happy and free people in a glorious and reformed way of Religion laws and liberties It is a saying of that great Orator as acute as true Totius injustitiae nulla est capitalior quam eorum qui quum maximè fallunt ita tamen agunt nt viri boni videantur No men are more criminally injust than those who when they most deceive and oppress yet then boast of their justice and piety What have been the effects of some mens justice mercy and humility all the English yea British world hath seen and your selves have felt to whom have some mens factious and Phanatick humors shewed any tokens of these vertues except to themselves and their complices to others who are persons far more righteous then themselves their very mercies have been cruel and their highest justice the highest injuries to the publique indeed it is of the Lords mercys that we have not been all consumed that a remnant is escaped to see the Salvation of the Lord in the land of the living O with what pride petulancy haughtiness and disdain have mean men and vile persons carried themselves against the honorable far their betters and superiors yea against the whole honor and Majesty of this Nation how have we seen servants riding on horseback and Princes going on foot this is their humility they have flattered both Prince and People in their sore distresses as if they would relieve them when they proved at last Physitians of no value miserable comforters very severe exactors and tragical destroyers This is their mercy They have subverted all law order and government troubled the fountaines cut off the conduits and inverted all the course of civil Justice and ecclesiastical authority as well as unity this is their Justice Can a Nation be sick of its health and weary of its happiness or thus dayly and bitterly complain if it injoyed such a glorious state of Justice and mercy by the humility and sanctity of its Governours as some have pretended Why doth the whole land cry out of burthens and bloodshed of its oppressors and exactors of its endless troubles and terrors if our estate were so setled and blessed as some men have told us why as Dromedaries do they every month so traverse their ways destroying what they build and building what they destroy like so many foolish builders it is strange that neither these Baalams nor their asses which carry them in the ways and after vvages of iniquity can yet see the Angel of the Lord vvith a dravvn svvord stopping their vvay all lavvs of God and man all good mens votes and prayers are against their madness pride presumption cruelty hypocrity and injustice by vvhich they have brought shame and dishonour a blot and great reproach upon the nation and the reformed Religion You have enough to do honorable and worthy to undo vvhat some men have done amiss to rectifie their crookedness to bring to the standard of Justice and rule of mercy vvhat their injurious cruelty and vvanton vvickedness have perverted and distracted as their pride ambition and various lusts have driven them You vvork is not only as Josuah to fall dovvn before the Lord as ye do this day but to Arise and to do the work of God of the Church and of the State vvith justice mercy and humility For if you still fast for strife and oppression to smite vvith the fist of wickedness and to bind heavy burdens on us you vvill be found mockers of God as others have been your prayers vvill be turned into sin and your counsels vvill turn to confusion The appeals and petitions of all honest-minded people next God are to your prudence justice and charity that you vvould judge betvveen the daughter of your people and her shameless ravishers her cruel vvounders and endless oppressors Three antient and sometimes flourishing Kingdomes and the adjacent Dominions call to you for mercy and you cannot shevv them greater mercy then to do them justice in restoring them to their former happy governments and excellent constitutions All estates of Soveranity Nobility Gentry Clergy Commonalty call upon you for justice and mercy so the poor and rich the City and Country so God himself and your Saviour so true Religion and its novv so deformed Reformation so your ovvn and your posterities interests do dayly importune it vvill be your justice and mercy to them all and us not to bring upon all our heads the guilt of that innocent blood which the cruelty pride and injustice of some men have shed even the blood of War in a time of peace and after a long Treaty When God makes inquisition for this blood let him not find it and avenge it upon you and your Children by your not expiating deprecating and detesting of that sin with infinite horror and abhorence to leave it unexamined and unpunished is every day to contract the guilt of a new regicide The Soveraign fountain of honor civil power and secular authority in Church and State calls for and expects your Justice where it hath been injured your Mercy where unrelieved