all those that favour the good of Jsrael more especially settle and inlarge his blessings upon you and your posterity that you may all do worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem that you may be on earth instruments of his glory to the good of his Church so shall you be vessels of glory in the kingdome of heaven The which is his daily prayer who is Worthy Sir Yours ever in the Lord to be commanded THEOPH WODENOTE PErhaps some Reader may account prophane Descants from Records as are here humane But yet all wise men know how Humane story Vs'd by Divines tend much unto Gods glory And holy wisdome sweetly does extract A blessed use of each true famed fact As Rich men use in hospitality He first invites thee to this century Somewhat the better that prepare he might And satiate thy purer appetite Whose course of study I so fully know That for this Humane Century he can shew Of Sacred Story Chiliad-observation To gratifie at full all expectation And if unbias'd hearts these entertaiâ—e Hermes next time a Star will shine againe And out of holy Writ communicate His rich Select's in his Sequestred state And though an Olive doe begin the feast A Pearle at last shall helpe all to digest P. M. YOu that wed eHistories and from them draw out Only the Vulgar and the common Rout Of Observations mend your Pens by this Write by this Copy you can't write amisse Each Author here speakes his owne mind and we Receive their writings now for Prophecy For our sad Times they so exactly hit As if they first had seen them and then writ If th' Records Pagan were these Descants shall Bptize them all make them Canonicall P. M. NEW DESCANTS UPON OLD RECORDS IT was the complaint of the Emperour Adrian when he lay a dying Many Physitians have destroyed the Emperour a Their contrary conceipts Xiphilinus in Adriano and different directions he meant had hastened his death and cut him off before his time There are so many Censurers and Correctors of our not sick but sound Religion approved by the sacred Scriptures and attested by the blood of many faithfull Martyrs There are so many Reformers and Rectifiers of all ages sexes and degrees of all professions and trades that take upon them to order our Church according to their severall crooked imaginations that they have reduced all things in it to a Chaos and confusion and defaced and spoiled one of the most compleat Churches if not the principall both for doctrine and discipline now extant in the Christian world II. IF Timotheus had not been we had not had such musique but if Phrynes Timotheus his Teacher had not been we had not had Timotheus saith Aristotle (b) Meta. lib. 2. c. 1. If as he Musick we consider these times of Mourning we may as truly but with detestation say If there had not been discontented people abroad we had not heard of so great contentions and tumults suffered such plunderings and oppressions seene so many wounds and murthers but if there had not been such and such Schismaticall Priests like violent winds moving and troubling the brains of the people and inciting them to Rebellion we had not had such discontented people The people would have been peaceable and tractable as heretofore had not some false Prophets been as bellowes and brands of Insurrection had not seditious Oratours been as Drummers in a Campe and as Trumpetters sounding to a battell III. ANtisthenes the Philosopher being asked What a Feast was Answered That it was an occasion of much surfeiting and many other disorders If you make a question now what our Spirituall Feasts the best liked and most applauded Sermons are They are shiftings and juglings for a wrong Cause they are traducings of the KING and slanderings of the Foot-steps of Gods Anointed They are the countenancers and promoters of Civill Warre contrary to the doctrine of the Scriptures and dictate of Religion and Conscience They are Alarums to stir up Sedition Rebellion Atheisme They are Invectives against all Learning and Loyaltie They are casters out of one Devill by another abolishers of Idolatry by Sacriledge They are the gall of bitternesse and the bond of Iniquity IV. THe Lord Ellesmor the Lord Chancellour of this Realme a great lover of mercy whose memoriall is still blessed was heard to professe as I have read that if he had beene a Preacher this should have been his Text A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast (c) Prov. 12.10 The Propheticall Incendiaries of the late fearfull unnaturall War how far were they from this disposition how far from thoughts and bowels of mercies how far from a desire to preach mercies when it was a common course with them by Vipcrine glosses to eate out the bowels of a mercifull Text when nothing was more usuall amongst them then with stony hearts and brazen faces to alledge the words of the Scripture against the meaning then to wrong and wring the Scripture till it bled but they would mis-construe and misapply it one way or other to stir and incite men to the shedding of blood Arme arme Fight fight Bloud bloud Kill