the Officers use but it must not have office of Command in Gods Church and Common-wealths businesse every man knoweth that the Saints in Heaven are the least propriaries to their own will Christ himselfe said I am not come to doe mine own will but the will of him that sent mee which were it but remembred it would be a meanes that many from halting might be preserved In good works doing men must not ayme at themselves much lesse in evill actions attempt to seeke their own rising by others ruine When the whole State staggers and the Realme reeles must they continue in a lazie lame halting estate and posture with their hands in their pockets moneys in their Coffers and tongues in their mouthes without bringing them forth for the preservation of the Publique viz. Kingdome Religion Law Libertie and Posteritie I said in actions good and commendable they must not ayme at their own ends The man that was in the Boate where the Kings Crowne was and the Crowne occasionally falling into the water he leaping after it and recovering it to save himselfe and it putting the Crowne upon his own head that so he might swimme the better to the Boate or Shoare though he was thanked for his adventure yet was he blamed for his boldnesse in putting the Crowne upon his own head Christs Crowne is now fallen as it were into the water and is in danger of sinking labour to preserve it but not for thy own praise or profit sake much lesse must his Crowne be set upon the footstoole and Kings Crowne yea private mens reasons and respects set upon the Throne The 24. Elders Revel 4. threw downe their Crownes at the foote of Christ the King of Kings You know Vriah Nehemiah and others denied their own comforts and contentments Court-favours company of wife yea to change their own Cloaths for the Publique sake It is an undeniable truth he that will lift up one that is fallen must stoope himselfe He that loves father or mother more than Christ is not worthy of Christ Christ still called his Mother Woman as one observes Woman what have I to doe with thee Woman not Mother to shew that in matters of Religion wee are to know no relations Were this beleeved and observed the warres by Gods mercy quickly might be ended thinke on it and thou wilt halt no longer between thy private seeming and the publique certain good The eighth Cause of Halting is undesire of change for doubt of dangerous tumults or of changing for the worse 8. Cause The wicked feare and flie when no man pursueth but the righteous is bold as a Lyon The feare for the present touching what will be for the future is moe than the hurt it selfe that shall be Many will be content to abide in darknesse and slavish conditions for feare of shadowes they may meet with in an altered estate Like the Israelites punished a little with want towards Canaan they wished themselves in Aegypt againe to enjoy their Leeks and Onions instead of their Manna Angels food Men are now on their march towards spirituall and heavenly Canaan and will they desire to returne unto Aegypt againe It is then just that they should never enter into Gods rest Will not men endure change of Masters and change of servants so it be for their profit change of horses change of dogges so it further their pleasure change of aire change of dyet so it tends to their health May men desire new Masters new servants new Ministers new Magistrates change of apparell dyet houses and shall they onely dreame of danger in new reformation in change of manners The Apostle commands Fashion not your selves like to this world Rom. 12.2 but be you changed inwardly in minde and outwardly in manners else you cannot prove or approve what is the acceptable will of God or what is the reasonable service required in man towards God who is a Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit and in truth Are those obstinate Jewes Ier. 44. thinke you to be followed who said The Word that thou hast spoken unto us wee will not heare but will doe whatsoever is good in our own eyes for then wee had peace and plenty of all things but since wee lest off to worship the Queene of Heaven wee have had troubles warres dearth and scarcitie of all things Many desired our little great Will I meane Bishop Laud to be changed and taken out of the way and will they desire many great little Wills to be Hierarched and set up in the place thereof such a change may be from bad to worse You have heard of the old Woman I beleeve when all other people prayed for the removall of a Tyrannicall Prince shee onely prayed for his continuation being asked the reason thereof why shee prayed for his continuing when all others prayed for his removall Shee replyed such a Prince was bad and people desired his exchange and the next was worse and the next worse than he and this worse than that and if this be changed quoth shee I thinke the next will be the Devill himselfe So prone naturally are people to imagine that all changes shall be for the worse Men know not what may be in and after therefore desire an abode