Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A85013
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A fast sermon preached on innocents day by Thomas Fuller, B.D. Minister of the Savoy.
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Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing F2423; Thomason E86_16; ESTC R22109
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16,581
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34
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that High and Honourable Court though that they know fulwell that peace is that we stand in need of yet they take delight in our duty yea expect our service herin to petition for peace that so our begging of peace may in effect be a modest mannerly expression of an harty thanks for their long and constant endeavours herein Wherefore what Tertullus said flatteringly to Felex we may say truly and feelingly to them seeing that very worthy deeds are done to this Nation by their providence we accept alwaies and in all places with all thankfulnes Notwithstanding I pray you that you of your Clemency would heare us a few words And let us in all Humility not directing but beseeching them without a tumultuous thought most peacable and pathetically begge of them and sue unto them to continue their care in advancing a seasonable and happy accomodation that so the blessing pronounced in my text may lie both upon them and theirs Blessed are the Peacemakers 26 Thirdly we must be content soundly to pay for peace we read Exod. 38. 8. And he made the Lever of Brasse and the foot of it of Brasse of the Looking-glasses of the Women assembling which assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation It seemeth that the backsids of their Looking-glasses were made of brasse which commonly with us are made of wood and they consigned them over for Gods service and good reason too for formerly they had given their eraerings for the making of a Calfe Justly therefore now they did pennance for their pride as counting it Honour enough that that wherein they looked their owne faces should make the foot of Gods Leaver But what should not people give to buy a true peace and a peace with Truth O how many yeeres purchase is it worth let us not thinke much to give all our superfluities but to give fome of our necessaries for the advancing and obtaining of it 27 Fourthly let us banish out of our mouthes all words and phrases of contempt and reproach I could instance in the word but that it is beneath the Majesty of a Pulpit which the malice of men hath minted and fastned on opposite parties O let us have no other Christian name then the name of Christians or other surname then Christian Protestants neither answering to nor calling others by any term of disgrace 28 Fifthly let us with a speedy serious and generall repentance remove the crying sinnes of our Kingdome which as long as they last wil bane all peace amongst us I say speedy least the physick come too late for the disease serious least the tent be too short for the wound generall least the plaster be too narrow for the sore Suppose that the Sea should breake forth in this Land as such a thing may come to passe The Lord is King saith David let the earth rejoyce yea let the multitude of of the Isle he glad thereatr Psal. 97. 1. And good reason hath the Iles to be glad as more particularly concerned for if the water were not countermanded by Gods Prerogative Royall it would speedily recover its naturall place above the earth But suppose the Sea should break into the Land it is not the endeavours of a private man can stop it what if he goes downe with a faggot on his backe and a matrock on his shoulder and a spade in his hand his desire is more commendable then his discretion it being more likely the Sea would swallow him then he stop the mouth thereof No the whole Country must come in children must bring earth in their hats women in their aprons men with handbarrowes wheelbarrowes carts carres waines waggons all must worke least all be destroyed I rather instance in this expression of the irruption of the Sea because I finde Gods anger so compared in holy writ 1 Chron. 14. 11. David said God hath broken in upon mine enemies like the breaking forth of waters So when a generall deluge and inundation of Gods anger seaseth upon a whole Kingdome it cannot be stopt by the private endeavours of some few but it must be an universall work by a generall repentance all must raise bankes to bound it Till this be done I am afraid we shall have no peace and to speak plainly I am afraid we are not yet ripe for Gods mercy as Gideon Judg. 7. 4. had too many men for God to give victory to so we are too proud hitherto for God to give peace too many of us are Humiliati but few of us are Humiles Many by these warres brought loe but few made loely so that we are proud in our poverty and as the unjust Steward said to beg I am ashamed so we are too stout thogh halfe starved on the bended knees of our soules with true repentance to crave pardon of God for our sinnes which till it be done we may discourse of peace and superficially desire it but never truely care for it or can comfortably receive it 29 And indeed wee may take forcible motives from our owne miseries to endeavour peace by all possible meanes for look upon the complexion of the warre and doth it not look of a most strange and different hue from other warres The wars of Germany which give me leave to say if we had pittied by the proxie of a true Simpathy we had never so soon suffered them in our owne person were far lighter affliction then ours In Germany people when hunted with warre took covert in their fenced Citties But here in England we have no guard against wars blow but lye open to plundering and destruction Germany was a great Continent bearing six hundred miles square so that whilst one part thereof was mowed downe with warre the other enjoying peace might grow up in the meane time But little England great onely in her miseries severed by the Sea from other Countries and by devisions parted from het selfe is a morsell which civill warre will quickly devoure Thirdy in Germany commanly they lay in Garrison in winter and fought in sommer we read 2 Sam. 6. 1 And it came to passe at the time when Kings goe forth to battell This all Comments generally expound of the spring time But alas if we in our woes were Antipodes to all others our miseries begin when others end in the winter time Pray saith out Saviour that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabboth-day winter fights woful fights Sabboth wars sorrowful warres and yet such are these in our Kingdome Lastly in Germany Papists did fight against Protestants where as our intestine wars are against those that professe the same Religion 30 It hath been a great curse of God upon us to make a constant misunderstanding betwixt our King and his Parliament whilest both professe to levell at the same end I cannot compare their case better than to the example of Ruben and Judah Gen. 37. There Ruben desired and endeavoured to preserve the life of his brother Joseph
