misery of moderation I recall my word seeing misery properly must have sin in it This is an Affliction attending moderate men that they have not an active party to side with them and favour them Men of great stature will quickly be made Porters to a King those diminutively little Dwarfes to a Queen whilst such who are of a middle height may get themselves masters where they can The moderate man eminent for no excesse or extravagancy in his judgement will have few Patrons to protect or persons to adhere unto him But what saith St. Paul 1 Co. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable XXXIV Pottage for Milk IN these licentious times wherein Religion lay in a Swoone and many pretended Ministers Minions of the Times committed or omitted in Divine Service what they pleased some not only in VVales but in England and in London it self on the Lords day sometimes with sometimes without a Psalm presently popped up into the Pulpit before any portion of Scripture either in the Old or New Testament was read to the People Hereupon one in jest earnest said that formerly they put down BISHOPS and DEANS and now they had put down CHAPTERS too It is high time that this fault be reformed for the future that Gods Word which is all Gold be not justled out to make room for mens Sermons which are but parcel-gilt at the best XXXV Moderate may meet WHen S. Paul was at Athens Actt 18.18 Then certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him c. Some will say why was there no mention here of the Peripateticks and Academicks both notable Sects of Philosophers and then numerous in the Ciry of Athens The answer is this these being persons acted with more moderate Principles were contented to be silent though not concurring in their Iudgments whil'st the Epicures and Stoicks were violent in the extreams the first for the Anarchy of Fortune the other for the Tyranny of Fate PEACE in our Land like St Paul is now likely to be encountred with two opposite Parties such as are for the Liberty of a Commonwealth and such as are for an absolute Monarchy in the full height thereof but I hope neither of both are so considerable in their number parts and influence on the People but that the Moderate Party advocates for Peace will prevail for the settling thereof XXXVI What never wise IN the year of our Lord 1606 there happened a sad overflowing of the SEVERN-SEA on both sides thereof which some still alive doe ONE I hope thankfully remember An account hereof was written to Iohn Stoe the industrious Chronicler from Dr Still then Bishop of Bath and Wells and three other Gentlemen of Credit to insert it in his Story one passage wherein I cannot omit STOES Chronicle pag. 889. Among other things of Note it happened that upon the tops of some hills divers beasts of contrary nature had got up for their safety as Dog Cats Foxes Hares Conies Moles Mice and Rats who remained together very peaceably without any manner or sign of fear of violence one towards another How much of Man was there then in bruit Creatures How much of bruitishnesse is there now in Men Is this a time for those who are sinking for the same cause to quarrel and fall out I dare adde no more but the words of the Apostle Tim. 2.7 Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things XXXVII Recede a Title I saw two ride a race for a Silver Cup he who won it out ran the Post many Paces indeed hee could not stop his Horse in his full Cariere and therefore was fain to run beyond the Post or else he had never come soon rnough unto it But presently after when he had won the wager he rained his Horse back again and softly returned to the Post where from the Iudges of the Match he received the Cup the reward of his Victory Surely many Moderate Man design'd a good marke to themselves and propounded pious Ends and Aims in their intentions But Quere whether in pursuance thereof in our late Civil destruction they were not violented to out run the Marke So impossible it is to stop a Soul in the full speed thereof and whether they did not in some things over-doe and exceed what they intended If so it is neither Sin nor Shame but honourable and profitable for such persons sensible of their own over-activity even fairly to go back to the Post which they have out-run and now calmly to demonstrate to the whole world that this only is the true and full measure of their judgements whil'st the rest was but the superfluity of their passions XXXVIII Beat thy self I saw a Mother threatning to beat her little child for not rightly pronouncing that Petition in the Lords Prayer and forgivens our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespasse against us The child essaied and offered as well as it could to uttet it adventuring at Tepasses Trepasses but could not pronounce the word aright Alas it is a SHIBOLETH to a child's tongue wherein there is a confluence of hard consonants together and therefore if the Mother had beaten defect in the Infant for default she deserved to have been beaten her self The rather because what the child could not pronounce the Parents do not practise O how lispingly and imperfectly doe we perform the close of this Petition as we forgive them that Trespasse against us It is well if with the child we endeavour our best though falling