GREAT BRITAINS MISERY WITH The Causes and Cure DESCRIBED First as it is from the Justice of God the Authour who is now in controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land for Sin Especially for Eight capitall Crimes all which are aggravated by sundry Circumstances Secondly the Injustice and Malice of the Instruments of this Misery Satan and his Agents Their main aime and particular ends moving them thereunto Vindicating Plainly and Fully By way of Answer to severall Objections The Lawfulnesse and Necessity of Raising Arms by the Parliament and Kingdom For the Defence of the King Kingdom Religion Laws and Known Rights of the Subject Against that Viperous generation of Papists Atheists Delinquents and Licentious men who have at once invaded all Showing The means how to appease Gods flaming wrath and suppresse these insolent disturbers of Britains Peace and destroyers of three late flourishing Kingdoms Also motives to use the Means and Incouragement to beleeve confidently and hope patiently for a seasonable deliverance from our present calamities with severall Reasons or Grounds of assured successe and glorious Sun-shine of Peace and Truth Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardned our hearts c. Ier. 30. 17. I will restore health unto thee I will heal thy wounds saith the Lord c. Pro. 25 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and his throne shall be established c By G. S. Gent. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford LONDON Printed for Laurence Chapman and are to be sold at his Shop in Holborn at Chancery Lane end 1643. hands of the builders Thus it is now in the building of Gods Temple Reformation of Religion and of Laws For my self I freely offer my self a labourer to help forward the building willing to bear some burden to the work my will is good my ability is small but I know God will accept a willing minde and expects no more in performance then he hath given strength If with an honest heart I bring but an handfull of Goats hair to the building of Gods Talernacle or with the poor widow cast in my mite into Gods Treasury it shall be accepted with God Upon which assurance I have brought some rough materials not fit to face the Work as those Pieces wrought by men of art and skill but may serve to strengthen the fabrick in some places where they best fit My end is Gods glory my endeavour to satisfie thee if it be possible to undeceive the ignorant who are seduced and to establish the doubtfull that every one to his power may help forward Gods work and cure their own misery Thy misery thou feelest if thou have either estate or sence The Causes are laid down in the following Discourse and that truely without envy or flattery as also the Cure is prescribed which if thou read and read all thy little labour in reading shall sufficiently satisfie my much more labour in writing for it is done for thee It is my Duty to admonish my Brother and will be my Brothers greater Iev 19. 17. Jam. 5. 20. Misery if he refuse admonition My warrant is from Gods Word and Gods Word is also thy precept to hear and avoid sin It is true and I confesse it I am one of the weakest and most unworthy of all Gods Labourers but I am bound to do what I am able Now God requires it of all who expect any inheritance with Gods people My resolution is like that of Esther in the like case If I perish I perish I speak but truth and that for God the King Est 4. 16. his kingdoms and posterities and for the persecuted people and church of God which I am sure is no Treason but Dutie I do it with upright Conscience to God and Loyaltie to the King and if I perish in Gods Work I shall be freed from perishing I passe not for the judgement of mans Day God is the righteous Judge of me and of him who judgeth me If thou accept my endeavour and through Gods blessing it be any advantage to thee lend us thy Prayers who shall ever pray for thee and give the glory to God Thine G. S. Great Britains Misery WITH The Causes and Cure IF it be misery to lie under the afflicting hand of the Almighty God when his Wrath is kindled against a people to consume and to destroy Then is Great Britain miserable now lying under that revenging hand miserably afflicted by a seditious cruell and unnaturall War under which the whole land bleedeth and the inhabitants are daily cut off and consumed Which misery although all men see and feel yet few of all are truely sensible of their misery and that is the greatest of miseries It is true the inhabitants of England and Ireland see the bloody distractions of the Kingdoms and seel the Pâ—sse of their Estates Liberty and Trading Their persons injured their moneys exhausted houses Plundered Towns Corn and Barns burnt Their goods and Cattell taken from them by violence Their friends kinred neighbours and servants slain by the sword c. But this is not all The misery of Great Britain is more as will clearly appear when we consider the causes of it the ends aimed at and neglect of the remedy to cure it He that knows not his Disease seeks not for Cure And Diseases are best known by their Causes being knowne and removed the Cure is not difficult The efficient and first cause of all misery is God And the want of serious God onely is the cause of all misery and due confideration of this That Gods hand is in every affliction augments the Misery and hinders the Cure This very thing is complained of by the Prophet The people saith he turneth not to him that smiteth them nor do they seek the Isa 9 13. Lord of bests But such stupidity hath possessed the most of the inhabitants of Great Britain in this their miserable calamity that although they feel the stroke they consider not whence it cometh nor why it is either as it is from God or as it is from men We see the rod that 〈…〉 not the hand that holds it we 〈◊〉 aâ— the smaâ—â— as a 〈…〉 and like Câ—iâ— complain of the punishment But we seek not God â—hat us We complain of secondary causes and cry out of other mens faults but no man saith of himself What have I done Jer. 8. 6. Some complain of the diversity of opinions in matters of Religion the many Sects and Schisines not suppressed but rather allowed to the great disturbance of the nation overthrow of Order and Government and cause of all these evils and distractions in the Kingdoms Some condâ—mn the city of London and say The tumultuous multitudes that daily flockt to Westminster with importunate requests were the cause of all they made the King leave London and flee to York and to get first a guard for the safety of his person aâ—tâ—r an army to defend
continuance of this Parliament was the chiefe for the further redresse in things and causes of the kingdomes grievances which else we could not but thinke would quickly have returned to the former evils as we know Petition of Right never observed things did formerly notwithstanding the Petition of Right granted by the King and accepted by the people with great joy and thankfulnesse Yet his Majesty through that wicked counsell hath not observed it What assurance or hope can we have of the continuance of any of the rest to enjoy them any longer then this seeing this is all the security we have for them And this which was one of the last enacted is the first assaulted for if the King may or can breake this he may or will deny us all the rest if such a wicked malignant counsell be still suffered Therefore we have good cause to beleeve that that counsell consented The passing of the Bils of publike benefit in this Parliament but a trap to catch the people to make themselves destroy the Parliament and all Lawes together to the passing of such Statutes onely to insinuate into the peoples affections to blind their eyes with a shew of reformation because they well knew that the heavy burdens and intolerable oppressions that lay so newly upon the backe of the Subjects had imbittered their hearts and enraged the spirits of the people which the passing of those Acts they thought would mitigate that by such meanes they might seduce the people and draw them as they have done to joyne with them against the Parliament that so they might make them instruments to undoe themselves and to destroy all other Acts and the whole Lawes for by this way they have taken they may and meane to destroy all as well as this one for all hangs upon this He that sees not or that will not beleeve that this is their purpose is desperately blind and malitiously wilfull Nor doe I charge the King in these things although it be our greatest misery that his Majesty is thus misled to his own Majesties prejudice and his Subjects ruine we know Kings themselves cannot erre but Kings see with other mens Kings see hear speak and act by other men and are often abused in counsels to the prejudice of their people Dan. 6. 4. 14. eyes heare with other mens eares speake with other mens tongues and act by other mens hands All Kings are guided by counsell Nebuchadnezzar was ruled by his counsell and intrapped by their subtilty to signe a Decree against Daniel which he intended not Ahashuerus was perswaded by the counsell of wicked Haman to signe a Decree against the people of the Jewes under a faire pretence as the wicked counsellors to our King have done and beleeved the counsell to be very good there was a shew of profit which Kings love and a shew of conformity and order a thing very good and desired by Esther 3. 8. 9. all good men Now the King Ahashuerus could not imagine that Haman would betray the life of his Queene who had done no harme to any nor of Mordecai who had saved the Kings life King Rehoboam would not give an answer to his peoples petition till he was advised by his counsell and therein he did well But he did not well to reject the counsell of the old grave counsellors 1 King 12. 8. and follow the counsell of young gallants brought up with him in his youth Now we may thinke it was his affection to the persons of the Flatering counsell seeke their owne advantage not the Kings good men that caused him to harken to their counsell and it is flattery in such men to give such counsell as they know will best please Kings because they seeke honour to themselves not good to the King or revenge upon them they hate though the hazzard the Kings prejudice When Ahab had but a desire to Naboths Vineyard and was denied Jezabel thought that desire warrant enough for her to use the Kings name and his Seale too and to send to all the Elders Nobles and Citizens in the City of Naboth and they all as ready to obey whatsoever was the desire and command 1 King 21. 8. of a Queene because she as the counsellers that rule our Soveraigne puts a very faire pretence upon her bloudy designe as different from her intentions as God is from the Devill the commands a religious fast to be proclaimed and the man that she meant to destroy she pretends to honour Set Naboth saith Verse 〈◊〉 she on high above all the people and that all may passe under pretence of justice and Law Naboth must be accused before all the people and his accusations Verse 13. testified upon oath and he must be accused of no small crime no lesse then treason not onely against the King but blasphemy against God Naboth See Verse 1â— did blaspheme God and the King Gods name is ordinary abused in such bloudy treacherous designes that the shew of holinesse may cover the bloudy designes and all the multitude are ready and forward not onely to Verse 11. beleeve but to act such wicked commands Thus we see Kings have beene misled and wicked things have beene committed under a shew of good and pretence of Religion God hath in great mercy discovered letters written to the great City of Letter Commission sent to London to act bloudy slaughters London the City of our Naboths and Commissions under the great and Royal Seale to effect as bloudy and cruell designes as that of the Counsellours of Nebuchadnezzar against Daniel or that of Haman against Mordecai or of Jezabel against Naboth not onely to have destroyed one Daniel one Mordecai one Naboth but many yea all our Daniels all our Mordecai's all our Naboths and grave faithfull Counsellours of the kingdome and under the notion of defence of the Protestant Religion the Priviledges of Parliament and the knowne Lawes of the kingdome none of which are in the least manner opposed but by them that protest to doe all these bloudy and barbarous cruelties under pretence of defending them I know not what Princes Counsellours or Captaines have consulted to plot this wicked designe what Hamans what Jezabels But I know God hath discovered it and I dare pronounce from the mouth of God who ever they be they shall not prosper Plotters of â—â—caâ—herous bloudy designs shall not prosper whether they have prevailed with the King to consent to it or whether they have done it without his consent as they have done and daily doe what his Majesty never heard of they have more eye upon his Majesty then his Majesty hath upon his Seale or what passeth under it in his name especially in this time of warre wherein all things are common and men cannot keepe their owne wives from the violent lust and rage of bloudy Cavaliers It is not long since God by his wonderfull providence discovered a dangerous