your humble subjection where duly established The House of Peers cannot but own your Justice Modesty and Humility in removing those obstructions which some mens pride and injurious insolency had for many years put in the way of that House which was ever one of the highest points of this Kingdoms Wisdom Honor stability and happiness The House of Commons also and whatever becomes the dignity and freedom of a Parliament of England calls to your Justice and Mercy to redeem that almost sacred Senate than which in its full constitution the world had not any thing more august and venerable when Lords Spiritual and Temporal when the Gentry and Commons all concurred to advance next the glory of God the majesty of this Empire and the Throne of its Soveraign to redeem this I say from those abominable desolations of tumultuary and military insolencies which for many years have made that house a Charnel house or a kind of Augean stable full of all faction fury and and fanatick filthiness Our Church and Religion our Bishops and Presbyters our Ministers and Ministry all call to your Justice and Mercy to redeem them from popular dependencies from vulgar impudence and usurpation at least to relieve them from those Harpyes which have driven them to and defiled them with so many shameful disorders divisions and distractions unbecoming men much more Christians and Ministers who are pretenders to Reformation The famous Vniversities and all Nurseries of good literature implore your Justice and Mercy to defend these eyes of the Nation from those birds of prey foraign and domestick vultures which hope when these are pulled out to seize upon the blind and deformed Nation with greater freedom of Romish superstition and fanatick Vsurpation who gape to devour all that is lest of the civil or sacred patrimony of Gods or the Kings the Churches or the Crowns portion We have once again by Gods wonderful
being almost Ship-wrackt and sincking it had been a very preposterous zeal to have left the vessel to have contended with the Rocks and Sands by a superdevout diligence to save the lading or goods in it Alas we had been much to seek for a reformed Church in a ruined State Your discreet and orderly diligence took the right method in making way for religion by civil justice nor need you fear the dictates frownes and censures of any Anastarchusses whose piety like Jacobs might hope to have supplanted this just necessary and honest policy of restoring our civil laws and royal authority by which our Religion as Cristian and reformed was best established The setling or reforming of religion in all its duties and devotions discipline and decencies together with its order and Government is a work which requires not only time but that leisure which is attended with a calme and steddy posture of civil affaires Men cannot build Gods Temple till they have first washed their hands and purged the land of innocent blood No prudent piety can think such a storme as we were in was a meet season for Church reformation It would only fit those who might hope to fish best for their parties opinions in troubled waters knowing their projects and models to be less consistent with the true interests and pristine welfare of this Church and State doubtless they must have made strange work of Church and reformation before ever they had owned and restored the Master-builder the King who is supream Governour of it under Christ as to all extern order and Authority We hope and pray that God will shortly give both his Majesty his Parliaments and his loyall people such rest on every side as may be most apt for those sacred and serious concernments of the Church and true Religion which require first Justice as to the rights of Christ and his Church both Bishops Presbyters and People Secondly they require mercy as to that remission moderation and condescention in things not necessary to the being and well being of religion which either tender consciences or weak but humble and harmless Christians do require yea and expect agreeable to Christs care of his little ones and the Apostles regard to weak brethren yea and the Kings gracious expressions touching his regard to such that they may not be needlesly offended superciliously despised or rigorously oppressed in matters that are neither of faith nor morality Lastly Religious composures require an unfeined humility and self denying as the proper rule and measure and of all Church-work that nothing may swell out beyond the plumline of verity and charity order and decency use and edification either in the substances or circumstances of Religion nor yet in the controversies of it In all which blessed counsels and endeavours there will be need and use of the assistance of the best heads the honestest hearts and the softest hands which the Church of England affords not only in the Nobility and Gentry the Lords and Commons but also among the Clergy