so softly as those that stood Close by her Bed could not hear her Sigh and when She was Dead her Beauty that all the time of her Mourning was Obscured in her Sorrows Appear'd in her Death only the Gloss of her Eyes were Covered with their Lids for Death had Shut her Eye-lids down and Seald up her Lips which Lips seem'd as if they had been Seal'd with Red Coloured Wax although Death had Kist them Cold for now Death is her Lover not an Amorous but a Deadly Lover to whose Imbraces we must leave her Body after we have laid it in the Bed of Earth An other Widdow's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are met as Funeral or rather Marriage Guests of a Dead Widdow who is now Re-married to her Husband in Death and no question but their Souls will Joy in the Knowledge of each other for though Bodies Dye yet Souls do not but Live for ever Death having Power only over the Sensitive not over the Rational Life for Knowledge Lives though Senses Dye and if the Soul Lives no question but all that is Inherent in the Soul Lives as all the Passions Affections Thoughts Memory Understanding Judgement Conceptions Speculations Fancy Knowledge and the like which are the Parts and Ingrediences with which the Soul is Composed Form'd and Made Thus the Soul being made of such Thin Fine Pure and Rare Matter Death can take no hold of it for Death's Power is only on Gross Corporeal Substances or Matter not on Celestial Bodies but Terrestrial but this Widdows Soul was Purer than other Souls usually are for there are Degrees of Purity in Souls as well as Degrees of Grossness in Bodies The truth might easily be Perceived in her Life for there was as much Difference between her Soul and Other Souls as between Souls and Bodies at least as much Difference as between a Glorified Soul and a Soul Imbodied Nay her Soul was so Pure as it did Purifie her Body for it did Resine the Appetites which Cleared the Senses besides her Soul did Instruct the Senses which made them More Sensible so that they were kept Clean Clear and Healthfull by Temperance and made Apt Quick and Ready by Reason insomuch as Time had but a Little Power to Hurt them and was not Able to Destroy them without the Help of Death had she Lived Long but Death to shew his Power destroyed her Body without the Help of Time for she Lived not to be so Old as for Time to make a Trial yet her Body Lived Longer than she was willing it should have done desiring it might have Died when her Husband Died but the Gods Forbad it for though any Creature especially Man may Call Death when he Will and Force him to take his Bodily Life away yet the Gods are Angry if any man will not stay whilst Death comes of Himself without Inforcement Nevertheless Death did Favour this Widdow for though he did not take her so Soon as she would have Died yet he suffered her not Long to Live a weary Life for which Favour she received Death with Joy and a Smiling Countenance whereas Death for the most part is received with Fear and Sadness and since she Rejoyced at her Death we have no Reason to Mourn now she is Dead especially in that she Lived and Died Vertuously and Piously for which the Gods will Advance her to Everlasting Glory For this Glory let us Praise the Gods and Bury her Body in her Husbands Tomb or Grave that their Dust or Ashes may lye together A Young Child's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are the Funeral Guests to a Young Male Child an Infant who Died soon after it was Born and though all Men are Born to Live and Live to Dye yet this Child was Born to Dye Before it had Lived I mean in Comparison of the Age of men Thus this Child was Born Cried and Died a happy Conclusion for the Child that he had Finished what he was made for in so Short a time for he could not have had less Pain less Trouble nor less Desires to have left the World had he Liv'd longer for Life is Restless with Desires Sickly and Painfull with Diseases Troublesome with Cares Laborious with Labour Grievous with Losses Fearfull with Dangers and Miserable in all which Misery this Child hath Escap'd but had he Lived he could not have Avoided it besides he is not Guilty of Self-acting Sins and so Deserves no Punishment for neither Commission nor Omission can be laid to his Charge having no time for Either so that he is Free from Both as also from Suffering either in this World or the Next unless there be such a severe Decree as the Child shall Suffer for his Parents faults which Faults he could neither Hinder nor Annul neither did he Approve nor Allow them nor Assist them in Evil But it is not probable he shall Suffer being Innocent and Death that is Accounted the Wages of Sin may rather be taken as a Gift of Mercy also Death might be said to be a Purifier from Sin as well as a Punisher of Sin Wherefore this Child is past the Purgatory of Death and is in the Heaven of Peace Rest Ease and Happiness in which let us leave him after we have Covered his Corps with Earth An Old Ladies Funeral Oration THis Old Lady was Favour'd by Nature Fortune and Time Nature in her Youth gave her Beauty Fortune gave her Wealth and Time and Nature gave her long Life She was Courted in her Youth for the Pleasures of her Beauty and Flattered in her Age for the Profit of her Wealth but being Chast and Wise She was neither Corrupted with the One nor Deluded with the Other not Tempted with Courtship nor Coosen'd with Flattery and as She was Chast and Wise so She was Pious for the Gods gave her Grace to bestow her Wealth to Charitable uses Thus what she Got by Fortune she Gave to Heaven indeed she Bought Heaven with Fortune's Gifts for none can get into Heaven but by Faith and Good Deeds and her Faith did Believe that her Good VVorks would be as an Advocate to Plead for her and no question but they have gotten her Sute and her Charity will Live here on Earth though she be Dead and those she Relieved will make her their Saint Thus she will be Sainted both on Earth and in Heaven which is as Great an Honour and a more Blessed Condition than the Emperours had with all their Conquefts Power Pride and Vanity for the height of their Ambition was to be Deified on Earth and to be Sainted in as much They were Worshipp'd for Fear She Pray'd to for Love They had Idolatrous Worshippers She Sanctified Petitioners Their Idols lasted but a time She shall be Blest for Evermore An Ancient Man's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren AGe hath Ushered our Friend to Death and we are here met to attend him to the Grave it is an Human Charitable and Pious Service to see the
