for their and your patience towards my selfe in hearing what I now present for which I humbly crave favour of them and you for some inlargements being then pent into much narrownesse in regard of the time and the rather because I strove to sute your expressions of respect and love to them who deserve so much from your selves and the Christian World How I have been represented unto you and others by printings or otherwise shall not fill up this paper I must reserve to some other way which shortly I shall doe God willing but in the mean time and ever doe professe my constant respect to and esteem of this Citie from your first compliance to the great Counsel of this Kingdome that I have left remembrances of you in forren parts and without flattery do think this City one of the best peeces of ground in the World I am sorry I caus'd any unexpected smiles in my zeal for your further conjunction with the Head and Heart of this Nation If I commended you as a good portion he did not well that thought it ridiculous nor do I think you too good a portion for those I wooed you unto You know me and your wisdoms know how to make allowance to my zeal They have a strong appetite to quarrel that are offended at expedients presented against future quarrelling My sighs to God for you are these That you may still move with faithfulnesse in your own Orbe That you remember you and yours live in a Parliament That you are made wealthy for others not your selves alone That you would not make Opinions your Interest which are changeable but Godlinesse and Faithfulnesse That you would rather punish known sins shew mercy to the poor a known duty maintain Civil peace look to your City-priviledges rather then lose your selves in doubtful questions I must remember you that I have heard many of you wish for such a Parliament and such an Army Own your own desires and be assured your constant concurrence with our great Counsel will not onely be your present safety but strength to posterity Beleeve it a now suspected party in the Kingdom have no further designe then your and the Liberty of the Nation from Bondage who deserve your love not your displeasure The God of all grace be with your spirits and help you to love him who hath kept you in the midst of your relations and comforts whilest so many thousands have fallen on the one hand and the other of you May your souls prosper under the abundance of rich means you enjoy May your examples for wisdom piety faithfulnesse love to the Lord Jesus and his Saints provoke the next Generation to glorious things These are the desires and heartie breathings of My Lord and Gentlemen Yours in any service for Christ Hu. PETER To my truly Honorable and Faithful General Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX SIR ONe of the greatest comforts I have bad in this world next to the grace of God in Christ to my poor soul hath been to be a Member of your Army and a Spectator of his presence with you and it What others doe I know not but it is my duty to return to my work and to meet you again which I am bold to doe with this simple present I know your minde who must not will not be flatter'd nor am I skilful in that mystery I have seen you upon Earth and doubt not but to meet you triumphing in Heaven I onely must crave leave to speak your own words That your great experiences of Gods power and mercy have made strong obligation upon you to love him and the Saints which I have seen you doe impartially you have made it your interest and now finde you are not deceived The God of all your unparallel'd mercy dwell in that thriving soul of yours strengthen you throughout to the compleating of this great Work yea Serus in coelum redeas diuque Laetus intersis populo Britanno For my self if it be worth your acceptance I am resolved to live and die in your and the Kingdoms service and as you have obliged three Kingdomes to you and many thousands of Saints so none of them more to honour you then SIR Your ever faithful servant in Christ HUGH PETERS A Sermon preached before the Honourable Houses of PARLIAMENT the LORD MAIOR and ALDERMEN of the City of London and the Assembly for the glorious Successe it pleased God to give our Army in dissolving 5000 of the Kings Horse and reducing Cornwal and neer all the West PSAL. 31. 23. Love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer THe little time left for this Work must be improved to the best advantage and therefore though we must be beholden to the Neighbourhood of the words before and after the Text yet we shall forbear to speak any thing at all of the whole Book of Psalms and no more then neds of this It is easily agreed that this Psalm is 1. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1. His Prayer you have to the twentieth Verse and therein 1. His desires for his own safety to the 18. 