of the Court and Crown of Egypt for their sakes he had chosen to suffer the sharpest afflictions with them he had manag'd their affairs with that happy conduct that they were now brought fairly from the reach and power of their Oppressors yet they murmur against him with that rage and bitterness that he mournfully complains to God He was even weary of his life and knew not how to bear the burden of this wayward People It becomes us to be truly faithful to the welfare of others but let no man ever expect that good services should be always duely resented by those for whom they are done They murmur against Moses and Aaron against Church and State highly discontented at the posture of things in both But says Moses What are we your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord. Take heed in Gods name take heed murmurings against Moses and Aaron murmurings against Church and State may be murmurings against God himself He that has said thou shalt not revile the Ruler of thy People it may be will not take it well at our hands if we shall dare to despise Dominions and speak evil of Dignities as if depretiating of Majesty were grown some essential branch of the Subjects Liberty 'T was no doubt upon weighty grounds that the Parliament expressed their sense with so much freedom and plainness to our present Soveraign in this matter The growth and increase of our late Troubles and Disorders did in a very great measure proceed from a multitude of seditious Sermons Pamphlets and Speeches dayly preached printed and published with a transcendent boldness defaming the person and government of his Majesty These we see went before and all know what followed soon after Upon Cadmus sowing these Serpents teeth whole Troops of armed men forthwith grew up We find Corah a very busie seditious Stickler this way And because he saw he could effect but little alone he draws in 250 Princes of the Assembly Leading-men with the people into his Party and now both he and they thunder to purpose Majesty becomes confronted to his very face And they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron and said You take too much upon you seeing all the congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift you up your selves above the congregation of the Lord You King Moses and you Priest Aaron you take too much upon you They charge them as plain Invaders of the Peoples Rights as persons that went about in an arbitrary tyrannical way to set up themselves far above what they ought But there was a still and secret Snake hid in the grass scarce yet discovered Haec Cores videri volens reipublicae curam habere hoc interim reverâ agens ut concitato populo honorem invaderet His words were softer than Oyl yet were they drawn Swords smooth Pretentions of a Publick Good but the devillish designe at the bottom says Josephus 't was this how he might attack the Government and usurp it himself God saw it and God punisht it The ground clave asunder that was under them The earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and all that appertained to Corah and all their goods And they went down alive into the pit and the earth closed upon them And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them Thus ended that wretched Mutiny They perisht says St. Jude in the gainsaying of Corah Men and Brethren there is no administration of Government upon the face of the Earth without many defects From the Cottage to the Throne we are all but men 'T is the peculiar glory of Heaven that that place and that alone is free from all imperfections However the Mercies we enjoy under our Government they are many even to the envy of other Nations And oh that we did but understand our own Happiness it might fairly silence our Murmurings and fill our lips with David's praises The lines are fallen to us in pleasant places 5. The last Caveat I shall need to adde is this Let us take heed that we with-hold not the due Supports of Government A churlish Egyptian may possibly demand the full tale of Brick and yet afford no Straw but the true Christian the loyal Subject cheerfully renders tribute to whom tribute is due custom to whom custom and ingenuously considers That Government is scarce likely to protect us that is not duely supported by us 'T were but a low-priz'd kindness demurely to say Be thou warmed be thou clothed For our parts we wish very well to the Government But if after all these fair words we give not those things that are needful God may justly ask us as in that Scripture What doth this profit All wise and good men