Zach. 8. 16. Execute the judgement of Truth and Peace in your gates By the third our soules health and happinesse are maintained while we see know beleeve and rest upon those excellent and saving truths which God hath in his word revealed to us in the plainenesse and simplicity of the sense not denying or doubting any thing but humbly and willingly embracing every truth revealed as it agrees to the generall rule and Analogy of Faith contained in the holy Scriptures this is Veritas fidei religionis The first truth wee gaine by senses and discourse The second by common notions or inbred principles of reason The third by divine revelation depending upon the veracitie infaâ—libility and authority of God No truth is to be neglected because it is a beame or lineament of God but those are most to bee loved and esteemed which discover God most cleerly to us bring us nearest and make us likest to him This as the most excellent and usefull truth I chiefly here understand which exceeds all others as much as the soule doth the body or eternity a moment And in this mens hearts are most prone to be negligent and coldly affected 2. Peace Peace in any kinde and under any notion is sweet and lovely {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Naz. We can better tell what it is by the fruition than description of it what health is to the body and calmnesse to the sea and serenity to the day such is peace which ariseth from the fit orderly and proportionable disposing of things It is a kinde of sweet divine and heavenly concent harmony or beauty of things subordinate one to another Such it is first peace in nature and the greater World from the wise and apt combination of creatures by symbolicall qualities so contempered that all agree to make up one intire body the World 2. In the lesser worlds of mixt bodies Peace is that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} due temper and moderation of humours and parts which keep their true place and proportion Quá quodlibet corpus non minus appetit unitatem suam quam entitatem 3. In the rationall World Peace is that composednesse and tranquillity of the soule whereby all the inferiour faculties and the populacy of affections or passions are regular and subject to the rule and soveraignty of reason 4. In the spirituall world the regenerate soule Peace is the humble and willing subjection and sutablenesse of the conscience in all things to the Will and Spirit of God 5. In the Politicall or civill world the State or Church Peace is the setling and due ordering of things by just Lawes of government and by true grounds or rules of Piety and Religion whereto all submit It consists {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the right skill of governing and will to be governed When all agree in one thing all think speak and do by the same thing all conspire in one maine end the glory of God and the publick good which is the supreame Law when all are setled on one ground move by one rule and tend to one end Truth Order and Iustice are the only foundation and pillars of Peace in both Church and Common-wealth 2. The second consideration is the union of the two Truth and Peace In God they are united and so in every good soule well ordered Church or State they may and doe best agree together no firme or durable peace which is not fastned and cemented with truth so false and pernicious a principle is that of some that the lesse men know of truth the more easily they will bee kept in Peace that the way to subdue men to an asinine patience is to cast them into an asinine ignorance Whereas on the contrary no men or minds are more obedientially disposed to an heroick patience as to the burthens pressures and exactions upon their states and liberties c. than they who are best informed how little all these worldly things are to be valued having hopes of farre better And no men are more stubbornely contumacious refractory and prone to flame to rebellion and munity than they who know and expect no better or higher good than those of sense and present life who think you robbe them of their heaven God and all happinesse if you injure them in their estates honours or liberties Those subjects are most shie and prone to start from obedience and fall from peace who live by Moone-light of humane reason and senses onely which amazeth their minds with the shadowes of good in riches pleasures honours and liberties temporall and walke not by the Sunne-shine of divine truth which discovers the onely necessary excellent and satisfactory objects worthy of the soules love and acceptance for nothing is truly lovely which is not spirituall and eternall No such bonds of peace and unity then as the spirit of truth which ties the conscience to obedience and patience The wisdome from above is first pure then peaceable James 3. 