destroy our enemies whether within a moneth or a yeare or a day It is not for us to know the times or the seasons which God hath in his owne power we know not how farre their violence shall yet breake in upon us to kill burne and destroy nor can we tell how God will destroy our enemies when they are growne strong and we weake if God should suffer them so far whetherby fire or halestones from heaven whether by pestilence Iohn 10. 11. Esay 30. 30. 2 Sam. 24. 13. â—er 21. 6. â— Chron 32. 21 Exod. 8. 24. Iosh 24. 12. God will surely deliver his people it they will repent 2 Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 11. 27. or to fall by their owne sword whether by the stroake of an Angell or by a swarme of fles God onely knowes what he will doe and how he will doe it and we know he onely is able to doe what he will when he will and how he will We also know that he will deliver his people and destroy his enemies if we forsake our sinnes and cry unto him because his Word hath spoken it and he hath already in part saved us from our enemies by the worke of his providence in defeating their machinations and diseovering their hellish bloody plots and by saith we beleeve and know that he will effect his owne worke for we live by faith and not by sight Moses forsooke Aegypt and was not afraid of the wrath of a King because by faith hee saw him who is invisible but God hath visibly shewed himselfe in the worke of our deliverance as afterward he did to Moses and his people in the wildernesse who but God Experiences of Gods mercy and protection onely saved the Parliament-mens lives in that bloody assault by the Cavaliers when they stood with their pistalls ready cockt and cryed when is the Word given c. Who revealed their intentions of bringing the Kings Army from Yorke against the Parliament as so one as there was a pacification with the Scots Who moved his Majesties heart to establish this Parliament and these men now sitting which now the Cavaliers would destroy and who infatuated Gods providence cleerely seene for the means of Brittains deliverance their Councels that they did not then hinder that Act as they have done others since Is not God seene in all these things are not these clearer passages of his providence hath not God preserved our Armies from utter destruction by very weake and small meanes Did not God deseate their first bloudy designe against Bristall probably would have shewed his power to deliver them from the last assault if men had not beene afraid and through distrust of his All-sufficiencie lost themselves Did any besides God dis-appoint that barbarous cruelty and hellish treason against London have not thousands of those Innocents designed to death by that Plot seene some of the Plotters and Actors hanged like Hamon upon the Gallowes he set up for Mordica is not all this the worke of Gods Providence with many others which for brevitie Consider the treachery in Hull in the Army in Lincolre and Gods providence preventing 2 Sam. 3. 27. 1 King 2. 5. Iomit Stand still feare not c. And for confirmation of my former assertion namely that they ayme at nothing but at our Lives Lawes and Religion Observe that these Plotters and Actors in this bloody Treason were the cortrivers of that Petition for Peace any Peace upon any conditions served their turne Peace was in their mouthes but Warre was in their hearts for they intended no longer Peace then till they could take us by the heard and sinite us under the fifth Rib. True Peace is a blessing and and to be desired Civill Warre is a soare judgment and to be if possible avoyded therefore Peace is better than Warre but if Warre breake in upon us we must make resistance and stand in our just defence as the Iewes did in Susham and in all the Provinces of Persia when An innocent defensive war is ever lawfull through the wicked councell and cruelty of Hamon they were appointed to slaughter by their resistance they escaped and besides that they had no other meanes to escape it was the worke of Gods Providence to give them lawfull right to use that meaues and they thankefully and prosperously used it and flue of those men that would have slaine them as Iosephus relates in one day three score and fifteene thousand This is our case we are like them by Iosep in antiq lib. 11. c. 6. We may by authority of Parliamentas lawfully destroy our enemies that seeke our lives as the Iewes did wicked councellours sold to be destroyed and our good God hath by his providence given us as just right lawfully to stand in our defence and to make war upon out enemies untill they yeeld their Armes as the Iewes did Those that have misled our Soveraigne King are no better Subjects to him then Haman was to Ahashuerus nor better friends to the people of God neither can they ever recompence the Kings losse Therefore we are bound to make warre against such men Gods enemies the Kings enemies our enemies injurious misleaders of the King against his The Cavalicrs are Gods enemies the kings enemies and enemies to all Gods people most Loyall and best Subjects like that seede of malicious Amalack of which Haman was of the by-race of wicked and prophane Esau a hater of his brother and his posteritie implacable enemies to the people of God There is a destructive Peace as well as a destroying Warre therefore a just Warre is to be chosen rather than an unjust Peace and is warrantably just from the Authoritie of Gods Word there are foure things necessary to make a just watre First that the cause be just Secondly that the cause be waighty Foure things necessary to make a just war Thirdly that it be the last meanes left to maintaine or defend that cause Fourthly that the end be to Gods glory but such is the defensive warre of Great Britaine the cause is Gods in defence of his truth the Kings person and safetie of his Kingdomes his subjects lives estates and freedome against that abhominable Idolatry of Popery and Papists and it is the last meanes or refuge to keepe all or any of these waighty and precious rights The world knowes how often all other meanes have beene assayled before the taking up of Armes and since by humble supplication arguments of law All means of peace was used before the parliament tooke armes and since and all rejected arguments of danger Petitions Messages Treaties and what not but all was rejected and these meanes were so long used that it came neere to a tempting of God and betraying his cause and we are sure no warre was ever under taken more directly to Gods glory than this as it is defensive by the Parliament nor can any warre be more directly against God than the
must now bestirre our selves and quit our selves like men Tenthly consider that delayes are dangerous we see what misery many have suffered which might have beene prevented if we had beene more forward to make resistance and not suffered our selves to be deluded by Proclamations and Protestations Besides if we deferre any longer our corne will be destroyed and taken from us with our cattle and all provision and famine will come quickly among us but by our speedy and unanimous resistance we may by Gods blessing quickly establish our peace and happinesse which the enemie unjustly doth annoy I have beene much larger in this discourse then I intended when I first set Pen to paper and now want time and phrase to abreviate it therefore I send it as it is among friends and foes intreating the Reader to excuse all errours or mistakes by haste and accept the uprightnesse of my intentions I will conclude with a story I remember mentioned by Plutarch concerning Marcus Otho who was by the souldiers Elected Emperour of Rome and opposed by Vitilius Cecenna where upon a Civill war began and one battle fought for the Empire the Souldiers pressed Otho to go on and continue the warre assuring him of victory offering him the last drop of their blood in the cause Marcus Otho replyed I account this day more happy to me then the day I was pronounced Emperour seeing your reall affection unto me and I must dow shew it in not sparing my life for the good of my Country this warre saith he is not a warre against Haniball nor Pyrrhus but against the Romans themselves and whether I conquer or am conquered I shall offend my Country I would rather sacrifice my life for the peace and unity thereof which said he fell upon his owne sword this was his love to his Country But God be praised there is no such cause of a warre in Great Britaine nor cause why there should be such an end of it we desire but our rights and are ready to defend and maintaine the Right Crowne Life and Honour of the King to the last drop of blood yet we cannot have peace but his Majestie is pleased to heare wicked Councellors and give them leave to War against us his faithfull Subjects to destroy us though with the hazard of his owne life and Kingdomes which needlessely he hath and doth expose to danger The whole passages of the late Treaty shew the Parliaments desire of Peace so it might be with securitie there is nothing the King desires but they Grant except the delivering the Kâ—yes and strength of the Kingdome and all our lives into the hands of them that thirst after our blood The maine thing of difference is Whether the King by advise of Parliament shall appoint what persons shall be trusted or whether the King shall appoint contrary to Parliaments advise such persons as his Councell shall choose in these times of danger now if this were not to betray the Kingdome our lives and lawes to the hands of destroyers let the world judge especially if we See the Treaty and Letters will but take notice who and what persons they have long since pitcht upon for the chiefe places as is made knowne to us by the letters that have beene intercepted traytors to the State Now the Parliament is bound in Conscience to God and in Faith to the King and Subject to secure the Kingdome the King and Us from Treason therefore we are bound in Conscience to God in faith to the King and to the Parliament to assist the Parliament with our lives and estates to the last drop of blood and the last penny we are worth against all desperate enemies evill councellours and destroying murderers and robbers Seneca saith There is a King among the Seneca in Clâ—â— lib. 1 chap. 19. Bees and he hath no sting Nature hath denyed it to him because he should not be cruell to seeke revenge nor hazard his life and therefore tooke away his weapon and disarmed his wrath all Kings and Princes saith he ought to consider this excellent example for it is the Custome of Nature to discover her self in little things I might adde other motives but if we looke upon the horrible cruelties of the Rebels in Ireland and consider the rise of that Rebellion set forth in the Parliaments late Declaration that alone is motive enough being in it selfe more horrid and in the consequence much more dangerous to us than that act of the Benjaminites in abusing the Levites Concubine was to the other Tribes of Israel Iudg. 19 25. This being every ones case which we are all bound to vindicate Me thinkes that Declaration from the Parliament is sent through all Britaine like the divided See the Declaration intituled the rise of the Grand Rebellion in Ireland peeces of the Concubine into all the Coasts of Israel and I cannot but say of it as they said of that Consider it take notice and speake your minde Iudges 19. 29. 30. if we have not more reason and juster cause then the Israelites to gather together as one man from all parts of Britaine and resolve never to returne to our owne houses till those miscreants those men of Belial be delivered up to the hand of justice see the place Iudg. 20. 8. 13. and withall consider that place Proverbes 25. 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and the throne shall be established in righteousnesse Now to close up all let me give you some Reasons of my confidence if you thus doe that God will prosper you and give deliverance in his due time to his Church and to his people in this Kingdome and for that take briefely these grounds following First it was the especiall hand of God and his Providence that brought this 7. Reasons or grounds of confidence that God will deliver his Church and people in this Kingdome at this time if we use the meanes before prescribed Iohn 11. 10. 51. Parliament to sit the King was the Instrument and after to establish it for some continuance of time contrary to the expectation of all men and opposite to the long continued purposes and designes of Malignant councellors whom God as strangely infatuated at that time as at another time in another case he as strangely inspired Caiphas to Prophesie that Christ should dye for the Nation Secondly Gods wrath was never kindled against any people or Kingdome but for sinne especially for the sinnes of Idolatry Sabboth-breaking and publike injustice nor hath his wrath continued to desolation but for non-reformation But God hath called this Parliament to purge sinne to overthrow Idolatry to suppresse Sabboth-breakers and to reforme publicke injustice arming them with Soveraigne Authority by his owne power and by the Authority of the King to which worke they have wholly devoted themselves and for that very cause they are at this time so strongly opposed by the powers of hell and earth Therefore God will maintaine his
