Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A57134
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Evgenia's teares for Great Brittaynes distractions, or, Some slender observations reflecting on those sad times written by E.R.
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Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing R1247; ESTC R40628
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26,630
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51
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at the Prayer booke scoffe at the Lords Table deride his ordinances and with a holy madnesse and devout Phrenzie strive to cast the whole frame of Religion and good discipline in the mould of their own fancies and disordered humours an incivillity worse then Heathenisme how zealously read are they at somtimes but at other how may you read all their prophane actions in black characters and while they seeme to reject the dotage of superstition fall into the phrenzie of Schisme and prophanesse or by avoyding the worshipping of Idols commit Sacriledge shall I say those are they against whom our Saviour denounced so many * Woes who labour rather for the applause of men then the reward of Heaven from whose exorbitant pride thinking themselves better gifted then they are proceed so many dangerous and unheard of tenents hence it is that every discontented and selfeopinionated Artist takes upon him to expound the Scripture little considering that of our Saviour to * them it is not given to know the secrets of the Kingdome of God Alas it is not the ordinary wisedome of flesh and bloud which can judge of the spirit sure there is something more in it then for every illiterate and idle braine to undertake so waighty a Taske grace being an especiall concomitant thereunto Oh how hard and with as much sweat of our browes as toyle of our mindes do we labour for the provision of this baâ—er life and is it so easie a matter to attaine the foode of a better I deny not but as there are diversities of gifts so they are extraordinarily bestowed but if all should be Teachers where would be the Hearers Nay in time who would care to heare if none care to study what neede have we to sweate so many drops watch so many houres peruse so many Tracts indure so many perturbances of minde and body and at last like the industrious Bee divide the sweetest Hony from the rankest poyson sealing that long 〈◊〉 for truth with our latest breath if with so much ease we may attaine heaven is learning now become so contemptible O charity whither art thou fled how do those men fall out with learning the very name of a Scholler and raile against all the degrees thereof because they could never attaine to any including so much unhappinesse therein when it is not Culpaartis sed utentis as if the sharpnesse of the Knife and not the madnesse of the actor were the cause of hurt can you account S. Paul Vaine-glorious in saying he knew himself nothing inferior to the most excellent of the Apostles away then with those sonnes of ignorance who standing upon the quaintnesse of their owne fancies discent from the opinions of all the Fathers and even with contumely reject their reverend authority what Rhetorick can disswade what Logick â—ectifie their bransick humours Surgunt hi indoctiâ—t eaelum rapiunt they take Heaven by violence yea and if it were possible would deceive the elect when as nostra haec in literarum peregrinatio sine supremaluce miserabilis quaedam est erratio our greatest perfection in this divine Schoole is but apparent weaknesse without the cheifest light and how acceptable a service would it be to whisper into the eares of those whited Sepulchers that a charitable discretion were better then their zealous ignorance but Oh that we could yet rest here and without farther griefe resound the Ecchoing groanes of a bleeding State Nam ut olim flagitijs sic nunc legibus laboramus Et patimur long ae pacis mala Saenior armis Luxuria incumbit Run this way also but the story of our evills and see whither our distractions have not prov'd as chargeable as our humours are changeable whither our affections are not as different as the cure is likely to prove difficult my heartakes to thinke that this Kingdome which was laâ—ely the Glory pride of Christendom reformed when all the world was ready to come over unto her should thus shamefully run away from her selfe fortunate with Pirrhus hast thou formerly beene in conquering of Kingdomes but unhappy to keepe them hard case when the Mistrisse of the world shall be thus oppressed by her owne greatnesse thy Albion Châ—ts are yet free from those crimson staines which have so deeply dyed thy Easterne neighbours and though that brood of Cadmus have lately turn'd those Westerne Mountaines contrary to their nature into rebellious Troopes of Loathsome Serpents filling their Boggs with infernall furies yet I hope their pretended president from their Northern sister shall as little advantage their designes as palliate their intentions and for their sufferance I shall wish any no other punishment then to pay for the breach who shall hereafter without just occasion and dishonourable termes deny to maintaine what hath beene lately God grant happly ordered I am cuncti gens vna sumus sic simus in aeuum for if that Kingdome so dearely of late revnited unto us should againe appeare in its former postures questionlesâ—e by the ilnesse of the example though perchance upon lesse groundes others would so farre learne the same lesson as to make such rents an occasion of loosing the whole but I hope we neede not in our time feare the sight of so strange a Prodigie since the cause being taken off the effect must necessarily cease especially so glorious a Sun having by his benigne influences expell'd those vapours and dislocated such ill humours as might swell into the Timpanie of future disaffectednesse and it were also to be wish't that those burning emotions which have lately beene amongst our selves and whereof we are hourely likely to be more sencible might be diverted else where least the offending humours at this instant so predominant within the confines of this state draw us into the feavour of civil descention which will so greatly indanger our ruine for how neere have our Enemies subverted our publick peace introduced inevitable mischiefes and occasioned the generall corruption of our manners and whence proceedes the cause of so many distempers amongst us but from the likelihoode of some violent alterations which are ever attended with inevitable greevances so that when we suffer how justly may we say Heu patior telis vulnerafactameis Neither are these onely the impressions of our apprehension without some reall effects of our feare though we are so dull to conceive what woefull experience too plainly manifests few men dying with the resolution it is their last houre and are in nothing more deceiv'd something or other still ringing in our eares that many have beene sicker and yet not dyed when for the present distempers of this sad state stupid as we are even the generallity of thingâ— seeme to suffer and protend the likelihood of our 〈◊〉 the Heavens through unwonted unheard of moysture have seem'd to take compassion the aire bin clouded with unusuall darknesse the fire produced strange meteors the water unknown Shipwrack nay have we not lately had
