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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84751	Foure speeches delivered in Guild-Hall on Friday the sixth of October, 1643. At a common-hall, vpon occasion of desiring the assistance of our brethren of Scotland in this warre. / Viz. the [brace] 1. by Mr. Solicitor. 2. by Mr. Edmund Calamy. 3. by Mr. Jeremiah Burroughes. 4. by Mr. Obadiah Sedgewick. Published according to order.	Gardiner, Thomas, Sir, 1591-1652.; Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.; Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.	1646 (1646)	Wing F1671; Thomason E338_1; ESTC R200837	38,460	48

that have been made by the Worthy Citizens of this City and by divers other well-affected persons throughout the Kingdome the Money the Plate the Horses and other things for this Warre too they will bee lost but not onely so but certainly that these have been lent to the Parliament for the maintaining of the Warre against that Party this will b●e good reason why they should take all away The publike Faith likewise of both Houses of Parliament and so the whole Kingdome certainly that must be violated and if that should bee so if that we should be ove●born in this cause it will easily be foreseene whether any future Parliament will be enabled to stand up for the defence of Religion and the Liberties of the People Wee may adde to this the Charters and the Franchises of this great City it will be easily foreseen what will be the event of that whether they wil be continued to you yea or no considering what affection you have born to this cause Certainly in former time● the Charters and the priviledges of this City they have been confirmed by Parliaments as doth appear in King Johns time in Henry the third Richard second always after the ending of those great Wars whe●in no doubt the City as hath been seen in that did engage themselves as now in the Parliaments cause therefore for their security their Charters were alwayes confirmed which wee need not doubt will be done in this cause but in case the event should bee otherwise what the losse will be in that way you may easily see so that all is at stake and if we bring not them in to our assistance for ought I know we are at fairs to lose the game as win●● it and if any mana estate here stood upon the like c●su●lty I believe hee would give some considerable summe to ensure it in the office of Policies Thus we stand in case they are no● called in the losse so great that is the losse of all the event so uncertaine In case they be called in we are to consider then what alteration this is like to make we are therefore to consider how it comes about that the Party comes to be so equall that so many should engage themselves on the other Party as we see they doe certainly a great many of them doe it being uncertaine in their judgements to which side to cleave Another Party they doe it because that they out of feare desire to keep their Estates and stand Neuters For the first of those certainly both at home and abroad those that are averse they looke upon us as a Protestant Kingdom but divided among our selves they heare Protestations on both sides that both Parties doe protest to maintaine the Protestant Religion the Laws of the Kingdome and the Liberty of the Subject and they see and read the Declarations that goe out on both sides and the matter of fact being that that makes the cause they know not what to believe of that for when they read the severall Declarations they see that affirmed by one party that is denyed of the other so that indeed they know not which way to bend themselves to beleeve of the matter of fact I meane But now a great many after the case hath been stated as it hath been on both sides b● these Declarations when they shall see that this Kingdome of Scotland to which Declarations have been sent by both Parties for so they have the King hath sent on his side and the Parliament hath sent on their side also when they shall see the Kingdome of ●cotland hath sent a Committee into this Kingdom to informe themselves of the businesse how it stood to the intent they might know how to carry themselves between both Parties I say when after all this they shall see a whole Protestant Kingdom as one Man a Protestant Kingdome that hath had differences heretofore and those differences have beene setled when they have beene in the same distractions as wee have and so setled as that it hath beene with a cleare Declaration of their innocencies that they had just cause to doe what they had dont and went away as they did with that full satisfaction they have given to the world I say when they shall see such men as have for so long a time stood by as a third Party and Spectators onely and lookens on when they shall see a Kingdome that is altogether unbyass'd that hath the same King lives in the same Island that hath the same Religion I say when they shall behold a whole Kingdome to declare for the one Party that is for our Party when they shall see them not onely doe so but enter into a League and Covenant and that by oath with us for the maintaining of this Religion when they shall see them engaging their whole Kingdome as one man in a War for the maintaining of this cause I say certainly that must bee a convincing silencing argument to all these men that this is the Party that doth maintain really and in truth the true Protestant Religion the Laws of the Realme and the Liberties of the Subject That is for the first The second is there is another Party that are well enough satisfied in their judgements but out of feare of their estates and