of them that wickedly shed bloud was not shed God punisheth the impunity of murder by murder As Jacobs sons stain'd the coate of their brother Joseph with the bloud of Kids so Brittains sonnes unnaturall brethren stain the garment of the earth with the bloud of men in every place God is provoked to use the sword of wicked men to punish these guilty Kingdomes The sin is made the punishment of the sin and the punishment will turne to sin upon the heads of the Punishers Absoloms sinne of Rebellion and defiling his fathers bed was the punishment of Davids sin yet it was not lesse then sinne in him The The blood of Queen Maryes dayes cry bloud of Queen Maryes dayes is now required which we have not lamented and therefore hath since then cryed against us The bloud of Queen Elizabeths time is not forgiven though some of those bloud-shedders were by Gods hand cut off shortly after who were guilty for the bloud of guiltlesse Essex and at their end some of them acknowledged Gods hand justly was upon them Other blouds of latter times are fallen in with the complaint of the Marian bloud and now must be avenged together The bloud of Germany puts in an Indictment against us for our neutrality the bloud of France pleads accusations The blood of latter times in the three kingdomes cry of treachery the bloud of all the three Kingdoms joyn in one complaint for impunity and treachery Some spilt in wrath others by conspiracy and false accusations some by poyson and other secret plots and some by causelesse Imprisonment c. The blouds of all thus shed complain with one voice that Justice hath been stopped corrupted and prevented The Avengers of bloud roughly dealt with beaten accused and wholly suppressed false evidences hath been admitted and true Testimony cast out The bloud of the poore is heard cry in Gods eares as well as the bloud of the rich the bloud of Princes and people cry and God is come down to see if it be according to the cry and will not respect the persons of men He is come to judge the earth and will do right to all men And now the bloody and deceitfull men shall not live Psa 58. 11. Gen. 18. 25. out their dayes This is the day of the God of Hoasts the day of vengeance in which he will be avenged on all his enemies He now makes inquisition for bloud Psal 55. 23. Ier. 26. 10. Eccle. 8 12. and will spare none when he hath used the rod to correct his people he will cast it into the fire to be burnt Sixtly Drunkennesse the English mother sin and master destroyer of souls The cause of Gods displeasure upon particular men and the whole Kingdom Drunkennes is justly punished and yeâ— more is threatned as have formerly been observed by many among other judgements upon the grain Barly severall times smitten by drought and wet lesser judgements are warnings and threaten greater if the cause remain but the sin remaines and still raigns and is at this day threatned with greater judgements just answering to the sin Famine is the companion of War and is now entring into the Land hasted forward by an Army of Spoylers worse then the Locusts of Egypt to devour and eat up the fruits of the Land as is threatned for this sinne Weepe and houle ye drinkers of wine the field is wasted the Land Exod. 10. 12. Ioel. 1. 5. 10. mourneth for the Corne is dryed up the abuse of Plâ—nty must be punished with want Seventhly Whoredom a common sin of these Kingdomes secretly committed and openly known but not punished if punished it is the poverty of Whoordom is most justly punished the whoremonger not the sin The Noble so by Title have a tolleration by their greatnesse the rest by their money a sin punishable by Gods Law with death yet suffered by men to escape without correction It hath contracted a double guilt upon the Land the guilt of the sinne and the guilt of Impunity God sent the plague of pestilence among the people of Israell for this sinne and 1. Cor. 10. 8 for it he hath sent severall plagues amongst us and smitten many thousands by death but no Phinehas hath stood up to execute judgement Adulterous marriage have been suffered and connived at and strange marriages with strange Numb 25. 7. Nations and strange religions and strange rebellious broods have followed and likely are crept into some of our greatest Families who usurp the names Strange and Adulterous Marriages are like to be some cause of our presens milery and inherit the Lands of those that never got them The old world was condemned for this the sonnes of God took them wives of the daughters of men of all that they would choose and there were Giants in the earth They made strange marriages such as we in England as that between Lord Mount-Joy and Lady Rich that between Lord Car and Countesse of Essex also secret whisperings of unnaturall Sodamy never questioned The sins conniv'd at in this Nation are such as Abimclech durst not commit nor suffer although he Gen. 20. 7. were a man subject to behold beauty with desire What absurdity were it to believe that the Off-springs of such kind of Matches and Broods have produced a generation to punish the Kingdom for this sin of Whoordom and that God should make them Instruments and Actors to aggrivate our misery at this day who set themselves to do mischief and are mocking Ismaels haters of the children of promise as unnaturall as Absolon who abused his fathers bed and Gen. 21. 9. 2. Sam. 16. 22 3. Sam. 13. 14. as Ammon who d filed his halfe Sister We see in nature that the creatures that generate by couples are tender of the good and preservation one of the other the young own the Male and the Male take care of them whereas among those that generate promiscuously the Male never â—â—reth for the young or the yong never own him But we worse and more unnaturall then the bruit beast seek to ruine one another the father the son the son the father c. Surely Gods hand is plainly seens in the miseries now upon us answerable to this sin of Whoordom besides the former warnings we have had by lesser judgements That is â—ot he least that God hath a long time been silent which presaged great wrath as he said of Israel I will not visit your daughters when they commit Whoordom nor your Spouses when they commit adultery Impunity betokeneth Hosea 4. 14. destruction and now the dayes of visitation are come these are the dayes of recâ—mâ—ence and England will know it and acknowledge it is justly punished Hosca 9. 7 Fightly Lukewarmnesse in Religion England above all Nations is guilty of this sin never people enjoyed so glorious means of knowledge nor never Lukewarme a great sinne and justly punish'd had any people more
King God delivereth his people and brings the wicked to destruction as Daniel did We are innocent before God and against the King have We done no hurt And may expect deliverance by God and revenge by his hand upon those that wrongfully seek our lives Secondly some men are moved to it by Ambitious desires they make honors A second sort of enemies are men ambitious of honour and command and dignities their end to obtain honour they will use any dishonourable wayes and use honour as dishonorably These are men like Aesops dog look at the shadow and neglect the substance Vertue which is the way to Honour they â—â—un and Vice which is the originall of shame they follow and climb to Honor by the staires of Vice would be inobled for ignoble actions These are commonly very active men in things they know will please Princes without respect to Vertue or Justice their end is Honour not Duty And when their end is attained they are yet unsatisfied the more Honour the greater their Ambition especially in the Honour-seeking-Clergie that when they are at highest desire to soare higher and indure no competitour but if crossed in their end they grow secretly discontented full of venome â—alignity and hatred against â—ersons or causes that hinder grow desperate and seek any bloudy revenge and rather then lose their own private ends care not to destroy Kingdoms If they go not forward they 'l set all backward and think it some honour to be buryed Wicked men to game their own ends care not to destroy whole Kingdom â— in the ashes of a Kingdom and therefore raise sedition and civil war against their Prince if he hinder or against God himself to make war against his dearest memâ—ers and thus have some at this day done and do against conscience and knowledge and still blow the fire of Contention to continue and increase Great Britains misery Thirdly another sort of men make Profit and Command their end they are moved and stirred up to Contention and War out of Covetousnesse especially A third sort of enemies are covetous men great men when not contented with their own will be owners of other mens Estates Possessions Inheritances and Rights Kings over their Subjects Lords over their Tenants and men of place and authority over their inferiours to make themselves commanders and â—ords over other mens Rights usurping power against Law and distinguish not betwixt Law and will hence ariseth murmuring impatience and opposition bleeding cruelties and seditious mutinies from a sparke to a flame hence grew the discontent of the people of Israell and the reason why they asked a King that a King might do them Justice and hence 1 Sam. 8. 3 4 5 1 King 12. 16 it was that they revoulted from their King because he did not Iustâ—ce unto them and this hath been one cause of our civill war is our present misery and was the cause of the first civill war in England in the ninth yeer of the raign of King John which occasioned the great Charter agreed upon between the King and the Subiect the beam of upright Soveraignty and subiection but when covetousnesse See Daniel History gets into the one scale the beam turneth and becometh unequall Fourthly others are moved to it by feare safety to themselves is their particular end when by their actions and proiects they have out of malice ambition A fourth sort of enemies are Delinquents covetousnesse or any other way done violence to religion law or the peace of the State and are by the law found faulty and convicted as Delinquents they rise in Rebellion against the Law to escape punnishment in hope by destroying the law they shall prevent the Iudgment of the Law and hence they disturbe the peace and quiet of the Kingdoms rather then they will suffer the just sentence of Iustice they will destroy most unjustly their just Lawes Religion and Kingdom And of this sort there are of all degrees Nobles Clergy Gentlemen Citizens c. These are the principall causers continuance and aggravation of our bloudy War and the hinderers of peace they shun peace as the greatest plague Thus Cataline did being guilty of many crimes to save himselfe conspired against his Country and was assisted by Lentulus Cethegus and many notorious offenders and vile persons who also stood in feare The fift end is spoyle and robbing many deboyft men and of broken fortunes decayed in estates seeke to get estates to themselves out of the ruine and destruction A fift sort of Enemies are men of broken fortunes of the Kingdom by robbing plundering and pillaging honest men and therefore desire to breake the Lawes that they may escape cleerly unquestioned withall their theevery and other insolencies Sixtly some make liberty and licentious loosenesse their end they hate the very name of Resormation either in Lawes or Religion and looke upon them as A sixt sort of Enemies are licensious men their enemies and therefore desire the destruction of Parliaments they prefer licentious liberty and voluptuous pleasures above all Parliaments Lawes or Religion They looke upon it as their God preferring it above God and are worse then Fpicuras their master who knew no other God yet as Seneca saith even in the shop of pleasures voluntarily abridged himself of that content but amongst us there are a sort of men Gentlemen and others who are never satisfied in their Senea in E. pist 18. disordered courses like those described in the booke of Wisdom Say they shall be as if they had never been and shall be forgotten in time therfore will I enjoy all pleasures and not lose any part of their voluptuousnesse Wisd 2. 1 2. 7. c. Others there are that are malitious enemies to the Kingdoms just defence or Newters out of an ignorance of God and the just cause of God as if all their service and obedience to God hung upon their obedience to the commands of A seventh sort that are enemies to God and Religion are Superstitious Ignorant men Math. 15. 6. men make men gods and God nothing making the commandements of God of no effect by the tradition and commandements of men Now because some of these sorts of men especially the latter are so well instructed by the father of envy and grand Seducer of men that they as himselfe did to our Saviour alleadge texts of Scripture to seduce men from their obedience to God to the obedience of men I conceive it very necessary to give a brief Answer to their main Objections They object from that place Rom 13. 1. Let every soule be subject to the higher Power for there is no power but of God c. And that we are bound to render to all that which is their due Tribute Custome Honor Fear to whom t is due Obiect 1 Hence they argue that all men are bound to yeeld obedience to the higher power but the King is highest in power therefore
