to be made manifest unto the world and whosoever in his place of trust in England or else where hath no sincere aim to glorify God in the manifestation of this truth whereunto all the forenamed duties by the Spirit and Word are made subordinate in holding it forth unto the world by his people he cannot approve his conscience to be upright towards God for the concernments of his Saints and the truth of Christianity not faithfull to the Commonwealth whereof he is a member because it is knowne that no Commonwealth of this world shall henceforth subsist long or finally prosper but in order to the Kingdome of Jesus Christ as grounded upon this and upheld by this way of settlement Isa 60.11 12. Therefore in the third place if he will reflect upon the present state of the Commonwealth of England and doth know that Christ by his kingdome doth uphold the pillars of the Earth till he shall inherit all Nations and that the Commonwealths of the world have a being only till his Elect be gathered out of them and that in seeking the kingdome of God first and his righteousnesse to be settled in a Commonwealth all other welfare will be added unto it If these Maximes are known and presupposed then the temporal concernments of a State may and ought to be laid to heart in the next place and therein the duty of a faithfull Patriot and good Commonwealths man seriously considered whereby every one who is not void of all reason and honesty will be taught in such a juncture of time to lay aside in his publick place all private interests and grudges and look to the present common concernment wherewith the Parliament is intrusted in respect of men Which we conceive is briefly this To preserve the safety and to continue the peace of the Nation at home To procure the prosperity and to maintain the Credit thereof abroad Therefore his faithfulness will be to imploy his abilities industry and authority to make use of the means and wayes which God and Nature hath fitted and put in his hand to further these purposes of which means our thoughts we hope may be offered here and as they are without partiality so they will be received without prejudice by all that are intelligent To preserve then the safety it is absolutely necessary that some apparent and allowed form of Government be settled therein because the experience of all ages agreeable to sound reason doth shew that nothing doth ruine a people so suddenly and so absolutly as Anarchy which is a state wherein no Government being visible it is free for every one to do by himselfe in private and towards others in publick whatsoever his own fantasie or his unruly passion doth suggest unto him which needs must fall out when there is no common Rule to walk by nor any due respect had to any superiour Now how farre the Government settled in a great multitude of men whose humours and capacities being by nature education and custome many wayes different and in some things opposite yet have all alike an equall hand in the Government of a Nation doth naturally tend to a perpetuall unsettlement of all rule in a Commonwealth and consequently to an unlimited permission for every leader of a party to get power and thereby to oppose and disturbe the way of such as dissent from him or for every member of a party to do for himself what ever seemeth good in his own eyes we say how far a Government so constituted in the hands of such a multitude doth naturally tend to a perpetuall unsettlement of all bonds of humane spirituall civill and naturall societies we shall not set our selves to lay open it may be seen daily abroad in all meerly popular Governments nor will it be needfull nor is it expedient in this discourse for proof hereof to make any observation upon the changes lately fallen out in England by reason of such a way of Government but it will suffice to take notice that no Forreigners ever could perceive any ground of safety or settlement in that Commonwealth till it hapned that the Assembly which in the year 1653 was called and acted as a Parliament perceiving its own insufficiency by reason of its divisions within it self to settle matters in a right frame did resigne the power of Governing into the hands of a few over whom a Head was set which hath since given sufficient proof to the world both of his faithfulnesse to his Nation and of his Abilities to Govern with Diligence Courage Foresight Moderation and it is believed abroad that as long as he shall continue in the fear of God and not be lifted up in his heart his course will not be interrupted and as long as this course which by him and his Counsell is taken shall continue without interruption that the State will be more and more settled in a flourishing condition and not only remain safe within it self but become daily more and more formidable to all that are enemies unto it Upon which consideration as all Forraigners who wish well to England for the Interest which in the Common Cause of Protestants by this Mans conduct it hath begun to embrace do stand amazed at the wonderfull hand of God in raising him beyond all mens thoughts and in keeping him against so many desperate plots so they hope that the faithfull in the land and the Patriots of the Commonwealth in their supream Assembly will no lesse be sensible than Forraigners are of this strange Providence and in this