two opionions Let people therefore for their preservation against the danger of this stone of offence pray often to the Lord that he would make great ones to be good and good ones to be great Misprission or overprizing of Prerogative hath blinded the eyes 3 Can. and cripled the feete of many a man the Parliament the people the Souldiers say many oppose the Kings Prerogative this makes many halt and stagger The honour of a King consisteth in the multitude of people Answ Prov. Those that labour most to diminish people doe most dishonour a Prince If the Kings of this Land have not a power to contradict the Censure and Judgements of insertions Courts should they have power to contradict the supreame Courts or Judicature 'T is true the Lawes of the Kingdome are called the Kings Lawes not that either he made them or can at his pleasure alter them but that he is or ought to be the Conservator of them as well as the Consenter to establish them It is true Hen. 4. a King of this Land wrote to the Parliament saying Nollumus Praerogativam nostram disputari but they answered his nollumus with a nollumus Nollumus Leges Angliae mutari Is it not just that Princes should be ruled by Lawes otherwise their will would be a Law and so instead of Statutes there would be an Arbitrary a Tyrannicall power which might increase to infinite to monstrous shapes that either ignorance impietie lust or ambltion of Princes should bring forth If all Law and power lay in their own breasts a Kingdome could never promise themselves securitie longer than a pious and prudent Prince reigneth But as the King changeth the Lawes and Governments of the Kingdome must alter And he that out-lives as it may happen two or thres Kings shall not know what is the Law of the Land or what to call his owne Because he must not be beholding to Law but to the will of the King for what are his rights and proprieties By whose sole permission he may say This is mine When Lawes and Law-makers are suppressed are not the Subjects for whose sake they are made oppressed When the former loose their power and priviledge the other loose their due and propriety As the bead is ordained for the good of the members and not the members for the good of the head so a Christian King is ordained for the good of the people and not the people for the good of the King i. principally I am the head you are the members I am the Shepheard you are the sheepe I am the husband you are the wife And will any man think me a Christian King to be a Poliganist said King James in his speech to the Parliament March 19. 1603 The Archbishop of Mentz wrote to Erasmus to resolve him what he thought concerning the writings of Luther Erasmus returned answer in writing that many things in the Writings of Luther were condemned as wicked and hereticall which in the writings of Bernard and Austine are accounted as holy and sound so many things were of esteeme as good and commendable in the dayes of King James which are condemned as wicked and abominable in the time of King Charles As though the over-prizing of Prerogative should pull downe all authoritie of Lawes or Priviledges of Parliament I will neither professe so much ignorance or arrogance as to prescribe a way as to delineate the disproportion to compose the differences touching Princes Prerogatives and Parliaments Priviledges I know this point hath been pulpited and in print Pressed by farre more able heads and hands than my selfe If Kings may doe whatsoever they please what need then of any Parliament If there be no necessity of Parliament what need the troubles of Subjects to choose Knights and Burgesses or they called to sit being chosen If there be a necessitie of Parliament why should they not be consolted with If consulted with why should not their Counsell be embraced The Counsell of Basyll in the time of Henry the sixt decreed that as the Authoritie of a generall Councell is above the Pope so the Authoritie of a generall Assembly of a Kingdome is above the King which is to be subject to Lawes All such are to be esteemed as flatterers who attribute such large authoritie unto Kings as that they will not have them bound under any Lawes such talke otherwise than they thinke Christ himselfe saith Jewell in his Apologie at the beginning was universally received and honoured through this Realme by assent of Parliament and without assent of Parliament the Pope himselfe was never received no not in the late time of Queene Mary Dion praised Trajan the Emperour because when he set a Tribune over the Praetors and put a sword into his hand he said Hoe pro me utere si justa imperavero si injusta contra me You must know Plus vident oculi quam oeulus a few private spirits may not be conceived to discerne more than the choicest wits most learned and pious judgements in the whole Nation who have been brought and kept together in the middest of all difficulties and dangers by Gods wonderfull providence and by the earnest prayers of many thousands of people in the three Kingdomes Parliaments may erre and I thinke this doth if they doe not redresse injuries presented and performe the Declarations printed and promised to be confirmed and may not one man one King much more erre Doth not Solomon say Take away the drosse from the silver Pro. 25.4 and a vessell of use shall be to the finer Is not the King the silver the wicked Counsell as drosse Doe not the next words make the Reddition Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in Righteousnesse Wilt thou be preserved from this stumbling stone this cause of halting consider what he said that was a halting person and after professed and promised uprightnesse c. Sir Edward Deering I said quoth he whilest I was at Oxford I did beleeve the King might safely goe to Westminster with forty men I then said so and I thinke it will not be well till the King doth so Oh that God would raise up unto his sight some upright ones that from halting persons that have seduced him they may become perswaders of him to returne in person and affection to his great Counsell The greatest part of the people adhering rather to the Court 4. Cause than Kingdomes Cause make men halt in head hand and heart doubting whether it be better to goe forward or sit still in the Common Cause The most men ever side with the strongest side Answ Exod 23. Rom. 12. be it right or wrong But thou must not follow a multitude to doe evill Fashion not your selves like to this world For the world lieth in wickednesse saith S. John and wouldest thou desies to follow after wickednesse Whereas the Scripture commands Eschew the which is evill and follow after
