there be necessary cause of the sound or some of their attendance or repaire Moreouer it may be that the sound or some of thē be profitable members in the Church or common wealth now the more hope there is of good by them the more care there ought to be of their preseruation according to the peoples care for the safetie of Dauid before spoken of Profess In my conscience this seemes to be very true but I pray you tel me what you think of them who send their seruants vnto the Pest-house Preach Right wel especially if they want conuenient roome other means at home for I vnderstand of the Cities right honorable and christian prouisiō for that house I know diuers there wel vsed and thence well returned and it is extant in print that when there were buried in and about London 3385. in one wéek yet of all pestred in that house there were buried but six And therfore I condemne those that raised a slander vpon that house holding them as despisers of gouernment and wicked ill speakers of them that are in authoritie Prof. If you conuersed amongst people as I do and must do I know your spirit would be griued to see how ready they be to lay hold on euery light occasion and false report to speake their wicked pleasure of Gouernors O that they would consider the example you lately in a Sermon vrged of a plague kindled amongst the Israelites for charging Moses and Aaron with killing Corah and his rebellious complices Well God amend vs all and giue vs grace to humble our selues vnder this his heauie hand that we may be raised again and comforted according to the dayes he hath afflicted vs. Now I speake of cōfort that we may go on with the main matter I wold know if it might be without offence whether you would haue those pittifull creatures that are tormēted with the plague to want the comfort which they may take by the very presence of their good neighbors friends much more by their comfortable words Preach O neighbour I wish them all true comfort of body and mind the Lord knoweth and I graunt that the very presence of those we loue is very comfortable in time of sicknesse but yet I aduise all visited with that deadly and contagious disease to manifest their mortification from vnnecessarie desires their charitable loue to their friends by not desiring them to come into far greater daunger than their presence can do good without necessarie cause And let them remember how Dauid refused that water which was gotten with ieopardie of life and called it bloud though he had longed for it the daunger was past As for comfortable words I likewise acknowledge their speciall vse but before I answer that point let vs consider how needfull it is especially in time of mortality to hide in their hearts the word of life lest wée be iustly punished with want of comfortable words when we most need them according to that of Amos where a famin of the word is threatned to despisers of the Sabboth and that at such a time when to find the word they would run from the East to the West Now to the point Sith all sicknesse especially the plague vntill the worst be past when cōfortable words are not vsually in great request maketh vs vnfit for long learned discourses therfore short sentēces may through Gods blessing do much good whereby attendants friēds repairing for necessary causes may sufficiently comfort the afflicted according to that which is required by the Apostle in Thess 4. 18. except there be extraordinary néede of resolution or consolation whereof I haue spoken before Again the Spirit of God is called a Comforter because he bringeth the words of Christ vnto remembrance and that especially in time of néed as when we iustifie wisedome before authoritie so when we are sick For when the outward man perisheth the inward man is renewed so that we often heare not onely men but euen children also speake diuinely and admirably in their sicknesse We may the rather make account of this holy assistance if we follow Christ his counsel in laying vp his words in our hearts and praying for the holy Ghost All the premises constdered I hope that you are now of my mind touching the restraint as of the infected from the sound so of the sound from the infected Profess Indeede I confesse that your probable discourses haue won I know not how a certaine inclination to your opinion but yet I must suspend my resolution till you haue answered certain obiections against the maine grounds of your opinion but before I come to them let me haue but one word with you about buriall I say but one word for if those that are infected in person or garment are to keep from Church for a time conuenient and if friends are to forbeare resorting to friends sicke of the Plague except they haue necessary cause then I may of my felfe conclude that we are not to throng after infected corpses which haue no good thereby without some reasonable cause That one word I spake of is this I would gladly know if I may obtaine that fauour your iudgement concerning the direction of authoritie that