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. Newes for Neuters OR The Checke Cause and cure of HALTING 1 King 19.21 And Elijah came unto all the people and said How long halt ye betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered him not a word THE Fountain or Well-head is farre from whence floweth my Text It is twenty steps off Judges 7. Give me leave with Gideons Souldiers to lap a mouthfull as I run along by the streame Before I come to my station to view these words This Chapter containes a Dialogue or Commemoration of many historicall passages 1. Betweene the Lord and Eliah Vse 1. Goe shew thy selfe to Ahab Meane ones must not be affraid to deliver messages to the Mighty Doct. Vse 2. Ch. 17.2.5 Chap. 19. Doct. 2. Eliah's ready obedience to the word of the Lord. There is a time when Eliah must flye from Ahab and Jezabell if the Lord command him Where God hath a Tongue to speake there man must have an eare to heare There is a time to flye Doct. and a time to stay God may be glorified sometimes more by flying than by staying When the force of the enemie may be too strong Mat. 10.22 and the Faith of the persecuted may be too weake When they persecute you in one City flye into another When you may glorifie God more in the place to which then in the place from which you flye You may take leave to depart from men when first in given by God Mat. 10.23 And this counsell is given Doct. When they persecute you into one City flye into another After the command of pursuance Mercies and miseries are oft mixed together Chequer worke is a daily Trade in these times God promised raine when there was a great famine in Samaria Great peace may ensue these great wars And Ahab called Obadiah who feared God greatly Some raised up to be good in a generall Apostacy from God Doct. else woe were to the Kingdome in these times Obadiah tooke a hundred Prophets Vse 4. and hid them by fifty in a Cave Wherein appeared his zeale and care This hath encouraged Londoners to entertaine Strangers in these times of danger The names and actions of the godly shall be had in everlasting remembrance Doct. A groane shall be registred A cup of cold water remembred Teares shall be botled and shall not blood be booked He feedeth them with Bread and Water Those that feare God Doct. he will shew succour to them in time of need Gods dearest Saints may be brought to a morsell of bread Doct. to a cup of cold water Bellissarius a great Commander came being blinde to stand on the high way with a Daobolum Bellissario Give one half-penny to poor blinde Bellessarius Another wrote to his friend to send to him a Spunge a Harpe and a loafe of bread A spunge to dry up his teares A harpe to solace his minde And a loaf of bread to satisfie his hunger Ahab's command to Obadiah for the preservation of grasse for the lives of the Horses and Mules Vse 5. Was Ahab so carefull for grasse how carefull should our King be for Corne and Cattle Laws and liberties persons and Kingdome Bodies and Soules of living men that all be not lost Ahab was carefull to seeke for sustenance though it was upon an if so be a peradventure to finde or not Ioabs resolution was Let us be valiant for our people 1 Sam. 10.12 and for the Cities of our God and let him doe as seemeth him good Let men doe as God commands and let God doe as he hath decreed How carefull how earnest should men be for Grace for heaven These may be sought and found Verse 6. upon certainties without peradventures shews their policie and care the King to goe one way and Obadiah another Policy to direct the best course and care to put it in execution Policy may be used so piety be not suppressed Doct. Gods providence seene in bringing together Eliah and Obadiah Verse 7. Behold Eliah was in the way Saul went to seeke his Fathers Asses and found a Kingdome Obadiah went to seeke water and grasse and behold he findes a way and meanes to bring salvation to people He went in obedience to the command of a King on Earth and meetes with an unerring command of the King of Heaven Doct. Gods providence over-rules all actions Text. persons times things fell downe on his face c. The Messengers of God find favour from those that are good Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 3 Good Christians will know one another in times of adversity Good men desire to be resolved of their doubts Obadiah thought that it was Eliah yet labours to be assured thereof And he answered
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 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
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 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
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 beastlike 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 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
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 joyne 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 bloudy bones to start out of the flesh a sharp but very exemplary for unâ—iding 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 Luke 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 halting These people spake not a word to Eliahs 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 perfidiousnesse 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 infamie 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 such runawayes and all other dissembling Neuters who seeme to be so high in eminency above others yet have discovered such base spirits when as the lowest peasant would hardly be perswaded to doe more monstruously nay scarce Heathens would have been hyred to doe so much Let such dissemblers never account hypocrisie a sinne or sinceritie a grace nor Christianitie an honour unto them What doe they discover themselves to be in the hearts of all that know them but base peasantly spirited spectacles of disgrace and infamie in betraying their own certain proprieties liberties in hope of uncertain honours and profits in the Clouds yea captivating and slaying their owns posteritie and children together with the Inhabitants of a whole Kingdome If the Members departed be the greater number than those