their Meeting set their hearts to concur with it and carry it on not only by a confirmation of the Authority with the limitations already agreed upon but by an addition of that respect thereunto which will make it more considerable and unquestionably receivable according to the Fundamental Statute laws of the Nation by all as well at home as abroad For by such a settlement of the Government the safty of the State will be in all humane appearance henceforth secured from all dangerous commotions and conspiracies which otherwise will never be wanting so long as the Pretenders to an absolute government have power or can conspire with the enemies of the State to disturbe the quiet thereof and repossesse themselves of their pretensions Thus then the safety of the Nation may be secured at this time from many dangerous plots namely by this addition of Authority to the Government and consequently by this means the Peace thereof at home will also be continued and confirmed because the quietnesse of a State depends upon the Authority of the ruling Power which cannot rest long setled in the hands of a Multitude chiefly when there is a necessity of managing a War abroad whereunto the united strength and Counsel of a Nation must concur to make it successefull And how far the government of strength and Counsel can be managed by a multitude successefully to continue is not easily conceivable in notion far lesse approved
A HEALING MOTION From abroad to the PARLIAMENT OF THE Common-wealth OF ENGLAND SCOTLAND AND IRELAND c. An. o Dominj 16â—â— The Letter sent to the Publisher of the following descourse Sir YOur noted affection to serve the publick and to do all good offices to strangers give me this freedome in an unknown habit to apply my selfe unto you to present you with the sense of Forrainers well-willers to England who look hopefully upon the present Parliament You need not know who has sent it it is not at all materiall nor usefull to be known Believe it as a great truth that the thing expressed here is the hearty desire of true Protestants abroad and as such let it be made publick You may own this way of receiving it but are intreated earnestly to satisfie no mans curiosity in telling any of your owne conjectures whence it is sent it is enough that it comes from abroad and that no living soule of the English Nation either in or out of England was ever acquainted with the writing or sending of it to you And let this suffice to free it from suspition of a supposititious work behold the Lord is a witnesse that I speak the Truth This Motion is wholly from abroad from none in England and was never thought on by any there As for matter of partiality it will free it self to all that are ingenuous others ought not to be regarded And if you think good you A Healing Motion From abroad to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland c. THere be Two Passions in the corrupt nature of man which are most destructive to all humane Societies the one is from the Spirit of Envy or evill designing the other is from the Spirit of Jealousie or evill surmising The last can see nothing but evill in others the first begets a hatred against others for the good that is seen in them They proceed both from the light of self-love and pride and begets in those that are led by them all manner of distance division and contradiction as to matters of counsell and all confusion strife and opposition as to matters of action whereupon the ruine of all States must needs follow when in the MeÌ„bers thereof these passions become so predominant that men are not able to entertain any Christian or civill inclinations to mutual confidence and charity without which no common Interest can be maintained And although no humane passions in natural men are so incurable as these because they are most deeply rooted in the corruption of nature yet in two sorts of men they may be rectified and subdued namely in such who are not altogether void of the life of true Christianity in respect of God and in such who making use of their Reason pretend to ingenuity and common honesty in reference to men We say in such men who are upright in heart towards God in the kingdom of his Son and towards mankind in the State wherein they live these Passions will not be prevalent against the bonds of spiritual and natural duties which Christians and Country-men owe to each other Now because it is conceived that at this time nothing can disturbe in humane appearance the welfare of England if these distempers arise not between the Members of this Parliament and the Governours of the State therefore it is come into the heart of some who live abroad persons disingaged from all particular relations to any party formed in the Nations but well willers to the whole Body thereof to represent without prejudice in a Christian way of love and solliciteousnesse that which they conceive may prevent or cure in men of ingenuity and of a publick spirit the forenamed distempers if any which we hope not should by weaknes or design be set a working lest unhappily at such a juncture the corruption which is natural to all men turn any of their generous hearts from the aim and their feet from the way of their chief duty which is to be helpfull to the State and faithfully usefull one to an other in their station that they may with