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A93347 Gods unchangeableness: or Gods continued providence, in preserving, governing, ordering and disposing of all creatures, men, actions, counsels and things, as at the beginning of the world, so to the end of the world, for ever, according to the counsel of his own will. From whence is gatherd six necessary inferences very applicable to the changes, alterations and vicissitude of these our present times. Wherein is clearly demonstrated and proved, that Oliver Cromwell is by the providence of God, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, &c. to whom the people owe obedience, as to him whom God hath set over them. Unto which is added, the causes of discontent, repining and murmurings of men: also, some serious advertisements, and seasonable admonitions to the discontented, and reprehensions to all impetuous, arrogant murmurers. Together with answers to some cheif objections made against the Lord Protector and his present government, endeavouring (if possible) satisfaction to all men. / Therefore written and published for publicke good, by George Smith, Gent. Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658. 1655 (1655) Wing S4036; Thomason E824_4; ESTC R207687 84,417 65

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wicked design by which he thought to establish himself became his ruine r See the like by the experiences of our time King James Father to our late King not thankful for Gods mercies to him bringing him from a mean Kingdom to a rich and plentifull Nation flowing with milk and honey grew wanton and like Jeshurn● kicked he came to strong Cities a fat Land houses filled with goods Wells digged Vineyards Olive-yards Fruits c as is expressed by Nehemiah Ch. 9. 25. but he like Israel rebelled against his God and cast his Law behinde his back and persecuted the Prophets and Ministers that testified against him exalting himself and prerogative to make his Son and Family like Nimrod What strange wickednesse did he act in his private chamber and openly gave away the lawful wives of men to others viz. the Lady Rich to the Lord Mount-joy the Countesse of Essex to Carre c. Did he not design to bring the people of this Nation under by laying heavy burdens upon their shoulders What else was Loan-money illegal Fines for Buildings and his fooling of Parliaments endeavouring to make them uselesse and himself a great Monarch preparing for a greater work which his Son was to act which design our late King endeavoured to exalt and in pursuance thereof followed the footsteps of his Father not in personal sins but in publike grievances Like Rehoboam to make one of his fingers heavier then his Fathers loins And like Jeroboam to set up Calves in Bethel and in Dan to ensnare the people to advance prerogative Did not he endeavour by his Prelats or his Prelats by him to bring in a compliance or neer Union between England and Rome and to effect their design they endeavoured to weaken the Nations of able religious men and of Arms why else was Rochel betraied under pretence of releeving it and many able and godly men slaughtered Why else was that mock-voyage to Cadis why else were our honourable Parliaments disgraced called only of necessity for money sake but not suffered to reform any evil nor to put them to any shame which were the Actors of abominable wickednesse but honourable members of Parliamennt for such things were imprisoned where many died others were banisht their houses into remote Countreys Prisoners and Exiles c. And for the advance of prerogative new waies were invented to get money without Parliaments or Law Loan-money Knighthood-money Ship-money Compositions for Cottages Compositions for New Buildings Moneys for Forrest Lands Woods Timber c. Monopolies upon all our necessary commodities Taxes upon Customs and gun-powder ingrossed and kept from the Subject their Arms seized Companies of Souldiers were billeted in most Market-Towns of the Nation and lest that should be too little to effect the Tyrannical design the Duke and his plotrers had provided to have 600 Flanders Horse brought into England with Swisser Riders No man is so silly I think as to ask why all this was done for the reason is plain to every reasonable man Nor was this all for all zealous and godly Ministers were weeded out of every Town and Countrey Bishop Wren can easily name you some scores if not hundreds that he drove from their Livings and Habitations besides them he procured to be imprisoned and banisht Arminianism was advanced and they were made Bishops that defended it Lectures were put down Afternoon Sermons on the Lords Day were forbidden Books were published to give way to prophane the Lords Day by sports and pastimes these Books were commanded to be read in all Churches to ingratiate the multitude and such Ministers as refused to reade these Books were suspended the morality of the Sabbath was denied preached against Sunday called no Sabbath the name Minister was changed to Priest the Table to an Altar on which Basons and Tapers were set there was very little wanting to plain Popery but the name Thus far the design was carried on smoothly Scotland only stood in the way as