who are no doubt the Angels or Intelligences most proper for those motions and that spheare of Religion But we hope by the good hand of our good God upon his Majesty and your loyal counsels for the best of blessings a wise constitution and well ordered administration of religion both as Christian and reformed which will be the greatest glory and stability of all estates As you have given to Cesar the things that are Cesars so no doubt you will be ready to give to God the things that are Gods In which just and humble retributions you will both shew mercy to many thousands of souls and obtain mercies for your own for which ends as you have the prayers and thanks of all worthy persons so you shall never want mine whose freedome in speaking and writing I presume your sound minds can bear as abhoring to keep your Ministers like Parots in a cage as at no great charge so only for the pleasure to hear them speak Your honor is that you hear and know and do the will of God in which that you may enjoy his eternal rewards is the Prayer of Your humble servant in Christ I. GAVDEN May 12. 1660. Books written by Dr. Gauden and sold by Andrew Crook at the green Dragon in St. Pauls Church-yard 1. HIeraspistes A Defence for the Ministry and Ministers of the Church of England 2. Three Sermons preached on publick occasions 3. Funerals made Cordials in a Sermon preached at the Interment of the Corps of Robert Rich Heir apparent to the Earldom of Warwick 4. A sermon preached at the Funeral of Dr. Ralph Brounrig Bishop of Excester Decemb. 17. 1659. with an account of his Life and Death 5. A Petitionary Remonstrace in the behalf of many thousand Ministers and Scholars {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sive Medicastri Slight healers of publique hurts set forth in a Sermon Preached in St. Pauls Church London before the right honorable Lord Mayor Lord General Aldermen Common-Council Companies of the honorable City of London Febr. 28. 1659. being a day of Solemn thanksgiving unto God for restoring the Secluded Members of Parliament to the house of Commons And for preserving the City as a Door of Hope thereby opened to the fulness and freedom of future Parliaments The most probable means under God for healing the Hurts and recovering the health of these three Brittish Kingdoms Magna Dei postulata Gods great Demonstrations and Demands Set forth in A Sermon preached at a Solemn Fast April 30. 1660. before the Honorable House of Commons Upon MICAH 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Iustice to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God I Am not so ignorant of my infirmities Right Honorable and Beloved as to have adventured on so great a province before so noble an Assembly in such an important time and on so short warning if my obedience to Gods call in your commands had not swayed more with me than any confidence of my own sufficiency whose greatest ambition is to walk humbly with my God in the amplest services I were able to do for his glory his Churches peace and my Countries welfare I well understand the great importance of this Parliamentary Convention as to the peace and setling of this Church and State all things sacred and civil are imbarqued in your counsels and adventured on your Justice and Mercy your piety and Humility your Equanimity and Moderation You under God are the Ark in which the weather-beaten and scattered remains of our Religion Laws Estates Liberties Peace Honors and Lives are deposited so much of them as hath escaped the tedious tempest and the terrible deluge of our sad troubles and confusions these last score of years in which the windows of heaven the just wrath of God and the fountains of the great deep the lusts and passions of mens
we are humiliati most humbled and debased by Gods providence it is very insutable then to boyl and swell with thoughts of repining and murmuring against God as if he injured us or treated us unworthy of us No here to be humble is to be silent and submisse to pray to prostrate at Gods feet to accept of the punishment and own it as from a Father who chastiseth us that we may not be condemned with the world humility disarms God and is a salve shield and cordial in the worst estate which is then best for us when we grow more humble as pride is a moth or curse that blasts all even the best we are injoy or do Alienating God from us and driving away his good Spirit when it finds us our own Gods and worshippers It is but just to leave us to the heaven of our own fancies and to be satisfied with our own delusions Third General Cui to whom God shews and of whom he requires these great lessons and duties Thee O man 1. To all mankind in general as creatures capable to know good and evil just and unjust and accordingly to chuse and do as they are directed from the inward dictates of right reason and those self-convincing principles which are within their own consciences 