in the present condition Which have occasioned many mens halting stumbling falling which might have been preventable by a change Is it not better to change from bad to good than from bad to worse Seeing every man by every action steps neerer to Heaven or to Hell I beleeve one of the Causes of so many sad changes in our outward condition hath been new fangled conceits touching changeablenesse in Religion For when they chose new Gods Iudg. 5.8 then warre was in the Gates Therefore a change from new Gods to the true God will procure peace in our gates Can it be imagined any danger to have unprofitable Trees dregges of Popery which God did never plant to be removed out of his Orchard and his own Plants to be set in the place thereof What hurt hath been by the change of Monkes and Fryers Abbots and Pryors Hermits and Nunnes Shall their persons be removed and their profession be retained If there hath been no occasion of repentance in the Land for casting out those Locuster what repentance should be feared by inacting new reformation and abolishing old Traditions Aske all the Reformed Churches whether ever they grieved but rather daily rejoyced to have their Religion of Idolatry and Superstition to be banished out of their Coasts I know the thoughts of the change of Episcopacy is a great trouble and a cause of halting to many men but let them remember the high Commission Bishops Courts in Counties and the strange monstrous Concomitances attending the same they will scarce desire or plead for the reintertainment of them againe It cannot be denied but that Episcopacy hath been a great supporter of Papacie where the one falls the other cannot long stand
that which is good Broad is the way leading to destruction and many follow that way Is it not better to follow the few to salvation than the many to destruction The one is of large latitude therefore many travell in it the other straight therefore few delight to finde it Men like old sheepe are apt to be seduced The world divided into thirty parts as is observed nineteene of thirty are still overgrowne with Heatheuish Idolatry of the other eleven six overspread with Mahumetisme then but five of thirty remaine for Christians and among them how many are seduced Papists Sectaries of all sorts prophane irreligious ones and how few Protestants iudeed who if they have a shew 2 Tim. 3.5 yet deny the power of godlinesse Of the foure sorts of Seeds one part onely fell on good ground Looke into most Cities Townes Congregations Families little thereof lookes like good ground enclosed manured and planted to bring forth cultu fructu ornatu unto good but like a common waste over growne with weeds of sinne and so are endangered to loose their God souses hope happinesse It is true the more the merrier if in a good matter in a right way for then Bonum quo communius ed melius so malum quô communius eo pejus Wilt thou be therefore as the Weather-Cocke to be carried away with every winde whether of Doctrine Discipline or Doings Doe not you know Quat homines tot sententiae so many men so many opinions Doe not you know Vulgus belluae est multorum capitum Did not the people cry one while Hosanna another while Crucifie Would they not have done sacrifices unto Paul and Barnabes Act. 14. crying Gods are come downe unto us in the likenesse of men Another while esteemed them as Bablers and pullers down of the goddesse Dinna Act. 28.4 Did not they erre while they say Paul was a murderer while the Viper was on his hand and while he shakt it off Did they not suddenly change their mindes as sudden as he cast off the Viper and esteemed him as a God Vers 6. The Field of Corne boweth it selfe as the winde driveth it so most men â—urâ—e and winde themselves as the Times are and fashions goe fit their savles for every winde are Papists with Papists Roundheads with Roundneads and Royalists with the Royalists they will side with the strongest side be it right or wrong All their Religion is taught by the Precepts of men they will beleeve men against the Lord when they will not bete eye the Lord against men When as men commonly are led by sense rather than by reason by reason than by faith yet the naturall man perceiveth not the things that are of God neither can he For blinde men cannot judge of colours nor deafe men of sounds the multitude usually call evill good and good evill bitter sweet Esa 5.20 and sweet bitter but woe be to such as set a wrong estimation upon right objects And woe to all such as follow such blinde Guides that draw others with themselves into the ditch of Damnation One in the right is more safely to be followed than many in the wrong When Apollo by Oracle at Delphos told the Athenians that one man disagreed though all the rest of the Citie assented And they were much troubled to know who that was Phocion his own accord stept forth and said Give over to wonder and inquire who that man is I am he of whom the Question is for indeed I like of nothing that you goe about And have not good people a better and