those few I can presently gather out of the word God preserueth some to manifest his power and prouidence As may appeare by the 91. Psalme before discussed and by Esa 1. 9 2 God will take none hence before they haue done him all that seruice which in his counsell was appointed as appeareth by these places Luk. 13. 31 32 33 and Act. 13. 36. 3 God reserueth some for an heauier iudgement as may appeare by these places 1. King 19. 17. 2. King 8. 10 15. Amos 5. 16 17. And 4 towards some he perfourmeth his promise in preseruing them in their wayes that is wayes whereinto God calleth thē according to the 91. Psalme vers 11. For which cause Priests though taking often view of Leprosie were preserued as I shewed before and kéepers buriers and such as haue necessarie cause of comming to the infected of the Plague are for the most part now preserued So that Peter may boldly go on the water when Christ biddeth him come As you may reade Mat. 14. 28 29. Profess I thank you heartily for yeelding me this satisfaction For amongst all your good notes I take hold of the second with some comfort and thereon ground this conclusion If I shall not die before I haue done God all the seruice I am appointed why shold I be vnwilling to die when my time is come and not rather be prepared to say yea sing with good old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace But I misse one principall cause of preseruation from the Plague to wit A strong faith according to the 91. Psalme Preach I thought verily you wold not let go your hold on that part of the mightie argument But I assure you there is no such force in it as it séemeth to haue Nay rather it ouerthroweth the former part of that argument For in that Psalme the promise of preseruation is not made only to our taking hold of Gods promise but also to our walking in our wayes Wherefore as that faith which standeth vpon the precept which is implyed to walke in our wayes and forgetteth as it were the promise of helpe sauoureth of distrust in God So that faith which taketh hold of the promise neglecting the precept sauoureth of presumption and therefore hauing no promise with cōfortable assurance cannot hope for preseruation Againe though faith do equally respect both the promise the precept yet sith all temporall blessings are promised not absolutely but conditionally so farre as the performance of them shall be to the glorie of God and good of the beléeuer as I wil proue if néed require it cannot be otherwise assured of preseruation then with respect to those conditions If without such respect it be absolutely assured thē it is not faith but presumption Except you will haue it to be a miraculous faith which taketh hold of the will of God instantly and by inspiration reueiled But that faith liueth and dieth with miracles because I say againe it hath no promise For howsoeuer saluation be absolutely promised to beléeuers because it is reuealed that the performance of that promise is for Gods most glory and the beléeuers best good and is therefore absolutely to be beléeued yet because it is not reuealed at any time that then the performance of a temporall promise is for Gods most glory and the beléeuers best good therefore a temporall promise is in the nature thereof conditional and accordingly to be beléued Lastly do you not perceiue that the stronger faith is required the greater danger is supposed But if the plague be not contagious what daunger is there if no daunger what néed of faith Profess There is no need you should proue your conditions for they stand with all reason sith God hath made all things for his owne sake and promiseth deliuerance for his glory sake and his promises pretend the good of his people But yet it will not out of my mind but that godly men who die in this plague do therefore die because they faile in faith I meane not touching their saluation but touching the particular promise of preseruation from the plague Therefore I pray you for my better instruction shew me how by the death of godly men dying of the plague and beleeuing the promises both of eternall saluation and temporall preseruation God may haue glory and the deceased benefit Preach I graunt that a right godly man may faile as in obedience to the precept of kéeping his wayes by presumption so in faith to the promise of preseruation by feare especially when he heareth nothing but crying of wiues and children mourning of husbands and parents sorrowing of friends and kinsfolke and withall séeth the plague wéekely to increase from tens to hundreds from hundreds to thousands and to draw nearer and nearer to himselfe and that God in visiting him may iustly take hold of this feare for Peter walked on the water for a while but when he saw a mightie wind he was afraid and began to sinke But this position A godly man dying of the plague failed in faith touching promised preseruation I hold to be as vnsound as this All godly men dying before their dayes be long failed in honouring their father and mother But I will shew you in a word how the death of godly men dying of the plague and in the absolute faith of eternall saluation and conditionall faith of temporall preseruation may be to Gods glorie and the beléeuers good for by the death of the faithfull God glorifieth his iustice and wisedome His iustice amongst the wicked in giuing them cause to say If God spare not the gréene trée what will become fo the drie His wisedom amongst the godly least they should say For our righteousnesse we are deliuered As for the good of the beléeuer I maruell that you should forget that which is so often taught in funerall sermons that as the wicked are reserued for a further mischiefe so the righteous is taken away from the euill to come besides that he resteth in glorie from mo and greater labors then the wicked are commonly subiect vnto Profess God helpe vs for our owne conceiued errours will hardly out of our minds but we easily forget that which may reforme our iudgement Well acknowledging that you haue fully answered my first argument I proceed to another grounded on the prouidence of God in this sort If God shoote his arrowes at a certaine marke and not at randon if none die before his hower and if those that are appointed to die shal dy and those that are appointed to perish by sword or famine shall so perish and none other as you proued euē now otherwise I had those proofes ready for this purpose then if I go where the plague is a thousand times I shall not die of the plague if God haue not appointed me to dy thereof and if he haue I shall die thereof though I come not neare it by a