short in the exact observance thereof XXXIX Without Blood IT passeth for a generall report of what was customary in former times that the Sheriff of the County used to present the Iudge with a pair of white Gloves at those which we call MAYDEN-ASSISES viz. when no Malefactour is put to death therein a great Rarity though usuall in small in large and populous Counties England a spacious Countrey is full of numerous factions in these distracted times It is above belief and will hardly find credit with posterity that a generall Peace can be settled in our Nation without effusion of Blood But if we should be blessed with a dry Peace without one drop of Blood therein O let the white Gloves of Honour and Glory be in the first place presented to the God of Heaven the principal giver and a second white pair of Gratitude be given to our Generall the instrumentall procurer thereof XL Against the Hair and the Flesh ALl Devils are not equally easie to be ejected out of possessed pepple some are of a more sullen sturdy stubborn nature good or rather bad at hold-fast and hard to be cast out In like manner all Bosome Sins are not conquered with facility alike and these three are of the greatest difficulty 1. Constitutionary sins rivited in our tempers and complections 2. Customary sins habited in us by practise and presumption 3. Such sins
not only a rod in the hand of God but what is worse a sword Psal. 17.13 the wicked which is thy sword they shall do no hurt as long as God hath the ordering of them A pregnant experiment hereof we have in the call it rod or sword of our late Civil warre which lasted so long in our land yet left so little signs behind it Such who consider how much was destroyed in the war may justly wonder that any provision was left whilest such who behold the plenty we have left will more admire that any was ever destroyed XVIII All Tongue and Eares WE read Acts 17.21 All the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing How cometh this transposition tell and hear it should be hear and tell they must hear it before they could tell it and in the very method of nature those that are deaf are dumb But know it is more then probable that many Athenians told what they never heard being themselves the first Finders Founders and Forgers of false reports therewith meerly to entertain the itching curiosity of others England aboundeth with many such Athenians it is hard to say whether more false Coyn or false Newes be minted in our dayes One side is not more pleased with their own factions then the other is with their own fictions Some pretend to Intelligence without Vnderstanding whose relations are their own confutations I know some who repair to such Novelants on purpose to know what newes is false by their reporting thereof XIX Give and Take THe Archbishop of Spalato when Dean of Windsor very affectionately moved the Prebendaries thereof to contribute bountifully towards the relieving of a distressed Forreigner reporting him a person of much worth and want to whom one of the Company replied Qui SVA DET SVA DET Let him who perswadeth others give something of his own But the Archbishop who was as Covetous as Ambitious and whose Charity had a tongue without hands would not part with a penny The Episcopal Party doth desire and expect that the Presbyterian should remit of his rigidnesse in order to an Expedient betwixt them The Presbyterians require that the Episcopal side abate of their Austerity to advance an accommodation But some on both sides are so wedded to their wilfulnesse stand so stiffe in their judgments are so high and hot in their passions they will not part with the least punctillo in their opinions and practises Such mens judgments cannot pretend to the exactnesse of the Gibeonites Iudg. 20.16 that they hit the Mark of the Truth at an hairs breadth and fail not yet will they not abate an hairs breadth in order to unity they will take all but tender nothing make motions with their Mouthes but none with their Feet for peace not stirring a step towards it O that we could see some proffers and performances of condescension on either side and then let others who remin obstinate and will embrace no peace be branded with PEREZ Gen. 38.29 the breach be upon them XX CHARITY CHARITY IN my Fathers time there was a Fellow of Trinity Colledge Camb. a Native of Carlton in Leicestershire * where the people thorow some occult cause are troubled with a wharling in their throats so that they cannot plainly pronounce the Letter R. This Schollar being conscious of his infirmity made a Latine Oration of the usuall expected length without an R therein and yet did he not only select words fit for his mouth easie for pronuntiation but also as pure and expressive for signification to shew that men might speak without being beholding to the Dogs letter Our English Pulpits for these last eighteen years have had in them too much Caninal anger vented by snapping and snarling spirits on both sides But if you bite and devour one another saith the Apostle Gal. 5.15 Take heed ye be not devoured one of another Think not that our Sermons must be silent if not satyrical as if Divininity did not afford smooth subjects enough to be seasonably insisted on in this Iuncture of time let us try our skill