Episcopacy Antichristian Ceremonies Superstition and Will-worship were injoyned by Law to pleasure an earthly King you willingly followed after the command against the direction of the King of Kings and now hath the Lord delivered the people of the Land into the hand of their KING And for this the Sword of the Lord hath gone through the Land 2. Vse From the perpetuity of the Lords Kingdome we may infer That this Cause of God shall prevail and that the Church though in the burning Bush cannot be consumed for JEHOVAH is in the Bush There be three grounds that there is hope that God will build his own Jerusalem 1. God never laid the foundation of so fair a building and then deserted the VVorke when he hath put it into the hearts of the Parliament and Land to enter into a Covenant with the Lord the Cause doth now in formall and direct termes become the Lords Cause And so the Lord is become surety for England 2. When did the Lord ever finally prosper his bloody-hearted enemies Babylons Womb and Bowels are swelled with blood they intend to root out the Protestant Religion Can God say Amen to this in Brittaine No he will not this end was sworne at the councell of Trent It was aimed at by Charles the fifth by Leo the tenth against Luther and the designe of the Actors of that bloody massacre of Paris yet hitherto all hath failed them 3. Gods Noble and stately acts of disappointing and discovering so many Plots give us hope for in them all God maketh true of England what is said Esai 66. 7. Before she travelled shee brought forth and before her paine came she was delivered of a man-Childe When she was sleeping ere the blow came the Childe was borne and the Woman delivered His Dominion shall be to the end Dominion is a power to use a thing as you please for such ends as you think good in the Creature our pleasure is supposed to be regulated by Law and Reason but men or Angels will or pleasure is not the rule of the use or lawfull exercise of Dominion but in God whose blessed will not being differenced from his holy reason and infinite wisedome it s the rule of the use of his Dominion and none may say to him What doest thou that but standeth still to the Creature as a binding Law Illud tantum possumus quod jure possumus we have no more lawfull morall power given to us of God then we can or do lawfully exercise according to the morall rule But Gods Dominion is to be discussed thus as it standeth in those following heads First in the manner of it its compleat Deus Dominatur in totum ens in totum entis God hath Dominion over every being of the Creature and over every part of the being God hath Dominion over his Creatures soule and his soules faculties his will minde conscience affections faith hope feare love joy over the body and all the powers and motions therof So God hath a compleat Lordship over the Creature One Creature hath not a compleat Lordship or Dominion over another yea a free reasonable Creature hath not a compleat Dominion over himself The reason is God made the Creature he made all and every being and part of the Creature He made the soule the body the faculties of both the actions and purposes of both Therefore he hath an absolute Dominion over both The potter hath a Dominion of art not a Dominion by creation over the Lame-pot he made the Lame-pot but he created not the Clay He hath therefore but a Dominion of art over the Clay not to annihilate the Clay as god can do His Dominion is of Art to frame of the Clay a Vessell of honour for a Kings Table or a Vessell of dishonour for the receiving of Urine The Master amongst the Jews might sell his man-servant and put him in his purse but the truth is when he sold him he sold but his bodily-service as hee was usefull to labour and work but he could not sell his servants soule nor his understanding nor his will nor his love nor his faith or Religion nor any of these Courtiers then and Cavaliers Prelates Atheists who professe they are of the Kings Religion and will dispose of their soules at the Kings pleasure to kill the innocent they make their soules bastards and unlawfull broods and they make the King the Creator of their soules and the absolute Lord of their Religion O foole the King did not make thy Soule there is an other Soule-Lord then the King Ezek. 18. 4. Behold all Soules are mine saith the Lord and there is another Soule-former then the King of Brittaine hear God speak himself Esai 57. 16. If I should contend for ever the spirits should faile before me and the soules that I have made O finde me an Earthly King that can forme Soules and then let the Cavaliers sweare that which many now practice I am the Kings wholly both soule and body faith and conscience But I pray you are not all in England the Kings Subjects yea trùly and all in Scotland also but not one soule not one conscience in all the three Kingdomes is the Kings Subject 2. Gods Dominion for the matter is universall he can presse an Army in the Clouds and in the Firmament Judg. 5. 