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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85833	An exhortation to peace: with an intimation of the prime enemies thereof, lately delivered in a sermon, and newly published with some small addition, by Lionell Gatford, B.D. rector of Dinnington in Suffolke, now a prisoner in Ely-house in Holborne.	Gatford, Lionel, d. 1665.	1643 (1643)	Wing G333; Thomason E94_1; ESTC R2004	27,384	44

practise Jerem. 36. who when he was shut up in prison thought not that an excuse sufficient for not making known to the people those things which concerned them but sent forth a roll written from his owne mouth to be read in the eares of all Judah I could not satisfie my conscience quickened with so good an example and incouraged with Gods gracious deliverance of him that set it till I had sent abroad something whereby I might in some part informe the people of this Land of their duty and discharge mine owne and haveing nothing in a readinesse now that my former intended treatise is strangled in the birth so seasonable and suitable for these tumultuous and distracted times as this exhortation to peace I have adventured that amongst you You will finde it indeed flatly opposite nay fully contradictorie to multitudes of exhortations wherwith not onely our parlours are pestered 2 Tim. 3. v. 1 2 3 4 5 6. but our very Pulpits are profaned in these perilous times It must therfore be your care with those noble Bereans Act. 17. to search the Scripturs daily whether those things affirmed by those Salij or Priests of Mars in their skipping vociserations or these avouched by me a Minister of peace in this slow-paced Sermon be according to what is there recorded or not For my part I challenge nothing to my selfe but weaknesse and unworthinesse but by the grace of God I am what I am and to the praise and glory of his free grace be it ascribed I have ever been orthodoxall in judgement and conformable in practise to the established doctrine and discipline of the Church of England without swarving or digressing therefrom either to serve the times though never so turbulent or to observe mens humors though never so potent during freely to reprove corruption and innovation in Religion and religious worship where I met with any such when the Stentors or Baaling cryers of these times durst not mutter against them and alwayes labouring though compassed about with many imperfections to adorne Religion and the profession therof by faithfulnesse in my calling and by unstainednesse of life and conversation But for those whose doctrine and practises this Sermon oppugnes They bragge much of their light bring them therfore into the light To the Law and to the Testimony and if they speake not according to this word it is because ther 's no light in them Isa 8.20 and he that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother he is in darknesse even untill now 1 Joh 2.9 They boast likewise that they and onely they have the spirit But beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world 1 John 4.1 If they have the spirit you shall know it by the fruit thereof Now the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance Galat. 5.22 23. They desire also to make you beleeve what it seemes by Jobs answer Cap. 12.2 his miserable comforters would have assumed to themselves that all wisdome is with them yea and shall die with them if they miscarry nay their very folly and madnesse is stiled by themselves and their Favourites spirituall wisdome But the word of God will try that too For the wisdome that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie James 3.17 For their holinesse and righteousnesse none mayquestion it without the censure of being a reprobate for such a presumption and yet the Scripture is a touchstone that will prove the truth of that also even by their love to peace For the fruit of Righteousnesse saith Saint Iames is sowne in peace of them that make peace Cap. 3. v. 18. And where envying and strife is much more where war and bloodshedding is there is confusion and every evill work v. 16. And from whence come wars and fightings among you saith the same Apostle come they not hence even of your lusts that warre in your members Cap. 4. v. 1. But if you would see the holy warre of the present times lively set forth read on v. 2 3. Ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtaine ye fight and warre yet ye have not because ye aske not ye aske and receive not because ye ask amisse that ye may consume it upon your lusts In a word those new teachers or teachers of newes as the most of them deserve to be stiled would fain dreame you into an opinion that they are for peace as much or more then any onely they would have peace with truth But who can beleeve them when they make lies their resuge and daily wrest and pervert the Word of truth to encourage to warre without peace truth cannot be established and so long as the people are given over to beleeve their lies 't is impossible that peace should be obtained Nay had they been men of truth neither peace nor truth had been now unsetled much lesse shattered into so many peices as that it will be difficult to repaire either and no lesse then a miracle to restore both to their former splendor and glory Had your Preachers dealt truly with you I should not have needed to have sent this sermon of peace at this time amongst you for if some of them when they were consulted by you as that I presume they were concerning the lawfulnesse of the present war had not with those lying Prophets 1 King 22. encouraged to battell with a Goe and prosper for the Lord shall deliver not the City into the Kings hands but the King into the hands of the City certainly our Jerusalem had still enjoyed her blessed peace and all that love her peace had still flowrished in their envied prosperity I am no accuser of my brethren but if from the prophets of Jerusalem as the Lord once complained by that holy prophet Jerem. 