cruelty to the Protestants at Hedlebergh of their cruelty to Protestants of Magdenberge of their cruelty to the Protestants at Rochel for if these wars continue wee are likely not onely to equall but to out-doe these cruelties one to another so that discharging this accusation of bloudinesse against them it will rebound and recoile in our own faces Put all these together that warre makes a Land more wicked makes a Land more wofull is bad in it selfe is worse in its traine destroyes Christian people and disgraces Christian profession and then will all have just cause to say as it is in my Text Blessed are the Peace-makers 13. If any object that peace also hath her mischiefes which attend thereupon for it brings plenty and plenty brings pride and pride brings plagues upon it peace makes men pampered and with Jessurun to kick against God War indeed brings cleannesse of teeth whilest peace brings fulnesse of bread which is as bad and worse making men presumptuously to rebell against God The answer is easie woes may come from peace but they must come from warre miseries arise from the very use of warre which come but from the abuse of peace being essentiall to warre but accidentall to peace inherent alwaies in the one adherent too often to the other in a word in war calamities proceed from the thing it selfe in peace from men abusing it 14. Object But peace without truth is rather poyson then a cordiall O let us not be like the thirsty traveller who so long longs for water that at last he drinkes mud and water together not only without distinction or distaste but even with delight O let us not with Sampson so dote on the Dalilah of peace as to get her love to betray truth wherein our strength lyes Some perchance would propound peace unto us but on such servile conditions as Naash the Ammonite offered a truce to the men of Jabesh-Gilead 1 Sam. 11. 2. On this condition will I make a covenant with you that I may thrust out all your right eyes and lay it for a reproacb upon all Israel And so if we will give in truth to boot and put out our owne eyes into the bargaine forfeit the true faith and knowledge of God with the purity of his service then perchance a peace may be proffered us but as Peter said to Simon Magus Act. 8. 20. Thy mony perish with thee so let such a hellish peace perish with those that seek to promote it 15. In the answering of this objection give me leave as Peter said Act. 2. 29. Men and brethren let me freely speake unto you of the Patriarch David so let me boldly and fully speak in answer to the objection If leave be denied mee I know whence my commission is derived I am an Embassadour for the God of Heaven if I speake what is false I must answer for it if truth it will answer for me And what I have to say I will divide into foure Propositions 16. Prop. 1. Cursed be hee that seekes to divide Peace from Truth I must confesse I was never bred upon Mount Ebal neither did ever my tongue take delight in cursing The rather because we may observe Deut. 27. 12. that the most eminent Tribes from wch the Princely Priestly men descended Levi Iudah Ephraim Benjamin took their station in Mount Gerasin to shew that Magistrates Ministers are principally to inure their mouths to blessing And yet for those that feek to sever peace from truth I cannot refrain my self but must say Cursed be they in the city and cursed be they in the field cursed be they in their basket and in their store cursed be they in the fruit of their body and in the fruit of their land in the increase of their kine and in the stock of their sheep cursed shall they be when they come in and cursed shall they be when they go out 17. Pro. 2. Before this warre began wee had in England truth in all essentiall to salvation Wee had all necessary and important truths truly compiled in our 39. Articles We had the word of God truly preacht I could wish it had been more frequently and generally the Sacraments duly administred which two put together doth constitute a true Church S. Paul 1 Cor. 15. 18. being to prove the resurrection of the dead presseth the Corinthians with this among other Arguments Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished Putting them a most uncharitable absurdity that in case the dead arise not againe they must be bound to confess that all the Saints formerly deceased were perished And surely such as deny that England before this warre began had all essentiall truth to salvation must of necessity split themselves on the same uncharitable rocke and passe a sentence of condemnation on all those which dyed in our Church before these two yeares last past 18 3. Pro. Many errors in Doctrine and innovation in discipline did creepe fast into our Church Arminian positions Tenents reason to Gods grace invaded the truth of the Word in many places One Ceremony begat another there being no bounds in will-worship wherewith one may sooner be wearied then satisfied The inventors of new Ceremonies endeavouring to supply in number what their conceits wanted in solidity and God knowes before this time where they had been if they had not been stopt 19 4. Pro. The best and onely way to purge these errors out is in a faire and peaceable way for the sword cannot discerne betwixt error and falshood it may have two edges but hath never an eye Let there on Gods blessing be a Synode of truely grave pious and learned Divines and let them both fairely dispute and fully decide what 's true what 's false what Ceremonies are to be retained what to be rejected and let civill authortie stampe their command upon it to be generally received under what penaltie their descretion shall think fitting But as long as Warre lasts no hope of any such agreement this must be a worke for Peace to performe So then under the notion of Peace hitherto we have and hereafter doe intend such a Peace as when it comes we hope will restore truth unto us in all the accidentall and ornamentall parts thereof and adde it to that truth in essentialls to salvation which we enjoyed before this Warre began and in this sence I will boldly pronounce blessed be the Peace-makers 20 Come we now to consider what be the hindrances of Peace these hindrances are either generall or particular The generall hindrance is this The many nationall sinnes of our kingdome being not repented of I say of our kingdome not of one Army alone Thinke not that the Kings Army is like Sodome not ten righteous men in it no not if righteous Lot himselfe be put into the number and the other Army like Syon consisting all of Saints No there be drunkards on both sides and swearers on both sides and whoremungers