before Judges a Cause betwixt a Father and his Son Most Reverend Judges Plaintiff against the Father HEre is the Son which ought to be his Fathers Heir whom for Marryig against his Fathers Consent his Father hath Dis-inherited which is against all Law or Right both of God Nature and Man Defendant Most Reverend Judges Disobedient Children ought to have no Part nor Parcel of their Parents Estate as Lands Goods or whatsoever for it the Parents have no Duty nor Obedience from their Child their Child can challenge no Part of their Parents Estate and since he hath Married Disobediently he ought to Live Poorly or to get his Living by his Own Labour or Industry Plaintiff Most Reverend Judges There is no Reason nor Law that if one man Commit a Fault to an other that man should Commit an other to be quit with him and put the Case the Son were unnaturally Disobedient must the Father be unnaturally Cruel to be Revenged of him Defendant Most Reverend Judges Parents are the Fittest Judges of their Childrens Faults and Crimes committed against them But howsoever Parents cannot be thought Cruel or Unnatural to Punish the Crimes of their Children no more than God can be said to be Cruel or Unjust to Punish Sinners for God who Made Creatures may do what he Pleases with them for being his own Work he may Dispose or Order them as he Thinks best or as he Pleaseth So Parents that Begot their Children may do the like in things concerning themselves Plaintiff But God is Mercifull wherefore Parents ought to be Natural Defendant God is Just and therefore Children ought to be Dutifull Plaintiff But if God Should Punish his Creatures according to their Desert no man would be Saved Defendant And if Children should do what they List there would be no Government for Parents would be made Slaves and their Children Masters so if God should not Punish Some of his Creatures All would be Damned and to make up the Fulness of their Sins they would Despise his Love and not Fear his Power and so they would neither Love nor Fear God so Children would have neither Duty nor Obedience to their Parents But to prove it a Clear cause his Estate is free from all Intails and wholly in his own Power to Dispose of it as he Pleases and to Give it to whom he will and therefore his Son can Challenge nothing by Law or Right SPEECHES TO The KING in Council PART V. A Privy-Counsellours Speech to His Soveraign Dread Soveraign HEre are many of your Noble Subjects chosen out to be I can not say Privy-Counsellours by reason there be too many to keep Secrets of State which shews we are rather Counsellours for Form than for Business Counsellours in Name rather than Counsellours in Nature Wherefore we shall not need to trouble your Majesty or our Selves the one to Hear the other to Speak long Orations or tedious Speeches for should we Speak we should rather speak like Fools than Wise men by reason we are not acquainted with your Majesties Cabinet Designs or Intrigues and so being your Majesties General and not Particular Counsellours must needs speak at Randome Wherefore we beseech your Majesty not to Censure our Judgements but our Ignorances in not knowing your Majesties most Private as Cabinet Desires Designs and Intrigues A Petition and Plea at the Council-Table before the King and his Council concerning two Brothers Condemned by the Laws to Dye May it Please your Most Sacred Majesty I Am come here to your Majesties Council-Table to Plead the Cause of two Brothers whose Cause hath been Heard Judged Cast and Condemned by the Judges of the Laws of this Land and must suffer Death unless your Majesty acquit or Pardon them Indeed their cause is Hard for they were Forced either to Offend the Laws of Government or the Laws of Honour the Laws of Government threatned Bodily Death the Laws of Honour threatned Infamy and being Worthy Persons they chose rather to Venture Life than to Live Dishonourably But their Crime or it may rather be called their Justice which the Laws of the Land have Condemned them for is for Killing or rather Punishing their Sister for the Impurity Immodesty Dishonesty and Dishonour of Inchastity which was an Offence to the Gods a Reproach to her Life a Disgrace to her Race a Dishonour to her Kindred and an Infamy to her Family As for the Sin they past that by to be Judged of by the Gods her own Reproach they regarded not the Disgrace of her Race they indeavoured to obscure But as for the Dishonour to her Kindred and Infamy to her Family her Brothers were resolv'd to Wash off the Dishonour with her Blood and to Rub out the Black spot of Infamy with her Death which Resolution they put in Execution forcing a Surgeon to open an Artery Vein through which she Bled to Death Besides had they let her have Liv'd the Laws of the Land would have Punished her which would have been a Double Dishonour and a Recorded Infamy receiving as much Dishonour by her Public Punishment as her Private Crime