of Humane or Civil constitution but of Divine and Supream Ordination flowing not from Aarons Priesthood but the Eternal Law made by the Majesty of Heaven and wrote in the Tables of mans heart from the beginning God the great Maker of all things not onely ordering the whole world of mankind to attendance at large on him but also the best and choicest of them to be his special train to whom he gave his own portion for Maintenance this appears in Melchisedeck who hundreds of years before the Levitical Priesthood was setled received Tythes of Abraham as he was Priest of the most high God and this not as many of the Ancients to whom I do reverence and in opposition to whom I would not be understood say as a requital of that honour which Melchisedeck had done him in giving him bread and wine but as instructed by God and specially required to take that as the Res Dominica substantia Dei census or Lords Rent which Abraham was to pay in in ackowledgement to him who was the supream Majesty and by whose power and permission he was then a Conquerour over those Kings and Armies which disturbed the holy seed Now because God knew that in time devotion would flag and Ieshurun spurn with the heel against his Maker when he was fat therefore God in probability conjoyned the Kingly and Priestly Office in the same persons to wit the Patriarchs and Heads of Familie that both might seem to accomplish the end of God the Priesthood sanctifie the Kingly Office and the Kingly Office secure the Priesthood that as the one hath right to receive so the other should have might to compel what is due to be paid from the greatest contrarient Mistake me not I intend no controversie I am to offer my thoughts as an Orator not to dispute as a School-man I shall leave debates to Theologues It becomes me onely to evince the reasonableness and necessity of a Ministry from what is obvious to me in Reason and Authors So ancient is the Office of Priesthood that a Learned man of our own saies That as Melchisedeck Priest of the most high God in Gen. 14. is said to have neither Father nor Mother neither begining nor end of days so may it fall out in search after the Antiquity and dignity of Priesthood that we shall not find out its Original and first Rise it being Primaeval and beyond mention of Record yet in the holy story I read that before the Law there was a Priesthood the Patriarchs were of this In the Law there was a Priesthood Levi and his Posterity in their Families were of that thus amongst the Jews And to this for a long time was appended ths Office of Government and Civil distribution So careful was God to intrust power in pious hands that he took away all fear of their abusing it out of the peoples mindes and gave them a lesson by what they saw in the Temporary Priest to expect with admiration the Eternal Priest and Law-giver Christ Jesus who should be compleatly furnished to all purposes of power and purity that he might perfume their Sacrifices and prostrate the enemies of his Church and this onely in a Spirituall way for his Kingdom is not of this world But a Ministry he has ever had since his departure and I am sure ever will so long as his Word abides which saies The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church Nor did the Jews and Christians onely set apart persons for holy employments giving them Priviledges Tyths and Honour but the very Heathens did thus perhaps from the instinct of Nature The Egyptians chose their Priests and Kings from amongst Philosophers Alex. ab Alex lib. 2. cap. 8. The Greeks Kings and Priests were both one And we read of Iethro Priest of Midian and of the Priests of the Philistims of Baal Molech Ashtaroth and other mentioned in holy Writ and prophane stories In our Nation while the Samothei Sarronites or Druydes continued they had great Priviledges their persons and all that repaired to them were exempted from all secular Services and Taxes all Laws made and Judgements stood to which they declared the best of every thing offered to them Plutarch saies That the Laws did enjoyn reverence and Honour to Priests and holy men because they impart the holy things of the Gods not onely to themselves their children friends and families but to all men indifferently And Plato brings in Socrates affirming That amongst the Egyptians no man could be a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless he were a Priest and if any man got Rule or by Usurpation obtained the Kingdom he was compelled after such obtainment to be Priested that he might be what the Law required both King and Priest Romulus the Founder of the City of Rome Empress of the world set apart Priests and highly priviledged them So did after him Numa his Successor and so did all times downward that were orderly observing the Maxim of Plato which surely he had by Tradition from the Jews as well as by dictate of Nature Not to remove or change those Priesthoods which were ancient and preserved by