Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	father_n	hand_n	king_n	2,664	5	3.5501	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96886	The churches thank-offering to God her King, and the Parliament, for rich and ancient mercies; her yeares of captivity; her first yeare of iubile; that is, for the marvelous deliverances wrought with God the first wonderfull yeare (since the yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same moneth following: in all which time, the Lord appeared for his church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the bush, so the church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed. In the preface, the thank-offering is vindicated, and set free, from all the cavills and charges against it; where also it is cleared to be, as every mans duty, so every mans purpose, to offer willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of pagan, papist or atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most supreme law, the highest reason, and the unquestionable will of God.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1642 (1642)	Wing W3484; Thomason E122_1; ESTC R18182	151,993	158

vengeance against those treacherous Priests and light Prophets now He will recompence upon them all their abominati●ns which they have committed in His house before His face Now He will raise up Carpenters which shall strike off those hornes that have pushed and goard and scattered the servants of the Lord m Zach. 1. 20. And surely all the undertakings of that High Court have gone ou● all along with God in His way And have the very stampe and seale of His Hand upon theirs to make H●s worship truly spirituall according to His will and not clogged and mixed with humane Inventions Ecclesiasticall and Civill charges And he that shall looke upon them the actions I meane of the High Court with an impartiall eye that shall be but willing to understand them the meaning and tendencie thereof hee will be forced to beleeve as was ●aid in a higher case n Qui studuerit intelligere cogetur ei credere ●ertul de Deo cap. 17. That all this hath beene suggested to them by God and managed by His right-hand They have beene but as noble instruments bent unto His purpo●e and as the bow and sword in His Hand But remember this with it which was intimated before He hath brought upon them their owne iniquity o Ps 94. 13. and so hath cut them off Their owne wickednesse hath helped forward this great worke the casting out of these Church-men nursing Fathers in Name and no more for they starved their children They helped forward p Zach. 1. 15. the wrath for the slaying a whole Nation Now His own wrath killeth the foolish man and envy slayeth the silly one q Iob 5. 2. So as we may say in allusion thereunto and conclude as of old These Church-mens iniquity makes full proof of the Justice and innocency of that High Court r Probatio est nostra innocentiae impietas vestra Tert. cap. 48. If you will aske me now in the close what I can say against the office My answer is ready but yet I will say no more here but as St. Paul saith touching the LAW vve know the Law is good if a man use it LAWFULLY * 1 Tim. 1. 8. The next Objection scorcheth for it is from a tongue set on fire of hell Ob. That now they have cast forth Church men they will cast forth their King too out of the inheritance of the Lord They will rise up in batt●ll against their King and can they expect that we should tender them a Thank-offering for that An. No sure the Axe rather or a rope let one or both be tendred to such Philistines who deale vilely with their King as if he were not anoynted vvith oyle a 2 Sam. 1. 21. and then shall these servants of the Lord be free for they can call God to record upon their soules that they rise up for their King against spoylers for their Religion against Papists for their lives and liberties against murtherers for their Church and Nation against them that would make fenced Cities ruined heapes and bring utter desolation to the King and Kingdome Church and Common-wealth and all The contrary is suggested to his sacred Majesty and so forced that he dares protest see how wicked Counsell may prevaile in the face of Heaven and Earth that they who seeme to be on his side and with him shall maintaine the Lawes just Liberties and Rights of the Church and Common-wealth Marke Reader Sons of Belial so much malice hath suggested and so far prevailed shall maintain the Lawes and Papists the true Reformed Religion men of bloods like Irish Villaines nay the very same shall safeguard your lives Reade on Those that are gone out to battell against these enemies vvhither soever the LORD shall send them VVhat are these men 1 Kin. 8. 