other sinister by and base ends for so they may be called for as this Covenant calls it a detestable Neutrality so may wee I say when these Parties shall see such an addition of strength to the one side their owne principles of feare will reach them to goe to that that is the stronger side But admitting that men stood in their judgments and in Neutrality as they now doe and that their comming in did not alter one man yet we are to consider what the strength is that they doe bring in wi●h them and what that is like to doe admitting the parties to bee as equally engaged as now they be and that is by their owne Propositions that when they come in they intend to come in with 18000 Foot with 1000 Dragoneers and 2000 Horse with 21000 Horse and Foot with a Traine of Artillery proportionable and suitable to such an Army Certainly by the blessing of God such a force to bee added to the one Party that is now even it cannot but in all likelihood cary down the scales and alter the whole ●ame and the state of the businesse Why certainly two against one in all ●usinesses that makes oddes If we have the addition of that whole Kingdome to this Party that is even with the other or neare so now wee may easily judge of the event This is the first benefit I shall propound to you wee are like to reap by their comming in that is the assuring of this great cause that so much conc●●nes us The second is this which I shall propound to you that is that it will bee for our profit that it will ease the Warre that it will make

of it it is in your power now either to save us or to undoe us and shall this be let fall now out of love of Mony shall I say Let the Mony of those men perish with them No I came not hither to threaten but to perswade consider that the mercies that you have from Christ cost Christ more then money they cost Christ his deare heart bloud Who is it that raised your estates more then others have not many of you come hither low as Jacob with your staffe to this City and now behold these bands this estate who knows but that you are raised for such a time as this Have not you engaged your selves many times in prayer to God when first you entred into Covenant to God did not you give up all your estate then to God to bee employed in his Service God cals for his due at this time from you Oftentimes upon your sick beds and death beds in your apprehension of death that they would have been death beds you have then given up all again to God and vowed that if God did raise you up you would live to his service you would employ your strength in his Service God calls for all those vows you have now an opportunity to fulfill all those vowes And seeing providence hath cast it so that a Reverend Assembly of Divines hath appointed us to speake thus unto you give us leave to speak in the name of God unto you and to call upon you in the name of God for the fulfilling of all the vows that you have made upon your sick beds to give up your selves and your estates for the service of the Lord And know that if you shall keep your estates otherwise then God would have you it will be to you as the Manna was to the Israelites they kept it longer than they should and there was wormes in it 〈◊〉 that was preserved no longer than Gods time was sweet but that that was kept afterwards it had wormes breeding in it Your estates you have now you must not think will alwayes bee so sweet as they have been unto you if you preserve them longer than God would have you there will wormes breed in them yea the curse of God will bee in them Have not you s●nt up many prayers to God for this great Cause that God would blesse it I appeal to you then you have engaged your selves to Heaven by all your prayers therfore I beseech and intreat you now by all the prayers you have made as before by your vowes by all the prayers you have made upon your Fasting dayes that God would preserve his Cause that you would now doe as much as in you lies to maintain his Cause otherwise how doe you trifle with the great God and mock him in your prayers that you seek to him to maintain it and when there is an opportunity in your hands you will not doe wh●t lies in you It may bee you will say w●e have done much already Wee acknowledge it and blessed bee God for it but know the Cause is a great Cause and it is a great God that you doe for Philo Judaeus tells us it was enough among some heathenish people but to say to them Libertas agitur the businesse is your Liberty that is afoot enough to venture their estates and lives It is not Liberty alone but Religion as you have heard But because some may perhaps cast such a scruple into your mindes a● we have heard of it That what warrant have wee to take up Armes to maintain Religion that is not at present to bee discussed but only this to satisfie and stop all their mouths with one word Thus farre none can deny it but it is lawfull to take up armes to maintain that civill right wee have to our Religion and this wee doe For wee have not onely a right to our Religion by the Law of God but wee have a Civill right to this our Religion that other Christians have not had and therefore there can bee no scruple in this to retard you in such a work as this you have done much but a gratious heart will ever think what hee hath done for God it is but poore and low That example is famous of David that had done so much for preparing the Temple of God in the 1 of Chronicles 22. 