CONSIDERATIONS TENDING To the Happy Accomplishment OF ENGLANDS Reformation in Church and State Humbly presented to the Piety and Wisdome of the High and Honourable Court of Parliament Right Honourable Senators AS I have been long agoe convicted of this Truth that my Life is not mine own but Gods and that God appoints the Vse of it to be returned unto Him in Christ through his Body which is the Church visible So I make account that I can have no true delight in the enjoyment of this Earthly Life of mine any further then I find my selfe Vsefull to others thereby in Christs Way Therefore I dare not desire either the continuance or comforts thereof any longer then I may be serviceable therein to the Common-wealth of Israel And although I know not what service in this Kind I have hitherto done or may do hereafter for I am no competent Judge of this matter yet I am comforted herein that I have the testimony of my Conscience assuring mee that I have sincerely spent and laid out my selfe wholly to this effect And that although I have been carelesse of my selfe as to this world sine invidia lucri yet I have seen alwayes Gods hand in the midst of many straits and difficulties supporting me and shewing a way to proceed when I found my selfe at a stand Now because of late this hath been more eminently apparent then ever by the speciall Providence of God in moving the Goodnesse and Justice of the Houses to Order my present maintenance and future support I thinke my selfe highly obliged by all the bonds of Gratitude to be so much the more Zealous Free and Earnest both towards God and Men to endeavour the Advancement of his Glory and your Felicity which I am fully perswaded may be done by such Motions and Proposalls as these are which some who are not much swayed by the Interests of flesh and blood having concurred with me to put to Paper I suppose may have an effectuall influence upon those Honourable Friends of mine in the Houses who are pleased to looke upon me as a Servant to every one for the Publick Good of All. Therefore in requitall of their care for me I find my heart inlarged with cares for them and by the advantage of most thankful Affections and Respects I would gladly give you All occasion to be Instrumentall towards Your own Happinesse and the perfect Wayes of such a desired Reformation both of Church and State as may by Gods blessing thereon in due time ferment the rest of the world Which by the ensuing Discourse will appeare in some measure feasible if the Things offered therein can be set afoot here I say if they can bee set a-afoot here not that I doubt of the Possibility thereof in themselves for I know that elswhere the Matters here mentioned have been practised by piece-meale and therefore there is no reason why they may not be all at once jointly made use of amongst Vs but that I am somwhat in doubt of the season Whether the Spirits of this Age bee not too much as yet to say no more discomposed and scattered to entertaine such Overtures But let Men be as they will such seeds as these must be sown in their hearts and presented to their thoughts Who knoweth what they may worke Sure I am the effect is in Gods hand and he can make this honest endevour to become as it is intended without partiallity a Help and Expedient to that Regular Settlement which all such as are upright in heart wish and long for And I hope that such as seek not to make their own will but the Word of God the sole Rule of our Reformation will all contribute to such designes as these for the composure of needlesse differences And that the Lord who is Wonderfull in Councell and Excellent in VVorking may bring all this to passe I shall not cease to be restlesse before his Throne with my Prayers who am the meanest of all that serve the Publick but in truth and as long as I breathe professedly Right Honourable Senators Your most obliged humble and faithfull Servant SAMVEL HARTLIE A BRIEF DISCOVRSE Concerning The Accomplishment of our REFORMATION Tending to shew That by an Office of Publike Addresse in Spirituall and Temporall Matters the Glory of God and the Happinesse of this Nation may be highly advanced WEE have exceeding great cause to blesse the Lord our God who hath blessed us in many things farre above our fore-Fathers but chiefly in this that we have the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ revealed unto us more evidently then ever they had in former times And although many of our neighbour-Nations partake of this great blessing with us yet in Two Things the people of this Island and chiefly that of England doth exceed all the rest First herein that this Parliament and such as joyne with it in this Publike Cause are more solemnly and strongly engaged to advance the Glory of God by the Reformation of this Church and State then any other Protestants are Secondly in this that God hath put into the hands of this Parliament sufficiently all the Meanes and Advantages that may enable them to discharge their duty in order to this engagement If then this good and mighty hand of God which hitherto hath done