some rub that must be removed and to that end a Liturgy was sent down to them which they would not swallow Therefore they must be forced an Army to that purpose was prepared The Scots make opposition money grew wanting to manage that design to leavy more forces A Parliament was called to raise money which refusing to give were quickly dissolved The Scots grew enraged had encouragements make invasion which caused another Parliament to be called That Parliament would give no money except they might be established to sit till they had reformed abuses and things They were established by an Act to sit until both Houses consented to dissolve and also two Acts of grace was passed viz. to take away the High-Commission and Star-Chamber All this to please the people that they might assist in their further design of war as shortly after appeared wherein providence ordered their designs counsels aims and ends to Gods glory and to their own ruine Here take speciall notice of six severall peeces of providence 1. That the great pressures innovations and the designs apparent of bringing on greater oppression even to a perpetual slavery caused great fears in the people which could not be secured but by an established Parliament 2. That providence infatuated the late King and his counsell in passing an Act of unlimited time for establishment of that Parliament which was the giving away of one chief part of prerogative by which he might else have dissolved that Parliament after some years and saved his head Esau sold his birthright but he designed to have the blessing Providence had infatuated him that he considered not that the blessing was annexed to the birthright Our late King sold that part of his exercised prerogative with design to get it double not only to be King still but Tyrant too How Providence hath ordered those designs we know Thirdly That after the signing of the Act aforesaid the Soveraign Authority was in the Parliament which the late King by a wicked Councel and lying Clergy was seduced to take Arms against as Ahab was by his Councell and 400. lying Prophets to go up to Ramoth-Gilead to his own ruine and the ruine of his Family Fourthly That his heart was hardened and the hearts of his Councel and would not hearken to any offer of peace or reconciliation though many addresses were made to him from time to time by the whole house unanimously but his heart like Pharaohs was hard and the time of his peace was hid from him until it was too late when he desired it and might not have it Fifthly That Providence should make use of the Earl of Essex to be the Instrument to drive the late Kings wife from him whose Wife the late Kings Father gave to another man Sixthly That the late King by his refusal of all offers of reconciliation and his delaies entreaties providence over-ordering all things against his designs became his irrecoverable ruine of whom we may say as Sir Walter Rawleigh saith of Darius He was
if we ask according to our own will he will not hear him that is he wi●l not give him what he asketh And we must also ask in faith without wavering Jam. 1. 6. but how can we have faith in asking any thing for which we have not a promise for faith is grounded upon the promise Abraham beleeved the promise Rom. 4. 3. he staggered not at it he was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to perform and would do it q And without faith it is impossible to please God r what is not of faith is sin without faith God accepts no praier ſ and in the last place we must ask all that we pray for in the Name of Iesus Christ Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you t See Joh. 14. 13. And in extraordinary cases we must adde spiritual ●●sting to our praier for there is a kinde of devil that goeth not out but by praier and fasting u humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Jam. 4. 10. we must come with humbled hearts willing and desirous to bring our wils to Gods will but take beed of fasting and praying and making appeals to God w to bring Gods will to your will it is not safe to tempt God For our God is a consuming fire The next means is to get the love of God kindled in our hearts let us get burning zeal to the truth and receive the truth in the love of it contend for verity not for victory Advance the Gospel in the Ministry of it love the brotherhood honour all men fear God and honour the Supream Magistrate x whether King or Lord Protector this is Apostolical doctrine Let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God y This is the Apostle Pauls doctrine and this is the Apostle Peters doctrine Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake z for so is the will of God a This is no new devised doctrine nor is it in the least Antichristian but the doctrine of the Law and the doctrine of the Gospel If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine that is that denieth this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed b to deny this truth of the Gospel and teach for Gospel another thing is to bring in another Gospel But I am commanded by the Gospel that though men or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel then what the Apostles have preached not to beleeve it