Wherefore to prevent as well as to take off all Disgrace they were her Executioners by forcing the Surgeon to strike an Artery a very Easie Death for so Great an Offender but the Natural Affections from Brothers to a Sister did desire she might Dye with as Little Pain as might be Now Dead she is and they Condemned to Dye for her Death unless your Majesty will Pardon them and it will be a Gracious Act to pardon VVorthy Men such men as preferr'd Honour before Life A Speech of one of the Privy-Counsellours which is an Answer to the former Plea and Petition May it Please your Majesty TO give me leave as One of your Council to Answer this man As for Parents to Kill their Children for Children to Kill their Parents for Brethren to Kill each other and Sisters their Brothers or Brothers their Sisters or Neeces or Nephews their Uncles or Aunts or Uncles and Aunts to Kill their Nephews or Neeces or Cousin Germans is Unnatural or to be the Cause of their Death is Unnatural I may say a Great Sin in Nature VVherefore these two Brothers that were the Cause indeed the Actors in effect of their Sisters Death have Sinned against the Gods Nature and the Laws of good Government for which they Deserve Punishment both in this VVorld and in the VVorld after this Life And as for that which is called Honour it is but the Opinion of some men a meer Fancy not any Real Good only a Name to perswade men to do Evil Actions as to Fight Duells to make VVarrs to Murder Friends nay to Murder Themselves all which is against Gods Mens and Natures Laws which is Inhuman Uncharitable Unnatural and Impious The Petitioners Reply Most Dread Soveraign SInce your Majesty is pleased to hear the Sutes of Humble Petitioners and the Causes of Pleaders and the Defences of Condemned Persons as
Peace and Plenty as they have done with Me to whom I leave You and Him to you Farewell A Daughters Dying Speech to her Father FAther Farewell and may that Life that Issues from My young and tender Years be added to Your Age may all your Grief be Buried in my Grave and may the Joys Pleasures and Delights that did attend my Life be Servants unto Yours may Comfort Dry your Eyes God Cease your Sorrows that though I Die you may Live Happily Why do you mourn that Death must be your Son-in-Law since he is a Better Husband than any you could Choose me or I could Choose my Self it is a Match that Nature and the Fates have made Wherefore be Content for it is not in your Power to alter the Decrees of Fate for Destiny cannot be Opposed but if you could you would Rob me of the Happiness the Gods intend me for though my Body shall dwell with Death my Soul shall dwell in Heaven and Holy Angels that are my Marriage Guests will Conduct it to that Glory for which you have cause to Joy and not to Grieve for all Creatures Live but to Die but those that are Blessed Die to Live and so do I. Farewell A Souldiers Dying Speech to his Friends Dear Friends YOu are come to see me Die but I am sorry you shall see me Die in the Bed of Sloth and not in the Field of Action for now I shall Die like a Coward whereas had I Died in the Field of Warr I should have Died as a Valiant man indeed the Field of Warr is the Bed of Honour wherein all Valiant and Gallant men should Die but Fortune hath denied me that Honour she hath spar'd my Life to my Loss for those that Die in the Warrs have Greater Renowns and Gloriouser Fame than those that Die in Chambers of Peace for whatsoever Heroick Acts men have done for the most part Die if they Out-live them for such Actions Live by the Deaths of the Actors I do not say Alwaies but for the Most part which makes me fear the Service I have done my King and Country will Die with me and be Buried in Oblivions Grave yet should the Service I have done be quite Forgotten I should not Repent my Actions for Honourable persons and Gallant men should do what they Ought to do although they were certain Never to be Rewarded for though few men are Rewarded according to their Merits and many have Favour that did Never Merit a Reward so Unjust is the World Fortune and Fame yet their Injustice must not make men Unworthy but I have done my Part and Death will do His. Farewell A Dying Speech of a Loving Mistress to her Beloved Servant SErvant This day I should have been your Wife and so Your Servant as you have been Mine but Death hath Robbed Hymen of his Rights and now he Fights with Life which he will Overcome for Death is Conquerour of All and Triumphs in his Spoils Yet Death by taking my Life Prisoner will set your Person Free to choose an other Mistress to make a Wife in whose Imbraces I shall be Buried and utterly Forgotten I speak not this in Envy to Her Happiness nor Yours for Envy dwells with Life and not with Death nor am I Loth to Die nor Grieve to be Forgotten no not by those that I Loved most and equal with my Soul for those I Love I would not have them Mourn in Melancholy thoughts and Sad remembrance of my Death I only wish that She that you Love next may return Love again with as much Truth Constancy and Purity as I have Loved you and may she be the Glory of her Sex and Honour of her Husband and may you Live to Love each Other and Love to Live for One an others Sake may Nature Time Fortune Fate and the Gods joyn in your Happiness Farewell A Forein Travellers Dying Speech Dear Friends I Have Travelled Farr and have seen Much of the World and have gone Round about the World but now I shall Travel Out of the World from which I shall bring no News I shall not come back to Relate my Journies or to tell you what Strange Creatures there are in the Other World or what Dangers I escap'd or what Adventures I have made or what several Countries there are and which is good for Plantation or what Commodities there