gifts of nature light ayre fire water Is it not against the law of Nations Armen that those Subjects should enjoy the priviledges and immunities of Subjects who see with open face the enemies destroying all these yet lay it neither to head nor to heart They that are the same and have done the same for doing whereof others their neighbour-Neuters have had the skin torne from their flesh and their flesh from their bones these do deserve to be cast out of the land But these dissembling Neuters are the same and doe the same which they did in former times that were so punished therefore these Compounds deserve no favour but to be cast out of Citie Countrey Kingdome The Parliament accounts such no better than professed Malignants I thinke they are worse true friends to the Parliament should not esteeme them undangerous enemies to Church and to the Common-wealth these get to an upper place if not in scituation yet in speculation as Metius Suffetius did spying which side is strongest and likeliest to prevaile and then towards that side they will wheele about and joynâ— themselves But what reward did his carnall compound policy his divided heart promote him too My Author saith that the body of Metius Suffetius who stood neuter in the warres between the Romans and the Fidenates to spy which side was strongest that thereunto he might turne was adjudged by a Councell of warre to be tyed to two teemes of horses which halled contrary wayee so his body was drawne asunder and pluckt into two pieces accordingly The portraiture of which Teemes halling and Metius Suffetius body so drawne asunder I wish were set upon the walls of the houses where such Compound Neuters dwell or on the horse-heads on which they doe ride or on the sides of the cupsin which they drinke or on the bedsteads on which they lye that they might learne by other mens harmes to beware of falling into the like sinne for seare they fall into the like punishment You know the History of the men of Succoth and Penuel Iudg. 8. what Gideon desired of them for his wearied Armies in the pursuite of Zeba and Zalmunna the Sucoothites jeered at him You will returne us our bread when you have your enemie in your band When will that be Your enemies are Kings and Kings will helpe one another they have power you are weake think you to overcome two Kings with your three hundred tyred Souldiers there is a great peradventure disadvantage Wee will see the successe first cleerer Ver. 16. you question not the victory it s a great question to us Are the heads c. you know what followes as Gideon threatned to deale so he dealt with them he tooke the Elders of the Citie and the thornes and briars of the wildernesse and with them he taught the men of Succoth he taught them a sore teaching a fearefull fight to see so many blondy bones to start out of the flesh a sharp but very exemplary for unfiding men in these siding times They that will not be taught by precepts must be taught with paine I wish such briars and thornes grew and were seene in the hedges that mounded in the grounds of such Compounds fearefull faint-hearted cowardly hypocriticall dissembling lukewarme false-hearted trayterous neutralizing persons You know the parable of a man travelling falling among theeves and wounded Lake 10. that which was in parable then is in practise now the Land is fallen among theeves or theeves rather have fallen upon the body of the Land should it not work pitty compassion in all that see it are they Samaritans that regard it not woe woe to the lookers on and passers by Curse yee bitterly such Merozites Judg. 5.23 In cursing curse never cease to call for a curse Janius renders it Indesinenter Cursed be be that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and that keeps his sword from bloud Jer. 17 3. If negligent workers What no workers that are like standing water that neither ebs nor flowes These Ambodexters who are Compounds that care not what side prevailes shall be rewarded as Neuters shall not have Gods protection all left-handed persons shall be put on Christs left hand shall be sent away with a depart from mee God comes to helpe all simple ones in their misery and all such will helpe the Lord in his misery Mat. 25.35 36. For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meat I was thirstie and yee gave mee drink I was a stranger and yee took mee in naked and yee clothed mee I was sicke and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee Having shewed the sin and shame of these Neuters I now come to shew the Cause and Remedy of their Maladie in the third Use Use 3. which you may call the Solution of the Question or satisfaction of the Doubts or removall of the rubs in the way or which I call in the Title for these times the Causes and the Cure of balting These people spake not a word to Eliabs Question yet they murmured in their minds though they manifested it not with their mouthes But now people both mutter inwardly and mouth it outwardly why they halt viz. Many 1 Cause yea the greatest part even of the Parliaments Members have deserted the Parliaments Cause Doe you not thinke they did it out of Conscience towards the Kings side And what thinke you of those few that are turned from the King Answ and offered their service to the Parliament againe confessed and recanted their errour and wondered that they could be so farre seduced to take up Armes against that Parliament which they had taken the Covenant to maintaine What if many have betrayed their trust and deserted Parliament and Kingdome doth this justisie their persidiousnesse and halting condition or condemne the sincerity of such as goe on uprightly without backsliding Can any man have any colour to free them from never dying infamle who made elaborate Orations faire promises loud protestations That they would live and dye with the Parliament to spend their lives and fortunes in the cause confessing that to be the cause of God yet either through feare or hope of favour have forsaken that Cause which at first they then so strangely maintained and have been instruments of betraying much innocent bloud and bringing more cares upon the heads of those that have continued constant If the Kingdome stand doubtlesse such Traytors shall not long stand in credit or libertie but shall be brought unto condigne punishment that others may feare Apostacy and the sincere be cherished in their fidelity If the Kingdome doe not stand for a house a Citie a Kingdome divided cannot long stand God will finde them out and reach them a rap for cursed be he that putieth his hand to the Plough and looketh backs is not fit for the Kingd me of Heaven How can it be expected otherwise but that Gods curse and shame with men should overtake