our Progenitors From the times of the Apostles Christianity held the Order of Priesthood or Ministry sacred And those Emperors and Princes who were good and virtuous did their Duty to them as their Spiritual Fathers Socrates tells us That the Emperour Constantine the Great would not sit down in the Council of Nice with the holy Bishops there convened before they besought him to sit and Sozomen affirms That he refused to give Judgement against the Clergy and when the Arrians brought Accusations against the Orthodox Bishops he took and burned them not permitting their publication saying These Accusations will have proper hearing at the last day of Iudgement Yea Eusebius testifies that he would make great Feasts for the Fathers of the Church set them down with him at the Table largely reward them when they departed command observation of their Canons kiss the wounds of those Bishops and Presbyters that had been tortured and lost their eyes in times of Persecution and would often say If he saw any sin committed by a Priest he would câ—…ver it with his Imperial Robe So writes Theodoret What Honour has been done the Church since appears in stories Emperors Kings and Princes did take their Crowns from the hands of the Clergie for such Bishops were receive Institution from them pertook of the Sacraments of the Church from their hands made them of their Council and Closet employed them on Embassies and other high affairs of State out of pure love and zeal and out of experience of their fidelitie and fitness and not from that pusillanimity and manless subjugation which by many in our Age scornfully is called Priest-riddenness as I may so say their term being Priest-ridden when they express a man addicted to the
the study of the Gaules Nor let any think that the learning we have had so long from Iaphet and his posteritie was only opticall such as of the Stars and their influences the world and its circuit or only naturall the skill of beasts and plants and how to use and improve them but it was also more politique and speculative we had much improvement of reason by excellent Lawes and rules of life by understanding the uses and customes of Nations skil'd we were in languages for besides the Samothei Sarronides and Druyds we had many notable Greeks who came over with Brute and here stayed teaching in publique schools and Leland affirms that before Oxford was built there was erected neer it two schools for instruction of youth in Latine and Greek which were called Graecolada and Latinolada After Bladud the young Prince earnest to promote learning both in himself and others repaired to Athens there stayed and studied and brought back with him many famous Philosophers whom after he came to the crown he placed in a School at Stamford The like schools did King Caradoe long after erect at VVinchester of which holy Tathajus was President But most famous were the schools of Chester Carleon and Bangor in all which were men excellently learned in all Arts both sacred and secular but especially in those of Chester in which as I learn out of Godfrey of Monmouth in the time of Prince Arthur which was about the yeare of Christ 530 there was above 200. nay after Bale 2500. Philosophers who were excellently arted and taught all comers By all which it appears that not only learning and arts have been in other remote parts of the world as amongst the Iews Phoenicians Chaldaeans Aegyptians Persians Greeks Romans but that even from us they had much of their litterature and the rudiments of knowledg and what of humanity and glorie we have attained to we ought gratefully to attribute to those foundations which were laid by those times and since further by the good hand of God raised to greater conspicuity since Christianitie came amongst us We have hitherto seen what fruit the Tree of ingenious nature hath brought to the Harvest of the Muses now we will summon in Christianitie to bring in her presentment And here to the honour of God and our own humiliation we must testifie that we of this Nation before Christianitie was amongst us were under as grosse a barbarity and rigour of Ethnique Tyranny as the most savage Indian nay as the worst of people we worshipped Devils and not God Dis Saturn Iupiter Mars Minerva Apollo Diana and Hercules to whom we dedicated the Porches of our Temples and Gates of our Cities nay Mela Diodorus Strabo Pliny Coesar averre that we sacrificed men inhumanely tortured strangers who came to us by stuffing them up in Images made of Hay into which we put wild Beasts with them and set them all on fire that we went naked painted our bodies fed on raw flesh at least on Herbs and Trees had Women in common knew neither how to sowe or how to skill Trades but only to lead a life of rapacity but it pleased God to bring us out of this Aegypt into Canaan by the conduct and instrumentality of our Christian King and Countryman Lucius Who to the honor of God our nation and his own eternal