but disswade him as the Fox in the Fable did the other beasts from that bootie which you mean to make your own Now the least suspition of losse either of profit or gain by the work of reformation is ground enough in these men of malice and madnesse against it If the covetous and deceitfull tradesman cannot put off his ill commodities at a deare rate nor the oppressour buy in his neighbours land and houses and so depopulate whole Parishes the Usurer make benefit of his money with the greatest advantage of interest if not more then the Statute allows him but that he must be checked by the preaching of the Gospel Authoritie must curbe him by more stricter prescriptions then ordinarie then hee 'l have none of it but oppose it what possibly he can deal with the messengers of this news as the master and mistresse of the b Act. 16.19 damosel possessed with a spirit of divination did with Paul and Sylas when some hopes of their gains were gone bring them to be scouraged and never left them till they saw them in prison c Vers 20.21 These men say they do exceedingly trouble our Citie and teach customes which are not lawfull for us to receive neither to observe That Lydia was converted and the Apostles lodged in her house troubled them not their preaching to the Assemblies gathered by the water-side and their bringing every day new disciples unto Christ were no motives to incense them comparable to the losse of their private gain Thus was it here at Ephesus when Demetrius perceived the ruine not so much of the goddesse Diana as of his own gain and commoditie in making of silver shrines he sets the whole City in a tumult But what stand we in rehearsall of old examples saith d Gualther in Act. cap 18. Gualther seeing in our dayes covetousnesse doth chiefly hinder and stop the course of the truth The Bishops of Rome blinded with desire of lucre flie all kind of reformation the same saith he bindeth Princes and the Nobilitie unto Antichrist in that they perceive the Popes and Bishops may maintain many of their kinsfolks with Ecclesiasticall goods and livings which otherwise may go for rascals and be fain to labour and toil with their hands The same maketh Merchants Customers Souldiers and all States of men offended with the Gospel because they see if the Gospel be received such trades of waxing rich as many use in these dayes cannot stand It was a sad complaint which the Lord by Jeremie made against the people in those times e Ier. 6.13 from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse and from the Prophet even unto the Priest every one dealeth falsely I would to God the like complaint may not justly be taken up in our times that there were not amongst us f Isa 56.11 greedy dogs which can never have enough g Ier. 5.31 Prophets that prophecie lies and Priests that receive gifts in their hands h Isa 56.11 All looking to their own way every one for his gaine from his quarter Such as Micah speaks of who i Mica 3.11 teach for hire and divine for money while they bite with their teeth and i. while they find the sweetnesse and have to feed upon all is peace they cry peace to the feeders But if a man put not into their mouths i. satisfie not their appetite and desire they prepare war against him as if he were an enemie to God and man Oh what abundance of time-servers be there amongst us which will soothe up greatnesse in errours and labour to maintain the errours of the times against all reformation for their own advantage which are ready to embrace any religion so that by it they may procure their own private gain Oh where is the zeal of the Primitive Christians in the first reformation when for the good of the Church and the maintenance of the Gospel they sold their possessions What is become of the forwardnesse of the blessed Israelites when they offered so m 100. thousand pound sterling of gold and 35. thousand 470 oddepounds of silver besides brasse and other things Willet in Exod cap. 38. quaest 10. plentifully to the Tabernacle that Moses was driven to publish a n Exod. 36.6 restraint o Chap. 35.23 lawne and p Chap. 38.8 looking-glasses then furthered the building the people for that purpose were content to part both with their profits and pleasures it were great pitie that these now should prove impediments to hinder it Yet the truth hereof is so apparant that where men are wholly set upon their own private respects they fear not to oppose either the good of the Church or the commonweal And thus of the first sort 2. The superstitious who are so q Longe diversacarnificina pietas Lactant. opposite to the reformation that look what the one erects the other dejects what the one makes the other marres It s observed by r Weemse treat of foure degenerate sons Sect. 3 some that Religion hath two extreames s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atheisme and t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superstition between which as Tertullian noteth she suffereth in the middest as Christ betwixt the two theeves onely both prove her mortall enemies the one acknowledging no good to worship any way the other will worship God her own way of these it s an hard matter to say which is the worst and greatest enemy to Religion or Reformation yet the latter hath been so accounted and amongst other causes for these two 1. Because Atheisme leaves a man to sense