2. His request tending to the ruine of his enemies in the two following Verses 2. His Praises in the 21 and 22 Verses which are 1. Either {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} for all 2. Or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} for himself in special 3. A hortatory Conclusion in the two last Versea O love the Lord all yee his Saints c. In the Text briefly thâ—se two things fall under consideration 1. The Duty Love the Lord and that set out divers wayes By intensivenesse in the Exclamation By the Object and by the universality of those engaged c. But time checks me these with others I can hardly name 2. The Arguments carrying on the Duty 1. Because be preserveth the faithful 2. Because be plenteously rewardeth the proud doer Thus much onely of the Logick of the Text something of the Grammar of it and then shortly to the Divinity and those profitable and seasonable Truths it will afford Some few words are to be attended in the clearing the sense Saints here in the text is or may be read Ye that feel mercies Faithful the word is sometimes taken for persons sometimes things and so the Lord is said to preserve True men and Truths Faithfull men and Faithfulnesses He plenteously rewardeth the proud doer or the Lord rewardeth plenteously The Lord who doth wonderful things Plenteously is either in cumulum abundè or in nepotes as some would have it But I would rather commend then goe about to amend Translations though I could wish some of my learned Brethrens quarrelling hours were rather spent upon clearing the Originals and so conveying 〈◊〉 pure Scripture to posterity then in scratching others with their sharpned
GODS DOINGS AND MANS DUTY Opened in a SERMON Preached before both Houses of PARLIAMENT the Lord Major and Aldermen of the City of LONDON and the Assembly of DIVINES at the last Thanksgiving Day April 2. For the recovering of the West and disbanding 5000 of the Kings Horse c. 1645. Quadragesimus hic quintus mirabilis Annus Ang. Hyb Sco. requiem det Deus ut pariat By HUGH PETERS Preacher of the Gospel Judg. 3. 31. So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might And the Land had rest fourty yeers The second Edition corrected by the Author LONDON Printed by M. S. for G. Calvert at the sign of the black Spred-Eagle at the West end of Paul 1646. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lords and Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT I Professe that I never thought my self master of my own Trade and therefore never forward either to cast such a mite as this into your Publique Treasury or to be in Print with the rest of my brethren But since it was your pleasure to make choice of me to bring in a Narrative of Gods bountie as being an eye-witnesse to many of his glorious works I have obeyed in this and that I knew not what better to pitch upon then Gods doing and your dutie He that will not confesse God hath done much I fear means to wave the duty and who so shall slight this duty must look for that sad Curse of Anathema Maranatha And therefore I again commend it to you They that have much given and much forgiven will love much The woman spent all that shee had upon Physitians for the cure of her Bloudy Issue and nothing would heal till shee toucht the hem of his garment who was the way contrived in Heaven to bring over Salvation to man I doe believe it hath been thus far your Cure to this Bloudy Disease and to enjoy a thorow Cure I beseech you stoop againe and touch the hem again you cannot honour the Lord more then in loving his Sonne and believing in him Bear with my rudenesse if I say you must be very hard put to it in your Counsels should you not live comfortably upon your experiences and cheerfully looke all changes in the face for time to come You have a greater stock by you then the greatest and richest Nation in the world could get and lay up for themselves The same God give you skill to improve it to his advantage and the good of this poor Kingdome that begins to breathe againe through his blessing upon your unexampled care and travell Methinks I see the Ages to come marking your doors and dwellings as the habitations of their Deliverers I wish that never a soule of you may die at Nebo but come to their injoyments of Canaans milk and honey You seem to have before you two or three great mountaines to go over and though I can contribute little to your encouragement yet I will beg your wonted patience for a few words First since you are still buzz'd in the ear with a desperate encrease of Errour give me leave to offer this Expedient by way of Quaere The wound seems to be in the Understanding and the Cure must lie there Vnder favour what if some convenient place or places in the City were set apart two or three times weekly where godly learned men appointed by your selves and the Leaders or Heads of those Errours as they are termed might have leave to come and there in a brotherly way take and give satisfction for as Conclaves have alwayes been dangerous so these poor erring men cannot have the benefit to appear with boldnesse and reasonable souls may sooner certainly be taught with Reason and Scripture then with cudgels and blowes Tyrannus had a School and Christ disputed with the Doctors in their Synagogue Religio docenda est non coercenda Religion is to be taught not forced This I am sure Conviction should goe before Punishment The Lord will not burne Sodome till be see whether the report be true I pray consider it Secondly for the present Government in order to any man or men if you keep to the premises