17. So that they best may march together but first truth then peace Truth must have the precedence rather truth than peace Truth wee owe to God and our soules immediately peace onely to our bodies and states c. If one must be despensed withall it is peace not truth better truth without publique peace than peace without saving truth Truth alone will bring us peace the best peace Christs peace which the world can neither give nor take away Pax est omni bello tristior quae veritatis justitiae ruinâ constat That peace is farre to deare which costs us the losse of truth I meane great saving necessary and fundamentall truth 2 Where these truths are asserted study to adde peace to them that truth may root spread fasten and fructifie the more Nor is the publique peace to bee violated for every truth such as neither tends to faith nor much to good manners Dissidiis magnis controversis non sunt redimendae minores istae veritates Wee must not by contention of tongues or pens or hands so farre vindicate truths of lesser size and consequence as to break the peace of our affections words and conversations Let truth and peace then goe together in our loves and lives Truth as the root peace as the fruit Truth as the light Peace as heat truth as the foundation peace as the structure And certainely in the Church those tenets and propositions are likeliest to be true which tend to the peace of the Church as it was the true mother which pleaded against the dividing of the child And that peace in the civill state is likeliest to be lasting and sound which is built on the Truth of Reason and Religion both and not upon the fancies opinions dictates traditions examples and tyranny of custome and men Neither peace of Church nor State is to be purchased with the sale of Truth saving and necessary
a Statist or Politician to which I pretend not but as a Divine a Messenger from the God of Truth and Peace seeking to kindle and inflame your hearts to such a love of them as may be most happy to your own souls and most beneficiall to our Church and State in the good of both which you are all highly concerned and in nothing can you promote the prosperity of either or both of them more then in your Love and advancement of Truth and Peace May God the Fountain of Truth Christ the Saviour of Love the holy Ghost the Spirit of Peace assist me in speaking you in hearing all in doing so as we may shew a pure impartiall and unpassionate love of Truth and Peace In the words consider three things First the inference Therefore Secondly the objects propounded Truth and Peace Thirdly the dutie required Love Every word hath a weight beauty and benefit in it so that they well merit and require your attention First the inference Therefore The greater mercies God shewes to us the stricter obligations to love and obedience he hath upon us When our fasting and mourning are happily turned to cheerfull feasts our feares and jealousies cleered up to joy and gladnesse to hopes of better estate and times what doth God require of us but this Therefore to love the Truth and Peace When Gods infinite mercy and patience to us hath beyond expectation as well as desert brought back our Church and State from the brink and precipice of warre ruine and confusion which threatned our Peace From the spreading and prevailings of errours heresies schismes and superstition which strive to oppress or eclipse our Church and Truth That there is a breathing space a lengthning of our tranquillity put into our hands What doth God require of us by way of gratitude to him of loyalty to our Soveraign of fidelitie to our Countrey then to Love the Truth and Peace which are so happily still continued to us and by an active serious and industrious love to study the setling and recovery of them both Secondly the Objects propounded here we will consider First What Truth is Secondly What Peace Thirdly The union of them Truth and Peace Fourthly The lovelinesse in them which best appears in the benefit by them so as to merit our affection 1. Of Truth That question of Pilate to Christ will here be made What is Truth I answer It is a conformity agreeablenesse or answerablenesse of our mindes or things to their Ideas patternes rules or measures As that Copy is true which agrees with the Originall That weight or measure true which fits the Standard That impression true in waxe or paper which exactly fits the types and engravings That notion or perception true in the minde or sense which agrees with the nature of the thing or object whereto they are applyed Truth is the increated light of the intellectaull world shining from God to Angels and Men The first Idea rule measure or Standard of Truth is God his Will which I call Veritas Dei Whereby he is what he is essentially simply immutably by which he wils all things to be what indeed they are and knowes them to be such as they are most certainly This Sunne of Truth is in God never clouded spotted or eclipsed never setting or changing Eternall light day noone a constant serenity From this is the eradiation of Truth or shining forth of the Divine will by his Works and Word Which we call Veritas Rei and this is first Entitatis whereby things are such as God would have them to be and so are true and good Secondly Veritas mentis whereby things are known or believed by us to be such as indeed they are either made or revealed by God to us this is the truth of science or faith Thirdly Hence flows Veritas sermonis of dicti when our words and orall expressions are conformable to our knowledge and belief or things speaking the truth Ephes. 