2. To thee O man more especially who enjoyest the light of Gods Word in the pale and bosom of the Church where the righteous precepts and merciful commands of God are more evidently set forth by laws repeated by examples multiplied by judgements and rewards proportioned to mens works none here can plead ignorance of duty both to God and man 3. Thee O man in thy particular station as occasion and power are put into thy hand whether Jew or Gentile great or small rich or poor Prince or Peasant Lords or Commons Priest or people no man is unconcerned in these Demonstrations to every one God says as Nathan did to David Thou art the man God requires Justice Mercy and Humility of thee O King who sittest on the throne of Majesty who art in Gods stead as his Vicegerent a kind of mortal Deity honored with the name and vested with the power of God and much more with the imitations of the divine excellencies of Justice and Mercy toward man as of Humility toward God Shalt thou reign because thou closest thy self in cedar and art compassed about with strong guards Did not thy Father do justice and mercy and then it was well with him He judged the cause of the poor and needy was not this to know me saith the Lord Thou even thou O King art to fear him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords higher than the highest the terror of Tytants who pulleth Princes from their seat and poureth contempt upon all their glory thy surest policy is true piety and the best reason of State is this pure Religion and undefiled even to do Justice to love Mercy and walk humbly with that God by whom Kings raign Whose thrones are not to be established without Justice Mercy and Humility Nor can they be injured so much by any as by themselves their Pride before God like Nebuchadnezzars and Belshazzars will abase them and their oppression of their people will most oppress themselves at last Secondly Of Thee O wise man and mighty Counsellor who art esteemed by others and thy self as a great State Intelligence digging deep for counsels and wrapping up thy self in the darkness of thy cloudy projects and designs thou who gloriest in thy Oracular Policies as Achitophel and disdainest to be nonplust in thy wisdom or defeated in thy designs Of thee the Lord requires to give no counsel but such as is just nor to decree other than righteous decrees To agitate nothing in Councils of State and Parliaments by partiality faction and oppression to sinister ends and unjust interests either of Prince of people because the Lord sitteth among Senators and will cause a just decree without mercy to be executed upon those who either execute or decree unrighteous and cruel things Thirdly Of Thee O subordinate Iudge and Magistrate O great Lawyer and eloquent Pleader the Lord repuires not to turn Justice into gall and Judgement to wormwood not to judge for reward or pervert the cause of any either for fear or favour or for respect of persons not to make pleadings of Law to be as gins and snares to innocent simplicity by a fallacious sophistry and dilatory felony which robs the Clients purse as the bushes and brambles do the sheep of his fleece when he seeks and hopes for shelter from them No temporal advantage can counterpoise the detriment and danger which unjust and merciless actions bring upon those who willingly offend against the laws of the just and merciful God and thereby incur eternal damnation deserving to be beaten with many stripes because they know the will of God and do it not St. Bernards Motto to all judges is omnia judicata rejudicabuntur what comes short in mans measure or weight of Justice shall be made up by Gods eternal recompences 4. Of thee O Soldier O valiant and mighty man who hast power in thy hand to save or destroy to kill poor men and lay wast fenced Cities of thee God requires justice and mercy which must be the measures of War as well as of Peace there are jura belli laws of righteousness and moderation which God exacts in wars even defensive which seem the onely wars that can be just For sure to make war without some precedent or threatned injury must needs be very injurious Not might but right must be looked at where the lives of men are concerned justice is not to be measured by the length of thy sword or the strength of thy Arme or the number of thy Soldiers but by the Laws of God of Nations and of every polity The Justest war must not by passionate transports be carryed on to unjust exorbitant and cruel oppressions either to harmless and unarmed people or to immoderate demands in point of reveng and compensation much less to build ambitious Babels and covetous confiscations upon others ruines The Soldiers had their lesson of John Baptist what to do when they had so much grace as to ask the question they are not commanded to lay down their Armes but to do violence to no man c. 5. Of thee O man God requires Justice mercy and humility whose prosperity either in violent or injurious ways have made thee rich and great or who increasest thy estate by that which is not thine in equity and conscience who makest no scruple of Extortion rapine racking rents sacriledge oppression and rigorous extortions who hast built thy nest on high and feathered it with the spoils either of thy Neighbours and Tennants or of Church and State of the Crown and Crosier where cheap purchases witness to your faces and upbraid both byars and sellers of the injustice of