but sixe persons besides the Minister Clerke and bearers should accompany infected corpses Preach I dare not presume to iudge of the determinations of authoritie without sufficiēt reason which I want in this case but rather I am perswaded according to that I am commaunded by these words Honor thy father and mother to indge the best and take it as an argument that authoritie careth more for the liuing then for the dead their pompe so dangerous in these times and not necessary as wise men thinke But mine own opinion is this I could wish the friends of the diseased would respect the preseruation of life more than complements of buriall But I vtterly mislike that infected persons should thrust into the throng and it grieueth me to heare how the poorer sort yea women with yong children will flocke to burials and which is worse stand of purpose ouer open graues where sundry are buried together that forsooth all the world may see that they feare not the Plague This peruerse course of too too many in doing that which authority forbiddeth and despising that which authoritie commandeth to wit fasting and praier occasioneth me to obserue a notable proportion betwéene the plague the wickednes of this time by which proportion God séemeth to teach men to say in their hearts we would not be ruled neither by reason nor authority therefore are so many as it were distracted in their sicknesse and by no meanes to be ruled so that some leape out of the windowes and some runne into the Thames As the rough spéeches of Ioseph caused his brethren to say As we would not heare Ioseph so this man will not heare vs. I rather obserue
amongst the younger sort and such as do not greatly regard cleane and swéete kéeping and where many are pestred together in alleyes or houses is not this an argument of infection Thousandes can directly tell where when and of whom they tooke the Plague Doth not all this make it more then manifest that the Plague is contagious All Magistrates all Diuines all Phisitians all learned men and all wise men in all ages haue held the Plague to be contagious Dare any but blind bayard be so impudent to deny it without such reasons as may sway against so great experience and so great authoritie If you haue any such I pray you let me heare them Profess That I haue any such I cannot say in regard of the weaknes of myiudgment as also of the probabilitie at least of that I haue heard already spoken to the contrary but such as they be if it please you I will bring them out humbly desiring your answers The first is thus vrged with open mouth This opinion of infection doeth vtterly ouerthrow charitie towards the visited by the plague being the cause why they by whose meanes the sick and sound are especially to be prouided for do runne away viz. Magistrates Ministers such I meane as indeed were neuer faithfull for blessed be God many faithful remaine Phisitians and rich men and why so many be thrust out of doores perish in town and field for want of help and are so cruelly vsed by country people so that it is a very countermaund to Christ his iudgement concerning visitation of the sicke But by that which hath bin said and by gathering from the last point we talked of that the precise commaundement touching Lepers to be separated from Church and companie was no hinderance to their visitation but that they were to be ministred vnto according to their need I am for my part induced to lay the blame of all this vncharitable dealing vpon the excessiue feare of people occasioned perhaps but not well grounded vpon the opinion of the Plagues infection for though the Plague be to be feared because of the infection yet as I take it not so excessiuely and inordinatly For of such feare the cause is want of faith rather then the opinion of infection as I may partly gather from that which you deliuered before I will therefore propound an argument so deemed which we haue not yet handled Preach Stay here a while for I can not but thanke God that you iudge so rightly betwéene mine opinion and others feare of infection If Professors would wisely obserue what is taught there would not be so many spiders to suck ranke poison out of sound doctrine Then might we hold the plague in the nature thereof to be contagious and men would not take occasion before it be giuen of excessiue and inordinate feare then might we inuey against excessiue and inordinate feare and men would not take occasion before it be giuen of inordinate and dangerous presumption but foolish men as wise men obserue are euer running into extremities If Paul teach that we are iustified by faith without the works of the law the carnal gospeller taketh occasion before it be giuen to neglect good workes And if Iames teach that faith without workes is dead the arrogant Papist taketh occasion before it be giuen to aduance good workes to merite and supererogation Mine heart bléedeth to heare of the crueltie and inhumanitie you mentioned so that if I were in the cuntrey I would by Gods grace set