14. It was 1000000 talents of silver and 1000 talents of gold which some compute a matter of 33 Cart loads of silver allowing 20000 livre. to every Cart load and 70 millions of French Crowns of gold this David had done preparing but for the house of the Lord and yet hee saith that out of his poverty hee had done all this all this was but a poor and low thing for him to doe in comparison of the great God why have you done more then this therefore seeing it is for the high God you have done it look upon what you have done but as low and still goe on in the work of the Lord You have done much and so have the adversaries too Wee would have you to weigh this that the adversary hath been at as much charge as you have been as bountifull and free as you have been in the 46 of Isaiah 6. Wee read that the Idolaters did lavish out their gold upon their Idols yea they lavished their gold out of their bagges Certainly our adversary hath felt the burthen of this and hath been at the charge of it as much as you You have done much but yet you have not gone in a good work so farre as a Herod hath done Josephus in his 15 Book of Antiquities and about the 12 Chapter tells us of Herod the King that in the time of scarcity hee sold away all his moveables all the plate that was served to his table and fetched corn from Aegypt and bought it for the poor and cloathed them yea and gave seed corn to the Assyrians his neighbours Why now in this our Kingdom wee may see much Plate still at many Noble mens tables yea at many Gentlemens tables a great deal of Plate reserved they have not sold all their moveables and Plate to give away it is but a proportion of their estates and but to lend upon so good security And take this one consideration further your having done much is a mighty preparation to make your doing now to bee formidable to your adversaries for what is the hope of your adversary but that you are drawn dry They triumph in this and they tell the world that there must bee such petty wayes to seek to the City to get petty summes of money and all is even gone and therefore wee shall have them to bee a prey ere long but when they shall see that after so much hath been expended here that you have such free spirits and to come out still abundantly with further treasure this will more daunt their hearts this 100000 livre. will daunt their hearts more than 2000000 li.

the charge and the burthen of it to 〈◊〉 This doth arise partly out of what hath been said that their comming in it will shorten the Warre for as long as the parties ar● equall it must needes lengthen and protract the Warre when two scales are almost equally ballanced wee know for a great while it falls on the right hand and on the left hand and it is a great while before they stand still so that if the War bee protracted and lengthened that will bee spent in time and a great deal more then a good round summe will be in making a sudden conclusion of it I think every Lessee hee had rather pay a good round Fine than for many ●●ers together to sit upon a great Rent this may bee our condition if wee doe not bring them in besides the losse of all at last But the benefit will appear by the shortning of the Warre in this further By those miseries and that poverty and that calamity which a long Warre must of necessity bring with it The wealth of this Kingdome I suppose it arises out of the soyle and the ground of the Kingdom and it arises out of the M●nufactures and out of the Trade of the Kingdom These again do consist principally in Rents and in Debts certainly Debtors by having their estates plundered and wholly taken away from them and the lives from many debts will cease there will bee no debts to bee paid the same will bee likewise of Rents when the Cattle shall bee killed up and the Tenants plundered of all they have there will bee no Rents paid How will it bee like if the Warres continue that the Trade will bee continued for the materialls of Trade by a long Warre will bee wholly destroyed and taken from us The Sheep of the Kingdom that bring our Woall and the Horses and the Cattle that bring our Leather and our Tallow these three the Wooll Leather and Tallow and divers other things wee know how many hundred Trades even from the greatest Merchant to the lowest Handicrafts-man how many they imploy these they will bee destroyed not onely by the consumption which the Souldier makes that is wastefull but even the policy of Warre will require of the Enemy as wee see of late about Gloucester in the Vale of Esum the policy of War will cause I say one party ●o kill and destroy all Cattle when the necessity of Warre r●qui●●●●t to s●arve out the Enemy Besides the daily losse of Towns and Cities what a losse will that bee to Trading and in particular to this City I beleeve it is a sensible thing to many of you the ●aking o●●●●ter the taking of Bris●o● and the Trade of Newcastle stopped and some other Cities what a great losse even in point of debt it hath been to many worthy Citizens of this City Besides a long Warre it will consume the very materialls of life of food and rayment wee shall neither have meat drink nor cloathing if the War con●inue considering the burnings and devastations that goe along with it so that for my own part I think it is a very clear case that wee had better buy out with a round summe a short War then to have a long War continued though it bee without any charge at all If all our horse and foot and trayn of Artillery and Garrisons were all paid to our hand wee had better buy a short Peace by bringing them in than to have a long War without charge because of that inevitable poverty that a long War must needs bring to a Kingdom this first thing that I have offered is in point of time the shortening of Warre the Benefit and Profit that it will bee to the