these Cavaliers these Popish Pagans were still with them deductions from their Texts V. CAmbyses demanding of his Counsellors Whether he might not marry his sister by the Law of the Land They answered They found no Law that allowed a brother to marry his sister but one that permitted the King of the Persians to doe as he list (d) Heredotus Our proud peevish Brownists impatient of Government sons of Belial a rebellious and obstinate people having necks as an iron sinew and brows of brasse cannot in all the Scriptures find any sound or seeming proofe for this their foule rebellion Neither can their false Prophets their chiefe Counsellours find out any such places for them but therefore they use in a wrong sense so to inlarge and amplifie the great benefit of our Christian liberty the which indeed is a freedome from all hellish slavish feare but not from a holy and sonne-like feare a freedome from the curse but not from the obedience of the Law that they have now made many simple people little seene in heavenly matters beleeve that the reines are pulled from Christians necks and they left to their owne dispositions that there is a liberty purchased for Christians to doe what every man liketh and to live under no obedience to Ecclesiasticall or Civill Governors VI. WHen Mahomet was now about to establish his abominable superstition wherein he had mingled the lawes and doctrines of Heathens of Jewes of false Christians and Hereticks with the illusions and inventions of his own braine he gave it forth for a maine principle how God at the first to Man-kind sent Moses after him Jesus Christ who were indued with the power to work miracles but men gave small heed to them Therefore he determined to send Mahomet a Warriour without Miracles that whom
men for their speciall pattern in these times Nay more then this how are the very Artiticles of Gods holy Religion iâ— self here setled slighted and cast aside by them 〈◊〉 wholly insufficient for our faith to build upon How have many of those men who were bound in speciall to defend the same in regard of their office and calling their frequent Oaths and Protestation to that purpose been the Instruments to alter the 〈◊〉 the waged Balaams to blast and disesteeme them And how have they hereby confirmed the slanders of our Romish adversaries against us who have often said that we had no Church no Established Doctrine no foundation for our Profession How are these hereby raised in their hopes to see a restoration of their Babell in the downfall of our Jerusalme O that those who call themselves the Assembly of Divines by their grosse Apostacy from their first faith and love have been the chief meanes of working all these mischiefes would but read over and lay to heart seriously those passages which they shall find to this purpose in a late Book intituled Englands complaint for the sin of Rebellion written by that constant Brother and faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ M. Lionell Gatford whom most of them well know to be a man of most approved integrity But here 's not all yet not the Articles of our Religion only but the protector of them the Annointed of the Lord himself is in like manner cast aside How hath he been contemn'd of late nay how hath the Majesty and Authority of God been viâ—â—â—â—d in him together with those Scriptures which command our Honour and Obedience How hath His sacred Person been railed upon slandred and reviled How hath He been persecuted hunted tormented for His Conscience sake How hath he been robbed deprived of all his Revenues his Comforts and his Freedom for His love and affections to the Church of God because He was the Head chief Member of it there was too much of Truth as there was of bitterness in that speech which since His Majesty was in bondage I heard uttered from the Pulpit by a Fryer in France who railing against the Protestants of that Kingdome for denying the Pope to be Head of the Church who sayes he would they have the head thereof the King perhaps even like their Brethren in England who first made their King the Head of their Church and now they make Him their Slave Nay more yet with the Kings Person and Authority His graces also are the object of their scorne and hate His magnanimity His patience His care to keep His conscience undefiled yea the maine study and work of these pretenders to conscience these bawlers for Liberty of Conscience hath been for a long time vastare conscientiam Regis to violate the Conscience of their Soveraign and to breake the peace thereof And what dogged spightfulnesse have they discover'd of late against the pitifulnesse of spirit that is in Him How faine would they be torturing and murdering of Him for His tendernesse of heart towards the miseries of His people its well knowne to all the world and to themselves too who began these wicked Wars and at whose doore the guilt of bloodlies yet because the good King seeing them wholy of the Pharisees stampe abhorring to practice the lesson that Christ taught of denying themselves