20. The Stars in their course fought against Sisera he hath an host in Hell and raised an Army against the first-borne of Egypt Psal. 78. 49. Hee troubled them by sending Malokim ragnim evill Angels or Devils amongst them He can blow a Trumpet and cry to the dust of the Earth Arms Arms and there ariseth an host of Catter-pillers or Canker-wormes Joel 2. and vers. 6. before the faces of these Wormes the people is much pained and all faces gather blacknesse that is strange to see valient men of Warre tremble before a Worme and one man with a tramp of his foot may kill hundreds of them but this is the Dominion of JEHOVAH the Lord He hath an host of VVaters every wave of the Sea being a Souldier every fish receiving pay from JEHOVAH first to drown Pharoah and then to eat him and his Princes 3 He hath a Soveraigne Dominion over the salvation and damnation of men as Rom. 9. 21. The potter hath power over the Clay Arminians and Papists will have Freewil Lord and Carver of the white roll of election to glory but Gods own Pen from eternity did write in the Lambs Book of life so many and did book those from eternity whom he was of free grace to make Senators of heaven to walk with the Lamb in white nor doth freewill pen its own doome But God hateth Esau before he doth good or ill 4. God hath an absolute Dominion in all the operations of second Causes The Stars these five thousand yeers have marched so orderly and kept their Orbes Distance Line that not one of them ever transgressed the borders of another And Gods
governe them and so shall Gods gifts be snares plagues and no gifts If God give a fatherly power to a father to kill all his children and if a State give to their Generall a military power to fell and destroy all his Souldiers so as neither Sonnes nor Souldiers may defend themselves then the fatherly power should be of its owne nature a plague to the Sonnes If any say the Prince the Father because they feare God will not put forth in acts such a power I answer thankes to the Princes goodnesse for that but no thankes to his office and power God gave him the Sword as a Prince if he doe not draw that royall Sword to drink bloud we cannot impute the cause to the nature of the royall gift or intention of God the giver but to the goodnesse of a man which must be bad divinite Doct. 2. So much as Darius hath of God or any good Ruler so far is his spirit for the publick He heareth something of the God of Daniel now then he hath a publick spirit to send something of God to all nations people and languages v. 25. Though there bee nothing to prove that the man had saving grace yet the generall holdeth so much of God as any hath in so farre is he for the publick 1. Because grace is a publicke beame of God and a branch of Gods goodnesse and so of a spreading nature and the better things be the more publicke they are the Sunne is better then a Candle God best of all because every thing that hath beeing hath something of God and Christ best of all because he is the Saviour of many and Col. 1. 20. hath reconciled all things in heaven and earth to himselfe 2. Graces end is the most publick end of the world even Gods glory for all things are for God Rom. 11. 36. Prov. 16. 4. mens private ends are sinfull ends 3. The more gracious men be the more publick they are David will not be David alone in praising God but Psal. 148. he wil have a world in with him even Angels Sun Moone Stars Heaven of Heavens Dragons deeps fire hail snow vapour stormy winde mountains trees beasts creeping things fowles Kings Judges old and young to hold up the song Moses Paul would lay out in ransome their part of heaven to redeeme Gods glory and salvation to the Lords Church the Martyrs desired that their pain torment might praise and exalt God How broad how catholicke and publicke was his spirit who said 1 Cor. 9 19. Though I be free from all men yet have I made my selfe servant unto all that I might gaine the more 20. And unto the Iews I became as a Iew that I might gain the Iewes to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gaine them that are under the Law 21. To them that are without the Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law 22. To the weake became I as weake I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some A publike spirit is not himselfe he is made a Jew a Gentile a weake man not a weak man he is made Law and Gospel he is made a bridge over a River that the Church may goe over him drie he complyeth with all who but lend out halfe a looke to Christ and he is in a complement of grace a servant to all 2 Corinth 4. 