he must be obeyed Answer All men are bound to yeeld obedience to the higher powers that is granted but that the King is the highest in power is denyed God is the highest in power and there are no Powers but what is from God Answer Therefore God alone is to be obeyed in all things and by all men It is true that the very Office of a King as He is Gods Deputy on earth is to be honoured feared and obeyed Hence it Ioh. 19. 11. is that Peter in another place commands honour to be given him and wise Salomon joyneth God and the King together Fear the Lord and the King Shewing that there is a kind of holy dignity in the Office of a King for which we must fear 1. Pet. 2. 17. honor and obey him as also shewing that there should be no difference between Pro. 24. 21. the Commands of a King and the Commands of God and therefore to be obeyed for conscience sake as Him that is sent of God for the punishment of evill doers and the praise of them that do well and for this cause Kings are to have Tribute Customes Fear Honor c. Kings are principall men set up to defend their Subjects and Rom. 12. 5. preserve Kingdomes by administration of justice not by tyranny to destroy men 1. Pet. 3. 14. and Kingdoms So then the commands of a King is not to be obeyed further then their commands are agreeable to the commands of God Plutarch relates a passage of a woman that was injured and came to King Philip for justice But he willing to put her off she cryed more and with a loud voice saying hear and helpe Oh King or be no longer King Kings are indeed Gods Ministers as Judges Majors Bailisâ—s Constables c. are the Kings Ministers they are to be obeyed for the King and the King for God whose commands they are to command execute and see Bishop Andrew in com 5. doâ— if the King command any thing contrary to Gods command we are not bound to obey it nay we are bound not to obey any such command for then we shall disobey God therein we say as Peter and Iohn we ought to obey God rather than Acts 4. 19. 5. 29. man God only hath absolute power and all other powers are from him The power and authority of a King cannot warrant my disobedience to God No more then a Major or a Constable by his authority or command can warrant me to act No command of any King ca warant the left disobedience to God Dan 3. 16. 6. 10. Ex. 1. 17. 20. 1. Sam. 14. 45 1. King 21. 3 Treason against a King Else why did the three children and Daniel refuse to obey the command of the King And why did the Mid-wives refuse to obey Pharob and God blessed them And why did the people withstand the command of Saul concerning Ionathan And Naboth refuse to give his Vineyard to Ahab So it is cleer that a Kings command is not to be obeyed further then it is warranted by Gods Word Objection 2 Secondly it is Objected That Subjects are bound to pray for Kings as 1. Tim. 2. 2. and to defend their persons life and honour with the hazard of their own blouds as the people would not suffer David to hazard his person against Absolm 2. Sam. 18. 3. nor would David lay his hand upon the Lords annoynted 1. Sam. 16. 11. Therefore subjects may not take arms against their King Answer Answer It is true all subjects are bound to pray for their King that under His Government we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodlinesse and honesty and I do believe that for the ommission of this duty God oftentimes punishâ—th a 1. Tim. 2 2 people by the evill Government of their King and that most justly It is a doubtlesse a great sin in any subject not to pray for their King if it be a duty to pray for It is a duty to pray for the K. and a sin not to pray for him 1. Sam 12. 23 Ester 6. 2 all men much more Kings God forbid saith Samuel that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Also it is the peoples duty to defend the Person State Life and Honor of the King So Mordecba revealed the Treason of King Ahushueru's Ennuches and the people but as duty bound them fought for David against 2. Sam 18 3 Absolon for they say thou art worth ten thousand of us But it was not duty but wickednesse in Doeg to slatter Saul and to incense him against David and 1. Sam 22. 9 against the priests of the Lord and duty in Abimetech to defend Davids innocency against the wrath of Saul but it was murder in Doeg though at the command of the King to fall upon the Verse 14. Verse 18. David might not have kill'd Saul Priests to slay them and well done in other servants of Saul that refused to execute that Command David thought it utterly unlawfull to kill Saul either in his Cave or in his Trenches when he was in his hands but that he was bound to spare him as he did it being by the Law of Arms barbarous cruelty to kill an enemy treacherously but much more for David to kill Saul first because he was a King the Lords anointed as David himself saith 2ly because David should have shewed distrust in God who had promised him the Kingdom after Saul but not by such meanes to shorten the life of Saul Now faith makes not hast but waites Gods time means yet forbids not to use means of defence when the person is unjustly assaulted But we acknowledge it is the duty of every subject to pray for their King we also confesse it is duty by all lawfull means to preserve the life honor and state of the King But if this be duty as undoubtedly it is to do it to this end that God may have glory for that is the Apostol call rule 1 Cor. 10 31 2. Tun. 2 2 in all things and that we may live quiet peaceable and godly lives under him for the Apostle gives this reason why we should pray for Kings Then we are bound to use those means that conduce to that and Therefore to appose treacherous dishonorable Counsellers who by their Subjects are bound to oppose wicked dishonourable Counsellers counsells and actions hinder the Kings welfare endanger his person and life prejudice his honor or molest the quiet and peace of his people and kingdoms and especially such as seeke the dishonor of God and endeavour to take away holinesse religion and just rights take away the wicked from the King and his throne shall be established And this is all that the Parliament and the Kingdom do at this day they stand in the just defence of the King and all that may conduce to his safety and welfare all being by desperate
himself and others Others say The Parliament was too strict and stood upon too high terms with the King raised neealesse Jealousies between His Majestie and His people onely upon suppositions and possessed themselves of his Castles Towns Navie c. All his own proper and just rights but they that pleâ—d this we know put fair glâ—ssâ—s upon corrupted Texts The rest complain of Evil Counsel'ours about the King Bishops and corrupt Clergy that had suckt poison from Rome and were engaged by vow to set up Popery in England and therefore they drew away the King from London and from His Parliament and resolved to joyn His Majestie and the Queen iâ— one Religion as they are one body and to that end they incensâ—d His Majestie against His Parliament first some then more and perswaded him because they could not change Religion except the Laws were in their own handling and that was not ever likely to be so long as Parliaments were of force therefore the Parliament must be first broken which they are now doing 〈…〉 Armies one of Papists at York another at Oxford of Papists and Atheists or between both and when that is done the other will not belâ—ng in effecting Thus severall men of severall opinions complain of severall things as causes of Britains misery and not without cause But God the cause of these and all other causes is not considered of When indeed none of all those causes nor Men nor accidents no cause of mâ—sery without God Isa 45 7. all these if all put together could affliâ—t or trouble us if God did not affliâ—ct us by them It is God that doth all things I form the Light and creats Darknesse I make Peace and create evill I the Lord do all things If the counsell of the wise Councellers do become brutish and the Princes of Zoan become souls or if the Princes of Noph are deceived and have seduced Egypt it is the Lord that hath done it He hath mingled a peâ—verse Spirit in the midit thereof All secondary Isa 19 14. causes are directed by God and cannot of themselves do anything at all either to Misery or Happinesse whether to a Kingdom or to a private man God leadeth Counsellors away spoiled and maketh the Judges fools saith Job Job 12 17. he is the cause of all whether of Misery or Happinesse God stirred up Hadad 1 Kings 11. 14 23. Amos 3 6. and Rezon to be adversaries to Solomon who did much miscâ—iâ—f in Israel Shall there be evil in the Citie and the Lord â—atâ— not done it God is the Authour of all the evil of punishment not of the evil of sin he appointeth every afflection whâ—t it shall be when it shall be upon whom it shall be how much and how long it shall be first What it shall be Whether Sword Pestilence or Famine Thus saith God appoints what it shall be Jer. 15 2. Deut. 18 61. He appoints the time when Job 7. 1. Eccles 3. 1. Upon whom Deut. 29. 21. Fzek 96. How much it shall be Job 1 12. 2. 6. God appoints how long every affliction shall last Rev. 2. 10. Rev 11 11. Psa 129 2 3. the Lord Such as are for death to death such as are for the sword to the sword such as are for famine to the famine c. 2. He appointeth the time when it shall be There is an appointed time to man upon earth saith Job God hath set a time to every purpose saith Solomon 3. He appointeth upon whom it shall be as well every particular man as a nation or kingdom The Lord doth separate every particular man to â—vil he appoints who he shall be and he appoints every particular man that is spared in the time of a generall calamity 4. He appoints how much the punishment or afflâ—ction shall be When Satan had leave from God to afflict Job for before he had leave he could not do any thing at all he was limited how much he must afflict him first he might afflict him in nothing but in his Cattell Goods and Children not touch his body After he had Commiâ—sion to afflict his Body but not to touch his Life 5. He appoints how long tâ—e afflâ—ction shall last If Satan or wicked men have Commission to put any of Gods people into prison or to try them by any other affliction the time is set The devil shall cast some of you into prison and you shall have tribulation ten dayes Yea if they have power to bring them to the brink of death it shall be but for two dayes and a half David complained That the plowers plowed upon his back and made long their surrows but when the time set was expired the Lord cut in sunder their cords and then they could plow no further when the traces by which the horses draw be cut the plow must needs stand still Balaam cannot curse Israel though Balack would give him his house full of silver and Num. 24 13. Gen. 27 33. gold except Gâ—d give him leave Holy Isâ—ack cannot blesse Esau his eldest son if God wiâ—l not have him blessed Nor can Luban nor Esau hurt Jacob Gen. 31. 44. Pro. 16 1. Pro. 16 33. if God will fâ—rbid them nor speak ought but good unto him The preparation of the heart is in man but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. The devil may plot and wicked men may purpose but God despiseth their words and actions Pbaraoh may pursue the Isâ—aelites with a mighty host but he cannot Exod 14. 3. hurâ— one of thâ—m when his Commission is out nor can he save himself from Gods hand So long as God would have the Israelites afflicted every task-master in Egypt could make their lives misâ—rable but when the time is come that God will have the affliction cease Pbaraoh and all his power cannot continue Exod. 21. 7. it one day not so much as a Dog in all Egypt can move his tongue at man or beast And as no affliction can come to Gods people without God so Gods people Good men cannot afflict the wicked without God Num. 14. 40. cannot afflict their afflicters till God appoint the time and means If the Israelites will of their own heads without warrant from God go up to sight against the Ammonites they cannot prevail If Abab will needs go to battle though against the enemies of God without Commission from God he shall not prosper although he disguise himself and arm himself compleatly God can direct an arrow out of a bowe that shall smite him between the joynts of 1 Kings 22 〈◊〉 his harnesse Misery saith holy Job cometh not forth of the dust not doth trouble Job 5. 6. â—â—â—ing out of the ground That is It is not from below but from above there is no place for chance or fortune or can the miscarriages of actions and things beget misery but as God useth such means to effect his own will There can