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 turne 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 hope of an harvest Prov. 3.9 now is our seed time for the preservation of a Land for Reformation of Religion therefore honour God with thy substance let not this conceit hatched in thy head cause thee to halt in thy heart but remember Those that honour the Lord he will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 Feare of Plundering makes many stagger in respect of part-taking with either 6. Cause If they reveale themselves they are made a prey to the will of the adversaries therefore so they may sleepe in a whole skin they dread not the danger of a tattered Conscience Yet when these unsiding ones have used all their power and policy to escape Answ the enemy have oft-times come and been as cruell to them as to the most upright Many that for
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 Parliament lie as a Traytor upon the blocke ready to have the head thereof strucke off at one bloudy blow For as the King is head in regard of the Parliament so the Parliament is head in relation to the Countrey and is this a time to nourish contentions amongst any of those who should studie the peace of the Publique The dogge is sometime let out to keepe the sheepe together our punishments many times carry our sinnes in their foreheads our divisions have been still are great contentions increase God punisheth our divisions with divisions The water leads to the fountaine whence it flowes God points to our sinne by our punishments that by punishment sinne may be cured and after the Judgements may be removed Wee would seperate from Gods house God seperates
NEVVES FOR NEWTERS OR The Check Cause Cure of Halting With 31 Doores of Hope for the good successe of the publick cause of the Kingdome 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 neutrale genus signans rem non animatam See the Contents after the Epistle LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons 1648. 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 populous 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 transcribe your own words at this instant having the copy now at Oxford before me you are pleased to approve of my then Doores of Hope for the successe of the Parliament cause In respect whereof you say further I then had merited and you beleeved I should find favour from this Parliament You beleeved also I had hard measure in my businesse and that this Sermon was some occasion of my harder usage though indeed the two poynts here touched concerning Countrey-Committees and flattering Ministers were not then bandled If you enquire after newes out of your once Glocester-shire I beleeve many that were but Newters in your time of abode there are in heart now most strong Malignants perhaps it is because too much savour hath been extended towards them The inlarged vast difference betweene those at home that should be reconciled friends to oppose the common foe makes many continue in a balting condition even to this day And those that were then seeming friends to become now enemies to the common cause That which was a fiction long agoe seems to be now put in action The Eagle they say bad a nest on the top of the Tree where she had her young the Beare had her Den where she had her whelps under the bottome of the Tree The Cat had liberty to run from the bottome to the top and to be a speedy messenger between the Eagle and the Beare tells the Eagle if she flye from her nest the Beare waits to devoure her brood and tells the Beare if she peepout of her Den the Eagle will make a prey of her whelps And thus perswades them to keep close in their holes to the starving of themselves and their young ones that all might become a prey to the crafty Cat. My professed Malignants and their Neighbour Newters Gallemoufrean hotch-potch-ambo-dexters time-serving weathercock-linsee-wolsie-turn-coats Jack on both sides or rather Nick on no side perswade the people in these most dangerous times that the rigid Presbyterians will keep them in more slavery then ever Bishops Government did and that the Independents will have all things common amongst them And this is the deepest policie that all the Devils in Hell could ever invent to prevaile with people to sit still at Marcus Cato and Metius Suffetius the Succoits and the Meroshites did that so professed Malignants might have the more easie opportunity to make the inhabitants of the land to be made meat for their gaping mouthes If God ever joyn the faithfull of the people together in a firme and sincere union to preserve the Kingdome from slavery and ruine he is little better then a Devill I am sure no friend to the Kingdome that endeavours to rend peoples affections asunder Sir I am in my journey therefore make bold to break off abruptly leaving you to the direction of him who hath been your protection Both which shall be the subject of the prayers of Your much obliged SUFFERING Servant WALTER POWELL TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE the Lords and Commons assembled in PARLIAMENT The Author imploreth freedome from Halting Wisdome 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
