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A93669 Votivæ Angliæ, Englands complaint to their king:, or, The humble desires of all the zealous and true-hearted Protestants in this kingdome, for a speedy and happy reformation of abuses in church government, being the onely meanes to remove these distractions, and to avert the judgement of God from us. : As they were expressed in sundry petitions, remonstrances and letters, lately presented from them to the king, upon sundry occasions. / Collected by a wel-wisher to reformation. Spencer, John, 1601-1671. 1643 (1643) Wing S4955A; ESTC R184528 61,579 125

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said for this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they twaine shall be one flesh wherefore they are no more twaine but one flesh Let therefore no man part asunder whom God hath coupled together Now that you have been thus ioined you dare not deny or if you should the solemn vow you made in the presence of Almightie God and before those honourable Personages in Cashawberry parlour shall witnesse against you therfore how dare you make this fearfull separation except you will proclaime your selfe a truce-breaker to man and a traitor to God the first too scandalous and the other too dangerous for a man of wisdome to undergo I beseech you in the tender mercies of Iesus Christ enter into a serious consideration with your selfe in what a desperate estate you are in and heartily repent of the evill you have committed and earnestly crave pardon of God and then with all speed make a holy reconciliation betwixt you and your fair Lady that so the scandall of your holy profession may be removed and the mouths of insulting Papists may be stopped and your distressed Lady comforted and your consciences quieted but if you wil be stil wilful and obstinate then assure yourself these lines shall rise up in condemnation against you at the dreadfull day of Judgement before that glorious God of heaven and earth who shall iudge all men according to their works they have done in the flesh whether they have been good or evill and that without respect of persons where your greatnesse shall no wise privilege you nor my meanenesse not preiudice the cause of that mighty God who hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the mightie things unto that all-powrefull God do I humbly pray that for his deare Son Jesus Christ his sake he will vouchsafe his great power may be seen in my weaknesse and his infinit wisdome in my foolishnesse so that this weak means may be made powerfull to make you wise to salvation and produce that holy reformation as may bee to the glorie of God and the everlasting happinesse of your owne soule Amen Lord Jesus Amen From him that will honour you according to your noble qualitie if you do not dishonour that God that advanced you to this high dignitie JOHN SPENCER A Postscript You are now conversant with a noble and religious Friend whose zealouse heart I doe assure my selfe will easily be perswaded to take any paines in this charitable busines consult with him and then appoint the time and place where you and your Lady may happily meet together to epaire the ruines that sad absence hath made and beautifie your faces with those amiable looks and your lips with those sweet discourses wherewith you in happier times did solace your selves with unspeakable contentment That so you may make the Proverb true Amantium ira amoris redintigratio est After this some great Lords undertooke to bring them together but it was too late but better late than never for the Lady was very weake in her bed so they lamented their fatall errour and tooke their last farwell for she dyed within few dayes and he lived not long time after A Coppy of a Letter sent to the Earle of Cleveland and Tho. Lo. Oliver St. Iohn for ending of a ●●●g suit betwixt Iustice Fish and Mr. Mordant concerning a seat in the Church at Northill Right Honourable VVHen Ioab the Generall of King Davids Army besieged Rabba and fought against it and took the cities of waters and thereby weakned them so that they could hold out no longer then he sent unto hi● Lord the King to come up with his Army to take the Citie lest if he took it he should have the honour and the City should be called after his name So I having fought with these two Gentlemen with many arguments perswasions and earnest intreaties and so thorow the blessing of the God of peace have qualified the bitter waters of strife and weakned the strong hold of their violent passion and contentious humour that now they can hold out no longer with any Christian resolution doe now send and sue unto your Honours to come up with your commanding power to take the honour of the day and the renown to be the noble Peace-makers I have viewed the seat in the Church which is large and spacious for both Parties to sit in like good Christians and loving Friends and therefore if it will please your Lordships now to lay your Command upon them to confirme that which I have so earnestly intreated that thus and thus it shall be for their sitting in the seat and thus and thus it shall be for the endiug of all suits and controversies betwixt them then they have both of them faithfully promised before sufficient witnesse that they will submit themselves thereunto and so humbly beseeching that blessed Lord the great Peace-maker who hath pronounced Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God To blesse your Honours with the continuance of many happy days to make you zealous for his glorie and to see like good Maiestrates under so gracious a King the peace and welfare of your Countrey I humbly take my leave August 12 1631. If it please your Lordships to appoint these Gentlemen a day and place where they may attend to receive your Commands under your hands Desirous that there was in me any abilitie to do you service Iohn Spencer Right Honourable IT is the Rule of the Apostle and of our Saviour Christ Rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a Father Oh therefore that it would please that blessed Lord even the God of wisdome that I might performe this dutie to your Lordship with such regard of your noble qualities and tender care of your precious soule as I ought but however I may faile in point of discretion yee I hope your Lordship will beare with me since it doth proceed from a heart that doth unfainedly desire your everlasting happinesse I know it is a hard taske and many times a thanklesse office to admonish men of mean qualitie of their faults and to bring them to acknowledge their errours much more then those that are so farre our Superiours yet where grace and true nobilitie is it will teachmen with meeknesse to suffer the words of exhortation and with the kingly Prophet to say Let the righteous smite me for that shall be us precious Balme unto me for the wisest and greatest in this world have their frailties and infirmities David a man after Gods owne heart yet erred in numbring the people and confessed he had done very foolishly And Salomon his son the wisest and the greatest statesman that ever was upon the earth yet erred greatly and although he provided men-singers and women-singers and the delights of the sons of men yet he doth acknowledge all was but vanitie and vexation of spirit And so I trust your noble and religious heart will
