without them and can doe infinitely more by his word alone in an instant then they can doe as long as the world stands Oh how great is this God this Lord of Hosts To apply it in a few words 1. Who would not feare this God then Job 13. 11. Shall not his excellencie make you afraid Behold here a great part of the excellencie of his name let it strike a reverentiall feare into our hearts Psal 76. 4. Thou art more glorious and excellent then the mountains of prey The stout-hearted are spoiled At thy rebuke O God of Jacob the chariot and the horse are cast into a dead sleep Then the inference ver 7. Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry 2. Surely then it is good being on Gods side to be of his party this is the strongest side this certainly will have the victory It is safest to joyn with the Lord and it is most honourable You know what Christ said to his Disciples to strengthen them against feare I could pray to my Father and he would send me twelve Legions of Angels David Psal 27. though alone yet he thinks himselfe safe enough with the Lord of Hosts ver 3. Though an Host shall encampe against me my heart should not feare Though Warre should rise against me in this will I be confident In what ver 1. That the Lord is his light his salvation and the strength of his life If we be with the Lord we may be sure that we shall ever have with us more then against us 2 Chron. 32. 7 8. Be strong and couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there be moe with us then with him With him is an arme of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels And the people sayes the Text rested upon the words of Hezekiah Here is a full object for our faith to rest upon If we look upon God onely in this latter consideration of him as The Lord of Hosts we need never feare want of Souldiers seeing all creatures in heaven and earth are his armed trained Souldiers and he himselfe is infinite in himself Oh how happy should we be if we could in all our straits exercise faith in this Lord of Hosts looking upon him in this consideration You will say It is true this Lord of Hosts is indeed a full object of faith were it not that we have sorely provoked him to come out against us yea we are afraid he is now appearing in wrath against us I will give you one Text of Scripture in such a case as this is when your provocations of him lye heavy upon you and it is as sweet and full and encouraging a Scripture as any I know Zach. 1. 17. The Lord had professed in the beginning of the Chapter that he had been sore displeased with their Fathers ver 2. yea and it appeares by the 3. and 4. ver that they were no better then their Fathers and ver 12. it is said The Lord of Hosts had had indignation against Jerusalem these threescore and ten yeeres so that even at that present when the Prophet spake to them it seemes God was in such a way towards them as his indignation appeared against them but that their hearts might break and their faith be raised marke what a gracious promise comes in to them even now in this 17. ver Cry yet saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts My cities through prosperity or through good so the word is in the Hebrew shall yet be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Sion and shall yet choose Jerusalem Mark here are foure yets in this ver and they are very gracious ones Cry yet shall yet be spread shall yet comfort and shall yet choose Jerusalem and all these from the Lord of Hosts yea and from the Lord of Hosts sorely dispeased yea although he was provoked to indignation We have sinned cry yet We have provoked wrath shall yet be spread We are miserable wretched creatures shall yet comfort We are unworthy shall yet choose O the free grace of our God to his people Thou troubled distressed soule look up to him as making himselfe knowne by this glorious name cry to him by this name Lord thou commandest Angels heavens earth seas now let thy power worke for the good of my soule give commandement from heaven to this distemperd heart of mine to yeeld to submit to thee to these lusts that rise against thee that they may be subdued yea destroyed Lord in any difficulties we finde our selves brought into let us not be discouraged We cannot see how Antichrist should be brought downe But Revel 18. 8. Her plagues shall come in one day he shall utterly be burnt with sire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her And further it is most honourable to joyne with to be under this Generall Souldiers boast much of the power greatnesse magnificence of their Generall they account themselves honoured by it The people of God have infinite cause to make their boast of this Lord of Hosts under whose banners they fight he is their praise and their glory Psal 148. God is gloriously set forth with his Hosts about him The conclusion ver 14. is this He is the praise of all his Saints Not onely Objectively because the Saints are exercised in his praises but Relatively he is a praise and honour to his Saints his Saints glory in this that they serve under such a Commander There are two Captains in the world under whose command all the world serve this Lord of hosts and the Devil for he also hath his Armies fighting for him the Dragon and his Angels all wicked men are under him and fight for him his great Lieutenant is Antichrist It is no dishonour to run from these Commanders to get under the Banners of the Lord of Hosts 3. Let us honour this Lord of hosts by being willing to be put into what rank he shall please to be ordered in what place he shall appoint and there to keep out ranks If God wil put us in the fore-front where there is hottest service let us not murmur the hotter the service is the greater will the reward be We must not choose our own places All other creatures except the Angels are onely passive to the work of their Lord in ordering them We should be active in yeelding our selves freely to his ordering and be well pleased with it and keep our ranks It is an easie matter to keep rank whilst we march along but when we come to fight we shall not find it so Lastly how dreadfull must this glorious name of God needs be to all ungodly ones who walk on in wayes of enmity against such a God Esay 45. 9. Woe to him that striveth with his Maker let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the