mercy and his blessing upon one great heroick and steady soul got the wind of the Jesuitick Anabaptistick and fanatick designs who have abused us with their long wiles O lose not the advantages which God hath given you to bring your Church and Country into a fair and happy haven after so many tempests and agitations of infinite loss and hazzard There are many holy Duties and Christian Rites which call for your Justice and Mercy the two blessed Sacraments which have a long time been either wholly despised or prophanely abused or very partially used The Lords Prayer also the Ten Commandments and the Creed all sacred and wholesom forms of excellent use to the people of Christs flock but despised and neglected by some of their supercilious Pastors to the great detriment of true Religion and abatement of piety these expect your exemplary Justice to restore them to their primitive and Catholick honor which will be a mercy to the whole Nation which by extemporary novelties and crude varieties in Religion hath been wholly deprived of all those pristine forms of liturgical devotions by which the generality of Christians were best informed and most affected as to the grand fundamentals of Religion Sure it is but the effect of crafty or crazy brains to deny us all use of Our Father in English because we gave over the Pater nosters the Ave Maries and other prayers which were in Latin and so of little use to the vulgar It was once thought a blessing to have prayers and holy duties in a language which people understood Now t is a seraphick stratagem of Satan to make people forget those things which they could easiest remember and best understand Lastly There are many prevalent and epidemical sins of Sacriledge Prophaness irreverence Perjury rash swearing Duelling Vncleanness and all manner of licentious discoveries of Atheism and irreligion which call for your Justice to suppress them for they are the cruellest enemies of Church and State If you will indeed do Justice love Mercy and walk humbly with your God if you will shew loving kindness and sense of honor to your Country resolve upon all those dispensations restitutions and exercitations of Justice and Mercy which are before you Which you will best do if you 1. Be pleased so to fix our Laws yea our legislative and Soveraign authority so that we may be no more tossed too and fro with every wind of mens ambitious fancies qui malunt leges quam mores mutare who had rather change our good laws than mend their own ill manners 2. To remove all obstructions which are inward in your own souls and outward in other mens passions or actions by which either Justice or Mercy are most hindred of their free course 3. If you listen not to that wicked maxim of the Devils politicks Fieri non debuit factum valet as if evil actions did call for perseverance not repentance Nullum tempus occurit Justitiae no time or fact must prescribe against justice truth God and the Church 4. When you have undone by justice what hath been done by injustice to the undoing of Church and State Prince and People Then will mercy be seasonable by acts of such amnesty pardon and oblivion as may rather compose than irritate the spirits of men praestat motos componere fluctus 5. If you needed which I hope you do not any motives to these great indeavours and discoveries of justice and mercy it is no small one which the Platonists observe as to the difference between just and unjust the good and evil men which is as great as between light and darkness order and confusion men and beasts good and bad Angels as between a King and a Tyrant God and the Devil God is the first fountain and grand example of justice and mercy as the Devil is of injuriousness and cruelty 6. If you inquire Cui bono what their reward shall be First the conscience of well doing and this to your Country and in its greatest distresses Next you shall have that reward of lasting honour and renown by which your names as repairers of our breaches shall be embalmed in the love of their Country and transmitted with a sweet resentment to all posterity where as the names of proud and cruel oppressors shall rot and perish like their own dung the blood thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes not only as to those dies naturales but as to those dies civiles which preserve the living fame of worthy men to many generations as blessed he is but short-lived whose