be no Peace when God calleth for War nor shall there be any War when God calls for Peace When he gives quietnesse who can make trouble and when he hideth Job 43. 29. his face who can behold him whether it be done against a nation or against a man onely War and Peace are at Gods beck so is all other calamities If he call for Pestilence or Famine in a Kingdom City or Family it shall come and cannot be hindred He hath now called for War upon the inhabitants of Isa 25 19. Great Britain and hath begun to bring evil upon the Kingdoms and Cities thaâ— are called by his Name and who but he can call the Sword back from us If God wound who can make whole when he troubles a nation who can give quietnesse if he have purposed to destroy us the whole world cannot deliver us out of his hand Every War is in its own nature destructive but a sedicious unnaturall War such as God hath now called for upon us is most miserable and most destructive one of the forest of all Gods Judgements and yet may prove more miserable in respect of the effects if God should as we have just cause to fear call for Famine and for Pestilence both which are the usuall companions of such a War So it was in Jerusalem as their seditious War increased Famine and Pestilence the companions of Civill-War Ios Jâ—ws wars 1â— c 11. Ios Jews wars l. 7 c 8. Euseb Ecclesiast hist l. 7 c. 21. so the Famine raged as a double fire it waxed hot that as Josephus reports the rich by stealth exchanged all their wealth for a measure of wheat the poor all they had for a measure of barley The Seditious Robbed Racked and killed those that had any food and hid it from them the mothers snatched the meat from the Infants mouâ—hes yea did slay and eat their own children And Eusebius relates the misery of Civill-Wars in Alexandria accompanied by the Plague of Pestilence so miserable that all houses were annoyed by the dead bodies no house free raging and infecting one another And thus it was in Germany by their late and still continued War Yet this doth not alwayes fall out because sometimes God forbids these two latter Plagues to enter when his hand is seen and acknowledged in the first and that he finde the hearts of men to seâ—k out the true remedy of cure for God brings not the first but when he is provoked nor will call for the latter if his anger be appeased by removing the causes For God openeth the ear to Discipline and commandeth to return from iniquity and theâ— who can say it shall be when the Lord commandeth it not Job 36. 10. Lam 3. 37. Job 12. 23. He increaseth the nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the nations and straitneth them again The mightiest Monarchs Kingdoms and Cities have their Ebbs and Flows and their â—eâ—iods too God hath appointed their times of change and of ruine Ninevie once at the Preaching of Jonah was spared but Ninevie whose walls were in compasse 60 miles in height 100 foot the breadth able to receive three carts one meeting the other having 150 Towers of great height and strength yet was destroyed by the Caldees And that famous Citie of Jerusalem whose walls was trebble and bulwarks invincible was made an heap of stones And the Kingdoms of Judea destroyed by the Romanes Proud Nebuchadnezzar when he had felt the all disposing hand of God confessed That God doth all things what soever he will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants Dan 4 35 of the earth nâ—ne can stâ—y his hand or say to him What doest thou Thus much of the efficienâ— Cause In the next place we are to consider of the meritorious cause of all misery The meritorious cause is sin Rom. 6. 23. and of the misery of Great Britain at this day The meritorious cause is sin The wages of sin is death There was no misery no affliction no sorrow till there was sin Where sin entred it made way to misery by Adams sin all men became sinfull and by sin all men became obnoxious to all misery Sin is no creature God made it not nor is God the authour of sin nor of any evil except the evil of punishment which is the reward of sin nor is God delighted to punish or make his creatures miserable In the midst of Judgements Psal 73. 38. Lam. 3. 23. God remembers Mercy He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men but is afflicted in all their afflictions But God who is essentially Isa 63. 9. and eternally just rendreth punishment as the wages and due reward for sin All sorrow sicknesse pains pestilence famine war c. are the effects and rewards of sin Sin makes a separation between God and a sinner Isa 59. 2. Psal 66 13. it causeth God to turn away his face from him that he will not hear his prayers though he make many prayers yea the prayers of such a man as Isa 1. 15. Pro. 28. 9. allows himself to live in sin is abomination to God Sin is that onely thing that God hates and why he is angry with his creatures Sin cast the Angels down from heaven to hell and Adam out of Paradise For sin the old world was destroyed by water Sodome and Gomorrah by fire The earth opened and swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram for sin And for sin Herod was Num. 16 32. eaten with Worms In a word By sin we war against God and for sin God maketh war against us Sin sets open a wide flood-gate for all judgements to enter and break in upon kingdoms and people Particular sins let in particular judgements Nationall sins nationall judgements Now if any ask What is sin The Apostle gives the answer Sin is the 1 Joh. 3. 4. The description of sin what it is transgression of the Law of God Whosoever leaves undone any thing that the Law of God commandeth or doth any thing that the Law forbiddeth he sinneth the sum of this Law is contained in the Decalogue or Ten Commandments Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the Gal 3 10. Book of the Law to do them This curse comprehendeth all misery in this life and in the life to come though but once committed The Angels sinned but once and that but in thought and were delivered to chains of darknesse to be 2 Pet. 2 4. Gen. 3 13. Levit. 10. 1 2. reserved unto further judgement Adam for our sin was punished in his own person and in all his posterity Nadab and Abiram consumed for once offering strange fire and the sword never departed from Davids house for one 2 Sam. 12 10. act of Adultery and Murder Now if any one sin but once committed deserve the whole wrath of God how much more when often itterated But there are some
encouragement to be zealous for God then England yet England blind naked poor miserable England is grosly ignorant or carelesly formale How shall God but spue thee out of his wouth for thy Lukewarmnesse that art neither hot nor cold for this sin the wrath of God is gone out against Rev. 3 16. us we have revolted from him We have pleaded for Popery as Israel for Baal we have swarved from the Covenant of our God and are not zealous for his Truth nor will not contend for the faith once given to the Saints And therefore because when wee knew God we glorified him not as God Rom. 2. 12. c. Therefore God hath given up our Lukewarme Gentry in every County with their Followers to vile affectious and a reprobate minde to be deluded and beleeve a Lie that while they professe to defend the Protestant Religion they 2. Thes 2. 7. c. lose their lives in the offensive War against it It is a strange mistery that Papists should Jeopard their lives to defend that they most hate but such is the mistery of iniquity that now worketh with the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in our Lukewarm though Learned Centry God hath for this sin given them up to a reprobate mind filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication Verse 10. wickednesse coveteousnesse maliciousnesse envy murdering debate deceit malignity haters of God c. to their own ruine and their lasting infamy to Rom 1. 29. 30. Posteritie to come consider it Oh ye Inhabitants of great Brittane for Gods hand is heavy at this day for this sin repent therefore and be zealous or God will spue us out of his mouth and seperate us from the Congregations of his people if for his own name sake he will preserve his Church yet he will dispeople the Land if we be not zealous in time Thus much of the second cause and of particular sins The third thing to be considered is the instrumentall cause of great Brittains Satan is the efficient cause of sin and the Instrumentall cause in punishment misery and that is either inward or outward The inward Instrumentall cause is the Devill working upon mens corrupt nature and drawing them to sin The Devill is the efficient cause of sin but the instrumentall cause of punishment He casts into mens hearts the seeds of all sins and sin as is before shewed brings all misery Why hath Satan filled thy heart saith Peter to Annanias Satan fills the heart with sin either by suggesting Acts. 5. 3. thoughts into the heart or bringing objects to the eye or eare By thoughts hee brought David to number the people and so brought misery 1. Chr 21. 1. hence it is that the Apostle bids that we give not place to the Devill that is to Eph. 4. 27. evill thoughts By objects to the eye he brought David to commit adultery and so brought misery By objects to the eare he tempted Eve by the voice of 2. Sam 11. 2. the Serpent and by the report of the Spies drew the people to murmour in the Gen. 3. 4. Wildernesse and so brought misery the Devill hath no power over the will of Num 13. 28. any man to compell him to sin his power is onely by such delusions to blind the mind and darken the understanding and his power is great by these meanes upon them that believe not the Gospell of Christ hence it is that hee is called 2. Cor. 4. 4. the God of this World and a Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Ephe. 2. 2. The Devill is the father of all Sedition the originall of Envy and all contention he is the tempter to all wickednesse first he set man at variance with Gal. 5. 20. lames 3. 15. his maker and so all the creatures one against another for this cause God hath put an everlasting enmity between him and the seed of the woman and the same Gen. 3. 15. enmity is between wicked men and the godly By the seed of the woman is meant Christ and his children therefore in Scripture those that are of Christ are called the Children of God and all wicked men they are called the children 1. Joh 1. 12. Iohn 3. 44. of the Devill and his works they do Wicked men are the Devills souldiers to make War against the Children of God against all the seed of the woman who keepe the Commandements of God and have the Testimony of Rev 12. 17. Jesus Christ So then the outward cause is wicked men the seed of that old serpent the The outward cause of our misery is wicked men Devill These are naturally stirred up to envy and hatred against the godly they hate purity and holinesse as that which is contrary to their very being there is a direct Antipathy between their practise and holinesse as contrary as darkenesse is to light They are therefore called the children of darknesse and Ephe. 5. 8. 3. Thes 5. 5. the godly Children of light then what agreement between light and darkenesse between God and Belial These are the Devills instruments that at this day warre against us and cause our misery some act by violence some act by 2. Cor. 6. 16. counsell all are doing and will do till God take them off some are like Achisopbell when he counselled Absolon to lye with his fathers Concubines some 2. Sam. 2. 621 like the counsellors of Rehoboam set the King against his people some like the Ziphits to flatter with Saul they make complaints and use treachery against 1. King 12. 20. 1. Sam. 26. 1. innocent David some by wicked actions as the Prophet told Ahab that he 1. King 13. 18. troubled Israel by forsaking the Commandements of God Thus Athalia the Queen daughter to idolatrous Ahab she insinuated into Joram the King and Vide Iosep an tiq lib. 9. â—ha 1. taught him to do many mischiefs among the rest to adore strange gods and afterward she her selfe slew all the seed Royall We see the words of Solomon verified the things that hath been is that which shall be and we see no neâ— 1. King 11. 1 thing under the sun We cannot say this is new c. Besides all this the Devill Eccl. 1. 9. 10. hath other instruments to make Gods people miserable by robbing spoyling killing c. Thus the Sabeans and Caldeans were his instruments to afilict Iob Iob. 1. 12. 14. so soon as he had obtained Commission to afflict he presently hath his instruments to act it the Devill worketh in them at his will so he hath the winds Ephe. 2. 2. and the waters the ayr fire c. which he can use for his instruments to afflict Now that it may clearly appear who they bee that are the instruments of Britains misery I will divide them into seven sorts when devided they may be easily known First a woman it is pitty it
