and discased soules most humbly intreating thee to be gracious and mercifull to all our sinnes for they are wondrous great make it thy glory to passe by and to winke at them poure into our soules the oyle of thy mercies supple our hard and dry hearts with the sweete influence of thy best graces and cure all our swelling wounds with the true balme of Gilead purge good Lord and cleanse all the polluted and infected corners of our hearts that though at this day our sinnes be as olde as Adam as numberlesse as the starres of heaven as high as the tallest Cedars in the forrest Lord plucke them up by the rootes bury them in everlasting forgetfulnesse that they may never stoppe the issue of thy blessings nor draw downe upon us the vialls of thy wrath nor be a wound and griefe to our troubled consciences in this life or worke despaire in us at the end of our dayes nor stand up in judgement to be the utter ruine and condemnation of our soules and bodies at the last day Good Lord prepare us all for a better life fit us all for the kingdome of thy Sonne Christ Iesus guide us all with thy blessed Spirit tutor us out of thy holy word humble us by thy mercifull corrections and by thy fatherly blessings wed our affections and knit our hearts more neere unto thee in newnesse of life than ever heretofore they have beene that living as becommeth thy obedient children and servants an holy and a religious remnant of our dayes we may by thy grace and mercy be partakers of a joyfull and a comfortable death and after death of a glorious resurrection to everlasting life peace among thy Saints Neither do we pray to thee for our selves only but for all people and Nations of the earth but more particularly for the place in which we live and therin according to our bounden duty for thy servant our Soveraign Charles by thy special providence King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the most true Ancient Catholicke and Apostolike faith and in all causes and over all persons within these his Majesties Realmes and Dominions next under thee and thy Sonne Christ Iesus supreme Governour adde unto his dayes as thou didst unto the dayes of Hezekiah that he may enjoy a long and a prosperous reigne over us and in the meane time remember him in goodnesse for the good he hath done already to thy Church Bestow the sweetest of thy blessings upon our gracious Queene Mary our hopefull Prince Charles and the rest of those royall branches beyond the seas season them in their young and tender yeares with thy feare that they may be great in thy favour and if it may stand with thine eternall Decree let us never want a holy and a religious man of that house and line to governe the scepters of these Kingdomes and to maintaine the preaching of thy glorious Gospell within these his Majesties Realmes and Dominions so long as the Sunne and Moone endures Blesse our King with an honourable valiant and a religious Councell and Nobility blesse him with a learned painfull and a zealous Clergy by what names or titles soever they be called whether they be Arch-Bishops or Bishops and all other painfull labourers in this thy Vineyard blesse him with a wise prudent and a religious Gentry blesse him with a peaceable a loyall and a religious Commonalty and good God we beseech thee to shower downe thy blessings upon the right hand and upon the left to them whom it hath pleased thee to send to this Congregation that by the blessing of thy good Spirit whensoever they shall stand on thy Mountaine to deliver a Message from thee give them good Father what wilt thou give them give them wise and understanding hearts that they may open to thy people the wondrous things of thy law good Father touch their tongues with a coale from thy holy Altar that by the blessing of thy holy Spirit they may be able to worke some holinesse in the hearts of a sinfull and unbeleeving people and cut downe the head and strength of some sinne that remaineth in us and to this end and purpose make them sound in thy Doctrines terrible in thy threatnings sweet in thy comforts powerfull and effectuall in all thy perswasions and mercifull Father make thy word like the bow of Ionathan and like the sword of Saul or Gideon that never returned empty from the blood of the slaine and the fat of the mighty Lastly we come unto thee for our selves againe thy most unworthy servants that are here assembled in a reverent feare of thy most holy and blessed name most humbly intreating thee in Iesus Christ to be gracious and mercifull to all our sinnes and to be effectually present with thy blessed Spirit in the midst of us all and grant that thy word may drop and distill upon our tender consciences like raine upon the mowen grasse and as dew comes down from heaven to water the earth take away the scales of ignorance from all blind and dark understandings remove farre from us all lets and hinderances whereby the blessed seed of thy word hath bin to many and sundry times made unfruitfull in the hearts of sinfull and unbelieving people and to every soule that is present in thy house this day or at any other time grant us all holy diligence to seeke thee godly wisdome to know thee and sanctified understanding to finde thee aright that so thy word may prove the sweet savour of life unto everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour in whose most holy and blessed name we are bold to conclude these our weake and imperfect prayers in that perfect forme of prayer which Christ hath taught us saying Our Father c. A DIRECTION FOR MAGISTRATES EXOD. 18. Chap. Verse 21. Moreover