Arts and within three years after I took my degree Master of Arts at 21 years of age and being admitted into the holy Orders of a Deacon by the Reverend Bishop of Rochester and of Priesthood by the Bishop of Ely after I had been a while Rector of Foscot in Buckingham-shire I became a Preacher and Lectorer in St. Peters the Proud in Cheapside and in the Cathedral Church of S. Paul For I found it so And then printed my first Book intituled The resolution of Pilate and my second Book intituled The delights of the Saints for the full space of five years I Lectored upon St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans and then began my persecution by the Puritans as they were then called and Fanaticks of those daies saving a little opposition that I formerly had by the same generation while I was Curate of Hanwel in Middlesex for now the more pains I took to study and to preach the truth boldly unto them as I ever did without fear the more mad they were against me and so mad that not only forty as they were against St. Paul but I believe above twice forty conspired together to work my death and most falsly accused me of such things as I never knew never did and never said yet they prosecuted the same so maliciously that I was bound over and they did their very best to hinder me to get any bayl to answer for my life at the Sessions house upon the Goal delivery of Newgate where I might demand tantenae animis terrestribus irae But he that dwelleth in the Heavens and knew mine Innocency and the cause of their malice laughed them to scorn and became to me as he is alwaies to them that fear him Deus in opportunitatibus a present help in trouble Who seeing that they would prefer no Bill against me quitted me and said they had forfeited and should pay their Recognizance as they well deserved to the King See the Epistle to the Reader before the seven Golden Candlesticks and delivered me with credit and honour out of the mouth of those Lions that were exceedingly blamed and checked by that worthy Judge
Gentry of the Country Clergy and Laity to meet on a certain day in Llan-geuenie to consider what we should best do for the defence of our Country and though that Doctor White and my self Mr. Jo. Gruff and Mr. Morgan and Mr. Michael Evans drew an Oath of our faithfulness and Allegiance to his Majesty and the defence of our Country to the uttermost hazard of our lives and fortunes against the rebellious Parliament so full and so well as our Wits and Learning could devise and all that were there excepting Mr. O. Wood of Llan Gwyven took it without any scruple yet before any one drop of bloud was spilt or many daies were past the Gentry Articled with General Mitton to yield up that Island into his hands and he did set Garrisons where he pleased then I conscious of what I had done alwaies and every where against the Rebels durst not trust to the mercy and truth of the Parliament but gave ten pounds to Captain Roberts that Mr. O. Wood had appointed over the Garrison in Holy Head to suffer me to pass in a Parliament Ship for the King had none in those parts into Dublin and the Master of the Ship that carried me said he durst not set me on shore any where but bring me to Captain Wood that was then Vice-Admiral to the Parliament in the Bay before Dublin yet I thought it was better for me to trust that God would deliver me from that wood than to stay among the bryars of the Long Parliament so when we came to the Bay and neer the Vice-Admirals Frigot it being late in the Evening I told the Master that I was very ill as I was indeed and I gave him a 20 s. piece of Gold for carrying me over and desired that I might stay in my Cabin there till next morning which he readily yielded And early the next morning when I thought all the Seamen in Captain Woods Ship excepting the Sentinel that kept the Watch were asleep lest any of them should know me I desired to be sent to the Vice-Admiral and so I was And when I came there I gave 2 s. 6 d. in silver to the Sentinel to tell Captain Wood that here was a Kinsman of my Lord of Yorke whom I knew was respected by all the Parliamenteers because he had besieged the Castle of Conway for the Parliament and was the chief man that called Mitten into the Country and the only instrument to bring Anglesey to submit unto him and he had a Pass from Holy Head to go to do a little business in Dublin and when he had finished his business to return with as much speed as he could unto my Lord of York again and I thought this was a fair tale and indeed I thank God it took effect for Captain Wood came to me and after he had examined me about divers things and I had answered him as warily as I could he searched me and though I had in my Pocket a Letter from his Majesty in my behalf to my Lord of Ormond yet because I had so artificially set it on the backside of a Pocket-glass and Comb-case betwixt the leather and the glass he suspected no such thing though he beheld his own face in the glass and so conceiving no ill thought of me but that I was a very good friend of the Parliament being a Kinsman of my Lord of Yorke and of his name too