Aaron Exod. 8. v. 6. stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streames over the rivers and over the ponds and cause frogs to come up upon the Land of Egypt ver 7. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt 2. These Frogs I conceive may fitly nay must be paralleld in the multitudes of Fryars and Priests amongst us croking and crawling up like their Frogs into houses and bed-chambers ver 2. They shall come up into thine house and into thy bed-chamber and upon thy bed and into the house of thy servants and upon thy people and into thine Ovens and into thy kneeding troughs And have not these croking crawlers of late especially come up from all the foure Seas or channells of this Island have they not in a sence almost covered the Land going like the Divell in the earth too and fro in the Nation Job 1. v. 7. and walking up and downe in it Nay have they not gone openly for a long time in the streetes of the Metropolis of this Kingdome like the shamelesse Harlot in the Proverbs A woman of whorish attire and subtill of heart Pro. 7. v. 10 11 12. she is lowd and stubborne her feet abide not her house Now is she without now in the streets and lyeth in waite at every corner And the Reason or ground of her boldnesse followeth For that the goodman is not at home ver 19 20. he is gone a long iourney c. So Parliaments are long in comming and when they came they made but little stay Yea once more have not these Frogs walked in those streetes more securely by farre and freer from Messengers then those Conscientious painefull Ministers which have scrupled some Ceremonyes in their owne natures indifferent Bretheren I appeale to your owne ingenuity and knowledge touching the multitudes of those Frogs 3. But now concerning their Removall blessed be the God of truth there hath beene already some order taken by Proclamation for their expulsion and they are deveted to banishment The good Lord finish this work that it may be done to them that was to those Frogs in Aegypt Saith Moses The frogs shall depart from thee and from thy houses and from thy servants and from thy people they shall remaine in the river only The third and fourth plagues being Lice and Flies I shall joyne together As they are joyned Psal 105. v. 31. He spake and there came diverse sorts of flies and lice in all their coasts Of the latter sort the plague of Lice see Exod. 8. v. 16 17. And the Lord said unto Moses say unto Aaron stretch out thy rod and smite the dust of the Land that it may become Lice throughout all the Land of Egypt And they did so for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and smote the dust of the earth and it became lice in man and in beast all the dust of the land throughout all the land of Egypt Of the former viz. Swarmes of Flies see Exod. 8. v. 21 24. Behold I will send swarmes of slies upon thee and upon thy servants and upon thy people and into thy houses and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarmes of flies c. Calvin reads Examen and indeed both sorts of them are baggage vermine alike The English Paralell of these may be all our Proiectors and Monopôlists in the secular State and in the Ecclesiasticall all those Vexatious hang-byes and exacting underlings of that Court of Commissioners suppressed by the late Statute as insufferable oppressors All these Civill and Spirituall wickednesses ô how did they of late plague the soules bodyes and goods of the whole Kingdome The Paralell betwixt them and these Aegyptian vermine doth hold in diverse respects as First in respect of their Eduction or Generation the Lice were begetten out of the dust Exo. 8. v. 16. Stretch out thy rod and smite the dust of the land that it may become lice throughout all the land c. And were not these unlawfull Proiectors and Monopôlists for the generall Animalia ex putridâ materiâ solis calore c. obscure heads and vile persons raised out of the dust and this made that opression so much the more intollerable for there is no oppressor to a begger if once he can get on horse-back to oppresse Nihil deterius est imperante servo Nay 't is Scripture Prov. 28. v. 3. A poore man that oppresseth the poore is like a sweeping raine which leaveth no food What cruelty mentioned in the Gospell was like his which ought more then he was worth He takes his fellow by the throat Mat. 18 v. 28 29 30. would have no pitty on him but cast him into prison c. Secondly the likenesse holds in regard of their Multitudes Exod. 8.17 21. It became lice in man and in beast all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt And againe I will send swarmes of flyes upon thee and upon thy servants and upon thy people and into thy houses and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarmes of flies and also the ground whereon they are The Margent saith A mixture of noysome beasts Brethren and did not our case fall pat with theirs in this what corner what condition yea what commodity almost in the land was not pestered with those Proiectors and their emissaryes Oh the Alphabet of Monopôlyes which we might here reckon up yea rather an Alphabeticall Index there being diverse particulars belonging to one letter and so in severall letters of the foure and twenty What shall I say our meats our drinks our cloathings our extraordinaryes our necessaryes were all annoyed by these lice and flies Nay one thing more as in Egypt Exod. 8. v. 21. ver 24. the