23.15 prophanesse or hypocrisie for Gods Name is never more prophaned then by hypocriticall prophets be gone forth into all the land and both Jerusalem and the whole Land be ready to be ruined thereby I conceive I have authority sufficient even from the Prophet Jeremy to complain of such Prophets and that before the people that so the people may yet at last beware of them onely this I must tell the people those filthy dreamers as Saint Jude cals them those false prophets as the deceived people themselves will ere long acknowledge them who defile the flesh despise dominion and speake evill of dignities Jude Epist v. 8. teaching others to doe the like doe but dreame such dreames as the people have caused to be dreamed Jerem. 29.8 and although the prophet be a soole and the spirituall man mad yet the people must remember that 't is for the multitudes of their iniquity and their great hatred Hosea 9.7 Either

the people being a rebellious people lying children children that will not heare the law of the Lord Isa 30.9 have said to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things v. 10. Or else they have shewn themselves too well pleased with them when they have so prophesied but not a word more now either of Prophets or people in that way I am to present you with an Exhortation to Peace and therfore I shall avoid as much as I can whatsoever may exasperate any that are peaceably inclined The Prophets Priests Princes and people of Jerusalem had all of them sinned highly against God and so provoked him that he had made a breach amongst them which threatned utter destruction unto them as you may read at large Ezek. 22. And yet God of his infinite mercy was pleased to seek and to seek but for one man amongst them all to make up the hedge and stand in the gap before him for the Land that he should not destroy it v. 30. How then should we of this Nation notwithstanding all our sins of Prophets Priests Princes and people so resembling Judah's as if coppied out by them our rebellion onely excepted wherein we exceed both them and the most of other Nations how should we be encouraged to seeke to God to have our breaches made up and to approach boldly unto the Throne of his grace Heb. 3.1 that we may obtaine mercy and sinde grace to help in time of need How should we be quickned in our prayers and best endeavours for the peace of our Jerusalem when the prayers and endeavours of one man is so prevalent with God for the making peace for a whole Nation and for the averting destruction from it Whether our prayers prevaile with God for the peace of our Jerusalem or not we our selves that so love Jerusalem as to pray for the peace thereof are sure to prosper we have Gods Word for it in our Text. To our prayers then to our prayers with all possible constancy and fervency and so to the Sermon with all due reverence and submission humbly beseeching our most gracious God whose Word is here tendred us to make this his Word so effectuall to us all that it may help to make us to pray more and more effectually for Jerusalems peace on which depends all our prosperity Amen Amen So prayes A prisoner of the Lord and your daily Orator Lionell Gatford Ely-house Feb. 1642. Text. PSAL. 122. vers 6. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee THE Scriptures saith Saint Paul are able to make a man wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Liber psalmorum c. The Booke of Psalmes saith Saint Augustine comprehends in it as in an epitomie or abstract whatsoever necessary things all other books of Scripture contain at large Now amongst the Psalmes the Psalmes of degrees are by many accounted Psalms of some degrees of excellency above other Psames and amongst the Psames of degrees if there may be comparatio gradus ad gradum a comparing of a degree with a degree where each Psalme is in its degree so admirable this Psalme of degrees out of which my Text is taken is none of the lowest degree The text it selfe I am sure is one of the sweetest and pleasantest straines in all the Psames For what more delightfull and pleasing to God then prayer the prayer of the upright saith Salomon is Gods delight Pro. 15.8 and let my prayer saith David be set forth before thee as incense Psal 141.2 that is let it ascend as a sweet perfume and pleasant smell into thy nostrils it being the peculiar honour of prayer as Dionisius Carthusianus hath observed to have the stile of incense attributed to it for nulla justatia saith he thumiamits comparatur nisi sola oratio No other theologicall vertue is compared to incense but onely prayer at least not so properly And this we finde incited unto in the first word of my text pray pray c. Againe as nothing is more