44. Ob. Malice hath suggested but shee vvas foully out That most of them are ANABAPTISTS Ans Nay not one I say againe not one Malice may suggest That some one or two there is a Samaritan and hath a Divell for that has bin suggested against the Captaine of the Host b Ioh. ● 48. but that there are ANABAPTISTS there that is false sure because they are gone forth to vvarre and vvill maintaine it to the Death No ANABAPTIST then No nor Rebels nor Traitors neither though suggested so Like the dirt of Oysters it will not staine the righteous have bin slandered so of old but never has beene heard or seene such contradictions of sinners such contrarieties of Tongues and Wills as now a daies They can reade much written in commendation of folly and to some purpose They can reade also some sheets blotted in the commendation of the Ague the Feaver and the Gout Yea and one whole sheet in the praise of a Louse and three sheets in the praise of the vilest person but he was an Emperour that ever went upon two Leggs All this they may finde and reade in Bookes but they never heard or read till of late nor their Fathers before them That an Army most of Papists and the other looking stedfastly towards Rome in the same Kingdom haue bin commended for loyall Subjects to a Protestant King And an Army of Protestants charged with Treason and Rebellion against the same King But the Righteous are not carefull they can turne as afore-said to the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE and seeing there is no vvrong in their Hands They can say as David so persecuted before them The God of their Fathers looke theron and rebuke it c 2 Chr. 12. 17. This has beene the good mans comfort evermore when he hath been smitten at with the tongue My Adversaries can say much against me for he thinkes his tongue his owne but he cannot say I HAVE FORSAKEN THE LAW OF MY GOD So now malice may suggest that there be Traitors in Gods Hoste and most of them Brownists and Atheists she is not so shamelesse to suggest that most or any of them are Papists no Anabaptists If so be malice could have suggested that and have made the charge good where had our Hope beene Certainly had this Hoste consisted most of Papists it had gone out under the guilt of all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abell unto the blood of Zacharias and so downe ward unto this Day d Mat. 23. 35. but not one PAPIST no not one in the Hoast of God the enemies themselves being Iudges the Papists are all on their side all the world over And that it is so is ●n cleare as the Sunne when he shines in his strength All the Papists are on the other side and not one with the Host of God Surely here is matter for high praise to our God Blessed be the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost that Satan the accuser of the Brethren hath condemned his owne cause and justified theirs for behold all this is granted that all the Papists in the Land nay all the world over are on that

in the highest Reason and therefore by helpe of God and the law and right reason also they will doe exploits Observe we how the Worthies in the managing of their great affaires have walked by the same help and steering their course by the same hand levell to the same mark how exactly how blamelesly how harmelesly as the Sonnes of God according to the line of men so as Momus himselfe an envious and prying person once and now and yet cannot rebuke them d Phil. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How comes it to be so That these Worthies have carried themselves so exactly well There can be no other reason given but this by helpe of God the law and the highest Reason For as was said God is their Pilot He steers their course and the law was their land-marke their boundary their hedge had they broken that a Serpent had bi * Eccl. 10. 8. them a Eccl. 10 8. therefore c. for every man knowes it they with such helpe must steere their course as exactly as the King does who does according to his charge seeke helpe from God and direction from his Law-book b Deut. 17. 18 19. But now on the contrary when a man shall slip his hand from out of Gods hand will have none of Him none of His help will desert the Law the supreame Law that old Land-marke remove that out of it's place and forsake Reason the highest reason what will hee doe blunder on as the old Sorcerer did Prophet is too good a name Balaam I meane so he will blunder on though a flaming Sword stand in their way turning every way to stop them in their course Like the Duke of Arabia Leader to the S●beans so they will doe And he was a wild Duke some say mad for carelesse of his owne desert Country he commanded in chiefe over those who carrying their right upon the Swords point robbed spoyled pillaged all places and persons they came to though their best friends they served all alike as they did Job How so By helpe of the Divell he stirred them up and by helpe of his Lawes which are written in blood They forsooke the supreame law and were forsaken of right Reason So they went on in a cursed way the path of the Destroyer wasting and destruction was there and this is the way of the wicked now the old pathes that the Papists have trod in through all Generations the way of peace they have not knowne and cursed are they that walke therin nay he shall not escape punishment that stands still walkes not but alloweth of that way Marke this good Reader for I would gaster thee at the very thought of this way he shall not escape punishment that alloweth or consenteth to this way I will cause them to be removed into all Kingdomes of the Earth because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah King of Iudah for that which he did in Ierusalem c Ier 15. 