know Imperium sine vectigalibus retineri nullo modo potest If Government be essential for us these Supports are as truly essential to that We read of Saul when he was anointed and inaugurated into his Kingdom some still despised him and brought him no presents But says the Holy Ghost They were the children of Belial Saul indeed wisely overlook'd it but they nevertheless offended very highly in it They brought him no presents but he held his peace In raising the Tabernacle in supplying the Crown divine Wisdom thought not the free-will-Free-will-offerings of the people any disparagement to either Nor did God check or obliquely frown upon but express a very kind acceptance of both Moses with much honour records the one And the children of Israel brought a willing offering to the Lord. And the Author of the books of Samuel makes as respectful mention of the other Now Barzillai that worthy Patriot in his Country provided the King of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim And I hope in things of this nature God of his mercies will ever give a most endeared mutual good understanding between Prince and People amongst us I must conclude This day was our royal Orpheus and his Harp King and Kingdom barbarously torn in pieces by furious Bacchides A Theam beyond all expression bad We read of Cato Hunc civitas diu ignoravit nec intellexit nisi cum perdidit The present Age understood not his worth He was better priz'd more feelingly lamented when lost and gone The like Reflections must we make upon this horrid action We have rebelliously cut off a Prince of most incomparable Pieties and Vertues invidiously traduc'd in life but shining as Caesar's Star with greater brightness after his death The Devil of Rebellion hath been at length driven out of the Land He seemeth for present to walk up and down in dry places God forbid that evil Spirit should ever return and find our hearts as that house garnisht and ready again to receive him 'T were but a specious kind of Hypocrisie to disclaim the execrable Enormities of the late times in words and yet to abet Disloyalty afresh in our deeds like those Jews that built fair Sepulchres for the former Prophets but still went on to stone those that were for present amongst them There is one and but one way before us in any measure to wash out so foul a stain and that must be sincerely and practically this For the wretched Indignities thus offered to such a Father to take all faithful care that we repay a double Loyalty the utmost Allegiance and Duty to the Son Which God through his Grace enable us all to do AMEN Several TRACTS Printed for Henry Brome and Written by Mr. L' Estrange Being most against POPERY and Being most PRESBYTERY Viz. THe Relaepsed Apostate Toleration discussed The Growth of Knavery Tyranny and Popery Reformed Catholick Free-born Subject The Case put for the D. of York The Appeal from the Country to the City Answered Seasonable Memorials A Dialogue between Cit and Bumpkin in Two Parts A further discovery of the Plot. Discovery on Discovery A Narrative of the Plot. The Committee or Popery in Masquerade Answer to Libellers Richard against Baxter Ephraim and Zekiel being his Case An Appeal to the King and Parliament And besides The History of the Plot in Folio Erasmus 's Colloquies against Popery Seneca 's Morals The Guide to Eternity Cicero's Offices in English Five Love-Letters His Vindication Dr. Woodford on the Psalms and his Divine Poems Camfield of Angels Dr. Comber on the Common-Prayer in 4 Vol. His Right of Tythes His Exposition on the Church-Catechism His Advice to the Roman Catholicks Christianity no Enthusiasm The Love of Jesus The Christian Education of Children The Education of Princes in Twelves FINIS Mr. Iohn Ball. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. Eth. l. 8. c. 12. Isai. 22.4 〈◊〉 Apol. â—alvian Exod. 32. 20. Gen. 4.10 1 Sam. 4.10 11. 2 King 24.19 Hab. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 King 17.27 Baker's Chron. 548 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 King 1.23 24. 1 Sam. 26.9 2 Sam. 1.14 Psal. 52.5 2 Sam. 1.15 Tacitus Annal. l. 6. Baker's Chron. 742 Psal. 89.20 21 22. Mâ—noch 1 King 10.9 Isai. 32 2. Cajetan Crompton Sabell Enn. 7. l. 5. Dr. Taylors Acts and Monum Tertull. 2 Sam. 20.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virgil. St. Aug. Psal. 82.6 1 Chron. 29.23 Lavator in locum Plowden 2 Sam. 14.17 Job 34.18 2 Sam. 19.29 1 Sam. 26.11 Ezek. 19.14 1 King 4. Vers. 1 21. Vers. 25. Judg. 17 6. Rom. 13.1 2 4. Eccl. 8.4 Grotius Bracton Idem Psal. 105.15 Eccl. 10.20 16 R. 2 d. 5. 1 Jac. c. 1. Judge Jenkins D. of Gloc. and Lady Elizabeth Baker's Chron. 580 Baker's Chron. 581 Fuller's Church-History Fuller's Church-History Spotswood History K. James 1. Pet 4.15 Persius Numb 14.1 Vers. 9. Numb 13.30 2 Sam. 15.3 Vers. 4. Exod. 16.2 Vers. 8. Caâ—ol 2. cap. 1. Proem Numb 16.3 Jos. ant l. 4. c. Numb 16.31 c. Jam. 2.16 Cicero 1 Sam. 10.27 Exod. 35.29 2 Sam. 19.32 Sen. Epist.