4. 15. Fourthly Veritas facti Vitae whereby our actions are conformable to what we say and seem to know judge or believe of things which is the doing of the Truth 1. Ioh. 1. 6. The Idea or pattern of our actions are our words of our words our minds and conceptions of our minds things themselves of all things the Divine will most wise powerfull and immutably good All Truth as being is originally from God as a Sea and Sun derived and must by a right beam and clear stream be reduced to him again and so it is when we do as we speak when we speak as we think know or believe when we know or believe as things are either made or revealed by God Then doth the ray or veyn of truth flow aright from God to us and reflect back again from us to him When in any of these we fail there comes in hypocrisie and simulation in our actions lying in our words error falsity and unbelief in our mindes when our actions contradict our words our words our mindes our mindes the nature and truth of things made or revealed by God whose will in his works and word is as I said the rule of Truth There are divers manifestations of truth though it be but one yet as light shining through divers pores or one Fountain derived in severall Conduits for the benefit of rationall creatures First There is Truth naturall or physicall in the Works of God which by sense and discourse by art and science we learn Secondly There is Truth morall politicall or civil which is in the enacting interpreting and executing of Laws according to the rules of Justice Thirdly there is a truth Theologicall supernaturall or religious which chiefly concerns our Souls and is immediately taught from God The first is in the Works of God and Nature The second in the laws and edicts of men agreeable to principles of reason The third is in the sacred Scriptures the only foundation and rule of faith and religion The first concerns us as creatures severally The second as sociable creatures joyntly in a state or Common-wealth The third as Christians in a Church and neerer call or relation to God The first requires our love to it as we love our selves in a naturall way the second as wee love our Countrey relations and liberties the third as we love our soules By the first the health and welfare of our bodies and pleasure of our senses fancies and minds are maintained while we know and enjoy the true vertues power and use of creatures able to apply fit meanes to our ends By the second the health of the state or body politick is preserved while Lawes which are the nerves and ligaments of civil societies are grounded upon innate infallible and eternall principles of equity reason and justice to which all men agree and being so constituted are truly interpreted and executed not wrested depraved obscured or violently broken this is veritas justitiae decisionis the truth in judicature
nor yet are all truths to be prosecuted with such vehemencie heate and contention as to make Shipwrack of eithers peace The windowes and lights of truth must not bee so enlarged as to weaken the firmenesse solidity and entirenesse of the building Nor may the Walls be so thick close and compacted as to exclude or obscure the light which the Turks doe who so farre secure their peace as they forbid the searching of Truth neither darknesse may make the house of God uselesse nor breaches under pretence of letting in more light may bee made so wide as to render the edifice unsafe and tottering As divine Truth of Religion so civill truth of Judicature and Peace must kisse each other Here the veracity and conscience of Iudges and Magistrates is chiefely required that they bee Men of truth Exod. 18. 21. For false corrupt and unjust Iudges like Comets portend warres and commotions in a state scattering so malignant an influence into mens minds that every one had rather adventure the injuries of warre than suffer the injustice of peace 4 The Lovelinesse of them which will best appeare by the benefits from them why truth and peace are to be loved 1 Civill or Politicall truth is the mind of the Law the rule of Iustice the right measuring and distribution of things to every one according as equity and reason require By this truth the propriety and enjoyment of what is our own are maintained fraud injuries and violence detected punished and restrained Innocencie releeved industry maintained and incouraged due rewards to vertue and merit as well as punishments to sinne and vice are dispensed In a word the safety of your persons wives children