delightfull and pleasing to God then Prayer so nothing is more sweet and acceptable to men except they be men of Belial then Peace Pax non re duntaxat amica sed nomine quoque ipso jucunda saith Nazianzen Peace is not onely lovely in the thing but pleasant also in the very name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil the absolutest of Blessings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome there is no Blessing equall to Peace and the Scriptures make good what they all say by putting Peace so often for all Blessings as comprehending all other Blessings in the bosome of it as amongst other places Psal 125.5 But peace shall be upon Israel and Psal 29.11 The Lord will blesse his people with peace or as the ordinary translation reads it The Lord shall give his people the Blessing of peace In both which places the word translated Peace as expositors have observed non tantum pacem sed reliqua bona omnia complectatur et corpori et animo necessaria doth not only comprehend peace within it's signification but all other good things whatsoever necessary both for body and soule as it doth also in sundry other places of Scripture And this we are called upon here in my Text to pray for pray for the peace c. The peace what peace not the peace of Babylon though when the Jews were delivered into the hands of the King of Babylon and carried away captive thither they were commanded both to seek the peace of that City and to pray for it Jerem. 29.7 but the Peace that our text exhorts to pray for is the Peace of Jerusalem that is according to the literall sense the Peace of that City which the Lord hath chosen among all the tribes of Israel to place his name there 2 Chr. 6. as also to place the throne of David and so of justice and judgement there 2 Sam. 5.5 both expressed in the three immediate verses before my Text as arguments to make way for the praying for the peace thereof Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compact together whither the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord for there are set thrones of judgement the thrones of the house of David then followes pray for the peace of Jerusalem c. Or els by the peace of Jerusalem we may understand here according to the misticall sense of the words the peace of Gods Church in what Cities or Nations soever it be planted called Jerusalem which is above and the mother of us all Gal. 4.26 the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 and that not without allusion to that and the like prophesie of preaching the Gospell Esay 2.3 Out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem that is the Gospell shall first be preached and so the Church first planted

in Ierusalem and from thence the Gospell shall be published and so the Church transplanted in all the world and therefore the Church having her first rise and beginning from Jerusalem she might well beare Ierusalems name Pray for the peace of Ierusalem I had once thought to have opened the other part of the Text ere I had let you further into the treasurie of this but me thinks I see you impatient of being kept off any longer from tasting of these rarities which have been already presented before you I forbeare therefore all super-addition of arguments to invite your attention to the Text and fall close to the unbowelling of it The Text at the first touch fals into two parts a Precept and a Promise The precept in the first words pray for the Peace of Jerusalem The promise in the following words they shall prosper that love thee In the precept these five particulars offer themselves to our consideration 1. The Act or Duty commanded and that is to pray Pray c. 2. The object of that Act and that is peace Pray for the peace 3. The Specification or determination of that object not for all peace nor the peace of all but for the Peace of Ierusalem Pray for the Peace of Ierusalem 4. The party by whom this precept is delivered and that as the title of the Psalme shewes is David David the King of Ierusalem take Ierusalem in the letter but David the sonne or citizen of Ierusalem take Ierusalem in the misterie 5. The party unto whom this precept is recommended and they are no where expressed but fully implyed in the word precamini or rogate pray ye all ye that have any interest in or relation to Ierusalem pray for the Peace thereof so farre the precept extends but the promise reacheth further and fetcheth in all those that love prosperity assuring them that they shall all prosper that so love Ierusalem wherein three other particulars require our observation 1. The subject matter of the promise and that 's Prosperity they shall prosper 2. The condition of the promise and that is the loving Ierusalem so as to pray for her peace they shall prosper that love thee 3. The extent of the promise collected from the persons unto whom this promise is made namely they and all they and onely they that so love Ierusalem as to pray for the Peace thereof These are the parts of the Text and these are the particulars of each part but for feare lest the Text might lose some of its strength and virtue by being chopt into so many small pieces I shall forbear the prosecuting that division and subdivision and choose rather to give you the juce and substance if not the spirit and quintessence of all these particulars in these 4 propositions 1 