provide thou among all the people men of courage fearing God men dealing truly hating covetousnesse and appoint such over them to be Rulers over thousands Rulers over hundreds Rulers over fifties and Rulers over tennes THERE are in the body naturall three principall members the liver the heart and the braine resembling three principal members in the body politicke the Magistrate the Physitian and the Divine The liver is the beginning of naturall faculties segregates the humours ingenders alimentall blood and by veines sends it into the body of man from noxious humours whereby it may be indangered and prescribes wholesome diet whereby it may be preserved and kept in health The heart is the beginning of vitall faculties generates vitall spirits sends them into every particular member Like to this is the Divine for hee is Principium though not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of generation nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Radication yet to use the word of the Anatomist he is Principium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of dispensation of the vitall spirits hee takes a man where the Physitians leave him makes him of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
IETHROES COVNSELL TO MOSES OR A DIRECTION FOR MAGISTRATES A Sermon preached at St. Saviours in Southwarke March 5. 1621. Before the Honourable Iudges by that Reverent Divine THOMAS SVTTON Dr. in Divinity LEVIT 19.15 Ye shall doe no unrighteousnesse in judgement thou shalt not respect the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty but in righteousnesse shalt thou judge thy neighbour LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IONES dwelling in Red-crosse-streete 1631. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR ROBERT DVCE Knight Barronet Lord Major of the City of LONDON and to the Right Worshipfull the Sheriffes and Aldermen of the same W. I. P. wisheth increase of knowledge and grace in Christ here that you may reigne with him hereafter in glory HAVING a Sermon come to my hands of the Counsell of Iethro given to Moses the servant of the Lord how hee might with more ease to himselfe and the people decide all controversies as it was preached before the Iudges in Southwarke by that Reverend and learned Divine Mr. Dr. Sutton late Preacher at Saviours The which Sermon giveth direction not onely to Iudges but also to all Magistrates in the Land how to carry themselves in their severall places against all offenders and betwixt man and man It being a subject of so necessary a use it is thought meete to publish it in these evill times because the seate of Iustice is now had in much contempt by many who live as if there were no God in heaven to behold their wickednesse nor Magistrate on earth to punish their horrible crimes And seeking out for a Patron I thought fit to dedicate it to your Honour and Worships To your Honour who in your Shreivalty shewed your great zeale and love to the Gospell of Christ that upon a discovery of the practises of Iesuites and Priests rose at midnight to execute the warrant of Sir Robert Nanton then Secretary to King Iames of most blessed memory where was taken seventeene Altars for their Popish Masse ten Copes twelve or thirteene Surplices above ten thousand Popish bookes besides severall packets of Letters partly come from Bruxels and going to Bruxels c. And seeing the Lord hath advanced your Honour into the chaire of Moses under our gracious Soveraigne Lord King CHARLES the Lord give you courage and zeale against all Popish superstitition and Idolatry requesting you that you would be pleased to peruse the short directions in it That so you may with the rest of your Right Worshipfull Brethren the better direct all and severall Officers in their severall places under you in your severall Wards that they also may be men of courage fearing God To that end I beseech the Lord of heaven who directed his servant Moses so to direct your hearts that you may have both the courage and zeale of Moses against all idolatrous Priests and Iesuites that swarme in the Land whose treacherous practises this worthy Sermon doth at large discover and so put them out of all hope of gaining any Proselites here among you Thus daily praying unto the Lord on your behalfe I humbly take my leave Your Honours and Worships to be commanded in the Lord Iesus W. I. P. Dr. SVTTONS Prayer OH most gracious and most glorious God before whom the Sunne and the Moone become as darknesse the blessed Angels stand amased and the glorious Cherubims are glad that they may cover and hide their faces as not daring to behold that incomprehensible greatnesse and that infinite goodnesse which thou art with what confidence shall we forlorne sinners be ever once able to appeare before thy all seeing providence that terrible and angry countenance that sinne-revenging justice of thine which is so fierce and terrible that it will shake the heavens melt the mountaines dry up the seas and make the tallest Cedars in Lebanon to tremble Good Lord where shall we hide our selves from thy presence masses of corruption mountaines of sinne dead and dry trees fit fewell for thy fierce wrath to worke upon if we should climbe up into heaven to hide us from thee thou art there or goe downe into the bottome and depth of hell thou art there also or take the wings of the morne and fly to the utmost part of the seas even there also will thy allseing eye behold us and thy right hand will quickly visit and finde us out we will therefore here dissolve and melt our selves into