to Philosophie to naturall piety to Laws to reputation all which are some kind of guides to morall vertue though Religion were not But Superstition dismounts all and prescribes a law to it self a form of worship which if God will not accept he shall have no obedience at all 2. Because Atheisme did never disturbe States but contracted it self with civilitie and subordinate obedience tumult and division for Religion were evils unknown to the heathen because they all served one devill under divers names and forms and for their pettie quarrels amongst their u Mulciber in Troiam pro Troja stabat Apollo puppet-gods these differences were soon taken up at a Tavern and reconciled over a cup of wine But Superstition is alwayes in garboiles it hath no w Superstitione imbutas aniâ—as nunquam quiet is esse potest Cicero 1. de finibus rest evermore causing uproares bringing government into disorder and endeavouring the confusion of Commonweals For proof hereof we need not go far for instance what hath more undermined these Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland then the treacherous plots of superstitious persons what more endangered the ruine of the true reformed Protestant Religion within these his Majesties Dominions established what hath more raised and fomented jealousies betwixt the King and his people what
in his first Booke to Thrasimund King of the Vandalles affirmeth i Pene id esse fidem nolle asserere quam negare uno codemque silentia firmat errorem qui terrore seu tempore possessus silendo non astruit veritatem to deny the faith and not to stand for it and maintaine it because as he there reasoneth a man by one and the same silence strengthneth errour who through feare or negligence holding his peace affirmeth not the truth And thus of the first thing which this point may move us to considered in this use of Exhortation viz. to stand fast in the times of opposition 2. It may serve to stirre up every one to the best of his power to endeavour the furtherance of the Reformation A dutic belonging indeed 1. Principally and particularly unto those that are put in authoritie for this purpose who by their k Non quod natura sint Dej sed quod officium corum sit ordinatio div na Bern. in Joan. 10. office and Ob communitatem ipsis potentiam potestatem Zanch. de natu Deilib 1. cap. 12. communication of power are m Exod. 22.8.18 21.6 Psal 82.6 Acts 23.5 Gods upon earth into whose hands the God of heaven hath committed the n Rom. 13.4 sword of justice that it may be drawne out of the Icabberd to wound the o Psal 68.21 hairie scalpe of such persons as are the greatest enemies to the Church of Christ and who more then our sâ—ducing and seduced Papists the pestilent disturbers of this Kingdome the sworne enemies of our Church and State the maine opposers of an hopefull Reformation How shall Israel enjoy the Land of Canaan in quiet if those cursed Cananites be not subdued What safetie can wee be in when such miscreants lurke in our dwelling When Priests and Jesuites shall be suffered to run from house to house and seduce whole families When neither Countrey nor Citie nor Court shall be free of such conspiratours who have not onely foveas but foventes their holes but friends and fautors to protect them But blessed be the God of Heaven who hath so furnished those Heroicall Spirits now at this present assembled in the Honourable Court of Parliament with p Eccles â— 9 stout hearts and undaunted q Exod. 18.21 courages that they feare not to execute Justice boldly upon the great and proudest offenders Goe on yee noble Worthies with the Spirit of fortitude well tempered zeale and godly constancy to brandish the sword of Justice and to run through as I may say the very heart of farre-spreading Popery Atheisme and all manner of Superstition to strike at the very roote of all those abominations which you are daily petitioned to redresse Not fearing the faces of men though their faces be as the faces of Lyons and their visages never so terrible What should hinder you in this course of reformation You have the prayers helpe and approbation of all good men the assured assistance of God himselfe the supreame Magistrate who will reward your care and crowne your diligence the Law Religion and Conscience is on your side You cannot want seconds while these take your part Proceed then as you have begun you blessed Instruments of this happie Reformation not onely severely to censure but utterly to suppresse the raging ranging and roaring sinnes both in Clergie and Laitie Let such be placed in Authoritie over either as may not onely by the dutie of their calling seeke earnestly the reformation of those things that are amisse but also may by their well ordered holy lives be Lanternes and spectacles of vertue and godlines patternes and presidents of well-doing grace and goodnesse to all others That the people by them as by a glasse even as the youth of Greece did by Epaminondas may learne to trim and adorne themselves with all vertuous ornaments This this will be the most hopefullest course to rectifie things that are depraved to unite things that are divided to set in order and reforme things which had need to be amended Besides greater love you cannot shew to the Church of Christ more loyaltie to your Prince more safetie to the State and Kingdome that it may continue in peace a