hearken ye house of Israel for judgement is towards you c. Hosea 5. 1. The matter and form of Great Britains misery namely that out of which it is and that by which it is what it is are Oppressions Ambitious desires Alteration of Religion Destruction of Laws Multitudes of Opinions Sects Schismes Jealousies c. The Subject oppressed by Illegall Taxes Loans Mulcts c. The weaker The matter sorme of our misery trodden down and spoiled by the mighty Laws awed by greatnesse made snares to catch men Wolves made Shepherds to fleece the flock and feed themselves Bishops by unconscionable Edict binde the consciences of men which Christ hath made free The purity of Religion contemned Errors and Heresies maintained Popery countenanced and Idolatry set up Synods deserted Gal 5. 1. and Parliaments annihilated Godly men imprisoned dismembred banished c. against the justice of Law under an established jâ—st Law used by the handlers of it either as Law or no Law as the Asses ears in the Fable either ears or horns as they would interpret them at the best the Laws were but like Cobwebs as Plutarch once said they catch Flyes but cannot hold great Hornets in short Law was for the most part used between a great rich man and a poor but for if such a thing can be a Legall Oppression to take away Rights and Inheritances and to impose slavery upon sree Subjects Hence grew Distractions and Fears and from Fear Commotions and Tumults The unjust Oppressor was afraid of punishment the Oppressed feared Guilt and â—ealousie greater cruelty and more violence yea an overture of Religion and Laws and not without cause Here 's the matter of Great Britains Civil War and present Misery animated by a third sort of discontented men like Sheba the son of Bichri light irreligious prophane broken-fortuned men Sons of Belial that blow up the 2. Sam. 20. 1. fire of Contetion hating Religion and fearing Law to whom war is peace and peace ruine These are most saf in the midst of a seditious war especially when under pretence of Loyalty to the King and love to the common good Desperate unthâ—â—fis live by War spoile they may draw many after them to effect their own private ends by raisurg and continuing Seditious war It was truly said by one of the Ancients That that Man who is the causer of such a Civil seditious war is not to be numbred among men but banished from the Society of men And Nstor a grave and wise Councellor among the Grecians affirmed in open Synod upon a cause of discontent that a mover to Civil war was a most cruell wretched and detestable man not worthy to live Adde unto these many bloody treacherous cruelties murders rapine and all violent insolencies spoyling of countries burning of houses towns Corn outcryes of women maydens and children abused by mercilesse bruitish Miscreants Three Kingdomes all devided not devided one against another but every one divided within and against it selfe not as Ephraim against Mannassah one Tribe against another but every Tribe every City every Country against it selfe to destroy it selfe Father against the son and The misery of Britains division son against the father Brother against Brother Kinsman against Kinsman deer friends are become deadly enemies The sons of one Mother neerest in alliance the Professors of one Religion and subjects under one King by nature religion and law bound to defend one another against all other enemies Thâ—se are enemies one to another Traitors destroyers yea cruell butchers one of another and are joyned with forraign enemies and homebred bloudy Papists Idolaters against themselves the protestant Religion the Laws of the Kingdome the estates rights and liberties of their Posterities Oh Esay 1. 23. Rev. 2. 9. Zeph. 3. 3. Misery of miseries sent from God to punish a sinfull People The Prophets cry Peace and make War the Nobles pretend Law and destroy Law oppresse and robbe by violence Those that say they be Protestants destroy the Protestant Religion the makers up of the breaches are the pullers down of the Hosea 4. 9. walls to let in Popery and all Licentiousnesse All sorts are joyned with the Spoylers and do destroy as far as fraud or force can prevaile no Age no Sex None freed from violencâ— of any degree age or sex Degree or Dignity can protect any from violence Ireland wallowes in her own blood England hath deeply imbruyed her hands in Phlebotemie and still makes progresse in all Immanity Scotland stands at the brinke of the same pit of misery The first in intention though last in execution the same seditious seeds are sown there as in England or Ireland although they have not grown up so fast in that Land yet if God prevent not they may at the second Spring sprought out and prove as destructive as else where Ireland hath almost bled her last England is waxen pale with bleeding and Scotland trembles at the two first parts of the bloudy Tragedy acting in England and Ireland expecting the next Scene upon their own Stage And our watchmen that should give us warning of our dangers are the men that bring us into danger our shepheards that should gather the dispersed flock together they are the Scatterers of the sheep and devourers of the flocks our teachers from whom we should receive direction and knowledge are seducers and deceivers they Mal. 2. 7. Iud. 11. Ier 5. 31. run greedily after the way of Balaam for reward the Prophets prophesie lies and the people love to have it so Yea these men have deceived our King our Hope our peace Gods Deputy set over us to be our Protector stiled The Defendor of the Faith c. yet Psal 82. 3. Indg 10. 1. Esay 49. 22 doth nothing in our defence nor for the defence of the Faith but is ofsended with the Faithfull our Queen appointed by God to be a Nursing Mother seeks to take away the childrens bread And the hopefull Issue are trained up amongst Swearers Drunkards Idolaters and bloudy wicked men for these A presâ—ge of future misery things I weep mine eye mine eye runneth downe with water because the Comsorter that should deliver my soule is farre off the Children are desolate because the Enemy prevailed Lam 1. 16. If our misery were but the misery of War it were not so much if a war against a Forraign Enemy it were the lest of miseries or but a war against Papist onley it were tollerable for then a man might know his enemies and fly to a Protestant for help or shelter or at least to bemoane one another The father might fly to the son the son to the father one brother to another one friend and one neighbour to another but our enemies are promiscuously mingled with us we know them not till they betray us they converse with us in neerest familiarity and as David spake of Achitophell in the person
â—sa 55. 1. 314 of Judas so we may say of them they take counsell with us they eat and drink a our table c. and we have trusted them with our neerest secrets it is with us as once with Jerusalem among all her lovers there was none tocomfort her all dealt treacherously with her And as our Saviour himselfe foretold that a mans foes should be of his own houshold meaning as I conceive Lam 1. 2 Mica 7 6 Mâ—â—â— 11. 30 those that professe to be his Desciples as well as of a domestick Family such as take upon them to preach Christ that they shall be his greatest enemies as we have seen and find at this day in Bishops Deans and the multitude of corrupt Clergy and Minster-mungers haters of hollinesse hellish Sophisters pretend to preach Christ while they by all their power set up Anti-Christ the Apostle hath long before told us that in these last times it should be so that some should depart from the Faith and give heed to the Doctrine of Devills Be lovers of themselves covetuous boasters proud blasphemers without naturall affection despisers of them that are good having a Forme of 2 Tim. 2. 3 5. 4. c. godlinesse but denying the power thereof And thus of the matter and forme of Great Britains misery The finall cause of it is two fold First as it is from God the Author secondly The finall cause of great Brittains misery is two-fold first from God as it is from men the instruments As it is from God it is also twofold for the good of his children and to destroy his enemies All the afflictions calamities and miseries that God brings upon the godly are for their good All things work together for good to them that love God our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and Rom 8. 29. eternall weight of glory First by afflictions God makes them examine themselves 1. Cor. 4. 17. for sin thus David did thus the Church did search and try and turn 1. Sam. 22. 1. Lam 3. 40. to the Lord affliction prepares the heart for grace and advanceth to glory Secondly it weaneth them from the world makes them contemne the vanities of the world which before they liked David saith it was good for him Psal â—19 Verse 67. 71. that he is afflicted before I was afflicted I went astray 3. By it God tryeth their â—aith and patience as he did Job every grace is exercised which else lies dead in Iob 2. 6. Heb 11. 17. Iob. 34. 63 them not known to themselves nor to others 4ly By it God corrects them for sins past and brings them unto better obedience that they may live after the will of God not after their own lusts In a word God afflicts the godly 1. Cor. 11. 32. 1. Pet. â— 7. 1. Pâ—t 4 2. for their Reformation they are purged by it from their sins as gold is purified in the Furnance of Fire when thy judgements are in the earth the Inhabitants of the world will learne righteousnesse The afflictions of the godly are Esay 48. 10. Pâ—â—â— 12. 6. Pro 17. 3. Esâ—y â—â— â— not punishments they are but shews of punishment shewing onely what they deserve not inflicted as they deserve their present affliction is their hell and it lasts at the longest but for terme of life afterward cometh joy and everlasting happinesse as the Apostle teacheth Henceforth is layed up a Crown God afflicts his children in love shewing what they deserve not afflicting them as thâ—y deserve 1. Tun. 4. 8. of Righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give unto all them that love his appearing Now for the ungodly and wicked it is not so with them for all afflictions to them are reall punishments and as Mr. Calvin observes are but the earnest of Gods wrath and beginnings of their everlasting misery hasten their ruine and destruction wicked men in all their afflictions either run farther from God or seek to unlawfull means for help as Saul did or seek unto God Gods afflicts wicked men in anger 1. Sam. 28. 7. 1. King 21. 27. Hosea 7 14. Esay 1. 5 Deut. 6. 15. Dâ—ut 28. 65. 2. Sam. 17. 23. Math 27. 3. Exod 14. 7. with fained affections and with hypocriticall hearts as Ahab did but they forsake not â—heir sin they howle upon their beds but in hypocrisie while the judegement is upon them for they still rebell against God the Lord complaineth of them thus Why will ye be striken any more ye will revoult more and more And so they hasten destruction till Gods anger be kindled and he destroy them from the face of the earth yea themselves in their afflictions to ease their bodies send their soules by their own impatient hands presently to hell as Ahitophell and Judas and Pharoh who were more hardened by afflictions and grew more enraged against God and Gods people and so hastned their owne ruine Secondly the finall cause as it is from the Devill and his Iesuiticall Faction The finall cause of Brittains misery as it is from the Devil men Iob 1. 11. Luke 22. 31. Pet. 5. 8. Iob. 2. 2. the instruments it is nothing but the utter subversion of our holy Religion and replantation of Popery the overthrow of Laws and Liberties and introducing an Arbitrary Government for Satan and wicked men hate the godly and seek by all means to destroy them As for Satan he compasseth the earth and walketh continually too and fro in it turning every stone to worke molestation and mischief to the faithfull And for wicked men though their chief Ayme be that which I have spoken yet they have also other particular ends of their own especially in this present destroying and seditious war and their ends are divers according to the divers affections and inclinations But all in general dis-affect holinesse naturally and therefore all take part against Wicked men hate holinesse and holy men religion and laws and desire their destruction that maintaine or practise either and associate themselves with those that seek to overthrow them this is the first end and onely moving cause in Jesuits Papists Bishops and others Popishly affected of this war and misery Observe first how they used all hellish policy for divers yeers before this Parliament began to keep off all Parliaments Contempt of Parliaments and to bring them out of use that so the laws might dye by a poysoning death and by degrees perish And that our Religion might not out-live our Laws which indeed it cannot probably they had a poyson to destroy it secretly and hypocritically under a fair pretence of Gods honor to setle Conformity Iohn 19. 7. and Order in the Church and by their policy and power corrupted the Courts of Iudicature Then by their own law among themselves punished Fined Imprisoned and Banished all true sound Protestants zealous for God