are or what Traffick there is or may be for though all Creatures are Transported yet no Returns are Sent back in Lieu of them unless we believe New-born Creatures are sent out of the Other World into This but that is not Probable because they are Made in this World and of the same Substances of the World But howsoever those that are Sent thither as by Sickness Casualties Fortune and Age Return no more wherefore I must take my Last leave of you for though I have been at the Confines of Death and am Return'd to my Friends again yet I never was in the Region of Death a place I never was Ambitious or Desirous to go to for though I had the Curiosity to see the several Countries Kingdomes and Places in the several parts of the World yet I never had the Curiosity to Travel into Death's Kingdome no nor to see the Mansions of the Gods which may be Accounted a Sin Indeed Travellers are accounted Atheistical but if they were yet when they come to Die they would change those Atheistical Opinions and as Bad as they are thought to be yet they are not Afraid of Death for then they would not Venture their Lives so Often as they do indeed Travellers have as Great Courage as Souldiers have and 't is believed as Little Religion but not so much Hate Envy Malice Revenge nor Covetousness unless they be Merchants nor they are not Robbers and Murderers they do not Take away mens Lives nor Goods as Souldiers do but of all men Travellers have most reason to Adore and Worship God Best for they see Most of his Wonderfull works which shew his Power Might Wisdome and Majesty the which makes his Creatures Admire him Praise him Fear him Love him and Pray to him as the Great Omnipotent Infinite Eternal Incomprehensible and Everlasting God to whom I Resign my Soul and Leave my Body to Death Farewell A Lovers Dying Speech to his Beloved Mistress Dear Mistress THough I must Die I leave my Life to Live with You for You are the Life of my Love and the Love of my Life you are the Palace of my Soul wherein it Lives and will Remain though Death doth take my Body hence for Souls Live though Bodies Die yet do not Drown my Soul in Tears nor Cloud it with your Sorrows but give it Light of Joy and Please it with your Kind remembrance But O my Jealous thoughts do Torture more my Mind than Pains of Death do Torture my Weak Body lest you should Banish the Love of Me to Entertain a Stranger which if you do the Gods
will Punish you for your Inconstancy But pardon this my Jealousie for Doubts proceed from Love and your Virtue is the Anchor of my Hopes and Haven of Security in which my Love lives safe Farewell A Sons Dying Speech to his Father FAther I have been an Unprofitable Son for I shall Die a Batchelour and so leave you no Posterity to keep alive your Name and Family which is a Double Grief both to your Self and Me indeed to Me it is a Treble Grief because the Fault is only Mine loving Vain Pleasures and Liberty so much as made me unwilling to be Bound in Wedlock Bonds believing that a Wife would be a Hinderance to those Delights that Pleas'd me besides I trusted to my Youth and Health thinking I had time Enough to Marry and Increase also I thought that very Young men's Children would prove but Weak and Sickly in Body and Mind thus did I bring many Arguments to Live a Batchelour untill such time as I had more Maturity of Years and then I did intend to Choose a VVife with your Consent or else Consent to Marry whom you Pleas'd but Death will alter that Design and you and I must both Submit to Heavens Decree Yet have I this to Comfort me that you did never Command me to Marry wherefore my Fault was not a Fault of Disobedience for I never Disobey'd you all my Life which makes me Die in Peace Farewell A Young Virgins Dying Speech Dear Friends I Do Perceive that Holy Angels hover about my Soul to Bear it to the Gods when parted from my Body a Virgin 's Soul it is Cloth'd with white Innocency and so fitter for their Company as also for the Robe of Glory which the Gods will give me As for my Body though it be Young yet is it only fit for Death as being Due to him for that was made of Earth and Death is Lord of all the Earth doth Form Breed and Bring forth but Souls being of an other Nature those that are Celestial Proceeding from the Gods do to the Gods Return whereas Wicked Souls that are Damned and Proceed not from the Gods but from the Damned Spirits Return to the Damned crew again for all is Good that doth Proceed from God and though the Best of Souls doth Sin yet God doth give them Purging Grace that Cleanses them from Evil which Grace hath Purified my Soul and made it Fit for Heaven where I do wish all Souls may come Farewell A Husbands Dying Speech to his Wife VVIfe Farewell for Death will Break our Marriage knot and will Divorce our Persons but not Dissolve our Love unless you be Inconstant for Death hath not that Power to Disunite our Souls for they may Live and Love Eternally but if you Marry a Second Husband you separate our Loves as Death will separate our Bodies for in that Marriage-bed you will Bury all Remembrance of me and so shall I doubly Die and doubly be Buried for your second Husband will be my second Death but if you Live a Widdow you will keep me stil Alive both in your Name and Memory where I desire to Live untill your Body Dies and then our Souls will meet with Joy Delight and Happiness till then Farewell A common Courtisans Dying Speech KInd Friends and Wanton Lovers when I was in Health you came to view my Beauty to hear my Voice and to Injoy my Person in Amorous Imbraces and all for your own Pleasures and Delights but I did Entertain such Visitors more for the Lucre of Profit than for the Pleasures of Love more for your Presents than your Persons the truth is I