he called for a good Glass of Clarret-wine and drank to me and to my Lord of York and I drunk it off every drop and put on a bold face as I was wont to do every where knowing that degeneros animos timor arguit And then he sent me to shore towards Hoeth and before we came to Land we should see three or four Souldiers runnagadoes that were desirous to go to the Parliament ship but I gave five shillings to the Rowers to put me to land a pretty way from them and when I was set on land the boat-men turned away presently and would not receive the Souldiers into their boat which the Souldiers seeing called unto me to come to them How I escaped the runnagado Souldiers or to stay for them but I would not tarry but went away as fast as I could and they seeing that presented their Guns as if they would shoot at me yet I still ventured to go on knowing that being no standing mark it was but a chance to hit me if their pieces were charged and they shot at me and when they saw their vain threatning did not frighten me they began to run after me as fast as ever they could and I began to run from them as fast as ever I could and being a pretty way before them and seeing some Irish men reaping not far off I made towards them and thought I could get to them before they could overtake me and so I did yet running so fast and so far I was all of a sweat before I came unto the Reapers who kept off the Souldiers that they durst not come near me Thus was I saved from those that I assured my self would have robbed me if not kill me Then I went to Dublin and stayed there and preached often untill Ireland was surrendred upon Articles unto the Parliament and I being by name to have the benefit of those Articles and having received a very fair and considerable sum of money by the hands of Sir George Lane from my Lord of Ormond that had alwaies shewed himself a most honourable friend and a bountiful helper and benefactor to me I resolved to live upon that small temporal means which I had about twenty pounds a year in Wales But after I put my Books and Cloaths and houshold-stuff How I was taken prisoner and robbed by Captain Beech. And nothing troubled me so much as the loss of a paper Book which I had written full of Sermons which vexeth me to this very day and all the Money I had and my self into the Packet-boat to pass to Holy Head our ship was taken about the middle way by Captain Beeche and I was robbed of all that I had in it Cloaths Books Money and Houshold-stuff and with a great deal of intreaty and favour I prevailed with Captain Beeche to cast us all his Prisoners upon a little Island called Irelands eye and making there a fire that we brought with us from the Ship we had a boat that carried us into Hoath and from thence we went all to Dublin where Doctor Loftus very friendly gave me as much money as carrried me to London and there I petitioned to the Committee for Sequestred men to be restored according to the Articles of Anglesey and of Ireland to my means and one of them named Scot that since hath been hanged demanded if I had not written the Grand Rebellion and I answered I did then said he and do you come for performance of Articles that deserve rather to have your head cut off No no said
Corbet and the Chair-man let us go to another matter and I lest I should be clapt by the heels And after the Committee read the Letters I got them from them to shew them to other Committee men and I keep them with me to this very day stunk away from those Wolves as fast as I could Yet I was loath so desistere caeptis but I would try movere omnem lapidem and seeing hac non successit alia aggrediar via and having procured a little money I went to Sir Thomas now Lord Fairfax and giving his Secretary some pieces of Gold he got me my Lord Fairfax his Letters to the Committee of Northhampton and of Anglesey to restore me to my temporal means and they not sitting together I was fain in a very cold and snowy weather to walk on foot for I had no horse nor money to buy one from one to one of the Committee to get their hands to restore me and so I had them and I thank God I was restored then after I had been in London and had the favour to go with my Lord of Ormond in his Coach from Kingston to Hampton Court to wait upon his Majesty a little before he went to the Isle of Wight I went as soon as ever I heard the King was gone to live privately and poorly in mine own house in Wales and there fell hard to my study to finish my Great Antichrist and to preach as occasion offered it self and so I continued for a long time in a very poor condition so poor that when three or four of the Parliament Souldiers were sent to quarter at my house and there finding neither Servants to attend them nor Beer to drink nor other provision but some barly bread and a little glas-doore I got a good dinner with them of that provision which they brought and they presently went to their Captain and told him my house had nothing for them and they must have a better quarter and so before night they were removed to a far better accommodation and my mean condition preserved me ever after from the quartering