fame was the first Christian King of this land is called by the Britains Lever Maure the Prince of great renown or the first fruit of Christianitie as being the first that imbraced the faith of Christ and caused his people so to doe he came to this Empire about the year of Christ 1791 and being observed to have a singular sweetness and debonnairnesse of nature grew propitious to Elvanus Avalonius and Melvinus Belgius both British Doctors who so effectually wrought on him that they in a short time converted him to the faith of Christ God preparing him by a good temper and facility of constitution to hearken to their indeavours and God also instructing them to a seasonable promotion of his providence to so sacred an issue the good King had now laied his hand to the Plough and resolved not to look back his eye was forward how he might make his people participants with him in the blessing of baptisme he hears that the Churches succession was then in Rome And to Pope Eleutherius he sends a most humble and earnest Petition and Epistle That by the Apostolique authority he and all his people may be admitted to the Church and her holy things and be partakers of her Sacraments and Rites The Pope or Bishop of Rome understanding this kept Jubiles answered his desire incontinently and with his two spiritual Fathers who carried his request and their own praise returned as joynt in Commission Phagan and Dervian two of the Roman Clergy from whom by the Pope so authorized he and his People received the sacrament of Baptism and embraced the Faith of Christ which was about the year after Christ 180. which Kingdom of ours thus converted was according to Sabellicus and others of no less authority the first that universally embraced Christ in all the world So that the first Christian King Lucius and the first Christian Emperor Constantine that the world had were Britains born bred amongst us and this we ought with all holy triumph and glory to God to mention as a high Priviledge as run the words of Pitsaeus our Learned Country-man No sooner did God call this noble King to his Worship but he gave him a heart to honour God by adorning Religion with what was necessary to its prosperity and encrease He therefore builded many Churches for entertainment of people to partake of holy Mysteries them separated from common to religious uses He constituted Episcopal Sees erected Religious Houses and endowed them with liberal maintenance and that they might with more security be inhabited gave them large Priviledges and by this and other his right worthy acts was preserved the true Religion and British fame till about the year 400 which was near two hundred twenty one years after his first coming Afterwards about the year 400 I find the name English mentioned for then the Angles came Pagans into this Land About the year 616. I read them baptized by the command and example of Ethelbert the fift King of Kent and the first Christian King English a man he was of no ordinary endowment having with high place all virtues and noble sciences matched Venerable Bede tells us that at the instance of Augustin the Monk this King made Canterbury a Bishops See and him Bishop and Primate there builded several Churches commanded the People to frequent them and the Priests to pray preach and sing in them Endowed many Religious houses about the years 598 and 605. the Charters to which and the Priviledges by them passed are evident in stories He also builded the
Atheism and irreligious Desperation that rears such Principles for when the heart is courted to believe nothing good or bad but what is fortunate or unfortunate then relucts it the Counsels and restraints of Divine Precepts and consciencious checks and flyes only to a fond and blind Chance or Oracle of Contingency accounting every thing that 's prosperous good and that 's dejected naught Faelix faustumque scelus virtus vocatur T was a damnable lewdness of Aruns his wife who to enjoy lustfully her Brother tells him that when a Kingdom is in pursuit small Evills as she called them were not to to be boggled at This leads then upon Designes in themselves rash though sometimes by the permission of God successfull as it did Regilianus the more bold then Judicious Emperour whose spirit being too great to buckle under the Command of power kindled towards an adventure of enlargment either by loss of life or gain of Honour Crowns the Meta ultima of Humane Felicity he judg'd not Profferers of their service to Men irresolute And therefore his Conclusion was to try what Witt and Boldness would offer him as the Trump that should carry the Game into that hand which held it In a Bravado he makes a Banquet and to it invites his Fellow-soldiers There he feeds them high and they to testify their acceptation drink freely In the midst of their mirth One probably appointed by him propounding whence the word Regilianus was derived a Grammarian by chance there was asked of the Company