Western Forces to pray for your Militia that the God of Abraham would be a sunne and a shield to all your Catechised Souldiery for such was Abrahams that you have or shall send down but especially as a Publike and some-what Representative Minister I shall continually cry to heaven for your good successe in the all-in-all of Reformation Zech. 8.7 8 and that the Lord of hosts will save his people from the East Country and from the West Country and will bring them that they may dwell in the midst of our Jerusalem that they may be his people and hee their God in truth and in righteousnesse And let the Lord Heb. 6. â—0 which is not unrighteous never forget your worke and labour of love which yee have shewed towards his Name in that yee have minstred to the Saints and doe minister And we desire that every one of you doe shew the same diligence Verse 11. to the full assurance of our hope unto the end This is the prayer of Your Honours humble and reall Servant John Bond. Savoy Jan. 20. 1644. To all well-affected tender-hearted Christians inhabiting the famous City of London and within the Line of Communication Duely Honoured and Beloved I Have read that there growes a a Caussin Hieroglyph lib. 10. Parab 4. tree not far from Malaca whose rootes doe spread diversly abroad those of them which do run towards the East are wholsome and medicinall yea they are an antidote against poisons but such as doe spread themselves towards the West are venemous and deadly such a tree as this it hath pleased the Lord now to plant in this land and me thinks it growes upon the border betwixt the old kingdomes of the East and West Saxons that is in the most Easterly edge of Hampshire for all the Counties beyond that place Westward are over-spread with sad roots of bitterness bringing forth nothing but gall worm wood wheras the other Counties of the land on this side Eastward are safe and medicinall and these contrary dispensations of providence as they doe call upon you Amos 4.7 the children of the East to blesse that Lord which causeth it to raine mercie or judgements upon one Country and not upon another so doe they enforce and encourage us Westerne exiles to implore some healing for our Country from those wings of yours under whose feathers many of our pilgrims have already found a covering In hope and pursuance of that healing was I emboldned to offer unto you a mid-wifes place in the birth of this Treatise and that you may adventure to read it over I shall promise you that this Westerne historie is not like your creatures of a day at Westminster 't is not like your every dayes Mercurian dew of News which is dayly exhaled and evaporated that is growne stale and doubtfull by that time the sun ariseth in ' its strength but in many of these sad passages I doe but testifie what I have seen in others I have considered that Fame in these dayes hath lost her credit and therefore accordingly I have not trusted her without sufficient sureties So that the sad history of this book is but too true though I confesse not full enough Once I had thought to have added marginall instances but did forbeare partly because I conceived them not the most fit company for a sermon and partly because I found them too many and copious for a margin Pauper is est numerare pecus As for the divine matter of these sermons they do Apologize Confesse Petition Direct for the good of your most afflicted brethren By the first I hope they will undeceive such as shall read impartially and as for others which will a Non amo te Sabidi nee possum dicere quare c. not beleeve any good reports of the West because they will not I shall only answer them that they will mis-judge because they will By the second third and fourth which are the discoveries of the great evils of those most lamentable Counties c. we do call for pitie from all brethren and friends but especially from this great Citie which the Lord hath hitherto made a publike fountain of help and the very poole of Bethesda to all impotent parts and almost people of the land John 5.7 but the West hath layen longest in the porch wanting a hand to put it into the waters Surely there was a time when those five Counties did by their b Devon Kersies c Wilts Corne d Somerset Cattle e Dorset Sheep and f Cornwall Tinne afford in good measure both b clothing c bread and d flesh yea e dishes and all to this great City and such a time againe may returne but at present those Shires and the well-affected of them would faine borrow a bucket or two of help from your ocean to set their pumps a going I meane to put them into an able posture for the defence of themselves I remember 't is recorded that the g Keker in praesat ad Geegraph Queen of Castillia did sel her jewels to furnish Columbus for his discovering voyage to the West-Indies when hee had shewed his Maps though the English Courtiers saith mine Author did deride his profers and thereby the new world of America was found and gained to the Spanish Crowne Surely there is great adventure now to be made for reducing of the little Kingdome of West-England and the Londoners hitherto have been the greatest adventurers for this cause Oh read over my Maps and doe like your selves But besides that great occasion there is also another petty adventure for the West at this time