of any Souldiers while I lived there So poverty was to me an advantage and so I alwaies thought and believed that God would work together all things for the best for them that love him as the Apostle saith and therefore this made me when my Lord of Pembroke whom I had for so many Lustras of years served offered in this my poor estate to procure me a living then void in Lancashire from the Parliament worth four hundred pound per annum so I would be ruled and submit my self to the Parliament to thank his Lordship for his Honourable favour When all the rest of the Bishops accepted of 100 li. a piece from Hen. Crumwel I refused the same but to refuse the Living for which he several times called me fool for my pains and so likewise when Mr. Henry Crumwel heard of my often preaching in Dublin and was desirous to hear me in his own house and when I had ended my Sermon bad me dine with him and as he allowed the rest of the Bishops 100 li. a piece per annum to maintain them so a friend of mine told me from his Lordship he was favourably pleased to do the like to me to whom I answered that I was infinitely obliged to him for his favour but that I was resolved to live contented with that small means that I had of mine own I was so fully perswaded to retain mine integrity and faithfulness to my King and assured my self of that change and revolution which I so speedily expected to come to pass And so I continued there in Llanlechyd in that poor condition until his Majesty that now is was upon his march towards Worcester at which time Sir Gruffith Williams my very good friend and Landlord being Sheriff desired me to preach at the Assizes in Conwey before the Judges and the whole Country knows how boldly and freely I shewed them their cuty now to manifest their Loyalty and love to his Majesty whom God had thus graciously brought unto their dores so that Courtney the then Governour of Beaumaresh coming to Town after Sermon and hearing what I had preached did exceedingly freâ— and chafe and chide with the Judges because that they would hear such a man as was so well known to be such a grand enemy unto the Parliament and concluded with the now Sir John Carter the then Governour of Conwey that told me as soon as I had done my Sermon but that he would not seem uncivil he would have pluckt me by the ears out of the Pulpit a fine sight that they should clap me up in Prison but I hearing of it did immediatly as fast as ever I could get my horse and posted away as it were upon Pegasus to hide my self from those then tyrannous whelps of Cerberus the same Carter being the man that when I was preaching at Llan Sannam and another whelp of the same litter rose up and contradicted all that I had said and caused me to be pluckt out of the Pulpit and such a tumult to arise that I feared much slaughter would be committed and that I should be torn all to pieces and when some of the Gentlemen of the Parish at the Quarter Sessions in Ruthen would have indicted the fellow that disturbed me in my Sermon said they should rather indict me for preaching contrary to the order now set forth than him that had so justly hindered me so I was only blamed and he acquitted by the justice of Sir John Carter After this I continued in my poor house untill I had finished my Great Antichrist and then I shewed it to very many of my friends whom I durst trust both in Ireland and Wales and told them when according to the Prophesies of the Scripture that I had collected and was fully perswaded of the truth thereof his now Majesty should be restored and I carried it to London to be printed and left it with my old friend that had printed my Best Religion Mr Stevens and he shewing it to some of his friends Presbyterians I conceive to have their opinion of it and some of them answered it somewhat large and Mr. Stevens delivered the same to me and the conclusion was The answer and the answerers opinion of the printing of it I have by me to this day the printing of it is like to be much to the damage of the Printer and the ruin of the Author if he be found out and little credit in my opinion is so like to gain thereby So Mr. Stevens durst not venter to print it by any means yet if I could have had any other to print it I would have done it and resolved to have fled into the Low Countries when it had been done but it could not be that any Stationer would venture to do it so I went to Wales But when I heard that Sir George Booth
