against all sects and sectaries faithfull to Christ and firme to the Parliament And it is your honour and may be your comfort Honourable Senators that the hearts and prayers of such men are for you and that yee have the prayers of the best affected in Scotland also and in all Reformed Churches Such as were for David are for you such worthies as are like to Amasa when the Spirit came upon him Commanders in chief eminent for valour and piety fidelitie and humility desiring that all glory may be given unto God in our dayes of thankesgiving and that they may be forgotten pitie it is that such Noble Patriots that fight for their Countrey should want any incouragement that the Kingdome can give them Honourable Gentlemen discourage not the godly party quench not any degree of their zeale for you by suffering any Officers in Commission under you to favour Malignants and to oppresse your friends by neglect of widows that are brought to that sad condition having lost their husbands in the Parliaments service by rejecting just and lamentable complaints or by sending away sad Petitioners crying one after another The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me saith Job and I made the widowes heart to sing for joy Fasts do well but I will have mercy and not sacrifice saith the Lord And to do judgement and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice Yee all stand in need of mercy practise mercy that yee may find mercy in that day and this day and all the dayes of your lives If yee do well shall yee not be accepted if yee do evill sin lieth at the dore at the Parliament dore as well as other mens dores for ought I know To returne to our adversaries that are Protestants with what comfort can they help the ungodly and such as seek the extirpation of the Protestant Religion in all the three Kingdomes The Pope is much beholding to them they do as he would have them all the Priests and Jesuites and Papists in England are beholding to them they do as they would have them the Irish cut-throats are beholding unto them they doe as they would have them when they fight against Protestants and against the most zealous Protestants but their Countrey is little beholding to them and the Church of God hath little cause to thanke them or the Lord Jesus the Head of the Church for any service they have done to him towards the advancing of his Kingdome But many will say they stand for the Common Prayer Book and they will fight for that as long as they can stand on their legges A resolution fitter for the vulgar Welch than for understanding Englishmen for that book was never of Gods making and no wise man will venture his life and shed his bloud for any book made by man were it never so good for he can look for no reward of God for it therefore though some that be wise may talke for it yet it is folly to fight for it But it hath been often said Take away the Common Prayer Book take away our Religion Nay our Religion is in the Bible there is our God and our Christ and our faith our Creed in all points The whole Bible was St Pauls beliefe there are the Psalmes of David and his prayers and the Lords Prayer and other prayers by which wee may learne to pray we have still the Lords songs the songs of Sion sung by many with grace in their hearts making melody to the Lord though without Organs there we have all the Commandements though they be not read so often as they have been but when they were ordinarily read were they better kept Were the second the seventh the fourth better kept then in Westminster then they are now Sure I hope as some other Commandements so the Sabbath is much better kept now Our Court-Prelates made the King Lord of the Sabbath and themselves Lords of mis-rule Compelling Parents and Masters and Ministers and Magistrates to suffer their sons and daughters and servants of both sexes to play and sport and dance if they had a mind to it and to prophane a great part of the day Here was trenching upon Gods Prerogative God must stand to their courtesie how much of the day he must have had it not been for the Parliament wee had lost a Commandement They that were for the book of sports would not indure the name Sabbath As for the Sacraments yee have them still reverently perform'd without the book and that is the old way that which they call the new way is the old way for two hundred yeares after Christ they had no set forme of prayer they buried without the book and baptized and administred the Lords Supper and prayd and gave thankes without it so as the alterations are for the better and none have just cause to clamor against them much lesse to fight Though there be lesse painting there is more light though there be lesse ceremony there is more substance though there be lesse superstition there is more Religion though there be lesse piping there is more preaching though there be lesse of man there is more of God and of Christ and of the Spirit therefore be patient and content Beloved it is Davids Religion that we contend for Davids Lord even the Lord Jesus the Son of David that he may have his throne amongst us and rule by the Scepter of his Word wee are for Christ and Sion they are for Antichrist and Babylon that are against us therefore side not with them but rather help the Lord against the mightie And let those that are about his Majestie if they love him perswade him to quit the sword and to hearken to Propositions for Peace and to returne to his Parliament and sit there in royall Majestie with his Peeres as he hath done There was a good Motto written over the gates at Yorke at King James his first entrance into that Citie Suavis victoria amor populi the sweet victory is the love of the people to win that then come and welcome the sooner the better If a King will come like a King with royall attendance he will be receiv'd with all love and joy and honour will be done unto him by all sorts but if they perswade him to come like an Enemy with martiall attendance with wicked company skilfull and ready to plunder and to destroy so as good people must stand to their mercy that have no mercy other Cities will answer as one did in that case Wee will rather live Souldiers than die slaves Pray for his Majestie that his heart may be turned the right way for his own good and the Publick Let those that have mis-led him and animated him to proceed in this war beware lest evill pursue them till they perish Let the young Germane Princes beware who have rewarded evill for good unto this Nation Let all