my selfe against those damnable effects of inordinate feare and make it euident that the Plague is not so contagious as excessiue feare makes it to be But now I follow this course which God blesse because I liue where the contrarie sinne of Presumption is more generall and more dangerous both because of that bloudy errour as also of the absence of Magistrates who should sée good orders put in execution through which default it is come to passe that men women and children with running sores go commonly abroade and thrust themselues into company so that some haue perceiued when they tooke the infection of such How many may be supposed to haue taken the infection from such though they perceiued it not I would be loth to make Magistrates neglecting their charge guiltie of all this bloud but if I were in place I would humbly and earnestly intreate them seriously to consider the nine first verses of the 21. of Deuteronomy where they may learne how fearefull they of all other should be of bloud-guiltines But leauing them to Gods direction I pray you propound your argument so déemed Profess That I will and as neare as I can in such sort as it is inforced If the Plague be contagious why is not one infected as well as another I haue lyen in bed with many that haue had the plague-sores running on them I haue bene still about them when they swet their sores brake and breath went out of their bodies and yet I and a great number besides me who haue done as much had neuer the plague yet and trust neuershal so long as I haue a strong faith in God for is it not written Thou shalt not be afraid of the pestilence for thousands shal fal besides thee yet it shall not come neare thee for thou hast said The Lord is my hope Preacher This aduenturous argument standeth vpō two points viz. first the escaping of some and secondly their strong faith Concerning the former I answer in the name of the opponent Is thine eye euill because God is good Wilt thou by thy bloody errour poison other because God hath glorified his speciall prouidence ouer thée Is this thy thankfulnesse for so great deliuerance to obscure Gods prouidence by attributing thine escape to this that the plague is not infectiue Consider better the very text alleaged for thy strong faith and you may if you will sée clearely that God doth hereby set forth his prouidence in that he preserueth those that trust in him and walke in his wayes by Angels and then when by the pestilence thousands fall about them for the greater the daunger is the greater is Gods prouidence in deliuering his people as may further appeare by their walking vpon Lions Aspes and Dragons mentioned in the same Psalme Therefore take héede how you obscure the prouidence of God and draw many into daunger by denying the plague to be contagious lest as he that feared not the day of the Lord met with a Beare when he had escaped a Lion so you méete with a iudgement heauier to you though you still escape the plague But neighbour I will turne my spéech to you praying you to consider this Psalme wel and you shall sée me proue from the same the Plague to be contagious For if an extraordinary prouidence of God be manifested in preseruing those that beléeue from pestilence then is the pestilence very dangerous as be the Lion Aspe
in that God doth not kill by the burning ague consumption or any other disease when he meaneth to destroy many but by the pestilence which also is called Neisome in the 91. Psalme verse 3. it is to be gathered that the Pestilence is a destroyer by infection and the rather because God saith in the 26. of Leuiticus verse 25. When ye are gathered in your cities to escape the sword I wil send the Pestilence amongest you Why should the Pestilence be more noisome when people are thrust together then when they be seuered but that it is coÌ„tagious Lastly in the 24. of the Acts ver 5. Paul is called a Pestilent fellow or according to the originall Pestilence it selfe And why Because as the Pestilence is contagious so was he accused to be by sedition and heresie Doth it not now appeare vnto you by the scriptures that the plague is contagious Profess It doth I confesse it freely and thanke God that I had the grace to come to you for resolution beseeching his heauenly Maiestie for Christ his sake not to charge me with that bloud wherof I may be guiltie by incouraging my selfe and other vnnecessarily to runne into danger in maintaining that bloudy errour as you rightly call the denying of the plagues infection which error I wil neuer defend againe whiles I liue but will hereafter by Gods grace take heed as well of headie presumption as inordinate feare Preach I also thanke God with you in the name of Christ for this blessing of our conference but neighbor I must put you in mind and charge you with your promise to informe others For it may be that people howsoeuer for the most part they learne corrupt opinions one from another sooner then sound doctrine from the godly and learned Ministers yet they may