c The Gospel establisheth a standing Magistracy and a standing Ministry by them Liberty and Religion is maintained and preserved if well regulated Therefore it highly concerns Parliaments of which by Gods mercy and love to his people we are not wholly deprived nor by one for ever oppressed It is Gods mercy and his honour the Lord Protector I mean whom God hath made instrumental to call this Honourable Assembly in Parliament together I say it concerns them to consider whence we are fallen and whether we are going and by their authority to put bars against licenticusnesse and loose liberty and to be a wall of protection unto the truth that those Foxes may be taken that spoil the Vines for our Vines have tender grapes d Honourable Parliament if my Scribling Sheets ever come to your view take notice from them that God hath by his good providence called you together to make up the breach that finne hath made or rather God for sin upon us We have been perfidious to God and God hath removed justice and equity from us You must be both Phinchas and Aaron Phinchas to rise up with courage and zeal not only to do justice but to give life to the just Laws of the Nation that justice may be done by a Law against the transgressors of Gods Law e and Aaron to stand between the dead and the living that Gods anger may be appeased f You in behalf of the good people of these three Nations are to settle by Gods assistance these unsetled Nations what is possible for the present and with all possible care to look to the future the God Almighty be your strength and your Counsellor in the great work under your hands that you may be instruments in 〈◊〉 hand to establish a just and setled Magistracy and a holy religious Ministry That the glory of the Lord Jehovah may be advanced and the people of these Nations may again enjoy their Rights and Proprieties our sins cry to God for g●eate● judgements and the people cry under great pressures And God hath called you that are the great men of these Nations to prove and to try what you will do for him Jer. 5. 5. You have known the way of the Lord and the judgement of your God turn you not aside as others have done God seeks now as he did in Jerusalem to finde a man if there be any that executeth judgement and secketh the truth that he may spare poor England Jer. 5. 1. And let not the poor of these Nations be forgotten by you provide houses and stock to set them to work in all Cities Countreys and Towns that there may not be a beggar in our Israel g Debts ought to be paid but Publike Faith debts not paid is most dishonourable to the Nation I know as things have been managed it is no easie thing to pay them But to purge the University and Nurseries of Learning from their open pollutions and vicious practices and Schools of Learning to be purged of vitious Schoolmasters the poyson of youth and the bane of age and ages is a work acceptable to God a means to obtain blessings to posterities and it will cost no money to do it These and the like means diligently used really prosecuted freed from self-interest vain-glory or hypocrisie will assuredly multiply mercies on the Nations and prevent the judgements threatned and cause England to be the praise of the whole earth I pray give me leave to say what the Lord by the Prophet said in another case concerning Tythes then due by a Law of God leviticall only belonging to the Jews now due by no such right but they were unjustly withheld Therefore saith the Lord Prove me now therewith if I will not open to you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing h c. So I say Use such means as before I have briefly mentioned and prove the Lord if he will not double and redouble all sorts of blessings on this Common-wealth I blesse God that there hath been a beginning of a Reformation of some things by his Highnesse more then in some years past by others though much was promised And I blesse God that put into his Highnesses heart and this present Parliament to call for a general and
publike day of Humiliation for emergent causes named which God will doubtlesse accept of as of late he did by a signet of his favour when we by his Highnesse order sought God for Rain in our great necessity Although some who stile themselves Saints not only refused to joyn in our Petitions but used unchristian speeches to Gods dishonour and contempt of the duty And truly it was sad to observe the general neglect of our late Solemn Fast that only Shops should be shut and places for recreation full as I was informed but Churches shut or empty in respect of the numbers of Inhabitants many omitting the duty out of carnal respects and many out of will because it was commanded and because the end crossed their self-interests I do affirm that it is no lesse a duty in the Christian Magistrate to command the duties and performance of duties for the true worship of God then it was duty to the Magistrate under the Law but the Magistrate under the Law did command such duties as Asa Jehosaphat Jehojada Hezckiah and others We know that Asa did not only command Reformation of Gods worship bur annexed to his command a great punishment i And Ezra did the like k And the Apostle Paul diminisheth nothing of the Magistrates Authority under the Gospel nor is there any Scripture that offers the least doubt of that their authority but rather makes it greater Heb. 10. 