Pluck up but this one weed in the Antichristian Kingdomes over Sea let Bishops onely be removed from Italy and Spaine Germany and France as they are likely to be from Britaine the Pope can no more stand there hereafter than a head can without his body The Maxime was false No Bishop no King but its certain No Bishop no Pope The Bulles from Rome bred so many Calves in Britaine that there was a necessitie of Cessation or sacrifice of them before Gods wrath can be expected to be pacified toward the Nation Was not a Reformation desired long in the Land by the Record of the very Common-Prayer-Booke as wee reade in the Presace before the Commination appointed to be read in the beginning of Lent Brethren in the Primitive Church there was a godly Discipline that at the beginning of Lent such persons as were notorious sinners were put to open Pennance In the stead whereof untill the said Discipline may be restored againe which thing is much to be wished it is thought good at this time c. Was such a godly Discipline so long agoe wished to be restored and shall it now be opposed Either it was wished in fincerity or in hypocrifie if in hypocrifie why should it be printed If in sincerity why should it not be effected Should it ever be in wishing and never brought to perfection Parliaments were onely stately Pageants if they should onely confirme and not also reforme old Lawes If thou didst not halt in the Parliaments Election why shouldst thou halt now for feare what they shall doe in persons in Nations Reformation that Truth may succeed in the roome of errour and Christs Kingdome brought into the Land with more puritie and power both for Doctrine and Discipline Disestimation of the Parliament keepes men cold in the Common Cause men thinke their power too great over their Purses and Estates 9 Cau. On a time the members of the body cald a Counsell of Warre to consult why the stomacke devoured all what ever the eye did see the hand reach the mouth conveyed it to the stomacke Therefore they concluded to forbeare their accustomed offices and services seeing all tended onely to the benefit of the stomacke In short time it came to passe that the eye began to wax dim the hand weake the feete feeble and the mouth scaice able to open it selfe They quickly saw their Error and afforded their diligence in their wonted employments and all was well againe and they mutined no more I need not spend time in making the application If supportment should have been denied to the Parliament what had become â— Lawes Liberties Religion in the Kingdome Wee hoped the Parliament would have setled Peace long before this time Object the Summer is gone the winter come and yet wee are not delivered our shops are shut or unaccustomed in the Citie our grounds unstocked all Trading decayed in the Countrey If the Lord send not Peace Sol. can the Parliament procure it Shall not they have a share in it as well as any other Are not their Estates as much if not more ruined than others are 'T is true Peace is a fine thing a principall Blessing of God then which nothing can be named with more willingnesse desired with more heartinesse and obtained with more contentednesse yet there is a certain thing which they call Truth which was ready to be banished out of these Coasts and would outward Peace be much worth without Truth Is not Peace of Conscience an excellent Jewell which who ever enjoyes hath a continuall feast Is not Peace with God able to keepe our hearts and minds free from all feare of plundering and assaults of enemies Doth not this passe all understanding Is it not a glorious sight to see Righteousnesse and Peace kisse each other Therefore the Prophet commands Zach. 8.19 V. 16. Love Truth and Peace Truth you see is put in the first place Therefore execute Truth and Peace in your Gates implying the necessitie of the one as well as the other If it be possible have peace with all men but that is not approved possibilitie that is opposite against pietie Heb. 12.14 Follow peace and holinesse with all else you shall not see God What God hath joyned together Man must not put asunder Peace with men will little profit whiles wee professe and practise warre against God The injustice 10 Cause oppression tyranny and unreformation of Countrey Committees cause people to continue in a staggering estate both for their opinions and Purses in the Common Cause Because those that are appointed to be instrumentall meanes to relieve doe much grieve the people Yet Preachers before the high Court of Parliament cry out daily against their Injustice Master Case in his Sermon before the House of Commons intreats them for the Lords sake to have a care that none under the charge of the Parliament may be oppressed by their inseriour Committees least people oppressed have occasion to say You have pulled down one Starre-chamber and have set up an hundred Master Cheynell preaching before the Lords March 27 upon the Psalme Man being in honour c. in his Epistle to the Lords intreats their Wisdomes to