greater encrease of joy and comfort unto your owne lives and livings your wives and children your pleasures and contentments than in taking the Romish Foxes and abandoning those Lyons-Whelpes which hitherto have been nursed in this Kingdome for our owne destruction proceeding according to your just Lawes and wholesome Statutes to confiscation of goods to imprisonment banishment or death it selfe according to the quantie of their offences for where lenitie will not recover nor smaller punishments worke any correction with them to move or remove them from their heresies and other corruptions no further clemency is there to be shewed since as Lypsius hath well observed r Ipsa clementia est in desperate malos non esse clementem Lyps lib. de unareli It is good demencie not to shew any clemencie unto those that are desperately evill And thus principally unto whom this duty belongeth viz. unto those that are put in authoritie for that purpose 2. More generally it belongs unto all every member of the Common-weal ought to endeavour it and that two manner of wayes viz. 1. Privatively 2. Positively 1. Privatively by avoiding all such things as may hinder it I will omitting many others onely name these three 1. Diversitie of Religions there is no greater impediment to a blessed Reformation then a gallamaphry of religion when everie man shall be suffered to worship God his own way Symmachus indeed the Oratour laboured by way of argument to procure a generall toleration of Religion and thought of no such inconvenience in it Å¿ Quia Deus immensum quiddam est infiâ—â—tum cujus natura profecte cognosci non potest equum eâ—go est ut diversa ratione colatur pro ut quisque aliquid de Deo percipit aut intelligat Epist Sym. Because God said he is immense and infinite and his nature cannot perfectly be known it is convenient he should be as diversly worshipped as every man shall conceive or understand But he was deceived and so was Thâ—mistius that laboured to perswade Valens the Emperour that God was well pleased with variety of Sects t Dum ita pluribus modis colitur c. Socrat. Ecclesi lib 4. ca. 27. because by this tolleration of divers Religions he is worshipped after divers manners And so the Papist that sometime would have perswaded our late Soveraigne James of happy memory the great King of Britaine that it was not onely lawfull and expedient but also honourable for him to permit the publike profession and practise of the Romish Religion within this Kingdom as Parsons Allen Bishop and others of that hereticall crew have endeavoured to maintain But who may not see their ayme in this which is not so much to get harbour for their own
but reasonable take not advantage of any mans necessities and so thrust your wares upon him which have stood longer by you then the yeers of an Apprentiship watch not opportunitie to abuse the simple plainnesse of your honest customers whose apprehensions come far short of yours in the driving of a bargain But in all your trading so carry your selves as in the parting with your commodities you may still keep the peace of a good conscience You that are Masters of families and petty Kings and Priests in your own houses look to your charges with David w Psal 101.6 fix your eyes upon the faithfull in the Land that such may dwell with you and serve you Be there within the compasse of your own regiment a x 2 King 5.25 lying Jehazi or a y 2 Sam. 16.3 backbiting Ziba an z Luk. 16.6 7. unjust Steward or a a Matth. 25.26.30 wicked and unprofitable servant an Atheist a Papist a swearer a prophaner of the Sabbaths a swaggerer an uncleane person or such like endeavour by admonition and correction to reclaim them and if they prove incorrigible with b Gen. 35.2 Jacob cleanse and purge your families of them doe not suffer such to c Psal 101.7 dwell in your house Let no corruption be within your compasse connived a◠nor yet unpurged beware of giving ill example unto such as are under your charge through your loose conversation but rather endeavour to the utmost of your power by family-duties d De salute corum qui in domo tua sunt solicitus ac pervigie exist as quia pro omnibus tibi subiectis rationem Domino reddes Aug. de salut do cum ca. 29. to seeke their spirituall edification e Deut. 6.7 talke of the Lawes of GOD when you sit in your house and with f Gen. 18.19 Abraham command your children and servants to keep the way of the Lord so shall you not onely love their bodies here on earth but one day meet their souls in heave In a word Let every one that loves his Nation that favours Religion that wisheth continuance of the Gospell the prosperous proceeding of Parliament peace prosperitie unto the Kingdome reforme himselfe in his conversation and consecrate his own hands to the pulling downe of the Kingdom of sin Downe with it down with it even to the ground And this is the second positive dutie which wee must endeavour to performe if we desire to further the Reformation viz. A particular amendment in every person But now I feare me through too much prolixitie of speech I have over-boldly entrencht upon your patience the time is more than past it is most fitting we should draw to an end The zeale of Gods glory and the heartie desire of my Countreys welfare hath hitherto enlarged my discourse further then I had thought against the transgressions of the time the maine