that stood sound why did not those continue in the House to have overvoted the rest and so have carried on their designe with more ease and safetie with lesse charge danger discredite to themselves their fortunes and their posteritie which now they are lyable to undergoe Howsoever many simpletones in the Countrey may be perswaded and deluded that the greater part of themselves are departed to the Kings side it is a grosse untruth for it is reported for truth that about some say at least 248. are in or of the Commons-House and I hope the flight of the perfidious gives not disanullity to the rest But let the number be few or many the Cause is one and the same still as at the first and their Call lawfull and if many more should betray their trust is not the Kingdome the people bound with person and purse to preserve the rest that labour to preserve their Religion Lawes Libertles for themselves and their posteritie The fewer they be that have stood permanent when so many have been Traytors it is so much the more honourable to the former as it is vituperable and dishonourable to the latter Hadst thou not a vote in choosing them particularly If so why shouldest not thou have a heart and a hand to defend them in the generall which consisted of so many particulars Why baltest thou so long Why trippest thou at the stone of offence Which may so easily be removed if thou wouldest but cast thy eye of Reason to consider thereon The examples of other great ones so increasing 2 Cau. adhering to the King in the Kingdome Shall Christ be set upon the footstoole because great ones will not indure him on the throe Answ Psal 2. Doe not the Scripture tell us that Kings of the earth stand up and Princes consult together against the Lord and his anoynted saying Let us breake their bonds and cast their cords away from us Why doe the Heathen rage when God will continue his Sonne upon his holy hill You know it is a truth Greatnesse is seldome accompanied with Goodnesse Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 Psal Col. 3. Their bellies are filled with the hid treasure of the earth therefore they seldome have appetite to hunger and thirst after that life which is hid with Christ in God They so minde Belly-blessings as that they neglect the care of spirituall mercies Yet a Pearle is a Pearle is precious though many with the Cocke preserre the Barley-Corne before it Greatnesse attended with goodnesse is like apples of gold in pictures of silver as gratior est virtus veniens e corpore pulcro Pietie in Majestie is most eminent transient Psal 133.2 and communicative it is like Aarons oyle that descended from the head to the Beard and so to the skirts of the clothing the Family the Parish the Countrey shall smell more fragrantly be animated more cheerfully hold out the more constantly by the good examples of the mightie As Labans flocks increased the better for Jacobs sake and Potiphars affaires succeedeth the more prosperous for Josephs sake Act. 27. And Pauls fellow-passengers sped the better were landed more safely for his sake so meane ones Tenants children families thrive and grow the better are more good and constant by reason of the goodnesse and constancy of their Superiours They being as a great Oake which standing yeeldeth shelter and safety to them that stand under it but falling crusheth down the underwood neere unto it They being as fresh-fish which if it be sweet in the head thou mayest taste of the whole body but if the head stinke the rest of the body is tanted if the fountaine be polluted can the channell be cleane Are not great ones Landlords Gentlemen as fountaines as heads as Oakes they being for the greatest part so corrupt rotten vile is it any wonder their Tenants neighbours underlings dance after their pipe Jeremy went to the people to expect information but found it not they were simple ones unlettered ones had not so much leisure bookes abilities opportunities he went therefore to the great ones looking for better things from them but these altogether broke the yoke burst the bonds Ier. 5.5 He could not expect the common sort to be good when the great ones were so bad Doe any of the great ones the chiefe Priests and Pharisees beleeve on him Ioh. 7.48 How dare you move one way when men of high place looke another way As I reade of some Master or Captaine that because be was crook backed all the rest of the Schollars or Souldiers stooped as the flattering servant said Ait aio negas nego Doth my Master say thus so doe I also doth he deny it so doe I also The coward ze of the Gentry have been a great bane to the Countrey because exemplum praevalet in re qualibet they have been content to make Kings to be Gods that they themselves might be Kings But consider how God hath infatuated their Cousells and defeated their hopes Parturiunt montes nascetur ridiculus mus They conceive a mischiefe and brought forth a lye They have exposed themselves to the storme and contempt of all good men because they permit their greatnesse to bid adiew to goodnesse They caught after the shaddow and so have lost the substance too and they have but the bones of Promethius left for them the flesh being devoured Sumble not therefore at those bones have not their persons in admiration take not their evill actions for imitation seeing great ones are seldome good ones Many future generations shall call them cursed because they came not forth to the helpe of the Lord against the mightie they had not a foote to stand up in the gap Ezek. 22.30 they had not a hand to make up the hedge for the Land that the Lord might not destoy it mightie ones shall be mightily tormented Because they siune against many meahes 1 Can. enjoyed more by them than by other men Because they cause many to fall through their default 2 Can. which if people did beleeve they might be preserved from balting between 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
