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A23647
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Insulae fortunatae A discourse shewing the happiness of these nations under our present governours & government, or, How they may be happy if they will themselves : delivered for substance in a sermon on a late solemn day appointed by authority for imploring the blessing of God upon his Majesty and the present Parliament / by R.A., pastor of the church at Henfield.
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R. A. (Richard Allen)
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1675
(1675)
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Wing A1044; ESTC R5033
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9,715
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26
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Service of God is and may be rightly called his House The Temple at Jerusalem was burnt with Fire by the Chaldees restored again by the Kings of Persia Cyrus laid the Foundation Darius finisht the Building Artaxerxes furnisht the House with all Necessaries for the Service of God for he sent Ezra the Scribe with Presents of Gold and Silver to buy Meat-Offerings and Drink-Offerings Bullocks Rams and Lambs to offer upon the Altar of the House of God as the God of Heaven had Commanded And thus he Beautified the House of God At the same time the Jews were restored to the enjoyment of many Temporal Blessings and sweet comforts in their own Country a Land flowing with Milk and Honey But Ezra passeth by all these as of small value in comparison and blesseth God for restoring his Holy Worship and Service in his own House at Jerusalem Obs 1. That true Religion the pure Worship and Service of God is the fairest Beauty of Gods House Faithful Pastors and Godly People the richest Ornaments Obs 2. That of all Blessings under Heaven the Truth of Religion the Purity of Gods Worship and the enjoyment of them in his Ordinances is the chiefest choicest and most precious It is as the Ark of God to Israel and to the House of Obed-Edom the glory riches and strength of a Nation As the Temple was then Ezek. 24.21 such is now the House of God beautified with the truth of Religion and purity of Divine Worship It is the Excellency of our Strength the main Bulwark of our Peace and Safety the surest Ground or Foundation of all true Happiness National or Personal Our Saxon Ancestors in their Witten-Gemotts used in the first place to consult about Affairs of the Church and Matters of Religion and when those things were well setled then followed Affairs of the Commonwealth Our Pious Ancestors rightly conceiving that Religion was the principal and most precious and that if Gods Business were done first their own would thrive the better according to that of our Saviour Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added There is no loss of time in seeking Gods Kingdom first Now it cannot be denied but that this Nation hath received of God by the hands of our Gracious Soveraign many rich Mercies which call aloud for returns of Thankfulness unto God of Love and Loyalty to our Soveraign but instead hereof we hear unthankful murmures and complaints The World was ever given to it and we can expect no other of men who never know when they are well But we have as much cause to bless God for our Good King as ever Ezra had for the Great King To stop the mouths then of such querulous people that are never content I shall endeavour to shew you how much we are bound to return all Loyalty Love and Obedience to our Pious Soveraign with due Honour and Respect to our Religious Parliament for all the good they have done us enough to make us an happy People if we will our selves First It is not so long since but that we may remember when we were under the Conduct of Blind Guides who knew not what they did nor whither they were roaving for they were in the Dark themselves witness their own confession in the Armies Remonstrance and led us into such a miserable Confusion that none but our Soveraign did or could save us from utter Desolation and had it not been for his great Prudence and Moderation we might have been in as bad a condition again Secondly His Majesty was no sooner returned to the exercise of his Royal Authority but his first care was for the House of God to cast out the Filth and Rubbish and to prepare a people for the service of God In his Proclamation May 30. 1660. against Impiety and Licentiousness Drunkenness Swearing Railing at good things c. against Vicious Debauched and Prophane people who in in truth saith his Majesty have discredited my Cause and are a discredit to any Cause they pretend to favour Nothing so much polluteth the House of God nothing such a shame and scandal to our Church and Religion as the vicious Lives and lewd Conversation of too many that pretend to hold Communion with us Thirdly His Majesties next care for the House of God was in his Proclamation Aug. 20. 