4. You will find part of this answer in the large English Bible more fully in Iunius but most fully clearly and usefully explained in Calvin upon this place Might we question the Righteous judgement of the Lord we would aske here Why must the people be removed for that which their King did And why must the after-generation for this was long after be sorely visited for the sins of their fore-Fathers There is a double answer unto this double Question and it will cleare the just proceedings of the Lord The Judge of all the Earth and shall not he do right d Gen. 18. 25. Because the people then when Manasseh was living allowed of what their King did in the alteration of Religion purged and setled by his good Father and persecution of Gods servants He was the Authour of bloody Decrees but the People were the Ministers and Executioners therof and woe to both * Tum auctoribus maleficiorum ●um administris Isa ● 10. Iun. 2. And the generations following allowed of all this for they went on securely not humbled for what their Fathers had done This is the answer and the note and if it be noted well it will be as a flaming sword to keepe our foot from the path of the destroyer nay more from allowing of that way for as sure as our soules doe live they shall fall they and their companies that walke in this way that allow and consent to such a way where wasting and destruction is forsaking the helpe of God and the Law and forsaken of right Reason For the blessing of the Pope goes along with them and the curse of the Al●ighty That was the point and it cleares forth the way unto us what way we must avoid if we would escape the curse of God what way w● must take for there is no standing still a N●●ter that is to allow of a ba● way if we do● expect a blessing from Him And this I hope is cleared out unto thee ●o is thy judgement therein Thou seest clearly what way thou art to take by the helpe of God the Law and the highest Reason I shall ●leare the WILL of GOD unto thee next for I doe suppose th●re is a th●cke c●oud betwixt thine eye and it thou art not cleare at that point By the helpe of God I shall make it as cleare unto thee as is the Sunne beame But I doe beleeve already thy mind is so cleared now That thou dost thinke it but a point of meere duty that the Church should render a Thank offering to Her God that cannot be questioned now and to man also that is questioned by whose hands the Lord hath wrought so wonderfully this last yeare Nay I am perswaded better then so Thou wilt doe as the Church doth thou wilt offer too Yes thou wilt say thou wilt give thankes for that is as easily done as thy Cap is moved an easie motion that No but it is not it is the Churches THANK-OFFERING and she offers willingly therefore if thou wilt doe like her we must have thy tongue and thy hand and thy heart A Thank-offering is not a Lip-labour no there is in it the very labour of love the worke of faith and because we looke to see our thankes againe the patience of hope Come now what wilt thou doe For words and no more are like Nuts they nourish not Marke what followes If I knew the will of my GODS I vvould doe vvhat they vvould have me doe and they should have vvhat they vvould have from me A notable speech and yet a Heathen spake it Seneca whom because of this and something else he said and did Erasmus cals a Divine-man and is so charitable as to register him in the Catalogue of Saints Indeed this saying containes much and we must make much use of it we will heare it again If he knew the will of his gods What then Then they should have the strength of his parts and the chiefest of his Riches they should have vvhat

bid freely Thy Religion thy Faith never put thee to cost till new what wilt thou doe now A Papist shall not out-bid thee for the maintaining his Idol-service a cursed service yet see how forward he is he will give all to his skin nay skin and all for ●e will venture his precious soule he loves not his life unto death in his blind zeale so he may maintaine the Man of sinne a despicable man and his cause a desperate cause The Atheist bids roundly too the man without God in the world who bel●eves not that there is any Spirit good or bad he carries his soule in his hand too he fights himselfe into slavery that he may maintaine his Idol his ●ride and Ambition for Honour in that waie there is none no nor ease nor peace neither yet see what he doth how impatient * Omne peccatum impatientiae ascribendum Nemo impudicus non impatiens pudicitiae n●c iniustus non impatiens iustitiae Tert. de