ground also was full of them and the land was corrupted by reason of the swarmes of flies So 't is observeable with us that those illegall taxes projected by some did destroy the very Land I meane they reached beyond houses and shops even to husbandry and to the beasts of the field And now see the removall of all these in a very blessed degree 1. How many Monopolies were cast downe by those first Proclamations and all the rest saving Justice a labour are tottered after of their own accord 2. Ship-mony is damn'd as they call it by one Act of Parliament 3. And vexatious Knight-hood by another 4. Besides that against stannery Incroachments and for the certainty of Forrests which though divers I doe put them together 5. And finally least the Hidras heads should spring again for prevention of a returne or relapse behold that great and gracious Statute of a Trienniall Parliament together with another for continuance of this present of which more hereafter Is 107.8 O that men would therfore praise the Lord fir his goodnesse and for his wonderfull
sine destructive conclusions and upshots of Jesuiticall emissaries 4. Lastly to the same purpose we might adde ver 9. Their brest-plates of yron noting their serpentine defective craft and power their swiftnesse and noyse upon the wing shewing their compassing of Sea and Land to make one Proselyte And finally Their tailes like Scorpions Mat. 23. v. 15. ver 10. intimating what a sting they leave behind them and what bitternes in the latter end The Multitudes of these worst of Papists have bin very great amongst us of late yea 't was conceived by some of judgement and conscience that in our Metropolis there were more of these Locusts I meane of Jesuites at one time then there were Protestant Ministers of all sorts in that City Sure I am that the preamble before our late made Protestation doth much complaine of their present indeavours to undermine our Religion and to subvert the fundamentall laws of this Kingdome But now for the removall of these we know that they have had a day of departure set them already and many of them it is hoped are gone Let us pray that the Lord would deale with those that remaine as he did with these Aegyptian Locusts Ex. 10.19 That he would turne a mighty strong winde and cast them into the Sea so that there might not remaine one Locust in all the coasts of England Amen Amen The ninth Plague was palpable Darknesse And Moses stretched forth his hand toward Heaven Ex. 10.22 and there was a thick darknes in all the Land of Aegypt three daies they saw not one another ver 23. neither rose any from his place for three dayes c. And Brethren to match this what think yee of the grosse suppressing of light in this Kingdome of late and the many meanes that have bin used both to drive and to keep cut knowledge Let me shew you but some steps and degrees of this darknes 1. First our weekly Lectures and all meere Lecturers were suppressing or suppressed already in some Dioces they were wholy put down in others partly besides that the setting up of more was either denied or supplanted Yea in those places where the enemies of light had not the face or power utterly to suppresse Lectures yet there they would quarter them yea doubly and triply quarter them foure eight twelve men in some Townes were appointed for one weekly exercise that so it might become like that web of Penelope that one man might untwist that the other did spin or at least that the multitude of Cookes might marte the potrage No no this sort of lights was too bright and blazing for those enemies to suffer them they were as wandring Planets or Comets rather and did as they thought cast a dangerous influence upon their Tribe and therefore they must be extinguished Hence the very name of Lecturer was become to some Church-men both ridiculous and odious Yea as these many Petitioners against Episcopacy from Ireland doe complain in that Kingdome the Priests and Fryers were both guests and neighbours to some of their grand Church-men when a poore Lecturer could not be suffered to live nay durst scarce be seen amongst them Yea further it was grown a maxime amongst your great Clearks great in Benefices I meane that a Lecturer had no footing in the Church of England and this maxime perhaps shortly should have bin made a Canon too but a strange position me thinks it is that one which hath bin called to the Ministry ordained by themselves and is commanded by the Lord yea by his Ordinary to preach the Gospell which he doth suppose ably faithfully and fruitfully that yet this man should have no footing in the Church of England This makes me to wonder farther what a Church of England these Rabbies would make such a Church it seems it must be as doth exclude and dismember those Ministers which are too very Preachers In a word you know Brethren if you know any thing how this sect of men as they accounted them were every where spoken against as the troublers of Israel How many of them are driven away into the wildernesse of America Others were so fast imprisoned that they could not obtaine the liberty of a banishment and other-some silenced suspended deprived by companies And least after those undoing censures they should shelter themselves and maintaine their poore families by some other liberall faculty they were way layd by these Canons which did enjoyne to the very School-masters the same subscription as to