1663. for better Sanctifying or keeping Holy the Lords Day that his Holy Service might be more frequented and his House filled with the Incense of Prayers and the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for all his Mercies The Lords Work must be done on the Lords Day or else it is not his Day but ours Fourthly His Majesty took care of Beautifying the House of God in his Order for Augmentation of small Benefices for the encouragement of Faithful Pastors to adorn the House of God with sound Doctrine and their Doctrine with Holy Life A worthy Member of Parliament Sir B. R. once told the House that Scandalous Livings make Scandalous Ministers both in Life and Doctrine Fifthly His Majesties special care for the House of God appeared in his Gracious Condescentions to the Honourable Parliament His Majesties Invitations of that Great Assembly to prepare Laws against the Growth of Popery and to prepare more severe Laws against Impiety and Licentiousness are a sure Evidence of his Pious Resolution to maintain the true Protestant Religion Piety and Vertue And their Return of Thankfulness to his Majesty for those Solemn Endearing Invitations and their making such good Laws for securing our Religion Peace and Safety whereto also the Royal Assent gave Life and Being give assurance of their Faithfulness Piety and Zeal for the Glory of God and good of their Country Blessed be God for this sweet Union and let all the people say Amen The Kings and Parliaments of England from time to time have always kept the Papal Power at Staves-end K. Henry 8. shook it quite off K. Edward 6. restored the true Protestant Religion that had been under Restraint It was not called by that Name till the Assembly at Spires but yet that Religion that Protestants profess was taught by Christ and his holy Apostles and hath continued to this day The Famous Qu. Elizabeth maintained the same against all opposition and raised a Fort-Royal out of Holy Scripture in our 39. Articles against the future Invasion of Heresie Idolatry and Superstition The Noble K. James with his Learned Pen gave the Adversary such a Deadly Wound that can never be healed Our late Dear Soveraign like a Glorious Martyr laid down his precious Life n defence of the true Protestant Religion and our Dread Soveraign that now is like a Royal Confesfor made open and constant Profession of it in the midst of strong Temptations to the contrary And now our Pious Soveraign insisting in the steps of those glorious Princes his most Noble Progenitors hath done like a Tender Father of his Country and the Honourable Parliament like
INSVLAE FORTVNATAE A DISCOURSE Shewing the Happiness of these NATIONS Under our Present GOVERNOURS GOVERNMENT OR How they may be happy if they will themselves Delivered for Substance in a SERMON On a late Solemn Day appointed by Authority for Imploring the Blessing of God upon his MAJESTY AND The Present PARLIAMENT By R. A. Pastor of the Church at Henfield O Fortunatos Nimiùm bona si sua Nôrint Anglicolas London Printed by J. C. for the Author 1675. To the Honourable Sir John Pelham Sir Cecil Bishop Sir John Fagg Baronets Henry Goring Edward Blaker and Richard Bridger of Combs Esquires and to the rest of the Honourable Members of Parliament and Justices of Peace for the County of Sussex Honourable Patriots THe unthankful Murmures and Complaints of unreasonable men wherewith they much obscure the Great Merits of our Pious King and Religious Parliament gave occasion to this Discourse wherein I have endeavoured to prove that they have no just cause of complaint but only in themselves For his Majesty like a Skilful Pilot hath Steered a right and straight Course to the safe Harbour of Peace and Tranquillity as appears clearly in his many Pious Motions Orders and Proclamations and if we are not yet arrived our General Disobedience is the greatest Remora The Honourable Parliament have done great things for the good of the Nation specially in securing our Religion against the Intrusions of Popery whereof our Forefathers were quite weary as appears by that Prayer in the Old Letany From the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome Good Lord deliver us And if their Pious Intentions have not attained the Desired End our general unthankfulness is the undoubted cause of it Our Distempers are high still the Lord direct you to fit and proper Remedies My humble Petition to his Majesty and the Honourable Parliament is for the Church of England She hath been terribly shaken with late Storms