two opionions Let people therefore for their preservation against the danger of this stone of offence pray often to the Lord that he would make great ones to be good and good ones to be great Misprission or overprizing of Prerogative hath blinded the eyes 3 Can. and cripled the feete of many a man the Parliament the people the Souldiers say many oppose the Kings Prerogative this makes many halt and stagger The honour of a King consisteth in the multitude of people Answ Prov. Those that labour most to diminish people doe most dishonour a Prince If the Kings of this Land have not a power to contradict the Censure and Judgements of insertions Courts should they have power to contradict the supreame Courts or Judicature 'T is true the Lawes of the Kingdome are called the Kings Lawes not that either he made them or can at his pleasure alter them but that he is or ought to be the Conservator of them as well as the Consenter to establish them It is true Hen. 4. a King of this Land wrote to the Parliament saying Nollumus Praerogativam nostram disputari but they answered his nollumus with a nollumus Nollumus Leges Angliae mutari Is it not just that Princes should be ruled by Lawes otherwise their will would be a Law and so instead of Statutes there would be an Arbitrary a Tyrannicall power which might increase to infinite to monstrous shapes that either ignorance impietie lust or ambltion of Princes should bring forth If all Law and power lay in their own breasts a Kingdome could never promise themselves securitie longer than a pious and prudent Prince reigneth But as the King changeth the Lawes and Governments of the Kingdome must alter And he that out-lives as it may happen two or thres Kings shall not know what is the Law of the Land or what to call his owne Because he must not be beholding to Law but to the will of the King for what are his rights and proprieties By whose sole permission he may say This is mine When Lawes and Law-makers are suppressed are not the Subjects for whose sake they are made oppressed When the former loose their power and priviledge the other loose their due and propriety As the bead is ordained for the good of the members and not the members for the good of the head so a Christian King is ordained for the good of the people and not the people for the good of the King i. principally I am the head you are the members I am the Shepheard you are the sheepe I am the husband you are the wife And will any man think me a Christian King to be a Poliganist said King James in his speech to the Parliament March 19. 1603 The Archbishop of Mentz wrote to Erasmus to resolve him what he thought concerning the writings of Luther Erasmus returned answer in writing that many things in the Writings of Luther were condemned as wicked and hereticall which in the writings of Bernard and Austine are accounted as holy and sound so many things were of esteeme as good and commendable in the dayes of King James which are condemned as wicked and abominable in the time of King Charles As though the over-prizing of Prerogative should pull downe all authoritie of Lawes or Priviledges of Parliament I will neither professe so much ignorance or arrogance as to prescribe a way as to delineate the disproportion to compose the differences touching Princes Prerogatives and Parliaments Priviledges I know this point hath been pulpited and in print Pressed by farre more able heads and hands than my selfe If Kings may doe whatsoever they please what need then of any Parliament If there be no necessity of Parliament what need the troubles of Subjects to choose Knights and Burgesses or they called to sit being chosen If there be a necessitie of Parliament why should they not be consolted with If consulted with why should not their Counsell be embraced The Counsell of Basyll in the time of Henry the sixt decreed that as the Authoritie of a generall Councell is above the Pope so the Authoritie of a generall Assembly of a Kingdome is above the King which is to be subject to Lawes All such are to be esteemed as flatterers who attribute such large authoritie unto Kings as that they will not have them bound under any Lawes such talke otherwise than they thinke Christ himselfe saith Jewell in his Apologie at the beginning was universally received and honoured through this Realme by assent of Parliament and without assent of Parliament the Pope himselfe was never received no not in the late time of Queene Mary Dion praised Trajan the Emperour because when he set a Tribune over the Praetors and put a sword into his hand he said Hoe pro me utere si justa imperavero si injusta contra me You must know Plus vident oculi quam oeulus a few private spirits may not be conceived to discerne more than the choicest wits most learned and pious judgements in the whole Nation who have been brought and kept together in the middest of all difficulties and dangers by Gods wonderfull providence and by the earnest prayers of many thousands of people in the three Kingdomes Parliaments may erre and I thinke this doth if they doe not redresse injuries presented and performe the Declarations printed and promised to be confirmed and may not one man one King much more erre Doth not Solomon say Take away the drosse from the silver Pro. 25.4 and a vessell of use shall be to the finer Is not the King the silver the wicked Counsell as drosse Doe not the next words make the Reddition Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in Righteousnesse Wilt thou be preserved from this stumbling stone this cause of halting consider what he said that was a halting person and after professed and promised uprightnesse c. Sir Edward Deering I said quoth he whilest I was at Oxford I did beleeve the King might safely goe to Westminster with forty men I then said so and I thinke it will not be well till the King doth so Oh that God would raise up unto his sight some upright ones that from halting persons that have seduced him they may become perswaders of him to returne in person and affection to his great Counsell The greatest part of the people adhering rather to the Court 4. Cause than Kingdomes Cause make men halt in head hand and heart doubting whether it be better to goe forward or sit still in the Common Cause The most men ever side with the strongest side Answ Exod 23. Rom. 12. be it right or wrong But thou must not follow a multitude to doe evill Fashion not your selves like to this world For the world lieth in wickednesse saith S. John and wouldest thou desies to follow after wickednesse Whereas the Scripture commands Eschew the which is evill and follow after