and confessing their sin and yet being desirous to purchase His peoples peace is content for their security of His pardon that He will not bring them to a triall by Law for their past demerits but remit them wholly to the hand of God to connive even at their throwing their dirt in His face what vile Doctrines and cursed Uses do their Pamphleteers and their Pulpiteers raise from thence and presse upon the people why that God hath now resolved the great doubt hath heard his peoples prayers in charging the guilt of blood upon the Kings soule and brought Him to acknowledge that He hath been the cause of all which hath been shed and therefore it belongs to the people now to see unto it that Justice be done upon Him and upon His friends for it Was ever such horrid wickednesse heard of such transcendent villany in mortall creatures would not the Devil himselfe blush to appear in their shapes may we not looke for some strange judgement like that of the earths opening to swallow them up had Davids people when he to have them spared had cryed out t is I that have sinned spake of calling him to account for the losse of 70000 men they had shewne lesse impudence then these have done Nay the malitious Jews though they crucified Christ because he was a King yet were not so super-superlatively vile as to consult his death because he was content in their stead and for their safety to be accounted as a sinner Assuredly therfore these men have out-gone all before them for aske now of the daies that are past since the time that God created man upon the earth aske from the one side of heaven unto the other whether there hath ever been such bloody spunges as these shew themselves to be such monsters of nature amongst men O the basenesse the impiety the wormewood and the gall of their spirits if ever the Title of Rex diabolorum was rightly applyable to the King of this land 't is since the viperine birth of these miscreants And that such only as themselves are might be continued if possible in the Nation there is a speciall course taken that knowledge and good manners might not abound in those that come after for the Universities are metamorphised and purged too as well as the Church of learned and good men Thistles are there set instead of Wheat and Cockle instead of Barly Yea all Orders and degrees amongst men if some may have their will must be abolished presently and confusion planted in all places as 't is already in a great measure Kings and Princes Nobles and persons of Honour must be but as the meane people which God indeed may justly permit in respect of some for those contempts and miseries which even they have help'd to bring upon his Church sure these things are a lamentation and ought to be for a lamentation Never was there so foolish and so mad a Nation under the Sun as we have proved our selves to the derision of all about us the ruine and decay of our Ancient glory our outward Happinesse and of our soules for ever O therefore I say againe that mine head were full of water and that mine eyes were fountaines of teares to bewaile these things O that the people of this Land especially they that are got Highest would but consider what they have done and yet at last before all is lost set some period to their owne doings O that those men of wealth and place who advanced at first their whole might to lay levell this famous Church to take from it all Honours orders and
support and relieve those Learned and Religious men who need it whom they ought to love as themselves but rather in a Pharisaicall humor to advance their own credits and respects in the world that how foul soever their projects are they may carry them on with faire lookes that what injurious or irreligious intents what secret sins or divelish drifts soever they have they may yet be thought to be great lovers of Learning and Religion LVIII I See many bodies countenances and garments of Romans but no Romans quoth that great Captaine Marcellus unto his Souldiers Many bodies and boroughs of bodies many sober and devout lookes of Protestants and attires not unbefitting Protestants may there be found now abroad in the world Never was hypocrisie spun with a fairer thread never were men more cunning in counterfeiting but if you cast your eyes from their lookes to their lives from their words to their works by the which the most subtile souls may best be discerned the copy of mens actions is more plaine to be read then the copy of their countenances You shall find that you are much mistaken in your censures for where is the life of grace the power of godlinesse you shall perceive that they are no true and reall Protestants all this while but aliens from Christ void of Gods spirit without faith without hope without love and in brief meere hypocrites like Balaam or Saul or rather more formall like Satan himself when the witch of Endor suborned him in the mantle of Samuel and brought him into the presence before Saul p 1 Sam. 28.28 LIX THere was a ridiculous Stage-player in the City of Smyrna who pronouncing