Die Mercurii 24. Septemb. 1645. ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Sir Symonds d' Eves and Mr Hollis doe from this House give Thanks to Mr Gibson and Dr Temple for the great paines they took in the Sermons they preached this day at the intreatie of this House at St Margarets Westminster it being the day of Publique Humiliation and to desire them to print their Sermons And it is Ordered that none shall presume to print them without being authorized under their hand writing Henry Elsynge Cler. Parl. De Com I appoint John Hancock to print my Sermon SAMUEL GIBSON THE RUINE OF THE AUTHORS AND FOMENTORS OF CIVILL VVARRES As it was deliver'd in a Sermon before the Honourable House of Commons in Margarets-Church Westminster Sept. 24. being the Monethly Fast day set apart for publick Humiliation By SAM: GIBSON Pastor of Burleigh in Rutland now Minister of Gods Word at Margarets Westminster Pro tempore and one of the Assembly of Divines DEUT. 32. 35. To me belongeth vengeance and recompence I will repay their foote shall slide in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand the things that shall come upon them make haste LONDON Printed by M. S. for John Hancock and are to be sold at his Shop in Popes-head Alley 1645. TO THE HONORABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT HONORABLE SENATORS WHen formerly I have been moved by friends to preach before you at the Monthly Fast I have alwayes declined it and earnestly intreated them not to make the motion being ready to say as Ausonius to Caesar in another case Non habeo ingenium I have not parts for such a service in such a Presence or as Moses answered the Lord Non sum facundus I am not eloquent for I never thought my Oratory worthy such an Auditory but when a learned Member of your House came to me in your name and signified your will to have it so I could not say as that Poet did Caesar sed jussit habebo as if he had wit at command but the Senate sending I resolved I must obey do as well as I can with Gods assistance Now having in obedience to your Order both preached and printed this plain Sermon I beseech you take it with all faults and connive This I may say to my comfort it was preached in a good day and we that then made our Supplications for you and with you found not our prayers and yours fruitless for the Lord wrought a great Victory that day a good incouragement to you to continue your dayes of Humiliation of which you find so good effects Often may you heare such Newes from your Forces that we may enjoy the benefit of your Ordinances in peace Worthy Patriots it was joyfull tidings to us in all parts of the Kingdome when we heard for certain that there should be a Parliament and that Writs were out for choosing Knights of the Shire and it was an augmentation of our joy when we heard of a Triennial Parliament that I thought would be fraenum or flagrum to all corrupt men but when wee understood that there was an Act for the continuation of this Parliament we had greater cause of rejoycing because by this meanes yee have opportunity to perfect those things which other Parliaments could but propound begin being sundry times broken up before they could do any considerable service for their Countrey God forbid that that high Court which is now established by a law should ever be dissolved by the sword Peace peace be unto you and to your Helpers your God helpeth you He grant that yee may prosper and triumph in his Name and praise untill yee have finished the worke which he hath given you to doe which is and shall be the prayer of Westminster Octob. 30. 1645. The unworthiest of your spirituall Servants S A GIBSON ERRATA PAge 4. line 11. leave out Ezra and p. 10. l. 19. leave out as p. 13. l. 13. for though read enough line 14. read God shall be glorified A SERMON PREACHED before the Honourable House of COMMONS at the monethly publick Fast Septemb. 24. 1645. 2 SAM. 17. 14. For the Lord determined to defeat the good Counsell of Ahithophel that he might bring evill upon Absalom AS Kings have their Counsellors to assist them in the Government of their Kingdoms in peace and war so Absalom making himself a King had his Councell of War to help him to manage his Rebellion and to advance his wicked designe against his Father First he sent for Ahithophel who perfidiously deserted his Master the Lords Anointed and cleaved to his rebellious Sonne After Hushai Dâ—vids friend by Davids advice came in to him who did better service for him when he was amongst his enemies than he could have done if he had continued with him Ahithophel began first and delivered his opinion of David and his company that they were weak and weary and he offers to goe against him with twelve thousand men and to surprize him and take away his life and this his counsell was well liked at the first but after Ahithophel had spoken Absalom desired to heare Haâ—cats opinion and advice also who rejecteth Ahithophels counsell yet modestly with respect to his place and parts and delivereth his opinion contrary that Davids men were not so weak as he thought but mighty and in wrath which is the whetstone of fortitude as a beare c. and for military skill he was no novice now to learne that but an old experienced Souldier and therfore would not so easily be found and that there might be great danger if some of Absaloms men were slain others would faint and fly and therefore his counsell was that they should goe stronger not with twelve thousand but rather gather all Israel from Dan to Beersheba and that Absalom should goe himself in person to countenance the war and animate the Souldiers and then which way soever David took for his safetie they should be able to finde him and overcome him and all his company and not leave a man of them alive When Absalom and his party heard this they generally approved it as the better way and preferd Hushai's counsell before Ahithophels Absalom and all Israel c. And in the words which I have read the reason is rendred of this their unanimous approbation of it For the Lord determined to defeat the good counsell of Ahithophel that he might bring evill upon Absalom And thus yee see the occasion and coherence and summe of the words They hold forth unto us two things specially First Gods action Secondly Gods intention His act was the defeating of Ahithophels counsell his intention was to bring evill upon Absalom the one made way for the other and after the intention soone followed execution he did bring evill upon him and his partakers That which is translated determined is in the Originall commanded and so in the Greek