with the effects thereof to me have proved a burthen almost intollerable the scarre of discredit it being incurable so to all men may seeme incredible that a constant sider with the Parliament should unheard out of his living be ejected and himself and his family be to all misery exposed when that right-discerning and Parliament-promises-promoting Justice Mr. Anthony Clifford opposed in my absence the rest of my ruining unjust Judges If I should forbeare the stones would cry aloud in the eyes and eares of the world for justice against this matchlesse malicious abominable censure But the blessing of the Lord for ever be and abide on the heads and hearts of the honorable Committee for plundered Ministers and in particular on Mr. Millington Mr. Rouse Sir Arthur Hazelrig Mr. Tate who oft afforded me patience audience countenance If I should repeat every member of that Committee I might seeme to flatter if I should not mention you I should surely be ungratefull My Countrey-man Mr. Pury was one of the first that after my freezing and long waiting broke the Ice for my return and Mr. Edward Stephens and others quickly apprehended and couragiously reported the injustice of the proceedings against me Whereupon I had an Order of restitution to my Priviledges and Arreares till the matter be heard notwithstanding which Order of Restitution that active Committee man hath been an Instrument to place for my supplanting in my Chappell to enjoy those profits that are almost the one halfe of my little livelihood a Minister that hath been taken in Armes against the Parliament and hath beene ejected out of his living in Monmouth-shire for being contentious against his neighbours a common Drunkard a Rayler against the Parliament who also said since he was obtruded on my Cure a Cavaliere I was a Cavaliere I am and so I will continue Whether such a Committee man in permitting such a Malignant Minister that hath been so often active in Armes to be placed and officiate within three miles of Glocester Garrison hath thereby promoted the honour of the Parliament and the safety of that Citie let all men judge If I have been illegally proceeded against by this principall Agent in that Committee as my worthy constant free and faithfull friend Mr. Pryn hath by tongue and pen maintained I shall account it a great honour from this Honorable Assembly to have an Order and Commission to some Gentlemen I shall nominate to examine all proceedings of this Committee man and the combination of such malignant malicious persons as have been unjust practizers against me that I may receive such reparations from them as the merits of my cause and their cruelty shall require All which is committed to the serious consideration of this honorable Senate for the relief of Your faithfull Servant yet suffering supplicant WALTER POWELL Doctrines deduced DOct. 1. It is a great sin and shame to halt between God and Baal Truth and Error pag. 5 2. Those that are good will shew zeale for God pag. 5 3. People continue long in a lingring condition notwithstanding long and sharp reprehension pag. 6 4. Many are yet to seek who is the true God pag. 6 4. God alone is to be followed pag. 6 6. Men are oft convicted before they are once converted pag. 6 The first Doctrine prosecuted Uses 1. Of Information 2. Reprehension of Newters 3. The Causes with the cure of Halting pag. 7 8 14 Cause 1. Because many members of the Parliament have diserted the Parliaments cause pag. 14 2. The greatest part of the Great ones have adhered to the adverse part pag. 16 3. Misprision of prerogative pag. 17 4. Most of people siding with the contrary rather than the Kingdomes Cause pag. 19 5. The great pressure by payments pag. 21 6. Feare of being plundered pag. 22 7. Selfe-seeking with neglect of the publick pag. 24 8. Vndesire of change for feare of changing for the worse pag. 25 9. Estimation of Parliament-power too great pag. 27 10. Injustice and oppression by Countrey-Committees pag. 28 11. Flattery in and divisions between Ministers pag. 30 12. Doubt of the successe of the cause in hand make men halt herein pag. 35 Which last rub is removed in briefly opening many Doores of Hope for the good successe of the Common Cause pag. 35 36 37 to the end Errata's For 1 Kings 19. read 18. PAG. 1. in the magent for use 1. and use 2. read verse p. 2. l. 5. for pursuane r. perseverance p. 2. for use r. verse 4. and verse 5. p. 2. l. 27. for Daobolum r. Da obolum p. 3. l. 19. for liezure r leisure p. 3. l. 21. make a period between yea and plain p. 5. l. 3. for there r. these p. 7. l. 23. for nor r no p. 7. l. 35 after Pastors make no period p. 8. l. 18. in Margent read use 2. p. 8. l. 22. for defendant r defendit p 14. l. 2. after sharp but very exemplary put president p. 15. l. 7. for strangely r. strongly p. 16. l. 7 for the r. this p. 20. l. 27. for belluae r. Bellua p. 20. l. 31. ptt out they before say p. 26. l. 23. r. an after p 29. l. 7. for torror r. terrour p. 29. l. 9. for have r. had for I think some Committe-men have bought more land since then they sold before they were preferred to their Committeships p. 31. l. 3. unto seduce strayable people adde and pesecute Gods zealous ministers P. 38. l. 2. for he r. Shammah p 42. l. 4. for reigne r. rejoyce p. 47. l. l. 34. for And r. Are these duties p. 48. l. 11. in stead of an evill cause read and will not he regard the voyce c. To the much Honoured Major Generall MASSEY one of the Members of the Honorable House of Commons Renowned Sir TO none doth this Sermon more properly belong now printed then to your selfe that heard it preached After the relation of which newes against Newters you returned beyond my desert and expectation publick thanks in the face of that populour Congregation In those then siding-unsiding times this Text at that time was seasonable I yet beleeve though the sight of my person in the Pulpit at that time formidable perhaps to some there that had never heard me preach in their whole life One of which departing out of the then Congregation had he stayed you told me at your Table might have suspected himselfe to be like the Hedge-bogge I mentioned in my Sermon The truth of many of the particulars mentioned in my preceding Epistle you know to be true but I shall manifest the whole to be so if from the Honorable House I obtain my conceived just request to have liberty to examine the combination and unjust proceedings of my malevolent yet potent Committee-adversary Sir you beleeved and subscribed as much under your hand that this Sermon was preached with much zeale against newtralitie and in that subscription out of which I transeribe your own words at