so many and so wonderfull things for Us will graciously continue to lead our Leaders on in the way wherin they are entered till they finish their course succesfully it is evident that our Happinesse may be compleated for our Age in a full measure and without interruption propagated afterward for many Ages unto our Posterity And lest we should seem to be carelesse of so great an Advantage let us look upon our State to make a discovery of Gods dealing with Us to the praise of his Name and the increase of our hopes First then this our making of a Nationall Covenant in so solemn a manner with Almighty God with our Neighbour-Nation and with each other in reference unto God as it is an extraordinary engagement to bind our soules unto his publike Service so it hath been from him to Us the conveyance of an extraordinary blessing upon our proceedings by Scattering all our adversaries before Us and breaking al their plots and enterprises against Us by which meanes also our engagement towards God is more strongly confirmed and increased because he hath not onely delivered Us from the deadly feares of our most dangerous and desperate Enemies but hath manifested his acceptance of our Persons and approved of our wayes and undertakings by a successe which is every way admirable In the second place the Advantages which by this successe hee hath put into our hands to effect that whereunto wee are engaged are no lesse obliging towards the Advancement of his Glory then the Covenant it self For this very tye whereby God hath bound Us to himself before other people Nationally and called upon Us to make a solemne Profession of our purpose to
Age is to see that none who have strength and abilities for employment be without some profitable Worke and none that want strength and abilities to work for themselves bee without necessary relief And to fulfill this part of his Duty all Vulgar Trades belonging to Husbandry to Manufactures to Merchandize and Commerce by Sea or Land in the severall kindes of Usefull Commodities or employments about Commodities and all Honorable Offices and Charges belonging to the Common-wealth in Generall or to any part of it in Country and City in Particular are to bee ranked in their proper places and all the Unlawfull and Unprofitable Ways whereby Men or Women get a livelihood or spend their time in Idleness in riot and vanity are to be taken notice of that such Employments as foment naughty Superfluities causing Pride and Sin to abound in a Nation or such persons as live disorderly and cannot be reduced to any certain Employment may be banished the Common-wealth Even as weeds are to be rooted up and cast out of a fruitfull garden Then to such as are not able for Age or otherwise to entertaine any Employment if they be poore relief is due unto them and the Rules by which Hospitalls are to bee ordered aright will be of singular Use in the Reformation of this State The Duty of the Magistrate towards the Religious Conversation of his Subjects is in this That open Contempt of Religion and Profanenesse be restrained That the Publike Ministery be Protected from injury Preserved from contempt and Maintained comfortably and that a just Liberty of Conscionable Profession be not denyed to such as walke orderly in the things wherein they differ from others about Religion Here then some Wayes of Conference and Rules of Vnblamable behaviour are to bee determined and authorized for the preservation of Love and of the Unity of the Spirit and for the avoiding of endlesse and quarrelling Disputes The Duties whereby the Generall Communion of Saints is to bee entertained belonging to the Charge of Ministery more particularly are either such as relate the Society of Ministers amongst themselves or such as relate all other Professors or such as relate the state of the Gospel abroad Towards their fellow-Ministers their Duty is to stand united in Love and to walk by Conjunction of Counsels in matters of Ministeriall Concernment and to that effect to keep the times of appointed Meetings for Mutuall Edification in the charge of Gods House Towards all other Professors their Duty is as free from all to become servants unto all to gaine every one in their severall degrees of growth and religious standing Towards the State of the Gospel in Foraine Parts their Duty is to listen after the Welfare of the Churches to lay the Common Interest thereof to heart to Concurre with them in Prayers in Counsell and Assistance for their Comfort and to this effect upon informations received from abroad to Contribute the fruit of all their abilities as shall bee expedient or necessary for the Common Cause of Religion to maintain the Peace and Prosperity thereof These are the Heads of Duties wherby each State should attend his own charge and reach his proper Aime by himself there be Objects of concurrence in Duties wherein both States should Consult and Co-operate jointly for mutuall assistance in things which cannot bee well effected by either apart Those are 1 The Reforming Ordering and Constituting of Schooles 2 The setling of