a sermon preached before the peers in the abby church at westminster, november , being a day of solemn humiliation for the continuing pestilence / by edward lord bishop of norwich. reynolds, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing r estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the peers in the abby church at westminster, november , being a day of solemn humiliation for the continuing pestilence / by edward lord bishop of norwich. reynolds, edward, - . 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- philippians iv, -- sermons. plague -- sermons. plague -- history -- th century. fast-day sermons. epidemics -- sermons. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached before the peers , in the abby church at westminster , november . . being a day of solemn humiliation for the continuing pestilence . by edward lord bishop of norwich . london , printed by tho. ratcliffe for iohn durham , and are to be sold by edward thomas , at the adam and eve in little brittain . . a sermon preached before the peers , in the abby church at westminster , novemb. . . being a day of solemn humiliation for the continuing pestilence ▪ philip . . . let your moderation be known unto all men. the lord is at hand . some graces are primary , radical and fundamental , which having their proper termination in god and christ , are therefore , as to their formal and immediate beauty , invisible to any eye , but his who searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins . so our repentance is said to be towards god , and faith towards our lord iesus christ , acts . . our faith and hope is said to be in god , pet. . . as the root , though the principal seat of life in the tree , is under ground unseen , but the fruits flowing from that life are visible ; or , as the orator saith of a goodly structure , fastigia spectantur , latent fundament . so the most primitive and vital graces are in themselves known onely to god , and to the heart which enjoyes them ; but in and by their fruits they may , and must be known unto men . by our works we must shew our faith , iam. . . act. . . works , i mean , of transient charity , which properly termimate upon others , without us ; in which respect our saviour , though he forbid us to do our works to be seen of men , in a way of ostentation , matth. . . . . — . yet he commandeth us to let our light shine before men , in a way of edification , and to god's glory , matth. . . and in order to the same end , the apostle here requireth us to let our moderation be known unto all men . the words contain , a serious and weighty doctrine , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the lord is near ; and a christian duty from thence inferred , let your moderation be known unto all men ; or an exhortation to the exercise of a special grace , and a most solemn argument , because , the lord is at hand . in the exhortation is observable , . the vertue it self required , express'd by the concrete for the abstract , not without an emphasis , as i take it . sometimes we finde a concrete superlative expressed by an abstract , ier. . . behold i am against thee o pride , that is , o thou most proud : and here an extensive abstract expressed by a concrete , as if he should have said , let your tongue , your hand , your whole conversation shew forth to all men , upon all occasions , this excellent and most amiable grace . . the peculiarity or characteristical difference of this vertue intimated in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not a bare philosophical , but a christian moderation , such as becomes believers . . the conspicuousness thereof , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , let it be really upon all occasions manifested , for the honour of christ , and credit of religion . . the impartiality of it , it must be manifested to all men ; not onely unto good men , but unto the froward , that the mouths of adversaries may be stopped , their prejudices refuted , their emnities broken , and they won by the meek and humble conversation of believers to the obedience of the gospell . in the argument unto this duty , it is considerable , how many wayes the lord is near unto his servants , for their encouragement in so difficult and excellent a duty ; near , ad auxilium , to help them ; near , ad solatium , to comfort them ; near , ad iudicium , to reward them ; near , per inhabitantem gratiam , to direct and enable them ; near , per exauditionis clementiam , to hear and answer them ; near , per providentiae oeconomiam , to support and protect them . . believers are called unto an high and honourable condition , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dignity of being the sons of god , john . . and in that condition they may , by the power of corruption and temptation , be in danger to be puffed up with pride and arrogancy above others , and to a supineness and security of living , to sever their dignity from their duty : in this case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , as suidas , hesychius , and favorinus render it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that which is decent or becoming , is to be known ; we must walk secundum decentiam status christianis , so as becometh the sanctity and dignity of our high calling . . again , being in common with other men expos'd to the various vicissitudes of events ; apt in prosperity to be corrupted , in adversity to be dejected , and according to diversity of conditions , to express a dissimilar and uneven behaviour ; here again , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , let your moderation be known , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a serene , pacate , and stedfast equability of minde , unshaken and fixed against all events . . again , being by the state of our christianity , and by reason of the emnity which god hath put between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent , to expect , as strangers in the midst of adversaries , manifold afflictions and injuries , as the scripture hath assured us , act. . . ▪ tim. . . here also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , let your moderation be known , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , moderation of patience in bearing evils ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a moderation of candor and equanimity ; not putting suspicious and morose , but favourable constructions upon actions which have an appearance of unkindness ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a moderation of meekness and placability , an easiness to be entreated , a readiness to forgive ; as the philosopher saith of such men , that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , apt to pass by , and to pardon injuries . . again , having with other men a share and right in publick iustice , and out of the debt of self-love , being engaged thereby to preserve our own interests , we may be tempted to rigour and extremity in the means thereunto , and to lay hold on the utmost advantages against our brother : here also the exhortation is seasonable , that our moderation be known ; that we be rather ready to part from our own right , than to prosecute it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with the strictness of a rigorous inflexibility ; and so the philosopher saith , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a supplying of the defect , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a rectifying and mitigating of the rigour of legal justice . . again , because we have the human nature burthened with the same common infirmities , and are of like passions with other men , we may be easily tempted and transported many wayes into inordinateness and excess ; we may use our knowledge and liberty undecently and exorbitantly , to the defiling of our selves ; we may use them uncharitably , to the grief and scandal of our brethren , as the apostle sheweth , rom. . , . cor. . , . . , , , . pet. . . we may use our power and authority sharply and severely , to the grieving , rather than benefiting our poor brethren ; in all such cases the apostle's exhortation is seasonable , let your moderation be known ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; moderation in iudgement , not to disquiet the church , or offend our brethren with every unnecessary opinion of our own ; not rigidly to insist on our liberty , to the grief and scandal of our brethren . moderation of power , not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , severe exactors of the extremity of justice ; but to adorne our authority , and render it amiable with clemency and meeknesse . moderation of passions , not to be transported with excessive delights , overwhelmed with inordinate sorrows , or possessed with any other unruly or tempestuous affection , to the suffocating of reason , and dishonour of religion ; but to let grace and wisdom hold the reins , and keep within just bounds of temper and sobriety whatsoever offers to break forth into undecency and excess . we see the wide extent and comprehensivenesse of this most amiable grace . give me leave to speak a word or two to each of these particulars , and then i shall proceed to that which follows . . we must walk secundum decentiam & dignitatem status christiani , so as becomes the gospell , that we may credit and honour our most holy profession , as those who have a lord to rejoyce in , a god to pray unto , a blessed appearing of a glorious saviour to wait for , as a people whom god hath formed for himself , to shew forth his praise , isai. . . this is the frequent exhortation of the apostle , that we walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called , eph. . . as becometh the gospel of christ , phil. . . so as we have learned and received christ iesus the lord , col. . . worthy of god , who hath called us to his kingdom and glory , thess. . . as becometh holyness , as a peculiar people , that we may adorn the doctrine of god our saviour in all things , tit. . , , . and may shew forth the praises of him , who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light , pet. . . and truly there is nothing deserveth such lamentation as this , to consider how few there are who live consonantly to the gospel ; which will too evidently appear , if we consider the law of christ , the vow of baptisme , and compare our conversations with them . are not these the laws of christ ? he that hateth his brother , is a murtherer ; he that looketh on a woman lustfully , is an adulterer ; that we resist not evill ; that we love our enemies ; that we lay not up for our selves treasures in earth , but in heaven ; that we enter in at the strait gate ; that he who will come after him , must deny himself , and take up his cross and follow him ; that we learn of him to be meek and lowly , who when he was reviled , reviled not again ; when he suffred , threatned not : in one word , that we should walk as he walked , and observe all things whatsoever he hath commanded us ? and have we not solemnly vowed all this in our baptisme ? wherein we promised to keep a good conscience towards god , and did in the presence of god and angels renounce the devil , the world , and the flesh , with all their pomps , vanities , and lusts ? and so not onely subscribe to the truth , but undertake the practice of those necessary doctrines ? and if we should now compare the lives of men amongst us , their bare-fac'd and open profaneness , their daring atheisme and blasphemy , their oaths and curses , their luxuries and excesses , their wantonness and impurities , their variance and wrath , their contentions and defiances , their bloodshed and duels , their implacableness and revenge , their inordinate love of the profits and pleasure of the world more than of god , their utter unacquaintance with the yoke of christ , and the narrow way that leadeth unto life ; if , i say , we should lay together christ's laws , and our lives , our most solemn vow , and our most perfidious violations of it , might we not most confidently conclude , aut haec non est lex christi , aut nos non sumus christiani ? either this is not christianity , or we are not christians ? and so tertullian , iustin martyr , and other antients are bold to affirm of such men , that they are not christians . ioannes picus mirandula professed , that he had an amazement upon him , when he seriously considered the studies , or rather follies of men : for , saith he , a madness it is for men not to believe the gospel ; which hath been sealed by the blood of martyrs , published by the