have a care for the purging of Committees in Essex Sussex Surrey and Hampshire I thinke his Petition might have extended towards all the Committees in the Kingdome and he said that the spring was a fit time to give them Physicke yet people see none either given or taken or working effectually upon them in reformation They begin to halt in their opinions and to be cold in their former aeale for the Cause Which indeed reflects upon the honour of the Parliament as moysture in the feete strikes up into the head Cambyses a King caused Sycanus a Judge that had been hired by money to pronounce a wrong sentence to be flead and his skinne to be hanged on the Judgement-seate to be a torror to succeeding Judges I thinke if some Committee-men were so used they would have as little skinne left upon their backs as some of them have land in the Countrey where they execute their Commissions The Ethiopians were wont to set up a Chaire of State in their Senate and that to be empty as if the God of Judgement sate there to be Umpire and Moderator whom the Senators ought to looke upon in passing sentence that they might immitate him in Judgement The Lords in the upper-House have an emptie Chaire now in the absence of the King and yet not wholly empty if they consider the presence of the King of Kings that observes and heares all their Consultations I wish that County Committees might have an empty Chaire before them to put them in minde that there is a power above them to wit the Parliament and a power above that the God of Heaven If some Countrey Committee-Members were set in a lower Chaire and bound therein and kept without bread and water twenty-foure houres together and had
with the effects thereof to me have proved a burthen almost intollerable the scarre of discredit it being incurable so to all men may seeme incredible that a constant sider with the Parliament should unheard out of his living be ejected and himself and his family be to all misery exposed when that right-discerning and Parliament-promises-promoting Justice Mr. Anthony Clifford opposed in my absence the rest of my ruining unjust Judges If I should forbeare the stones would cry aloud in the eyes and eares of the world for justice against this matchlesse malicious abominable censure But the blessing of the Lord for ever be and abide on the heads and hearts of the honorable Committee for plundered Ministers and in particular on Mr. Millington Mr. Rouse Sir Arthur Hazelrig Mr. Tate who oft afforded me patience audience countenance If I should repeat every member of that Committee I might seeme to flatter if I should not mention you I should surely be ungratefull My Countrey-man Mr. Pury was one of the first that after my freezing and long waiting broke the Ice for my return and Mr. Edward Stephens and others quickly apprehended and couragiously reported the injustice of the proceedings against me Whereupon I had an Order of restitution to my Priviledges and Arreares till the matter be heard notwithstanding which Order of Restitution that active Committee man hath been an Instrument to place for my supplanting in my Chappell to enjoy those profits that are almost the one halfe of my little livelihood a Minister that hath been taken in Armes against the Parliament and hath beene ejected out of his living in Monmouth-shire for being contentious against his neighbours a common Drunkard a Rayler against the Parliament who also said since he was obtruded on my Cure a Cavaliere I was a Cavaliere I am and so I will continue Whether such a Committee man in permitting such a Malignant Minister that hath been so often active in Armes to be placed and officiate within three miles of Glocester Garrison hath thereby promoted the honour of the Parliament and the safety of that Citie let all men judge If I have been illegally proceeded against by this principall Agent in that Committee as my worthy constant free and faithfull friend Mr. Pryn hath by tongue and pen maintained I shall account it a great honour from this Honorable Assembly to have an Order and Commission to some Gentlemen I shall nominate to examine all proceedings of this Committee man and the combination of such malignant malicious persons as have been unjust practizers against me that I may receive such reparations from them as the merits of my cause and their cruelty shall require All which is committed to the serious consideration of this honorable Senate for the relief of Your faithfull Servant yet suffering supplicant WALTER POWELL Doctrines deduced DOct. 1. It is a great sin and shame to halt between God and Baal Truth and Error pag. 5 2. Those that are good will shew zeale for God pag. 5 3. People continue long in a lingring condition notwithstanding long and sharp reprehension pag. 6 4. Many are yet to seek who is the true God pag. 6 4. God alone is to be followed pag. 6 6. Men are oft convicted before they are once converted pag. 6 The first Doctrine prosecuted Uses 1. Of Information 2. Reprehension of Newters 3. The Causes with the cure of Halting pag. 7 8 14 Cause 1. Because many members of the Parliament have diserted the Parliaments cause pag. 14 2. The greatest part of the Great ones have adhered to the adverse part pag. 16 3. Misprision of prerogative pag. 17 4. Most of people siding with the contrary rather than the Kingdomes Cause pag. 19 5. The great pressure by payments pag. 21 6. Feare of being plundered pag. 22 7. Selfe-seeking with neglect of the publick pag. 24 8. Vndesire of change for feare of changing for the worse pag. 25 9. Estimation of Parliament-power too great pag. 27 10. Injustice and oppression by Countrey-Committees pag. 28 11. Flattery in and divisions between Ministers pag. 30 12. Doubt of the successe of the cause in hand make men halt herein pag. 35 Which last rub is removed in