TWO SERMONS Preached in the CATHEDRAL-CHURCH OF BRISTOL JANVARY the 30th 168079. AND JANVARY the 31th 1680 1. BEING The days of Publick HUMILIATION FOR The EXECRABLE MURDER OF King CHARLES the First accipe nostro Dira quod exemplum seritas produxerit aevo Juven Sat. 15. By SAMVEL CROSSMAN B.D. LONDON Printed for Henry Brome and to be sold by Charles Allen in Bristol 1681. To the Right Worshipful Sir RICHARD HART Kt. MAYOR of the City of Bristol SIR YOur own and the joynt-desires of others having rendred these Melancholy Discourses thus publick you must now be pleased in course to accept of them The prodigious Discomposures of our Times cannot but occasion great thoughts of heart with all sober persons and it were a most amazing Infelicity if we who might live together with so much mutual Comfort should quarrel our selves into common Misery These solemn Fasts may serve as sad Remembrancers to shew us where we lost our way that we wander so wretchedly no more The ways of Faction in the State they are as one hath well observed of Separation in the Church A Labyrinth wherein men tire themselves and grow giddy as in a maze but when all is done there is no way out but that whereby they entered in Now if Monarchy be as our greatest Writers tell us the best of Governments and Popularity the very dregs and worst our Peace and Welfare bound up in the one our War and Calamities brought in by the other we may then fairly hope all wise men will reflect with the deeper sorrow upon our late Confusions and hold themselves greatly concern'd to consist the more steadily with that happy Restauration which God in so much mercy hath vouchsafed to us God hath granted it and every true English-man will be highly thank-ful for it Sir I cannot but heartily acknowledge your worthy conduct of Affairs in that great Trust committed to you God Almighty enable you to continue therein with that Integrity and Vprightness that Prudence and Resolution which becomes a good Christian a good Magistrate and a good Subject Which is the dayly affectionate desire and prayer of Right Worshipful Your very humble and truely respectful Servant Samuel Crossman Bristol Feb. 28. 1680 1. TWO SERMONS Preached in the CATHEDRAL-CHURCH OF BRISTOL JANVARY the 30th 1679 80. AND JANVARY the 31th 1680 1. BEING Days of HUMILIATION FOR The EXECRABLE MURDER Of our late Soveraign King Charles I. By SAMVEL CROSSMAN B. D. LONDON Printed for Henry Brome and to be sold by Charles Allen in Bristol 1681. The first SERMON LAMENTATIONS 4. 20. The breath of our nostrils the Anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits of whom we said Vnder his shadow we shall live among the heathen OUR Sorrows should always bear some due proportion to the just magnitude of their causes In most of the troubles incident to humane life a Sigh may suffice We should weep as if we wept not with a bridle of Restraint and Moderation wisely laid upon our Affections But some Calamities being of a far deeper nature every good man may be allowed in reference to them to say as the Prophet Look away from me for I will weep bitterly because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people Both Humanity and Piety oblige us to hang up our Harps and to sit down as persons astonisht whose grief is very great The mourning of this day 't is upon divers accounts as they said of the Patriarck Jacob's Funeral a grievous mourning England's Sorrow and England's Shame As to the Sanction of it 't is like that of Nineve by the decree of the King and his Nobles blowing the Trumpet in Zion proclaiming this Fast calling these solemn Assemblies that the Inhabitants of the whole Land might tremble As to the grounds of it 't is an Humiliation for the barbarous shedding of Royal Blood the inhumane parricide of the sacred Father of our Country An offence so hainous in the just aggravations of it that we might say as once Daniel in another case Vnder the whole heavens hath not been done as hath been done here in England We have risen up the Feet against the Head the Servants against the Lord of the Vineyard rebelliously saying as those wretches in the Gospel We will