a floud and fountaine of many teares bewailing and bemoaning our wofull and miserable estate for albeit by reason of that soule Chaos and staine of naturall corruption and originall sinne we have deserved long since to have had the sweete issue of all thy good blessings to be stopped and dried up thy milde and gentle corrections to be turned into the sodaine execution of bloody tortures and fearefull judgements upon us even in this life and at our departing out of this world to be plunged everlastingly into a pit of destruction there to be fryed and scorched with Satan and his Angels for evermore And yet for all this O Lord wee have never ceased to adde oyle unto this flame and to blow up the coales of thy fearefull displeasure through the hot and eager pursuit of many loud crying actuall sinnes and transgressions so that from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote there is not one place sound or whole within us but we are all full of sores and swellings and botches full of sinne full of corruption our understandings which should have knowne thee to be our true God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ our Redeemer these are blinded and missed with ignorance and doubting our affections which should have beene good guides to have directed our feete into the way of peace they are become swift messengers of Satan to buffet us our bodies which should have beene sweet Temples for thy blessed Spirit to dwell and lodge in they are sinks of sinne and cages of filthy birds our eyes O God are like open windowes and doores to receive sinne our hearts like common Innes to lodge sinne our heads like skilfull Politicians to contrive sinne our tongues smooth and sweet Oratours to pleade for the maintaining of sinne and all our hands like stout souldiers and couragious Champions to fight in the defence of sinne Thus have we waged and managed warre against thee our God ever since we were borne so that now thou maist justly spue us out of thy mouth cut us off in the midst of our sinnes come amongst us this very present and binde us hand and foot and at the end of these few and miserable dayes send us all into hell together that so Satan might pay us our wages onely whom thus long we have obeyed and served thus emptying our selves from all trust and confidence in the arme of flesh we fly unto thee O God the anchor of our hope and the tower built for our defence with many deepe sighes and groanes from our perplexed consciences
〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a naturall to bee a spirituall man transformes him from a meere man to be a pure Saint The braine is the beginning of animall faculties chiefe commander of the body sits in the highest roome as in her royall pallace compassed about with the Cranium the Pericranium and the two Meninges which are like strong Castles and Countermures against forraigne invasion it hath the five externall senses as intelligencers to give notice what is done abroad the cōmon sense he fantasy the understandings privy counsellors the memory as register book of records yet the brain is not idle but busied in tempering the spirits received from the heart sending them by nerves into the old body and thereby giving sense and motion to each part And this braine is the fit embleme of a good Magistrate who as he hath forts and guards and Counsellours and records so must he know that he hath them not for his owne use but for the benefit of the body Politique and therefore must bestirre himselfe in tempering the spirits received from the heart I meane in making use of spirituall counsells received from the Minister of the Gospell Now as the body Naturall is in best estate when all these three are well affected but very ill at ease if there be a distemper or dyscracie in any of them so in the body Politique if the Physitian the Divine and the Magistrate be faithfull in their places and follow the rule of their bookes there would be no complaining in our streetes But if the Physitian instead of wholesome Physicke minister nothing but hemlocke the Divine in stead of wholesome Doctrine broach nothing but heresie and curiosity the Magistrate turne justice into wormewood then is the head sicke and the heart heavie and in the Symptomes of death upon the whole body once more Of all parts in the body Naturall the braine is most subject unto diseases and of all parts in the body Politique the Magistrate most obnoxious to slips and falls First because he hath many provocations which others want Secondly he wants a benefit which others have he is not freely reproved as others are Thirdly because of those Cubiculares Consiliarij as Lypsius calleth them Politic. cap. 9. lib. 3. Tineae et Sorices Palatij these rattes and mothes of the Court that feede upon other mens wants live by other mens losses and as the common souldier in Tacitus in Pompeium Miseriâ nostrâ magnus es grow great by others mens miseries who sell their Masters favours as Zoticus in Lampridius solde the faire promises of Heliogabolus and are alwayes ready for their owne advantage to applaud their Masters worst and basest actions Hence is it that Iethro gives this good direction to Moses the Iudges and Magistrates which thou doest appoint must be men of courage fearing God dealing truly hating covetousnesse Which words have in them 1. A Quis 2. A Quos 3. A Quibus The Quis is Moses Sed consulto Domino and gives this conclusion that the ordination of Iudges and Magistrates is of God In the beginning of time the Lord prescribed to the heavens their courses and motions