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 Pluck up but this one weed in the Antichristian Kingdomes over Sea let Bishops onely be removed from Italy and Spaine Germany and France as they are likely to be from Britaine the Pope can no more stand there hereafter than a head can without his body The Maxime was false No Bishop no King but its certain No Bishop no Pope The Bulles from Rome bred so many Calves in Britaine that there was a necessitie of Cessation or sacrifice of them before Gods wrath can be expected to be pacified toward the Nation Was not a Reformation desired long in the Land by the Record of the very Common-Prayer-Booke as wee reade in the Presace before the Commination appointed to be read in the beginning of Lent Brethren in the Primitive Church there was a
godly Discipline that at the beginning of Lent such persons as were notorious sinners were put to open Pennance In the stead whereof untill the said Discipline may be restored againe which thing is much to be wished it is thought good at this time c. Was such a godly Discipline so long agoe wished to be restored and shall it now be opposed Either it was wished in fincerity or in hypocrifie if in hypocrifie why should it be printed If in sincerity why should it not be effected Should it ever be in wishing and never brought to perfection Parliaments were onely stately Pageants if they should onely confirme and not also reforme old Lawes If thou didst not halt in the Parliaments Election why shouldst thou halt now for feare what they shall doe in persons in Nations Reformation that Truth may succeed in the roome of errour and Christs Kingdome brought into the Land with more puritie and power both for Doctrine and Discipline Disestimation of the Parliament keepes men cold in the Common Cause men thinke their power too great over their Purses and Estates 9 Cau. On a time the members of the body cald a Counsell of Warre to consult why the stomacke devoured all what ever the eye did see the hand reach the mouth conveyed it to the stomacke Therefore they concluded to forbeare their accustomed offices and services seeing all tended onely to the benefit of the stomacke In short time it came to passe that the eye began to wax dim the hand weake the feete feeble and the mouth scaice able to open it selfe They quickly saw their Error and afforded their diligence in their wonted employments and all was well againe and they mutined no more I need not spend time in making the application If supportment should have been denied to the Parliament what had become â— Lawes Liberties Religion in the Kingdome Wee hoped the Parliament would have setled Peace long before this time Object the Summer is gone the winter come and yet wee are not delivered our shops are shut or unaccustomed in the Citie our grounds unstocked all Trading decayed in the Countrey If the Lord send not Peace Sol. can the Parliament procure it Shall not they have a share in it as well as any other Are not their Estates as much if not more ruined than others are 'T is true Peace is a fine thing a principall Blessing of God then which nothing can be named with more willingnesse desired with more heartinesse and obtained with more contentednesse yet there is a certain thing which they call Truth which was ready to be banished out of these Coasts and would outward Peace be much worth without Truth Is not Peace of Conscience an excellent Jewell which who ever enjoyes hath a continuall feast Is not Peace with God able to keepe our hearts and minds free from all feare of plundering and assaults of enemies Doth not this passe all understanding Is it not a glorious sight to see Righteousnesse and Peace kisse each other Therefore the Prophet commands Zach. 8.19 V. 16. Love Truth and Peace Truth you see is put in the first place Therefore execute Truth and Peace in your Gates implying the necessitie of the one as well as the other If it be possible have peace with all men but that is not approved possibilitie that is opposite against pietie Heb. 12.14 Follow peace and holinesse with all else you shall not see God What God hath joyned together Man must not put asunder Peace with men will little profit whiles wee professe and practise warre against God The injustice 10 Cause oppression tyranny and unreformation of Countrey Committees cause people to continue in a staggering estate both for their opinions and Purses in the Common Cause Because those that are appointed to be instrumentall meanes to relieve doe much grieve the people Yet Preachers before the high Court of Parliament cry out daily against their Injustice Master Case in his Sermon before the House of Commons intreats them for the Lords sake to have a care that none under the charge of the Parliament may be oppressed by their inseriour Committees least people oppressed have occasion to say You have pulled down one Starre-chamber and have set up an hundred Master Cheynell preaching before the Lords March 27 upon the Psalme Man being in honour c. in his Epistle to the Lords intreats their Wisdomes to have a care for the purging of Committees in Essex Sussex Surrey and Hampshire I thinke his Petition