enemies of God and this Kingdome Let mee crave your attendance but to one thing more and so I shall dismisse you for this present and that is this Suppose the question which once was made by the Prophet David should now be propounded in this great Assembly g Psal 34.12 What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good or that he may see good dayes as the h 1 Pet. 3.10 Apostle expresseth it following the Septuagint i.e. good and quiet dayes i Aynsworth Annotat. in Psal 3.4 dayes of prosperitie pleasure and comfort c. Such dayes wherein your consciences shall be no more enthralled to the ordinances of men wherein your zeale shall be rectified by sound knowledge wherein your Religion shall be reformed by statutes of the highest God Such dayes wherein peace being once more setled amongst us we may k 2 Sam. 7.1 every one without feare sit under our own Vines and Figtrees Such dayes wherein our Merchants may chearfully trade abroad bring home l Psal 104.15 Wines to glad our hearts and Oyle to make our face to shine Such dayes wherein our Artificers may sit at home and sing in their shops wherein our husbandmen chearfully following the plough may m Iames 5.7 sow their Corne in hope and reape with joy Such dayes wherein our n Psal 144.12 sons may be as plants growen up in their youth and our daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a Palace Such dayes wherein our o Vers 13.14 garners may be full affording all manner of store wherein our sheepe may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets wherein our Oxen may be strong to labour wherein there may be no breaking in nor going out no complaining in our streets c. I say if the question should be demanded Who would desire to see these dayes I doubt not but wee should suddenly heare a whispering noise proceed from the joyfull hearts of many here assembled I would sayes one I would sayes another yea a loud cry with an unanimous consent of all your voyces even from the Magistrate in the Pew to the Water-bearer in the Bell-fry I I I defire to see it Be silent then a while you have heard how this may be done be not covetous nor superstitious nor licētious nor yet run before those appointed in the reformation Labour to be setled in the true Religion be not divided in your affections dissent not about your Teachers humble your selves mightily before God by fasting by prawer amend every one your evill wayes Then will the Lord be mercifull to this Land he will quickly turne the sower looks of an angry and sin-revenging Judge into the smiling countenance of a mild and gentle Father he will take the rod which he hath prepared for us and burne it in the fire he will stay the stroke which is now begun in Ireland and restore to them and us our helpes againe All things shall prosper with us and nothing shall stop the current of his blessings from us he will confound our enemies by disappointing their hopes and breaking their power in sunder he will wash away all the dreggs of Popery and superstition which now oppose trouble the state of the Church of Christ he will subdue Antichrist with all his Adherents and so overthrow his purposes that his very memory shall be had in confusion Of his liberall goodnesse he will give us more of such ayde and helpe as shall be needfull to work the through reformation of our State in generall and of every one of us in particular He will goe on with that blessed worke begun in Parliament and increase the good gifts of his holy Spirit upon the happie Members of both Houses furnish them with such a measure of knowledge zeale diligence holy constancy as that they shall cleare the passage of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ from all disturbance build up the profession of Gods pure Religion in sinceritie and stablish the civill regiment of this Common-wealth in peace equity The which God of Heaven grant for his mercies sake Jesus Christ the righteous for his merits sake the Holy Ghost the comforter for his names sake to whom be all praise power and glory now and for ever Amen FINIS
hath more hindred the happie proceedings of Parliament whereby many illegall taxations have been raised to the great burthen and grief of the Subject what hath more endeavoured the subversion of the fundamentall laws of this Kingdom c. Then divers Innovations and superstitions which have been brought both into Church and State partly 1. By Papists who justifie a religion that gives way to all manner of rebellion both against God and the King Against God as is evident by that complaint of St. Bernard who affirmeth that x Bern li. 4. de considerat ad Eugentum the covetous luxurious ambitious incestuous sacrilegious and all such hellish monsters do flock to Rome to get a Warrant from the Apostolike See for their proceedings Against the King by affirming y Bellarm. lib. 5. de Rom. Pontific cap. 67. 