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A55028 The necessity and encouragement, of utmost venturing for the churches help together with the sin, folly, and mischief of self-idolizing applyed by a representation of 1. some of the most notorious nationall sins endangering us, 2. the heavy weight of wrath manifested in our present calamities, yet withall, grounds of 3. confidence, that our church shall obtain deliverance in the issue, 4. hopes that the present Parliament shall be still imployed in the working of it : all set forth in a sermon, preached to the honorable House of Commons, on the day of the monethly solemn fast, 28. June, 1643 / by Herbert Palmer ... Palmer, Herbert, 1601-1647. 1643 (1643) Wing P243; ESTC R21704 67,757 76

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once a just reward of our too much tolerating them from the very first but much more of late years and a strange symptome of strange lukewarmnesse in us to suffer such enemies to God and our selves so much while yet they so often and so desperately refused to suffer us to be at quiet in our condition notwithstanding The 2. Ignorance is very much aggravated by the innumerable multitudes tainted with that soul-killing sin in which of all others it is impossible for any to be saved And yet scarce a fist I may say a tenth man or woman through the whole Kingdom in a better condition as will be found to our incomparable grief and shame specially the Lawes and persons have been so extremly wanting to remedy this all this while when once an effectuall course comes to be taken to make this Land a Christian Nation in earnest by bringing the generality of our people to knowledge The 3. is a wickednesse unheard of I think in the world among any people of any religion whatsoever unlesse in Italy where yet it is not comparable to what is among us and most audaciously and uncontrolledly practised in our England every where even by no beggers neither And this I rank under the 1. Commandement though immediatly seeming to be against men because it is against men meerly for Gods sake because they shew some respect to his Law and Word and so most properly against God himself I know not whether a formall Atheist known to be so but keeping himself quiet would do the one half of that mischief that this Atheisticall scorner doth Against the second I name superstition and the heavy weight put upon ceremonies and circumstances and humane ordinances while the holy Ordinances of God have been shamefully neglected by an Ignorant-pluralizing-nonresident-carelesse and unsufficiently-maintained-Ministery and a prophane people that liked all this well enough and even loved to have it so Against the third 1. Vain oaths cursings and blasphemies in infinite multitudes 2. And either unnecessary oaths in Universities and upon Officers and Inquests and private persons Or 3. at least no regard of their observation in those that take them or in those that give them 4. Extream prophanenesse in the common-sort and others in the very publike Assemblies and the most solemn services of God by sleeping going out and in at their pleasure talking and laughing oft-times and no redresse of it by Officers care or Magistrates endeavour 5. A twisted cord of Simony and perjury for Benefices 6. Also a flood of riot and drunkennesse overflowing all places and bearing down all reproof 7. And finally the most horrid prophanation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper by the unworthy receiving of ignorant and apparently godlesse persons The inexcusable fault of persons in authority and even of Laws too in suffering such pollution of so sacredan Ordinance Pollution I say to those prophane receivers of it to their own damnation though not to others who have no authority to keep them back And yet that heart-grief that they who are the most zealous for Christs honour and other mens souls herein have taken for such Prophanation and the grievous scandall that this hath continually given and doth give to this day to many thousands perhaps of weak ones whom this alone hath driven from our Church is a fearfull aggravation of this sinne of our Nation Against the fourth there hath been most notorious prophanations violations of the Sabbath the Lords day and notwithstanding the Doctrin of it more clearly among us even authorized then anywhere else in the world as also the practise of it more glorious here then anywhere and an answerable prosperity ever since Queen Elizabeths time according to the prophesie Esay 58. 13 14. yet the prophanation had been more impudent and outragious then anywhere else Men having undertaken to make void Gods holy Commandment as it were by a Law and even by persecuting all that would not consent to such violation Then which scarce so great affront was ever put upon God by any Nation professing his Name Against the fift Clandestine marriages without and against Parents consent for which the Lawes have no sufficient prevention nor redresse Against the sixt The fearfull guilt of innocent blood of the Martyrs shed of old in time of Popery and the fresh bleeding wounds though not to the extremity because power was wanting of Gods faithfullest Ministers and people persecuted to the utmost extremity of colour of law and oft a great way beyond law Many pincht themselves and families next to utter undoing if not altogether with sore wants by that means Thousands of late driven out of the Kingdom into America and threatned even theretoo And by and with all this That scarce at all feared or thought of but most prodigiously frightfull guilt of the blood of souls Thousands and Millions so far as can be judged by any rules of Scripture gone to hell out of this Kingdom even since the reformation for want of good lawes and through wicked Magistrates Civill and Ecclesiasticall and wicked Ministers and Neighbours in stead of good ones Millions I say now howling in hell in those infernall flames from whence there is no redemption damned through the undeniable defect of sufficient means of salvation in an ordinary way and through the damnable persecution made against all shew of godlinesse A wickednesse for which alone it is next a miracle that God hath not sunk the whole Kingdom into the bottom of the Sea long ere this Against the seventh The abominable filthinesse of whoredom and adultery specially never sufficiently shamed or frighted but of late years grown beyond all shame And the wickednesse of Play-houses suffered which though generally against all the Commandments one way or other yet for the most part more immediatly against this Against the eighth The oppression usury racking of Rents Inclosures depopulations defrauding of Creditors by lands paying no debts and of Purchasers by preconveyances Perverting of justice Ingrossing commodities enhaunsing of prises every where cried out upon Against the ninth All kinde of lying and slandering And finally against all the Commandments The generall lukewarmnesse of all our Lawes against sinne either belonging to the first or second Table I cannot now instance in the particulars But if it be seriously considered it will be found as I say That scarce any one Law made since the Reformation for Religion or against any particular sin but hath a deep taint of Laodicean lukewarmnesse something is said as to restrain wickednesse but so weakly as there is much to be considered even about our best Laws But withall there hath been generally a great want of a godly Discipline for the Church all this while The government being left in the hands of men who were scarce so much as likely in reason to use that power they had according to God