pleaded that there was an errour in the said Indictment and being somewhat long in alledging the Cases of A. and B. and of John an Oakes and John a Stile the Lord Chief Justice told him it was the last day of the Term and Motions were to be heard Therefore seeing they could not hear out the Matter now they should shew cause by the second day of the next Term why possession should not be restored Then I thought this was to keep me long enough out of my Possession and to let Sir George Ayskue have one half years rent more to the two half years Rent that he had already since I was driven out of my Possession and to let his Counsel have time e ough added to what they had already to pick as many holes as they could find or could make in mine Indictment but considering that as the Poet saith Levius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas I went away and said nothing But upon the second day of the next Term which was appointed for the hearing of it the Kings Atturney moved for possession and the Counsel of the other side began to plead the errours of the Indictment but the pleading was presently put off and it was prosecuted the next day The Kings Atturney being not there and the main errour that was of any moment and which was neither seen nor toucht the Term before by Sir George his Counsel for all other things alledged as my Counsel said were but trifles could easily be answered was that in the Indictment it was said Per Sacramentum quindecem virorum whereas it should be Per Sacramentum proborum legalium hominum comitatus Kilken predict extitit presentat which words were all left out of the Indictment and the other words put in the room of them Then I stood up and said I was certain the words quindecim virorum were not in the Indictment that was found by the Jury and that all the other words were in it because that my self had examined it and read it and had likewise a Copy of it under the hand of the Clerk of the Peace which was examined with the Original by my self And I offered in open Court to make Oath of all this but the Lords Justices answered that they could not proceed but according to the Record that was returned to the Court which they must conceive to be the true Record And I answered That I hoped they would not judge according to that Record which I would swear was false and corrupted and not the true Record nor according to the Record that was found by the Jury yet I could not prevail to have the Clerke of the Peace sent for and to bring the original Record to be shewed in the Court therefore by the next day I brought this Affidavit in writing THe Right Reverend Father in God Griffith Lord Bishop of Ossory this day made oath before me that he had sundry times perused the original Indictment and Record of Forcible Entry found by a Jury of the County of Kilkenny upon the 18th day of December last past against the said Defendants in the Custody of one Nicholas Halpenny who as is alledged is either Clerk or Deputy Clerk of the Peace for the said County and that the said Indictment and Record being removed into this Court Pursuant to his Majesties Writ of Certiorari this Deponent did peruse the said Record so transmitted by the said Halpenny and doth find upon view and examination thereof that there are sundry Circumstantial and substantial words which are in the said original Indictment found by the Grand Jury omitted to be returned and as this Deponent believes and remembers other words are inserted therein by the Clerk that returned or drew up the same He further deposed That before the Record was returned into this Court he had a Copy of the said Original attested under the hand of the said Halpenny which he doth find upon examination to be different from the Record now lodged in this Court by vertue of the said Certiorari and that as this Deponent is credibly informed and verily believeth the said Certiorari and Record now returned was for the space of one month or thereabouts in Dublin detained in the hands of Mr. Patrick Lambert who is said to be Atturney for Sir George Ayscue Knight the pretended Proprietor of the premises in the Indictment contained before such time as he returned the same and that this Deponent could not have the said Record returned ere that he had by the Court a conditional fine imposed upon the Clerk of the Peace or his Deputy for his neglect in not returning thereof And then my Counsel moved that it might be read and so it was And I shewed to their Lordships what great wrong and abuse this was to me and an injury to his Majesty to have the Record falsified and corrupted and protested in the open Court that so long as I could either speak or go I would not suffer this abuse to pass unexamined and at last with much ado I got the Lords Justices to grant their Writ to enjoyn the Clerke of the Peace to appear upon the Saturday following to answer such things as should be objected against him sub paena c. librarum at which time he came and I went with him to my Lord Chief Justice his house to shew him the original Record and how it was falsely transcribed and not according to that which was brought into the Court but my Lord Chief Justice seeming as I conceived somewhat angry said he would hear nothing nor see any thing but what should be shewed in Court and then the Clerke of the Peace came with me to the Court and when he was called he confessed the truth that the Record transmitted to the Court was not according to the original Record but was falsely written by his Clerke that he trusted to write it altogether unknown to him then my Counsel moved that the Record might be amended according to the original Record but the Lords Justices answered that they could not alter the Record brought into the Court And the Kingâ— Sollicitor Mr. Temple very honestly replied they might if they pleased have it amended for that in such a case some errour or mistake was found in an Indictment in the time of one Clerke of the Peace and it was ordered to be amended pro rege in the time of another Clerke of the Peace the Lord Chief Justice answered this Indictment was brought into the Court the last Term and therefore it could not be amended this Term. Then I replied It should have been brought in in the beginning of the last Term but it was concealed till the last day of the last Term and this errour then was neither seen nor spoken of and how could we move then to have it amended before we knew the falshood and corrupting of it which was no waies perceived till this time Yet for all that I could