pat cap. 5. he is in traversing his waie that cursed waie The Papist shall not exceed thee now no nor the Atheist neither Why then thou must be very active and liberall too thy hand and thy heart and all must go els they will go beyond thee I aske agai●e what wilt thou doe Before thou canst answer me I must resolve thee in one doubt more Ob. I could act with a more free spirit with more enlarged affectio●s If he be a Clerg●man that scrup●es here either ●t the will of Man or at the offering beleeve him not he is a counterfeit he hath satisfied his conscience and rock'd it a sleepe resolved in a more scrupulous case that he may receive h●● offerings next Easter his Tithes all the yeare after and more a great dealt from two places though he ministers at neither there he is pinched now but no scruple there because with more clearenesse of judgement if so be Gods wi●l were concurring with the will of my ●ur●ing Fathers and spirituall Lords An. These were no● spirituall once nor Lords now But this is a strange speech if we marke it that Gods will must concurre with mans wi●l else we will not doe there after This is preposterous indeed What must yeeld here Without all contradiction as the lesse is blessed of the better a Heb. 77. So the lesse must yeeld to the greatest and the worst to the Best Gods will is an holy a good a just will as you heard mans wil● is crosse stubberne and perverse as you shall heare it is affianced to carnall wisdome and humane reason and so it is as it hath bin and it doth as it hath done all the mischiefe in the world Mans will by the helpe of carnall reason and the Law of sin in the members hath rebelled against God ever since there was a man upon the Earth This will saith one b Bernard Ochr Serm. 3. was the Serpent in the Garden it made Cain kill his brother perswaded the old world to do as we reade and provoked Pharaoh to rush into the Sea It made Gods people murmure it made Solomon lose his wits amongst his strange wives and stirred his Father to kill Uriah this very will with her confederates persecuted the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles in former ages the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ ever since downe ward to this day Nothing so much as this will favoureth the Kingdome of Anti-christ introdu●ing all the superstitions Hypocrisies murthers massacres c. This will perswades a man rather then stoope to fall though he is but to stoope to Law and right Reason This will makes the most worldly wise the most foole most wicked most persecuting And so the Authour goes on Testimonies from latter times can tell us as much Mans will by it's helpers afore said will bring a city into a snare So in English e Pro. 29. 8. Sufflant sufflando inflammant Will set Cities on fi●e and whole Kingdomes in a flame so Iunius reades it and so we for so this will would have done As then it is wilfullnesse to say This shall be for I Will have it so the VVill is the Reason So also it is wickednesse to looke unto mans vvill further then it is subordinate to Gods vvill for it is as the carnall mind enmity against God not subject to His Lavv neither indeed can be f Rom. 87. It is then sufficient abundantly sufficient That we know Gods vvill and this is our wisdome to resolve all thereinto That it is His VVILL we should contend for the Faith for the safeguarding that Ship strive even unto death for the rescuing our King Parliament Nation Lavves Liberties Religion Lives out of the hands of Spoylers Ob. Spoylers why so Those of our owne Nation and those called in unto us endeavour with all their might to establish our Religion Iawes Liberties God forbid I should denie it for they affirme and vow it too Ans I thought this had been answered before but some men will not be answered In earnest tell me Art thou so credulous as aforesaid Yes Then dost thou beleeve as afore-said that Noahs flood came-in to allay the dust And that the Duke of Arabia with his companies of Sabeans were stirred up to safeguard Job and his house It is not Gods WILL we should beleeve lies not what the tongue saith but what the hand doth Mans WILL is cleared here to be perverse and wicked GODS WILL so cleared also that we cannot pleade ignorance therof I will hold my Candle no longer before that Sun This is GODS WILL as afore said and we kn●w it so to be and They that doe know it and are engaged to doe thereafter have such a sense of Dutie that they would rather loose their Heads then that their King so we touching King and PARLIAMENT should loose one hai●e of his or their Honour And so I have cleared as I could and as briefly the maine doubts touching the Thanke-offering the person that offers it our Dutie thereupon and grave questions thereabouts for the setling of the judgement therein that we also may offer d Amemus Christū facilè videbitur omne difficile parvum c. Hier. ad Eust ep 17. p. 207. Sequitur hunc affectum membra omnia omnes partes c. Cal. in Dan. ● 4. THANKES to GOD His King and His faithfull Servants i e. our Tongues and our hands and our hearts to serve them in LOVE and Love is a great Commander it commands all it does all it beleeves all it gives all d c. The method is questioned next not where I am to begin for surely that is out of all question with prime and ancient Mercies and with the bottome or top Mercy expresse it you for I cannot the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry. in cap. 29. Gen. root-Mercy The Church fixeth thereon therefore I must remember that for I could not raise a Pillar and make it stand