Ministers Let me conclude touching this sort of men and their former condition especially We are made by them as the filth of the world and as the off-scouring of all things unto this day 1 Cor. 4.13 Thus this sort of light was ecclipsed But those were accounted wandring Planets as I said and such as had no footing 2. Let us looke next upon beneficed Ministers these are acknowledged by the great Extinguishers to be fixed Stars and to have footing in their Church of England and yet even these especially if painfull and conscientious could not have footing in their owne Pulpits upon the weeke-dayes nor in the after-noone of the Sabbath Nay they were in some whole Counties forbidden then to catechize save onely in the bare words of that Childish Catechisme ☞ they durst not goe an inch out of their truckle Here I might adde the many cunning inventions and cruell pressings of multitudes of Innovations especially in matter of worship Tables were Altared Crucifixes erected bowings introduced and many other scandalous ridiculous and burdensome actions and gestures imposed and all these were used but as so many fanns or rinsives ot boult out the tender-hearted Orthodox and active Clergy that they might be blowne off as chaffe in every Dioces Thus both our Planets and fixed Starrs were darkned But now was there no other kind or means of light besides those two which the people might procure to guide their feet into the wayes of grace and peace Quest 3. Answ Yes there was another a third kind or means it was the Candle-light of Orthodox and holy Bookes these might have supplied in some measure the want of both the former And therfore the grand Extinguishers were well enough aware of this also and do take a compleat course for prevention The springs and fountains of godly Treatises they knew to be of two sorts some were penned within the Kingdome and to meet with these an Order is procured from Starr-chamber that they must all come through the hands of their Creatures Other such books might be brought in from other countries and therefore in the same order it is provided that all forraigne books likewise must passe under the selfe same Censors and all this least those poore conscientious souls which they call Mechanicall and Puritanicall Vulgars should get so much as lamp-light to guide themselves and to discover their mis-leaders Thus had these men like those Gileadites at Jordan Jud 12.5
which then had happened in Jerusalem Lu. 14.17 18. What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walke c. And Cleophas said unto him Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem and hast not knowne the things which are come to passe there in those dayes veâ— 19 20. c. He checks him for his ignorance of the publike affaires of the Church and afterward relates unto him the newest newes that was going But how many are there amongst us which are persons of quality and yet are grosely ignorant of the things which have come to passe here of late dayes Phil. 2.21 Thus every one careth for his owne things but how few doe care for the things that are for God To all such I conclude with the threatning of the Psalmist Ps 28.5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up That to the Carelesse 2. Reproofe to such as are active the quite contrary way If every true member ought to bestir c. in such a time then what members may we account them who are so farre from this that they doe the quite contrary Bestirre themselves they doe 't is true yea and for a thing which they call a Church too but indeed it is an Anti-church rather a Diana of their owne making the Priest he makes the Church and that Church it makes the Priests againe As the Romane Priests they make their breaden god and that god doth fill both their panches and their purses A Church in these mens definition what is it else but the greater number of such Clergy as are most richly Beneficed yea though loose in life and in opinion and practise fomenting a bundle of politike heresies and dangerous formalities 1 Tim 3.15 But Saint Pauls definition of a Church is farre different he saith The Church of the living God the pillar and ground of Truth A pillar saith one Non more Architectionico not in the Masons language to build upon as infallible and unerring but More forensi in the Lawyers phrase that is as the pillar or publike poste of a Guild-Hall or Market-house upon which the Word and Sacraments are so held out as we use to hang up a Proclamation to be read of all But these mens Church is little better then a signe-Poste with a ballet pasted against it Brethren we have had strange definitions of a Church of late yeers some make it little different in structure from that of Rome which resolves it selfe into a consistory of Cardinals and the Pope their Supreame and unerring Determiner But blessed be God they have shewed lately by their unlawfull decrees that such a Church may erre Let us examine that former definition of a Church a little further if the greatest number of richest Clergy and most dignified doe make a Church may we not say that Baals â—rophets and their adherents 1 Kin. 18.19 20 were the Church of Israel in Elijahs time Suppose those foure hundred and fifty Prophets of Baal and those other foure hundred Prophets of the Groves suppose those 850. all false Prophets had met in Convocation surely they were then both the most and greatest Clergy of Israel by