conceiue this truth better by your familiar talking with them then by my maner of teaching As children learne sooner to speake by pratling one with another then by hearing the discourses of their parents Therefore as Christ said to Peter When thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren so I eftsoones require you that being reformed in iudgement your self you wil wisely and zealously indeuor to reform the iudgement of other in an error of so great danger And withal I desire you that if you méet with any argument against the plagues infection or for vnrestrained repaire to the infected that is worth the answering let me know it and I promise you either humbly to yéeld to the truth or clearely to answer it when God shal be pleased that we méet againe In the meane while let vs pray that God would sanctifie this grieuous visitation both to Prince and people that thereby the King whom God preserue from all contagion both bodily and ghostly séeing so many thousands of his people dying wéekely and that in his royall Citie and beginning of his raigne may be occasioned to take héede that he leaue not his first loue decline not from his professed sinceritie and be not drawne away from his owne stedfastnes but rather to vow reformation of whatsoeuer maybe found by diligent inquirie to be offensiue in the Church and common-wealth and that thereby the people may be stirred vp out of a true faith to séeke the Lord with contrition of hart confession of mouth and amendment of life that so he may be found in due time to heale the sores of his people and to restore health and wealth to Israel All which God grant for Christ his sonnes sake in whom he hath professed himselfe to be well pleased as being the Mediatour of the new couenant whereby he bindeth himselfe not to take his mercies from vs though he chasten vs with the rods of men To whom for this time and euer I commend you and all our neighbours Farewell Faults escaped PAg. 2. lin 12. reade deceased for diseased pag. 16. lin 15 reade resist for correct pag. 29. lin 12. reade our for their pag. 30. against line 5. set in the margent Pag. 23. pag. 39. lin 24. reade stronger for straunger pag. 45. lin 10. reade vaine for name pag. 64. against lines 11 12 13. set in the margent Pag. 51. Math. 2. 13. Luke 4. 29. 30. FINIS Gal. 4. 18. 2. Pet. 2. 21 Exod. 17. 11. 12. Psal 78. 34. 35. 36. 37. 57. Iam. 1. 19. Eâ—a 6. 10. 2. Pet. 2. 12 Ro. 14. 13. 1. Thes 2. 13. Ioh. 8. 43. Act. 17. 19. 20. 32. 11. Ioh. 7. 51. Ier. 44 16. 17. Ier. 42 56. 43. 2. 3. Esa 4â— 23. 1. Tim. 2. 2 2. Sam. 24. 17. 19. 9. Leuit. 10. 9 10. Num. 5. 2. 45. 57. Leu. 13 45. 57 14. Deut. 23. 12. 13. Luk. 7. 12. Ioh. 19 17. 41. Heb. 13. 12. Leuit. 13. 45. 2. Chro. 26. 20. 21. Numb 12. 10. 14. Ezec. 34. 2. 8. Act 26. 28. Luk. 17. 12. 13. 1 Cor. 8. 13 Gen. 4. 10. Psal 51. 14. 2. Sam. 23. 15 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 25. Esa 28. 16. 30. 15. Numb 12 12 c. 2. Chro. 26. 20 21. Psal 41 3. Ezec. 11. 16. 1. Cor. 5. 4. Esa 29. 13. 1. Cor. 10. 23. 24. Lev. 13. 51. 14. 46. 47 Pro. 18. 14. 4. 23. Mat. 9. 22. 13. 58. Pro. 10. 24. Phil. 2. 12. 13. Mar. 4. 40. 1. Tim. 4. 12. Mat. 25. 36 43. 2. Sam 18. 3. 21. 17. Mat. 8. 21. 22. 1. Cor. 1. 17 1. Tim. 4. 13. 15. 16. Luk. 10. 42 Eph. 4. 8. 11 Mat. 28. 18. 19. 1. Cor. 12. 5. 8. 2. Cor. 2. 16 Act. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. Esa 50. 4. Iam. 5. 14. Ioh. 7. 49. Ier. 44. 16. 17. Mar. 6. 13. Heb. 5. 4. 2. Chor. 26. 16. 17. 18. 19. 1. Tim. 5. 17. Act. 6. 2. 3. Rom. 12. 7. 8. Ezec. 34. 2. 4. Psal 91. 10. 11. Pag. 17. Ier. 38. 6. Mat. 25. 44. 2. Kin. 1. 14. Deuter. 22. 6 7 8. Iud. 8. Numb 16. 41. 46. Psal 90. 15. 2. Sam. 23. 15 16 17. Amos. 8. 5. 11 12. Ioh. 14. 26. Luk. 12. 12. 2. Cor. 4. 16 Luk. 21. 14. 11. 13. Ex. 20. 12. Gen. 42. 7. 21. Leuit. 15. 24. 17. 18 15. Leuit. 14. 15. Leuit. 13. 8 51. 2. Tim. 2. 16. 17. Leu. 13. 45. Ier. 1. 18 19 Act. 18 9 10. Ios 5. 11. 12 Leu. 15. 5 7 19 21. Vers 14. 37 46. Pag. 14. Pag. 24 25 26. 27. Pag. 7 8 34. Pag. 16. Rom. 3. 28. Iam 2. 26. Pal. 91. 5 6 7 9. Mat. 20. 15. Psa 91. 13. 14 Amos 5. 18. 19. Psal 91. 3 7 Pag. 44. Pag. 15. Eph. 1. 11. Rom. 9. 13 15. Icr. 15. 2. Ioh. 7. 30. Psal 68. 20. 1. Sam. 6. 9. Luc. 12. 6. Mat. 10. 29 Rom. 12 3. Pag. 45 46 Pag. 36. Luk. 2 29. Luke 22. 31 32. Pro. 16 4. Pal. 50. 15 34. 10. Mat. 14. 29. 30. Luk. 23. 31. Deut. 9. 4. Esa 57. 1. Rcu 14. 13. Luk. 16. 25. Pag. 51. Iob. 37. 2. 1. Cor. 4. 19. Ier. 15. 2. * Rom 8. 29. 30. Act. 13. 48. Ioh. 6. 37. 44. Math. 13. 11. 15. Iude 4. 2. Kin. 20. 5. 7. Act. 27. 22. 23. 24. 31. Deut. 2. 26. 30. Pag. 49. Exo. 4. 21. Deu. 1. 30. Gen. 3. 1. c. 2. Chro. 10. 14. 15. Deu. 29. 29 2 Sam. 12. 22 23. Pro. 22 3. Pag. 41. Pag. 43. 44. Ioh. 10. 12. Pag. 25. 1. Pet. 2. 16. Psal 84. 2. 10. 137. 5. 6. Amos. 6. 6. Ro. 12. 15. Psal 137. 1. 2. 3. Heb. 13. 3. 2. Cor. 8. 7. 8. 1. Tim. 5. 8. 2. Chro. 22. 11. Psal 139. 7. c. Eccl. 2. 21. Psal 27. 5. 36. 7. Pag. 73. Pag. 46 2. Kin. 2. 24. Luk. 22. 32. Mat. 17. 5. Heb. 12. 24 2. Sam. 7. 14 15.