give their Lord no rest till He shall give them rest The Lord hath given His people th● greatest mercies which they prayed not for ELECTION before time His SON in the fullnesse of time How can He with Him denie His people any thing They forsake not their confidence there ore they are importunate with their friends as they have beene in former yeares the day of Jacobs troubles and treading downe saying Pray pray pray Pray for the King That the Lord would deliver his soule from the snare of the Hunter And pray for the Parliament who have sought the peace of the King and his Kingdomes as their ●wne peace nay more then so they have preferred it before their owne And seeing 't is cleare to every man that will see that thus they have done They have sought and wrought effectually for the peace that containes all of their King or the Salvation a comprehensive blessing of King and his Kingdomes for maintaining this Ship RELIGION wherein our lives our liberties our estates our peace and the Churches all over the world and our Generations after us are bottomed and maintained seeing I say their Care Piety Zeale is manifest to all men in the maintaining this Ship And all this by the line of the Law the Plummet of right Reason the Rule of their Lords will Seeing we know it to be so and doe know also in all our hearts and soules That not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord hath spoken concerning His people Nor any of Iosh 24. 14. 1● the evill things which He threatned against His enemies but all came to passe We will close with the word of the Lord which He hath spoken to the heart of all His faithfull Servants in all Generations I VVILL BLESSE THEM THAT BLESSE Gen. ●2 3. THEE and CURSE HIM THAT CURSETH THEE even so Lord let the curse they have called for fall upon the wicked but Thou hast promised this goodnesse unto Thy Servants Now therfore Let it please Thee to blesse the house of Thy Servants that they and their house may be before Thee for ever For Thou blessee 1 Ch● 17. 26 2● O Lord and it shall be blessed for ever Amen and Amen THE CHVRCHES THANK-OFFERING To GOD Her KING and the PARLIAMENT CHAP. I. Recording thanking praising an high imployment who fit for it how great the engagement to it who the fountaine of mercies whence received thither returned SECT I. Thankes-giving and praise a sacred imployment THe old manner was that a certaine number were appointed to record to thanke and to praise the Lord God of Israel a 1 Chron. 16. ● These must b● Levites such as did minister before the Arke of the Lord. It was a sacred imployment a worke as some Psalmes are of Degrees To Record was the lowest and required little clevation of spirit To Thanke was an higher Degree and commanded more life of affection To Prai●e that it to sing the high praises of our God there comes in Selah a winding-up of the spirit to the highest It may be said What need all this Such a livelinesse of affection Such an activity of spirit to thank and to praise God It is as ordinary a thing and as easie a worke as is done in the world Kings of the Earth and all people Princes and all Iudges of the Earth both young-men and Maidens Old men and children b Ps 148. 11 12. All these doe as they are commanded they thanke the Lord and praise Him too if we could heare the afore-mentioned speaking one after another we should heare nothing but Thankes and Praise I am in health saith one I thanke God I am increased and prosper in the world saith another I praise God I have had many crosses and troubles in the world I blesse my God They have well spoken in all that they have said but ô that there were such an heart c Deut. 5. 29. All creatures praise God for so they are commanded Dragons and all deepes c. Beasts and all Cattell creeping things and flying soule all praise Him in their kind But man is a more excellent Creature he stands charged to doe it in a more excellent manner els as good not done he hath a tongue for that end and called his glory and yet the fewest of all doe praise God as they should and all because they thinke it so easie and ordinary a worke to praise Him whereas tongue and heart both must be well tuned for this work for it is the most heaven-like of all the services perform'd by Man here below As to Praise is comely so is it a clean pure heavenly lasting action None but the Righteous whose hearts are cleansed from sinne and emptied of Selfe they onely doe it the upright in heart d Ps 33. 