28. therefore I say that the neglect or rather contempt of such duties and the suffering of it uncontrolled by the Magistrate will in stead of a blessing bring a curse as is threatned by the Prophet Jer 48. 10. but the due observance of the holy and spiritual worship of God held forth by the Magistrate and practised by the Minister and People is the chief means to divert the judgements we fear and procure the blessings we want I come now to the sixth and last Inference and that is That when God hath effected and done his will in any thing visibly made known to us by the work of providenee we are not to murmure nor repine though it be in any thing contrary to our expectation or desire or though it be to our great affliction but to submit to it willingly only by praier to seek unto God and patiently wait his time and means for deliverance This hath been the practice of the godly in all ages k Thus holy David did while his childe was yet alive he used all lawful means for the life of it But when God had done his will and the childe was dead he left off to mourn and murmured not but patiently bear the affliction Thus did just and righteous Job he feared his Sons might sinne and procure Gods displeasure he therefore used the right means to prevent it m but when Providence had brought that to passe which he feared and God had visibly manifested his pleasure Job was patient he murmured not neither against providence nor instruments but blessed the Name of the Lord n The Church under her great affliction murmured not they acknowledged Gods hand and complained of their sins the cause of all o and waited patiently for their deliverance It is good saith the Prophet that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord p Surely saith Job it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more q And the Apostle exhorts that we be followers of them that by faith and patience inherit the promise r But to murmure against providence is wickednesse and the effects of murmuring and discontents is very dangerous Dangerous to a mans self and bringeth others into dangers too You know what became of the murmuring Israelites in the wildernesse from time to time as is recorded in the Books of Exodus and Numbers Consider the case of murmuring Korah and all his murmuring company the earth opened and swallowed them up ſ This was the immediate hand of God not Moses nor Aaron yet such was the rebellious hearts of the people that the next day they all fall to murmuring against Moses and against Aaron and accused them that they had killed tho Lords people t And for this there died presently of them fourteen thousand and seven hundred by a sudden plague u You know that for this sin of murmuring all the people that came out of Egypt from twenty years old and upward were excluded from the promise except Caleb and Ioshua w Hence the Apostle exhorts us Christians not to tempt God as they tempted him nor to murmure as they murmured and were destroied for saith he All these things happened unto them for our examples x God is the same to us that he was to them only he hath divers dispensations of his judgements he is an unchangeable God for evert If we sin like them that went before us we shall be as greatly punished as they were yea greater Though God do not so usually strike men suddenly for sin as formerly yet there is greater wrath to come Let us a little consider the cause of mens murmuring and see if it do not arise from a carnal heart a carnal man propounds ends to himself as the Merchants St Iames speaks of that say they will go to such a City or such a Countrey and buy and sell and get gain but say not if God will so it is with men that seek their own ends in any thing they propound this or that but God is not in their thoughts they say no● if God will but we will do this or that thing or would have this or that done c. It may be nay it is common with these men that they will have the Name of God in their mouths but as the Psalmist speaks God is not in all their thoughts And therefore when their wils and designs are crossed they are angry and repine against God and men Thus the people of Israel did in the wildernesse they met with crosse providences which they looked not for and they could not bear it but cry out against Moses saying because there were no graves in Egypt Hast thou brought us to die in the wildernesse y and again wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt to kill us in the wildernesse our children and our cattel z Thus at this day we have seen many strange Providences such as we looked not for and men have had many and diverse designs aims and ends but meet with crosse Providences which they cannot bear nay resolve they will not bear they complain and cry out against this and that thing but specially they murmure against God and own not his providence in governing the world Therefore they also murmure at the thing done and against the Instruments doing it this is I say against God himself for he alone orders every thing and every Action as is proved in the beginning of this