honestie But this is an honest thing before God and men that Kings should out of a fatherly care preserue their subiects from destruction by infection as wel as by the sword As Dauid was no lesse carefull for his people when the Pestilence raged than valiant in defending them against their enemies Againe what other thing do sundrie lawes and customes of Israel teach vs Priests were forbidden to drinke wine or strong drinke that they might put difference betwéene the cleane and vncleane that euery leaper and euery one that had an issue and whosoeuer is defiled by the dead shold be put out of the host that garments and houses defiled by leprosie should be destroyed that euery one to do the worke of nature should go out of the hoast and that the dead were buried out of the citie What I say do these lawes and customes well considered teach vs in their equity but that Gods people should be carefully preserued from filthinesse and contagion Let vs a litle better consider the lawes of Lepers as most nearely concerning vs and we shall find that they were not onely to haue markes to be known by but also to giue warning to companie approching by saying I am vncleane I am vncleane Whereby it is euident that Lepers should shunne other and other should shun them And it is as euident that they were not to come into the house of God For a King being a Leper was kept out thereof all the dayes of his life Much more may Moses a Magistrate shut Miriam though his sister out of the hoast for 7. dayes But the plague is more daungerously contagious being mortall then the Leprosie which is not mortall therefore Princes and Magistrates which are called sheapheards may and ought to be very carefull to kéepe the sound frō the infected and the infected from the sound especially in assemblies As the sheapheard is carefull to keepe scabbed shéepe from his flocke and his flocke from scabbed shéepe Let this suffice for this time let me now heare your doubts Prof. As king Agrippa said vnto Paul Almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian so I may say you haue almost chaunged my mind But yet for my promise sake and for further resolution I will propound certaine doubts and will first begin with that which I know doth most trouble most men especially of the poorer sort To wit they thinke it most extreame crueltie to be barred from going abroad to seeke reliefe or maintenance for them and theirs except they either had sufficient of their owne or their wants were supplied Preach I am of the same mind for Lepers might go abroad to séeke reliefe but yet in such sort as hath bene shewed And so I could wish that our infected poore sith they must néeds go abroad wold remēber the 10. Lepers how they stood afar off lift vp their voyce when they craued helpe of our Sauior so they would go abroad in such sort as authoritie directeth to wit out of the most frequented way and with a rod in their hand I say with griefe must needes for if authoritie had regarded these things betimes when there were but few infected houses they might haue bene well shut vp and prouided for till they were cleansed either of their owne or the common charges But what say you to those who are not so poore but that they may kéepe their houses at their owne charges till they be cleansed Profess They thinke it an hell to be so long shut vp from companie and their businesse the neglecting whereof is the decay of their state Preach Indéed this impatiencie is the cause why so many smother the plague in themselues and their families so long as they can to the hazarding of life but I aduise them to consider the resolution of Paul which was neuer to cate flesh rather then he would offend his brother much more ought they patiently to endure a litle restraint and losse rather then to indanger the life of many O bloud is a grieuous and crying sinne and therefore Dauid would not drinke the water of the well of Beth-lehem though he longed for it because it was gotten with the ieopardy of liues but called it blood Let them beléeue that God is able to giue them more then they loose by following his direction Let them know what this is I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Let them shew their faith by patience For he that beléeueth maketh no hast being assured of Gods promise that in quietnes and confidence shall be their strength Let them imitate Moses and Aaron who were as hastie in behalf of their sister Miriam but yet were perswaded by God to shut her out of the host seuen dayes Thus much for these goers abroad But what say you now for those that come to Church in whose behalfe you séemed much affected at the first Profess I was indeed affected as I seemed but that which you haue said to goers abroade belonging for the most part to commers to Church hath stopped my mouth and the rather because I remember the King who was kept from the Temple whiles he liued for the Leprosie Why then thinke I should not the infected with the Plague be content to forbeare for a while sith in the Plague they vsually mend or end in short time Preach God be praised for now you vnderstand and remember well I haue therefore the lesse to say only this touching the comfort of soule which they desire by comming to Church I pray them examine what true comfort they can haue when they consider that they are more dangerous than they who go abroad For in the Church they sit by it and that in a throng and heat whereas if they humble themselues vnder Gods hand and tarie at home though taking it as a part of their crosse that they kéep so long from the Church I doubt not but that they shall find God who turneth his childrens bed in time of sicknesse as a sanctuary to them And this I further say that he rather is in the assembly of saints who is there in spirit though absent in body then he that is present in body but absent in spirit Profess All this as I vnderstand concernes such as being infected themselues do yet come to Church But what say you to those who haue spacious houses so as they come not neere the sicke of their family and be sound themselues may not they come to Church as well as those betweene whom and the infected there is but a wall Preach They may as I am perswaded But all things are not expedient which are lawfull For many too foolishly fearefull another extremitie of this time as generall and daungerous as Presumption knowing their houses to be infected wil verily suppose that they haue béene about the sicke and that the plague is in their
