Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A60325
|
The practices of persecutors delivered in a sermon on the fourteenth verse of the foure score six Psalme / b Mr. Archibald Skeldie.
|
Skeldie, Archibald.
|
1645
(1645)
|
Wing S3932; ESTC R20904
|
44,206
|
68
|
THE PRACTICES OF PERSECVTORS Delivered in a Sermon on the fourteenth Verse of the foure-score six PSALME BY Mr. ARCHIBALD SKELDIE The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poore Psalme 10. verse 1. They have said Come and let us cut them off from beeing a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance Psalme 83.4 August in Psal 39. Persequutio sive a leone sive a dracone nunquam cessat Ecclesiae magis verò metuenda est quum fallit quam quum saevit Printed by James Lindesay Printer to the Universitie of EDINBURGH 1645. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MAGISTRATS AND COUNCELLERS Of the most famous City of EDINBVRGH SIR IOHN SMITH LORD PROVEST ANDREW SIMSON ROBERT ATCHISON JOHN INGLISH and GEORGE WALKER Bailies GEORGSVTIE Deane of Guild and JOHN FAIRHOLME Thesaurer And to the whole Councel of the flowrishing Towne of Edinburgh Grace here and Glorie hereafter THere is a time to speak and a time to keep silence saith the wise Preacher in the 3. of Ecclesiastes the truth wherof though it be acknowledged by all yet the fitnesse of the time of both is greatly mistaken by many For there are some that think it a time to speak when they ought to keepe silence and others thinke it a time to be silent when they should speake It is said in Historie that (a) Guevara lib. 4. di principe cap. 19. Acaticus the Philosopher while he feasted with his friends being asked wherfore he keped silence when others did speak he answered that it was no lesse deficil to know when to speak than to know how to speak The Scripture telleth us that Herod and Pilate wil have Christ to speak when he thinks it more expedient to keepe silence and the Disciples will have him to keepe silence least the Pharisees should be offended when hee thinks it better to speak freely that their faults may be reproved The Greek Retorician admonished his friend well (b) Duo loquendi tempora constitue unum de rebus tibi plane cognitis alterum de ijs quae necessario sunt dicenda in his enim solis praestat silen tio oratio in alijs verotacere satius est quam loqui Isocrates Ad demonicum That he should appoint to himself two times of speaking one of things whereof he himself had perfect knowledge and another of things which necessarily should be spoken for in such things speach is better than silence and in all other things it is better to be silent than to speake One of the Romane writters relateth of a Senatour Blosius (c) Quis Blosium sceleratum putasset fuisse si tacuisset quis non etsam sapientem si pro necessitate temporis loquutus esset Valerius maximus lib 4 cap. 7. That none would have thought him wicked if he had holden his peace and any man would have thought him wise if he had spoken according to the necessitie of the time If then the fittest time to speake be when the things that are spoken are needfull to be spoken then it is a fit time to speak when great danger is threatened and grievous trouble apprehended for by keeping silence great skaith and damage may be sustained and by seasonable speaking great profite and commoditie may bee reaped and tymous remedie provided This chiefly belongeth to faithfull Pastors who watch for the soules of people for in the time of threatned persecution they should speake to God by prayer that his people may be protected and they should speake to the people by good instruction and sound direction that they may know how to carie themselves in the time of danger and affliction for as king Iehosaphat first fervently prayed to God and then comfortably incouraged the people when they were threatened with hostill invasion So faithfull Pastors must not looke how their speaking may offend or silence may please the enemies of the Truth and oppressors of Gods people But how much their seasonable speaking concerneth the honour of God and the safetie of his people for whom they must speake to God by fervent prayer (d) Perpende quid dicturus es examina consule interiorem veritateÌ„ sic profer ad exteriorem auditorem August in Psal 4 and to whom they must speake from God by the Oracles of his Word And therefore most wise and worthy Councellours as this is the practice of all the faithful Pastors in this land to speake to their people of such things as concerne the present state and condition of the land I thought it was my part not to be deficient in so necessary a duetie especially seeing by divine providence I have occasion to preach in the most eminent Citie though unworthie to preach in the obscurest Corner of the Kingdome Be it knowne therefore to your Lo. that the occasion of the preaching of this Sermon to them that heard it and the publishing of it to such as shall read it wherein I have weakly described the cruell practices of the proud persecutors of Gods people the occasion whereof I say was the late troubles that our Nation hath sustained by the violent invasion of our unnaturall Countrey-man whose pride and ambition hath so farre miscaried him that he hath troubled the people of God and his owne Countrey-men with bloudy cruelty and horrible oppression It is well known that once he did take part with the people of God against their enemies but now contrarie to the oath which he swore in his Covenant he is combined against Gods people with their open enemies and sheweth himselfe unmindefull of the love that he ought to his Countrey (e) Caedis adbâ—c cumulo patriae per viscera vadit Lucan lib. 7 through whose bowels he passeth with continuall slaughter O quantum mututatus ab illo hectore qui fuerat so powerfull is pride and ambition to make a wonderfull change and alteration in the hearts of men from good to evil and from evil to worse untill the extremitie thereof be such as cannot longer be suffered but by divine justice must needs bee punished And truly the cruell courses of this Cateline are knowne to the world but what his end shall be is best knowne to God one thing we know from divine Truth that the cryes of the Elect shall speedily be avenged And as Augustine saith (f) Oppressio pauperis vindictam evocat divinam mortem nocentis accelerat aures divinas iugiter inquietat August contra Faustum The oppressions of the poor calleth for Gods vegeance it hastneth the death of the oppressor and continually troubleth the ears of the Lord. Now I have taken the boldnesse to dedicate this first fruit of my weak labours to your honourable protection for divers reasons first because there is no Preacher that can have greater or nearer relation to any people then I have to you being the sonne of a Citizen borne in your Citie bred up in your Schools of learning and by divine providence these 20. years imployed in the work of the