required it is that you would h Eccles 11.1 cast your bread upon the waters for the present support of many Westerne exiled Pilgrims which have not onely long since laid out and left the bulke of their estates for the testimony of Iesus but have lately spent the last meal of their barrell the utmost oyle of their Cruse in these parts and now so it is that dig they cannot and to beg they are ashamed yea and almost to receive Ye shall therefore doe well if like the i 2 Tim. 1.16 17. house of Onesiphorus Ye seeke them out very diligently and find them Brethren though my selfe and some others have our k Prov. 30 8. Agurs commons our l Exod. 16.16 Omer-full for our day yet give me leave and the more freely to tell you that the Lord hath set this great City to be his Steward and Almoner for the distressed brethren and I must adde he hath given you three for one for all your free disbursements for his sake First he hath given you that ability and substance which you have laid out for 't is e Pro. 10.4.22 the blessing of God with the hand of the diligent that maketh rich f 1 Sam. 25.11 My bread and my water and my flesh was the language of Naball Next
blasphemies then consider remember and beleeve that this whole Series may bee paralleld by the taunts and blasphemies of the Westerne Enemies But besides these there is another kind of blasphemies by horrid Oaths and execrable Curses And in these also the Enemy is like himselfe out of measure blasphemous for I dare challenge the Records of all Nations and Generations to shew mee such affecting studying and buying of abominable direfull damning Oaths and Blasphemies as is daily practised among them Oh the anatomizing of Jesus Christ limb by limb by their horrid Swearing Oh the daring and mis-calling of the whole Trinity by their Rhetoricall new-sought new-bought Blasphemies Oh the dammings rammings and shooting into hell that is used in their Execrations Nay this is one test or touch-stone by which some of them are wont to try a suspected Round-head Sweare Dammee say they and we shall beleeve thee that thou art a friend to the King Oh my friends and is blasphemy now become the true character of loyalty then let us not be troubled if these men doe call us Rebels But this kind of hellishnesse is come to that height that the truth is I hold it not fit to speake the whole truth in this Point for there are such blasphemies amongst them as are not so much as to be named among Christians 1 Cor. 5.1 And now guesse yee Brethren in what condition are the poore Saints which are forced to entertaine those Miscreants into their houses and to bee continually within view and hearing of their Diabolicall lives and language what Mesechs thinke yee what Kedars are their owne houses unto them Is not all this a hell upon earth to a gracious soule But I must goe yet higher to other kinds of spirituall Scorpions 3. Ordinances lost to other Irons that doe enter into the soules of Gods people in those parts What thinke yee Brethren of the losse of the Arke and Ordinances 'T is a sad death to dye for want of bodily food but what thinke you of Amos his Famine not a famine of bread Amos 8.11 nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord. This soule-dearth is come upon them I beleeve above all parts of the Land besides for they doe in a most literall sense Verse 12. wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they doe run to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and cannot find it but are forced to gather stubble in stead of straw the multitude of their Teachers were long since driven into corners Isai 30.20 where their eyes could not behold them and of the gleanings that stayed behind some are imprisoned and dead others condemned to dye two in Exon by their Councell of Warre so that there is scarce a conscientious preaching Pastour to be found in a whole County onely perhaps here and there is left an old complying Prophet of Bethel 1 Kâ—n. 13. 11 12 c. who if hee hath some embers of grace in the nether-most corner of his heart yet they doe lye hid under so much cold earth and policy that his Ministery is not like to warm a soule in many yeares But the multitude of their Priests in those parts are of the vilest of the people in all respects and doe send out prophanenesse over all that Country and to the servants of God they are Wolves and Butchers rather than Shepherds But now oh how beautifull would be the face yea the feet of one of the least of their old Ministers how sweet would be the weakest of those godly Sermons which perhaps wanton hearers have sometimes despised Have you ever observed Brethren an halfe-starved beggar or prisoner that picketh up a cast crust of bread in the street how hastily how heartily hee doth eat it down in a corner without wiping it Just so precious is the bread of life amongst the halfe-starved soules in those Counties if they can get but a stale fragment of some old Sermon-notes a piece a bit of a Doctrine or of an Use oh how sweetly doth it goe down upon the heart there is honey come into it for the Enemy doth martyr all the old Sermon-notes that hee can meet withall and as for new Sermons there are very few the Sanctuary is desolate the Church-doores have been shut up in divers places for many moneths together