5. We preach not our selves except wee preach our owne sinnes our owne condemnation by nature and that wee under-preach all eminencie in our selves but our selves your servants for Christs sake yea your servants servants for Christ See the Complement of a publicke heart of one who is willing to stoope and put his head and haire under the feet of the Church and of the poorest and most despised passenger who maketh out for heaven Vse Then Grace maketh men rich Parliament men and there is a wide difference betwixt a publicke man and a publicke spirit all Parliament men are publicke men but they are not all publike spirits else so many of them would not have deserted the publicke and runne away from Christs Colours to seeke their owne private Idols Men void of grace make an Idol of themselves every wicked man is wholly himselfe and wholly his owne Phil. 2. 21. They all seeke their owne not the things of Jesus Christ Hee who is for the Bridegroome cannot bee against the Bride nor against the Common-wealth he who is a Statesman of heaven and knoweth savingly the fundamentall Lawes of Jesus Christ the power and prerogative roall of the King of Kings he who is acquainted with the frame and constitution of the Kingdome of sinne in his owne heart he who feareth God who feareth his owne light and is awed with the Decrees and Lawes of an inlightened conscience shall be fast for the publicke and the man who selleth his Religion and his soule for his private ends will soone sell his countrey his Parlament the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome Will hee put the Law of God and the Crowne and Scepter of that Princely Lord Jesus to the market and will hee sticke for his Court and Honour to sell the Lawes of England and will hee forfeit Heaven and will hee not forfeit you all and your Parliament and Liberties O then bee intreated now to bee for Heaven and Christ as his publicke State-wits to convey Decrees for Christs honour for Reformation against Babylon and her sonnes through this whole Kingdome You have now power and opportunitie to send the Glory of Christ over Sea to all Europe the eyes of Nations are upon you exalt the Sonne of God thinke it not sweet policie to have peace with Babylon and warre with God consider if Church and State did ever prosper since the Queenes Idol of the Masse was set up amongst you and what is your part when many Masses are now in the Kings Court at Oxford I make a Decree There was a wicked Law and a cursed Decree made by Darius that for thirtie dayes neither Daniel nor any of Gods people should pray to God or to any god save to Darius Daniels enemies prevaile thus farre that Daniel the Churches right eye now in the Court should be decourted and cast out to bee meate to beasts Behold the artifice and fathomlesse depth of Gods wisedome who bringeth a contrary Decree out of this wicked Decree even a Decree for adoring that God of Daniel whom they had dishonoured Doct. It is the art of the deepe wisedome of divine providence to bring good out of the sinnes of his enemies and the sufferings of his owne Iosephs brethren moved with envie sell their brother Potiphar casteth him in prison the wisedome of God commeth in in the game and hee exalteth Joseph and keepeth alive people in famine Herod Pilate Jewes and Gentiles crucifie the Lord of glory the Art
sunk and overwhelmed if those three hold good which Papists and Arminians hold 1. Our salvation were in danger if free-will which hath its rise and working in time were the Axeltree upon which are rolled the wheeles of eternall election and reprobation But there is as good reason to say that a sucking childe may reach up his arme above the Sunne and Starres and roll about the wheele of the first Heaven from East to West and turne the wheele again from West to East as to say that time-free-will can turn about the eternall counsel of God and that our acts of believing are not believing and our good and evil works which have their rise from yesterday and to day and are like Jonahs gourd up and down in one night doe roll about the eternall will and decree of God from favour and love to hatred and rejecting of men Better make the former of all things supreame and soveraigne then give the Prerogative Royall of all to naughty and sinfull clay 2. We could easily grant that it were in mens power to destroy the Church of God and that the King of the bottomlesse pit and his Lady and Queen Babylon the great whore and their sonnes Papists and Prelates might cut off the name of the Lords Israel if upon the supposall of their dream of N. media scientia the new eyes which Jesuits with all humble submission and glory to the glorious God bee it spoken have given to the Almighty contingency did rule all for upon the nod and dominion of causes without all determination of Gods righteous providence and eternall counsel all revolutions of Church and Kingdomes depend say they and all hang upon these two poles may be may not be what hindereth then that Christ have no Spouse no redeemed people and that he be a husband