Kingdome Secondly Wee all know this Warre hath contracted a great debt upon the Kingdom and it will contract farre more In case this shall bee hereafter to bee paid in sheere Money and Coyn I am afraid the Kingdom is not able to pay it at once I beleeve that all men know Suppose this then shall bee appointed to bee paid at certain yeers and times what will bee the event of that I am afraid the destruction of the Kingdom for then the case will bee thus the greatest part of the Lords and Gentry are ingaged in the other way and here lies a great debt annually to bee paid by the Kingdom and certainly this will disaffect people to all other Parliaments when they shall yeerly bee under the payments of such mo●eys that the Parliament hath contracted upon them And then considering who it is will operate upon the other party for there is another party that will not bee easily reconciled to the party that hath been on the other side and so this other party striking in the other way what this is like to produce is very dangerous to mee whereas on the other side as long as the parties are equally engaged as wee are without their comming I am afraid there will not bee that force on the one side as to make the other side that is the Papists and the Prelates and the other Malignants out of their estates to pay these debts which their comming in in all likelihood will make us doe which if these debts bee paid out of their estates and Lands I know no inconvenience will come to the Kingdom by it for here is the case they that have it now in their hands to imploy i● for the destruction of the Kingdom it will bee onely putting it in their hands that shew their good affections to the Kingdom so that way I conceive the debt of the Kingdom will bee no losse at all to the Kingdom The third benefit is that even the present War it will bee made lesse chargeable to us and that in this They not being come in wee have not Newcastle there is Nottingh●mshire York●●●ir● that great Country a great part of L●●●olnshire the Bishopri●● of D●rham Northumberland Co●●m●erland W●●●merland the great●●● part of the West the richest part I know in this Kingdom except this City I say in case they come not in they are all under contribution to the other side their comming in gaines New●●●●le it gaines as much as the money to bring them in will cost 〈◊〉 the very gaining of that Town and likewise when they come in it brings all those Countries under contribution so that the very contribution that those Northern Countries will yeeld it will not only pay the Scotch Army but is likely as it is beleeved it will make an addition for our other For●●s that wee shall have to spare for other Forces by that which their comming in will gain of the con●ributions of those 〈◊〉 so that I have now done with those 〈◊〉 that will come ●o you in point of Profit and likewise the assuring of this great Cause The third is this that 〈◊〉 w●● doe come to a peace when Gods time is come that wee shall have one yet their co●ming in in all 〈◊〉 i● will

they are to continue three moneths and ten dayes in your Service after they come into your Kingdome after the payment of this 100000 l. so that there is full three moneths and ten dayes for these Counties to lie open to the repayment of this Mony for those three moneths they are to be without pay These are the principall things that wee have yet thought upon for the dis-ingaging of us that wee tender to you there are divers others which the Committee hath taken into consideration which they see as much or more certainty in than in any of these that hath been propounded If it were no more than the Publique Faith of both Kingdoms as long as the Kingdoms subsist or the Cause thrives in the hands of one or other this must bee dis-ingaged so that at best it is but a Loan and must bee paid if the Cause survive truely if it doe not survive it being our Religion I know not what reason wee have 〈◊〉 desire to survive it and if wee lose it I am sure wee lose all Truly Gentlemen thus I have but one word more to say The Cause it is Gods if it bee not so let us repent that ever wee medled with it It is the Cause of our Countrey if it bee not so let us now say wee repent and leave it It is the Cause of these three Kingdomes England Ireland and Scotland it is the Cause of Christendom for if this Cause be carryed against us certainly the Protestant Cause throughout all Europe will fare the worse for it this is the Cause this we all know to be the Cause It hath pleased Almighty God out of his Providence to call even us poor creatures to be the managers of this great cause of his we have undertaken it we have formerly by our Protestations engaged our selves to the maintaining of it wee have all of us both Parliament City and all well-affected Subjects of this Kingdom wee have put our shoulders to it wee have of late manifested to God and all the world that wee doe not repent of what wee have done wee have entred into a Solemn League and Covenant I think the solemnest that ever was seen in this Kingdom Gentlemen thus let our cheerfulnesse in this service shew that wee have taken that Covenant and doe affect this businesse with our whole hearts I have done Pray God give his blessing Mr. Edmond Calamy his speech in Guild-hall on Friday the sixt of October 1643. Gentlemen YOU have heard a worthy Gentleman of the House of Commons it is desired by this grave and Reverend Assembly of Ministers that three of the Ministers of this Assembly should likewise speak unto you concerning this great businesse and notwithstanding my indisposition of body being required by them though