Object Yea but may some say there are many Churches still open and doubtlesse there is some food to be pickt out of those Ordinances such as they are Answ I grant it that there are many such doores open but will you know what food those places doe afford Surely 1. the people are fed with poyson in stead of nourishment not only a stone that is a stroke is given them in stead of bread but for fish they have a Scorpion death it selfe is in the Pot I mean Doctrines of Libertinisme and Superstition 2. They are fed with snares like that snare upon Mispeh Hos 5.1 and like that net which was spread upon Tabor Not onely the Lords Table is made a Snare unto them by Altaring and Worshipping of the elements there used and enjoyned but almost every other Ordinance is poysoned and made a bait unto the Receivers Shall I instance First then The solemne and extraordinary holy exercise of Prayer and Fasting is not onely denyed to the godly in private Publike Fasting in their owne families upon perist of intolerable scoffes riots imprisonments but even publike Humiliation also though it be the Lords marking Ordinance whereby hee doth marke out his mourners for preservation in evill times Goe through the midst of the City Ezek 9.4 and set a marke upon the fore-heads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof Even this choâ—ce Ordinance is denyed unto the Saints and is now utterly put downe though it were formerly set up by his Majesty himselfe with the consent of his Parliament The Enemy will not give Gods people leave to weep and mourne for his sinnes and for the sinnes of the Land Neither are those adversaries of Reâ—entance content to over-turne that setled course of humiliation â—ut which is yet worse they doe imitate Jeroboam who when â—ee had with-drawn the ten Tribes from the true God and his â—ight Ordinances did set up two Calves in stead of the Temple-â—orship and new holy-dayes in stead of the Lords owne Feasts â—eroboam ordained a Feast in the eight moneth 1 Kiâ— 12.28 29 31 32 c. on the fifteenth lay of the moneth like unto the Feast that is in Judah So these â—en in his Majesties name have set up an Anti-fast as well as an Anti-Parliament and an Anti-Covenant and consequently an Anti-God against the God of the Round-heads And all this is made as a Shiboâ—ch for the discovery and entanglement of the upright in the Land Thus the very Fastings of Gods people are turned into a Snare unto
others Vers 31 32. are there to be found both at home and abroad which when they have looked upon us doe passe-by on the other side yea and some distressed persons have tryed it that there is more compassion to be found from some Samaritans strangers and non-professors then from many of those Beleeve it brethren those heathenish sinnes which St. Rom 1.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 24.12 Paul calleth want of naturall affection and unmercifulnesse and those worst of times in which our Saviour saith the love of many shall waxe cold are fallen upon our present generation Yea so it is that by how-much the more the objects of pity and compassion are increased and doe abound by so-much the lesse is pity exercised by so-much the more doth it decrease But because generalities doe neither convince the minde nor pierce the heart I shall therefore endeavour to divide this reproofe and levell it more particularly at severall sorts of offenders First I shall but mention all cursing and cursed Edomits who instead of pitying 1. Edomitish Enemies doe rejoyce over the afflictions of their brethren Such Edomâ—ts I meane who in the day of Ierusalem cryed Psal 17.7 Obâ—d v. 11. Râ—â—â—e it rase it even to the foundation thereof Who stood on the other side in the day that the strangers carried away captive his brothers forces Ver. 11. and forreiners entred into his gates But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother saith Obadiaâ— on the day that he became a stranger neither shouldest thou have rejoyced over the Children of Iudah in the day of their destruction neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distresse As often as I read over that shortest Prophet me thinks I see again before mine eyes the sad march of Gods people out of the Cities of Bristoll and Exon and the march of our late army of Martyrs out of Lestithell in Cornwall about August or September last but many of those Edomitish enemies which then looked on rejoyced and spake proudly being since out off have already answered for that fact before the great tribunall and as for others which did it through ignorance I shall pray the Father of mercies to give them repentance and to forgive them onely let me tell them for present 〈…〉 that this sinne is more base then envie it selfe and doth argue that men have put off both christianity and humanity I shall therefore exhort them to read over both the threatning prayer and the thundring prophecie of the Psalme and Chapter fore-mentioned beseeching the Father of spirits to set them home upon their consciences But there are other two sorts of offenders remaining to whom I did especially intend this reproofe and those are such friends and children of the West as doe want the bowels of brotherly compassion Secondly then to such friends when I say friends I take the word in as