briefly opening many Doores of Hope for the good successe of the Common Cause pag. 35 36 37 to the end Errata's For 1 Kings 19. read 18. PAG. 1. in the magent for use 1. and use 2. read verse p. 2. l. 5. for pursuane r. perseverance p. 2. for use r. verse 4. and verse 5. p. 2. l. 27. for Daobolum r. Da obolum p. 3. l. 19. for liezure r leisure p. 3. l. 21. make a period between yea and plain p. 5. l. 3. for there r. these p. 7. l. 23. for nor r no p. 7. l. 35 after Pastors make no period p. 8. l. 18. in Margent read use 2. p. 8. l. 22. for defendant r defendit p 14. l. 2. after sharp but very exemplary put president p. 15. l. 7. for strangely r. strongly p. 16. l. 7 for the r. this p. 20. l. 27. for belluae r. Bellua p. 20. l. 31. ptt out they before say p. 26. l. 23. r. an after p 29. l. 7. for torror r. terrour p. 29. l. 9. for have r. had for I think some Committe-men have bought more land since then they sold before they were preferred to their Committeships p. 31. l. 3. unto seduce strayable people adde and pesecute Gods zealous ministers P. 38. l. 2. for he r. Shammah p 42. l. 4. for reigne r. rejoyce p. 47. l. l. 34. for And r. Are these duties p. 48. l. 11. in stead of an evill cause read and will not he regard the voyce c. To the much Honoured Major Generall MASSEY one of the Members of the Honorable House of Commons Renowned Sir TO none doth this Sermon more properly belong now printed then to your selfe that heard it preached After the relation of which newes against Newters you returned beyond my desert and expectation publick thanks in the face of that populour Congregation In those then siding-unsiding times this Text at that time was seasonable I yet beleeve though the sight of my person in the Pulpit at that time formidable perhaps to some there that had never heard me preach in their whole life One of which departing out of the then Congregation had he stayed you told me at your Table might have suspected himselfe to be like the Hedge-bogge I mentioned in my Sermon The truth of many of the particulars mentioned in my preceding Epistle you know to be true but I shall manifest the whole to be so if from the Honorable House I obtain my conceived just request to have liberty to examine the combination and unjust proceedings of my malevolent yet potent Committee-adversary Sir you beleeved and subscribed as much under your hand that this Sermon was preached with much zeale against newtralitie and in that subscription out of which I transeribe your own words at
Augustus or Antonius so unâ—â—â—ing persons in these siding times have a bosome-bird in a readinesse to salute either prevailing partie with a joyfull acclamation of God blesse and prosper you c. Whereby they become guiltie of the sinne here reproved namely of balting between two opinions The word signifies a lamenesse on both feete the same word that is translated halt signifies lamenesse on both feete which is used to expresse Mephibosheth's lamenesse 2 Sam. 4.4 Jacob had but one side lame therefore there is another word used in Gen. 32.31 And as he passed over Pennel the Swnne rose upon him and be halted upon his thigh These Neutralists are lame on both feete they neither serve God King nor Countrey cordially 2 King 17.33 34. God looks upon divided worship as no worship The Idolaters feared God and worshipped Idells and in the next verse it is said they feared not God Those are threatned severely that sweared by the Lord and by Mal chom Zeph. 1.5 If the Parliament be not for the weale of the Kingdome ' why gavest thou a voyce to choose them If they be for the weale of the Kingdome why doest thou not in words judgement and practise adhere to them still Consider what infamie will befall thee every one points with the finger saying There goes an Hypocrite Shifter Turne-coat neither hot nor cold a traytor to his Countrey These Apostatizers either from Parliament or from their Countreys good doe resemble the Devill for what makes the Devill so black but his Apostasie What other are such receders When the Lycaonians saw the miracle that Paul wrought in curing the Creeple they cryed out The Gods are come downe amongst us in the likenesse of men Act. 14.10 11. But when the Barbarians saw the Viper upon his hand they eryed out This man is a Murtherer whom vengeance sussers not to live Chap. 28.4 When at the beginning of their sitting the Parliament cured such as were creepled in their Estates and Liberties when they took away Ship-money Monopolies When they made the lame to walke opening prison doores to such as were in bonds when they made the dumme to speake opening the mouthes of many frienced Ministers then they could say Oh this is a blessed Parliament but when they saw Malignants Flatterers and Papists up in Armes then men beginne to change their note and why O peace peace peace upon any termes yet the Sunne is the Sunne though sometimes clouded Doth not the Lord command Zach. 8.16 Vers 19. Heb. 12. Love Peace and Truth nay Truth and Peace must not peace and holinesse be followed of all Have not the Parliament petitioned againe and againe for peace doe not wee pray daily for it doe not our Armie fight for it Pyrrbus fought three sore battles against the Romans in the two first he got the victorie but with so great losse of his men in both that it was said of him for the first he might gloriari magis quà m gaudere brag of his victory not rejoyce in it for the second he was heard himselfe to say that if he got such another victorie he was undone Conditions of peace after the first victory were offered by Cineus Pyrrbus his Ambassadour in the Senate and many among the Romans were apt to encline to it as being disheartned by Pyrrbus his victory Appius Claudius having notice of it devoted to privacy for a long time aged and blinde caused himselfe in