not have this man to reign over us We have been open fighters against God and his Anointed too far verifying that sad story Tot de Diis quot de gentibus triumphi So many Battels so many Attempts against God himself so many Victories so many Triumphs over the Ark and Religion Lord we beseech thee let us see no more of these Triumphs no more of these joyless Thanksgivings in our Land 'T was then written in Characters of Blood Atrocius sub Sancti nominis professione peccatur We call our selves Saints and then take leave to play the Devils A specious Profession becomes villainously usurped to patronize the most horrid actions In this case we must not think hardly of our Governours if they deal by us as Moses by the Children of Israel when they had in that popular tumultuous fit of impatience made that golden Calf 't is said He burnt it in the fire he grownd it to powder he strew'd it upon the water and made the Children of Israel drink of it And this he did upon great deliberation ut majorem eis peccati nauseam induceret that they might hereby become the more asham'd and sick of their sin The like penance have our Moses's enjoyn'd us this day These Anniversary Humiliations they do as it were lay the Royal Body of our late slaughtered Soveraign bleeding afresh before us accusing us as the Betrayers and Murderers of it We read of God he took a far greater notice of Abel's murder than the Murderer himself was willing to do The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me God hears what Cain it seems would not Guilt is a sullen froward thing I am sorry at the angry Objections of many against these solemn Fasts as if they were a needless Reproach continued upon the Land I hope for our parts we shall rather from year to year as becoming good Christians and good Subjects more ingenuously accept this punishment of our iniquity acknowledge our sin and renew the firmest Resolutions that we will offend no more This whole Book is stil'd A book of Lamentations Our ancient Poets Tragedies seem but Comical Plays compar'd with the unparallel'd mournfulness of this Scene A weeping Jeremy a person skilful in Lamentations is chosen to be the Pen-man to these divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these pathetick Elegies He proves the best Orator for God that speaks from the very heart that draws the life of his Eloquence from his own internal sense of what he delivers unto others The Church and State Prince and Priest Throne and Altar they are all brought in by the Prophet as cloth'd in mourning If the Ark be taken in one verse
at last into open Battalia against the State The Walls became scal'd taken any House of Lords was voted useless a single Person that is the King was voted needless and the life of our Soveraign traiterously taken away by an infamous Conspiracy of men pretendedly stil'd an High Court of Justice Such was the Series Wild Opinions led the Van and open Rebellion brought up the Reer It may and must be a just Argument with us and our Posterity after us to be sober-minded There is a chastness and there is a wantonness of spirit in things pertaining to Religion The sober Christian chastly consists with the plain Soul-saving Truths of God The wanton Professor is fond of every strange face he sees As Sampson in his wandring Amours none of the Daughters of Israel could please him he must needs have a Dalilah from among the uncircumcis'd Philistims by which means both he and all Israel fell with him The case 't is too applicable to our selves The venerable Orders of a reformed Church the mildest Laws of a well-constituted Kingdom cannot it seems please many mens minds they must needs have some other Dalilahs of their own God forgive it And I beseech you my Brethren hold fast a form of sound words and labour to steer your whole Conversation by the Spirit of a sound mind 2. A second Caveat I must as heartily enter is against excentricalness of Carriage We are almost as many Rulers as ruled Rather Privy Counsellors and chief Ministers of State than ordinary Subjects Great Agitators exercising our selves in matters too high for us This apparently endangers the whole The Locusts mentioned in the Prophet break not their Ranks they thrust not one another they march every one in his Path but we like some bad Husbands at home spend most of our time abroad mightily taken up about the Duties of others but supinely negligent in our own These St. Peter couples with very coarse company Let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evil doer or as a busie-body in other