that Gentleman of the House of Commons hath spoken so abundantly to the purpose yet notwithstanding I am here come to speak something the rather to declare my willingnesse to appear in this Cause that is every way so just and every way so honest and so good that I may truly say as the Martyr did that if I had as many lives as I have haires on my head I would bee willing to sacrifice all these lives in this Cause You know the story of Craesus that though hee never spake in his life yet when hee saw his Father ready to bee killed it untyed the strings of his tongue and then hee cryed out that they would not kill his Father you are not ignorant that England and Ireland lye a dying and though I never appeared in this place yet I blesse God that hath given mee that health this day to speak something in this Cause for the reviving of the dying condition of England and Ireland It is such a Cause as is able to make a very Infant eloquent and a dumb man to speak that never spake in all his life The matter I am desired to speak to is concerning the Contribution to perswade you to bee liberall towards the bringing in of the Scots to help us in this our great necessity The truth is it is a great shame that England should stand in need of another Nation to help it to preserve its Religion and Liberties That England that hath been enriched with the Gospel of Peace and the peace of the Gospel for so many yeers that England that hath been blessed with so many rare Ministers of God so many precious and powerfull servants that have preached the Word of God in season and out of season that England that hath professed the Gospel with so much power and purity that England should stand in need of the help of their Brethren of Scotland for to preserve that Gospel that they have professed so many yeers I confesse to mee it seems a very strange Prodigie and a strange wonder but it hath pleased Almighty God for the sins of England for our great unthankfulnesse and for our unthankfulnesse under these means and for the great blood-guiltinesse and Idolatry and Superstition of this Nation it hath pleased God to suffer a great part of the Kingdom to bee blinded especially those parts where the Word of God hath not been preached in a powerfull manner and there are many in the Kingdom that will not bee perswaded that there is an intention to bring in Popery and to bring in Slavery Many of them I say think that though the Popish Army should prevaile and the plundering Army should prevaile yet they think all would goe well with Religion and with their Liberties I say it hath pleased God to suffer abundance in the Kingdom to bee blinded with this opinion out of a just judgement to punish us for our unthankfulnesse and for our ingratitude and this is the reason that so many men stand Neuters and that so many are Malignants and disaffected to this great Cause in so much that I am concluded under this that there is little probability to finish this Cause without the comming in of the Scots as you heard so worthily by that Member of the House of Commons The sons of Zerviah are grown so strong what through our fearfulnesse what through our covetousnesse what through our malignity that there is little hope I say to finish this great Cause or to bring it to a desired peace without the help of another Nation and by the assistance of God by the help of another Nation it may be done These are two mighty two omnipotent Arguments to prevaile with you to contribute your utmost aide and assistance to that Cause since it cannot speedily bee done without their help by Gods blessing it may speedily be don by their help What would the Kings party doe if they could engage another Nation to their help 21000. if they could engage them to our ruine what would they not doe How much more should wee be willing to contribute our greatest help to engage a Nation that indeed is part of our own Nation within the same Island

before hath done If you say why doe wee doe all What if God will give the City the speciall honour yet the Countrey will bee required for a great part besides but the Lords work now to bee done it must bee done especially by his servants and wee know in Ezra when as the adversaries of Judah would have come and helped in the work they would not suffer them to come and help in the work I say not wee should doe so but onely to satisfie ●s in this that wee should not think it much that God should especially honour us in such a work as this is But yet besides know that your interest in this businesse it is more than the interest of other men for other men care not what becomes of Religion what care they for Reformation they are willing to bee slaves to some that they might have others slaves under them But you desire Reformation you therefore shall have the greatest share in the blessing of the issue of this work and therefore if others doe not so much yet you should bee willing to bee forward in the work you are now called to and if you bee willing it is like in a little while you may get such power that you may bring others to doe whatsoever may appear to bee just If it shall bee said I but a great deal is done but to little purpose all this while O my brethren say not so it is an unthankfull voyce this for much hath been done there hath been a check given to the adversary the stream of tyranny and slavery it hath been stopped your lives have all this while been preserved by what hath been done If you think but it is too late and all will bee lost that wee doe Say not so neither this is below a Roman spirit the Romans when Hannibal was at their gates yet would sell