might have extended towards all the Committees in the Kingdome and he said that the spring was a fit time to give them Physicke yet people see none either given or taken or working effectually upon them in reformation They begin to halt in their opinions and to be cold in their former aeale for the Cause Which indeed reflects upon the honour of the Parliament as moysture in the feete strikes up into the head Cambyses a King caused Sycanus a Judge that had been hired by money to pronounce a wrong sentence to be flead and his skinne to be hanged on the Judgement-seate to be a torror to succeeding Judges I thinke if some Committee-men were so used they would have as little skinne left upon their backs as some of them have land in the Countrey where they execute their Commissions The Ethiopians were wont to set up a Chaire of State in their Senate and that to be empty as if the God of Judgement sate there to be Umpire and Moderator whom the Senators ought to looke upon in passing sentence that they might immitate him in Judgement The Lords in the upper-House have an emptie Chaire now in the absence of the King and yet not wholly empty if they consider the presence of the King of Kings that observes and heares all their Consultations I wish that County Committees might have an empty Chaire before them to put them in minde that there is a power above them to wit the Parliament and a power above that the God of Heaven If some Countrey Committee-Members were set in a lower Chaire and bound therein and kept without bread and water twenty-foure houres together and had 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
us from our own houses Wee cared not for the worth of peace God now shewes the worth by the want of it the price of many things are learn't carendo magis quà m fruendo Wee walked contrary unto him he now walkes contrary unto us Wee brake forth by lying stealing whoring one bloudy sinne touched another and now God hath had a long Controversie against all the Inhabitants of the Land and one bloudy punishment toucheth another Men by their Hell-hastening iniquities warred brake forth against the Lord and now God by Heaven-darting Judgements warreth against and breaketh in upon men Yea this heighteneth mens sinnes that they warre against the Lord yea friends against friends whiles God and man continue their warre against them both God in Justice men in hatred t is good as from God evill as from men I have spoken so much in this point it being a maine cause of halting in the people while they apprehend so much flattery in and contention among Ministers Let all Eliah's labour to preserve people from halting by occasion thereof Let them study to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of peace if there be any vertue any praise any profit in love in peace Elijah you see was bold and it mightily prevailed Can Ministers write after any fairer Copie can they walke after any more un-erring Rule Be strong and of a good courage was Gods Counsell to Josuah Iosh 1.6 and addes in the next verse onely be strong and the people close up their Counsell with the same Caution to him in the last words of the same Chapter because things last of all spoken Vers 18. commonly are best of all remembred onely be strong and of a good courage vers 18. As if courage boldnesse were the All in All required in the Leaders the Shepheards of Gods flocke as if it were the Quintessence that is most to be seene in the essence of all their ingagements and discharge of duties required by God and Man may they not by this their courage as Hannibal by sire over the Alpes make way over the mountaines of all obstructions all oppositions whatsoever Look what powder is to bullets a clapper to the Bell fire to the wood wings to a Bird sayles to a Ship winde to sayles wine to the spirits an edge to a Razor mettall to a horse the soule to the body vivacitie to any creature the same is Courage to any Christian much more to a Minister for his affection motion action Twelfth and last cause I mention of the Peoples halting 12. Cause between the two maine opinions in these times is The doubt of the successe of the Cause in Question which followes in the last not least place to be answered viz. these Doores of Hope ⧠DOORES OF HOPE WHat ever the issue and successe of these warres be yet Gods people should be of Joabs resolution 2 Sam. 10.12 Let us be valiant for our people and for the Cities of our God and let the Lord do as seemeth him good I am no Prophet nor the son of a Prophet ungainsayably to prognosticate the event his face hath never yet been seene nor tongue heard in a Pulpit that can thus Divine Therefore I will not professe so much ignorance or arrogance peremptorily to avouch These present warres suddenly shall end or that the Parliament side without any possible contradiction shall prevaile But this I affirme that there may be alledged many Arguments of probabilitie that God will shortly deliver this Land from Popery and slavery for the present and future time These Arguments I call Doores of Hope Of which Doores I shall but draw the Latches and set them a little ashoare and give you leave at your more leisure to goe into the severall roomes in your private meditations and view the materialls therein contained The first Doore 1. I bring you to is the Promise of God made to comfort his people 2 Pet. 1.4 Esa 25.8 These promises are said to be Gods gifts many great exceeding precious The Lord will wipe away teares from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth Rev. 14.8 for the Lord hath spoken it Babylon is fallen Esa 55.10 is