to give the etymologie of Regilianus who replyed Regilianus à Rege nomen ortum habet the Souldiery warmed with good liquor cryed out Meritò itaque Rex eris and so it passed for currant and he was Emperour which was by means not probable to such an end no more then a Cockle-shell is likely to empty the Ocean O Ambition thou art coccle in the goodly Corn of a virtuous mind thou art the wild Vine which bringest death into the pot of fairest hopes thou art the Harlot whom whosoever embraceth goeth down to the Chambers of death thou art the Divel that courtest men up to the pinnacle of the Temple that thence they may be hurled down to irrecoverable ruine They who are deserted by God and applauded by men fall into thy snares Thou hast traps for thine admirers of all sorts all ages in all Countries There is none that thy madnesse precipitates not but he that is kept by the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth And therefore every man should look about him to keep this fury from his elbow as the great exciter to disorder and ruine This put Alexander upon invasion of others Dominions his own bounds were too narrow to limit his emulation Alexander great in the world thought the world a little ease a cage to him This Ambition made Absolom rebel Pompey fire Rome with quarrels Herostratus an obscure fellow that hee might be remembred burn the famous Ephesian Temple nay it endangered a crack in the glorious Eutaxie of Heaven which could not be expiated but by the dejection of Lucifer that first quickned it This is usually the companion of Changes distracted times and alterations produce this Monster Those who think they deserve better then God knows they do and have lesse then they are in their own opinion able to manage make out to the prey and rather will have it as Simeon and Levi had reparations for the indignity offered their Sister by force then not at all To these who would build when God is demolishing and plant when he is eradicating that is applicable which was said to Baruch Seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not It is a mercy to the soul more indicative of Gods indulgence to be restrained from accomplishing swelling Designes then to have Kingdoms Wealth Learning Beauty or what-ever is the darling of this mutable and pompous World It was good counsel which Turktill Abbot of Croyland gave his Monks Keep that fire Let O man of God this holy Lamp of zeale never go out in the Temple of thy soul cherish it with daily supplyes from that Ocean which is never dry but abounds and will increase thee while thou seekest in humility to be enabled to a devout lustre and calefaction of others True and well-ordered zeal will purifie and purge the soul from all restivenesse and stupid indifferencie and inflame it to a revenge on beloved sins On this score Moses abhorrs the golden Calf Abraham quits his Country the Saints and Martyrs their lives nay this to do did our Lord Jesus descend from heaven to earth as he testifies Iohn 18. 37. This is the ballast that keeps the soul from tottering and losing way in its steerage to heaven This keeps it close to old truth and makes it mistrust new as false lights though they glister never so amazingly This carries the soul to Christ with earnest and vehement petitions to be kept safe amidst temptations This will perswade the soul to esteem highly of holy Truths and holy men who speak according to the Law and testimony and to reject whatsoever comes with Nicodemus in the night undiscerned and stealingly upon us not daring to abide the test or the examen of Scripture 't will weigh glorious Nothings the Wens and Excrements of Religion in the balance and if they bee not weight publish them to be light matters of Deceit 'T will separate 'twixt the Sheep and the Goat the Chaffe and the Corn and in all things carry it self gratefully to God whose mercy has onely made the difference for what has it which it hath not received 1 Cor. 4. ver 7. Were this as much in deed as in word amongst us we should not huckster it in Religion as we doe nor could we thus dishonour the nobility of our souls by mean and vulgar regards of them as in the loosenesse of our principles and practices we not onely seem but really shew we do while we prefer our bodies before our souls our corruptible before our incorruptible selves When we are sick in body we send for the most noted learned and experienced Physician we can meet with No Quack no Emperick no barbarous Farrier-like practiser will serve the turn we cry yea and that wisely too Best is best cheap but in Affairs 'twixt God and our souls in the resolution of doubts about heaven and that conversation which must bring us thither through the Mercy of God any one serves the turn Ioane as the Proverb is is as good as my Lady the most rude and illiterate most acceptable rather chuse we the Bramble then the Vine rather those that know nothing but pride and prattle then those Bees of glory the learned Ministers who are laden with honey and would be glad to lodg what they have pluck'd by the assistance of God from the Flowers of Study and Meditation in the hives of humble