unto them They in their pride lift up themselves and magnifie themselves against the Saints as if they were a company of silly weak men they doe not know that they are the people of the Lord of Hosts therefore God threatens there that he will be terrible unto them And thus you have the Relation of the Church to God revealing himselfe in this name The Lord of Hosts yet marke further the Relation that God hath to them in this his name As 1. The Lord of Hosts is the portion of his Church Jer. 10. 16. The portion of Jacob is not like them hee is the former of all things The Lord of Hosts is his name Wherefore if there be any thing in The Lord of Hosts that can doe them good they may challenge it for God The Lord of Hosts is their portion they may make use of all that is in him for their good 2. Hs is their Redeemer That you have in the Text Our Redeemer The Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord undertakes the redeeming of his people under this title of his on purpose that the multitude the greatnesse the fury of their enemies might not daunt them Your Redeemer is not one that cannot save he is The Lord of Hosts and one you may certainly confide in for he is The holy One of Israel 3. He is the pleader yea the through pleader of the cause of his people Jer. 50. 34. Their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name he shall throughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon God hath begun to plead the cause of his people already and hee hath shewne himselfe The Lord of Hosts in it but hee hath not yet throughly pleaded their cause as he meanes to doe when he shall doe that he will then give rest to the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon This work will cost the inhabitants of Babylon deare they were never so disquieted amongst us as they are at this day They have troubled the Saints and God now troubles them but will yet disquiet them more although they thinke to defend themselves by gathering Armies yet the Lord of Hosts shall disquiet them and give rest to his people There remaines yet a rest for the people of God even in this world 4. The Lord of Hosts is the Husband of his Church and this is the most neare and sweet relation of all Esa 54. 4 5 6. Feare not c. For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken grieved in spirit when thou wast refused saith thy God Alas saith the Church I am a poore desolate widow a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit every one neglects me I am rejected of all Well sayes God I took thee when thou wert thus forsaken to be my Spouse I have marryed thee to my selfe therefore now feare not I am the Lord of Hosts the God of the whole earth Surely a Generall if he hath the heart of a man in him he will fight for his Spouse he will not suffer his Spouse to be ravished before his eyes What sayes Ahasuerus concerning Haman Will he force the Queen before my face Vile men are risen up and they seeke to ravish the Church the Spouse of the Lord of Hosts and do you think he will suffer this before his face Shall not all the Armies in heaven and earth rather come together and fight for her deliverance Now then if all these things be thus we have cause then to quiet our hearts in the midst of all our fears and distractions to stand still and see the salvation of God the salvation that this Lord of Hosts is working for us This is the businesse that I have been endeavouring to enlarge before you the object of your faith and to lessen the object of your feare Surely if the Lord of Hosts hath such a relation to his Church and the Church such a relation to him he cannot but be exceedingly provoked against any that shall meddle with his Church to doe it hurt I will give you one notable expression of his anger against such Esa 3. 15. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poore saith the Lord of Hosts God here speaks angerly What am I the Lord of Hosts and will you offer this What mean you As when we flie upon a man in anger whom we see doth things to our prejudice or the prejudice of any neer to us in an absurd maner we say What doe you mean to do thus what are you mad Doe you know what you doe Doe you know who they are you thus abuse From all these gracious expressions of this Lord of Hosts to the comfort and encouragement of his people the result is that in the 8. of Esay 12 13. Say not A confederacy to them that say A confederacy oh many of their forces are joyned together feare not their feare but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himselfe and let him be your feare and let him be your dread The Name of God is a strong Antidote to drive feare out of the hearts of the weakest Upon what we have seene in this title of God we may well say to the fearful in heart be strong feare not as we have it Isa 35. 