great a latitude 2. Jobs like Friends as it hath in the Text even for all such as ought to be friends to the West that is all true English protestant hearts though borne or living Northward Southward Eastward sure I am that we are all members of the same British body 1 Cor 12.21 12. neither can the Easterne head or the Northerne or Southerne armes say to the Westerne feet call us so we have no need of you Then give me leave O yee fellow members to reason with you a little concerning the sufferings of the West I doubt not but you doe all know that England hath a West but have you ever seriously considred the vast extent and the deep extremities of those Counties which we call Westerne Have you ever been hitherto convinced that there is now no sorrow in the whole land like unto their sorrow Lamenâ— 1 1â— wherewith the Lord hath afflicted them in the day of his fierce anger And doe you withall beleeve that those people have been some of the first and deepest in suffering but are some of the last and least in all revivings I have read of a people which every morning doe worship the rising sun towards the East but at evening they doe dayly curse the setting sun towards the West There is an allusion to that custome too generally practised in this land some mens hearts and hopes are touched from the North as a Needle with a loadstone and they will stand and expect redemption no way but Northward towards our justly honoured and succesfull brethren Oh but take heed of leaning with a full weight upon a walking staffe though never so handsome and usefull Mr. Marshal at Mr. Pines Funerall Others doe lift up their eyes wholly to this City of refuge this great Easterne mountaine from whence alone they conceive cometh their help But alas all this while the backs of all these are generally turned upon the deserted South-west yea and too many are apt almost to curse that Country of the setting of the sun as the most unhappy and unworthy part of the kingdome Zech 8. â— and for the truth of this I doe appeale to the memories and consciences of many present Let us come neerer Brethren have not the straights of other lesser parties pettie Towns and meer Parishes of the Kingdome affected the hearts and filled the mouths of many in this place with much sympathie and loud complaints in their behalfe when at the same time potent armies spatious Countries and very considerable places in the West have fought and cryed and sunck without any great pitie noise or notice in these parts Nay have not some of your selves observed that the distresses of some garrison'd houses in the name of Castles beleagured have been strongly ecchoed by many both to the Lord in prayers and to the high Court of Parliament in petitions whilest some Westerne Cities and City-like Townes have for a long time together stretched out their hands and lifted up their voices for helpe but all in vaine Here thou poore Exon labouring under a well-nigh foure moneths tedious siege mightest seasonably aske how many notes or bills were that while publikely put up for thee in the congregations in this place I have heard of one young man that put up some two or three And thou faithfull Plymouth together with thy cordiall and considerable Sisters and Neighbours Dartmouth Barnstable Lyme Taunton c. mightest second this complaint with an outcry Alas poore helplesse and almost hopelesse West And art thou alone as one borne out of due time Art thou the only speckled bird the mountains of Gilboa when other parts have the seasonable comfortable dewes of help and pitie Brethren pardon my just filiall affections I shall endeavour to walke evenly in my complaint betwixt impiety to my Countrie and partialitie towards the truth The sins of young Cham and old Ely are both alike abhominable in my account and in this temper let us argue the matter yet a litle further in answering the charges
laid against us Object 1 The Westerne folke will some say are an unworthie people Answ Beware of drawing sinfull inferences from sorrowfull premisses by concluding that such a man or people are wicked because they are wretched sinners because sufferers This was the false sophistry of Iobs three friends for which the Lord doth as it were enjoyne them penance Iob. 42.7 8. and amerceth them in the end of that book Nay this was the barbarous Malta-logick of those Islanders amongst whom St. Paul was cast ashoare at Mâ—lita And when the Barbarians saw the venemous beast hang on his hand Acts 28.4 they said among themselves No doubt this man is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the Sea yet vengance suffereth not to live But when he shook off the beast into the fire Vers 5. they did as easily change their opinions to the other extreame and indeed none are more light and lavish in applauding then those which are most rash and severe in censuring But this fault I find may overtake the disciples themselves â—â—h 9. â— 2. When they saw a man that was blind from his birth they asked Iesus Master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind Christs answer telleth us that the Lord hath many other principall ends and causes for afflicting his people besides their sins as there his end was that the works of the Lord should be made manifest Vers 3. so in Iobs case he meant to