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow We pity the fond zeal of carnal men and giddy professors who begin well but are hindred in their way by wiles of men crafty and by their own lusts regnant in them who have a clamorous Magnificat for Diana and an Hosanna for Christ who are contented with nothing but discontents changes and every thing that fights against the power of godlinesse and proclaim a Treaty with all the infernal Furies the Divel the world and the flesh And in fine we pray for Charity which the Apostle calls the bond of perfection and terms greater then faith or hope because more durable the grace that only accompanies us to heaven there stays with us and the grace that makes us live heavenly upon earth without which all grace is but as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball yea without which the gifts of Prophecying understanding mysteries and all knowledge faith able to remove mountains distribution of all we have to the poor yea martyrdom it self is nothing 1. Cor. 13. These and other things we professe to concur in with all sound Protestants and if this to believe and thus to do be to be scandalous Popish disaffected we would not be of good report nay we pray we may carry this Crosse of Christ to our graves and account this Reproach great Glory We can comfort our selves in these buffetings revilings contempts as in the sufferings of Christ which are to be fulfilled by us as by the holy men of all ages foregoing members of his body the Church Col. 1. 24. For as S. Ierom saies 'T is a great glory to reach from earth to heaven from dust and ashes to a being of immortality of Servants to be made Sons and of beggars heirs heirs of a Kingdom and that of heaven too the most durable and supream dignity our nature is capable of For we can through the power of Christ wish our selves accursed for his sake and resolve to be and suffer his rebuke without smiting again though we had power and command thereto since thus God hath allowed Religion to be defendedâ—… non saevitiâ sed patientiâ non scelere sed fide and we hope while we thus walk to Sion with our faces thitherward we shall be suffered to passe safe and if we fall with the good man in the Gospel into the hands of men cruel and inhumane shall have Powers like good Samaritans to restore what is unjustly taken from us and pour oyle and wine into our wounds yea we pray though not for preferment not for gain by wording godlinesse yet for permission to worship the God of our Fathers though after the way which some men mis-naÌ„me Superstition Formality Will-worship not thereby intending Rivalry with any other way of worship but desiring to attend upon Gods discovery in the use of that means which we are perswaded is according to the word of God written in the Law and in the Prophets and to which the judgments of many holy Martyrs and men have given testimony and this we trust your favour will permit since to others no more nor no truer Protetestants then we this liberty is indulged as a means to propagate the Gospel and since that of Casiodore ought to be in the mindes of Governours Neminem gravare debet Imperium quod ad utilitatem debet respicere singulorum This O Powers is the sense of those who are well-willers to learning who would not have troubled the world with any taste of their fears and sufferings or defence of their innocency did not their silence amidst the many provocations of bold and defamatory challengers in some sense and in easie peoples opinions though not in Truth confesse them guilty impunitatem consequuntur mali dum modesti tacent yea did not they fear Crowns of thorns preparing if some may have their wills for their captive heads for which Crowns of gold and silver for a memorial in the Temple of the Lord are I hope appointed as the Phrase is Zach. 6. 11. 14. so true is that of the Orator Nihil est tam sanctum quod non aliquando violetaudacia For mine own part I professe before God Angels and men I am moved to this service to the Muses not out of Passion not out of Vain-glory not to gratifie any party I Love or displease any party with whom in principle I coÌ„ply not these would be uningenious motives and receive their defeat and brand to be unproper foundations for so Christian a work that which rouses me up is that glory of God peace on earth and good will to men all which are propagated by Learning and the promise of God to own those that in a right and pious way own him I look upon the primitive Fathers and Christians who thought not so meanly of their faith and art as to forbear owning them for fear they might be lost with their party or lie too open to the worlds knowledge of them I love a sober freedom in a cause that concerns whatever is dear to man his soul his