4. Let women and all such as are naturally feareful take heed of sinfull feare The fearfulnesse of women hanging about their Husbands and children and friends crying out when they should goe forth in this service and going up and down wringing their hands and making dolefull outcries may do abundance of hurt exceedingly hinder the work that the Lord hath now in hand Let women take heed they be not hindrances but let them learne to exercise faith and take spirit to themselves that they may further their Husbands children and friends in this work of the Lord of Hosts Marke that Scripture 1 Pet. 3. 6. Yee are the daughters of Sarah so long as you do well and be not afraid with any amazement Yee would all willingly be accounted the daughters of Sarah Observe how the holy Ghost puts it upon this that you be not afraid with any amazement it may be nature may cause some feare but grace must keepe it that it be not with any amazement Why is it thus put upon this As Abraham is most commended for his faith and so by beleeving wee are the children of Abraham so it seemes Sarah his wife in those difficulties that Abrabam went through she was no hinderance but a furtherance to him she did not cry out to him Why will you leave your fathers house and all your kindred and go up and downe in a strange country in the middest of dangers and many straits no but shee rather was a helpe to him and an encourager of him so saies Peter who speaking to Christians who lived in troublesome and dangerous
God is the Lord of Hosts in respect of that absolute command he hath over all creatures he hath all creatures in heaven and earth under him as a Generall hath his Souldiers The Angels they are his Hosts Psal 68. 17. The Charyots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai In the Hebrew the word is in the singular number the Charet to note the joynt-service of all the Angels they are but as one Charet although they be many thousands yea Myriads of thousands as we have it here there never is any mutiny amongst these Souldiers their harmony is most blessed their union firm indissoluble That which your English turns Twenty thousand even thousands is Myriades thousands and the word translated Angels is not elsewhere found in Scripture in that signification it comes of Shanah to second as being second or next to God the chiefe Princes the Nobles of Gods Court as Dan. 10. 13. Michael one of the chiefe Princes The Seventy translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The chearfull ones who serve this Lord of Hosts readily and freely and joyfully in his wars they derive it from the Hebrew Shaan which signifies to bee in tranquility and joy as in Sinai that is as God was in Sinai with ten thousand of his holy ones when hee gave the Law Deut. 33. 2. so he is in Sion likewise the Angels Gods Hosts makes Sion as dreadfull to all her enemies as those Angels as appeared to God on Mount Sinai made it dreadfull to the people Thus Dan. 10. 20. The Angel tels Daniel That he was to returne to fight with the King of Persia God hath his Angels to stand out against the great Princes of the earth they go forth to fight with them they often meete with terrible strokes from Angels when they little thinke of them The stars in Heaven they are the Hosts of God Judges 5. 20. They sought from heaven the stars in their courses fought against Sisera The waters are Gods Host they drowned Pharoah in the red sea and here ver 21. The River Kishon swept away the mighty Host of Sisera The windes are the Hosts of God Psal 148. together with the haile and snow there reckoned up with many others fire and vapour beasts and creeping things Livy reports of the windes in Cannensi pugna raising dust in the eyes of the Romans while they went in fight that they could not see The locusts are Gods Hosts Joel 2. 25. What an Host did God muster up against Pharaoh frogs and flies lice and caterpillers They were all the Armies of God against him God gave commission to the fire and it burnt up Sodome he gave commission to the earth and it swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram But the chiefe thing I intend in this is to shew you the glory of God in this title of his from this consideration 1. God is glorious in this that he hath an exceeding great Army The greatnesse of an Army is the glory of a Generall now Gods Army onely of his Angels that are about him is very great Dan. 7. 10. Thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him His Army of Locusts is called a great Army Joel 2. 25. this then of the Angels is much more to be esteemed a great Army 2. His Army is exceeding strong and powerfull and in this likewise the glory of a General consists much God did but send one of his Captains he hath with him in heaven and in one night he slew one hundred fourscore and foure thousand of the Host of Senacherib 2 Kings 19. 35. 3. He hath multitudes of Armies it is the glory of a great Prince to have many Armies in the field at once one in one place another in another place and so compassing round about his adversaries with his Armies The Lord of Hosts hath Armies in the heavens Armies in the aire armies in the seas Armies on the earth dispersed in every Countrey all the whole world is filled with the multitudes of the Armies of the Lord. 4. All these Armies of the Lord are always in a readinesse they are prepared Armies it is but giving out the word and they fall on they are in battel array evermore ready armed to doe the pleasure of their Generall No Prince no Commander hath thus his Armies always in readinesse many times when they have use of them much time is lost in getting Companies together and in getting their Arms. 5. Gods Armies alwaies accomplish what God intends by them they alwayes prosper in their fight they are never conquered but effect what God sends them for Psal 140. 