the Lord himselfe will make a blessed conclusion Thirdly for further Hostility the Lord hath own'd you and your Army and made you formidable beyond what we conceive at home my onely fear hath been diseases in our bowels which gave me that boldnesse to urge a neer union betwixt your selves and the Citie which hath since a double knot upon it by your late full and satisfying Declaration and your ordering the dissenters about Church-matters to bring in their severall thoughts backt by the Word that so you may keep to that Clause in the Covenant which concerns England Onely be couragious and your work will be issued so as your selves and wee shall cry Grace grace c. For any other request unto you I have but one I most humbly beseech you spread that Gospell you own and to that end doe professe my grief not onely for the miserable dark and ignorant parts of the Kingdom but that divers Orthodox learned faithful Ministers of the Gospel with their precious Flocks cannot enjoy publick places in the City but their â—â—ry gifts and almost their persons are stifled by being thrust into corners which keep them under the name of Schismatiques whose souls have panted under your service in these calamitous times and their purses constantly opened themselves hazarded beyond many a word from you may enlarge them And for my self I acknowledge here before God Angels and men the Characters of your favour protesting that your work hath been so good and so sweet that I have found my wages wrapt up in my work and a great addition by your acceptance I could even say as he did Si in vita prodesse possim quid vis imperate si in morte vel occidite quicquid de me statuetis hoc semper confitebor profitebor semper hanc vestra humanitas mihi fecit injuriam quod vivam moriar ingratus If my life may be profitable command what you please if my death even kill me whatever you shall determine of mee this will I alwayes confesse and professe this injury your humanity hath done me that I shall live and dye ungratefull I blesse God heartily for a Parliament yea for this Parliament and the blessing of him that was in the bush and kept it in the fire be upon you and yours for ever And let all that love the God of Heaven who is the God of England say AMEN My Lords and Gentlemen I am Yours most humbly devoted Hugh Peters To the Honourable the Lord Major the Aldermen and the Common-Counsell of this famous City of LONDON YOu were invited to what ensues by the Honourable Houses and you invited them to a portion sutable to that day and I take leave to return you thanks
but of two of the whole Army infected all the yeare 28 And mercy it is that in the Army there hath been no breath that through Grace Religion growes there and growes apacet yea this is your safety that what is desired in the Parliament by the most faithfull is there consulted and acted as God gives opportunity 29 The Lord hath made this Army often more then Conquerours the Roman conquerours rode boasting in their triumphant chariots here no boasters 30 God hath often extorted confessions from the Enemy that some have been forced with Juliun to cry out Vicisti Galilâ—â— 31 Providence carried out Army the other side Exeter even by the sicknesse in it and barrennesse of our quarters and the Enemies advance toward us where how the Lord helpt at Dartmouth stormed without losse and in other places is fresh in memory 32 Their debau 〈…〉 ery in all places made way for our welcome that if the cause should be judged by their instruments a very stranger must passe a sad verdict upon it 33 Such horror possest them every where in pursuit of them at great distances that the Lord seemed to send a hornet before us and Magorâ—issabiâ— they were a terror to themselves and this is remarkable that after they had felâ— our Horse or Foot they had no list to close with uâ— again though they took much time to recruit their spirits 34 The work of a Summer hath been done this Winter where I learned this lesson That faithfull honest English Christians assisted from Heaven can do and suffer more then the most gallant heathen Roman What mountains of Snow and Ice have been marcht over this winter what Rains and Winds have been gone through even to silence the Posting Hannibals or Cunctating Fabii 35 All the Enemies actions and counsels have turned to our advantage and we have been gainers by our losses generally As in the losse of Bristol we found the way to it by the losse at first view we saw it was not tenable with so little force which easily acquits that wise and valiant Gentleman that surrendred it Yea their idol Princes God hath made usefull to us many wayes by sleeping when they should fight and fighting when it had been better they had slept 36 That in all the harrased and plundered Countries God hath fed your Army and at Dartmouth fish brought in to us from the sea to miracle the Country acknowledging that generally we have been welcome where we came many with teares have parted with us at their doors 37 The influence the Justice of the Army hath had upon all forts most observable For instance when the Lieut. Generall had taken Langford house and promised safe convoy to the Enemy to Oxford six of our troopers brake