farr and would have carried any decree before them smoothly but had not this bin a tite Church One Orthodox Elijah weighed them all up 1 Kin. 18.40 and did afterward destroy them all Or suppose once more those other foure hundred flattering Prophets that perswaded King Ahab to goe up to warre against Ramoth Gilead 1 Kin. 22.6 suppose that all those together with their little Pope over them I meane Zedâ—kiah the sonne of Chenaanah ver 7. that forward Prophet that made himselfe hornes of yron to push the Syrians to confusion Suppose I say all those to have decreed that warre and to have given an Ecclesiasticall contribution towards it was this the Church then and had such a Canon bin binding under penalty of a box on the check No no ver 24. ye know that one honest Micaiah that disswaded from the warre was better then all that rabble so called a Church And yet Brethren to drive home this Reproofe we have amongst us many hundreds of those which do bestir themselves to the uttermost even for such a Church 1. One he preacheth for it foolishly or falsly I am sure confusedly enough The Church the Church ô the Church and the pillars therof goe to the ground it is rent and torne on every side c. And perhaps the quotient and truth of all this noy se is that some Fox is caught in a ginne some Woolfe or other is fast in a trap where they are like to pay for all their old bloud-sucking and woorying 2. Another of the faction complaineth of strange proceedings and blesseth himselfe to heare of such turning of things upside downe in the Church Q. And what is the cause of all his chattering too A. Why surely the nest is found the nest of Cormorants and Cockatrises and so all their Eggs are likely to be blowne upon or bruised to pieces In a word strange it is but too true that there are many amongst us both of the Clergy and Laity which spare not the uttermost labours and abilities of their hands heads hearts and tongues for an Anti-church I had almost said an Antichrist in this Land Let me say unto all this Tribe of transgressours as Joash to the men of his City Judg. 6. v. 31. Will ye plead for Baal will yee save him he that will plead for him let him be put to death whilest it is yet morning If he be a god let him plead for himselfe because one hath cast downe his Altar So say I will ye plead for I dolatrous unlawfull innovating things persons and acts if the faction be innocent let them plead for themselves because their Priests Images and Altars with all the rest of their trumpery is like to be cast into the mire Nay higher yet let all such sticklers know that they sinne directly against God 2 Chro. 19.2 the King and this truth of God in my Doctrine For they helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Isa 5. v. 23. Therefore is their wrath upon them from before the Lord. They justifie the wicked for reward and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him ver 24. therefore as fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaffe so their root shall be rot tennesse and their blossome shall goe up as dust c. In a word ye opposites are guilty of two great sins in so doing 1. Hainous and horrible Ingratitude for great and wonderfull mercies and Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris 2. Of Jewish and abhominable murmurings instead of thanks ye returne repinings against the Lord his choyce servants and your best friends My prayer and wish is this that
Chron. 17.6 that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord I meane the sence of fresh deliverance should strengthen our faith to trust to the Lord more perfectly it should enlarge our love to cleave unto him more affectionately it should kindle our zeale to stand for him more couragiously and so in all the rest of our graces This of all sort of prayses is the highest 2. Another Branch are Prayers The use of this duty is commanded and the nature parts and qualifications prescribed in one and the same Text by Saint Paul to his sonne Timothy 1 Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty I need to goe no further then those two verses for the foundation or limits of my discourse in the present point Let us therefore fully discusse the words In them we may observe these three generals 1. The severall sorts of prayers which are to be made and those are foure Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks 2. The persons for whom all those prayers must be put up Generally all men i.e. all rankes indefinitely More specially for Kings c. 3. The scope drift and end of our prayers for them it must be peace and quietnesse but with two qualifications the first Spirituall Godlinesse the other Morall Honestie As for the middlemost of three heads viz. the persons especially to be prayed for they are the Supreme Majesty and the houses of Parliament and 't is most evident I shall insist upon the other two the first and the last viz. 1. The sorts of prayers to be made for them 1. Supplications 2. Prayers 3. Intercessions and 4. giving of Thanks 'T is generally agreed by all good Subjects that the King and High Court ought to be prayed for and many doe fumble about the duty give me leave to set my selfe and you in a right way it is this saith Saint Paul we must make for them 1. Supplications Deprecations is the proper English word To deprecate in their behalfe is to pray off from them all evils of sin or punishment feared or felt