their fields at as great a rate and as great a consideration as at any other time Even the field where the Enemy was found buyers when it was put to sale there were enow to buy that field Your spirits would scarce rise so high to give a valuable consideration for the field of your Enemy to bee Fee simple to your selves hee not discouraged you have not only the Faith of both Kingdomes that hath been offered but wee as Divines may offer you this day the Faith of Heaven the Faith of the promises of Heaven they are offered to you and there is nothing will blast that work more than a discouraged heart You know that the very thing that caused God to deprive the children of Israel of Canaan when they were at the borders it was because they were discouraged and said There are children of Anak here and let us not go The Lord is bringing of us to a blessed 〈◊〉 it is true wee are in a wildernesse but wee know God hath brought us into the wildernesse and hee will speak comfortably to us in it and let us not bee afraid of difficulties lest wee bee deprived of that good Land that God is bringing us into and little cause have wee to bee discouraged for those wee have to deal with their spirits are base and vile why should wee fear those uncircumcised Philistines And wee see God hath been with us in every thing that wee have undertaken Wee have never shown our selves like men but God hath shown himself to be like a God for us If you say Well but were it not better wee bent all our forces to some Accommodation To that wee answer you thus You have to deal not only with his Majesty but with a Popish party that are about him and what security you can ever have of your peace as was worthily said before except the Scottish Nation comes in for to fasten it it is easie for any one to judge I will tell you but one story about that and because it is suitable unto you I will therefore relate it here It is a Story that I finde in the Chronicles that in the dayes of King Edward the fixt King Edward sends to this City for assistance against the Lords and the Lords send to the City for their assistance likewise against the Protectour the Earl of Somerset and the Common Councell was called I suppose in this place and there stands up as the story saith a wise discreet Citizen in the Common Councell and makes this speech unto them First hee acknowledges that the cause was right for the Lords for the Kingdom though it were against the will of the King because the King would not then put in execution those Laws that should bee but hindered them but yet saith hee let mee reminde you of that that I have read in Fabians Chronicle it was one George Stadley that stood up let mee reminde you of that when there was a fight between the Lords and the King the Lords send for assistance to the City the City granted their assistance the Lords prevailed the King was taken and his Son a Prisoner afterwards they were both released upon Composition and amongst other things this was one that howsoever the City should bee preserved that the City should suffer nothing for what they had done and this Composition was confirmed by Act of Parliament but saith this Citizen what came of it did the King forgive No nor forget for afterwards all our Liberties were taken away strangers were set over us for our Heads and Governours the bodies and the estates of the Citizens were given away and one misery followed after another and so wee were most miserably persecuted and here was their Accommodation Wherefore then to close all you have heard before that wee come not onely to perswade you but to ingage our selves as well as to perswade you and to doe that that wee would have you doe For our parts as wee have in some proportionable manner done it already so wee are ready to doe it further and it beseemes us well to doe it Wee read in the 3 of Nebemiah that the first that did help to repair the City it was the Priests of the City and about the middle of the City the Priests of the Plain I suppose it is meant the City Ministers and the Countrey Ministers and you shall finde in that Chapter severall sorts of people were there there were the Rulers these specially mentioned I suppose their chief Rulers as their Aldermen c. they were very forward in that work of the Lord Yea there were the Tradesmen there you read much of the Goldsmiths two severall times in that Chapter you read of the Goldsmiths more then others and you read of the Apothecaries that they were ready in their work yea and you read of the Daughters of men how they forwarded their Parents I would I had to speak to many young ones this day I hope I should prevail much with them to bee great forwarders of you that are more ancient that you may doe this freely which you are

here exhorted to Have not many of you spent your blood in this Cause yea how many young ones in this City have lost their blood Mee thinks a spirit of indignation should rise in you to vindicate the losse of the blood of your Servants and Children many precious ones that might have lived many yeers to have done good service for the Lord Even the children of the City they rise and cry Hosanna Hosanna O blessed is ●ee that commeth in the name of the Lord O then l●t old Citizens bee forward mee thinks Elders should ●ee forward in this Cause for ●●e thinks they should not think themselves men of this world In the 17 of John Christ speaks of himself when hee was going out of the world I am not in the World and so should you going out of the world even say you are not in the world and therefore let your close in going out of the world be a happy close in such a