heart and hand concur together to advance the glory of God in their Generation and the welfare of the Nation which hath put its Interests into their hands For these are the two main ends of their calling unto the high imployment whereunto by God and man they are admitted because in the last of these the private safety and happinesse of every one is wraped up and unto the first all other Interests are subordinate And although Forraigners can take no cognisance of the choice of persons to the places whereunto they are called yet because they are not a little concerned in their performing or not performing of the duties by which the forenamed ends of their calling are attainable chiefly at this seasonable time when the Common-wealth is acting abroad and deliberating at home Therefore they may lawfully and without offence endeavour to suggest what they know to be conducible for the attainment of the main Aims forementioned because such as have a common concernment and may be loosers or gainers together ought to minde each other of the means and wayes by which their Interest may be advanced Now it is out of all doubt that much of the temporall wellfare of all Forraign Protestants is involved in the good settlement well-being and prosperity of England to carry on the common cause which by a speciall providence at this time it hath embraced to make amends for the former failing in this kind over which all Protestants had cause to complain and the honest godly souls at home lamented It shall then be supposed in this Discourse not only that the Choice is lawfull but also that the persons chosen are qualified with the endowments requisite for their places that is with a true sense of Christianity and with the right use of humane reason in humane affaires To such then this plain motion is made by those who abroad wish well to England That seeing their hand is now at the plough they would not look backward but forward That is That they would settle their hearts to settle the State in a way of carrying on the common Interest of Gods People both within and without the Nation and that they would not intangle themselves in the disputes of times past and things past remedy which can produce nothing but discontent and distraction between themselves at home with discredit and disadvantage to the Nation abroad And to open this matter a little further even to the meanest of all mens capacities though never so much prepossessed with the thoughts of partiality we shall say that the main Interest of all Gods people every where is twofold First That in their dayes they may see the manifestation of Gods glory advanced amongst themselves to be derived to their posterity Secondly That their own temporal well being may be settled in a durable course which in humane reason will not be
subject to sudden alterations And to carry on those designes as the care and faithfulnesse of those that are intrusted with a Parliamentary Power ought in the fear of God to be engaged so to help foreward the performance of the work it self in our dayes let it be free for Forreigners to represent their thoughts concerning the means without which these designs cannot possibly and by which they may infallibly be carried on to some perfection And to this end the nature of the main thing aymed at namely the glory of our God being made known the means by which it may be advanced and in order thereunto the way to settle the Common welfare of the State will evidently appear The glory of God then is chiefly made known and manifest in the fruits of his goodness to his people where is to be discerned who Gods people are and what the fruits of his goodnesse are unto them The People of God are they that know his name in Christ that own it and will be called by it that worship him in spirit and truth according to his revealed Word and Will by Christ and that through Christ alone make him their refuge The fruits of his goodnesse to this his people are these 1. That having revealed himself unto them and called them effectually to himself out of this evill world they are set unchangably under the Banner of his love in the new Covenant and his Spirit Word and Ordinances dwell with them 2. That by this Spirit Word and Ordinances they are inabled and directed to serve him all the dayes of their life in righteousnesse and holinesse being freed from the power and fear of all their enemies 3. And that they have a sure hope to possesse a Kingdome that can not be shaken when the things that are shaken shall be removed As in the enjoyment of these blessings Gods people is made happy so in the appearance thereof upon them his glory is made manifest unto the world He then that will in his place advance the manifestation of this glory ought to further according to his abilitie Gods people to stand under the enjoyment of these blessings Now if it be asked by what means and how can the manifestation of this Glory be advanced by Men To this it may be Answered That no man can advance it otherwise then by setting himself to become a receptacle thereof and by conveying in his place the evidence thereof unto others From whence it will follow that if the Members of this Parliament are men who have indeed set themselves to be receptacles of these fruits of Gods goodnes if they know the true advantage how to make right use