1. Ps 119. 7 and what they doe now on Earth they shall doe hereafter in Heaven it is their worke to all Eternity SECT II. Who the Person is that is fit for this worke VVE must then find-out a fit person for this worke so high an imployment a person that can doe it to purpose decently and in order that ministers before the Lord continually they that walke with Him cleave to Him trust in Him the people of God such as feare Him onely serve Him onely so walking in his wayes These many are but one one House one Body so single they in conversation so usefull they in their communion each with other as members one of another And so I shall take them all under a single Notion as one person whom I shall properly call the Church The Church indeed e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having more then a name for that and no more is nothing She hath a Name that she lives and she doth live and this life is the more spiritfull and active because as light was brought out of the wombe of darknesse so her life from death She was dead but she is now alive and lives for ever her life being hid with Christ in God f Col. 3. 3. A very fit person for such a worke an heavenly worke an heavenly person who might she deliver her own words with her own mouth would doe it exactly well but howsoever she will doe it decently and in order after she hath told us her ingagement to the worke how she doth record it and to whom she payeth the tribute of praise and thankes SECT III. The Churches engagement to record to thanke to praise HItherto all fits very well the Person and the Worke. Now see the engagement thereunto that 's very strong and binding For behold how great the loving kindnesses are how rich the mercies how marvellous the workes which the Lord hath done for this Nation whereof in due place and conveyed to it through the hands of man It is God Who makes two of one mind in one house and the same God Who hath made two Houses one to goe together

Deut. 33. 17. She is well underlaid then her enemies themselves being judges Ob. But it is said here is more need of Prayers then of praise● Things that seemed to be in so forward a way are now set back God now seems to stand still or if he goes forward it is in carrying His Church to the Mountaine of straits An. I might answer things are never in so good and setled an estate but there is matter for prayer nor never in so bad and low an estate but there is matter for praise as in the case of Iehosaphat d But this would not be to the mind and sense of the Obiection which is this That the Church should be so much taken up now with her streights that s●e might very well forget prosperity all the good that God hath shewn her these former yeares Now God forbid There be some indeed upon whom you loose all your formet courtesies unlesse you still follow them with new and fresh favours every day e Nonnulli ita comparati sunt ut antiqutora benefici● subvertas nisi nova posterioribus cumules quamlibe● sape obligati si quid unum tamen neges hoc unum meminerunt quod negatū est Plin. epist. 2 King 20. 19. Some there be who have an hundred blessings and with them but one Crosse but that one Crosse sowres all their sweets clouds and hides all their blessings from their eyes The Church not so Good is the word of the Lord said the good King which thou hast spoken What did he speake Heavy tydings yet saith the good King Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken Is it not good if peace and truth be in my dayes The good King was not carelesse what would befall the Church and His House when he must be taken thence and gathered to his Fathers O no doubtlesse those tydings went to his very heart touching those things which should befall to the House of God his house and his sonnes after him O it was bitternesse bitternesse but yet the Word of the Lord is good It was matter of Admiration and everlasting praise That God had shewen him so much good had wrought such Deliverances for him That his eye had seene such salvations That when his Father Abaz had wrought such abominations in Iudah yet his sonne should see such salvations in Israel and which is the vision indeed peace and truth all his dayes This was matter of wonder yea of praise and thanke both It is so with the Church they consider well of their straits now and that these may be yet greater and yet a signe for good They can consider that the Church is not cast so farre-backe yet but she may be cast yet farther even to the place of Dragons she hath not seene nor heard the worst yet so it may be nor is she carelesse of what she sees or heares No she feeles them and ponders things in her heart but so as she holds fast her confidence and she must shew her selfe exceeding thankfull for all the Good her Lord hath done for her the last year That when her people were ripe for judgement as the corne for the sickle yet there was not a cutting downe Truly when she doth but thinke of it she is as one in a dreame her spirits faile her But this she would say if Desolations should follow such salvations as these which she cannot believe if the Lord should send unto her sad tydings such as would make the hearers eares tingle Why yet The word of the Lord is good and He is good to Israel Blessed be His Name for His salvations notwithstanding for what He hath done for ever blessed be His name And because we have Peace and Truth ●n these dayes these fierce d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 8. 