and for the truth and power of Religion Ministers and Laiety calling them as Ahab did Eliah Troublers of Israel And as Saul through ignorance they through malice make havock of the Church accusing them by the Acts. 17. 19. names of factious men that raised new Doctrines which they cast reproaches Acts 28 22 upon and caused to be spoken against thus they Suspended Imprisoned Silenced and Banished our best Orthodox Divines men conformable to the estaâ—â—â—shed Persecution of 〈…〉 Ministers Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England not Annabaptists Brownists Famalists Donatists c. which if they had onely done we should not so justly complaine but choice Protestants men fearing God walking orderly warranted by Gods word and the Laws of the Kingdom onely refusing their new popish Canons and Oaths imposed contrary to Gods word and our established Laws yet now these say they fight for the Protestant Religion but as before to take it from us and therefore when former policies could not prevaile they took arms to cut off Religion and Law at once in destroying this Parliament by force and by the same force to make a Parliament The destruction of this Paâ—â— were the destruction of all They that were the Causers of the war in Ireland were cause of the warre in England of their own choice to repeale what Laws they please and to set up Popery in full power in all the three Kingdomes of Great Britain and afterward to suppresse the Protestant Religion through all the Christian world Nor let me be mistaken for I think not that the King intends all this but this is the intent and ayme of the Iesuiticall Plotters We see a proofe of it in Ireland They have perswaded the King to take arms against his Parliament by their unjust reports and false calumniations as if the Parliament would straighten the Kings prerogative and deprive Him or his Posterity of their just Rights and so they make it the Kings particular quarrell till they have made Him their Agent so far as lies in him and then they will not spare to destroy him if he hinder the rest that they have resolved upon God rebuke them and save his people The Parliament and with them all we Protestants may in the presence of God with upright hearts say to the King as David said to Saul in the like case Wherefore 1. Sam. 24. 9. hearest thou mens words saying Behold the Parliament or thy people the Protestants seeks thy hurt But we are all accused by corrupt Counsellors to our King as the three Servants of God were to Nebuchadnezer by the heathen â—an 3. 8. 12. Caldeans and for no cause but as they refused to worship and Idol so we for refusing to adore Popish Ceremonies and to give away our Birth-rights and Liberties And as Daniel by the precedents and princes because they hated him for his goodnesse and could find nothing against him to accuse him of but treacherously in the matter of his Religion Therefore they devise a way pleasing Dâ—n 6. 3 4 to the King and destructive as they thought to Daniel in which all the Precedents Verse 5. Princes Governours Counsellors and Captains consulted together and come to the King urging Him to establish a Royall and firm Decree that Verse 7. no man ask any Petition but of the King for thirty dayes in which they pretend honor to the King and order in the Kingdom and the King signed it for He looked not to their private bloudy end Now they knew Daniel would be constant in Prayer to his God therefore they watch him and found him praying Versâ— 1â— so accuse him of the breach of the Kings Law and regardlesse of the King Then the King see his error and as the Text expresseth was displeased with Himselfe that He had made such a Decree and set his heart to save Daniel to deliver him but they urge his Acts which they say cannot be changed The King yeelds to them against nature both in respect of conscience and affection a weaknesse but afterward he shewed justice upon the unjust Accusers 〈◊〉 24. Here 's the authority of Sacred word to confirm the story and here 's the example of error mercy and justice in a heathen King who as Josephâ—â— relates â—xample of 〈◊〉 was by the Malignant Princes haters of Daniel urged to cast Daniel into the Lyons Den a second time alleaging as is usuall in such men to bâ—inde the Kings See Josâ—pas in his book of an-tiquities Chap. 11. judgement that the Lyons were all gorged before and therefore had not destroyed Daniel Whereupon the King commanded the Lyons to be glutted with meat and then cast in those Malignants Princes to try if the Lyons would touch them when they were gorged who were presently devoured c. Hence may arise severall Inferences which for brevity I passe onely this by Inferences observeable way of instance First that wicked Councellors seek the destruction of good men more then the preservation of the common good Here is a plain instance Ester 3. 8 9 1. Sa. 2â— 9. 10 Ier 20. 1. 2. of the truth of it as is seen in Hamans plot against Mordecai and his people we see it in Doeg against David in Pashur the Priest against Jâ—remy and others frequent in holy Scripture Secondly that wise and good Kings may be intrapped by the snares of wicked Councells we have instance in this King Nebuchadnezzer so in King Ahashuerus to the destruction of his Queen and her people in Ester 3. 6 c. Salomon the wisest of Kings by the counsells and insinuations of strange wives in his son Rehoboam by the counsell of yong men c. See it in King James of happy memory a second Salomon for wisdom yet by the policie of Gundamores infusing a Romish Spirit into some of His councell which we beleeve he saw at last but seeing dyed c. And to the grief and great misery of His Majesties Subjects His Majestie is this day abused and His Kingdoms ruin'd by the same Romish Faction Thirdly here is instance of Gods protection to his people When Kings through Gods mercie for their errors and the unjust malice of wicked Councellors Example of gods protect 6 Gods people have present joy and comfort both in the State and in their own conscience alâ—o that the enemies of Gods people are cut off by the same judgements that they intended to bring upon the godly it was so with Nebuchadnezzer his Princes were eâ—ten by the Lyons but Daniel escaped Haman Ester 7. 10. Ester 9. 2. 3. was hanged upon the Gallâ—wâ— provided for Mordecai Mordecai had his honors and all they that took Arms against the Jews were slain by the Jews and the Iews escaped c. Observe that our case at this day is the case of the three Children of Daniel Mordecai and the Jews who may with good conscience say to our
is absolute without condition except they will confesse and say plainely what we have before alleadged namely that this Act as all these Acts of grace so much boasted of was passed onely to deceive the people and therefore no Act because no Act was meant But this cannot annull the Act it is but like the plea that the Argians made when they had falsified the truce with Cleomenes King of Macedon which they made for seven dayes And the third night after the Argians when the Macedonians were secure fell upon them and said the truce was but for the dayes the nights were not mentioned We know divers such equivocations and Jesuiticall cavils were transported from Spaine by Bristoll and so brought to the Court to counterfeit truth as the Bristoll stone doth the Diamond But now they have a new devise to deceive the people by Proclamation under great shew of justice and tender care of the Subject it is no better then the Foxes Sermon when he meanes to devoure we must obey frothy Proclamations and disobey solid and law full Orders of Parliament we must count By Proclamaron we are â—abid to obey any Vote of parliament the parliament â—â—disallowed at Westminster as no parliament but a Oxford where it may beawed it that he accepted the Parliament a Parliament or no Parliament as the Proclamation shall conclude if it remove to Oxford a Parliament if it remaine at Westminster no Parliament at Oxford it may be forced but at Westminster it will be free Therefore while it is at Westminster it is but a pretended Parliament though by the Kings owne Act confirmed during the pleasure of both Houses and necessity of the kingdom yet now we must beleeve that they are traytors and raised an Army to take away the Kings life and to murder the Queene We must beleeve their glosse not the text what they say not what 's true wise men may easily see the snare and passe by We see our misery and the causes of it the cure followes but before we meddle with the cure take notice of an errour in men seeking cure from things that Error in the cure of misery cannot help and that increaseth our misery we have in all our afflictions looked too much to the hand of men as the causes and so for cure and we have trusted to the arme of fiesh to the creature and to outward meanes and consider not that they are vaine all things under the Sun saith Salomon are vanity and vanity of vanities not able to keepe themselves from misery much lesse can they helpe us or cure our misery When God hath as formerly afflicted us with pestelince we have attributed it to outward causes corruptayre ill diet c. and sought cure by medicines or fly from infected places to escape it When God sent great droughts or extraordinary raine which hath smit the fruits of the earth we have beene ready to ascribe it to the conjunctions of Planets and to naturall causes and from thence have expected remedy When we have had rumours of any forraine enemy by invasion we have trusted to our seas and shipping and our great preparations by Land When we were afflicted by oppressions taxations and crrruption in justice we ascribe the cause to the discontinuance of Parliaments and seeke to Parliaments for cure thus we have looked to the arme of flesh in all In our great and long afflictions under cruell task-masters and heavy burdens laid upon us we cryed undo the Parliament to ease and helpe us but we were not thankfull to God that miraculously gave us a Parliament nor sought unto God by prayer to blesse our Parliament to us and make our Parliament a meanes to cure us but we sought unto the Parliament earnestly by We look upon Parliaments as gods not as Gods means to deliver us Petitions from every part of the kingdome as if they were our gods and because they cannot helpe us as we desire we murmure against God and against them as the stubborne rebellious Israelites did against Moses and Aaron in the Wildernesse because they enjoyed not presently what they looked for they wish they had died in Egypt rather then to be brought into the Wildernesse to be a prey to the enemies c. So we because we have not present cure of our misery we wish we had no Parliament we complaine that our burdens are greater and our misery much more increased and better with us when we were in our former bondage this was the Israelites sinne and is ours for this sinne their carcasses fell in the Wildernesse for forty yeares and they never see the good land of promise And for this sinne many of us have fallen and more will surely fall except we repent and shall never see the day of our deliverance nor cure of our misery because our hearts have not beene prepared 2 Chron. 20. 33. 2 Chro. 12. 14. to seeke God We have sought to our Parliament and vanity was there because we would not see God in it we have sought to our King and vanity was there too we have sought to our Armies trusted in the strength of our men and horse and glorious preparations as if that could cure all and vanity is writ in the face of all these things We looked to Holland to befriend All the helpe looked for from any creature is vanity Eccles 1. 14. us and upon our Brethren the Scots to come to our helpe And behold vanity is found in all our hopes All creatures are vanity we prove the words of the Preacher true in all for all is vanity and vexation of spirit When God for the sin of his people Israel sent unexpected terrible thunder and lightning amongst them they cried to Samuel to pray for them Samuel bids them not to turn aside to 1 Sam 12. 21. follow after vaine things which saith he cannot profit nor deliver for they are vaine all are like Jobs friends miserable comforters as a stasse of reed on which Job 16. 2. 2 King 28. 21. if a man leane it will breake and pierce his hand all these things will fersake us leave us in our misery they shall wander every one to his quarter none shall Esa 41. 15. Psal 60. 11. Psal 62. 9. Psal 31. 6. save thee vaine is the helpe of man faith holy David and why because men of lov degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie Therefore saith he I have hated them that trust in lying vanities but I will trust in the Lord God is our refuge and our strength a very present helpe in time of trouble The righteous Psal 40. 1. Psal 34. 17. cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their trouble God will helpe the righteous when they cry unto him He and he onely gives ability to Parliaments turnes the hearts of Kings prospereth Armies and stirreth up friends to helpe God is the true helper all