and they observe them to the Elements he set bounds and limits and they keepe them the bees he gave a King saith Elian de hist. animal lib. 1. cap. 11. and they obey him to man hee gave lawes and hee transgressed them wrote them in his heart and man blotted them out Againe whensoever the Heathen made lawes they were wont to father them upon some of their gods thereby to purchase credit and reverence When Licurgus made lawes for the Lacedemonians he fathered them upon Apollo Minos for the Cretians he fathered them upon Iupiter Solon and Draco For the Athenians they fathered them upon the Goddesse Minerva as Diodorus Siculus reports of them When Numa made lawes for the Romans he fathered them upon the Goddesse Egraecia as Plut. in the life of Numa Pompilius reports When Anacharsis the Scythian Philosopher made lawes for the Scythians hee fathered them upon Zamolxis as Vives upon Aug. and Herodotus in his Melpomene have related but all this could not refraine wilfull man from exorbitancy and manifest riot against God It is true of him which the olde Lacedemonians said of the olde Athenians they knew what was to be done but did it not and which the Cimickin Laertius objected to the Philosophers of Greece they had good lawes but practised them not they made no more account of lawes than Remus in Livie dec 1. lib. 1. of bestriding the walls which Romulus had built hee stood in no more awe than the frogges in the fable of leaping over the jawes of the lion when he was couchant and fast asleepe and therefore did God appoint the Magistrate to put life into this dead letter and made him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle calls him Ethi lib. 5. cap. 4. a living law that these two the Law and the Magistrate the one as a sword the other as a souldier to draw it the one as a soveraigne medicine the other as a Physitian to apply it the one as a pibble gathered out of the streame the other as a skilfull David to sling it might unite the forces to the utter extirpation of idolatry the protection of justice the supporting of sound religion the disparaging of sinne and this is the authority they have from God In which point wee must with Tully distinguish the power it selfe Secondly the meanes of attaining Thirdly the manner of execution The first is allwayes of God but not the second nor the third Potestatem Deus distribuit God gives the power Elationem potentiae malitiam venit saith Gregor as he is quoted by the ordinary glosse If the Magistrate be good he is set there for the good of the people if wicked he is set there for the sinne of the people Saul is appointed by God as well as David Nero as well as Iosiah and Ashur as well as Moses or Ioshua But the one is stirred up to be the Saviour of the people as Ehud was Iud. 3.15 the other as the rod of his wrath as Ashur was Esa 49.23 Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes thy nurses Nor from Christ who commands to giue unto Cesar that which is due unto him Mat. 22.21 nor from Peter who bids honour the King 1. Pet. 2 27. nor from Paul who bids pray for Kings and Magistrates 1. Tim. 2 2. nor from Moses who commands not to raile upon the Iudge nor speake evill of the ruler of the people Ex. 22.28 It is true of them which God said to Samuell concerning the Iewes when they disliked their present government they have not cast away thee but they have cast away mee that I should not rule over them 1. Sam. 8.7 The other is the Papist who denies not temporall authority of our Kings and Iudges yet tyes one of the Magistrates hands lessens his authority and limits him
he list a golden key commonly opens a wrong locke Loquente auro nil pollet quaevis oratio The mouth of a Lawyer saith Tully is an Oracle for the whole Citty but if in this mouth there be a guilded tongue it will prove like the Oracle at Delphos whereof Demosthenes complained in his time that it did speake nothing but what Philip would have it that had given a double fee. But I for my part accuse no man but many that have beene ancient Termers say that Lawyers take much money and say little for it that they come amongst many of you for succour as a sheepe runnes to the thornes and briars for shelter in time of a tempest they are saved from the shower for that time but that which saved theÌ„ pulls that wool from their backes that they are never able to abide another storme Some have money for holding their peace others for speaking that you who should be like Atropos to cut become like Clotho to spinne and like Lachesis to draw in length the thread of contention Maginus and some other Geographers noting the diameter and circuit of the earth are of opinion that if a foote-man had a path round about the world he might goe it in 900 dayes and take no hard journeyes a strange thing that one man in that time should goe through the world and some other in twice so much time cannot passe through an English Court or the length of Westminster hall let it never be tolde in Gath nor published in the streetes of Askelon that English Lawyers should grow great as that common souldier in Tacitus tolde Pompey per nostram miseriam by the misery of poore clients it is wickednesse inexpiable to build your houses with the fall of others let it never be said that you are like the milt of a mans body whereof Laurentius saith that it never growes great until all other parts of the body decay and perish But purge your hearts from covetous desires wash your hands froÌ„ the rust of that silver your consciences from the canker of that gold which with greedinesse you have conjested