of their places for God and if they really will lay to heart how they ought to convey the manifestation of his goodnesse to their own Nation and the men of this Generation then we may infer that this Design will certainly prosper in their hand and be carried on by them in their present station but if any void of these thoughts be enclined to envy and jealousie against his neighbours for private occasions or against those who have managed the publique affairs of State if he thinks of quarrelling with them and how to ravell into their matters odiously making use of his place to carry on some designe against them let him look to his own heart in the fear of God let him judge that a heart in that frame is no receptacle of the goodnesse of God and consequently is not upright towards the main aym of a Parliamentary Station and calling whence will follow that he who is possessed therewith and led therewith can never approve himself in the Trust committed unto him either honest towards God and his people or faithfull to the State Now if such a one being conscious to himselfe that he is judged by these words which discover the error of his way shall desire to make streighter paths for his feet least that which is lame in his poore and narrow soul be turned out of the way let him not slight the plain suggestions which here are to be made but seriously with a single Christian eye reflect First upon himselfe Secondly upon the people of God and Thirdly upon the present state of the Common-wealth of England Reflecting upon himselfe let him be jealous over his own soul and seek to discerne the frame of that Spirit by which he was ledd that he may know with what Christian Inclinations towards God and men he stands in his place for if he cannot judge himself how shall he be able as a parliament member ought to judge and rectifie others If he cannot take the beam out of his owne eye how shall he take the mote out of his Neighbours If then he is willing to go out of himselfe and to lay himselfe aside that he may be capable to serve others through love if he shall be desirous to receive all to the glory of God as Christ hath received us and in like manner to be received by all If in this way of receiving and being received he hath gotten his minde composed to mannage the publique concernments of Christianity without murmuring and disputing without wrathfull mallice and strife being enabled in meeknesse to receive and to hold forth to all the light which he hath received If he hath been taught in bearing with dissenters to discerne their principles to make a difference between those that keep the foundation and those that overturne it to deal patiently with all that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devill and if he hath studied the wayes of Peace of Truth of Righteousnesse to be found not only blamelesse and harmlesse towards all men as he would have all men to be found towards himselfe but also to hold forth the word of life and to shine as a light in that life before men If we say reflecting upon himselfe he discern without flattery in his own spirit this frame wrought by grace or a sincere desire and breaking forth of endeavours to have it wrought he may entertain hopes to become through mercy serviceable and usefull in his place for the advancement of Gods glory amongst his people But if to these thoughts and desires his spirit is an utter stranger if with these motions and endeavours he hath not at all been hitherto acquainted let him judge himself in the presence of the Lord before he be judged and condemned let him not play the hypocrite to meddle with holy things and take the name of our God in vain whiles his heart is far from him For the Lord will not hold him guilty who taketh his name in vaine Let him not presume above his line nor meddle with that whereunto he is not called nor set apart for no man can be a Vessell of Honour in the hand of the Lord for the house of his glory to serve therein whom he hath not endowed with these Principles and inclinations by which
the way of true Christianity is held forth amongst the generation of his children to the rest of the world Reflecting therefore in the second place upon the People of God he ought to discern the duty which by his place with his best abilities he oweth unto them namely that he is appointed to bear them as they are the vessels of the Lord even all the vessels of great and smal quantitie from the Vessels of cups to all the vessels of flagons The cups are the younger sort the flagons the elder The Schools for the younger and the Churches for the elder are to be borne up and the breaches of many generations therein to be repared and that is to be done by so much Publique Authority as God hath given to nursing Fathers and with so much care and influence as becometh Elders and Leaders in a way sutable to the Gospel and to the day of Christs power He that cares not for these Concernments of Gods people to advance in his station the evidencing of Gods goodnesse unto the seed plots of the Nation as well as to the plants of full growth but would have all ingrossed to some one party with the exclusion of others cannot be said to serve the generation of his children and consequently is not found faithfull to the publique trust committed unto him for if he will be counted a Shepherd