eternity his fame all which are in hazard if Learning and Learned men grow obsolete Our Lord says If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch There is nothing so great a spur to me next the glory of God as the Presidents of former times and the courage of holy men who were more ready to suffer then deserve so ill requitall of their integrity Synesius tells us nothing is more rhetoricall then sufferings the blood of Martyrs was seed to the Church and made their persecutors turn admirers yea sometimes sufferers it is surely a great distrust of God which makes men faint in a good cause how much more Evangelical and Christian were the minds of Polycarpus Athanasius Cyril Cyprian Iustin Martyr Arnobius Epiphanius Luther Melancthon and all the holy Fathers and Reverend Bishops of the Church who dealt with men like Solinus his Agriophagi who fed upon Panthers and Lions and breathed out nothing but bloud and wounds then are ours while we are to deale with Christian Magistrates well disciplned souldiers and common people who have heard of Christ and seem to cry a daily Hosannah to him Why should we not believe that God will protect and men pardon if not be perswaded to love those who call to them as Ionas did almost out of the Whales belly in the language of the Disciples to their Lord and Master Carest thou not that we perish Who O who knowes the mind of God perhaps God is now dealing with our Governours as with Artaxerxes to contribute to the restoring of the destroyed places of religion and learning It may be not by might nor by power but by his Spirit by a jawbone by rams horns all the rampiers raised against learning may with Iericho's wals fall down and therefore it concerns us all to wait the good pleasure of God and to cast our bread upon the waters to do
falshoods in friendship which ingenuity abominates Nihil veritas erubescit nisi solummodo abscondi as Tertullian once said I am for Government just and moderate Tyranny and Anarchy I equally hate because I believe them equally abusive I am for grave Cato's wise Solon's divine Seneca's quaint Tullie's for men of blood fortune courage and learning men fearing God distributing justice that it may run forth like a mighty stream and hating covetousnesse for men thus qualified will be most considerate of merits most temperate in punishments most vigilant for Peace most consultive in War most faithful of their words lesse prone to revenge lesse addicted to bribery lesse neglective of duty lesse carelesse of trust then others who being of unpolish't education are more rough and unmalleable more confident and lesse intelligent in a word no men either love or fear I as friend or enemy much lesse do I desire them as Magistrates who are not devout to God just to men and sober towards themselves who have not wisedome and grace to manage Power as God doth with justice not partiality mercie not inexorablenesse being bounteous to all that walk within Rule and Compasse And to these Powers where ever in this Nation acting do I in all humility direct this my Apologie hoping by the good hand of God not to be by them and the sober party of my Countrymen accounted worthy onely of Mical's scoffe as one of the vain fellows who shamelesly uncovereth himself 1 Sam. 6. 20. but as one who knows himself too well to be proud of any thing but his good meaning and who begs nothing in this transfiguration of things but that Christ and his Servants may have comfort and stability amongst us that those who Rule would fence the Vine Learning against beasts of Prey and Foxes of spoil who would rejoyce to see what yet remains of beauty and order devenustated and exposed to shame and dishonour Qui veram gloriam expetunt aliis ocium quaerere debent non sibi was the Orators I know there are many Shimeis and Doegs multitudes filling every corner with their Demetrian clamours magnifying the Dianas of Revelation and crying down Learning and Learned men as he and his Rabble in Acts the 19. did S. Paul enraging powers against them as perswaders and turners away of the people from obedience but the folly of these men is made manifest to all men experience tells us that all is not gold that glisters nor is a noble opposite less to be honoured then a base friend Let me speak for the Learned better Clyents the world has not yet now God wot they sue in Formâ—… pauperum silver and gold they have little but Virtues and Understanding against which all their enemies shall not prevail they have by the gift of God and their industry and to maintain them they will be resolute The Orator said true habet mens nostra naturâ sublime quiddam erectum impatiens superioris and hard it is to make the stiff knee of a Philosopher bow to the deceitful goddesse of pomp and outward splendor if he have done well he looks to be accepted if ill he will be convinced of it by Reason and not yeild himself faulty till he be made appear so and if he suffer by the will of God and