whether we cannot preach without any Dog-letter or biting-word the Art is half learned by intending and wholly by serious endeavouring it I am sure that such soft Sermons will be more easie for the tongue of the Preacher in pronouncing them lesse grating to the eares of pious people that hear them and most edifying to the heart of both speaker and hearers of them XXI But one Favourite WE read how Abraham Gen. 25.5 gave all he had unto Isaac As for his six sons Zimran Iokshan Medan Midian Ishback and Shuah which he had by Keturah his Concubine he only gave them gifts and sent them away into the East-Countrey England hath but one Isaac or legitimate Religion of the Church namely the Protestant as the Doctrine thereof is established in the 39. Articles But how many spurious ones she hath whether six sixty or sixscore I neither do know nor will enquire nor will I load my Book and trouble the Reader with their new numerous and hard names Oh may the State be pleased so far to reflect on this Isaac as to settle the solid inheritance upon him Let the Protestant Religion only be countenanced by the Law be owned and acknowledged for the received Religion of the Nation As for other Sects the sons of Keturah we grudge not that gifts be bestowed upon them Let them have a Toleration and that I assure you is a great gift indeed and be permitted peaceably and privately to enjoy their Consciences both in opinions and practices Such favour may safely not to say ought justly be afforded unto them so long as they continue peaceably in our Israel and disturb not the Estate This gift granted unto them they need not to be sent away into the East or any other Countrey If they dislike their condition they will either leave the Land and go over seas of their own accord or else which is rather to be desired and hoped for they will blush themselves out of their former follies and by degrees cordially reconcile themselves to the Church of England XXII Calmly Calmly WE read Gen. 3.8 that when God solemnly proceeded in the sentencing of our first Parents he was heard walking in the Garden in the cool of the day to teach men when they go about matters of Moment wherein not only the present Age but Posterity is also concerned to be-calme their souls of all Passion But alas much Reformation made rather under then by King CHARLES was done in the heat of the day in the dog-days of our civill discords and mid-summer Moon of our military distractions So that possibly when that which was done in the heat of the day shall be reviewed even by the self-same persons in the cool of the day they will perceive something by them so reformed now to need a new Reformation But
deputed of the King to hear hee But we know the English Proverb Ill will never speaketh well Let us do that justice to David yea to our own judgements not to beleive a gracelesse Son and Subject against a gracious Father and Soveraigne Some male-contents Ismaels whose Swords are against every one seek to bring a false report on the Parliament as if the Clergie must expect no favour not to say Iustice from them because there are none in the House elected and deputed either to speak for them or hear them speak for themselves Time was say they when the Clergie was represented in the House of Lords by two Arch-Bishops and four and twenty Bishops Time was when the Clergie had their own Convocation granting Subsidies for them so that their purses were onely opened by the hands of their own Proxies but now though our matters be good and right there is no man deputed to hear us I am and ever will be deaf to such false and scandalous suggestions if there be four hundred and odd because variously reckoned up in the House of Parliament I am confident we Clergie-men have four hundred and odd Advocates for us therein What Civill Christian would not plead for a Dumb man Seeing the Clergie hath lately lost their voice they so long had in Parliaments Honour and Honesty will ingage those pious persons therein to plead for our just concernments IV. Atoms at last I Meet not either in sacred or profane writ with so terrible a Rout as Saul gave unto the host of the Ammonites under Nahash their King 1 Sam. 11.11 And it came to passe that they which remained were scattered so that two of them were not left together And yet we have daily experience of greater scatterings and dissipations of men in their opinions Suppose ten men out of pretended purity but real pride and peevishnesse make a wilful seperation from the Church of England possibly they may continue some competent time in tolerable unity together Afterwards upon a new discovery of a higher and holier way of Divine service these ten will split asunder into five and five and the purer moyetie divide from the other as more drossie and feculent Then the five in process of time upon the like occasion of clearer Illumination will cleave themselvs into three and two Some short time after the three will crumble into two and one and the two part into one and one till they come into the condition of the Ammonites so scattered that two of them were not left together I am sad that I may add with too much truth that one man will at last be divided in himself distracted often in his judgment betwixt many opinions that what is reported of