was more Covetous of Wealth than Amorously Affected not but that I took Pleasure in seeing my Beauty Admired and hearing my Wit Prais'd and took delight to insnare mens Affections with my Attractive Graces and was Proud of the Power I had by Nature's Favour yet that Power I only imploy'd to Inrich my Self that I might Live Bravely and Luxuriously or to Hord up to maintain me when I was Old But O those Covetous desires and Vain delights have Ruined both my Body and Soul in Grievous Pains I Live and should Despairing Die but that the Gods are Mercifull and Pardon Penitent Sinners for if I were to Live I would not Live that Life I have done not only for my Souls sake but for my Bodies for had I thought of Death or could imagine the Pains that now I feel the Pocky rotting Pains that Torture my weak Body I should have been less Covetous of Wealth and more Carefull of Health I should not have made my Beauty Wit and becoming Graces and Adornments to intice Customers to buy Sinfull Pleasures or had I thought of the Joys in Heaven I should have Despised all worldly Delights or had I fear'd the Torments of Hell I should have Spent my time in Prayers and not in Courtships But Life is almost Past with me for Death hath strucken me with his VVand so that I cannot Live to Mend but Die to be Forgiven for I do truly and unfeignedly Repent Farewell A Vain young Ladies Dying Speech Dear Friends YOu are Charitable in Visiting the Sick a Charity that I did seldome Practise for when I was in Health I was so taken up with Vanities and worldly Pleasures as I could never Spare so much time as to Visit a sick Friend neither was I Charitable to the Poor as to help to Relieve their Wants for I spent so much on my Braveries as I left not any thing to give unto the Poor indeed I did shun Visiting the Sick because they put thoughts of Death in my Mind which thoughts did disturb my Mind and obstruct my Delights but if I had thought of Death more and had Visited the Sick oftner I had never Liv'd so Idlely nor Spent my time so Unprofitably nor had been so Foolishly Vain as I have been for I regarded nothing but Beauty Fashions Dressing Dancing Feasting Courtships and Bravery I never thought of Heaven nor Read holy Books of Divinity but only lying Romances and my Contemplation was all of Wanton Love 'T is true I went Often to Church but not to Pray but to be Pray'd to not as a Saint but as a Mistress I may say as a Sinner for I went not to Church for Instruction but for Destruction more for to Shew my Beauty than to Reform my Life more to get VVanton Lovers than to get Saving Grace I listned not to what the Preachers taught but look'd which of the Gallants eyed me Thus did I increase and multiply Sins under the Veil of Devotion for which I deserve great and grievous Punishments but the Gods are mercifull and will Forgive me for now I do more Hate Vanities than ever I did Love them and all my Evil thoughts are Banished from my mind indeed Death hath frighted all such thoughts away and Pious thoughts do take their place and as the Gods come neer the VVorld shrinks from me as Guilty of these Sins
have Terrestrial Shapes why should they believe them to have Mens Shapes and not the Shapes of other Creatures it might be Answered the Belief Proceeds from the Son of God who did Take upon Him the Shape of Man but then we may believe that Angels are of the Shape of Doves because the Holy Ghost which is Co-equal and Co-eternal with the Son did Take upon Him the Shape of that Bird. Also what Reason hath man to Believe that the Devils Shapes are partly of the Shape of Beasts as to have Tails Horns Claws and Cloven feet do they believe that the Shape of Beasts is a more VVicked or Cursed Shape than any other Animal Shape But these Opinions or Beliefs proceed from Gross Conceptions made by Irregular Motions in Gross Terrestrial Bodies or Brains in Mankind who make Hell and Heaven God Angels and Devils according to their Fancies and not according to Truth for Man cannot Know what is not in his Portion of Reason and Sense to Know and yet man will Judge and Believe that which he cannot possibly Know which is Ridiculous even to Human Sense and Reason But to Conclude Dearly Beloved men's Thoughts are too Weak their Brains too Little their Knowledge too Obscure and their Understandings too Cloudy to Conceive Gods Celestial Works or Workings or his Will or Decrees Fates or Destinies Wherefore Pray without Forming Obey without Censuring Fear his Power Love his Goodness and Hope in his Mercy and the Blessing of God be amongst you An Oration to a Sinfull Congregation Beloved Brethren YOu Live so Lewdly Riotously and Wickedly as if you did not Believe there are Gods or Devils Heaven or Hell Punishment or Bliss and as if there were none other Life after this Life but you will find you shall be so Punished for your Wickedness unless you Amend as you will Curse your Birth Life and Death for so Bad and Wicked you are that the Seven Deadly Sins are not sins enough for you but Daily nay Hourly you Study to make more Deadly sins nay you are so Ingenious in Devising Sin as you are the most subtil Artisans therein that ever were you are a Vitruvius for Desigining Sins a Pygmalion for Carving out Sins an Apelles for Painting out Sins a Galileus for Espying out Sins an Euclid for Numbring and Multiplying Sins so that your Sins are now past all Account an Archimedes for Inventing Sins an Aristoteles to Find out Sins a Cicero in Pleading for Sins an Alexander in Fighting for Sins an Homerus in Describing Sins and your Lives and Actions are the Foundations and Materials the Stones and Chisals of Sins the Boords and Planks the Light Shaddows and Colours of Sins the Perspective Glasses of Sins the Figures of Sins