houses lands goods honours liberties lives and all that is deare to you in this world depends upon this truth in Iudicature without which no Society of men can subsist at least not flourish but degenerate to a poore and slavish vassalage and such a lazie despondency of minds which sink them next degree to beasts seeking no more but to live having no thoughts or designes generous noble or extending beyond the present supply of back and belly See then how much they deserve publique hatred who through feare or flattery or base and sinister ends falsifie the minde of the Law at once cutting asunder that great Cable which holds the state from shipwrack turning the sword of justice put into their unworthy hands to cut the throat of lawes and liberties 2 The lovelinesse and benefit of Divine truth revealed whereon our Faith our Religion our Soules our Church depends is so great that no time or words serve to let it forth By this light of sacred truth we know our selves in our worst lost sinfull and damnable estate wherein else as heathen or beasts we should stupidly and miserably die and perish By this we know God in his infinite mercies through Christ which is life eternall Ioh. 17.3 By this we discover his grace and love to us for our free justification by the righteousnesse of Christ and sanctification by his Spirit By this truth the burthens of our sinnes our feares our miseries the horrour of death hell and eternity are disarmed and releeved by this blessed light of truth wee have many sweet and precious promises to support us in all states and all tryals and temptions But this as Moses from Mount Nebo we discover the pleasant and happy prospect of heaven and eternity the joyes peace pleasure happinesse and security of that after-state wee expect in the other world we see a full though future victory over sinne fatan flesh world men death hell and all a full tryumph and crowning of the soule and body in eternall glory You may see then how little experience or knowledge they have of this truth and the comforts by it who are weary of it enemies or indifferent to it Better not have the truth than having it to want the love of it 3 The amiablenesse of peace publick and Nationall in Church or State it is like the smiling of a beautifull face when peace flourisheth with truth O how lovely is it at once to serve God with purity and safety with sincerity and security to enjoy the blessings of Gods right and left hand together To eat every man with joy and cheerfulness of heart the fruit of his owne vine and plantings to reape the harvest hee hath sowed to dwell in the house hee hath builded to enjoy the wife he hath espoused and the children he hath begotten Your owne long and happy experience may best teach you what is the beauty and sweetnesse of the breasts of peace whence plenty flowes Learning Arts industry trading thrive and prosper your private and in them the publike strength honour and treasure increaseth God grant you be not taught to prize and be thankfull for it by the want of it your selves look over Sea on the sad and black Characters which fire famine and sword have wrot nay ingraven and ploughed upon the faces of men women and children on their houses fields vineyards Cities Churches c. and you may with weeping and amazed eyes reade this lesson O the sweet and lovely blessings of Truth and Peace O the horrid hideous deformity of errours and warres En quo discordia gentes Perduxit miseras 3 Wee come now to the third generall head having seene what truth and peace are how well they agree how much they merit our love now we goe on to the last part which is our duty Therefore love them Here wee will inquire two particulars 1. What need there is that men should bee thus exhorted to love these which have so attractive a lovelinesse in them 2. Wherein most effectually wee must expresse our love to them I Although nothing more deserve our love yet such is the ignorance dulnesse or depravednesse of mens mindes affections and manners that few there are which truely love them First some love neither Truth nor Peace of which temper the Iesuitick spirit seemes to be which deceives the Nations with the Cup of errour and scatters coales of fire and dissention among men Secondly some love truth but not peace zealously affected to truth but for want of sound and steddy knowledge or meeke and humble hearts they are full of violence and bitternesse so prone to strife and contention that from words and disputes they easily kindle to blowes Some when you speak to them of peace prepare for war Quia multis utile bellum their best fishing being in troubled waters Thirdly some love peace but not truth as Ishachar sluggishly couching between the burthens of Superstition and Oppression rather than trouble their Peace in a land of plenty Out of a lazie grosse and sensuall humour so addicted to the enjoyments of peace that they care not what encroachments are made on Truth Fourthly many seeme to love them but not simply per se and propter se but corruptly and partially for by-ends and advantages to bee had by them