whether in soules bodies or estates 'T is a Defensive Prayer to pray them safe and sound from all dangers To give an instance or two in Scripture First to pray for the removall of all bad Counsellors Take away the wicked from before the King Prov. 25. v. 5. and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse Next for Security and safeguard from plots and enemies Psal 61. v. 6 7. Thou wilt prolong the Kings life and his yeares as many generations O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him Thus we must Deprecate all evill from King and Parliament 2. Prayers Which most generall name is used because it doth signifie the largest Branch of all namely Petition We must beg for them all gifts graces and mercies not onely in truth but in the highest degree especially for governing gifts and graces in the most superlative measure As Wisedome and Judgement is one So in Salomons prayer at Gibeon And now O Lord my God 1 King 3. v. 7. ver 8. thou hast made thy servant King c. And now thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen a great people c. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people ver 9. that I may discerne between good and bad Next the Feare and dread of the Lord. Moreover Exod 18. v. 21. 2 Chr. 19. v. 6. thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as feare God c. And he said to the Judges take heed what ye doe for ye iudge not for man but for the Lord. ver 7. Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it Againe The spirit of Courage and Zeale saith Jehosaphat Deale couragiously ver 11. and the Lord shall be with the good 3 Intercessions We must not onely deprecate all evill from them and petition for all good things upon them but also we must postulare intercede pleade wrestle and strive with God in prayer as is said in another case Rom. 15. v. 30. For the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit we should strive together with them in our prayers to God for them ver 31. that they may be delivered from them that doe not beleeve and that their service which they have for England may be accepted of the Saints In great and extraordinary times of hope and danger the Lord will not be moved with few and ordinary prayers Gen. 32 v. 6. ver 7. See Jacobs perillous condition in his returne from his Unckle Laban he is told that his twise offended brother Esau commeth against him with foure hundred men then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed But how doth he wind out of this trouble Loe an ordinary striving is not enough ver 24. ver 25. At Peniel Iacob was left alone And there wrestled a man with him untill the breaking of the day and he touched the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacobs thigh was out of joynt ver 28. and he wrestled with him Then said God as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed It cost him an ache yea an halting to prevaile with God in such a grand extremity Diffiâ—ilia quae pulâ—â—ra Good things are difficult Once more see what labour it cost Elijah and his servant to obtaine raine for Israel 1 Kin. 18. v. 42. after three yeares drought in the land And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and he cast himselfe downe upon the earth and put his face between his knees What a painfull groveling posture was that ver 43. And he said to his servant goe up now looke toward the Sea and he went up and looked and said there is nothing And he said goe againe seven times and it came to passe at the severth time that he said Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the Sea ver 44. like a mans hand c. Thus Brethren it hath been a long time of drought with us many of our clouds in Church and state though they have hid the face of our Sunne from us yet have proved to the land but as clouds without water Jud v. 12. carried about with diverse â—inâ—s so that we have wanted both the former and the latter raine in their seasons Now what meanes are to be usâ—d that the Lord may be moved to send a gracious raine upon this his Inheritance Psal 68. v. 9. and to refresh it now it is weary Looke upon this zealous Elijah get we all up to our closâ—ts and there cast downe our selves upon the earth with
not to war with Counsell for then we should have raged in cold bloud and upon mature deliberation But we have now escaped both these and all the war is concluded in a Parliamentary peace Brethren Exod. 14. v. 13. here let us stand still awhile and see the salvation of God let us even loose our selves in an unparallel'd wonder Call to mind all your readings in Scripture in Civill Histories new and old Greeke Latine English were all these particulars ever read or heard to concurre in one businesse since the day that God created man upon the earth I say all these particulars First that ever any Nation living in the same continent under the same Monarch and Religion with a Sister Nation was by that Sister I meane generally and publiquely preached against prayed against proclaimed disclaimed exclaimed against throughout all their Churches And that Secondly this Sister Nation was with an Army in the field skirmished withall even to bloud-shed in the bowels of her Sister Kingdome And yet Thirdly now marke the wonder that this people so called and used as traitors should anon bestiled and enacted Our Brethren by a Parliament and that their faithfulnesse and constant loyalty should be