of your fast ye finde pleasure and exact all your Labours you fast for strife and debate and smite with the fist of wickednesse is it such a fast that I have chosen will you call this a fast and an Esay 58. 3. acceptible day to the Lord God accounts of such services although for matter they be the same that God requireth but as if we slew a man or cut off a verse 5. dogges necke or offer Swines blood all which he abhorreth and hath expressely Esay 66. 3. forbidden Therefore it highly concernes every man to examine his owne heart how Man must examine their hearts in the duties of Fasting whether they doe it to God or for their owne benefit Ier. 14. 10. and why he keepe his dayes of fasting whether it be in humility of soule humbly to seekes God by repentance and reformation of sinne or formally onely to remove the evill of punishment that is present upon him for then we fast to our selves not unto God and so we may Fast and Pray call and cry but God will not heare us to doe us any good but will punish us more for our impenitencie God told his owne people that thus fasted When ye Fast I will not heare your cry I will not accept of your offerings and oblations But I will consume you by the sword and by the Pestilexce The Fast that God hath chosen is to repent and to be humbled for our sinnes and to make our Peace and reconciliation with him to cease from evill and to doe good and exercise the duties of mercy and charity to renew our covenant and seeke him by prayer Thus God requireth to be enquired of And this the Parliament Esay 58. 6. 7. Ezek. 36. 37. 2 Chron. 15. 15. like good Asa in their late Covenant drive at as the meanes to obtaine mercy and to be healed of our misery for God will be thus sought unto even for those things which he promiseth to give God hath shewed thee O man what is good and what he requireth of us to doe justly to love mercy and to Mica 6. 8. walke humbly To this end he commanded the terrours and threatnings of Iudgement for sinne to be read upon Fasting dayes unto all the people to See Ier. 39. ver 2. 3. 6 7. move them to Repentance and to make humble supplications for mercy if we thus keepe our fasting dayes with vowes and Covenants to God Almighty we may assuredly expect a blessing and a healing of our misery and our remisse carelesse and formall observing of our Fast dayes is a cheefe cause that hath so long hindred our deliverance Gods hand is not shortned that he Esay 49. 1. 21 cannot save nor his eare heavie that he cannot heare but your iniquities have separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare the Prophet tells us plainely your iniquities and your Ier. 5. 25. sinnes have holden good things from you thus much for the inward meanes of cure Secondly God cures his people of their oppression and outward miseries by outward meanes this hath beene usuall in all times that when the people We must use outward meanes to be cured of our misery have humbled themselves and cryed to God in their misery he ever had compassion on them for his owne Name sake and raised them up deliverers armed private man with publicke Authority enabling them by place courage and power to be deliverers of this people to subdue their enemies and to afflict their afflictors Thus we know he stirred up Moses Othniel Ehud Samgar Deborah and Barak Gideon Iephtah Samson Zâ—rubbabel Nehemiah and the like God hath for us at this day by his owne hand in compassion to his people in an unexpected way almost miraculous called a Parliament together in England established them with Soveraigne power by the Lawes of the Kingdome and stirred up the King by his owne Act to confirme them The Parliament a Soveraigne power of command which the people ought to obey The Parliaments faithfulnes and courage Esa 45. 22. Exod 17. 2. Exod. 15. 24. Exod. 16. 13. Num. 14. see the Chap. The people must trust in God and wait by fifth with patience Iudg. 4. 3. and Authorize their sitting during their owne time till by their Wisdomes with Gods blessing they re-establish the perishing and long decaying principalls of the Kingdomes Fabricke and God hath put into the hearts of them to be of faithfulnesse and courage for Gods glory and the Kingdomes lasting welfare to hazard their lives and fortunes for defence of their Religion and the peoples rights and libertie against the malice and opposition of the mighty at this day combined against God and his people and by this Parliament he will deliver Great Britaine of their misery if we looke but upon them as Gods Instruments nothing in themselves or if we like the Rebellious Israelites provoke not God to more wrath by our unbeleefe and murmurring against God and them and will but waite by faith with patience while our deliverance is working or that we as too many of us are be not like some of the Tribes of Israel who proved traitors and cowards in the worke of their deliverance The Jews were under the oppression of Iabin and Sisara the Captaine of his Host twenty yeeres and the people cryed unto the Lord for their oppression was great and their oppressors strong nine hundred Charriots of Iron and a multitude of men Now God heard their cry though it seemes it was more for the misery of their bondage then for sorrow and sense of their sinnes but God had compassion of them and stirred up Deborah and Barack to deliver them and of all the ten Tribes of Israel they tooke an Army of ten thousand out of the Tribes of Nephtali and Zebulun vers 6. against the strength power and multitude of Iabins Army for their hearts Iudg. 5. 18. The base cowardlines of the people a great discouragement verse 16. God had made willing and ready to hazard their lives to the death in the high places of the field expecting all the rest of the Tribes would come in to their assistance because the enemy was strong and mighty but they basely therefore absented themselves which caused great thoughts of heart some few out of other Tribes came and the Princes of Issachar came and joyned with Barack but Ruben disserted the cause altogether he tooke no further care but for his owne flockes and therefore stayes at his sheepefolds to heare the bleating of the sheepe let them fight that would he would sleepe in a whole skin Gilliad takes example by Ruben and kept within his owne borders beyond Jordan that was safety enough to him let his brethren sinke or swim Gilliad will not crosse the water to helpe them Dan gets a Shipboard and there he remaines till his brethren fight for his safety upon
the land Ashur keepes about the Sea shoare hoping well that he should partake of the liberty Neuters in the quarrells of God as well as they that fought for it if they could prevaile but will not stirre a foote from his place to helpe them But Meroz a City adjoyning considered the enemie was mighty and he could not goe to assist but with eminent danger they thought many of them must loose their lives in the battle and besides if they were not able to overcome they should fare the worse for their medling therefore Meroz resolves to sit still a Newter he would neither be with nor against none shall know his minde he can excuse himselfe well enough to his brethren if they prevaile if Iabin prevaile hee 'l finde the more favour but it seemes the cowardly basenesse of all these discouraged the worke insomuch that Barack doubted of his strength and would not goe Iudg. 4. 8. Iudg 5. 15. against Sisera except Deborah the Prophetesse would venture her selfe to goe with him and this caused great thoughts of heart among all the rest and much searchings what they were best to doe but God that needs no helpe of man holds up their courage and did his owne worke to the greater glory God needs no helpe of man yet he requires mans obedience of his power for it is all one with God to save with few as with many this was Asas confidence therefore when there came an Army against him of a thousand thousand he cryed to God Helpe us O Lord our God for we rest in thee and in thy Name we goe against this multitude the same Ionathan sayd to 2 Chro. 14. 11. his Armour bearer who beleeved it and was incouraged and with his eyes 1 Sam. 14. 6. 15 presently see it made good for they two alone put the whole Host of the Philistimes to flight and indeede God seldome delivers his servants by much strength of men but when great preparations have beene made he doth the worke by a few as he did by Gideons Army of three hundred yet God takes God takes notice who are forward in his cause and who not and accordingly rewards them Iudg. 5. 23. Num. 16. 3â— Meroz quite destroyed as Corah and his company The people are bound to assist the Parliament Iudg. 6. 35. Iudg. 7. 5. 3. Iudg. 7. 24. Iudg. 20. 11. 18. notice who is for him and who not and accordingly rewards them therefore he cursed Meroz with a bitter and irrevokeable curse because they came not out to the help of the Lord to shew their willingnesse to fight the Lords battels against the mighty it seemes their curse was much like that of Corah Dathan and Abiram when the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up with their houses and all that appertained to them not leaving so much as one to tell who hurt them onely their fearefull example is left upon divine record for terrour to all Cowards and Newters in the cause of God as commendations of Zebulon and Nepthalâ— for incouragement of his people to all ages for hence take notice that when God stirres up a deliverer to a people the people are bound to assist them and to obey their commands in assembling themselves in their just defence against their enemies thus they did at Gideons command in greater number than needed by above nine and twenty thousand So when some of the Tribes of Benjamin had committed horrible wickednesse and the rest of that Tribe would not suffer them to be proceeded in justice against all the other Tribes gather together as one man before God to battle against Benjamin and when the warre was ended inquirie was made whether any were wanting that appeared not at the assembly and it was found that the men of Iabish Gilead were not there therefore Iudg 4. 8. 21. they all agreed to send twelve thousand men to destroy them of Iabish Gilead Great Britaine hath beene for their sinnes against God long afflicted under great oppressions and cruelty and at this day more then ever we all cryed under the weight of our burdens long agoe but not to God yet God hath stirred up deliverers to us and we that is a great number reject them English neuters neglect God and the means of deliverance and cherish them they should destroy and have disserted God therefore our misery is increased and we justly given up to sordid stupidity selfe-afflictors defenders of them that afflict and destroy us oppressing Monopolizers Patentees Papists and seditious robbers neglecting God and our deliverers appointed by him opposing the meanes of deliverance as if we were ambitious to leave our children and posterities in established slavery bond-slaves to mercilesse men for ever The sonnes of Anack that hinder our felicity and act our misery which we ought to destroy we cherish and defend O fearefull condition The emblem of ruine and procurter of their own destruction let Meroz and Iabish-Gilliad be their ensample as in action so in punishment and as Seneca saith Let Histories tell their infamy and register them to be hated to posterities â—â—â—ca in 〈◊〉 lib. 1. cap. 〈◊〉 as those who had better never been borne then to be born for a publick misery Most wretched cruell and detestable men not worthy to live and sure it is that insolent cruelties beget everlasting hatred and therefore bring continuall and gauling terrour in conscience which hastens an evill death and therefore an ancient said well that an old Tyrant is seldome seene their actions call for destruction and it hastneth as their blaspheâ—â—ie murther rapine treasons c. Char. wisd are increased to fill up the measure of their iniquitie and then he that cloathed himselfe with cursing cursing shall enter into his bowels like water and like Oylâ— Iâ— 109. 18. into his bones then the sword that the wicked have drawne to slay such as be of upright conversation shall enter into their owne heart and their bow shall be broken Psal 37. 14 15. 〈◊〉 wo things doe hinder deliverance â—â—e these places Eze 33. 11. Jer. 51. 13. Math. 23. 32. Gen. 15. 16. Two things doe hinder Britaines deliverance and a while continue our misery First the want of Repentance in Gods people the afflicted Secondly the filling up the measure of iniquitie of the wicked and impenitent the afflictors if Gods people would hasten to perfect the one as fast as the Cavaliers hasten to fill up the other Britaines deliverance would be speedy Although no man can know the minde of God and what he is about to doe nor what change he will shortly make in the world for his wayes are hidden and his footestepts be not knowne yet we can beleeve so much as he We cannot know when God will deliver us yet we know he will deliver us Acts 1. 7. reveales to us either by his Word or by his Workes of Providence we cannot know when he will