blessed work as this is And know there shall come a day wherein you shall bee calling and crying to God for mercy the successe of this evenings work will bee recorded against that day when you shall cry for mercy I conclude all with applying the words of Jotham to the men of Sechem in the 9 of Judges 7. Hearken to me that God may hearken to you So I say hearken to that worthy Member of the House of Commons unto that Reverend Divine before and to him that shall come after Hearken unto ●s this day that God may hearken unto you Mr. Obadiah Sedgewick his speech in Guild-hall on Friday the sixt of October 1643. Gentlemen I Am commanded by the Assembly of Divines and they by a command from the House of Commons to bee present at this solemne and publike meeting and from them to move for that which I confidently presume is granted already a helping heart and a helping hand to preserve O that we must be forced to say so and yet blessed be God that we are alive to say so to preserve our Religion our lives and the lives of ours It is I confesse my happinesse that I am not to speak unto such who have made our troubles and that laugh at them but unto them that see our distresses know how to compassionate them the perswasion is the more hopeful when the compassion is beforehand afoot if that honorable Gentleman that spake first had bin sent with fire to destroy your City or others with Swords from that grave Senate to have destroyed your lives or with armed power to have compelled and plundered your estates there I confesse a refusall nay a contempt had been the most proper answer But Sirs their addresse unto you is paternall it is humble and full of efficacy it is but to request you to preserve your own lives it is but to request you that you would not suffer your selves your wives your children your City your Religion to be destroyed I confesse that I had prepared divers things to have worked on you but they that have spoken before me have scarce left me any new matter to say but all which I wish with all my heart were wrought in you as well as in my selfe nothing lest but to doe The Religion that we have all our lives professed if it bee not worth thy money trample it under thy feet Religion brethren is an invaluable thing it is farre above our estates farre above our lives nay it is far above our soules For our estates the Heathen say so much That our estates were not to be insisted on when Religion was in danger and therefore some of them have according to their imaginary Religion the strength of it they have neglected their goods to preserve their Gods nay they hare as Alvinus did neglect his owne wife and children to take care of that vaine Deity that they sacrificed unto It is I confesse to mee a most remarkable thing that Pliny reports and good Gentlemen let not Heathens exceed Christians in love either to their Country or Religion You know that Hanniball was a sore enemy to the Romans and the Romans when they to maintaine themselves against them had exhausted all their publique treasury a Consull in the Senate bespake the people that they would all ●ring out their personall estates something like what is this day moved unto you it was so instantly it was so universally relished that all ●orts of people brought in abundantly and might I give but a suggest unto the grave Senators that the Citizens and 〈…〉 Senator in Rome left not himselfe so prodigall was 〈◊〉 for th●●●fety of the publike he left not unto himselfe for to keep himselfe and houshold above the value of 16 Crowns O shal heathens be so prodigall to preserve themselves against a Hanniball shal not Christians be as carefull to preserve their Religion against Antichrist Well Sirs as that which you are desired to expend something of your estates for is Religion that is farre beyond all your estates so it is that that is farre beyond all your lives For I beseech you what are all your lives for value unto Religion what will your lives bee to you for comfort when the Sunne is taken out of the Firmament and the Gospel is removed out of this English horizon if you should outlive the Gospel why the Lord bee mercifull to you what would your lives availe you were it not better to make Religion and the Gospel your Executors then to make Idolaters your Executors were it not better to make Religion your Executors then to make your selves or your posterities heires of Idolatry When Troy was taken Anchises disdained to take his Sonnes counsell to save his life Away live when Troy is taken And truly Friends if there bee in any of you a● I perswade my selfe there is in all of you that heare me this da● a sense of God a sense of your soules a sense of the Gospel of Christ why you must acknowledge now that all your comforts are lost that all your hopes on earth are lost and all your hopes in heaven are gone if the Gospel if that Religion bee gone Nay as I said at the beginning it is that that no not your soules can stand in competition with I confesse the soule of man is a precious thing it is as the ring of Gold yet if I doe not mistake my selfe Religion is the most precious Diamond in that ring The busines of Religion why it is the salvation of your souls no lesse then your souls and higher I cannot speak And if this will not move you at this time to lend out your strength to preserve your lives your estates your Religion that which preserves your soules to eternity I can say nothing more But then Sirs observe one thing there is not onely this dignity in Religion that may challenge all that you are and have but there is likewise an efficacy in Religion It is one of the best Masters and