the articles and in the convoy took four or five pound from some of them for which one was presently to be shot and the lot fell upon the first attempter who was put to death and I hope is in heaven being godly as farre as could be discerned the other five were sent to the Governour of Oxford to put to what death he pleased who entertained them nobly sent them back and desired their lives and profest in his letter which I read it was the highest peece of gallantry he had met with c. This very act with the many civilities of the Army hath been very conquering Justice exalteth a Nation Et Caesar in hoste probat Call to any County and ask what wrong your Army hath done them have you any scrols of complaints come up against them 38 And which is much to be remembred this day all Cornwall upon the matter is yours without blood and 5000 horse with their riders disbanded and as if this were not enough Ashley rai 〈…〉 ng a new force is crushed in the egge 39 And this is worth noting that the inhumanity our former Army met with in Cornwal was requited by the Turk fetching away many from Foy neer two hundred and divers taken away by sicknesse at Lestithiel that had abused our poor Souldiers 40 Nor is it a little that all the Nations round about us should be engaged in war and whilst they hoped this Civil combustion might so weaken us that it would not have been hard for them to fall upon the stronger party the Lord hath made us warlike awaked us throughly out of our effeminacie and we are become formidable to our neighbours Especially remember Denmark 41 Hereunto I adde what was not thought on in the appointment of this Day being the second of Aprill The second of April last yeare this Army advanced and was the first day of entertainment They say it is April â—b aperiendo from opening the Earth the Lord then opened a way to your deliverance the same hand open your hearts now to praises and thankfulnesse 42 Hereunto I might adde the Cities sweet compliance with the Parliament yea what oyle the footsteps of God have dropt within the wals of the Parliament houses what providences and blessed hints in your Militia and Common-Councel what in your Assembly is better known to your selves then me and what in the North and other parts I might even tyre you with the repetitions of what you have felt and tasted from the hands of mercy You have done like your selves to constitute Chronologers and you need have good testimonies for Ages to come will look upon many passages aâ— incredible and I beleeve the yeare 45 will stand parallel with 88. In a word You have the Army you wished for and the Successes you desired Oh the blessed change we see that can travell now from Edenburgh to the lands end in Cornwal who not long since were blockt up at our doors To see the high-wayes occupied again to heare the Carter whistling to his toiling team to see the weekly Carrier attend his constant mart to see the hils rejoycing the vallies laughing Nay me thinks I see Germany lifting up her lumpish shoulder and the thin-cheekt Palatinate looking out a prisoner of hope Ireland breathing again that not only lay bedrid but the pulse beating deathward the over-awed French Peasant studying his long lost liberty the Netherlanders looking back upon their neighbouring England who cemented their wals with their blood and bought their freedome with many many thousands of good old Elizabeth shillings Indeed me thinks all Protestant Europe seems to get new colour in her cheeks Dumb Rhetorick is best I could even stand silent and give you time to wonder And this God is your God and I trust will be your guide for ever I could name men but cannot read one word that way in my Commission from the Army who like the covered stals in your chief street of this city are willing to beare the rich Plate but themselves must be vailed else I could tell you of Men yea such as if you had a Blank sent from Heaven and leave given to have written what names you would have had of men for your
house of God if he might speed well in his journey What if you Noble Lords should write upon your door The Lord will honour them that honour him If you Worthies of the other house upon your door Salus populi suprema lex And you the Governours of this Citie Jerusalem is a Citie compact c. Your union amongst your selves will turn much to Gods praise And I wish this were written upon the doores of the Assembly If any man list to be contentions we have no such custome among us nor the Churches of Christ I leave these but as intimations or suggestions to your wisdomes lest the day and work we are about do evaporate and come to nothing I wish your children and so ages to come may be taught his praises since you so abound in matter I pray convey it to after ages that they may love the God of their Fathers Tell your little ones this night the story of 45. the towns taken the fields fought tell them of neer 30000 prisoners taken this last year 500 pieces of Ordnance tell them of the little losse on our side be sure to let them know it was for the liberty of the English subjects you fought charge them to preserve the liberties that cost you so dear but especially the liberties purchased by the blood