without a wife a King without Subjects a Saviour without a ransomed people as they expresly teach who with Arminians are advocates for nature and pleaders against the grace of God but wee believe God to bee eternall and his counsel eternall and his eternall decree to have a strong influence in the safety of his Church against which the gates of hell shall not prevail and that Divels Men Babylon Rome Spain Irish rebels powers on earth in their plots machinations counsels endeavours battels victories all which come from free causes are yet chained and fast linked to the high dominion and independent soveraignty of an eternall God And we believe that this differenceth Jehovah from all other Gods who as Esay saith Can neither do good nor evil Therefore there is not an arrow steepd in hell and shot against the Church but it cometh out of Gods bow and he saith it Esay 43. 13. Yea before the day was I am he and there is none that can deliver out of my hand I wil worke and who shall let it The Churches victories and deliverance depend upon an eternall hand and therefore the sonnes of Belial prevail not and the sons of Jacob are not consumed 3. It were a desperate matter for the elect to be saved if the first Adam were our surety but our Tutor Jesus Christ is old and wise the ancient of dayes Daniel 7. 13. and he hath seven eies they cannot chuse but hold the apostasie of the Saints who make free-will our tutor And therefore if I were halfe in heaven and my one foot in eternity and my other in time if such a sinfull principle as free-will should tutour and guide me I should come back again out of heaven and be damned eternally If any weak soule apprehending wrath and under a fervour of desertion should complain What hindreth me to be eternally condemned for I am not distracted I am privie to my selfe that I have sold my birth-right and sinned against the grace of God hainously Let me answer That the selling of your birth-right dependeth upon the consent of your tutor Jesus Christ who is the King of ages as no minor can sell his inheritance without the consent of his tutor and if he should doe it it cannot stand in Law but may be revoked Christ is first heire and all the elect joynt heires with him Rom. 8. 17. and joynt heires in Law though many persons yet they make but one heire consider then if he who is your eternall King of ages and so unchangeable hath not given his consent to the bargaine that you should sell his birth-right and inheritance and under him your own birth-right you had no power to doe it Christ because he is God eternall cannot subscribe nor signe with his hand the writs wherein you have sold your inheritance therefore the bargaine in Law is a meere nullity Thirdly if he be God enduring for ever What fooles are we to place our hope in a King that shall die Surely they cast their anchor in ill ground who trust in the creature thou puttest thy heaven betwixt the browes of a King and in the light of his countenance he is but a man and may change and though his favour were constant yet when his eye-strings shall be broken with one breath he shall breathe out his own soule and thy heaven And what canst thou then say or do because sence and the flesh leadeth us and time goeth about us from the cradle to the grave we are all for time we are for a time-Court a time-Glory a time-Prince a time-Friend a time-Husband a time-Brother a time-Heaven and happinesse a time-deliverance in trouble time-Riches time-joy and time-pleasure time-triumphing a time-life c. But we may finde in this King of ages who indureth for ever these same good things of another nature as we finde in God eternall Court eternall Glory an eternall King an eternall Friend an eternall Husband an eternall Brother an eternall Happinesse an eternall Salvation eternall riches eternall victory and triumph and in summe life eternall His Kingdome such as cannot be destroyed The other classe of arguments to prove Daniels God to be the true God is from his government His Kingdome that is The people of his kingdome cannot be destroyed and now the King doth say though there be variety and choyce of gods in Chaldea and Persia yet Daniels God is incomparably above them all and Daniel and his fellowes are blessed and more happy in their God then all that serve other gods The Lord when he is tried will be found the onely excellent and matchlesse God above all gods and none like to him and his people the onely happy people that mans portion is fallen in pleasant lines who hath the Lord for his portion but I must go on to make good this doctrine That the Kingdome and Church of God is the most permanent and induring society on earth and a Kingdome which cannot fail and I go upon these grounds There is a most firm and sure Covenant made betwixt the Lord and his people Jer. 31. 35. Thus saith the Lord that giveth the Sun for a light by day and the