the Instruments and Engins of Sins the Lines Circles and Squares of Sins the Bodies Parts and Lives of Sins the Tongue and Speech of Sin the Arms of Sin the Brains and Wit of Sin Thus you are nothing but Sin Within and Without for Life Soul Thoughts Bodies and Actions are all Sin Indeed you seem as if you were neither Made by Nature nor God but Begotten or Produced from Devils for Nature Exclames against you and God Abhorrs you the Devils will Own you but God of his Mercy give you Grace to Repent and Amend your Lives that what Sin is Past may be Blotted out and that your Lives Thoughts and Actions may be such as may Gain upon Eternal Blessedness and Everlasting Glory for which let us Pray An Oration which is an Exhortation to a Pious Life Beloved Brethren YOu come here to be Instructed but yet you do not Amend your Lives for you Live Idlely and Wickedly you make no Profit of your Instructions or Exhortations for it seems by you that the more you are Taught the more Ignorant you are like those that become Blind or their Sight Dazled with Too much Light Indeed you Live as if you had not Rational Souls or that you thought Souls Die as Bodies do but you will find you have Souls that shall Live to indure Torment if you do not Reform your Lives 'T is true many have Strange and some Atheistical Opinions concerning the Soul for Some have had Opinions that Man hath no other Soul but such as Beasts have and Others that the Souls of all Creatures Go out of one Body into an other and that Death doth but Change the Souls Lodging and Some have had an Opinion that there is no such thing as a Soul but that which is called a Soul is only Animal Life and Others believe there be Souls but they Die as Bodies do Others that there is but One great Soul which is the Soul of the World but the Right and Truth is that men have Particular Souls which not any other Creature hath which are called Rational Souls and shall Live for Ever either in Torment or Bliss according to their Merit But the Best and Wisest men make no question of the Rational Soul of Mankind though many Learned men Trouble their Heads to prove What the Soul is for some believe the Soul is Corporeal others it is Incorporeal Also many Trouble themselves to know When the Souls of Mankind Enter into their Bodies some think Before the Body is Born others hold it enters not Untill the Body is Born and some think that the Body receives the Soul so soon as it receives Life in the Womb and some think Before as when it is newly Conceived but those that are of an Opinion that Life and Soul enters into the Body together believe their Departs together by Death and those that think the Soul enters not into the Body untill it be Born believe the Soul is but a Weakling at first and grows Stronger as the Body grows Older Thus they Trouble their Heads and Exercise their Wits concerning the Soul to know What it is and How it is but never take Thought as how it Will be when they Dye like the Dog that left the Substance to seek for the Shaddow so men leave the Salvation and Dispute about the Creation But my Exhortation is that you would Pray more and Dispute less for what shall we need to Trouble our Minds whether the Soul be Corporeal or Incorporeal or if Corporeal of what Matter it is made of so that it be Capable of Glory nor shall we need to Trouble our Minds When it Enters the Body so it Enters Heaven Wherefore those that are Truly Wise and Wisely Devout will Indeavour with all their Power Faith and Industry of their Minds Thoughts and Life to Do such Charitable Deeds and to Think such Pious Thoughts in Holy Contemplations and Pray with so much Zeal and Faith Penitence and Thanksgiving as God may be so well Pleased with them as to Glorifie their Souls in Heaven where there is all Joy and Happiness which Joy and Happiness I Pray the Gods may give you MARRIAGE ORATIONS PART IX A Marriage-Oration to a Congregation and a Young Bride and
Eat and Eat more than you have Appetite you are like Misers in your Feeding stuffing your Stomacks with Meat as they do their Trunks and Baggs with Money and the Superfluity of meat Destroyes the Gluttonous Eater with Surfeits Thirdly your Adorning or rather Deforming your selves in Antick Fashions and Toyish Vanities which sheweth your Heads to be Brainless and sometimes your Purses to be Moneyless for Spending so much on your Backs you cannot Keep any thing in your Coffers nor for your Necessary use Fourthly your Idle Visits and Unprofitable Discourses wherein is more Words than Wit and more Time lost than Knowledge gain'd for you become more Ignorant with Talking than Learned with Contemplating for Brains are not Manured with Foolish Discourses but Wise Considerations Lastly your Numerous Trains which are Unprofitable Servants being maintain'd for Shew and not for Use they Spending much and doing little Service is the Cause not only of great Disorders but the Ruine of many Noble Families The Short is you Drink to be Drunk Eat to be Sick Live to be Idle Spend to be Poor and Talk to be Fools Thus you Lose Time Waste your Estate Trouble your Minds and Shorten your Lives Living with more Cost than Worship and more Worship than Pleasure for you are Stewards for your Servants Hosts for your Guests and Slaves to your Vain Humours An Oration Contradicting the Former Noble Citizens THe Former Oration was against the Lawfull Delights and Pleasures of our Citizens nay of all Mankind which Expresses the Orator either to be so Poor of Means as he Cannot Attain to such Delights and Pleasures or that his Senses are Imperfect as not Capable to Receive them or that he is of so Evil a Disposition as to Desire all men to be Miserable or that he is a Fool as not Knowing how to Speak or Live wisely