would discharge his Servants quarters he would take off the Inhibition upon the Jurisdiction whereupon Mr. Connel and my self engaged to discharge the Reckoning and so we thought that all things had been ended in a fair correspondence but upon his departure he did privately sequester all the Livings of Mr. Cull Junior the Vicaredge of Aghaboe into the hands of one Manby the Archbishops Chaplain he sequestered out of my own poor means Donnoghmore and Rosconnel and two Livings more of Mr. Cull Senior and there were many other Sequestrations that I could not get an account of which they carried to Dublin Thus praying for your Lordships speedy return to countenance and support the Clergy I rest Kilkenny July 23. 1664. Your Lordships most obliged Servant Joseph Teate And now having set down this Letter I would have my Reader to understand that whatsoever I set down here touching my Lords Grace his Visitation I say it not to accuse any of his Officers of the least fault or to lay the least blame on them for any unjust proceeding therein The things acted by Mr. Archdeacon Bulkley in my Lords Grace his Visitation which the Bishop of Ossory understands not as 1. The suspension of the Bishops jurisdiction Canon 24. But I only set down rem gestam to shew how heavy the Censure was and how burthensome which a just judgement may be unto the poor Clergy whose neglect or fault I excuse not if they committed any but only pitty their case under their Censure and likewise to shew how far beyond my understanding which notwithstanding might be most just many things were acted therein As 1. The Suspension or inhibition of the Jurisdiction I know not for how many months together nor for what cause if as Mr. Teates Letter saith for the neglect of the Archbishops Refection I find the Canons say that neither the Archbishops in their Visitation shall charge their Suffragans nor the Bishops their Clergy with any noctials or refections over and above their ordinary Procurations reserving notwithstanding unto the Archbishops the refections heretofore usually received in those Diocess where the same Procurations are not received by them which are yearly paid by the Clergy unto their Bishops But the Archbishops do receive from the Clergy of the Diocess of Ossory all the Procurations that they do yearly pay unto their Bishops And yet notwithstanding this exemption of Refections by the Canon I am sure I paid seventeen pound for the Archdeacons refection in the Archbishops last Visitation which is a great deal more than the Subsidy and twentieth part that I pay unto his Majesty any year and it may be more than ever was bestowed upon a Dinner for the blessed Apostles S. Paul But you see in the Letter how highly they do extoll the Bishop of Kildare which is the prime Bishop in the Kingdom for the noble entertainment that he made at this Visitation spending as some say forty pounds at least for their Refection and the Bishop of Lachlin and Fernes in like manner that was not much behind the former to shew his love and respect to his Metrâ—politan my Lords Grace of Dublin Truly I do honour respect and reverence and do heartily love my Lords Grace of Dublin as a most noble Gentleman and a most reverend and a worthy Father of the Church and as much and it may be more than any of them and have suffered somewhat for the love I bare him though my large expence for the rights of the Church darkened the expression thereof in the Archdeacons Refection as the Archdeacon represented it to his Grace Or it may be as some say my Jurisdiction for the Jurisdiction is mine and not my Archdeacons nor Register was suspended because I appeared not at the Visitation but went to England without my Lords Grace his leave especially after I had notice of his Visitation Indeed I must confess I went after I had notice of the Visitation but my only business was the business of the Church and I had my Lord Lieutenants leave under his hand and seal to go without any prejudice unto me neither was I so forgetful of my duty or of civil respect as to neglect my Lords Grace but I went unto his Grace to excuse my absence from his Visitation and to desire his leave to go on my journey and he very graciously yielded unto me And why after such leaves obtained my Jurisdiction which is half my Episcopal Function should be inhibited I understand not If Mr. Bulkley saith quomodo constat that you had