8. Fire haile snow vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word Many of you Mariners wil not fulfil Gods word but God when he hath you at Sea he sends stormie winds and they fulfill Gods word upon you Psal 103. 21. Blesse ye the Lord yee his Angels that excell in strength that doe his Commandements hearkning unto the voice of his word How many men who think themselves great demeane themselves as if they thought themselves above Gods Commandments but the Angels that excel in strength they doe his Commandments they hearken to the voice of his word They stand listening to heare what it is that God hath to command them and are ready to obey And that which is said of the Angels is true of all Gods Hosts for so it followes ver 21. Blesse ye the Lord all ye his Hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure Blesse ye the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion God sayes to one Doe this and hee doth it to another Come and he commeth yea Gods Armies are ready to destroy themselves in the service of their Lord. The command of a Generall in an Armie is powerfull he may keep his Armie from spoile if he please Plutarch in the life of Pompey tels of him that hearing of his soldiers offering violence in an unjust way he caused all their swords to be sealed up so as no man dared break open the seale without leave He did more then bid them yea more then command them that they should not spoile 6. Yea God forceth his enemies to fight for him and can turn their weapons against themselves which is a high power beyond all other Captains and Generals in the world Sozomen and Nicephorus tell us of a great work of God in the defence of that good Emperour Theodosius by a mighty wind the arrows of his enemies were turned upon them which Claudian likewise mentions Oh thou beloved so exceeding much of God for whom the skies and the wind fight c. There are no other creatures but devils and men but doe readily and faithfully fight for God and even these God forces to fight for him whether they will or no even then when they seeme to fight most against him As many men who say they defie the devil yet
The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts Opened in two SERMONS At MICHAELS Cornhill LONDON Vindicating the Commission from this Lord of Hosts to Subjects in some case to take up Arms. WITH A POST-SCRIPT Briefly Answering A LATE TREATISE BY HENRY FERNE D. D. BY JER BURROUGHES PSAL. 48. 8. As we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of Hosts LONDON Printed for R. Dawlman 1643. To his Excellencie ROBERT Earle of Essex Viscount Hereford Baron Ferrars of Chartley Lord Bourchier and Lovaine one of His Majesties most Honourable Privie Counsel and General of the Army raised by the Parliament in defence of the true Protestant Religion His Majesties Person the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom and the priviledges of Parliament THere is no man this day upon the face of the earth whom it more concernes to have this name of God The Lord of Hosts presented to him in the due lustre glory of it then your Excellencie whom the Lord hath not onely honoured to stand up even in the fore front to maintain his cause and the cause of his people but he hath even put upon you this his owne name he hath made you the Lord of his Hosts It is that which every Souldier may justly glory in that God himselfe seems to affect the glory of Arms when he causeth himselfe to be as it were sir-named THE LORD OF HOSTS The beams of this glorious name puts some lustre upon the meanest in an Army What a lustre then doth it put upon your Excellencie who stand so neare it Happy the time that ever you were borne to be made use of by God and his people in so noble and honourable a service as this We reade ZECH. 3. 3. of Joshua that great instrument of Reformation in the returne of JUDAH from her Captivity that he stood in filthy garments but the Angel spake to those who stood before him saying Take away the filthy garments from him and unto him he said Behold I have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee and I wil cloathe thee with change of rayment Those who stand up most eminent and forward in the cause of God and his people shal ever have some who wil seek to stain their glory by slanders and reproachfull names to put them into vile garments what viler garment can there be then the garment of Treason and Rebellion But the Angel stands by to take off these vile garments and to clense his servants even from this nominall iniquity he will put change of rayment upon them he will one day make it appeare that there were none so faithfull to God their King and Countrey as they The Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem saith the Text ver 2. wil rebuke them who thus stand up against his servants The Lord who hath set his heart to bring mercie to Jerusalem to his Church will certainly rebuke such as stand to resist the great instruments thereof Wherefore that which the Angel of the Lord protested to JOSHUA v. 6. I may in the name of the Lord with a little change protest unto your