their unjust actions and sentences writ before them in Capitall Letters with mementomori engraven on the upper Chaire I beleeve if they were left to be their own Judges they would passe sentence of condemnation against themselves But this is a Noli me tangere because they are by Ordinance of Parliament they thinke people will dare as soone adventure to enter into a Pest house as to endeavour any thing against them yet to keepe people from despaire of all redresse herein some Pamphletters have written besides what Preachers have pulpitted that there is as great necessitie for the new moulding of Committees as there was of the Armies who since they have been new moulded the warres have prospered the better so it is to be hoped if there were a new moulding of Committees Justice would be better executed Gods wrath sooner appeased the Parliament more honoured and the people more contented Which people let them be informed that as the honorable House have set out an Order that it shall be accounted an acceptable service to discover to an appointed Committee for that purpose what money directly or indirectly hath been received by any Members of the House for the perverting of Justice so it is beleeved that they intend to set out an Order of like acceptable services for any man before that or some other Committee to discover the injustice oppression partialitie connivency towards Malignants of any Members in County-Committees as a speciall preservative against peoples halting and railing in these Realme-reeling times Flattery in 11 Cau. and divisions between Ministers make people to hale Paint a fire on a piece of cloath and cast it into the water you heare no noise no hissing because no combate of contrary natures but cast a burning Coale into the water you heare a ratling a noise which proceeds from the combate or encounter of two contraries the one striving to destroy the other The end of Gods Word is to reforme the judgement and life Gods Word is true and every man a lyar i erroneous in judgement and life when truth and falshood the word of God and the word of men doe meete then beginnes the Conflict The one labours to destroy the other Gods word is as fire mens affections as water Paul preached at Ephesus he scattered true fire among them Demetrius startles at it and stirres up sedition among the people there the contrary roares and ratles In comes the Towne-Clerke with the magnificence of Diana Great is Diana of the Ephesians a false fire a counterfeit fire there is no opposition no contradiction at all made against him It is just the case of our times if Preachers come as commonly they doe now more than ever because they spare mens vices to favour mens persons and fill their own purses with a painted fire sowing pillows under the arme-holes of sinners crying peace peace take it upon any termes you must doe whatsoever the King would have you doe will you have Bishops whose predecessors were Martyrs for the truth to be suppressed Keep up the Common-Prayer-Booke and then without much paines you may know how to pray as well as Ministers themselves If Preachers thus stroake the spleene with sugred words and tickle the eare with quaint phrases and rub it with filken words saying Because you are predestinated you shall goe to Heaven as men carried in a Coach or sayling in a Ship without any action or motion of their own they shall seldome be gainsaid but if Ministers come with a true fire with a worke out your salvation with feare and trembling with an yet fortie dayes and Niniveb shall be destroyed with a John Baptists cry Now is the Axe laid to the roote of the tree Now instantly is certainly the Axe instrumentally laid orderly to the roote effectually of the tree particularly Every tree impartially that bringeth not forth conditionally good fruit proportionably is unavoydably hewen fearfully downe fatally and cast unresistably into the fire everlastingly If Ministers cast such coales then people beginne to murmure because their affections are but watery the word in the mouthes of such Ministers laboure to destroy finne in the people and the finne of the people labours to destroy the word in the mouth of the Minister If flattering Ministers have seduced the King many Nobles many Members of the House have not the standing ones then great cause to look to themselves that they also be not mis-lead by having mens persons in admiration Tune tua res agitur c. It was ever the subtilty of Satan to imploy flattering Prophets Preachers for the seducing of Princes and people 2 Pet. 2.2 There were false Prophets among the people mingling noysome weeds among sweet flowers By reason of whom the way of truth was ill spoken of the Gospel reproached and others perverted As long as the Devill hath his Kingdome here he sends abroad his Emissaries to seduce the people Hence it is 1 Tim. 4.1 that the man of fin is come to so great a height by seducing Spirits The Devill and the Pope have many industrious Chaplaines boasting as if they were inspired and sent from God First scruing themselves into mens Consciences and then picking their purses Cheating them of their Religion and salvation and then of their estates obtruding guilded errors instead of solid and golden truths The Lord had decreed this Kingdome to great miseries for a punishment of the great abuse of his mercies and therefore suffered Satan to seduce Princes and people and this by the helpe of seducing Preachers God hath a quarrell against Ahab and therefore suffers him to be ingaged in such a warre wherein he shall be undone Who shall perswade Ahab Satan is at hand I will perswade Ahab How I will be a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Of all if there were foure hundred false Prophets to one Eliah in Ahabs time no wonder of such great disproportion in these dayes The Devill knew the length of their foote that he could prevalle with them and they with the King He knew Ahab and Jezabel had a company of mercenary Ministers Trencher Chaplaines that would say any thing unhappy Ahab by reason of such flatterers Be therefore carefull to espie and oppose but never wonder or thinke strange of the Devils policy to use flattering Preachers to seduce straiable people They are the Pastors of Gods flock When the Shepheard is stricken the sheep are scattered They are the Stewards of Gods house When the Stewards are unfaithfull the family will be starved They are the Captains of Gods Armie When the Captain falls the Souldiers will soone be put to flight They are the lights of the world if the Lamps be extinguished the house fits in darknesse They are the salt of the earth if the salt become unsavoury the people are in danger to become a polluted and unsavoury sacrifice They commonly take all upon trust from their Teachers which cause them to halt long too between