much noyse but grinde but little or as shallow streames raging furiously when they carry least water O how doth it stand with the refining of our Religion as to pluck down Idolatry even to the least rag or Relique of superstitious inventions humane traditions o to avoyd that dangerous Rock of faction and Schismes which now through the low ebbe of true Religion or rather the abounding of so many fals gives the whole Kingdome so sufficient a warning since both these extreames equally impart a blindfolded ignorance let Religion be no longer turn'd into the stalking â—orse of vaine-glory and Hipocrisie for though a hansome garment may for a time obscure their crooked designs yet when they have brought their ends to perfection God grant the Kingdome not to a generall combustion those guilded Cupps will prove full of poyson and those glittering stones meerely counterfeite why should Ioab thus kill with imbracing Why should Iudas thus kisse with betraying nay why should the Pulpits or rather the unhallowed roomes of our too many Psâ—do-zelots with the unlawfull assemblies of illiterate Artists so freely though ignorantly produce nothing but blasphemy faction and rebellions what alas shall tender consciences in this age conclude to be truth when those of that once reverenced habit with Pilate shall wash their hands but not their heart with Caâ—phas shall beate the Pulpits and rend their garments yet pretend Blasphemy and with the Pharisees shall no sooner cry Master but crucifie O that so fowle a matter vented from the breath of so many Sectists in those times should be left to posterity in such faire Characters that men with their hands should write to condemne their hearts and without any remorse of conscience or feeling of their owne weakenesse eternize their shame and false hoode such weather-cockâ— certainly like Phillips Clisophi will halt with the times but yet let Iacobs voyce be knowne from the rough hands of Esais can those Hydra's disgorge nothing but poyson then let not every Mechannick make his durty shop a consecrated Pulpit every Libertine vent his scensâ—esse tenents and S. Pauls decency be utterly extirpated surely those things ought not so to be the Torrid Zone is too violent for so temperate and well moderatedâ— climate and experience acquaintes us with that common Axiome though in divers matters of lesse consequence nullum violentum est perpetuum the incomparable Fabrick of this Church and State perfected by the assiduous indeavours of Pious Princes religious Martyrs unparralel'd Councells could never have thus far beene erected to the admiration and envy of other Nations without the well quallified materialls of stable heades the continuall blessing of a Supreame providence which hath thus long supported it and shall we now rent all in a moment either through the ambition of discenting if not discontented spirits or under the specious pretents of a larger freedome It is not I confesse to be denied but that the frame of this Kingdome so admirably supported and thus long continued may like a distempered body want a Physitian yet ought the Apothecary to quallifie the materialls or else they will misse of a good operation some lenitive oyle may soften a sollid matter when a harder substance will not peirce it and certainely as that state cannot long subsist which is full of broyles so what likelihood can there be of a prosperous Church amongst so many divisions be it so and too true it is that needlesse Ceremonies have of late too much crept into the Church in so much that S. Paules complaint might well be in force * Men and Brethren I see that in all things you are too superstitious and with Auerrhoës sit anima mea cum Philosophis quia Christiani adorant id quod edunt what though have we not sufficiently beene miserable in the one but must we needs make our selves unfortunate in the other Oh that Religion were once purged from the Lees of the Romish Grape and for my owne part I wish that as with the Papists we make not more account of Ceremonies then the substance of Religion so on the other side we wrong not our consciences by admitting a disconformity in matters beseeming indifferent mistake me not I drive not to quench the smallest sparke of zeale against the Romish Midianites no goe on for the Lord and for Gidion let these assembled Worthies prove happie Iâ—siasses to free the Land of Idolatrous worship and live for ever to extirpate that broode of bloud-sucking 〈◊〉 but yet cast back their eyes and reflect on that thousand shap't Proteus whose cruelty and non-conformity equalizeth their too much superstition O let it not be said they have taken away the Lord out of the Church and wee know not where they have layd him let not a Calumniating Libertine in a slovenly habit be more respected then a Religious Aaron in a decent Garment neither let us more desire some Apostata to spoyle rather then a Constantine to inrich the Church for what better signe though not alwayes certaine is there of the inward Heavenly calling then an outward reverend gesture though with greefe we too too often behold those ragged and rayling Rabshachies those blasphemous Sanballets whose black mouthes are ever venting from their durty cels volumes of affronts against Government and good order yea miserable is it to thinke on how many Scurrilous tongues boldly dare not only in every corner of the streets but also with irreverent and raâ—ling language in Gods Sacred Temples to speake amisse of what they ought not those are the * cloudes without water carried about with every winde those are trees without fruite twice deade pluckt up by the Rootes those are like raging waves of theseâ— foaming out their own shame binding the tender conscience and leading silly * women Captive neither whilst those religious Atheists are permitted can we have hopes that Baalims curses will reflect on himselfe that Achitophells wisdome will be turn'd into foolishnesse that justice shall take place or vice be extinguished that the good shall be preferr'd or the ill disgraced no nor Christ's Spouse kept spotlesse from the sâ—ames of division how glorious like the Apple tree in the mid'st of the forrest might this Church render it selfe how might the sincere word of Christ be zealously taught â— how sweetly might truth and righteousnesse imorace each other yea how might our present mourning be turned into joy and the daughters of Ierusalem rejoyco were but those turbulent weedes taken from the fairest flowers but alas we are now almost growne the Thistle amongst Roses Ionah's storme doth not cease our enemies say so would we have it Israells distruction is of her selfe and mournfull Sion sits weeping in the dust and all for their sakes who with the too much exprest â—eruour of faction and false doctrine strive to build with untempered morter and like Church Rebells upon some sudden rapsadie or miraculous Enthuâ—asme affront the Minister rent his cloathes spurne