and raked together know for certaine that God will strictly examine and your soules shall one day pay for it When one asked Diogenes what was the reason that golde alwayes looked pale he shaped him this answer Quia tot habet insidiatores because so many crafty heads lie in ambush for it I pray God you may all be more greedy of heaven than of earth more willing to winne the streight way to heaven than the broad way to a heape of wealth And more carefull to make your election than your lands and possessions sure Thirdly this sinne is to be whipt from all Iurers and Witnesses also if you have but such a thought of this what shall I have you shall be sure to meete with Simon Magus that will say what shall I give You must sweare in truth and justice Ier. 4.2 You are to be whipt for ever out of the company of God and his Angels you are to be shut out of the kingdome and inheritance of the Saints you shall heare the thundering of an angry Iudge Mal. 3.5 There will be a writ against you a flying booke it is ten cubits broad and twenty cubits long Zach. 5. and that booke is a curse that flieth over the whole earth verse 3. that curse shall lay siege to the walls and timber of your houses to consume both you and them if money make you speake either more or lesse than the truth Such men saith Diodo Sicu Bib. lib. 2. cap. were alwayes punished with death and so Bohemus de moribus gent. lib. 1. cap. 5. ad Aug. in his Quae. in Deut. lib. 5. cap. 34. but that is but an easie punishment and temporall but the judgement that God hath for you is endlesse and easelesse you shall stand without Apoc. 22.15 without God without glory without mercy without comfort without hope without the Kingdome you shall have your portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Apoc. 21.8 I therefore charge you in the name of God as you will answer it at the dreadfull day of judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened and when you shall remember my words and see my face againe that not money nor money-worth make you smother the truth or support an ill cause that you deale faithfully betwixt a man and his brother that you remember the Apostles rule Ephes 5.3 Let not this sinne be once named amongst you A word for conclusion Right Honorable be you like Iethroes Iudges men of courage to helpe poore ones to defend weake ones to oppose great ones to cut off wicked ones Like Iethroes Iudges fearing God setting God allwayes before your eyes judging others as if you were going to be judged your selves having Gods Law that was once written in Tables of stone firmely and plainly written in the fleshly tables of your heartes Be like Iethroes Iudges men of trueth receiving no false nor suspected witnesses pronouncing no unjust nor partiall sentences Be like Iethroes Iudges hating covetousnesse as the staine of your Courtes the baine of your consciences the smotherer and stifler of Iustice the death and poyson of soules that when you shall put off your scarlet robes you may put on the long white robe of Saints and when you shall be removed from these seates of justice you may be admitted into a seate of glory and may follow the blessed Lambe wheresoever he goes Grave and learned Counsellors you must be like Iethroes Iudges men of courage to pleade against prophanesse men fearing God as patterns and examples of holinesse men of truth not setting a good countenance upon a bad cause men hating covetousnes lest it be truly wrote upon your graves as it was upon the Tombstone of Trinullius Hîc â—andem quiescit mortuus qui vivus requievit nunquam Here he restes in mould who whilst he lived could never rest for gold nor suffered them to rest that would Think godlinesse your greatest gaine Pleade for Christ and hee will pleade for you that when you shall be called from these barres to answer for your owne sinnes at the barre and tribunall of Gods judgement seate you may finde mercy and favour with God and you also may follow the blessed Lamb wheresoever he will Iurers and witnesses you also must be like Iethroes Iudges men of courage whom greatnesse of person cannot daunt men fearing God whom no private affection can command men of truth whom no perjuries can attaint men that hate covetousnesse and say with Balaam if Balaac would give me his housefull of golde and silver I will not be suborned or hired to deflect one haires breadth from the Eclipticke line of truth that when you have decided controversies among your brethren God may have no controversie with you when you have witnessed what possessions belong to men you may have a witnesse in your owne consciences that your selves belong to God and you also may follow the blessed Lambe wheresoever he goes And let all of us be like Iethroes Iudges putting on courage to fight the Lords battells armed with his feare girded with his truth as with a girdle hating the rust and canker of the unrighteous Mammon that when God shall finish our evill dayes of sinne hee may be pleased to quiet our clamorous consciences to pardon our sinnes to save our soules and to receive both our bodies and soules into his blessed kingdome and all of us may follow the blessed Lambe wheresoever he goeth That we may be filled with the glory of the Father be made partakers of an infinite happinesse purchased by the Sonne be ravisht with the ineffable comfort of the holy Ghost to which holy blessed glorious and immortall Trinity be rendred and ascribed of us and all Gods Saints throughout the world all power praise glory thanks and dominion from this time forth and for evermore Amen FINIS