whereas had he Spoken against Hurtfull and Destroying Vices he had Spoken as a Good man ought to do for Vices are Vices no otherwise but that they are Hurtfull or Destructive to Mankind which makes them Vices for the Gods Forbid them because of the Evil Effects as Drunkenness which Disorders the Reason Distempers the Brain and Obstructs the Senses making men Senseless or to be as Mad and causes oftentimes Quarrels Wounds and Death at least Breaks Peace and makes Enemies of Friends besides Drunkenness makes men Sick and is apt to Shorten their Lives all which makes it a Vice and so a Sin But did Drunkenness cause no Evil Effect it ought not to be Forbidden nor could it be accounted a Crime The like I may say for Gluttony for would men Eat only to Please them and not so much as to Disease them it would be no Fault to Eat well or to Please their Palate but it is the Surfeits Sickness and oftentimes Untimely Death that makes Gluttony a Vice and for Adultery it would be so far from a Crime as it would be a Virtue in the Increase of Mankind were it not for the Loss of Propriety in that no man would Know his Own Child nor be sure to Injoy his Own Wife or that Woman he makes Choice of As for Theft and Murder they are not of that Sort to be named Vices only but Damnable Sins wherein can neither be Society Safety nor Security of Life for Thieves and Murderers indeavour an Utter Destruction without Mercy or Remorse Wherefore since Vices and Sins are Vices and Sins for their Hurt and Evil Effects those things that are call'd Vanities which produce Pleasure and Delight without Death and Destruction ought not to be Spoken against for Vanities are Profitable to the Poor and not Hurtfull to the Rich But yet Moralists and Divines Plead Preach and Write Rail and Exclame against all Honest Harmless Delights and Pleasures as if they were Sins to God and Nature as if Nature and the God of Nature should make Senses and Appetites in Vain or only to the Hurt and Dislike of the Creature and not for their Good and Pleasure as to make a Body for Pain and Sickness and not for Health and Ease and to make a Mind for Trouble and Discontent and not for Peace and Tranqullity to make Desires but not Fruitions Indeed Nature and the God of Nature is more Just to Mankind for as they have made Eyes and Seeing so they have made Light Splendour and Beauty to be Seen and as they have made Ears to Hear so they have made Harmony to be Heard and as they have made Nostrils to Smell so they have made Perfumes to be Smelt and as they have made Taste so they have made Relishes and as they have made Hunger so they have made Food and as they have made Appetites so they have given Satisfaction or Satiety Thus we may perceive that every Particular Sense is Fitted or Matched to Particular Pleasures but because Nature hath made some Aversion therefore Moralists and Divines would not have men Injoy the Pleasure in Nature whereas the most Rational men perceive that Aversions were only made to Highten and Re-double the Pleasures and Delights both of Body and Mind but these Men are so Rigid in their Doctrine I will not say in their own particular Practice as they would have men Choose the Worst part and Refuse the Better and would have all Mankind Struggle Strive and Oppose all Nature's Delights and Benefits the truth is they seem to Desire a Perpetual Warr between the Senses and the Objects as also between the Mind and the Body as between the Reason and Sense but in my opinion their Doctrine hath neither Sense nor Reason and their Authors would have as Little if they should Practise what they Preach Wherefore Noble Citizens my Advise is that you Take your Pleasures yet so as you may Injoy them Long as to Warm your Selves not to Burn your Selves to View the Light but not to Gaze out your Sight to Bathe your Selves but not to Drown your Selves to Please your Selves but not to Destroy your Selves with Excess An Oration against Usurers and Money-Horders Noble Citizens VVE have some Citizens amongst us that are Rich and yet Miserable they Covet Much yet Injoy but Little for they Hord up their Wealth and Starve Themselves and if they did Starve None but Themselves it were no great matter being fitter for Death than Life but their Hords impoverish the Common-wealth and so Starve the Poor for there cannot be a Greater Evil in a Common-wealth set a-side Warr than to have many Rich Usurers as Covetous Getters and Spare Spenders for their Great Wealth is like as a Great Dunghill which whilst it lies on a Heap together doth no Good but Hurt whereas if it were Dispersed and Spread upon the Barren Lands it would Inrich much Ground producing Increase and Plenty The like should Money or such sort of Riches be Spread equally to make a Common-wealth Live Happily Indeed a Prodigal is more Beneficial and Profitable to a Common-wealth than a Usurer for a
this Fault in Government was a great Grievance Also Monopolizers Ingross'd several and almost all Commodities in the Kingdome hightning their Price as they pleased which hindred the General Trade and Traffick and this was an other great Grievance Also there were great Taxes laid upon the People and Kingdome which was an other Grievance Moreover needy Poor Courtiers would Beg that which ought not to be Granted or Accuse some Rich men to Get some of their Estates at least to get a Bribe to be Freed all which begot such Dislike and Hatred that the whole Kingdome Rebell'd with such a Fury as they Pull'd down Monarchy and after much Blood was Spilt in the VVarr they Set up a Repulick in which Government the Commons Chose the Magistrate and Officers of State for which the Commons were grossly Flattered by the Nobler Sort which Vice of Flattery became a Studied and Practised