28. dayes these perillous e 2 Tim. 3. 1. dayes yet Peace an● Truth in these dayes But yesterday almost not a yeare agoe we thought that Truth was perished and Peace was taken from the earth We should never heare of that any more no more peace no more Truth in our dayes * 1 Sam. 4. 21. I-CABOD was in every mans mouth The Glory is departed yet not so Behold Peace and Truth even in these dayes You will say no Warres ●nd rumours of warres in these dayes True and yet Peace and Truth in these dayes The Church contends for Truth she maintaines it and will hold it fast till she dyes and not let it goe Why then Though the mountaines be removed and hu●led into the Sea yet her peace cannot be shaken Though the Kingdoms be moved she stands still Reader you and I may learne from thence Maintaine we Truth contend we for that and Truth will maintaine us Hold fast Truth and we keep Peace God hath joyned these together Man shall not be able no nor the Gates of Hell nor power nor policy to separate these they are still together they kisse each other And that is the Reason That when we are full of stirres a tumultuous people The Righteous at such a time stand still and are a quiet habitation But I recall my selfe Thus the Church concludes Though the Lord should make Desolations now in the earth Though He should stretch over us The line of Germany and the plummet of Ireland yet the Righteous stand bound to Record the Salvations He hath wrought The Righteous are not a sullen froward people as we are All the mercies we have are nothing in our eyes because there is something wanting as still there will be in the most accomplished the most completed condition here below But I say because it is so some want there is still therefore all our mercies so great so many lye buried in us under that clod of discontent As I said before so now The Church not so Though she should walke in the shadow of death Though she were stricken into the place of Dragons yet would they Record the yeare of the Right hand of the Lord when He wrought so wonderfully such salvations in Israel And this is the taske she is addressing her selfe unto but she cannot hastily recollect her spirits as she would doe for she would call upon all within and without to praise his Holy Name SECT III. The Church opens the Records begins to reade but must pause a little being taken off with Admiration THe Church is taken w●th the works of her God as the Queene of Sheba was with the wisedome of Salomon and the magnificence of his Court When she had seen all that There was no more spirit in her a 2 Chron 9. 4. Fame which creates somthing of nothing hath made whose Kin●doms and peopled them with her owne inventions reported not the halfe of Salomons wisedome It exceeded the Fame that was heard * 1 King 10. 7. Fame fals as short in these Transcendents which we are upon Therfore there is the same reason and greater That the Church should be so

but the entire Body represented and compacted together as one man And my selfe I see there though but as the foot in the Body yet there I am my interest there my estate there my liberty my Religion so farre as man can command it all is there that I have below as in a joynt stocke there it is managed and carried about by that great Body We cannot wonder now that we heare such shootings in every corner besides those we heare from the Pulpit Grace Grace a Zach. 4. 7. unto it The Good-will of Him that dwelt in the Bush b Deut. ●3 16. be upon it Lord blesse the King and the Parliament It is the highest Court on Earth it can call all other Courts to account how they have proceeded whether according to or against Law It is the great Assembly gathered from all the quarters and corners of the Kingdome whether all the people from Dan to Beersheba come up to present their sores there they looke for balme their grievances and pressures there they expect helpe and ease It is the great Councell of the Land there they consider take advice and speake their minds Every man there doe's as the purpose of the word is PARLER-LA-MENT speake judiciously his mind neither to flatter prerogative nor ●o extend priviledge c Nec praerogativis blandientes nec privilegia dilatantes L. Cooke ●p 8. be-his Reports being wisely valiant and zealously wise Therfore if I might use the Sages word christned a Parliament the highest House on Earth we cannot properly call it two Houses if we doe respect the Antiquity of it it is most venerable and ancient d Si vetustatem est antiquissim