the pleasure of men he will do as Pupaces did who being condemned to be beaten with stripes because his prisoner Andronicus was escaped cryed out to the people that flocked about him This is not my reproach but my comfort that I suffer for what every one ought to keep his integritie He that hath a generous mind and would live famous for goodnesse dare not be so base as to call good evil or evil good though so to do he were offered all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them Pardon therefore O Powers some Learned men their dissents others for those mens sakes whom ye think know Learned to whom ye do respect as to persons well-deserving considering that those who have provoked you most have not been more bold on you then you and all mankind have been on God whom we provoke all the day long And if when we were enemies without Composition or Act of Oblivion he made the time of our pollution the time of his love if when we were enemies he gave his Son to dye for us made him our peace who brake down the wall of separation made us all one by the blood of his Crosse so that now there is neither Iew nor Gentile but all alike to God who walk as the Redeemed of the Lord and serve him uprightly since these things I say are why should we of this Nation be worse one to another and more unready to forgive then God is who if we confesse our sinnes is faithfull to forgive our sins the Text hath another argument in it If God so loved us we ought also to love one another Remember O Powers I beseech you in the bowels of Christ what the holy Apostle exhorts his Ephesians to Be followers of God as dear children and walk in love even as Christ hath loved us and given himself for us a more noble president ye cannot have then he who is the wisedom of the Father nor a more Christian work you cannot engage in then Charity to your brethren then restoring them that are fallen by the Spirit of meeknesse consider that while ye are in the flesh ye are subject to like infirmities as others and if God restrain you 't is that you should prize him more and pity those many whom he suffers to miscarry He that unto sinners sends line upon line and precept upon precept he that waits that he may be gracious he that glories in the attribute of long sufferance towards man will not commend proceedings of Rigour from man to man O let it rather be your emulation to passe by many injuries then lose the Oportunity of one forgivenesse Let the offending world have cause to apply that to your gentlenesse which S. Bernard does to our Lord Jesus Quid tibi debuit facere quod non fecit he hath given sight to the blind liberty to the bound reduced the erroneus and reconciled the guilty Yea let no man be more bold to provoke then you benigne to bear after the holy example of him who suffered contradiction of sinners Considerati judicis est ignoscendi potius quaerere causas quam puniendi occasiones think not I beseech you that herein I am too lavish of your respect or would expose you to the dishonours of rude and revengeful tongues God forbid I should have any such thought nay in the presence of Christ I have not my heart abhors so loose and degenerous a motion I love to use humility and prudent moderation in addresses to Governours and since God commands to send the Lamb an emblem of mildnesse to
when he is in danger who hath turned a deafe ear to the prayers of the poor since the Moralist sayes true He that when he had power to help would not destroyes Hearken to this all ye who have had opportunities to procure peace and prevent war to save effusion of Christian blood to forbid blasphemies against God and vexations of men who might have saved many mens hearts from breaking and families from itrecoverable ruine ye who have had the Sun and Moon of Greatnesse standing for a long time still in the heavens of your families ye that have had life and death weale and woe your Pensioners consider well whether you have done your duties if so 't is well You have your reward in the peace of a good conscience if not you shall have your requitals both here and hereafter for as he said well They erre who meditate on power as their way to glory and supremacy and not rather to procure the peace and welfare of others and shall onely have cause to joy in so much thereof as they have improved to the honour of God and weale of men I do not deny Christian Magistrates use of the sword as well to the punishment of wickednesse and vice as the encouragement of those that do well I know there are necessary severities which men in power do and may expresse in order to preservation and publick peace the Politicians are generally for this nay God himselfe useth this method The Lord is not lesse known by the judgements he executeth then the mercies he multiplyes on man There is also much to be said from the wisdome of this world in defence of exactnesse in this case the Orator tels us that as in bodies natural the amputation of