amend them are set beyond all question and disputes These let us chiefely study love and live by 2. If our love be thus rightly set to Gods truth he will take care to settle our peace to which we owe a love too and must shew it in the second place First by praying heartily and constantly for it Psal. 122. 6. Every one should thinke himselfe called upon in those words O pray for the peace of Ierusalem Prayer engages God on our side and calls in an omnipotent arme to settle strengthen and secure our peace Secondly by assisting really to the support and maintaining of it against the perturbers of it 1. By seasonable counsells and faithfull advise grounded on Truth and Iustice 2. By arming counsells with power and Subsidyes of purses and persons to suppresse all unjust and rebellious practises which seeke to violate our peace Peace is not safe except there be power for warre which is the guard of peace as power without counsell is brutish and selfe confounding so counsell without power is feeble and subject to be despised 3. By living orderly in a way of meekenesse humility and subjection in the feare of God and obedience to the wholesome Lawes established which is that we are taught by the truth of God Rom. 13. â— Let every soule be subject c. This I am sure will bring a man peace at the last If not externall yet internall which will be eternall 4. By searching out and exemplary punishing those that are the perturbers of our peace justly troubling those that have troubled Israel as Ioshua to Achan Psal. 34. 14 Thus seeke peace and pursue it by pursuing those that would rob us of it And certainely you will finde none are more enemies to and perturbers of our peace then those that are the perverters and opposers of our Truth either in judicature or Religion for these scatter and blow the coales of discontent in every corner that the whose house must needes be set on fire if they be not timely quenched And now give me leave by way of Conclusion a little to apply to you and my selfe the weight and force of this Text Therefore love the Truth and Peace Had we in this Church and State Right Honourable and the rest beene so happy in the love of truth and peace as we have beene in the long glorious injoying and the miraculous preservation of them among us certainely neither truth had this day beene so clouded and perplexed nor our peace so broken and distracted The God of truth and peace declares his displeasure and high indignation against us for the negligence coldnesse and ingratitude of many for the profanenesse Atheisme and malice of some for the superstition formality and backe-sliding of others How many are there that deny or despise spise or suppresse or oppose or contemne scorne and deride and corrupt and belye the Truth That the Prophets complaint may come neare our times Esay 59. 15. Truth faileth and he that departeth from iniquiry maketh himselfe a prey Nos patimâ—r longae pacis mala saevior armis Luxuria incumbit Long peace like faire weather hath raised up the vapours of sinnes to cloud our Sunne and trouble our Heaven withall which almost of us from highest to the lowest are not guilty of one or more of those forenamed degrees of neglect against truth which shewes wee have either no love at all or a small love a tepid and Laodicean love a shamefaced which is a shamefull love or a false and base love of truth not for it selfe but for our selves as our Diana the mystery by which our gaine or greatnesse are sustained If wee have not loved truth in peace were it not just with God to make us want truth in warre And because men received not the love of the truth he should give them over to strong delusions to beleeve a lye 2 Thes. 2. 10. Certainely God will severely exact of this Church and Nation of Prince and People of Preachers and Hearers an account for our long enjoyed and undervalued truth and peace Have wee so long beene a Vine planted and watered and fenced both to necessitie and omament by an excessive indulgence of God and doe wee bring forth soure grapes that neither please God nor profit men May we not justly feare what wee have deserved to be laid wast and desolute to be made a hissing and astonishment to all Nations that God should remove or extinguish the glorious Lampe of the Gospell in whose light we have not rejoyced because we have not loved it Love is an affection of union and fruition Doe we love the truth if we are weary of it tediously and peevishly affected to it willing to leave it and withdraw from it The loathing and nauseating of this Heavenly Manna as if we have had so much that it is necessary to recover and quicken mens appetites to it by a more scanty allowance of it is this to love the truth The tampering and essayes of someto clip or wash or new coyne or allay and abase with some Romish mixture the gold and puritie of our Doctrine is this to loue