his Couch to be carried to the Senate-house and said Worthy Patriots I have hitherto with sore griefe endured losse of sight but now hearing your inclination to conclude such a dishonorable peace with Pyrrbus a prosessed enemy to Rome it now troubles me more that I am not dease also that my eares might not heate of such an infamy and reproach to such a tenowned Citie of Rome you may make the application But you will say Quest Answ who are Neuters Est neutrale Genus signans rem non animatam Liselesse men A cursed generation of men who seeme not to know their right hand from their left nor which way to turne One compares these to the shadow of a man Another to a picture commonly seene in Flaunders and too often I beleeve in England also In which there is a thing they call a Christ on the left hand another thing they call the Virgin Mary on the right and in the middle a third thing called a Catholicke with this inscription before him Cui me vertam nescio Let us apply it to our times Christ and his truth are on the right hand for he hath too long been set on the left hand let us now endeavour to set him on the right the Devill and the Pope on the left hand the Faith the Law Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome are on the one hand Popery slavery prophanenesse on the other hand yet Cui me vertam nescio he knows not which side to take is not he a Neuter On the one hand are the great Councell of the Kingdome who have lost much outward liberties and profits to procure peace for the Church and puritie for Gods worship on the other hand are left-handed men Robbers spoylers murderers roaring Lyons devouring Wolves who labour to fight in Popery to the Church beggary to the State and slavery to the Subject yet Cui me vertam nescio to what hand he may turne he cannot tell Goe Hest 4.16 fast and pray for us wee will doe so likewise say Gods faithfull people in their inisery Goe feast and play swill and sweare say Athisticall Papists and popishable persons God on this day calls for fasting the Devill calls to feasting Esi 22.12 13 14. to riot sports works of calling God calls to weeping mourning baldnesse girding with sackcloth And Behold and indeed it commands admitation joy and gladnesse slaying Oxen killing sheepe eating flesh drinking wine and saying Let us eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye if wee 'le beleeve Preachers prate yet Cui me vertam nescio sayth your meale-mouth'd-ling-medly-man your carnall Politician It was revealed in my eare from the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquitie shall not be purged till yee dye Ecquis mecum 2 King 9.32 who is on my side who throw downe this cursed Jezabel painted pietie Romish Idolatry Image-worship false worship who will rise up with mee against the evill doers who will stand for mee against the workers of iniquitie Pfal 94.16 Who will come up to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5.23 Yet most men will stand with their hands in their pockets and their coyne in their Coffers and will not come forth and shew themselves I will not undertake to propound a way to reforme them I thinke I can discover some cause of their encrease pitty lenity connivency towards them pitty shewed to enemies is cruelty to friends Is it not against the law of nature that they who are without naturall affections should enjoy the common
gifts of nature light ayre fire water Is it not against the law of Nations Armen that those Subjects should enjoy the priviledges and immunities of Subjects who see with open face the enemies destroying all these yet lay it neither to head nor to heart They that are the same and have done the same for doing whereof others their neighbour-Neuters have had the skin torne from their flesh and their flesh from their bones these do deserve to be cast out of the land But these dissembling Neuters are the same and doe the same which they did in former times that were so punished therefore these Compounds deserve no favour but to be cast out of Citie Countrey Kingdome The Parliament accounts such no better than professed Malignants I thinke they are worse true friends to the Parliament should not esteeme them undangerous enemies to Church and to the Common-wealth these get to an upper place if not in scituation yet in speculation as Metius Suffetius did spying which side is strongest and likeliest to prevaile and then towards that side they will wheele about and joynâ— themselves But what reward did his carnall compound policy his divided heart promote him too My Author saith that the body of Metius Suffetius who stood neuter in the warres between the Romans and the Fidenates to spy which side was strongest that thereunto he might turne was adjudged by a Councell of warre to be tyed to two teemes of horses which halled contrary wayee so his body was drawne asunder and pluckt into two pieces accordingly The portraiture of which Teemes halling and Metius Suffetius body so drawne asunder I wish were set upon the walls of the houses where such Compound Neuters dwell or on the horse-heads on which they doe ride or on the sides of the cupsin which they drinke or on the bedsteads on which they lye that they might learne by other mens harmes to beware of falling into the like sinne for seare they fall into the like punishment You know the History of the men of Succoth and Penuel Iudg. 8. what Gideon desired of them for his wearied Armies in the pursuite of Zeba and Zalmunna the Sucoothites jeered at him You will returne us our bread when you have your enemie in your band When will that be Your enemies are Kings and Kings will helpe one another they have power you are weake think you to overcome two Kings with your three hundred tyred Souldiers there is a great peradventure disadvantage Wee will see the successe first