O heaven let downe his finger towards the ground The chiefest man present beholding it could not abide to stay any longer but left the company said in anger This foole hath made a solescime hath spoken as it were false Greek with his hand There was no conformity he meant between his tongue and his hand O how many such absurd actors are there every where to be found pointing upwards poising downwards pointing at heaven practising earth who carrying the light of the Gospel in their mouthes carry also in their hands the filthy water of ambition and covetousness to quench it withall who seeke in word Gods cause but breake in deed Gods Commandments whose words are the words of God but their deeds are the deeds of the Divel LX. A Painter being reproved for drawing the picture of S. Peter too high coloured made answer That he drew him not as he was on Earth but as he was in Heaven where he blusheth to behold the shameless demeanors of his successours I am not now to learn that Peter is ignorant of us here upon Earth and knoweth not his successours neither am I yet untaught that he is not yet bodily in Heaven but howsoever if a Painter were truly to decypher any good man now living he had need make him much more high coloured then he was wont to be for where is there one such that doth not blush to see so many apparent parasites creeping up to honors through a thousand dishonours so many Christians in profession so many Saints in shew now adayes that have Jacobs Voice and Esaus Hands that can give Judas Kiss Joabs Curtesie waited upon by a secret stab when he basely killed Abner q 2 Sam. 3.27 and againe when as lewdly he killed Amasa r 2 Sam. 20.10 where is there one such that doth not blush to behold so many double-faced Janusses various and inconstant pretences changeable Chamelions apt to all objects taking the colour of what is next them where is there one such that doth not blush to view so many like the Mariners needle without the touch which will turn every way and never stand still the way it should LXI WHen Charles the ninth of France propounded to that famous Prince of Conde this three-fold choice Either Mass or Death or perpetual Imprisonment the most Christian Worthy made this worthy Answer God assisting me I will never chuse the Masse the other two I referre to the Kings determination yet so as I hope God in whose hands the heart of the King is by his gratious providence will guide dispose of these also But how few now will suffer any the least hardship for Christ If men may avoid death and imprisonment and rise upon others ruines if they may eat of the fat and drink of the sweet Å¿ Nehe. 8.10 if they may eat the good things of the Land t Esay 1.19 impose what Religion you will either Masse or Mahumetisme or what else soever you shall have servile creatures enough base fellowes of all degrees that wil be any thing or of any Sect that will fit you every way that will fashion and put forwards themselves for any imployments the good Centurion never kept such obedient ready and resolute servants LXII ARistotle hearing a proud prauncing Thraso ruffling in his fustian brags vain gloriously talking of his own vertues and representing a great outward appearance of worthinesse I wish saith he I were such a one in truth as thou thinkest thy self to be or wouldst seeme to others to be but to be as thou art I wish to mine enemies I dare not desire to the worst of mine enemies that they may be as many of your new Donatists are whose out-side is of lambs wool but their in-side of foxes fur Cato without and Cataline within who by fits and upon occasions make a marvellous verball shew of goodnesse when in heart they are nothing like to what they make shew of but I wish that my self and others were which some of them no doubt seeme to themselves and all of them would faine seeme to others walking in all the Commandments and ordinances of the Lord without reproof LXIII IUlius Caesar in his Commentaries writeth of the French Souldiers that in the beginning of the battell at the first on-set they were more then men but at the second or before the end lesse then women They would talke bravely and come on couragiously but at length give off cowardly How many hypocriticall hotspurs in our reformed Churches shall a man meet who have Gods word swimming in their lips but not shining in their lives who if words may be received their pay is gallant but if deeds be required their money is not currant who in professing and protesting are more then Protestants but in preaching and performing and persevering lesse then Papists LXIV BAtus the Tartarian Prince moved by Innocentius the fourth to receive the Christian Religion sent his Embassadours to Rome to search and understand their belief and manner of Religion who reporting that the Christians lived wickedly and worshipped they knew not what Images contrary to the doctrine they professed the Tartarian received the Religion of Mahomet What Pagan can we now hope to win to seeke to be one with us to become a member of