virtuall promise to England 3 3. But I take it for a much stronger ground and more undoubted That the word of God in the Story and in the threatnings together hath an epitome of all that God will do to his Church planted in my Nation And that God will never deal more severely with any Nationall Church then his Word which is every way most perfect relates or threatens Therefore if it cannot be found in the Scripture that God did ever bring destruction upon his Church planted in a Nation or transplant his Church wholly out of such a Land while they were in such a condition as ours is then will he not do it now But contrarily if he hath alwayes in such a case as ours is now afforded his Church deliverance this I beleeve to be a very strong promise that he will afford us the like now Logicians say that even one example of a thing and no instance to the contrary is a sufficient argument And if it hold not in Scripture examples when none of a divers kinde can be produced I know not what use can be made of the greatest examples of mercy as meer examples which yet were all written for our learning as all Scriptures are that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. 4. 4 4. In speciall If God did never destroy a Reforming Nation never wholly transplant a Reforming Church then will he not do so to us because we are such And for this there is speciall Reason whether we consider the Reformation to be the speciall work of God and little of the Nation in it as in Josiahs time God wrought it by a speciall work upon the King who saw all done himself and the people shewed little concurrence in it yet God would and did carry it through Because he that loved the people so wel being yet corrupted as to begin to reform them in a manner himself when he had begun it once would make somewhat of it and not let it altogether come to nothing OF whether God though he ever be the Author and finisher of all good yet act the reformation much by the peoples hands as it was in Hezekiahs Reformation 2 Chron. 30. 1. Here again the same reason holds He who loved the Nation so well as to put such a beginning of grace into them would not let that fail suddenly But he made the work prosper in their hands and no enemie hindred them And now to apply this to our selves 1 If ever a Nation or Church in affliction and danger were a reforming Church and Nation we are such and that in all the parts of Reformation 1. For purity and clearnesse of truth of Doctrine 2. Purity of Worship freed from all superstitions and mans devices and compleat in all the Ordinances of God 3. Purity of Church government and discipline according to the word and rule of Christ 4. Purity of life and conversation 5. Particularly the Sabbaths sanctification the greatest pledge of mercy to a Nation and to ours experimentally in speciall according to Esay 58. 13 14. All this Reformation we apparently labour for in our Church and so are doubtlesse a reforming Church and Nation and shall not be destroyed at this time 2 2. All this is striven for not simply for the liberty of private persons that they may be free from persecution but for the glory of God and the saving of others souls throughout the Nation Which disposition of his servants being much above all self-respects God doth highly esteem and so will blesse it with prosperous successe in the issue 3 3. This Reformation Gods servants have striven for and panted after Ministers and people eighty years together more or lesse and have appeared for it in a considerable party though not joyned and associated as now by the happy advantage of this Parliament and have been much persecuted even for it And therefore now when God hath given them to attempt further and with more hopes and greater beginnings then ever before He will not now at this time give them wholly over to enemies to ruin all utterly 4 4. The rather because the enmity of the enemies is specially provoked even by the desire and attempt of Reformation some in one point some in another They pretend as was noted before to fight for the true reformed Protestant Religion But except some ease about Ceremonies and the like to tender consciences they evidently oppose any further reformation then was in Queen Elizabeths time and reproach the Parliament as intending to alter Religion because they professe to purpose an endeavour of a through reformation Therefore God will not take his enemies part against his people but his peoples against his enemies in the issue at least in giving them the Reformation contended for 5 5. He hath shewed a greater spirtuall love to this Nation for eighty years and more together thou to any in the Christian world in raising up so many excellant Lights for powerfull preaching and for holinesse of life above all other Churches and given us above all others also the Doctrine and practise of his holy Sabbath And all this notwithstanding our Nationall grievous provocations fore-mentioned Therefore when now the Nation is working into the best way of being generally better he will not suffer them to become now irrecoverably for continuance worse But at least this time try the whole Nation with a generall Reformation 6 6. Himself hath mainly and manifestly given the first hopes of this and raised up not the desires onely but the expectation of his servants by wayes farre beyond their contrivances and wonderfully beyond their very thoughts ordered by himself And namely marvellous much by his very enemies plots and counsels turned upon themselves As 1. Their attempt against Religion and Liberties both together whereas if they had undertaken either alone they never in likelihood had had any considerable party appearing against them as now is by uniting the patriots and zealots both in one and shewing to either the necessity of such union 2. In their attempt against the two Nations at once England and Scotland so grasping at both they could hold neither 3. Yet beginning first with Scotland to impose Popish practises upon them the more manifestly who were more impatient of Popery then our Nation was and so provoking them to stand upon their guard link themselves suddenly in a Nationall Covenant against them which also much weakned their attempts upon us 4. Breaking the first Pacification with Scotland which forced them to prevent their being invaded with comming with a powerfull Army into this Kingdom and to refuse to be satisfied without an English Parliament our onely remedy too under God did ratifie the peace with them 5. Their frequence breakings of Parliaments rendring them justly suspected that they meant so by this as soon as the Peace was made counselled to