Art by which the Chief men became most Elegant and Eloquent Orators every Man striving to Out-Speak each other but this Practice and Strife begat Ambition and Envy in the Better Sort and Pride in the Commons which Pride was hightned by their Power to make Peace or Warr to Choose Magistrates and Officers to Pull down or Advance to give Life or Death to Banish or Recall to Condemn or Reprieve and all this Power lay in their Voices O Powerfull Voice of a Headless Monster this Power caused the Brainless People to be so Proud and withall so Envious as also Malitious to those Men that had Merit and Worth having None Themselves as they would often Banish if not Put to Death their Generous Nobles Valiant Commanders and Wise Magistrates as also those that were more Rich than their Neighbours besides they would Advance Mean and Worthiless men such as were of their own Degree and Quality to Places and Offices of Dignity which Discontented the Nobles and that Discontent bred a Faction betwixt the Commons and Nobles which Faction being Increas'd by the Friends of the Banished or Executed Persons brought forth a Civil Warr long was the Strife but at last the Nobles got the Better and then the State or Government became Aristocraty in which Government for some time they Liv'd Agreeable and Govern'd Justly and Orderly but by Reason Aristocraty is a Government of Some of the Nobles and not of One they could not Long agree Every one Striving to be Chief and most Powerfull insomuch that through Envy and Ambition they would Cross and Oppose each other for some would keep Peace with their Neighbours others would make Warr and some would have such or such Laws made others would not some would have some Old Laws Abolished or Dissolved others would Oppose them neither was Justice Executed as it ought for some would Punish those that others would Save some would Reward those that others would Disgrace Thus every one was Striving for Supreme Power although they did hinder One an Other and by the means of Doing and Undoing Decreeing and Opposing the People could not Tell whom to Address their Sutes Causes and Grievances to for what one Spake For an other would Speak Against till at last by their Pulling several wayes the Aristocratical Government broke in Pieces and then those Nobles set up each One for Himself and so there became another Civil Warr Long was that Warr for some times one had the Better and then an Other and some times two or three Sides would Joyn against the Rest and then most against One but now at last they being weary with Warr yet know not how to Agree in a Peace insomuch as we have neither Warr nor yet Peace nor any Setled Government the truth is the Kingdome is like as the Chaos and Confused Substance and there is no way to bring it to an Orderly Form but to have a Native King to bring Light out of Darkness that we may See our own Errors and Reform our Faults and hereafter Live Happily under the Government of a Good and Wise King which I Prav the Gods to Send you An Oration to a Discontented People Noble Citizens and Dear Country-men AFter many Disorders Several Governments Cruel Warrs much Losses and almost Absolute Ruine we desire to Associate and Agree in a Peace with our First Government which was Monarchy a Government our Forefathers Chose for the Best But our Natures I may say Mankind are so Restless as never to be Contented with what we Have were it the Best for should the Gods Reign and Rule Visibly upon Earth we should find Fault and be apt to Murmur if not Rebell against them Wherefore I Fear we shall never Continue long in Peace if a Celestial Power cannot Perswade us a Terrestrial will never be able to Keep us in Order for if Mankind desire to be above the Gods a Fellow Creature will never be Satisfied with any Power nor the Rest of Men will never be Satissied with any Government so as we shall never Live in a Setled Peace in this World nor never Dwell Peaceably but in the Grave nor never be Happily Govern'd but by that Grim and Great Monarch Death An Oration in Complaint of the Former Noble Citizens and Dear Country-men THe Former Orators Oration although it was Short yet it was Sharp for though it was but a Dagger for Length yet it was a Sword for Death for he partly Perswaded men to Dye Voluntarily to Dwell in the Grave Peaceably a Cruel Perswasion and a Wicked One for Death is the Punishment of Sin and shall we Imbrace our Punishment without Hopes of Redemption shall we Dye before a Repentance and Amendment but Surely he Believes after this Life there is none Other but that is more than he Knows or can Prove for I am Confident he hath no Intelligence from Death for Death is so Obscure that there is not any that Goes To him which ever Returns From him into this World But setting aside the Former Orator and his Oration give me Leave to Tell you that you are in the way of being Happy in that you are Resolved to agree Peaceably under a Monarchical Government and to have a King who shall have Absolute Government which Government King and Power is a Type of Heaven God and his Omnipotency and I Hope we shall all Prove as Angels and Saints for which I Pray God to Grant that we may Live in Unity Peace and Love A Kings Oration or Speech to his Subjects Beloved Subjects ANd I Hope you will Prove Such you are Return'd to your Obedience and I to my Rights after along Absence the One from the Other But since your Loyalty and my Royalty have been Parted we were never Happy nay we were never out of Misery and whose Fault was it that Caused such Miseries you in the Time of Rebellion laid the Fault on Me and I on You which was a sign we were of either Side Guilty but of your Side Most for though a King may Err in his Government yet a People