Excellencie Thus saith the Lord of Hosts if you will walke in my wayes and if you will keepe my charge then you shall have an eminencie in my house and I will give you places among these that stand by That is among the blessed Angels in the heavens If a cup of cold water shall not go without a reward surely then the venturing estate liberty limbes honour bloud life for the cause of Christ shall not goe without its reward Wherefore most noble Lord of our Hosts yea of the Hosts of God Goe on with true Heroicke magnanimity and prosper in the name of this glorious Lord of hosts The prayers of the Churches are for you the blessings of the Saints are upon you I beleeve never any Generall upon the earth hath been mentioned more in heaven then your Excellencie hath been and yet is in this cause That which is storyed of the Crosse appearing to CONSTANTINE with these words HOC VINCES I may with far more confidence apply to this name of God The Lord of hosts This I present unto your Excellence with this Motto Hoc vinces The name is in it selfe a box of sweet ointment give me leave to open it before your Excellencie that it may be fragrant indeed and adde quickning and strength To that true noble heroick spirit fit for great actions that God hath honoured you withall I here humbly present it opened and poured forth The blessing of it be upon you and those great things undertaken by you which is and shal be the prayer of Your Excellencies in all humble service and duty Jer. Burroughes To the Reader THe necessity of the time put me to preach upon this subject the City being in great feare of a great Army comming against it in the name of the King and the necessity of the subject for this time made me not unwilling to yeeld to the making my meditations upon this subject yet more publike Something I have enlarged especially in the argument of justifying the present taking up armes so much cryed down as if it were against the King to be by commission from the Lord of Hosts which is discussed page 27. and so on the satisfation of the consciences of men in this thing is of so great consequence in this time that every man is bound to afford what help hereunto he is able I should have had guilt lye grating upon mine own conscience if I had stifled what I might afford to the helping towards the satisfaction of others although therefore I am not ignorant but sensible enough that it is an argument wherein a man runs hazard enough yet whatsoever I suffer in it may I be usefull I have enough This I can say if I ever did or am like to publish any thing in the uprightnes of my heart aiming at the glory of God and thy good I blesse God I have comfort in this and in this whatsoever the issue be I shal rejoyce Certainly things had never come to that passe they are at if mens consciences had bin rightly informed in the liberties God hath given them The infusing contrary principles and making men beleeve that the subject must and would suffer any thing rather then rise up to maintaine his own right hath beene the cause of the bold adventures of many amongst us What I have said is breife comming to you as a Sermon it could not admit of larger discourse but if there be need it would not be very difficult to enlarge these things in another way Read for thy profit and I have my end Yours to serve for Christ Jer Burroughes IT is ordered this first day of December 1642. by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing That this Book entituled The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts be printed by Robert Dawlman appointed thereunto by M. Ieremy Burroughes the
earth With what infinite indignation must God needs look upon such vile wormes who dare resist such a glorious Majesty as he is God can but speak to any humour of thy body and it shall make thee lye roaring out in anguish and grievous torture thy life shall be more bitter then death unto thee This God may give commission to the next crumbe of bread and it shall choak thee and send thee down to hell God himselfe is against thee he walks contrary to thee in all his Attributes The swords point of his infinite Justice is at thine heart All the creatures of God stand ready armed against thee and would fly upon thee if God did but give out the word The Angels stand prepared Lord shall but one of us goe and cut off that wretch who dares presume to blaspheme thy name to lift up himselfe against thee As Abishai said to David 2 Sam. 16. 9. Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the King let me goe and take off his head The Ayre cryes Lord shall I conveigh infection into his body and poyson him The Water Shall I stop his breath The Fire shall I seize on him and burne him The earth Shall I open and swallow him up The beasts of the field Shall we run upon him and tear him Thy meat thy drink Shall we choak him or be bane to him Thou art in the midst of Gods Hosts compassed about on every side 1 Chron. 13. 