infamy only survives as the damned in hell are counted dead because they only live to shame and torment As for your direction what and how to do excellent things you need not search Achitophels braines or rake the skull of Matchiavel you need not call up the Ghost of Richelieu or conjure up those subtil spirits of Government which may tell you the Adyta imperii arcana principum the depths mysteries intrigoes and riddles of States you need not listen any longer to those Seraphick Syrens and Phanatick Counsellors who under the title of Gods cause and the Saints interest which I know not what blessed projects or gainful godliness had made a shift to undo all but themselves yea and themselves too as to all sence of justice or mercy or honor or conscience of modesty or humility You need not advise with flesh and blood with humane passions and lusts facilis parata est ad virtutem via the counsel of God is at hand {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} you cannot easily miscarry by following his wisdome in justice mercy and humility however you had better perish in Gods way as to temporal effects then prosper for a season in the Devils which must end in endlesse infelicities There can no better course be followed in civil justice than that which was given by the Oracle to the Sicilian Pyrates when afflicted by the plague after they had gotten much booty they enquired What they should do to be releived Answer was given in these letters R. A. S. P. P. which some cunning man interpreted to import by the Acrostick letters thus much Reddite Aliena S'ultis Possidere Propria Restore to others what is theirs if you hope to preserve to your selves your own else your common weal will be but a common wo There is neither darkness in your way of justice and mercy nor will there be much difficulty God hath and will remove mountains of malice hypocrisie and injustice before you yea he hath prepared the vvay for you by levelling the levelers and confounding the confounders of all things civil and sacred His vvord and the lavvs of the Land vvill tell you vvhat is to be done State super vias autiquas bonas stand and enquire for the good old ways and walk therein that you and we may find that rest vvhich hath been a long time and ever vvill be denyed us in any of those fantastick and novel models vvhich make religion a nurse of rebellion pretend that the Kingdome of Jesus Christ vvill indure no temporal Christian Kingdome except such as they may rule and raign in But you have not so learned Christ neither his law nor his Gospel suggest any such unjust and cruel counsels nor do they favour any violent and rebellious designes Do as I believe you will what becomes your duty to God and man your love to your Country your respect to true Religion and your care of your posterity and no doubt God will be with you both to strengthen your hands and to make your faces to shine with that glory in this life which is the first but least recompense of just and honorable actions and also with that eternal glory which is the purchase of Christs blood and the honorary recompense of God to all that in the way of well doing seek for honor and immortality to which the Lord bring you and all his Church for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be all glory and honour now and ever Amen FINIS May 20. Anno 630. Preface The great and publique importance of this Parliament Prov. 23. â— 2 Chron. 15.2 The way of our happiness Iudg. 9.7 Prov. 28.9 2 Kings 7.8 Ier. 5.25 Partition Matth. 5.7 Psal. 13. Phil. 2.8 The demonstrator 1 The occasion 1 Sam. 15.13 Isa. 58.3 Ezek. 18 15. 〈◊〉 7.4 Ioh. 1â— 1â— Psal. 50.8 â—sa â—6 3 Psal. 51.17 1 Sam. 1â— 22 Hos. 6.6 2 The credit and authority of the Demonstrator Psal. 94.10 Iob 28. 2 Gen. the thing demonstrated Matth. 22.40 Ieâ— 7.9 1 Ioh. 4.20 Luk. 10.25 Tit. 2.11 1 Iâ—stice Ioâ—. 18.38 Quest Ans. What Iustice iâ— Iustice in the fountain Rom. 2. Iustice in the câ—stern Iustice in the conduits Iustice to God Mal. 5.6 Selves Others Gen. 4â— â—1 3 Demand Mercy Exod. 34. â— Psal. 103.8 Psal. 1 6 Mercy in God In Man Prov. 20. â—8 Lam. 3.22 Matth. 18.27 â— Sam. 15.11 Matâ—h 9.36 and 14.14 Deut. 29.11 13 Psal. 130.3 Iames 2.13 3. Humility Luke 17.10 1 Cor. 4.7 1 Per. 1.4 These three considered in their practicks The acts or exercises of three Vertues 1. To do Iustice Rom. 13.4 Luk. 12.14 Deut. 1.17 Exod. 11.25 and 23.3 Psal. 106. Hoseaâ— 11.8 To love Mercy Isa. 28.21 Mercy must be loved Col. 11. 2 Kings 20.31 3. To walk humbly with thy God Psal. 19.4 5. and 61.9 2 Cor. 11.12 Lev 16.41 so whom this Demonstration and demand is made Of Kings and Sâ—â—â—â—aign Magistrates Ier. 22.15 16. Of Counsellors c. Of Magistrates Of Soldiers and men of might Luk. 3 14. Of the most prosperous O Ministersf of the Church Of the glosing Hypocrites Of the whole Nation 4. The manner of Gods Demonstrating Application or Vses Iosh. 7.13 Conclusion