commanded by the King and supreame Court of the Kingdome to be proclaimed in the same places and by the same men which before proclaimed them the worst of enemies and all this shut up in a day of publicke thanksgiving 4. Nay and to make the wonder overflow in a word the greatest sticklers in this Commotion those which like Zedekiah the sonne of Chenaanah 1 King 22.11 did make themselves hornes to push most at these supposed Syrians they are caught by their owne hornes Gen. 22. v. 13. like Abrahams ramme in the thicket and are now like to be sacrificed in stead of Isaack I meane in in stead of the innocent party Let me conclude this wonder with those words of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 64. v 3. taken in our sence When thou didst terrible things O Lord which we looked not for thou camest downe the mountaines flowed downe at thy presence ver 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee which doth so for him that waiteth for him And was not this a great Removall But I am too narrow all this while in staying so long upon one though a great particular There are many many many evils removed from us Brethren I have thought with my selfe in this point upon the plagues of Egypt they were exceeding great you know and very many but what if we can paralell them all in both respects in those evils which are already in whole or in a great part removed from us Give me leave to enter upon a Collation or Comparison many of them I am sure doe fall in properly My method in every particular of the Collation shall be this 1. To set downe the Egyptian Plague 2. The English Paralel 3. The Parliamentary Removall But before hand take this my just Apology concerning this Collation In the following enumeration of Grievances and in all other like passages of these Treatises mine onely end and purpose is to magnifie the Lords mercy our Soveraignes goodnesse and the Parliaments noble service in freeing the Kingdome from these evils The fault and guilt doth rost wholly upon the Proiectors Procurers and Executioners and that offence is so much the more hainous in them because they have misinformed so gracious a Soveraigne and have abused those grants to the oppression of the Subiects which his Maiesty did vouchsafe under the notion of publicke benefits and did apprehend as commodities to his people and therefore I conclude mine Apology with some of those words of King Solomon to Shimei 1 King 2 cap. v. 44 45. Therefore the Lord shall returne their wickednesse upon their owne heads and King Charles shall be blessed and the Throne of his Father shall be established before the Lord for ever And in this sence I proceed to the Paralell 1. The first plague in Egypt was the turning of their waters into bloud Aaron did lift up his red and smote the waters that were in the river in the sight of Pharaoh Exod. 7. v. 20. and in the sight of his servants and all the waters that were in the river were turned into bloud And the fish that was in the river died ver 22. and the river stuncke and the Aegyptians could not drinke of the water of the river and there was blood throughout all the Land of Aegypt Now what are the waters of a Kingdome Quest I find in Scripture two sorts of them which are eminent Answ 1. Eze 47. v. 1.2 c. There are the waters of the Sanctuary which are the Ministry and preaching of the word these are the Ecclesiasticall waters And alas how were those turned into blood throughout the Land Instead of cleansing which is one use of waters they did defile and pollute For Popery Arminianisme Antisabbatarianisme c. they were the rising Doctrines generally vented in your golden Pulpits And instead of refreshing and quickning too for that 's another use of waters they did in many places grieve the hearts of the righteous How common a practice was it to preach downe preaching and to jostle out praying with prayers When poore soules asked or came to the Church for bread Mat. 7. v. 9. lo a stone was given unto them nay cast at their heads if they asked for fish ver 10. the waters were turned into blood the fish was dead and instead thereof too many Ministers gave them a Scorpion like unnaturall spirituall parents as they were Thus were the spirituall waters turned 2. There are Civill waters of Judgement in a Kingdome too Amos 5. v. 24. Let iudgement runne downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame Amos 6. v. 12. But alas againe how were these also turned into gall and hemlock yea into blood in diverse cases and places the potion it selfe became a poyson unto many for those very waters of our Lawes which were enacted to purge away the wicked like drosse and to refresh and releeve all loyall subjects these streames like Jordan were driven backward Psal 114. v. 3. upon the free holy loyall spirits of the Kingdome and our owne Ordinances were turned upon us This was ours Paralell to the first of Aegypts Plagues 3. But now behold the Removeall of this already in some comfortable measure Pure doctrine is againe let loose yea truth insteed of falling in the streets now lifteth up her voyce in the places of concourse and equity can also enter Unsound doctrines are suspended and extra-judiciall opinions are now judged themselves Reddita Roma sibi est England doth once more at present enjoy her English protestanisme and priviledges The second Aegyptian plague was the Frogs And the Lord spake unto Moses say unto