si dignitatem est honoratissima si iurisdictionem est capacissima Ep 9. if the honour and dignity of it it is most honourable if Jurisdiction and Power we remember the old saying The KING and the PARLIAMENT what cannot they doe Even what they please and wee stand still and hearken what that will be The Church is resolved already That shall be done which plea●eth them for sh●e is of the Shepheards mind That shall be done which pleaseth God and what pleaseth God pleaseth her But the Church counted it a mercy to heare newes of another Parliament If we should out-live Parliaments if a Parliament should be denied us or being granted should be destroyed then I-C ABOD where is the glory Then call the Church desolate and her Land forsake● The wicked would walke on every side for the vilest men should be exalted * Ps 12. 8. The long vacation given to the high Court hath given all the advantage to the Adversary whereby to worke their owne ends in the ruine of the publike Then was their time to sow tares and to give them rooting when they could cast the Lawes into a dead sleepe when they could cause jealousies betweene Prince and people when they could raise an evill spirit their owne familiar a fire of Contention which should come forth on the left-hand and devoure upon the right and then from the right and devoure upon the left O what an exceeding Mercy to have a Parliament in England like the great day of Judgement to the wicked when by the good hand of God upon it there is a full discovery of things the waies yea the hearts of men are laid open Things represented as they are the upright person as he is The vile as he is When Mephibosheth commeth in but of late represented as an enemy unto his Prince but now sound at the heart though lame in his feet and forgetting himselfe wholy for joy that the King is in safety and his Kingdome like to prosper when there is a right understanding of things betweene the King and his Subjects The King beholding his good peoples he●rts truly loy●ll and faithfull and they the face of their King as an Angell of God O! A Parliament 't is a fundamentall Mercy So th● Church allowes us to call it and to put it to that head and then reckon on A great Mercy to have another PARLIAMENT a Mercy but no wonder For SECT III. Things were so farre out of frame that they could not be set as rights but by a Parliament The having one or two in one yeare is not a wonder but a Mercie COnsider we how it stood with the Church as it is commonly and 〈◊〉 be cal'● ●nd no● with the Common-wealth we consider there two the Church as then it was called and the Common-wealth as then it stood a part and divided for so they are The Church standing against the Common-wealth as the one Pole against the other The Church so they were called the Governours Seers Over-seers chiefe Over seers commonly called Priests Bishops Arch-bishops and their ETCETERA'S made their loyns so strong and fortified their power so mightily as they thought they might rule with a rod of iron and still prevaile breaking in peeces the Lords Jewels as they pleased and making-up in the place thereof the basest peeces of the Earth The Holy Ghost hath fitted us with a most fit and full expression none like it Their workes were the workes of an imperious whoorish woman a Ezek. 16. 30. They were growne so impudently bold so past all shame so farre beyond all bounds of civility and modesty that they could not be longer endured They laid such loades upon the people That the stomacke of the Land was so over-charged that it must spew them out without putting finger into the throat or else die of a Sur●et No Remedy but by a PARLIAMENT I shall be corrected a CONVOCATION you should say let the Priest correct the Priest A Convocation that were to send the Iesuite to be tryed in a Conclave of Cardinals they would never find him guilty sure The whole Body of the Land was so ov●r-charged with the last Convocation that th●y cannot thinke thereof without loathing It 's so uns●voury at this day There must be a Parliament if it were for no other end but to advise about this whoorish woman so imperious she was And a Covocation in all likely-hood would make her more imperiously proud They would have reformed the Church they were about it as the Reformers did in the Councell of Trent who made the greatest Deformation that ever was heard or read of in the world But it is pleaded Let Church-men determine Church matters Let spirituall men have to doe in spirituall things And let them ●o ●ut let them know that there is a Councell above them that can call them to an account how spirituall they have beene And how like Church-men they have kept to the rule in their Determinations about Church matters This is not above the Power and Wisdome of a Parliament called together to advise DE ARDVIS REGNI ECCLESIAE Then surely the Lord Christ Hi● Religion Worship and Service the matter and manner of it is one of the greatest and most vveighty things and of the highest concernment