Courses to Prevent or Remedy Publike Scandals and disturbances of the Peace in matters of Religious Concernments 3 The maintaining of the Liberties which are void of offence in such as differ and walke orderly for Edification 4 The Advancement of Publike Helpes to Knowledge and encouragements to Vertue towards those that are within the Kingdome 5 The Propagation of the Gospel towards those that are without and void of the knowledge of Christ as Jewes Turks and Heathens 6 The Entertaining of Brotherly Correspondency Intelligence and Commerce with Neighbour-Churches to trade in Spirituall Matters with them for the Enlargement of Christs Kingdome and the support of his Truth against the Enemies thereof Of the Third THe Third Thing to bee opened in this Matter is to shew that as the Aime of the Magistracy and Ministery in their severall Spheres doth oblige them to intend the performance of these Duties in order to the Manifestation of Gods Glory so all the Meanes whereby they are inabled to effect the work it self are in their hands so that nothing is wanting but the Actual Contrivance of the Course which may be followed in applying their Abilities unto these their proper Uses This Means is the power of the Parliament able to set themselves and all others in such a way of Acting for the Publike Good as is most expedient for their owne Happinesse It is needlesse to speake of the Al-sufficiency of Humane Abilities bestowed upon this Parliament by the blessing of God for our Reformation It is evident that our Leaders now fitting in it have received from Him all Right and Supreame Authority to Order all things without controule within this Kingdom This their Right and Authority is setled upon the Undoubted faithfulnesse and fulness of Counsel which is in their Assembly and is backed with all Competency of outward Meanes and Instruments to attend the execution of their decrees which this Nation is furnished withall as much as any in the World Nor is there any Power apparent or in being able to let or hinder any thing which upon mature Deliberation they shall determine to bee done They are not limited to any Objects of Deliberation but such as they shall propose unto themselves and such no doubt they will take readily into consideration which shall be offered unto them by fit Instruments and in a fit way for the best Ends Therefore if these Objects can be but fitly insinuated unto those that are most Conscionable grave and zealous for the Publike Good and Glory of this Nation that by their Meanes others may bee seasoned throughly with this necessity of Aiming at such a Reformation as being the Main Service wherunto God doth call Us at this time and if upon such an effectuall insinuation the Way to introduce and settle by little and little the performance and execution of these Duties by Authority of Parliament can be proposed void of all exception there is no cause to doubt of the successe of this Enterprise in due time All the matter of difficulty will bee in these Two Things First How to make the Proposall free from Prejudice and from the respects of Humane Partiality And Secondly How to bring the Way of Deliberating upon these matters in the Houses into a just frame and course which may at fit seasons and intervalls be continued and renewed to carry on the Designe with that stedfastnesse which the importance of the Worke deserveth And truly whether we look upon God or upon the Work or upon our Unsetled Condition or upon the
that they may discern the native properties thereof by all Circumstances discoverable they wil be but like Physitians who without regard to the particular Symptomes of their Patient prescribe a generall Remedy for the disease which seldome is effectuall to work a good or speedy Cure and if it doth any good it is to be ascribed rather to chance then wisdome For the Theoretical part of general Rules may by Men of abilities bee delivered at large but to make these Practically appliable for the Main End of an Effectuall Reformation unto a State that is lyable as all States are unto perpetuall changes is the Matter which the Wisdome of this Committee should mainly apply themselves unto which necessarily requires a speciall Insight and Discovery of Affaires neer at hand Therefore if to these Men and to all others of the Parliament that desire to looke fully and fundamentally into the Affaires of this Kingdom and of this Church in al the Members and Motions therof and into the Affairs of Neighbour Churches and States as they may relate towards these to be able to Compare and lay things together If I say to these Men a Help can be given whereby they shall be inabled to look not onely upon the Outward Parts but as it were upon the very Anatomy of all the inward bowels of the Church and State as they are at all times and from time to time existent in their native features and lineaments and upon all the Vitall Motions and Actions of these Parts and Bowels If 〈◊〉 say againe an easie Help can be found for such a discovery wil it not be an exceeding great advantage to them to open their eyes