That the peace of Jerusalem is a thing most desirable worthy of the best prayers and the prayers of the best 2 That the prime meanes both of procuring and preserving the peace of Jerusalem is to pray for it 3 That it is the duty of all men that have any interest in or relation to Jerusalem to pray for the peace thereof themselves and to incite others to doe the like 4 That they and all they and onely they shall prosper that so love Jerusalem as to pray for the peace thereof I begin with the first proposition That the peace of Jerusalem is a thing most desirable worthy of the best prayers and prayers of the best This proposition I shall endeavour to make good both according to the literall and according to the misticall acceptation of this terme Ierusalem and first according to the literall Doct. The peace of Jerusalem as Jerusalem is taken for the place of Gods worship and the seat of justice and judgement was then and so is the peace of all such places still a most desirable thing worthy of the best prayers c. Tantum est pacis bonum saith Saint Augustine lib. 19. de Civitate Det cap. 11. ut etiam in rebus terrenis atque mortalibus nihil gratius solcat audiri nihil desiderabilius concupisci nihil possit melius inven●ri such is the good of Peace that amongst earthly and transitory things nothing is to be heard of more acceptable nothing is to be wished for more desirable nothing can be found out more excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysos ho●● 3. in Coloss saith Saint Chrysostome the mother of all good things are the ground of all joy and as there is no man qui gaudere nolit who would not rejoyce so there is no man qui parem habere nolit who would not have peace is Saint Augustines position in the booke before cited cap. 12. and he there makes it good and 't is so good what he there saith that I thinke it worthy both of our repeating and observing ipsi qui bella volunt saith that stout Champion of the Church nihil aliud quam vincere volunt they that most desire warres doe therefore desire them that may conquer and overcome and so in the upshot they desire wars that may obtaine a more glorious peace for what is victory or conquest but the subduing and bringing into subjection those that oppose and resist and what is that when it is accomplished but very peace so that warres themselves are waged upon an intention of peace and peace is the desired end of all warres They which doe most disturbe the peace which they enjoy and therefore are accounted enemies of peace yea of their owne peace they doe not so properly hate peace as desire to exchange one peace for another neither would they that there should be no peace at all but that such a peace should be as they would The most factious seditious fellowes that are though out of their factious seditious spirits they seperate themselves from society and peace with others yet with their fellow-conspirators they observe and keep an exact kind of peace or else they could never improve their conspiracies to so much mischiefes as they doe Theeves and robbers could not either with the least safety or successe infect and trouble the peace of others unlesse they did preserve a firme seeming peace amongst themselves or if there be any such beast of prey that is either so powerfull in strength or so fearfull by nature that he need not or dare not commit himselfe to any companion but plots and acts all his robberies and other outrages himselfe alone yet in his owne house with his owne family he studies peace and quietnes and if any disturbance chance therin none more forward then he to correct and vindicate it domus suae pacem si ita necesse est saith Saint Augustine of such a one etiam saeviendo componit he composeth the peace of his house if it be needfull so to doe even by tyrannizing and exercising cruelty on those that infringed it Nay I will crave leave to step one step further with that father let us for

into one baptisme but he that observes how they delight in one anothers destruction might well doubt whether they were dipt or besprinkled with the blood of the Lambe as they give out or with the blood of some beast of prey They say they eat all of the same spirituall meat and drink all of the same spirituall drink and indeed amongst us Heathen the eating together at one table is to us a strong tie of friendship and some of us as the Scythians by name have accounted no obligation greater for the ingaging us in all firmnesse of love and fidelity each to other then the tasting together a little blood in the same cup but as for these Christians neither eating together at their Lords table and that of that bread which they say came downe from heaven can quiet their rising stomacks nor their drinking together of that cup which they acknowledge to be the cup of the new Covenant in Christs blood can allay their fiery spirits from taking up Armes one against another to the spilling each others blood One of their Apostles tels them that 't is a shame for them to goe to law with one another especially before us Infidels but they are not ashamed to goe to warre with one another and that before us or any else In a word they complaine of us Heathen for offering our sonnes and our daughters in sacrifice to devils and yet they sacrifice daily their sonnes and daughters and themselves and al to their own