the truth That pure and refined Truth which hath passed the fiery triall hath beene baptized in the blood of many Martyrs sowne in a field made fruitfull with their ashes who loved not their lives so much as the Truth To set up lying vanities Pictures and Images and to cry downe Praying and Preaching whereby those toyles may be usefull and necessary to the ignorant because untaught people Is this to love the truth To suffer Idolatry or superstitious formalities in serving God to get ground upon our Opinions and practises Is this to love the truth Quae quo nudior eô venustior which the lesse it hath of painting the more it hath of true lovelinesse and native beauty Are not the lengthen and increase of Ceremonious shadowes a presage and signe of the shortning of our Day and setting of our Sunne or diminishing of our Light To quarrell at those Truths which have bin long ago determined by the Scripture in the publique confession of our Church and in the Writings or Preachings of our gravest learnedst Divines Prelates and others as in the points of Iustification by faith alone of Trasubstantiation of auricular Confession of prayer for the dead of worshipping before Images of fiduciary assurance and the like which some doting and superstitious Spirits dare to question and retractate Is this to love the truth What hath been done by Preaching and Printing by correcting or rather corrupting of Bookes where the correctors themselves deserve to be corrected your piety and wisedome may best finde out Nay such hath beene the shamelesse impudence and effrontery of some ridiculous heads that plaine and honest mindes shall be scorned derided and in judgling fashion cheated out of truth and the power of Religion which is a holy life if you doe not harden your faces and confirme your resolutions against supercilious vanity
of such men Whether they have any intent to reedifie Babels ruines or no I cannot tell some vehemently suspect it sure I am there is such a confussion and noveltie of Language affectated by some men of Altars Sacrifice Priests Corporiety of presence pennance auricular Confession Absolute that is blinde obedience the holy of holys and Adoration which must bee salved from a flat Idolatry or at best an empty formality by some distinction or notion that must be ready at hand that most people know not what they meane what they would have or what they intend to call for next Not that I am ignorant how farre pious antiquity did use these and such like words innocently without ill mind or meaning and without offence to the Church as then times were yet let mee tell you 1. Such swerving from the forme of sound words used in the Primitive and purest times occasioned and strengthened after errours 2. They were not then ingaged to mainetaine Truth against such erroneous and pernicious Doctrines as we now are of the reformed Church which Doctrines are now eagerly maintained by a proud faction who seeke to abuse antiquity and patronize their owne errours by using those names and words to other intents and things than ever was dreamed of by the Ancient Church 3. By such dangerous symbolizing with them in words and some outward formalities we doe but prepare our mindes and sweeten them with lesse distaste to relish their Doctrines and Tenets and as it were in a civill way wee complement our selves out of our Truth giving the adversaries strong hopes and presumptions as they have discovered that wee are inclining towards them To bee ashamed of frequent serious and conscientious preaching which was the worke of Christ and the holy Apostles the honour and chiefe imployment of the Primitive and best Bishops and Ministers in all ages as that deservedly famous Bishop Iewell in his Apologie prooves out of the Fathers sufficiently against the Popes and other idle bellyes which count preaching as a work below their greatnesse as indeede it is above their goodnesse Is this to love the truth To preach ridiculous impertinent flattering or corrupt matter which is the shame of the Pulpit and foolishnesse of preaching in good earnest so as to bring an infinite contempt odium and envie upon the Sacred function of the Ministry that men abhorre the Services of God and daily separate by swarmes from our Church are these the fruites of our love of the Truth Pudet haec opprobria nobis c. Sure there is something extreamely amisse and displeasing to God as well as men either in our Doctrine or manners or hearts or all Else whence should that burthen of dishonour those loades of reproaches be cast upon the Clergy which makes them drive so heavily and this even among Christians and reformed Churches whereas naturally all men though otherwise barbarous and insolent yet are prone to pay a speciall reverence and double honour to their holy men such as are in a more immediate neerenesse and relation to their deitie or gods Now truth carries a Divine Majesty and lustre with it casting a glory on every Moses or Man of God who converseth with it The more truth there is in any religion the more love and honour will arise from the professours to the Preachers of it if they seriously affect the one they cannot scornefully neglect the other God himselfe hath long agoe taught all men especially Church-men in Elyes heavy doome this lesson as an infallible maxime in point of True honour 1 Sam. 2. 