fallen Doubled as Phar dreame for the certainty of the thing Shall the Lord promise and shall he not performe Surely as the raine cometh downe and watereth the earth and makes it bring forth and bud that it may give seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne unto mee voyde but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it It s added in the next verse Vers 11. Ios 21.43 Therefore shall yee goe out with joy and be led forth with peace This Argument couragious Josuah proposed a little before his death to continue the people in constancy The Lord gave Israel all the land which he had sworne to give to their Fathers and they possessed it and dwelt therein Vers 44. Also the Lord gave them rest round about aocording to all that he had sworne unto their Fathers and there stood not a man of all their Enemies before them for the Lord delivered all their Enemies into their hand Vers 45. There failed nothing of all the good things which the Lord had said unto the house of Israel Vers 45. Ch. 23.14 but all came to passe And in the next Chap. 14. verse to the people You know in all your hearts as certainly as if things were in your bosome that nothing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised you but all are come to passe unto you nothing hath failed thereof The Lord commands his Prophets Esa 40.1 2 Comfort yee comfort yee my people speake comfortably unto Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished Where you see is a Charge and Commission given not onely by bare affirmation or command to Ministers but by Ingemination Comfort yee comfort yee yea by Triplication speake yee comfortably unto Jerusalem by Quadruplication and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished is i. it shall as certainly be accomplished as if it were already effected These comfortable promises Calvin on Esay must not be whispered softly in their eares saith Calvin but cryed out aloud that they may sinke into their hearts Let us make use of these promises in our prayers Psal 119.49 50. saying with David Remember thy promise made to thy servant wherein thou hast caused mee to trust It is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickned mee Gods Providence and Power in the Lands preservation Doore 2. What are the Mightie against the Almightie The Nations of the Earth are as a drop hanging on the Bucket of water What is a drop to the Bucket What the Bucket to all
inclined to comiserate dust and ashes his body was delivered from incumbent horrible dangers his feet set on a Rock all the waves and windes could not overturn it his goings were ordered men or Devils could not make him slide or goe out of Gods paths His tongue had occasion to trumpet out Gods praise The wicked that saw it were convicted the godly confirmed to trust in the Lord. Who for his patient waiting had delivered his soule from death his eyes from teares and his feet from falling how for all this could he doe lesse than praise the Lord in the land of the living Men shall say in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him he will save us They read over their Title to him again in the same words This is the Lord we have waited for him We have waited for thee in the way of thy judgements Esay 25.9 chap. 26 8. Verse 3. chap. 30.18 Ergo Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord God is strength to deliver his Church for evermore yea the Lord waits in the beginning of the verse to be gracious unto man Blessed are those that wait to receive mercy from him The path of Gods present proceedings Doore 20. is a pledge of his good providence for future time in the kingdome His judgements seeme to be judgements of expostulation with rather than of extirpation of the kingdome Though these dayes seem to be as that day the Prophet mentioned Zach. 14.6 7. wherein was no clear light but it was dark it was neither quite day nor night but about the evening time it shall be light God will at the last which is with the Lord but as the length of a day send a faire and cleare evening of joy and comfort to his distressed servants We read Exod. 4.24 that God being angry with Moses for not circumcising his sons it came to passe by the way in the Inne the Lord met him and sought to kill him Sought to kill him 'T is strange Did God seek to kill him and not kill him Speak Lord speak to the fire and it shall with flâ—shings consume him to the aire and with pestilent vapours choake him to the waters and with deluges it shall overwhelme him to the earth and with yawning chops it shall devoure him Well the meaning is God sought to kill him that is in some outward visible manner whereof Moses was apprehensive God manifested his displeasure against him that so Moses might have notice and leasure to divert his anger by removing the cause thereof He that said to us Seek and ye shall find doth himselfe seek and not find And good reason for he sought with an intent not to find Thus may we say God for these many yeares sought to destroy the Kingdome manifesting an unwilling-willingnesse if men in any reasonable time will take up the matter and compound the difference by repentance The loving Father shakes the Rod over the Child not with an intent to beat him but to make him beg pardon Such hitherto hath been the Lords dealing with our Nation that he even courts and wooes us to repentance as loath to punish us if we would understand the voyce of the Rod and why it is shaken over us At what time the Lord threatneth to pluck up root out Mich. 6.9 Jer. 18.8 and to destroy it If this Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their