cleerer Ver. 16. you question not the victory it s a great question to us Are the heads c. you know what followes as Gideon threatned to deale so he dealt with them he tooke the Elders of the Citie and the thornes and briars of the wildernesse and with them he taught the men of Succoth he taught them a sore teaching a fearefull fight to see so many blondy bones to start out of the flesh a sharp but very exemplary for unfiding men in these siding times They that will not be taught by precepts must be taught with paine I wish such briars and thornes grew and were seene in the hedges that mounded in the grounds of such Compounds fearefull faint-hearted cowardly hypocriticall dissembling lukewarme false-hearted trayterous neutralizing persons You know the parable of a man travelling falling among theeves and wounded Lake 10. that which was in parable then is in practise now the Land is fallen among theeves or theeves rather have fallen upon the body of the Land should it not work pitty compassion in all that see it are they Samaritans that regard it not woe woe to the lookers on and passers by Curse yee bitterly such Merozites Judg. 5.23 In cursing curse never cease to call for a curse Janius renders it Indesinenter Cursed be be that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and that keeps his sword from bloud Jer. 17 3. If negligent workers What no workers that are like standing water that neither ebs nor flowes These Ambodexters who are Compounds that care not what side prevailes shall be rewarded as Neuters shall not have Gods protection all left-handed persons shall be put on Christs left hand shall be sent away with a depart from mee God comes to helpe all simple ones in their misery and all such will helpe the Lord in his misery Mat. 25.35 36. For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meat I was thirstie and yee gave mee drink I was a stranger and yee took mee in naked and yee clothed mee I was sicke and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee Having shewed the sin and shame of these Neuters I now come to shew the Cause and Remedy of their Maladie in the third Use Use 3. which you may call the Solution of the Question or satisfaction of the Doubts or removall of the rubs in the way or which I call in the Title for these times the Causes and the Cure of balting These people spake not a word to Eliabs Question yet they murmured in their minds though they manifested it not with their mouthes But now people both mutter inwardly and mouth it outwardly why they halt viz. Many 1 Cause yea the greatest part even of the Parliaments Members have deserted the Parliaments Cause Doe you not thinke they did it out of Conscience towards the Kings side And what thinke you of those few that are turned from the King Answ and offered their service to the Parliament againe confessed and recanted their errour and wondered that they could be so farre seduced to take up Armes against that Parliament which they had taken the Covenant to maintaine What if many have betrayed their trust and deserted Parliament and Kingdome doth this justisie their persidiousnesse and halting condition or condemne the sincerity of such as goe on uprightly without backsliding Can any man have any colour to free them from never dying infamle who made elaborate Orations faire promises loud protestations That they would live and dye with the Parliament to spend their lives and fortunes in the cause confessing that to be the cause of God yet either through feare or hope of favour have forsaken that Cause which at first they then so strangely maintained and have been instruments of betraying much innocent bloud and bringing more cares upon the heads of those that have continued constant If the Kingdome stand doubtlesse such Traytors shall not long stand in credit or libertie but shall be brought unto condigne punishment that others may feare Apostacy and the sincere be cherished in their fidelity If the Kingdome doe not stand for a house a Citie a Kingdome divided cannot long stand God will finde them out and reach them a rap for cursed be he that putieth his hand to the Plough and looketh backs is not fit for the Kingd me of Heaven How can it be expected otherwise but that Gods curse and shame with men should overtake
hope of an harvest Prov. 3.9 now is our seed time for the preservation of a Land for Reformation of Religion therefore honour God with thy substance let not this conceit hatched in thy head cause thee to halt in thy heart but remember Those that honour the Lord he will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 Feare of Plundering makes many stagger in respect of part-taking with either 6. Cause If they reveale themselves they are made a prey to the will of the adversaries therefore so they may sleepe in a whole skin they dread not the danger of a tattered Conscience Yet when these unsiding ones have used all their power and policy to escape Answ the enemy have oft-times come and been as cruell to them as to the most upright Many that for feare have been most unhelpfull and deceitfull to their Countrey have felt the hand of their conceited friends as heavy upon them as upon their neighbours estate and their hypocrisie could not be a sufficient protection to them But why shouldest thou feare Plundering and so make the feare more than the hurt They who have been Plundered their feare is already past and thou makest thy selfe by thy tormenting feare all thy life long subject to this fiend as if death were approached the King of feare Doest thou not know that either thou must be plundered from the world or the world from thee Art thou now being deprived of estate friends libertie in any other estate than thou wast in when thou camest into the world or shalt be when thou goest out of the world If thou