30. Those that honour me I will honour and those that despise me shall be lightly regarded Saint Paul gives a charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 4. 12. and to Titus Tit. 2. 15. both Bishops Let no man despise thee c. One would think the Apostle should rather have charged the Ephesians and Cretians not to despise them but the Apostle shewes the true way for Ministers to be Masters of mens love and affections is to be a holy rule and example to mens life and actions To Timothy But be thou an example in word in conversation in love in spirit in faith and in purenesse 1 Tim 4. 12. To Titus Shewing thy selfe a patterne Tit. 2. 7. Certainely had Divines both great and small beene more busied in preaching and practising those great weighty and necessary Truths that are able to save their owne and others soules they would not have had such leisure to have beene so inventive and operative in poore beggerly toyes and trifles which neither bring honour nor profit to God themselves or others Nothing I say nothing will restore the Church and Church-men to their Pristine honour love and authority in mens hearts and minds but a serious setting of themselves to the study preaching and practising of Truth and Peace in a holy life These these were the Arts these the Policies these the pious fraudes and stratagems by which anciently they won peoples hearts to love God his truth and of themselves the witnesse of it To such a height of honour and extasie of love that they received them as Angels of God Embassadors from Heaven counting them deare as their right eyes Humility Piety and industry layd the foundation of all those magnificent structures dignities titles places revenues priviledges wherwith Church-men were anciently indowed what hath or is likely to wast and demolish them is easie to conjecture Iisdem artibus retinenda quibus olim parabantur O consider then I beseech you how precious a jewell how sweete and necessary a blessing we are like to loose by our want of love to it Solem e mundo tollunt what the Sun is to the world that is Gods Truth to our soule the light life joy day and soule of our soules As the darkenesse barrennesse coldnesse and deformity of the earth would be if the Sunne were alwayes absent from it or clouded to it such will the state of our poore soules and our Church be if the healing wings of the Sun of righteousnesse Truth be quite removed or onely a winters Truth clouded deaded and obscured by many superstitious Doctrines and practifes If I say such a truth content us where will be the chearefull light of the promises which now wee enjoy where that onely rock of the soules comfort which no temptation can shake or undermine the free Iustification of our soules by faith in the merits of Christ onely where the sound and well grounded peace of our consciences where the warmth of our zeale love and affections to God from the fiduciary apprehensions of his love to our soules where will be the ravishing joy hopes and expectation of a better life where the zealous care of leading here a holy life will not all these faile us if truth doth and is not truth like to faile if our love doth Are not all those flowers and beauties of our soules and Church heliotropia such as have their life and motion from
have laboured much for Truth and Peace I meane Commenius and Duraeus both famous for their learning piety and integrity and not unknowne I am sure by the fame of their Works to many of this Honourable learned and pious Assembly The one hath laid a faire designe and foundation for the raising up a Structure of Truth Humane and Divine of excellent use to all man-kinde for the easinesse and exquisitenesse of attaining the true knowledge of things The other hath long studied and with great paines endeavoured and well advanced the peace and unity of the reformed Churches a blessing that cannot be purchased at too dearea a rate whereunto hee hath the suffrages and assistance of many learned Divines and some of our owne especially the reverend Bishop of Salisbury as you may see in his letters to him and his late tractate De pace Ecclesiastica c. But alas both these noble plants to the infinite shame and reproach of the present age to the losse and detriment of the future a 〈…〉 like to wither to a barrennesse for want of publique incouragement and aid to goe on in so noble great and usefull undertakings I leave it to your Wisedomes at your leysure to consider whether it were not worthy the name and honour of this State and Church to invite these men to you to see and weigh their noble and excellent designes to give