wickednesse I will repent appearing so to mans judgement of the plague I thought to bring upon them If men wash their hands and hearts in teares of repentance Deut. 21.7 as Israel in the blood of the Heifer all the blood that hath been or shall be shed in these warres it shall never be laid to their charge by the Lord. If thou make Conscience thy Castle let Drummes beat Trumpets sound Pikes push Bullets flye Cannons roare Death Warres Devils doe their worst thy life is hid with God and thou shalt be in safety Thus have I brought you to twenty severall Doores and have a little opened them that you looking into the roomes might have some light of comfort even on this day and in this formerly sorrowfull place for the good successe of the kingdomes cause I have a few more doores to lead you to but I must be speedy in my passage by them and give you leave but to peep into them whiles your ears attend my tongue The Saints sorrow for the Churches miseries Doore 21. and love for her prosperitie Where these duties are performed great dignities are peomiled Isa 66 10 11 12. Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her Rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations that ye may milk out and be delighte I with the brightnesse of her glory because I will extend peace over her like a floud Peace prosperity shall come speedily and in great abundance Pray for the peace of Jerusalem They shall prosper that love thee What 's added Ps 122.6 Peace be within thy walles and prosperity within thy palaces And these duties enjoyned by the Lord and practised by his people upon his command and shall not he blesse his own commanded meanes God bids remember those that are in bonds as if we were bound with them else we cannot have a fellow feeling of their miseries Surely such precepts have obliged many to weep in secret watch fast and pray in publick for the Churches miseries as if they had been their owne It 's Gods own cause and can that ever miscarry Doore 22 Hath not he maintained it with an high hand and stretched out arme in all ages Keep not silence Psa 83.1 Vers 5. O God implying it 's as easie for God to hush all wars as it is for man to speak Thine enemies make a tumult and hate thee They have consulted in heart and made a league against thee Hath not God pleaded the cause of his Saints as if he and they were one Psa 35.1 Else David would not have been so bold with him saying Plead my cause O God In Joshuahs time the Lord fought for Israel Ios 10.14 't was his owne cause made therefore the Sun and Moon stand still untill the people avenged themselves of their enemies In his own cause he hearkened to the voyce of a man but in an evill cause will regard voyce of many Johs Acts 9.4 Samuels Daniels Angels Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me in my members on earth now I am in heaven Be not afraid said the propheticall Levite unto Jehosophat and the people for this great multitude 2 Chro. 20 15. for the battell is not yours but Gods The Dragon and his Angels fought against Michael and his Angels Rev. 12.7 8. but the Dragon and his Angels were cast out of heaven unto the earth because they fought against
Michael and his Angels Christ hath overcome the World Doore 23 Death Devill and shall these overcome him again Iohn 16.33 Col. 2.15 Rev. 17.14 It 's incredible impossible Be ye of good comfort in me ye shall have peace I have over come the world He hath openly triumphed over them on his Crosse This Lamb hath overcome all Lions Can Satan be stronger than God The efficacie of Christ his prayer Doore 24 He was heard on earth and shall he not be heard in heaven Rom. 8.33 1 Pet. 3.14 making intercession for his people Who is he that will harm you if ye follow that which is good Who harme us wicked ones will Yet blessed are you if ye suffer for righteousnesse sake Feare not their feare nor be ye troubled The conviction and conversion of Adversaries Doore 25 God enlightning them to see what they did not see before It is beyond the thoughts and expectation of man thae the Lord Inchequin seduced by the Jesuitical faction should be changed from a destroyer to Champion for God and a preserver of his cause The many cries Doore 26 prayers teares of Fathers Children Widowes for vengeance Doth not the Lord heare their cries and know their sorrowes The Lord heard the voyce of the Lad Ishmael Exod. 3.7 Gen. 21.17 Psa 146.9 weeping before him and will he not heare the voyce of thousands of Children for their parents and parents for their children wives for their husbands and friends for friends He relieveth the Fatherlesse and Widowes In whom can the Fatherlesse finde mercy but in him Hos 14.3 Luke 18.7 If an unrighteous Judge did the importune Widow justice against her adversary shall not God avenge his elect that cry day and night unto him The cry of the multiplicity of the blood that hath been shed Doore 27. Shall not the blood of so many Saints call for vengeance Gen. 4.10 Rev. 6.10 when the blood of one Abel cryed unto the Lord and he heard it The soules of the Saints slaine cry Dost thou not avenge our bloodâ— Groans are registred teares botled and shall not blood be booked Did God enquire for one Abel will he not for thousands The Relation of God towards his Church Doore 28. God sayth he is worse than an Infidell that provides not for his family 1 Tim. 5.8 Is not he a Father And will a Father give stones to children that ask bread He is to his Church a Husband a Master a Captain a King Sheepheard Creator Redeemer wise Builder He is a Sun and a Shield hath his Rod and his Staffe both for direction and preservation The great rage of Satan sheweth that his time is but short Doore 29. When the Devil was to be cast forth out of the dumb Rev. 12.12 Mat. 9.22.26 he casts him into the fire and into the water and rent him soare cryed and then came out of him Violent things continue not long in extremity especially such showers of blood The many differences between forraigne nations Doore 30. who would have joyned hand in hand against the Kingdome had they not been set together by the eares in their own lands This is none of the least of Gods mercies to our nation at this time they having enough to doe at home have the lesse leasure to be imployed as the Devils and Popes Armour-bearers abroad The prevention of many inconveniences which might ensue Doore 31. 