Tostatus lying on his death-bed In multitudine controversiarum non habuit quod crederet amongst the multitude of perswasions through which he had passed he knoweth not where to cast Anchor and fix himself at the last V. An ill Match DIvine Providence is remarkable in ordering that a Fog and a Tempest never did nor can meet together in nature For as soon as a Fogg is fixed the Tempest is allaid and as soon as a Tempest doth arise the Fogg is dispersed This is a great mercy for otherwise such small vessels as boats and barges which want the conduct of the Card and Compass would irrecoverably be lost How sad then is the condition of many Sectaries in our age which in the same instant have a Fogg of ignorance in their judgments and a Tempest of violence in their affections being too blind to go right and yet too active to stand still VI Down yet Up. HYPOCRIT in the native Etymologie of the word as it is used by ancient Greek-Authors signifieth such a one qui alienae personae in Comoedia aut Tragoedia est effector et repraesentator who in Comedy or Tragedy doth feigne and represent the person of another In plaine English Hypocrite is neither more nor less then a Stage-player We all know that Stage-players som years since were put down by publick Authority and though something may be said for them more may be brought against them who are rather in an Employment then a Vocation But let me safely utter my too just fears I suspect the fire was quenched in the chimney and in an other respect scattered about the house Never more stange Stage-Players then now who weare the vizards of Piety and holiness that under that covert they may more securely commit sacriledge oppression and what not In the days of Queen Elizabeth a person of Honor or worship would as patiently have digested the LYE as to have bin told that they did weare false Pendents or any counterfeit Pearl or Iewels about them so usual in our age yet would it were the worst peece of Hypocrisie in fashion Oh let us all labor for integrity of heart and either appear what we are or be what we appear VII Caleb all heart I Was lately satisfied in what I heard of before by the confession of an excellent Artist the most skilful in any kinde are most willing to acknowledge their ignorance that the mystery of Aneiling of glass that is baking it so that the colour may go clean thorow it is now by some casualty quite lost in England if not in Europe Break a peece of Red glass painted some four hundred years since and it will be found as red in the middle as in the out sides the colour is not onely on it but in it and thorow it Whereas now all Art can perform is onely to fix the Red on one side of the glass and that oft time so faint and fading that within few years it falleth of and looketh pyebald to the eye I suspect a more important mystery is much lost in our age viz. the transmitting of Piety clean thorow the heart that a man become Inside and Outside alike Oh the sincerity of the ancient Patriarchs inspired Prophets holy Apostles patient Martyrs and pious Fathers of the Primitive Church whereas onely outside sanctity is too usual in our age Happy the man on whose Monument that character of Asa 1 King 15.14 may be truely inscribed for his Epitaph Here lyeth the man whose heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes Heart perfect Oh the finest of wares All his dayes Oh the largest of measures VIII Fye for Shame COnsidering with my self the causes of the growth and increase of impiety profaness in our Land amongst others this seemeth to me not the least viz. the late many false and erroneous Impressions of the BIBLE Now know what is but carelessness in other books is impiety in setting forth of the Bible As Noah in all unclean creatures preserved but two of a kind so among some hundreds in several editions we will insist onely on two instances In the Bible printed at London 1653. We read 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the Kingdom of God For
he had caused to be bored out for some Misdemeanour Being demanded of the Emperour which way he might most speedily and safely as to outward danger recruit his Treasury his SECRETARY gave him Councel to seize on the Plate of all the Churches and Monasteries of that City which he did accordingly and amongst the rest he took ZONAM AUREAM or the GOLDEN GIRDLE out of one Church of inestimable value This blinde Secretary returning home to his wife told her Now I am even with the Emperour for putting out my eyes having put him on such a Project which I hope he will pursue to is own destruction He hath made me a Spectacle to men but I have made him a Monster unto God Let such who are concerned herein see what successe the Emperour had in this his Expedition founded on Sacriledge and the longer they look thereon the worse I am sure they will like it to barr further application XXVII A Gnat no Gnat ONe needlesly precise took causles exception at a Gent. for using the word IN TROTH in his Discourse as if it had been a kind of an Oath The Gent. pleaded for himself that IN TRUTH was a word inoffensive even in his judgment who accused him Secondly that he was borne farre North where their broad and Dorick Dialect pronounced TRUTH TROTH and he did humbly conceave the tone of the Tongue was no fault of the heart Lastly he alleadged the twenty fifth Psalme as it is translated in Meter To them that keep his Testament The witnesse of his Troth And thus at last with much adoe his seeming fault was remitted I am afraid if one should declare for TROTH and PEACE and not for Truth and Peace it would occasion some offence however rather then it should make any difference the former will be as acceptable to the North of Trent as the latter will please all good people South thereof XXVIII Silence a while HAD not mine eyes as any other mans may read it in the printed Proclamations of King Edward the sixth when the Pulpitts generally popish sounded the Alarme to Ketts rebellion and the Devonshire Commotion I would not have beleived what followeth 2 Edw. 6. Septemb. 