14. When Judah looked back behold the battel was before and behind and they cryed unto the Lord. Look about thee oh distressed soule and see the Hosts of the Lord before thee and behind thee and cry to the Lord. Certainly there is no creature neere thee but thou hast cause to looke upon it with a shaking heart thou knowest not but that it may be thy ruine sent of God to cut thee off that thou mightest go to thine owne place Certainly it cannot be but ere long some creature or other will break in upon thee and be an executioner of Gods wrath upon thee if not prevented by thy repentance When God awakens a guilty conscience every creature is terrible to it the wrath of God is seene in the face of every creature Cain cryes out Every one that meets me will kill me Why Who was there in the world then to kill him not many besides his father and mother and yet every one will kill him especially if it be some extraordinary work of God in the heavens or seas or elsewhere as in extreame thunder stormes and tempests or the like how terrible is that to such a conscience as to Caligula and others The Prophet Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant to see Gods Hosts about him to deliver him from feare my prayer is that God would open thine eyes that thou mayst see Gods Hosts about thee that thou mayst feare if thy eyes were open it would be with thee as it was with those who came there against Elisha when their eyes were opened they saw themselves in the midst of Samaria in the midst of their enemies Certainly so long as God is thine enemy all creatures in heaven earth are thine enemies Wherefore consider how unable thou art to stand out against this glorious God lay down thy weapons of enmity cry out bitterly of thy desperate folly make it thy great work above all things in the world to make up thy peace with him God yet offers mercy to thee as Alexander did those he warred against while the Lamp burned If they staid untill it was out there was nothing but bloud expected The Lamp of thy life is stil burning come in that thy soule may live There is no standing out against this God he will have glory from thee in spight of thy heart FINIS A briefe Answer to Doctor Fernes Booke tending to resolve Conscience about the Subjects taking up of Arms. By JER BURROUGHES THere came to my hand a Book of D. Fern tending to resolve Conscience in the case of the Subjects taking up Armes I find it carryed on without giving any ill termes but in saw expressions sutable to a Treatise that concernes Conscience and the more likely to prevail with it Onely now and then some bitternes breakes forth I shall very briefly yet faithfully give you the strength of it Where he speakes right I will acknowledge it and where he mistakes I will fairly discusse and shew you whence the mistakes arise I confesse he hath great advantage in the subject because it is for the King 1. Because it is safer to plead for the King though a man mistakes but if there be a mistake in lessening the Kings right a man endangers his utter undoing 2. Truth about this argument hath alwayes been tenderly handled those who have pleaded for the King have with courage vented themselves to the utmost but others have been forced to be silent or else but even to whisper and speak halfe out lest they presently meet with not arguments but things of another nature to answer them In which regard the power of Kings hath been raised to the height and men have drunk in such opinions of absolute power in them as they have heard confidently affirmed practised and seen in Books and feeled by many taxations and censures but whatsoever might informe them hath layne in the darke not daring to appeare Therefore well might the D. call what now people begin to heare and enquire after a new doctrine it is an old truth but newly discovering it self The name of King hath taken such impression in the hearts of people that for a while they will be prejudiced against whatsoever may but sound of limiting his power or maintaining our right against it What there is in the Epistle that may prejudice any mans conscience will be answered in what follows Preamble to SECT I. SO many good people that are come to a sense of Religion and godlinesse are miserably carryed away by a strange implicite saith to beleeve whatsoever is said or done in the name of the Parliament c. to be infallibly true and just It seems those who have not a sense of Religion do not so easily beleeve the truth and justice of what is done in the name of the Parliament This is most certaine who are hardest to beleeve what the Parliament sayes but Papists and notorious blasphemers and prophane livers I condemne not all but compare the generality of the one side and of the other you shall finde an apparent difference in the lives of the one from the lives of the other Yea so it is now that if a man as heretofore were not prophane or loose at least or zealous for ceremonies he was accounted a Puritan so now a Round-head that is in their ordinary interpretation one for the Parliament If it be said This is because Religion is pretended on the Parliaments side So it is on the other with as loud a cry
evils imminent nor rectifie these disorders extant but by power added to their authoritie although there be no such horrible things as the Doctor speaks of namely the Kings intentions to subvert Religion and our Laws and liberties if the King do but denie to assist in the delivering us from those dangers not upon groundlesse jealousies feared but upon certain proofs we know we are in and in the delivering up of such delinquents as justice must not our safety cannot suffer to escape there is cause enough to satisfie our consciences in the lawfulnesse of our taking up Arms. Yea our protestation and duty though we had never so protested binds us to maintain by all our strength the Parliament in this and in maintaining them we do not at all prejudice the King in any lawfull power of his This generall is enough to satisfie in what is said in the two last Sections As for particulars mentioned there many of them are answered alreadie in the