1. Some godly ones might put forth their hands to wickednesse Psa 125.3 if the rod of the wicked should long lye on the lot of the righteous 2. That the wicked might not deny Gods power providence justice which they see executed here on earth 3. Truth of the Scriptures may not bee questioned Tribulation bringeth forth patience patience experience experience hope Rom. 5.4 Now lay all these considerations together that have been mentioned before and I beleeve they will administer joy in the times of sorrow and keep up mens hearts lesse to doubt the successe of the common cause 1. Considering God is a God of power able to finish what he hath begun 2. It stands with his wisdome the foundation laid to perfect his building 3. God is the God of order what confusion else would be 4. Kindnesse had been unkindnesse Better to have had no cluster of grapes than not to be brought into Canaan 5. Weak ones would suspect God used some stratagem to draw men out as the men of Ai to destroy them or as to gather Bees and to burn them 6. They would doubt God would not doe as much for his people now as he hath done heretofore Our Fathers trusted in him and were delivered but we have trusted in him and are not delivered 7. Gods friends would put forth their hands to wickednesse 8. His enemies blasphemies boastings cruelties would be the greater They would endeavour to build Babels to scale if possible the very walts of heaven 9. God spared the kingdome for a long season when sin was committed and with greedinesse acted Ezek. 22.30 and will he not spare it now when sinne is confessed lamented and many stand up in the gap to turn away his wrath and reform impieties according to his desire and promise 10. The courage of the Parliament Commanders Captaines Souldiers beyond ordinary expectation naturall Relations carrying Gods Ark towards Bethshemesh their wives children houses lands goods liberties lives being not deere unto them doe all confirme our hearts in the promises of the Lord that his help is at hand to deliver the Nation from slavery and Popery I beseech you by the many mercies of God that have been daily manifested and infallibly expected to lay out your selves to give up your bodies spirits estates your All for your selves posterity Cities and people of God It was dying Joshuahs argument to the Israelites to move them to a constant obedience to Gods commandements that they had experimentall knowledge in their hearts that nothing failed of all the good things that the Lord had promised to them all came to passe And have wee not as great a portion participation in Gods promises and performances as the Israelites had We may say of Gods mercies to Israel and England as one spake of Demosthenes and Tully Cicero effecit ne Demosthenes esses solus Orator Demosthenes ne Cicero primus foret The Israelites were the cause we could not be the first people whome God did so extraordinarily blesse and favour But we are the cause that they could not boast themselves to be the only people in Gods love And if Gods mercies in any age for height length depth breadth might be boasted of rejoyced in then in our dayes in this Parliament in these warres where good is fetcht out of evill light out of darknesse And if these things will be marvellous in the eares of all posterity shall they not in our hearts before whose eyes the same have been accomplished Wherefore I conclude as I began being high time to take my worke off the Loome Why halt ye so long between two opinions If Baal be God then follow him so shall you fall from sin the Suburbs into Hell it selfe the place portion expectation of all cursed neutralizing Balaaks for whom are reserved torments which are endlesse easelesse and remedilesse If the Lord be God then follow him so shall you come to see him that is invisible and shall change the society of men for Angels Earth for Heaven and the company of Lions for fellowship with the Lamb for ever Where shall be all light without any darknesse truth without error joy without sorrow health without sicknesse liberty without restraint peace without perturbation eternity without end where the Quire of Angels shall be musick to our eares where the fight of God shall be the object to our eyes where the joyes of heaven shall be the possession of our soules Unto the hearing of which Angellicall musick unto the beholding of which beatificall vision unto the possession of which celestiall joyes the Lord that is Author of all vouchsafe to bring us all let all Gods people say Amen And let the Lord Jesus Christ whose words are Yea and Amen put to his hand and seale and say Amen Amen I have now done for speaking you have now done for hearing his Chaire and Pulpit is in heaven that must perswade you to put in practice those things which I have delivered in precept which that he may doe unto him let us pray Soli Deo laus FINIS