of Christ and above all let them know that the God of heaven is the God of England and hath done all but his name and his Sons name who can tell us I wish we knew God better that we might love him more Oh love the Lord in his praises and praise him for his love In amore divino hic solus inest moduâ— ut siâ— siâ—e modo I dare not adde more time is so exceedingly exceeded You are I understand by the City invited to a feast which I confesse is one piece of this solemnity But what feast shall we call it Shall it be a feast of Tabernacles truly we might have lived in Tents and Booths or by some hedges sides all our dayes had Tyranny and Popery gained the travell of their souls and desire of their hearts you might have been sitting by some rocks sides in the Wildernesse looking sadly back upon poor England or by the river Ahava in the Captivity with Ezra If you like not to call it a feast of Tabernacles will you let it goe under the name of a Marriage-feast it seems to look like that I remember the Espousals of the Parliament and this Citie when yee wore your Protestations upon your Pikes resolving to live and die with the Parliament I hope you will be as good as your words you are upon the close of your work and now you have many causes of further union who have mourned together and now are rejoycing together upon unparallel'd grounds Call it then a feast of love my Text calls for nothing but love and I wish that may be the issue and product of the work and truly for that end I would willingly come from the place where I stand to beg it upon the bare knee and when I speak of love betwixt Parliament and City I do not exclude my Reverend Brethren onely I am afraid of a third State because we have paid already very dear for Clergicall interests And now I think of this further union betwixt you I remember when the Lord closeth with his people in Hosea He will take away the names of Loammi and Lorumah There are two names in this Kingdom I wish they were taken away also or whatever might hinder your nearnesse You worthies of the City look well upon the Parliament and tell me if they be not lovely how could you have been preserved from Anarchy without them where would you have centered had this Basis of the Kingdome been destroyed If the foundations be pluckt up what shall the righteous doe The best now in England could not have lived without a Parliament and the worst but a little time I must professe an Anti-Parliamentary spirit especially in this conjuncture to be the designer of his own ruine and posterity to be the introducer of certain misery to the present age I look upon it as the fruits of much malice or much ignorance and the brat of those mens brains that never lived beyond the view of the smoke of their own Chimnies that measure States and Kingdomes with their interests by their private shop-wands and if they be prest or priested into it by any of my coat which is Satans old method it will argue the more feeblenesse and prove more dangerous Remember friends to beat Religion with Religion is a subtlety as old as Jesuitisme and older Remember the dead and the living You have had their Hambdens Pims Stroudes who if now living would have called this day the Suburbs of their happinesse and you had the blood of some Nobles too that Zealous Brooke and others and these are here this day to joy with you that have mourned with you who have been your watch day and night You know how vain it will be to war abroad nisi sit consilium domi you are now reaping the most glorious fruits of their labours and paines if you have any thing justly to object against them all you can say is they are men yet such men as may not be called to a slight account for their actions but in many cases the wayes of State may run so deep that we can help onely with this Levius fit patientia Quicquid corrigere est nefas To be weary of a Parliament now were to conquer our selves into a new slavery it were to proclaim to the world we are mercy-sick victory-sick and liberty-fick the Lord prevent that portentous mischiefe Yet Goa is good to Israel Let me hope he will not be worse then he hath been Nobles and Gentlemen look upon the Citie these are they that strengthened you with the finews of your war you have not come unto them for any thing and returned empty You may remember the 100000. li the 50000. li the greater the lesser fu 〈…〉 nes for England Scotland and Ireland and I may not forget that 80000. li that oyled the wheeles of this last Army in their first going out The Lord of Hosts requite it to them that offered so willingly I adde you have not only had these helps but their servants yea their children out of their bosomes who now are found the Officers generally in this Army But I might call in much of this again and say the Parliament have had their labour for thâ—mselves and the Citie for themselves and one for the other and all for the Lord and this and other Nations Only I call for love this day I would desire strength in your union The Spirit says two are better then one and gives reasons from cold or fals but addes a threefold cord is not easily broken of which I conceive thus If two be well agreed Jesus Christ will make a third and then