the businesse M. Commissary did solemnly protest that he did not prosecute us because we kept afast and prayed for the King but heard that it was so well performed that if it had been with authority he would have been at it himselfe and then I did acknowledge that I was sorry that I did not apprehend it so To this effect then we did consult what might be done for the repayring of Master Commissaries reputation so we resolved that Master Commissary should put in a bill against me and I should not plead against it and so a writ of enquiry should go out to enquire what damage this was to Master Commissary and he promised me if they gave him two hundred pound he would not take a penny of it so he put in two bils of complaint what great damage he was put unto and whereas before he was well esteemed of noblemen and gentlemen now they eschew his company whereunto I made this short answer When M. Cōmissary shal clear himself of the suspition of treason against the Kings Royall person and cleare his bill of untruths I hoped I should be at more leasure to make a longer answer in the meane time desired to be dismissed of the honourable court so they gave him a hundred pound damage which I tendred unto him and he told it and put it up againe every penny I gave him a piece of plate with two hearts joyned together and this inscription Amantium ira amoris redintigratio est and so we continued very loving friends to his death and he told a gentlewoman of great worth his loving neighbour that never any affliction did him so much good to commiserate this trouble and vexation that he had done to others and so grew one of the best Commissaries and died lamented A Copy of a Letter to Sir Oliver Luke Knight when he was high Sheriffe SIr the blessed Apostle having used that vehement intreaty unto the Romanes to dedicate themselves to the service of God chapter the 12. In the next verse he doth second that intreaty with this excellent exhortation And fashion not your selves like unto this world but be ye changed by the renewing of your minds that you may prove what that good and acceptable and perfect will of God is Whereupon I beseech you give me leave to make this profitable application to you in particular whom it hath pleased God to call now unto an office of great dignity in the common wealth And humbly I beseech him likewise to give you a wise heart to mannage it to his glory and the good of his Church and the comfort of your owne soule and that you may so doe take heed you doe not fashion your self like unto this world not like to a worldly Sheriffe especially in these two thinges neither in your Officers nor in your Attendancy for it is oft the custome of carnall minded Sheriffes to receave there under officers by tradition whatsoever their condition be but I pray be not you in that fashion but follow that grave and holy direction that Iethro gave to Moses Exod. the 18. the 21. Moreover provide thou amongst all thy people men of courage fearing God men dealing truely hating covetousnesse and therefore I pray make a diligent inquisition amongst your officers and if you finde one lewd Bayliffe in all your pack let him be discarded and an honest man put in his place againe it is the fashion of many vain glorious Sheriffs to exceed so in the number of their attendants and in their excessive entertainments that they are forc't either to end their house keeping with their office or else to lay such heavy burthens and wracking rents upon their tennant as gives them just cause to lament the prodigallity of their landlords Sherivalty seaven yeares after but I beseech you take heed you be not in any sort drawne to like of this fashion neither by the instigation of others nor by the volentary offers of your honourable friends which at this time it may be will be too forward to adde fewell to the flame of your one ambition but I pray consider your own revenue is very cōpetent both for your own ranck and for the support of that office which is imposed upon you and thanks be unto God for it Master Oliver Luke is well known and well esteemed of in the country without the liveries of great mens favoures and therefore I pray stand firme upon your owne bottome and let your own vertues make you still to be honoured and not your excesse lamented and in my poor conceit it is more for your reputation to shew your selfe in the habite of true judgement and moderation and attended with your own servants then to encrease your number with borrowed companies and decke your troopes with the gay feathers of other birds Again consider you are to entertaine Judges of the land men of wisdome and gravity and such as should punish excesse and prodigallity as well as theft and usury besides these times are so peaceable that they need not such troopes of horse or Squandrons of foote to guard their persons nor such pompe nor bravery to divert their minde from the better consideration of these great and serious imployments that they are to goe about Lastly in the feare of God lay this consideration well to your heart how unseasonable unseemly a thing it is to make that a time of feasting and outward jollity which should be a time rather of fasting and mourning wherein both Magistrate and people should bewaile their own sins and the sins of the land which at such times are so apparant and for the which many of their Christian brethren do suffer such heavy Iudgements and therefore if we were in the right fashion we should weep with those that weep and remember those that are in bonds as though we were bound with them and those that are in affliction as if you were also afflicted with them Heb. 13. 3. Thus did that noble Magistrate Ezra fast and mourne for the sins of the people and thus did David Samuel the 1. the 3. the 35. and therefore what great cause is there for our Magistrates to fast and mourn when they hear of so many thefts and murthers and abhominable sins committed in our streets and for the which the Lord might iustly bring his fearfull Iudgements upon the whole land And thus good Sir Oliver through the Lords mercy you may see that they are very proposterous in their house shew great want of true iudgement and Christianlike affection that thinke these fit times for feastings pompe and outward bravery And therefore I beseech you take heed unto your own heart and let neither the vaine examples nor the violent perswasions of vain glorious men drawe you into their vaine errours but evermore remember that most holy saying and righteous censure of our Saviour Christ Saint Luke 16. 15. That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God