couldest but plunder thy selfe in thy contemplation before others doe in action it would not be so grievous unto thee As Anaxagoras being told of the death of his Sonne I am not much troubled therewith said he because I long confidered before Mat. 6. that he was but mortall Did not our Saviour foretell that heere thieves should breake through and steale and cautioned us thereby to lay up Treasure there where thieves could not breake through and steale Vilescunt temporaria dum recordantur aeterna The losse of under-Moone contents Creature-Comforts cannot disturbe when the presence of spirituall mercies doe affect us Had not many been miserable for ever if they had not been miserable once Their present belly-blessings had prevented the comfort of their insuing eternall Glory The Arch Plunderer the Devill under whom others are but instruments might have snatched away their soules at their deaths and where had they then been O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule and where then shall these things he Thy Executors then had not been more nimble to have carried thy body to the grave than this unsatiable Plunderer would have been like a nimble under-Sheriffe quickly ready to take all into execution and carry thy soule into Hell Feare not therefore though they have or can hurt the body and can doe no more Mat. 10. intimating that they would hurt the soule also if they could It is true the outward condition of plundered persons deprived of some libertie wealth wife children comforts hath had a sad aspect to looke upon by the eye of reason But consider deare Christians are you driven from the Creature to the Creator what if forced from the lower yet hasted to the upper springs from the streame to the fountaine from worldly to heavenly Enjoyments Whether the losse in the one be greater than the gaine in the other Before these troubles you had Ordinances common with other beleevers but now your daily food is choicest morsells waters of life superlative refections Benjamins Messe the love of God the power of Christ the Spirit of Glory the care of Angels the prayers of Saints are all upon the wing for your present welfare your Earth is dissolved before your body your Heaven prevents you before your time your joyes are immediate you reape without sowing you feed on the kernell and breake not the shell you rest from your labours in this life the bloud of Christ the vision of God the joy of the Spirit the food of Angels 2 Pet. 1.4 the many great exceeding precious promises whereby you are made partakers of the divine nature are not these the daily repasts of your soules Such honour have all Gods Saints they have Heaven whilst they are here on Earth and can they then be in a miserable distressed condition Such are to be looked upon I doe not know whether with more compassion or holy emulation to whom it is given not only to beleeve but to suffer for the sake of Christ Philip. 1.29 Whether the depth of misery or the weight of Glory by greater in these is hard to distinguish halt not therefore at this stone Selfe-seeking Gau. 7. with the neglect of the Publique makes men goe in a lazie or limping pace when men so looke to things at home for their own private ends as that they neglect the Publique If mens eyes be seriously fixed on their own pleasure or profit their hearts cannot be guided by a right rule When our Saviour propounded the Parable of the husbandmen unto the Scribes and Pharisees saying What shall be done to these husbandmen The Jewes answered Mat. 21.41 Luk. 20.16 He shall miserably destroy these husbandmen Yet in another Gospel where our Saviour said He should miserably destroy them the Jewes answered God forbid In one Gospel their answer is related to be He shall miserably destroy them in the other Gospel the Answer is related to be on the contrary God forbid How can these agree Yes saith Chrysostome for first they say He will miserably destroy these but handmen But when they perceived Christ aymed at them then they said God forbid so helpfull to halting for owne ends and selfe-indangering-respects Many seerned forward for the Parliament at the beginning before the wars were raited but when they saw the King oppose the Parliament then they fall off likewise like Beasts that cropt the Thees that gave them shelten being resolved to account Kings to be Gods that they themselves may be accounted Kings But truth standeth in the open field knowes neither father nor mother house nor home Land nor Lordship all goe down to Church and Common-wealth may stand Christ and his Gospel may be set up But is it not reason every man should looke to himselfe I answer Object Sol. 1. is it not greater reason every man should looke to the Publique wherein every good mans private doth consist Pray for the Peace of the Citie Ier. 29.7 said the Prophet to the captived oner Knowest thou not that in the Peace thereof thou shalt have Peace What place should be left for reasoning about reason when faith should have the predominance Sol. 2. Da mihi baptizatam rationem Mortified reason saith one this is your victory that overcometh the world and all worldly reasoning even your faith 1 Ioh. 5.4 Naturall reason may be a drawer of water for