or leader of the flock he ought according to the nature and in the capacity of his place to carry the Lambs in his bosom and lead tenderly those that are with young to oversee the husbandry of mens souls and to seek the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem that the beauty of holiness by the goodnesse of the Lord may rest manifestly upon his people that all wicked doers may be cut off from the Citty of the Lord in that way which the Lord himselfe hath appointed and taught the Judges of his people as at the first and the Councellors as at the beginning For the way of the Lord is plain as well in the streets of naturall reason as in the path of Christianity and they that will see may see the means to be made use of and find a Directory for the application of the same without difficulty First they will see that the word revealed in the Law and Testimony ought not to be concealed from Gods people That the Ordinances ought to be countenanced and upheld that the faithfull Teachers ought not to be removed into a corner and thrust away from the faithfull of the Land either by subtilty or violence That the Office of the Ministry should not be made contemptible and become an object of strife and contradiction That fit men endowed with Ruling and Propheticall abilities should be set a part to dwell before the Lord and attending the charge of his house without distraction they should be counted worthy of double honour they should not want sufficient food nor durable cloathing nor the respect due unto their faithfullnesse in their places Secondly they will see further that the liberty of the Saints should also be maintained That none should be suffered to assert or attempt to have dominion over the faith of Gods children nor to put a yoak or snare upon their consciences yet that this liberty should not be suffered on the other hand to run out into licentiousnesse by the dissolution of all rule or the neglect of the orderly wayes of mutuall edification under a pretence that Christ is the sole Lord and Ruler in and over the conscience and that in the latter dayes all shall be taught of God for although Christ doth by his power rule the whole world yet he rules his Saints within his Church and hath never exempted their conscience from the rules of his word and Spirit nor promised to teach any without these as held forth in his Church nor purchased a priviledge to any not to stand under the direction of his revealed will in the Law and Testimony given to his Church nor limited the power of his vicegerents over the society of men so that it should be unlawfull for them to see the rules observed which he hath given to mankind and to the assemblies of his Saints which they are commanded to protect whereby the glory of his goodnesse unto them is made manifest Thirdly they will see also that not onely in civill Administrations but in the Assemblies of the Saints God hath appointed distinct callings That these are regulated by him because he is the God of peace and good order and not of disorder and confusion That the limits of these callings should be discerned and observed and that men who in humane affaires have no rule over their own spirit and yet take upon them to rule all Spiritual matters onely by the unruly motions of their private fancies should not be hearkened unto but be brought to know their bounds in speaking and acting and consequently that women should be made obedient to the Apostles Law which is that they should keep silence in the Church knowing that it is a shame for them to speak in the congregation 1 Cor. 14.34 35. 1 Tim. 2.12 or to take upon them to teach and to usurp Authority over men Fourthly they will furthermore see that the Saints ought to be induced and walk in love to owne one another in that whereunto they are come to agree in the clear rules of mutual edification and removing offences which dishonour the Gospell To bear one anothers burdens and to make manifest their agreement and brotherly union in the way of Truth and Peace till God bringing them unto a compleat growth in Christ and their moderation being made known to all men they may attain unto the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ and be no more carried up and downe as Children with every wind of doctrine By the use of these means and the discreet setting of them a foot the reproach which hath been cast upon England by their adversaries with much industry and artifice shall be taken off from the face of the people of God in the course of their visible observing of Ordinances and the obloquie of the ignorant which by this occasion hath been raised against all the Reformed Churches abroad shall be silenced and then the communion of Saints with Forrain Churches may be set a foot and hopefully continued till the prayer of Christ be fullfilled Joh. 19.10 〈◊〉 wherein he desired that all who shall beleeve in his name by the word of his Apostles may be one as the Father is in him and he is in the Father that they also may be one in them to the end that the world may beleeve Joh. 3.16 that the Father hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that whosoever believeth in him may not perish but have life everlasting For this is the great testimony of the love of God and of his goodnesse towards his people and this is that which is