one corrupted member saves the whole from a Gangreen and death so in the Body Politick The tye on Magistrates is not that they should not punish offenders but that they should not make men offenders who are not so nor proceed against men only for words nor punish them with death when lesser punishments may reform and not ruine them but proportion to every one such testimonies of their displeasure as may render Rulers formidable and frowning on those that break the peace and make other men hear and fear and do no more presumptuously St Augustine tels Judges their duties excellently They saith he ought to keep the high road of justice not to turn to the right hand by over-much favour nor to the left by over exact rigour To which add that of the Civilians Iudex debet habere duos sales scientiae ne sit insipidus conscientiae ne sit diabolicus These cautions admitted punishments may be and are usefull yet Saints should have a care how they are too busie with the weapons and artillery of this world If Christs Kingdom be not of this world then not theirs if Christs and theirs be one Nay so long as he would not make use of Legions of Angels which he had and said too he had upon call to defend his innocency against a lawful though an ill-used Power I see not what ground Christians have to rest on that arm which he declined or to use force in any way but what is according to godlinesse and honesty for otherwise to do were to incur Saint Bernard's censure Omnes amici omnes inimici omnes necessarii omnes adversarii omnes domestici nulli pacifici omnes proximi omnes quae sua sunt quaerunt I know 't is the mode of men to indulge themselves and their friends Acharnan Lysimachus Alexanders Master would call himself a Phoenician that is learned Alexander Achilles and King Philip Peleus disdaining other men as thimbles full of dust and the goodly braveries of his scorn It is familiar to pardon faults to Favourites while men out of their Books though never so worthy cannot find mercy This purple Robe this equipage of State follows men whom times and titles honour In mine account worthy men are not paid Chequer pay if they receive lesse then the courtesie of England honour and estimation Falshood and Flattery are no good heads in a Christians Alphabet whom it more concerns to be pious and good then politick and great The Maxims of this world are husks fit for the King of Heavens Prodigals who have expended their Patrimony of grace and interest in God on vanities to feed upon This Babel which they have built for the glory of their fancied Kingdom they may boast of the Lord give me that Wisdome that inflates not that Riches which corrupts not that Power which abuseth not it self by abusing others yea the Lord direct me more to look to his glory in this and all indeavours then to mine owne applause or to that censure which worthy actions have met with from worthless ages I confesse my expectations are to meet with few who will salute my Apologie with that fair language that Diogenes did the Harper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persons of tender heads and sleepy constitutions are often offended at the Bell-man whom those more healthy like and cherish To these I say as our Lord to his Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The generous and virtuous people and Powers of the Nation will consider what Agrippa the noble Counsellour and Favourite of Octavian said to him Virtue onely makes men equall to the gods no humane Vote can deifie If thou beest good and rulest well the whole Land will be to thee a Temple every Citie an Altar every man a Statue erected to thy memory For those that carry things by Power and allow Right little place in their Debates and Conclusions shall by all the Trophies they erect in publick to their renowns be dishonoured and by so much shall the stench of the instances and records of their infamy and demerits be more noysome by how much more of time and continuance it shall gain and conquer And therefore if that Painter took great care in the piece he drew for eternity onely upon account of a temporall fame what warinesse ought those to expresse whose eternity of blisse as well as of fame depends upon the well managing of this moment Rulers then are highly concern'd in the Art of weldoing their opportunities are much to the gain or losse of good Fulgentius sayes Conversio Potentum saeculi multum militat acquisitionibus Christi and Cassiodore Publici decoris mater est mens Regentis If Rulers of a people cause them to err if the light that is in a Nation be darknesse how great is that darknesse Usitata vulgo sententia est juxta mores Domini Familiam esse constitutam The Lord therefore who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and hath the hearts of all men in his hand accept this humble Tender of his servant and incline those who are in place to think upon and commiserate the decaying Universities the ruined Churches the