and the Enemy cries out still Down with her down with her even to the ground We desire not the Life of our Enemies nor the trouble of any that are Peaceable conceiving it none of the best ways to settle Peace and Truth But after all these Storms if the Church were well setled upon her own Foundations or Principles her Breaches repaired with her own Materials and good Discipline restored She would be the Glory of the Nation the Honour of his Majesties Reign the Joy and Comfort of all good Subjects and a most hopeful means of composing most of our greatest Differences The Church lies in the Bowels of the Common-wealth and if the Church be disquieted the Commonwealth cannot be at rest And I humbly beseech your Honours to remember the Ministers of the Church to deliver them out of the many Oppressions which they are under and that they may enjoy the small remainder of their Ancient Patrimony with more Peace to the Church and less Scandal to Religion The whole Land is overwhelmed with Impiety and Licentiousness all manner of Debauchery and Profaneness Drunkenness Lying Swearing Oppression c. insomuch that we have just cause to fear that God hath a Controversie with the Land the issue whereof may be some Fearful Judgment Good Laws are trodden under foot Dignities reviled Authority out-faced with the Insolence of unreasonable and wicked men the Word of God despised and the Word of the King in his Pious Proclamations not at all regarded The Nurseries of all Vice and Corrupters of Youth thoroughout the Nation Taverns and Tipling-Houses encrease beyond number to the dishonour of God and disquiet of the Realm being great occasions of profaning the Lords Day and of many other disorders against the Peace of the Nation A Cardinal Archbishop of Saltzburg said once That he knew there was need of Reformation but that a poor Monk should do it was not to be endured I meddle not with it but leave that to your Honours Wisdoms Humbly conceiving that a well-setled Ministry would be no small help to it Your Honours humble Servant RIC. ALLEN Feb. 15. 1674. TO THE READER IN Athens every Citizen took an Oath to maintain the Professed Religion after this manner Pugnabo pro Sacris solus simul cum aliis If Pagans were so zealous for their Idolatrous Religion how much more ought we to be for the Gospel of Christ the Power of God unto Salvation especially they that are called to the Ministery of it I have no spirit of bitterness I use no bitterness of speech against Recusants but deal with them as friendly as Truth will give me leave But if angry Fellows among them will never be quiet but provoke us daily revile our Church slander her Doctrine vilifie her Famous Doctors abuse and seduce her People with Old thred-bare Stories no man can justly blame us for standing up in our own Defence A Learned Benedictine at this day once one of us would fain divide our Church and to that purpose reports falsly of her Doctrine If ever he understood it he may be ashamed if he never did yet sure he will be sorry if he be so ingenuous as he professeth But if they are so uncharitable one to another as a Famous Fryar P. W. of the Order of S. Francis at this day makes sad complaint we must look for no better For this present undertaking I thought my self obliged unto it in a threefold respect First as a Christian to maintain the truth of the Gospel Secondly as a Minister to maintain the Doctrine of our Church Thirdly as a Subject to maintain the Honour and Dignity of our Gracious Soveraign and to let his People see some Reasons to bless God for him who deserves better of the Nation than every one takes notice of Our good King and Parliament have applied several Remedies to heal our Breaches but if we will neither receive Instruction nor endure Correction our condition may be worse than we commonly fear For as Philotimus in Plutarch told his Patient Non est de Reduviis negotium c. Now if any think it much that I prefix so many Great Names to so small a Book let them take notice that the Piety and Zeal those Honourable Persons have for the true Protestant Religion imboldened me and that brevity for some Reasons was the greatest part of my Study If any mistake my honest meaning or slight my little Book as I know some will and I know their reasons without asking let them know that I can solace my self with the Conscience of my own good intentions and bid them heartily FAREWEL ERRATA PAge 2. line 18. for then read him Page 14. line 17. for need read cause Insulae Fortunatae c. EZRA 7.27 Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings Heart to Beautifie the House of the Lord which is in Jerusalem THe House of the Lord was then the Temple at Jerusalem but now every place set apart and Consecrated to the Worship and