them all publike ayde and incouragement to goe on and perfect so happy Workes which tend so much to the advancing of Truth and Peace * But to return to your particular and neerer concernements If you love your selves your relations wives children houses lands libertiâ—s lives and honours if you love your King your Country your Church your coÌ„sciences your soules your Saviour your God Love the truth and Peace but heartily sincerely couragiously constantly Let your faith in the truth worke and shew it selfe by an active love of the truth Shall the Adversaries of our Truth and Peace be so bold vigilant and desperately active for the bringing in of their shaddowes lyes paintings and adulteries of Truth and Religion and shall we be cold remisse and timerous Shall they as Assasinates be prodigall of their owne and our bloods and shall we be sparing of our words estates or persons Hoc agite Doe then Gods businesse and the Kings and the Countries and in them all your owne Doe them worthy of your selves worthy of the honour of this Church and State worthy the memory and renowne of your Ancestors worthy the expectation of the world both at home and abroad the eyes of all Christendome being upon you especially the Reformed Churches whose hopes and prayers meete in you Doe them worthy the Majesty and favour of our gracious King worthy of the truth worthy of the glory of our God and great Redeemer At once shew yourselves good Subjects good Patriots good Counsellors good Men good Christians You have long enjoyed Truth and Peace therfore love them No Nation under Heaven hath more cause and will be lesse excusable therefore love them none hath had a clearer light of Truth and a greater length of Peace therefore love them you and yours have long thrived by them therefore love them you have Fasted and Prayed for the preservation of them therefore love them you are this day solemnely to renew your Covenant with God in the holy Sacrament the Seale of Gods love to you and yours to him therefore love the truth and peace for they are Gods And upon the heate and sacred flames which by this dayes duties possesse your affections take up I beseech you serious resolutions and make tacit vowes in your selves to God that you will love the truth and peace and by all lawfull wayes for other they neitherneed nor will allow seeke to advance them None are fit and prepared to receive but such as have hearts filled with this love none will have the comfort of worthy receiving but such as daily increase and persevere in this love For Conclusion I will use the last and weightiest argument in the world which raised the victorious soule of that great Apostle Saint Paul to such an invincible patience and unwearied Activenesse for Gods glory and the Churches good 2 Cor. â— 14. O let the love of Christ constraine you that free preventive transcendent love that humbled sorrowing sweating bleeding crying crucified dying love which this day is presented to you who loved our soules more than his owne life Greater love can no man expresse greater motive to love can no man desire Quid amplius pro se facere aut pati potuit quam pro te fecit passus est Christus What could Christ have done or suffered more if hee had beene to redeeme himselfe then hee hath both done and suffered to ransome thee and me Content to make himselfe the object of his Fathers wrath whom he infinitely loved that he might procure our peace O what shall wee render to him againe for this excessive love but an unfained love of him and his Church his Truth and Glory an undaunted zeale for his Honour and Worship for the purity and peace of his Church These are the things you shall doe speake yee every man the truth to his neighbour Execute the judgement of Truth Peace in your gates That so it may be fulfilled on you and us all which the Prophet prayes Esay 26. 2. The gates of mercy and peace here of glory and happinesse hereafter may be opened so that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter therein FINIS Acontius straing Sat. â—ing 3. 25. Mich. 4. 4. 1 Tim. 4 3. 1 Kings 22. Tâ—rtul Mal. 4. 1 Sam. 4. 21. D. de Rohan Interest des estates Angle terre est ungrand animal qui ne mourira ja mais si lue se tue luymesme Dur 〈…〉 s. Cousmenius * Whereunto if it shall please God to encline any of your thoughts for the effectuall promoting of so commendable purposâ—s notwithstanding the distances whereat they now are the one being in â—â—land the other in Deâ—marke yet there is a faire easie and safe way of addresses to them both opened by the industry and fidelâ—ty of Mr. Hartliâ—e whose house is in Dukes place in London a Gentleman who hath beene a constant furtherer and great coadjutor witâ— them both in their Works who hath correspondence with them whose learning piâ—â—y and unwearied industry towards the publike good are so well knowne to the learned world and many of your selves as well as to me that he needs not the farther testimony of my Pen Zach. 8. 16.