in al Counsels and Resolutions Certainly it will and such as shall have this insight in matters will bee able upon all occasions to walke as it were at noon day in the light when others will be constrained to doe things but at randome and grope in difficult Cases as it were for the wall at midnight Now this helpe may be had in an Office of Spirituall and Temporall Addresses whereunto all Men for their own Convenience Advantage and Profit will bee made willing and invited to repaire as to a Common Center of Repose wherein they may expect satisfaction for all their Lawfull desires so much as may be had by any Humane Contrivance in a wel-ordered Common-wealth And to make this apparent that an Office may be erected to this effect which may bee of Infinite Usefulness to the State and especially to the Work of Reformation We shall endevour to set down the Sum of it together with the right Uses thereof and the Way by which it may bee established easily and without noise or delay Of the Office of Addresse WEE would advice then that a Certaine Place should be designed by the Authority of the State whereunto all Men might freely come to give Information of the Commodities which they have to be imparted unto others and some body should bee set in that Place to receive these Informations to the end that he may give address to every one that shall repaire to him to make enquiry for such Commodities Where and How to finde the same His proper Charge then and Duty should bee to inable himselfe to direct all men to the attainment of such desirable things as the Society of Mankind in the Common-wealth where he lives can comfortably yeeld unto them so that this Office should bee erected properly for the Relief of Humane Necessities and to accomplish the effect of a wel-ordered Society that all things which are Usefull and profitable in a Common-wealth for Publick and Private Accommodation the Contentation of Soul or Body being known where they are to bee found such as stand in need therof may know whither to repair to get speedy notice therof how to come by them lawfully As for example A man of good parts would fain serve a Master Hee comes to the Office and enquires whether it knows of any Gentleman that desires a Servant if the Register of the Office can tell him of any he gives him Addresse where to find him if he can tell him of none then he should leave his name to be Registred with a Memoriall expressing his desire and the place of his abode and such other Circumstances as he shall thinke fit to inform the Office of that as soon as any doth inquire for a Man of his quality hee may be directed to him In the like manner a Gentleman desires a servant of such and such qualities hee comes to the Office to inquire after one and the Master of Addresses should be able to tell him whether or no and where any is to be found and in case none is to bee found or known at that present then the Gentleman leaves a Memoriall to bee kept for an Addresse to any that may afterward present himselfe And when these that have made enquiry for some Commodity have gotten it by the Addresse of the Office they should bee obliged within the space of 24 houres to give notice thereof unto the Office that the Register may be disburdened of their Memoriall lest some body be addressed in vaine unto them Suppose a Man would let out his house or his ground at a certain rent or sell it another would faine take a house or parcell of ground for rent or buy it both these run up and down and make enquirie here and there at adventures for that which they want and perhaps never light one upon another till the convenient season bee past and they for want of Accommodation have taken some courses lesse advantageous for their Affaires then their mutuall encounter would have been but if the Master of Addresse had been informed of both their desires hee would have instantly directed the one of them to the other by which meanes both would have been accommodated And thus in all other Cases Whatsoever which fal within the Compasse of Humane Conveniences which the Society of Men in a Common-wealth can affoord for Contentation of the mind in Spirituall or Bodily Concernments From whence we may see that such an Office wil be the onely Proper Remedy and Help to that disorderly and confused condition of Life wherin we may lye for want of profitable Contrivements begetting sociable encounters and communications And if we will consider that nothing doth make nature fruitfull in all things but the onely Addresse of Proper Agents to their Patients to cause them meet seasonably together and that nothing doth cause Trade flourish in great Cities so much as the Use of Exchanges and Meeting Places where Merchants may come together at certain times to transact Matters and that without this Contrivement of Mutual Converse all Trade would bee so clogged and retarded that it would be almost impossible to bring businesses to any issue Conveniently and in due time If 〈◊〉 say we consider this we shall find that what Conveniency the Use of Exchange-meetings doth bring to a