Long lasting NEWES OR NEWES FOR NEWTERS OR The Check Cause Cure of Halting With 31 Doores of Hope for the good successe of the then publick Cause of the Nation Delivered in a Sermon November 27. 1644. In the Colledge of GLOCESTER before that Valiant and Vigilant Governour Colonell Massy being the day of publick Humiliation By WALTER POWELL M. A. Vicar of Standish Est nutrale genus signans rem non animatam See the Contents after the Epistle The second Impression LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Aldersgate-street 1655. Ad Illustrissimum Dominum OLIVERUM CROMWELL Angliae Scotiae c. PROTECTOREM Protege Tn Leges Leges Te Protege Tn me Tolle Malos Extolle Pios Attolle Ministros W. P. To the Judicious READER GOOd wine is not the worse though it be old Nor for its age is worse what is pure Gold This Newes the three last Parlaments did last And 't will last till the fourth also be past Men still doe halt in heart if not in tongue Which makes such men these Newters fall among Not praise nor profit drew this Newes in Print But of the Authors wrong to give an Hint False peny Newes will sell because 't is new This not perhaps being old though it be true TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE the Lords and Commons assembled in PARLIAMENT The Author imploreth freedome from Halting Wildome in discerning Grace and Glory for Persevering Right Honorable and Noble Senators Qui advos audent scribere ignorant magnitudinem qui non audent humanitatem That which none are willing to owne most men have endeavoured to embrace and practice Hypocrisie All men if you will beleeve them will be for God at their death here and there one that will stand for his cause in the time of their life When in these wars men were called to come forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty most meal mouth'd Ministers had their lips sealed and fals-hearted people stood with their hands in their pockets not with their feet in the gap to make up the hedge before the Lord that he might not destroy the land then this Sermon in a publick place before an eminent and publick person * Colonell Mâ—ssiâ— that couragious vigilant and faithfull Governer of Glocester once a member of this honorable House was preached whose eye-observing diligent attention in hearing publick respect and thanks in the face of that populous audience immediatly after the delivery of this Sermon are not the causes of the publishing hereof but the disregard of one of Glocester Committee in his uncivill departure out of the Congregation before ever hee heard me either pray or preach pressed mee to commit this to the Presse who shewed disrespect to the Sermon for the persons sake when as he should have manifested respect to the person for the Sermons sake There was no necessity I beleeve no I am sure no humanity for any of that Committee to cause a Sermon to be preached in another Congregation at that very instant by that very Minister who then was sick and desired to be eased from preaching that turn and time in the Colledge of Glocester When this Sermon at a publique fast was preached how ever it may seem now unseasonable coming so late to the presse was welcome I am confident to most that heard it delivered in the pulpit The Sermon I confesse was somewhat long it was the businesse of the day that then required it But what is added in the point of Countrey Committees was not then specified for I then imagined that such qualified persons were not in rerum naturae And what is inserted touching flattering Ministers that have betrayed the trust that God and man have committed to them was also unhandled both which are proper to the subject here in discourse as main causes of the people halting between those two different opinions in the then common Cause of the Kingdome Omnia dat qui justa negat he that denieth that which is just gives liberty to speak any thing If I have unjustly blamed one of the said Committee whose advice as another Achitophel in those parts was so highly accounted of as if a man had enquired at the Oracle of God in that censure against me before any witnesses in that cause were examined by me though many of the Committe by the procurement of one certified under their hands the contrary as grosse untruths as if they had subscribed that there is no light in the Sunne nor heat in the fire or that the Pope in person sits daily in the Parliament House to the great losse of my livelihood danger of my life and dishonour of the Parliament had I not been relieved let me suffer more in name person estate Whosoever knowes what hath happened unto me as many thousands have heard may guesse that I am necessitated to publish this Newes for Newters He that was once an eye-hearer of this Sermon beleeved in heart and subscribed with hand that I had the harder usage for the message sake else that Committee man could not have so posted out of the Colledge when hee saw me in the Pulpit unlesse he had almost as much feared my message whom he never heard in publique in his life as hee dreaded the roaring of the Cannon when he hasted out of the Citie immediatly before the Kings Army came to besiege the same What in publick I have spoken done and suffered for the common Cause hundreds have and thousands will testifie yet all praying preaching doing and suffering must be buried under the beast like skin of Scandall to provoke and satisfie the greedy appetites of a New Committee man an old Hangman and a posted Malignant and a professed Newter I attended eleven dayes during part of which time this newes was related to see these hideous November-Articles I was to answer yet could not all that time have a sight of them till that quick-sighted much knowing justice Colonel Bromwich told the Committee it was a shame to make me wait so long for the said Articles Then had I December-Articles and those concerned the Committee themselves because they would be sure to strike a deadly blow against such a Traytor Then had I January-Articles preferred and had I not appealed to this Honorable Assembly I thinke I should have had February-Articles and so ad infinitum that no moneths malice might be left unattempted to ruine him whom the Parliament had published and declared 1643. to honour I was accounted by the Plundering warrants of Malignants at the siege of Glocester an aider to the Rebels meaning this Parliament and by the said warrants had my goods and Cattell taken away That the same Parliament Committee after I had appealed to the Parliament it selfe from them they under their hands denying me Copies of depositions taken against me and denying me to be present at the examination of witnesses was by the testimony of divers members of this great Assembly deemed unparallel As these things