men matters The Apostle shakes them all together in the same bag murderers thieves busie-bodies and evil doers as several sorts of jayl birds all of them selons and criminals against the divine Law I shall not compare these sins one with the other to extenuate here or to aggravate there The whole Assembly will rather say God of his mercy keep every honest man from falling into any of them 'T were certainly both modesty and prudence for every man to wash his hands from that pragmaticalness with which this Age is so much defiled Unless some evil Spirit troubles and haunts us which God forbid otherwise what hinders but that we might according to that Apostolical Counsel study to be quiet and to do our own business taking that good advice of learning every man his own Lesson quem te Deus esse Jussit humanae quâ parte locatus es in re When the eye the hand and the foot keep steady to their own proper offices then is the whole body most happy and like it self 3. The next thing we have as much cause to take notice of is the instilling of strange false suggestions into the minds of others Such impressions are easily made In all History the people greedily receives them but scarce ever parts with them The evil Spies were very industrious this way They buz'd such formidable stories up and down that Israel concluded themselves quite undone And all the Congregation lifted up their voice and cryed and the people wept that night But pray was there any real cause for all these panick frights and fears Surely no. Joshua tells them more comfortably The Lord is with us And Caleb to whom God himself gave this high testimony that he had followed God fully 't is said of him that he stilled the people He did a far better office in Gods account that quieted than they who thus troubled the peoples minds If evil surmisings be a fruit of the flesh we may justly suspect amusing insinuations are the cursed root from whence they grow Absalom had perfectly learned this knack of popular wheedling And Absalom said See thy matters are good and right but there is no man deputed of the King to hear thee Things it seems went very bad and were likely to grow dayly worse But is there no remedy in such a dangerous conjuncture of affairs If Absalom would but please to speak out it may be he knows of some expedient that would relieve us yes he does And rather than we shall want it he will be so kind as to expound his mystical Riddle and tell us what it is And Absalom said Oh that I were made judge in the land that every man which hath any suit or cause might come to me and I would do him justice A brave contrivance well worth his good wishes to the peoples welfare They must be courted it seems into their own ruine Lord what a religious cheat is here to steal away the hearts of the People from their lawful Prince Yet thus the Scene was laid and thus a most unnatural Rebellion was soon after rais'd only a just God brought it severely home upon the heads of the Rebels the first raisers of it David it seems neglects them Absalom is the onely man that takes care for them 't is but rising up briskly for Absalom and all is well Here 's the poyson'd Arrow that flieth by day here 's the devouring Pestilence that walketh in the darkness God preserve us from it Men and Brethren let us not deceive our selves False suggestions of this nature they are as Brutus dagger at Caesar's heart a secret stabbing of any Government But we are perswaded better things of England and such as may become that gratitude which we all owe to God and our Soveraign for that Peace and Plenty that Liberty and Property those many comforts both for Soul and Body which we so freely enjoy under his Government 4. A fourth thing as natural for us to take heed of as any of the former is a froward murmuring against those whom God hath set over us This was the great sin of Israel in the Wilderness And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron How hard is it to please some people God had brought Israel safely out of their House of Bondage with an out-stretched arm they were now travelling to the Land of Promise feasted day by day with Angels Food supplied from the Rock with streams of Living Water which followed the Camp where-ever they went directed by a Pillar of Light through their whole Journey their Cloths still fresh without any waxing old for forty years together upon their backs yet they murmur So querulous a creature is man They murmured against Moses Never had man deserved more highly of any people than Moses of them He had waved all the Honours