set up a paterne of patience and of the reward thereof And in that of Paul he intended to honour the person and ministery of his servant in the eyes and hearts of the Barbarians Object 2 But the Objector chargeth againe telling us that Cowardise and Covetousnesse lost the West Answ I might first answer generally in the words of an * Iraset qâ—an donaâ—e vilius conslat Mart. acute Heathen that it is more cheape and easie to fall out with the distressed then to relieve their distresses But I will speake particularly to the severall charges of Cowardise and Covetousnes First to that of Cowardise I could returne many answers viz. 1. To the Charge of Cowardise 1. Who is he I pray you that is the God of the spirits of all flesh whose prerogative it is especially in war-like actions both to heighten the spirits of the faint and to flatten the courage of the mighty And when did the Lord so evidently and ordinarily exercise this his spirituall prerogative as in the present warres of his people in this Land Doubtlesse brethren it is not all Cowardise and treachery which we doe commonly call so in these times though I confesse there hath been too much of both sorts almost continually amongst us and I could wish that the extraordinary finger of God in this spirituall particular might be more observed and acknowledged 2. Secondly remember that those Westerne combustions did begin with the present generall and publike warres So that it was then the very Tyrocinium of all our Souldiery the first and suddaine shooting of Guns in earnest at which it is common even for valiant men a while to winke at the firing and to startle at the report of an Ordnance these and such-like allayes might be given But 3. Thirdly I doe answer by denying that charge of Cowardise upon that * At Minedip Hills in Sommerset about 30000. Commons appeared at once for the Parliament in the beginning against the Generallny of their Gentry In Devon at 2. several times at least 10000. each time all completely armed and paid by the same County And great forwardnes in the rest of the Counties Cornwall it selfe not excepted Country as unjust and for proof of that deniall could easily bring forth a whole cloud of publike and reall witnesses as the numerous frequent free appearances of great armies of common people upon slender summons or rather upon bare leave to appeare their willing tedious attendances at their own charges and begging permission to fall on c. And all this amidst often and heavy discouragements Some Counties going on against the streame of those which should have been their Leaders but did destroy the way of their Pathes Others had such Leaders as as would have caused them to erre Isai 9.16 yea as would have guided them as that Prophet led the blind-fold Syrians into Samaria instead of Dotham yet still the poore willing Commons leaving both the Kings high-way and their Malignant Gentry continued appearing waiting marching and fighting though in many places like sheep without a shepheard untill it hath pleased the Lord out of his secret Counsell and for our sins to give us up as a prey to the will of our enemies 2. To the Charge of Covetousnesse Secondly for answer to the charge of Covetousnesse aske of others and they shall tell you Aske the publike and private Treasurers for Ireland-subscriptions both gifts and adventures for the Parliament Propositions and for our own particular Westerne warres and fortifications all these will abundantly certifie you But as that proportionist did draw the whole stature of Hercules by the print of his foot so I could give you out of one of those five Shires best knowne to my selfe a guesse of the cordiall munificence of the whole 150000â— out of Devon Exon. Beside their sufferings If many scores of thousands have been laid out by one single County then admire the vast expences of all the five But it is still objected Object 3 Your enemies were few and contemptible at the first Alas Answ so were the enemies of the whole Kingdome at the beginning perchance fewer then ours remember the little cloud at Nottingham and by that you may see Secondly that the race is not to the swift Eccles 9.11 nor the battell to the strong but time and change happeneth to them all saith the wise Preacher especially thirdly when the Lord of Hosts createth trouble to a sinfull people and giveth commission to his revenging sword to passe through a Land beleeve it then they are not all your strength and counsell power and policy that can sheath up or keep off such an enemy But why did you lose so vast Object 4 so rich so populous a Country so easily Answ I answer First 1. doubtlesse the meritorious causes were our sins and the safest construction and best application that we Westerne exiles can make of our sufferings will be to take up that of lamenting Jeremiah Lament 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain It is a mercy that we are men and not beasts that we are alive this day and not fallen among the slaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes that is the Lord hath done us no wrong we doe suffer justly yea mercifully for our trespasses Let us search and try our waies and turne again to the Lord That is selfe examination and selfe-reformation Verse 40. are our most proper and profitable