that which is good Broad is the way leading to destruction and many follow that way Is it not better to follow the few to salvation than the many to destruction The one is of large latitude therefore many travell in it the other straight therefore few delight to finde it Men like old sheepe are apt to be seduced The world divided into thirty parts as is observed nineteene of thirty are still overgrowne with Heatheuish Idolatry of the other eleven six overspread with Mahumetisme then but five of thirty remaine for Christians and among them how many are seduced Papists Sectaries of all sorts prophane irreligious ones and how few Protestants iudeed who if they have a shew 2 Tim. 3.5 yet deny the power of godlinesse Of the foure sorts of Seeds one part onely fell on good ground Looke into most Cities Townes Congregations Families little thereof lookes like good ground enclosed manured and planted to bring forth cultu fructu ornatu unto good but like a common waste over growne with weeds of sinne and so are endangered to loose their God souses hope happinesse It is true the more the merrier if in a good matter in a right way for then Bonum quo communius ed melius so malum quô communius eo pejus Wilt thou be therefore as the Weather-Cocke to be carried away with every winde whether of Doctrine Discipline or Doings Doe not you know Quat homines tot sententiae so many men so many opinions Doe not you know Vulgus belluae est multorum capitum Did not the people cry one while Hosanna another while Crucifie Would they not have done sacrifices unto Paul and Barnabes Act. 14. crying Gods are come downe unto us in the likenesse of men Another while esteemed them as Bablers and pullers down of the goddesse Dinna Act. 28.4 Did not they erre while they say Paul was a murderer while the Viper was on his hand and while he shakt it off Did they not suddenly change their mindes as sudden as he cast off the Viper and esteemed him as a God Vers 6. The Field of Corne boweth it selfe as the winde driveth it so most men â—urâ—e and winde themselves as the Times are and fashions goe fit their savles for every winde are Papists with Papists Roundheads with Roundneads and Royalists with the Royalists they will side with the strongest side be it right or wrong All their Religion is taught by the Precepts of men they will beleeve men against the Lord when they will not bete eye the Lord against men When as men commonly are led by sense rather than by reason by reason than by faith yet the naturall man perceiveth not the things that are of God neither can he For blinde men cannot judge of colours nor deafe men of sounds the multitude usually call evill good and good evill bitter sweet Esa 5.20 and sweet bitter but woe be to such as set a wrong estimation upon right objects And woe to all such as follow such blinde Guides that draw others with themselves into the ditch of Damnation One in the right is more safely to be followed than many in the wrong When Apollo by Oracle at Delphos told the Athenians that one man disagreed though all the rest of the Citie assented And they were much troubled to know who that was Phocion his own accord stept forth and said Give over to wonder and inquire who that man is I am he of whom the Question is for indeed I like of nothing that you goe about And have not good people a better and greater matter to stand for though singular than Phocion had Christ allowed singularitie saying What singular thing doe you Peter also Mat. 5.47 1 Pet. 4.4 where he blames all such as thinke it strange that others did not run with them to the same excesse of riot The great pressures by payments Cause 5. makes men halt and weary of the Cause If payments might cease and Trade goe on many would be content with any condition for matter of Religion The exhausted expences makes people deeme ill of the instruments of Reformation They had rather Lawes Liberties Religion and all were lost than to be at any cost for their preservation With the Gadarens they will part with a Saviour rather than with their swine Now consider who are the cause of expences those that labour to maintaine their rights or those that endeavour to destroy them Can Papists Delinquents Traytors Malignants unbowell themselves of all their treasure to raise up and maintaine an Armie against the Counsell of the Kingdome which are the life of the whole Land and shall the Inhabitants that professe themselves Protestants and free Denisons grumble to part with a part that they may preserve the whole Is it not just that God should suffer such halting Wretches to perish together with their money and to give over their posteritie to perpetuall bondage who will not expose their persons and purses to stand up in the Gap against destroying enemies Ezek. 22.30 Is it not better smart once than ake for ever to endure a little lancing of the flesh to make way for a sound Cure to be at charge with a Surgeon and Physician than to want limbes and life And should our Coyne rather be preserved than our Countrey our persons our purses rather than our posteritie rather than a Nation the whole Church of God and wherein the everlasting wellfare of the soule is concerned Doe not our Adversaries lay all at stake both purse policy power yea life neck and all rather then the Catholique Cause should come to confusion Luke 10.8 and so are wiser in their generation than the children of light Wherefore O Man consider that now thy own estate life libertie thy neighbour thy posteritie thy native Countrey 〈…〉 thy God thy Christ call for thy assistance whether in person or purse to helpe the Lord against the mightie Wilt thou then suffer all these to fall to the ground through thy default If Papists Projectors Malignants Atheists should prevaile may not wee say Farewell Law Libertie Estate Proprietie Religion Parliament and Posteritie And shall any but miserable Miscreants more grudge paines and charge to preserve than they doe to destroy all If O Man thou murmure herein at Payments and Taxations then thou lovest thy money more than thy Maker thy silver better than thy selfe thy Gold before thy God thy profit more than the preservation of thy selfe and posteritie thy coyne more than thy Conscience thy own lusts before the Law of the Kingdome thy carnall reason before true Religion Consider but the pressure they are subject to where the Anti-Parliament Army comes and continues All say they is the Kings and wee are for the King it is a great mercy they thinke if they escape with their lives the little finger of the one is heavier than the whole loynes of the other The husbandman adventureth great expence in seed-time in