there be necessary cause of the sound or some of their attendance or repaire Moreouer it may be that the sound or some of thē be profitable members in the Church or common wealth now the more hope there is of good by them the more care there ought to be of their preseruation according to the peoples care for the safetie of Dauid before spoken of Profess In my conscience this seemes to be very true but I pray you tel me what you think of them who send their seruants vnto the Pest-house Preach Right wel especially if they want conuenient roome other means at home for I vnderstand of the Cities right honorable and christian prouisiō for that house I know diuers there wel vsed and thence well returned and it is extant in print that when there were buried in and about London 3385. in one wéek yet of all pestred in that house there were buried but six And therfore I condemne those that raised a slander vpon that house holding them as despisers of gouernment and wicked ill speakers of them that are in authoritie Prof. If you conuersed amongst people as I do and must do I know your spirit would be griued to see how ready they be to lay hold on euery light occasion and false report to speake their wicked pleasure of Gouernors O that they would consider the example you lately in a Sermon vrged of a plague kindled amongst the Israelites for charging Moses and Aaron with killing Corah and his rebellious complices Well God amend vs all and giue vs grace to humble our selues vnder this his heauie hand that we may be raised again and comforted according to the dayes he hath afflicted vs. Now I speake of cōfort that we may go on with the main matter I wold know if it might be without offence whether you would haue those pittifull creatures that are tormēted with the plague to want the comfort which they may take by the very presence of their good neighbors friends much more by their comfortable words Preach O neighbour I wish them all true comfort of body and mind the Lord knoweth and I graunt that the very presence of those we loue is very comfortable in time of sicknesse but yet I aduise all visited with that deadly and contagious disease to manifest their mortification from vnnecessarie desires their charitable loue to their friends by not desiring them to come into far greater daunger than their presence can do good without necessarie cause And let them remember how Dauid refused that water which was gotten with ieopardie of life and called it bloud though he had longed for it the daunger was past As for comfortable words I likewise acknowledge their speciall vse but before I answer that point let vs consider how needfull it is especially in time of mortality to hide in their hearts the word of life lest wée be iustly punished with want of comfortable words when we most need them according to that of Amos where a famin of the word is threatned to despisers of the Sabboth and that at such a time when to find the word they would run from the East to the West Now to the point Sith all sicknesse especially the plague vntill the worst be past when cōfortable words are not vsually in great request maketh vs vnfit for long learned discourses therfore short sentēces may through Gods blessing do much good whereby attendants friēds repairing for necessary causes may sufficiently comfort the afflicted according to that which is required by the Apostle in Thess 4. 18. except there be extraordinary néede of resolution or consolation whereof I haue spoken before Again the Spirit of God is called a Comforter because he bringeth the words of Christ vnto remembrance and that especially in time of néed as when we iustifie wisedome before authoritie so when we are sick For when the outward man perisheth the inward man is renewed so that we often heare not onely men but euen children also speake diuinely and admirably in their sicknesse We may the rather make account of this holy assistance if we follow Christ his counsel in laying vp his words in our hearts and praying for the holy Ghost All the premises constdered I hope that you are now of my mind touching the restraint as of the infected from the sound so of the sound from the infected Profess Indeede I confesse that your probable discourses haue won I know not how a certaine inclination to your opinion but yet I must suspend my resolution till you haue answered certain obiections against the maine grounds of your opinion but before I come to them let me haue but one word with you about buriall I say but one word for if those that are infected in person or garment are to keep from Church for a time conuenient and if friends are to forbeare resorting to friends sicke of the Plague except they haue necessary cause then I may of my felfe conclude that we are not to throng after infected corpses which haue no good thereby without some reasonable cause That one word I spake of is this I would gladly know if I may obtaine that fauour your iudgement concerning the direction of authoritie that but sixe persons besides the Minister Clerke and bearers should accompany infected corpses Preach I dare not presume to iudge of the determinations of authoritie without sufficiēt reason which I want in this case but rather I am perswaded according to that I am commaunded by these words Honor thy father and mother to indge the best and take it as an argument that authoritie careth more for the liuing then for the dead their pompe so dangerous in these times and not necessary as wise men thinke But mine own opinion is this I could wish the friends of the diseased would respect the preseruation of life more than complements of buriall But I vtterly mislike that infected persons should thrust into the throng and it grieueth me to heare how the poorer sort yea women with yong children will flocke to burials and which is worse stand of purpose ouer open graues where sundry are buried together that forsooth all the world may see that they feare not the Plague This peruerse course of too too many in doing that which authority forbiddeth and despising that which authoritie commandeth to wit fasting and praier occasioneth me to obserue a notable proportion betwéene the plague the wickednes of this time by which proportion God séemeth to teach men to say in their hearts we would not be ruled neither by reason nor authority therefore are so many as it were distracted in their sicknesse and by no meanes to be ruled so that some leape out of the windowes and some runne into the Thames As the rough spéeches of Ioseph caused his brethren to say As we would not heare Ioseph so this man will not heare vs. I rather obserue