divilish malice and revenge Assuredly these practises will never gaine us to be of their profession and either let them tell us of some other Christ or let them never tell us that they are Christians for we shall be Infidels as they call us in that too as in other things till we see a better agreement betwixt Christs actions and theirs and betwixt their owne profession and practises Thus is Christ and Chriscianity blasphemed amongst the Heathen and what think you will our adversaries the Papists say Nay what will they not say that is evill both of us and our Religion I dare not speake what they will say lest some should say that I taught them what to speake but I will be hold to tell you what some of them have said upon lesse occasion as Doctor Kellison by name in his survey of new Religion lib. 6. cap. 1. sect 4.5 The reformers as he cals us urge nothing so much as that we must obey Princes and their injunctions but this they doe onely when Ecclesiasticall power calls them to an account or when the Princes lawes doe favourise their doctrine and if any doe marke their proceedings they shall see that they honour not Authority but love their herefies as that railing Romanist calls our orthodox opinions which if Princes will not like then they contemne and despise all Authority and will not let to make a mutiny and stir up Subjects to rebellion thus that foule mouth hath slandered us and our Religion upon no occasion given no not the least for he feigns the occasion upon the Protestants carriage towards Queen Mary which to the eternall honor of our Protestant Religion in generall and to the perpetuall renown of the anciently religious Protestants within the Counties of Suffolk and Norfolk in particular was so humbly and faithfully loyall as it could not well be transcended and what thinke you then will such bold calumniators cast on us and our Religion now upon these sad and unnaturall differences and divisions betweene our most pious Sovereigne and his Great Councell I mourne to thinke what a scandall our Religion is like to undergoe unlesse God doe miraculously interpose and compose those distractions Offences must come but woe be unto them whosoever they are by whom the offence cometh especially such an offence as brings with it a scandall upon Religion O pray then for the peace of our Jerusalem and pray that the prime disturbers thereof may be discovered whosoever they are and then I am confident the Papists mouthes will be stopt from charging the Protestants with rebellion against their Prince for whatsoever they shall please to call our present division as lesse then rebellion who can call it that would not suffer his tongue to rebell against his heart or both against God and his King It will appeare upon discovery of the Authors thereof that they themselves especially the Jesuits and their old friends the Anabaptists together with the Brownists and other Sectaries like Sampsons foxes tied together by the tailes though their heads look contrary wayes have been the maine if not the onely incendiaries of these our never-sufficiently to be deplored tumults and insurrections but I shall not trouble my selfe or you further about this deep-laid and high-raised iniquity They encourage themselves in an evill matter they commune of laying snares privily they say who shall see them They search out iniquities they accomplish a diligent search both the inward thought of every one of them and the heart is deep but God shal shoot at them with an arrow suddainly shall they be wounded so they shall make their owne tongue to fall upon themselves all that see them shall flee away and all men shall fear and declare the worke of God for they shall wisely consider of his doing Psal 64 And then though the crime it selfe may want a name yet the Actors and complotters thereof at least the chiefe of them will not want for such vengeance as we hope shall terrifie others from ever attempting the like horrid enterprise Secondly we may from hence also be informed what to judge of those who if they have not been the first movers or prime contrivers in the betraying the blessed peace of this Nation wherein God hath been so solemnly worshipped and served and justice and judgement so duly executed yet they have been too great encouragers and abettors of such traytors It was a complaint taken up by Erasmus against some Clergy-men in his time and in the times not long before him that when any Princes were inclinable to warres Alius e sacro suggesto promittit omnium admissorum condonationem c. One saies he promiseth from the sacred pulpit pardon of all offences whatsoever to all such as will fight under such or such Princes banners Alius clamat invictissime Princeps another cries out most mighty Prince doe but you hold your resolution for the favouring of this Religion and God shall fight for you Alius promittit certam victoriam prophetarum voces ad rem impiam detorquens another he promiseth certaine victory wresting the very sayings of the holy Prophets to that most unholy businesse Tam bellaces conciones audivimus Monachorum Theologorum c. such warlike Sermons saith that Author have we heard from Monks and other Divines and I would we had never heard the like from some of our Preachers have not some of our Preachers of late runne up and downe from pulpit to pulpit and there lifted up