the Officers use but it must not have office of Command in Gods Church and Common-wealths businesse every man knoweth that the Saints in Heaven are the least propriaries to their own will Christ himselfe said I am not come to doe mine own will but the will of him that sent mee which were it but remembred it would be a meanes that many from halting might be preserved In good works doing men must not ayme at themselves much lesse in evill actions attempt to seeke their own rising by others ruine When the whole State staggers and the Realme reeles must they continue in a lazie lame halting estate and posture with their hands in their pockets moneys in their Coffers and tongues in their mouthes without bringing them forth for the preservation of the Publique viz. Kingdome Religion Law Libertie and Posteritie I said in actions good and commendable they must not ayme at their own ends The man that was in the Boate where the Kings Crowne was and the Crowne occasionally falling into the water he leaping after it and recovering it to save himselfe and it putting the Crowne upon his own head that so he might swimme the better to the Boate or Shoare though he was thanked for his adventure yet was he blamed for his boldnesse in putting the Crowne upon his own head Christs Crowne is now fallen as it were into the water and is in danger of sinking labour to preserve it but not for thy own praise or profit sake much lesse must his Crowne be set upon the footstoole and Kings Crowne yea private mens reasons and respects set upon the Throne The 24. Elders Revel 4. threw downe their Crownes at the foote of Christ the King of Kings You know Vriah Nehemiah and others denied their own comforts and contentments Court-favours company of wife yea to change their own Cloaths for the Publique sake It is an undeniable truth he that will lift up one that is fallen must stoope himselfe He that loves father or mother more than Christ is not worthy of Christ Christ still called his Mother Woman as one observes Woman what have I to doe with thee Woman not Mother to shew that in matters of Religion wee are to know no relations Were this beleeved and observed the warres by Gods mercy quickly might be ended thinke on it and thou wilt halt no longer between thy private seeming and the publique certain good The eighth Cause of Halting is undesire of change for doubt of dangerous tumults or of changing for the worse 8. Cause The wicked feare and flie when no man pursueth but the righteous is bold as a Lyon The feare for the present touching what will be for the future is moe than the hurt it selfe that shall be Many will be content to abide in darknesse and slavish conditions for feare of shadowes they may meet with in an altered estate Like the Israelites punished a little with want towards Canaan they wished themselves in Aegypt againe to enjoy their Leeks and Onions instead of their Manna Angels food Men are now on their march towards spirituall and heavenly Canaan and will they desire to returne unto Aegypt againe It is then just that they should never enter into Gods rest Will not men endure change of Masters and change of servants so it be for their profit change of horses change of dogges so it further their pleasure change of aire change of dyet so it tends to their health May men desire new Masters new servants new Ministers new Magistrates change of apparell dyet houses and shall they onely dreame of danger in new reformation in change of manners The Apostle commands Fashion not your selves like to this world Rom. 12.2 but be you changed inwardly in minde and outwardly in manners else you cannot prove or approve what is the acceptable will of God or what is the reasonable service required in man towards God who is a Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit and in truth Are those obstinate Jewes Ier. 44. thinke you to be followed who said The Word that thou hast spoken unto us wee will not heare but will doe whatsoever is good in our own eyes for then wee had peace and plenty of all things but since wee lest off to worship the Queene of Heaven wee have had troubles warres dearth and scarcitie of all things Many desired our little great Will I meane Bishop Laud to be changed and taken out of the way and will they desire many great little Wills to be Hierarched and set up in the place thereof such a change may be from bad to worse You have heard of the old Woman I beleeve when all other people prayed for the removall of a Tyrannicall Prince shee onely prayed for his continuation being asked the reason thereof why shee prayed for his continuing when all others prayed for his removall Shee replyed such a Prince was bad and people desired his exchange and the next was worse and the next worse than he and this worse than that and if this be changed quoth shee I thinke the next will be the Devill himselfe So prone naturally are people to imagine that all changes shall be for the worse Men know not what may be in and after therefore desire an abode in the present condition Which have occasioned many mens halting stumbling falling which might have been preventable by a change Is it not better to change from bad to good than from bad to worse Seeing every man by every action steps neerer to Heaven or to Hell I beleeve one of the Causes of so many sad changes in our outward condition hath been new fangled conceits touching changeablenesse in Religion For when they chose new Gods Iudg. 5.8 then warre was in the Gates Therefore a change from new Gods to the true God will procure peace in our gates Can it be imagined any danger to have unprofitable Trees dregges of Popery which God did never plant to be removed out of his Orchard and his own Plants to be set in the place thereof What hurt hath been by the change of Monkes and Fryers Abbots and Pryors Hermits and Nunnes Shall their persons be removed and their profession be retained If there hath been no occasion of repentance in the Land for casting out those Locuster what repentance should be feared by inacting new reformation and abolishing old Traditions Aske all the Reformed Churches whether ever they grieved but rather daily rejoyced to have their Religion of Idolatry and Superstition to be banished out of their Coasts I know the thoughts of the change of Episcopacy is a great trouble and a cause of halting to many men but let them remember the high Commission Bishops Courts in Counties and the strange monstrous Concomitances attending the same they will scarce desire or plead for the reintertainment of them againe It cannot be denied but that Episcopacy hath been a great supporter of Papacie where the one falls the other cannot long stand