4 2. Sigonius 9. hist Ital. that it is not lawfull for Christians to tolerate an hereticall King they may expell him depose him as they did z Henry the fourth of his Empire making him stand barefoot with the Empresse at the gate of Canessus yea murther him if he favour not their idolatries and superstitions witnesse Walpole Cardinall of Coome in his instructions to Parry about taking away the life of Queen Elizabeth and Sixtus the fifth his oration in defence of the Jacobine that murthered Henry the third King of France 2. By Anabaptists Familists and sundrie other Sects who by their pernitious and devillish Tenents do endeavour to cut the very throat of Reformation and labour what in them lieth to overthrow the true doctrine of Jesus Christ 3. By superstitious Formalisticall Protestants who are ready to embrace and maintain all that is or shall be proposed in hope of preferment whereof if their expectation at any time prove frustrate they endeavour to set all in an uprore and care not what doctrine they prove of though it be never so false and erroneous if by it they may be revenged of their adversaries Like a August Donatus who when he saw Cecilianus preferred before him in the Bishoprick of Carthage turn'd Heretique These are such who endeavour to quench the fire on the harth and leave it burning on the top of the chimney which will reform their least faults and let their worst be marring who like Aesops dog are known to let fall the substance by catching at the shadow whose religion is so mixt with multiplicitie of superstitious Ceremonies as that its hard to say whether they be Papists or Protestants the too too many experiments we have of such persons revives that which sometimes an b Pliny lib. 3. Britannia eam hodiè colebrat tam attonite tantis ceremontis ut dedisse Persis vtaeri possit heathen man affirmed of the ancient Britaines that they were so supendly superstitious in their Ceremonies that they went far beyond the Persians they much exceeded other Nations Now when all these shall meet together in one Kingdom what a combustion and distraction will they make by their severall doctrines one superstition opposing it self against another and all against Reformation furthering the ruine and destruction of a common-weal to the disturbance of peace if not to the generall confusion of all estates And thus of the second sort to these we may adde 3. The prophane and licentious who c Psal 50.17 Prov. 5.12 hate to be reformed and like those Israelites mentioned by the Prophet Amos cannot abide d Amos 5.10 him that rebuketh in the gate i. the Magistrate who gives publike judgement as e Tremel Pisâ—at in portis exercâ—b judicia publica some or else the Prophet which reproves them in the open Assemblies as f See the marginall note others talk of Reformation unto them and they will be ready to encounter with you as the Philosophers and Stoicks sometime did with Paul when he went about to reform Athens of idolatrie g Act. 17.18 What will this babler say or else as the Gergesites to our Saviour beseech you to h Matth. 8.34 depart out of their coasts they le be plain with you you are no guests for them their secure lives and your severe laws will not cotton May not the Jews keep i Ioh. 2.14 open Market in the Temple and make k Matt. 21 13. Matth. 11.17 the house of Prayer l Becles 5.1 Gods house an house of Merchandise but that Christ must come and disturbe them overthrow their tables and whip them out May not m Luk. 3.19 Herod dally and take his pleasure of his whore Herodias but John the Baptist must prate on 't Cannot Demetrius here make an unreasonable advantage by his silver shrines but Paul must cry down the goddesse and so hinder his trade Cannot the proud weare a garment of the fashion nor yet the drunkard drink with a good fellow at his Tavern-session nor the swearer strengthen his words with the credit of an oath but that the pulpits must ring of it then down shall that Gospel come if they can subject it that will not let them run to hell untroubled n Non turbunt Evangelio dum ab Evangelium non turbentur Let them alone and they will let you alone but if you fight against their sins with the sword of the Spirit they will have you by the eares and salute you with the sword of death How may it be thought then that this work of Reformation should go forward in a Kingdom without opposition wherein almost in every passage so much prophanenesse and licentiousnesse is daily to be observed Run through every particular estate and calling and you shall find by the practise though not of all God forbid that I should think so I know there are in every Profession which make a conscience of their wayes and in all their actions set God before their eyes God hath his number amongst us and I hope it is not small the Lord of his mercy every day increase it to his glory and the Churches comfort yet of the most part that fraudulent and deceitufll dealing or some other unlawfull means is thought the most expedite and beaten way for supporting them Otherwise how comes it to passe that we see so much briberie and corruption in seats of o Qui sedet crimina judicaturus c Cyprian ad Donatum Judicature such perjuries at the Barre partialitie and unjust connivencie in Magistrates Sacriledge in Patrons Symonaicall contracts in unconscionable Levites cozening in bargains breaking of promises perfidious underminings fraud in our houses oppression in the open fields robberie in the high wayes and divers such which demonstrate unto us a generall decay and declination of all goodnesse So that in these dayes not onely the state and strength of the world the alacritie and vigour of the whole creature is much worn but the integritie which was to be found even in our fore-Fathers is much wasted we are fallen into the p 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3