my Lords Grace leave to be absent I answer quomodo constabat how did I know that Mr. Archdeacon Bulkley should visite me and would think me so uncivil and so ill bred as to forget my respect and duty to my Lords Grace as to go away without his leave I but why did not you saith the Archdeacon send a Certificate under the Archbishops hand that you had his Grace his leave 1. Because I did not understand that if I were at Corke or Kerry or some other such remote place from Dublin it is absolutely necessary by any Canon or Law that I must either go or send to Dublin to get my Lords Grace his leave to go about my most unavoidable occasions of what consequence soever they be or else to be sequestred from my means or to be suspended from my jurisdiction 2. Because that having his leave ore tenus by word of mouth I did not believe that Mr. Archdeacon would imagine that a man should not trust the Archbishops words except he had it under his hand and seal when as I never doubted of any honest mans word and much less of the words of my Lords Grace of Dublin Yet the Jurisdiction was suspended as they say for six months till all the harvest and the profit of the year should be past over and what a grievance this is to all those parties that have suits depending in the Bishops Court to have justice retarded all this while and to those also that would sue for their Tythes or for any other right within the cognizance of the Ecclesiastical Court I do not understand it but am sorry for it and let others judge of it 2. The taking of the Articles exhibited against the Dean out of the Bishops Court 2. When as Articles were exhibited unto me of high nature against the Dean of S. Kenny and I calling him into my Court to answer them and giving him his own time that he desired to have to make his answer that he might not be surprized and this long before any inhibition of my Jurisdiction came into my hands I do not understand how the same suit depending in my Court could be taken off but by an appeal and transmitted by a due Course of Law or otherwise all the suits and causes depending in my Court might be cancelled and taken off as well as this and what a grievance is this to the prosecutors of any suit
in the Sequestration of them But if they were Sequestred for not paying the Archbishops Procurations or other duties due unto his Grace I blame them very much that they paid them not for though by reason of the smalness of their means and the worthiness of the men in their pains taking I forgave all my Procurations and other dues also to most of the poorer sort of them ever since his Majesty came in and to my remembrance have not received so much as ten shillings in Procurations from all my Clergy to this very day yet that should not make them careless or forgetful to pay all duties that are due to other men and therefore I told Mr. Barry that saith for not paying eighteen pence Procurations to the Archbishop he paid thirty two shillings to his Register for his Relaxation that he did very unwisely therein though to excuse himself to me that was angry with them all that were negligent to pay all dues to his Grace he had saith that eighteen pence is not in my List nor in the Archdeacons List of Procurations neither was it ever paid or demanded to be paid either by me or by my Archdeacon or by any other Bishop or Archbishop before or otherwise if he known how it came into Mr. Archdeacon Bulkleys Rowle he would rather have paid his eighteen pence than thirty two shillings and so I told every one of the rest of them that were sequestred and paid thirty two shillings for each of their Relaxations that it was their own fault and their folly that they had not paid what was so justly due unto his Grace 3. The consequents of their Sequestrations 3. For the Consequents of these Sequestrations as they were very beneficial and profitable to the Archdeacons Friends and to my Lords Grace his Officers as I could shew you in what particulars so they were very fatal and grievous to the poor Priests that were sequestred for I charging them upon their Canonical obedience to shew me the truth of the proceedings and sufferings which they sustained I received a Petition from the Senior Cull and a Letter of Mr. Marby my Lords Grace his Chaplain to a friend of his which I once thought to insert in this place but I did not yet I perceived thereby how heavily this burthen lay upon the poor mans back that protested unto me he spent near thirty pounds before he was quitted from all his troubles in this business and he was brought so low that I was fain to lend him twenty pounds to be sent to Oxford to relieve his two Sons lest otherwise they should be expelled out of their Colledge for want of money to pay their arrears and how great a prejudice and hinderance it was to the Junior Cull in his proceedings in the University himself best knoweth and can best inform you the which things I conceived were very much to be pittied by any compassionate Father in the Church of God that hath a fellow-feeling of anothers misery And I understand likewise from the rest of the Clergy and the poor Clarks