two opinions These Saim useth as an Ignis fatuus to people in darknesse and carries them headlong to their hurt and halting till they stumble and fall and many times breake the necks of their salvation by these stumbling blocks Satan by his own power can do great feates on people much more by the power of Princes and flattery of Pastors The Apostles therefore were winnowed as wheat Luk. 22.31 2 Cor. 12.7 1 Kings 13 18.30 and Paul buffeted by Satan One Prophet may be seduced by another if God assist not or doe withdraw his Spirit It 's no wonder that greene and young Spirits are mis-lead when old Prophets that pretend authoritie from God to countenance their errors have been seduced Such seducing ones you see resemble the Devill You are of your Father the Devill for his works yee doe From whom can they then expect wages but from him for whom they worke To prevent this danger of halting in the people it must be the care of faithfull Pastors to lift up their voyces to cry aloud for my part I know little use of Bells without clappers Watch-men without eyes Souldiers without weapons Preachers without crying and Cryers without courage They are but as Idolls that have eyes and see not mouthes and speak not such cannot but be seduced that put their trust in them Travellers need prudent and faithfull Guids especially when they passe doubtfull and dangerous wayes Safe and bold Convoyes requisite in wayes beset with many adversaries skilfull and couragious Pilotts expected when men are to glide between Sylla and Charibdis to encounter with multitude of Pirats You heare of Antinomians who deny the Law to be the Rule of life Of Arminians who undermine the Covenant of free grace that they may gratifie free will Of Anabaptists who withhold Baptisme the Seale of that Covenant from Infants children of those that are within that Covenant of others that question the truth of our Church and Ministrie in and by which so many thousands have been new borne unto God of others that say that there is no need of Ministrie flattering us with hope of new Apostles and glorious revelations Have wee then not need of many Eliahs that may shew skill and zeale in crying Why halt you so long between so many opinions Have they not need to warne against enemies to direct against error by the light of the Word Will not Satan use all meanes and methods to puzzle men in the mists of new opinions that so they may be mis-lead or caused to halt and fall by the many stumbling blocks he casts in their way I thinke the late Archbishop of Canterbury in that part of his own funerall Sermon preached by himselfe to that ample open Auditorie spake this truth That the Pope had never such a harvest in England since the reformation as he hath now by the sects and divisions that are among us But he spake nothing of the hopes of the rooting out of the multiplicitie of divisions by the power of Parliament Who can tell what light at length may breake forth after these blacke and bloudy Clouds are scattered Master Farrell was long opposed and threatned in the reformation of Geneva and other Cities yet did they then coyn money with this posie on the one side Post tenebras Lux and on the other side Deus pugnat cum nobis I hope wee once may have cause to be such coyne notwithstanding the numerous errors divisions difficulties dangers yet hovering over our heads God can easily rebuke Satan as he did when he resisted Josuah Zach. 3.1 2 labouring a reformation he knows how to consute errors to resolve doubts compose differences conquer difficulties remove dangers with advantage to his own Cause and wee may have peace after so many perturbations Esa 62.7 Rest after long motions and stablishment after such quassations and our Church and Kingdome may be made a praise on earth and reape the harvest of so many prayers sowen in and for the same yet the great divisions amongst Brethren emulations between Ministers Presbyterian Independents cause heart-burning and judgement halting among the people Many people imagine some great mystery of Atheisme now broached that was never revealed before When they have heard Preachers so oft perswade to love and unity among people yet they themselves to personate and practice so much envy hatred and fiery contentions which seeme to cast oyle on the fire so mightily flaming in the Kingdome It is good to be zealous alwayes in a good matter But there is a time for all things A word in season c. Should not all labour to quench a common fire rather than coutend who shall have the goods in the house if it be not burned Should not the Marriners row hard to bring the Ship to shoare rather than strive about trimming the Cabinets or dividing the fraught in the midst of a storme Should not the sick man be more carefull to recover from his disease than in the midst of his sicknesse to be curious for this or that trimming on his apparrell The whole three Kingdomes are sick by sinne sorrowes sufferings Should not remedies be sought rather than the miseries augmented Sheep wandring heere and there when they see the Wolfe comming they run apace and flock together Two Mastiffs fighting and not by men partable yet if a Lyon or Beare approach they part of themselves The Turk the Pope endeavour the Kingdomes destruction should not Independents Presbyterians All good Protestants unite their heads hands hearts tongues pens all for the conservation of themselves and the whole Land Men must contend for the truth prove all things and hold that which is good Is it not a good a joyfull thing to see Brethren to dwell together in unity It is like Aarons oyle if it fall from these heads the Pastors It will descend to the beards and bodies of the people yea to all the skirts of the Kingdome If the Anti-Parliament Army should approach and assault the besieging of the great City which God forbid the greatest part being but Neutralls many strong Malignants and too many Papists in the same if either side of the now much divided and strong contending Brethren should assist so many inveterate enemies within would it not mightily encourage the assaulting forces and foes without O therefore pray and preach and practise for the peace of Jerusalem in generall and of these three Nations in particular They surely shall prosper that love so to pray preach practice because the well being of any thing depends on the being of the same Should not all seek the peace of the Citie Kingdome as knowing that they themselves shall have peace in the peace thereof Ministers People Presbyterians Independents all should have peace in the peace of the Land and this Land and many other Nations are in more probabilitie to have publique peace in the private peace of these warring brethren Doe not wee see the whole three Kingdomes in the