greater matter to stand for though singular than Phocion had Christ allowed singularitie saying What singular thing doe you Peter also Mat. 5.47 1 Pet. 4.4 where he blames all such as thinke it strange that others did not run with them to the same excesse of riot The great pressures by payments Cause 5. makes men halt and weary of the Cause If payments might cease and Trade goe on many would be content with any condition for matter of Religion The exhausted expences makes people deeme ill of the instruments of Reformation They had rather Lawes Liberties Religion and all were lost than to be at any cost for their preservation With the Gadarens they will part with a Saviour rather than with their swine Now consider who are the cause of expences those that labour to maintaine their rights or those that endeavour to destroy them Can Papists Delinquents Traytors Malignants unbowell themselves of all their treasure to raise up and maintaine an Armie against the Counsell of the Kingdome which are the life of the whole Land and shall the Inhabitants that professe themselves Protestants and free Denisons grumble to part with a part that they may preserve the whole Is it not just that God should suffer such halting Wretches to perish together with their money and to give over their posteritie to perpetuall bondage who will not expose their persons and purses to stand up in the Gap against destroying enemies Ezek. 22.30 Is it not better smart once than ake for ever to endure a little lancing of the flesh to make way for a sound Cure to be at charge with a Surgeon and Physician than to want limbes and life And should our Coyne rather be preserved than our Countrey our persons our purses rather than our posteritie rather than a Nation the whole Church of God and wherein the everlasting wellfare of the soule is concerned Doe not our Adversaries lay all at stake both purse policy power yea life neck and all rather then the Catholique Cause should come to confusion Luke 10.8 and so are wiser in their generation than the children of light Wherefore O Man consider that now thy own estate life libertie thy neighbour thy posteritie thy native Countrey 〈…〉 thy God thy Christ call for thy assistance whether in person or purse to helpe the Lord against the mightie Wilt thou then suffer all these to fall to the ground through thy default If Papists Projectors Malignants Atheists should prevaile may not wee say Farewell Law Libertie Estate Proprietie Religion Parliament and Posteritie And shall any but miserable Miscreants more grudge paines and charge to preserve than they doe to destroy all If O Man thou murmure herein at Payments and Taxations then thou lovest thy money more than thy Maker thy silver better than thy selfe thy Gold before thy God thy profit more than the preservation of thy selfe and posteritie thy coyne more than thy Conscience thy own lusts before the Law of the Kingdome thy carnall reason before true Religion Consider but the pressure they are subject to where the Anti-Parliament Army comes and continues All say they is the Kings and wee are for the King it is a great mercy they thinke if they escape with their lives the little finger of the one is heavier than the whole loynes of the other The husbandman adventureth great expence in seed-time in
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
God and his Conscience enforce this confestion He much wondred at himselfe how he could so long be transported to assist in a way to destroy that Parliament which he had tooke the Protestation in Parliament to preserve Ponder well the speech of this Person The many Prayers Fastings Teares Doore 6. for the successe of the Common Cause Ambrose told Monica Augustines Mother that it could not be A Woman or Mother of so many Teares and Prayers should bring forth a Sonne to be lost It cannot be that an Assembly a Parliament a Kingdome of so many Fasts Prayers Teares brought and kept with so much difficultie together should miscarry God that hath prepared Englands hearts to pray hath prepared his eare to heare Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Thou wilt prepare their heart Thou wilt cause thine eare to heare to helpe the fatherlesse and oppressed that the men of the Earth may no more exalt themselves Manoah said to his wife Wee shall surely dye Iudg. 13.22 23. But his wife said unto him If the Lord would kill us he would not have received a meate offering and a burnt offering at our hands neither would he have shewed or told us all these things that these Devile in the likenesse of men yet very Monsters could no otherwise be cast forth but by prayer and fasting Therefore hath the Lord God made so many precious promises that his people might have their spirits kept up and they learne to trust in him for ever Thus saith the Lord of Hostes who hath appointed these as speciall weapons in the times of warre the fast of the fourth moneth Zach. 8.19 and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth moneth shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladnesse and prosperous high feasts Therefore observe with care and conscience such feasts as you desire to shew your love to Truth and peace For if such Fastes of foure severall moneths observing have such promises What harvest of hope shall the seeds of twenty foure moneths fasting bring forth when they come to the yeares of perfection Were not the Jewes fasting dayes in the time of Queene Esther Est 8.16 17 and 9.22 turned to them from sorrow to joy and from mourning into joyfull dayes and times of feasting Wherein they had occasion to send presente every man to his neighbour and gifts to the poore in comemoration of Gods bounty shewed to them in their poore and low condition The neglecters of such dayes of fasting have professed themselves Traytors to the State and whole Kingdome The many Blasphemies and villanies of the enemies Doore 7. doe foretell Gods Justice approaching and his hand ready to be reached forth to cast them into that pit they have digged for others A Popish Doctor of Physicke confessed that the Catholike Cause never suffered so much dishonour as by that barbarous cruelty that was shewed in Ireland in the savage murdering of men When the Towne of Bolton was taken Where is the Round-heads God now said one of them Surely he is turned Cavalier I give this Roundhead one blow more said another to send him quickly to the Devill They bad William Boulton whom they found praying to call on his God to save him Yonder lyes one of the strongest Roundheads said the murtherer that ever I met with For one of my Pistols discharged at his heart would not enter but I thinke I sent him to the Devill with a vengeance with the other Oh Heaven oh Earth oh England oh the Judge of all beare witnesse of this calamitie crueltie Blasphemie when thou makest inquisition after bloud The patience of Gods people Doore 8. notwithstanding all Souldiers Quartering all their Payments all their Plunderings Bondage Imprisonments Mockings Deaths Here is the Patience of the Saints not onely to beare witnesse to the Truth but also that they are objects of Deliverance Where the Precept is Phil. 4.5 Be yee patient the promise is added For the Lord is at hand not onely to see but also to helpe When Gods servants humble themselves under his hand with patient submission to his correction saying He hath spoyled and he will heale us he hath wounded and he will binde us up Faith steps in Hos 6.1 2. to assure them that after two dayes i. a short time he will revive them and in the third day he will raise them and they shall live in his sight The Liberalitie of the Londoners Doore 9. and others for the Publique Cause Many have done much without compulsion the love of Christ Religion Kingdome as well as their own liberties lives constrained them I heard some Citizens say they had done thus and thus in severall Disbursements and yet beleeve they had not the lesse because God blessed the rest the better Some said since the losse in the West they would lend more than before They that sowed so plentifully feared not to reape sparingly The Discovery of so many Plots Doore 10. touching the whole Land Scotland the Parliament London and many other particular places and persons have infallibly demonstrated Surely the finger of the Lord was in them All Intelligencers in the world could not have discovered more than hath been revealed If the Lord would have destroyed the Kingdome would he have shewed Iudg. 13.23 and revealed such and such things Though the woman was weak in sexe yet was shee stronger in Faith herein than was her husband The many successfull Victories Doore 11. when few have discomfited many notwithstanding all the assistance by Papists and prophane ones secretly and openly against our Armies The many Armies of Gods Saints prayed marching before and piercing the Heavens for helpe Scarce any Fast in publique observed but thereon people were mightily encouraged to meete the Lord in prayers that daily met them even on those dayes with new mercies and matter of praises the Fasts have been sweetned with figues of feasting which occasioned our Forces in the Field to implore the unanimous Intercessions of the Saints unto the Lord of Hostes for helpe Zach. 4.10 Who art thou that despisest the Day of small things It s hopefull that those that have forsaken all for God shall never be forsaken by God he that hath wrought so on their hearts can and will worke more by their hands As this Countie is almost cleared of rude and robbing persons so may shortly the whole Kingdome be delivered He that hath delivered us 2 Cor. â— 10 doth deliver in him wee trust that he also will deliver the whole Nation The great opposition by Princes Priests People presage great mercies Doore 1 to ensue great miseries When she ayre is sharpest the weather is nighest breaking When the night is darkest the dayes dawning is nearest When the Womans Throubbes are thickest her delivery is speediest Violent things are not of long continuance 1 King 1 34.