Magistrate as any man I will saith he that prayers and supplications with thankesgiving be made for all men for Kings and for all in authoritie under them and Let every soule be subject to the higher powers and Put them in remembrance that they be subject to principalities and powers and that they obey Magistrates but withall he saith Obey them that have the oversight of you that watch for your soules and the spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets teaching us that Preachers should be referd to Preachers that can best judge of their doctrine Preachers should refer themselves to Preachers and submit to their judgement if they will not there is an appearance of a great deale of arrogancy in them Moreover When there was an incestuous person in Corinth that had his Fathers wife the Corinthians had him not before a Justice to have him imprisond or otherwise punished by the Magistrate but they informed the holy Apostle of him and he tooke order that he should be censur'd by the Church that he might be brought to repentance and saved And Christ in whom were all treasures of wisdome was for Caesar and would have him to have all that was due unto him but in case of trespasse between brother and brother after graduall admonition he saith Tell the Church and if he will not beare the Church let him be unto thee as a Publican and an heathen Where by Church cannot be meant the Sanedrin greater or lesser for those Councels consisted of unbeleeving men which refused Christ the Head of the Church and persecuted his members and it is not likely that he would have Christians to tell one anothers faults to unbeleevers and so expose themselves to derision and abuses and sure he would not have them accounted as heathen and no Church-members that would not heare such a Councell The name of Church is appropriated to Christian Congregations throughout the Acts of the Apostles and neither one Justice or the whole Bench is ever called the Church in the Scripture And compare that place in Mat. 18. with that of Mat. 5. 25. and Luk. 12. 58. and there will appeare a manifest difference between civill Officers and Church-Officers In Luke the civill Magistrate is called the Magistrate in both places the Judge and he speaketh of his Officer and of the prison the place of punishment for malefactors plainly putting a difference between those Governours of the Common-wealth and Church-Governours Compare place with place and consider for our part we give unto the civill Magistrate as much as the word of God giveth them and if any give more the more shame for them there is more flattery than honesty in it for my own part I had rather be under government than put to governe if I did not speake as I think I durst not speake it in this place My reason is because of the burden and the account to be given to Christ for miscariages for every Steward must give account of his stewardship the civill Magistrate of his and Church-governours of theirs and if the same men will take both temporall and spirituall government upon them they will have such an account to make in that day as few are sensible of for the present Therefore let all be advised what they doe and take heed how they leane to the wisdome of naturall men what parts so ever they have in things of this nature rather hearken to those that are religiously wise and judicious and conscientious so Christ shall have his right and the civill Magistrate shall have no wrong but power and honour though without trenching upon the Churches right and God be glorified and many trespassers shall be brought to repentance and their spirits saved in the day of the Lord Jesus which was that which the holy Apostle aymed at in all Church-censures and which we ought all to ayme at in the feare of God And thus much touching the act of God in defeating the good counsell of Ahithophel the great Politician of Israel Before I come to the processe of the judgement against Absalom a question may be touching that which Hushai did whether it were lawfull or no I answer it was a military stratageme and he had instruction from David to doe what he did And in sundry places of Scripture we find examples of such practises God taught Joshua to lay an ambush for those of Ai as such things have been done by Alexander and other famous men of warre among the heathen so by the Israelites and their Leaders of eminent note having to deale with such enemies as Hushai was to deale with it was no time for plain dealing not that it is lawfull for men in warre to say and doe any thing there are certain cautions to be observed 1. That no poysoning be used or privie murthering 2. That faith once given be not broken 3. That the law of armes be kept not violated There must be respect had to Honour and Honesty There is no comparison between that which Ahithophel did and that which Hushai did there was cunning but honest cunning for it was in a good cause and for the publick good it was to save David and the godly partie with him and he shewed fidelity to his friend that confided in him Let there be a faire interpretation of his words and a favourable judgement given of his doings and that which Hushai did is rather imitable than culpable and may be done in the like case without offence to God and it may be observed in the text that God owned that which he did as his act and deed had any serv'd David as Hushai did Absalom it had been wicked the wicked may not doe that to the righteous which the righteous may do to them the righteous may pray against the wicked so may not the wicked against the righteous the righteous may and ought to despise the wicked but the wicked may not despise the righteous the righteous may hate the wicked as David did but the wicked cannot hate the righteous without sin it is said they that hate the righteous shall be desolate it is never said they that hate the wicked shall be desolate a charge is given to Kings not to touch his anointed servants and to doe his Prophets no harme and he reproved Kings for their sakes he that toucheth the righteous toucheth the apple of his eye to those that speak evill of them it is threatned that they shall give account at the day of judgement God would have them know that he puts a difference between the Aegyptians and Israel and he would have all to know that he putteth a difference between the righteous and the wicked therefore we are to judge the best of that which Hushai did for the righteous against the wicked and rather justifie it than condemne it I come now to