Parliament lie as a Traytor upon the blocke ready to have the head thereof strucke off at one bloudy blow For as the King is head in regard of the Parliament so the Parliament is head in relation to the Countrey and is this a time to nourish contentions amongst any of those who should studie the peace of the Publique The dogge is sometime let out to keepe the sheepe together our punishments many times carry our sinnes in their foreheads our divisions have been still are great contentions increase God punisheth our divisions with divisions The water leads to the fountaine whence it flowes God points to our sinne by our punishments that by punishment sinne may be cured and after the Judgements may be removed Wee would seperate from Gods house God seperates us from our own houses Wee cared not for the worth of peace God now shewes the worth by the want of it the price of many things are learn't carendo magis quà m fruendo Wee walked contrary unto him he now walkes contrary unto us Wee brake forth by lying stealing whoring one bloudy sinne touched another and now God hath had a long Controversie against all the Inhabitants of the Land and one bloudy punishment toucheth another Men by their Hell-hastening iniquities warred brake forth against the Lord and now God by Heaven-darting Judgements warreth against and breaketh in upon men Yea this heighteneth mens sinnes that they warre against the Lord yea friends against friends whiles God and man continue their warre against them both God in Justice men in hatred t is good as from God evill as from men I have spoken so much in this point it being a maine cause of halting in the people while they apprehend so much flattery in and contention among Ministers Let all Eliah's labour to preserve people from halting by occasion thereof Let them study to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of peace if there be any vertue any praise any profit in love in peace Elijah you see was bold and it mightily prevailed Can Ministers write after any fairer Copie can they walke after any more un-erring Rule Be strong and of a good courage was Gods Counsell to Josuah Iosh 1.6 and addes in the next verse onely be strong and the people close up their Counsell with the same Caution to him in the last words of the same Chapter because things last of all spoken Vers 18. commonly are best of all remembred onely be strong and of a good courage vers 18. As if courage boldnesse were the All in All required in the Leaders the Shepheards of Gods flocke as if it were the Quintessence that is most to be seene in the essence of all their ingagements and discharge of duties required by God and Man may they not by this their courage as Hannibal by sire over the Alpes make way over the mountaines of all obstructions all oppositions whatsoever Look what powder is to bullets a clapper to the Bell fire to the wood wings to a Bird sayles to a Ship winde to sayles wine to the spirits an edge to a Razor mettall to a horse the soule to the body vivacitie to any creature the same is Courage to any Christian much more to a Minister for his affection motion action Twelfth and last cause I mention of the Peoples halting 12. Cause between the two maine opinions in these times is The doubt of the successe of the Cause in Question which followes in the last not least place to be answered viz. these Doores of Hope ⧠DOORES OF HOPE WHat ever the issue and successe of these warres be yet Gods people should be of Joabs resolution 2 Sam. 10.12 Let us be valiant for our people and for the Cities of our God and let the Lord do as seemeth him good I am no Prophet nor the son of a Prophet ungainsayably to prognosticate the event his face hath never yet been seene nor tongue heard in a Pulpit that can thus Divine Therefore I will not professe so much ignorance or arrogance peremptorily to avouch These present warres suddenly shall end or that the Parliament side without any possible contradiction shall prevaile But this I affirme that there may be alledged many Arguments of probabilitie that God will shortly deliver this Land from Popery and slavery for the present and future time These Arguments I call Doores of Hope Of which Doores I shall but draw the Latches and set them a little ashoare and give you leave at your more leisure to goe into the severall roomes in your private meditations and view the materialls therein contained The first Doore 1. I bring you to is the Promise of God made to comfort his people 2 Pet. 1.4 Esa 25.8 These promises are said to be Gods gifts many great exceeding precious The Lord will wipe away teares from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth Rev. 14.8 for the Lord hath spoken it Babylon is fallen Esa 55.10 is fallen Doubled as Phar dreame for the certainty of the thing Shall the Lord promise and shall he not performe Surely as the raine cometh downe and watereth the earth and makes it bring forth and bud that it may give seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne unto mee voyde but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it It s added in the next verse Vers 11. Ios 21.43 Therefore shall yee goe out with joy and be led forth with peace This Argument couragious Josuah proposed a little before his death to continue the people in constancy The Lord gave Israel all the land which he had sworne to give to their Fathers and they possessed it and dwelt therein Vers 44. Also the Lord gave them rest round about aocording to all that he had sworne unto their Fathers and there stood not a man of all their Enemies before them for the Lord delivered all their Enemies into their hand Vers 45. There failed nothing of all the good things which the Lord had said unto the house of Israel Vers 45. Ch. 23.14 but all came to passe And in the next Chap. 14. verse to the people You know in all your hearts as certainly as if things were in your bosome that nothing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised you but all are come to passe unto you nothing hath failed thereof The Lord commands his Prophets Esa 40.1 2 Comfort yee comfort yee my people speake comfortably unto Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished Where you see is a Charge and Commission given not onely by bare affirmation or command to Ministers but by Ingemination Comfort yee comfort yee yea by Triplication speake yee comfortably unto Jerusalem by Quadruplication and