13. By these presents Wee inhibite generally all manner of Preachers whatsoever they be to preach in this meane space * to the intent that the whole Clergy might apply themselves in prayer to Almightie God for the better atchieving of the same most Godlie intent and purpose of Reformation What hurt were it if in this juncture of Time all our Preaching were turned into praying for one Moneth together that God would settle a happy Peace in this Nation However if this be offensive to any and giveth cause of distast the second motion may be imbraced That for a year at least all Pulpits may be silent as to any part of Differences relating to our Times and only deliver what belongeth to Faith and good Workes XXIX Send Humilitie I Do not remember that the word INFINITE is in Scripture attributed to any Creature save to the City of Ninive Naham 3.9 Ethyopia and Egypt were her strength and it was INFINITE But what is now become of Ninive it is even buried in its own ruines and may have this Epitaph upon it Hic jacet FINIS INFINITI Here lyeth the END of what was ENDLESSE He who beheld the multitude of Actors Beholders at the Mustering in HIDE PARK on the 24. of Aprill last will say that there was an INFINITE number of people therin Some would hardly beleeve that the whole Nation could afford so many as the City of London alone did then produce My prayer shall ever be that this great City may be kept either in the WHOLESOME IGNORANCE or HUMBLE KNOWLEDGE of its own STRENGTH least the people Numberlesse prove Masterlesse therin And let them remember God forfend the Parallet what is become of great Ninive at this day annihilated for the Pride thereof XXX Rather fold over then fall short SOlomons Temple was seven years in building 1 Kings 6.36 And such who seriously consider the Magnificence thereof will more wonder that it was done so soon then doing so long Now had Solomon at the beginning of this building abolished the Tabernacle made by Moses because too meane and little for so mighty and so numerous a Nation God had been seven years without any place of publick Service But that wise Prince continued the Tabernacle to all uses and purposes untill the Temple was finished and then 1 Kings 8.4 They brought up the Ark of the LORD and the Tabernacle of the congregation and all the holy vessels that were in the Tabernacle even those did the Priests and the Levites bring up And as it followeth afterwards vers. 6. They brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD unto his place into the Oracle of the House And certainly all the rest of the Tabernacle consisting of such materials as might be taken down and kept in Chests and Coffers were deposited in the Temple though it may be no use was made therof It had been well if before the OLD GOVERNMENT of the Church was taken down a NEW ONE had first been settled Yea rather let God have two Houses together then none at all Least Piety be starved to death with cold by lying out of dores in the intervall betwixt the demolishing of an old and the erecting of a new Church-discipline XXXI No mans work CHrist when on Earth cured many a spot especially of leprosie but never smoothed any wrinkle never made any old man young again But in Heaven he will do both Eph. 5. 27. when he shall present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or WRINKLE or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Triumphant Perfection is not to be hoped for in the Militant Church there will be in it many spots and wrinkles as long as it consisteth of sinful mortal men the members thereof It is Christs work not mans work to make a perfect Reformation Such therefore are no good Politicians who will make a sore to mend a spot cause a wound to plain a wrinkle do a great and certain mischief when a small and uncertain benefit will thereby redound XXXII Three make up one YOung King Ioash had onely a lease of Piety and not for his own but his Vncles life 2 Kin. 12.2 He did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his dayes wherein Iehoiada the Priest instructed him Iehu was good in the midst of his life and a zealous Reformer to the utter abolishing of Baal out of Israel but in his old age 2. Kin. 10.31 He returned to the Politick sins of Ieroboam worshipping the Calves in Dan and Bethel Manasseh was bad in the beginning and middle of his life filling Ierusalem with idolatry Onely towards the end thereof when carried into a strange land he came home to himself and destroyed the prophane Altars he