of the Parish Churches what an infinite charge the rest of the sequestred parties had been at in paying about thirty two shillings Fees for every Relaxation and Sequestration granted against them besides their own proper expences and if I am not misinformed besides two pence a mile from Dublin to Ossory which in some places is betwixt fifty and sixty miles to the Apparator that served the Sequestration and besides a far greater trouble and loss which these sequestred persons had from the Tenants to whom they had set their Tythes before they were sequestred and by reason of the great charge and small means of some of them were fain to take some part of their money before-hand for when the Farmers of their Tythes saw that their Livings were sequestred and put into other mens hands yet though they had a Relaxation of them afterwards they pretended a far greater loss than it may be they had and so made the loss very great unto the Incumbent that must bear all the damage and save the Tenant harmless as to instance in one example for all The Dean and Chapter having paid me no Procurations An instance of the loss of the sequestred parties for all the Livings that they held since his Majesties happy restauration I sequestred the same into the hands of two of the ablest and best experienced Prebends Mr. Teate and Mr. Kerney who I knew would give a just account to me and to the rest of their fellow Prebends and they did set the Tythes unto those Tenants that were most able and gave most for them but when Archdeacon Bulkley came to visite the Chapter his great friend and old acquaintance the Dean that had all the former years Revenues in his hand and had given none account of any part thereof unto the Chapter and was much grieved at my Sequestration of it out of his hands would not pay the Procurations due to my Lord Archbishop of Dublin no more than he would pay to me any of my Procurations whereupon Archdeacon Bulkley whether to please the Deane or to pleasure his Cosin Bulkley I know not sequestred the same again into the hands of his Cosin Mr. Thomas Bulkley and the rest of the Prebends had lost no less than five pounds by reason of that Sequestration if the Law had not forced Mr. Tho. Bulkley to yield it up into the former Tenants hands And so did the rest of the Clergy lose very much by reason of their Sequestrations which they had never been acquainted with since my restauration though I received not forty shillings from all my Clergy since I came to be Bishop to this very day nor so much as one penny from the Dean in all my life Then about two months after the Archbishops Visitation was past I received a Letter from Mr. Proby the Archbishops Register And therein a List of them that had not paid their Procurations unto his Grace At the reading of which I did greatly wonder at the partiality of Archdeacon Bulkley that could spare to sequester Mr. Richard Seagar Mr. Whittington Mr. Williams Mr. Richard Deane Mr. Goburne Mr. Wilson and Dr. Chamberlain that were the Deans friends and for whom he interceded though five of them were non-resident and yet would presently sequester those eight whereof seven were alwaies resident and took most pains in all the Diocess whom he knew the Bishop therefore had a very good opinion of them as well as of those whom he spared and the Dean had so eagerly I will not say maliciously but I dare say causelesly complained of them and these also to have their Relaxations granted before they had paid their Procurations I hope it is not to sequester them again which they well deserve if their former warning hath not taught them to pay them And therefore I that have alwaies perswaded and taught obedience to be observed by all inferiours to
all But though it be not amiss to make known the injustice and the faults of Great men that there may be a redress of them yet who dares complain and speak of the Vices of their Superiours An tutum est scribere in eos qui possunt proscribere I have read how the Mice held a Consultation The Fable of the Mice how they might escape the fury of the Cat and one wiser than the rest said it might easily be done if there were but a Bell tied about the Cats neck for so they might heare her coming and they might get away and all liked well and applauded the device but to this day they could never agree which of them should tie the Bell about the Cats neck So all the poor and inferiour Clergy all sigh and groan and complain of their Taxes and Pressures and Oppressions by the Bishops and Archbishops and Archdeacons and their Suffragans and all that come to Censure them but not one of them all dares tie the Bell about the Cats neck and complain of these Great Powers unto the Higher Powers to have their abuses redressed for fear of a worser consequence no less than to be crusht and torn all to pieces Yet I remember what Seneca saith that he which is careless of his own life may when he will be Master of another mans life so he that is careless of his own state or promotion and regards not the confluence of wealth and worldly things may without fear do things that other timorous men dare not venter