former discourse others being matters of fact it is more easie for any one to answer that hath a mind to examine what passages have falne out To go through them particularly I shall leave to some who have more time to spare then I they are far more easie to answer then what was before but not so profitable and yet the answer would exasperate more they are Subjects more suteable for Lawyers and Statists to treat about then for Divines Wherefore where as in the conclusion of all the Doctor defires those who will run the Hazard of this resistance first to set their consciences before the tribunall of God and confider whether they will excuse them there when they have shed blood to say we supposed our Prince would change Religion overthrow liberties No Doctor We can comfortably and will freely and really set our conscience before Gods tribunall in this case but we will not make that our plea but we will stand thus before the Lord. Lord thou who art the searcher of our hearts and our Iudge thou knowest we aimed at no hurt to our King we desired to live in peace we according to our solemne vow and Protestation have only endeavoured to deliver our Kingdom Parliament from the rage of ungodly and violent bloody men to bring forth the wicked unto justice to preserve what thy Maiestie what the law of nature and the Law of the Land hath made our own If thou wilt please to call us to suffer for thy Name we hope we shall be readie but because thou tellest us that it is not the part of a Christian but of an Infidell not to provide for his family therefore we have not submitted our selves wives and children to the rage of these bloody men for the substance of what we have done it hath been in thy Name that we may be faithfull to the King Kingdom Parliament and to posteritie What failings thou hast seen in the managing of it Lord pardon to us for Christ his sake Thus we are willing to meet the Doctor at Gods Tribunall but he shall not lay our plea for us we fear he will have enough to do to answer for himself yea to answer for that Book he hath put forth in such a time as this For a Conclusion of all LEt none think that though we thus iustifie taking up Arms that therfore we are of those that delight in War God forbid Our souls desire after peace we pray for peace we would gladly lay down our lives if we know our own hearts for peace Lately my name was injuriously added to a printed paper wherein there was a Petition against Accommodations It sayes I went along with it whereas I knew nothing at all of it untill neere a week after it was delivered to the House Thus are we at the mercy of every malignant spirit if he can get a Printer to assist him to be rendred to the world as odious as he pleaseth As great an injury I suffered before though in another nature when a few pieces of a Sermon I preached to young men were gathered together and patched up with a deale of non-sense and additions of their owne as they pleased and then put out as mine Although we live amongst men set on fire yet God forbid but we should follow peace but it must be the peace of Jerusalem not the peace of Babylon And the truth is had the people knowne their liberties before it is very probable these warres would have been prevented This I am confident hath been the great encouraging fomenting argument for these warres If we goe in the name of the King none will dare to stir against us What will they take up Arms to resist their King Had they seen the weaknesse of this their Argument as it is applyed to this businesse in hand that bloud that hath been shed would have been prevented And if the people of the Land knew the Liberty that God and Nature and Law gives them there would soone be an end of these Warres but a few such Doctors as this is may helpe to prolong them by dividing the people and putting them into a maze comming in so plausible a way to informe Conscience whereas in truth he gives no bottome for Conscience to rest on but rather puts it to a stand or rather into a labyrinth There is a necessitie that in these times peoples Consciences should be further satisfied in their liberties in this case then formerly because the time is we hope at hand for the pulling down of Antichrist and we find by Scripture this work at first will be by the people Revel 18. 2. The Angel came down from heaven and cried mightily with a strong voice Babylon the great is falne is falne And vers 4. I heard another voice from heaven saying Come out of her my people ver 6. Reward you her as she hath rewarded you and so to the 9. ver her destruction is threatned Now ver 9. the Text sayes The Kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewaile her and lament for her saying Alas alas Ver. 11. And the Merchants of those things which were made rich by her shall stand weeping and wailing ver 15. All her Proctors and Commissaries and Chancellors that grew rich by her they shall lament No marvaile then though so many Proctors get together to seek for peace upon any terms Here you see Babylon must down and yet the Kings lament her fall Who then must pull her down but the people Not that the people can raise a War meerly for Religion but God will so order things that the Papists shall by their malice be put upon such plots and enterprises that they shall make themselves lyable to the justice of the Law so that Kings shall have no legall power to rescue them from it but inferiour Magistrates assisted by the people shall in a just way fall upon them even then when the Kings of the earth and their