of your afflictions more repentant teares have been put up into the Lords bottle then in many yeers before account not this as a small blessing nor passe it over with a slight thankfulnesse but take speciall notice of it assure your selfe this faire will not last all the yeer and the time will come when you will desire to see these teares of contrition and shall not see them no though you seek them with fasting and prayer and that you may the better conceave how blessed their estate is that have a contrite heart and sorrowfull spirit I pray consider of that wonderfull comfortable promise of the Lord Isaiah 57. 15. For thus saith he that is high and excellent that inhabiteth eternity whose name is the holy one I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life unto them that are of a contrite heart who would think themselves most happy that had a heart fit to entertaine that glorious guest thus likewise doth the holy prophet testifie Psal. 34. 13. The Lord is near unto them that are of a contrite heart and will save such as are afflicted in spirit and our blessed Saviour in whose mouth was no guile he saith blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and in the 16 of S. Iohn verse the 20 Verily verily I say unto you ye shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce and ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy a woman when she travelleth hath sorrow because her hower is come but assoone as she is delivered of the childe she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy a man is borne into the world and you now therefore are in sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you Thus you may see this godly sorrow is but as the throes of our spirituall birth in Christ which although it may be somewhat grievous for a time yet when we see our selves thereby borne againe of water and the spirit and so made able to enter into the Kingdome of heaven oh how ioyfull and comfortable should this make us to be many would with Zebedees sons sit one at the right hand the other at the left hand of our Saviour Christ in his kingdome but they are loth to tast of this cup but let us know assuredly that as he is entred into his Kingdome of glory through many tribulations so must we follow him thorow many tribulations if ever we will come there you are now in the way be not weary of well doing nor turn not backe till you come to that holy resting place and that you may finish your course with ioy and comfort be diligent in prayer and observe a constant course therein evening and morning and at noone dayes and as often as you finde your affliction to presse and oppresse your soule then make your mone unto your mercifull God and powre out your soules before him and especially bewaile wicked thoughts and vaine lusts where withall you heretofore so mnch delighted your selfe and labour to mourn in secret for them and likewise all other secret sins and that your prayers may be more fervent adde thereunto the holy use of moderate fasting and this I trust through the Lords mercy you shall finde an excellent meanes to recover your selfe unto your spirituall chearfulnesse again and be not discouraged from these holy exercises though Sathan strive neversomuch to vex and terrifie you nay though you feare the Lord is angry with you nay though you knew that assuredly yet pray with the Psasmist Psal. 80. 5. O Lord God of hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people Secondly having in this holy manner recomended your soule and body unto God in prayer waite upon him with a quiet minde assuring your selfe that now the Lord is to take care of you and therefore cast your care upon him and so with a setled resolution dispose of your selfe unto some profitable imployments fitting for your calling and this course the Prophet David tooke Psal. the 5. 3. Heare my voyce in the morning O Lord for in the morning wil I direct me unto thee and I will wait and what good successe those have that do thus attend we may read in the Psalm 147. 11. But the Lord delighteth in them that fear him and attend upon his mercy Thirdly labour for meeknesse of heart and an humble spirit for where this grace is in some reasonable manner attayned there the heart of affliction doth breake away apace and the danger thereof of is little to be feared for our blessed Saviour hath pronounced a double blessednesse unto such Matthew the 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth And the want thereof hath driven many in their desperate fury to loose their inheritance both in heaven and earth Fourthly take heed of moderate greife and violent passions which at this time is very unseasonable though easily fallen into and therefore watch over your own heart diligently and doe not entertaine so much as a sorrowfull sigh into your heart except it be for your sin nor an impatient word into your lippes except it be when you see God dishonoured and then speake zealously and spare not and furthermore you must be contented to be admonished of these infirmities by your Christian friends with whom you do converse for it may be they may discerne these things amisse in you when you doe not discerne it in your selfe being overwhelmed with the pleasing humour of Sottish melancholy Lastly that you may well remember it you must by all meanes possible strive to serve the Lord with a cheerfull heart and a willing minde for the Lord loveth a chearfull giver and especially in matters of his holy worship therefore when you come to hear his holy word to fast to pray to religious conference or any other holy duty strive to doe it chearefully and to reioyce even in your very teares for I can tell you that is a good cause to make both you and others reioyce it may be you thinke it strange but read what Saint Paul saith to his intirely beloved Timothcus and then I hope you will say I am in the right desiring to see thee mindfull of thy teares that I might be filled with ioy 2. of Timothy the 1. 6. And for neglect of this duty the Lord doth threaten many heavy Judgements against the children of Israel Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servest not thy Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send uppon thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakednes and in need of all things And thus according to my simple understanding I