to do The manifold deliverances of the Author And truly I must confess that since the great Jehovah my continual deliverer hath delivered me from that multitude of those malicious Enemies that sought after my life when I was scarce budded in the world and ever since hath preserved me so many times from such great and so unimaginable dangers as from Captain Flaxen when I was carried Prisoner to North-hampton from Captain Beech when I was taken prisoner at Sea from the drunken Captain that would have delivered me to the Power of the Parliament hard by Aber-ystwith from Sir John Carter and Courtney that would have clapt me in prison when I preached for his now Majesty at Conway from the wicked Committee of plundered Ministers that said I deserved rather to have my head cut off than to have any Articles performed with me from so many desperate Sea-voyages and Land journeys that I passed through and from Captain Wood when I was under his hands in the Parliament Ship from the Great Antichrist the Long Parliament and especially from the devil himself when he threw me down at West-Wickham and God said unto him as he did of Job He is in thy hand but save his life I never feared what man could do unto me but as the Prophet David said the Lord delivered me from the mouth of the bear and of the Lion and he will deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine So I say the Lord that preserved me so many times from so many dangers will still preserve me while with a sincere heart I endeavour to discharge my duty especially seeing the Lord saith I even I am he that comforteth you and who art thou that art affraid of a man and of the son of man that shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker that hath stretched forth the heavens and laid the Foundations of the Earth and hast feared every day because of the fury of the oppressour as if he were ready to destroy Therefore as I have been alwaies resolute and in a manner desperate in the judgment of the timorous as it appeareth by the three Books that in the behalf of our late King I printed in Oxford and the three Books that I writ of the Great Antichrist while the Long Parliament and the false Prophet were in their greatest prevalency and by the Sermons that I preached at St. Nicholas and other Churches in Dublin at Conwey before the Judges at Llaâ— Sannan and in all places So now in mine old age when I am so near my grave I have less reason to fear and more cause to be resolute to say the truth to discharge my duty and to implore my most honourable Friends my Lords Grace of Canterbury my Lord of London and my old familiar Acquaintance my Lord of Winchester whom God hath placed so near his Majesty and hath raised to that eminency of dignity pre consortibus above their brethren not so much for their own sakes as for his honour and service and the good of his Church and like so many religous Josephs to relieve their distressed Brethren to joyn in mine assistance most earnestly to beseech and most humbly to petition to his Sacred Majesty that he would be graciously pleased to relieve and help the Church of Ireland in those threefold grievances that I have foreshewed as that 1. Seeing the Lands and Revenues of the Church were I am sure in many places of my Diocess given for their reward that fought against his late Majesty and that by reason of their wealth and great friends to uphold them therein they do possess them and we that would erect our Churches therewith are disinabled to do it without our means that are so forcibly with strong hands and by such friends detained from us his Majesty would be pleased to cause them or some others some waies and by some means to have the Churches of God for the service of Jesus Christ to be erected and repaired * Especially the Bishops Cathedral Church in Kilkenny and not to the scandal of our Religion which the Jews Turks and Gentiles would not do to suffer our very Cathedrals and so many other Parish Churches to lie so ruinous and so rooted up as they are 2. That seeing so many great and goodly Impropriations are taken away from the Church of Christ and from the service of God and are held in the hands of such great persons and powerful men that will not part with them as I shewed to you before and the poor Vicars of such Rectories impropriate have scarce so much means belonging to the Vicaredges as will put bread into their mouths whereby they are constrained for the relief of their Families to take Farms and other Lands to occupy like Lay men and to neglect their duties and the service of Gods Church and to suffer the poor people either to be instructed and to have their children baptized married and buried by the Popish Priests or to have no Priests at all and we that are the Diocessans by reason of the small values of those Vicaredges can find no men that are worthy and able Ministers that will come and accept of those slender maintenances and those that do accept them we cannot make them by reason of their smalness to discharge them And seeing as I said the Churches are down and the Lands Livings and Revenues of the Church are thus as I