preaching of apostles , confirmed by miracles , attested by the world , confessed by devils : sed longe major insania , si de evangelii veritate non dubitas , vivere tamen quasi de ejus falsitate non dubitares . but a farr greater madness it is , if not doubting of the truth of the gospel , we so live as if we doubted not of the falseness of it . and certainly , they who abuse the doctrine of the gospel unto licencious living , and expose the holy name of god unto contempt , by turning his grace into lasciviousness , are christiani nominis probra & maculae , the stain and dishonour , the blains and ulcers of the christian ▪ name , no otherwise belonging unto the body of christ , than dung and excrements to the natural body if the lacedemonian in plutarch would often look on his gray hairs , that he might be put in minde to do nothing unworthy the honour of them ; how much more should we continually minde the dignity of our relation unto god , as his children , that we never admit any thing unbecoming the excellency of so high a calling . ly . being in danger by the different vicissitudes of divine providence , to be tossed and discomposed with various and unequal affections , contrary to that stedfastness of heart which ought alwayes to be in believers , who have an all-sufficient god to rejoyce in , and a treasure of exceeding great and precious promises , ( able by faith and hope to ballance the soul against all secular fluctuations and concussions ) to take comfort from , in this case therefore it is necessary that our moderation be known , that we learn , with the apostle , in every state to be content , to be abased and suffer need without pusillanimity or despondency , to abound and be full without arrogance or vain-glory . faith makes a rich man rejoyce in that he is made low and humbled , to glory no longer in grass and flowers ▪ in withering and perishing contents ; and it makes the brother of low degree to rejoyce in that he is exalted to the hope of salvation , jam. . , . when therefore , with david , we finde one while our mountain strong , and presently we are moved , psal. . . when one day , with ionah , we rejoyce in our gourd , and another day are as angry because it is withered ; then we must labour for this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this pacateness and serenity of soul ; like gold , to keep our nature in the fire , like celestial bodies , which in all their motions are regular and steady . even heathen men , by the dictates of reason and philosophy , have arrived at a very noble constancy and composednesse of minde ; of one , it is said , that in all companies , times , i and places , suos semper mores retinuit , he never departed nor varied from himself ; of another , that he was never observed either to laugh or weep ; of another , that he was of so equal a temper , that in his youth , he had the wisedom of an old man , and in his age the valour of a young man ; and of that excellent emperor marcus antoninus it is observed by dion , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that he was ever like himself , never given to change . how much more should christians , who have an unchangeable god to take care of them , a kingdom which cannot be shaken provided for them , promises which are all yea and amen , and an hope which is sure and stedfast set before them , retain a minde like the rock on which they are built , fixed and inconcussible . such was the blessed apostle , as dying , and yet alive ; as chastened , and yet not killed ; as sorrowfull , yet alwayes rejoycing ; as having nothing , and yet possessing all things : and such he would have us all to be , stedfast and unmoveable , cor. . . not soon shaken in minde , thess. . . but holding our confidence , and the rejoycing of our hope firm unto the end , heb. . . . being , by the condition of our christianity , to expect manifold afflictions and injuries in the world ; here also it is necessary , that our moderation be known ; moderation of patience , in bearing them ; of candor , in interpreting them ; and of lenity and meekness , in forgiving them . . moderation of patience in bearing them , having our eye more fixed on the hand of god ordering , than on the hand of man infflicting them ; being more taken up with the hope of future good , than with the sense of present evil ; looking rather with comfort on the need we have of them , pet. . . on the fruit we have from them , heb. . . on the recompence of the reward which will follow them , heb. . , . rom. . , . on the love of god , which will support us under them , heb. . . on our communion in them with christ , for whose sake we suffer them , pet. . . on the end of the lord , who is ever pittifull and of tender mercy to us , in them , iam . . than on any present weight or pressure we sustain from them . nullus dolor est de incursione ▪ malorum praesentium quibus fiducia est futurorum bonorum , saith saint cyprian : a man is never miserable by any thing , which cannot take away god or salvation from him . . moderation of candor and equanimity , putting the best constructions on them , as the carpenter's plain rendreth rugged things smooth , as favourable glasses report faces better than they are . a meek spirit doth not easily take up every injury , not out of dullness , because it cannot understand them ; but out of love , which doth not wittingly or hastily suspect evil , cor. . . which covereth all sinnes , prov. . . which teacheth us to shew all meekness to all men , tit. . . we are prohibited society with some men , thess. . . but we are commanded to follow peace with all , heb. . . . moderation of meekness and lenity , not resisting of evill ; nor out of a vindictive spirit , embracing all advantages to avenge our selves , as if it were an argument of a low and dejected soul not to repay evil with evil , and bid a defiance and challenge upon every wrong ; directly contrary to the word of god , which maketh it a man's wisedom and glory to pass over a transgression , prov. . . and expressly requireth us not to recompence evil , but to wait on god , prov. . . rom. . . yea contrary to the noble practice of many magnanimous heathens , epaminondas , agesilaus , pompey , caesar , and others , who by their clemency and bounty toward enemies , provided for their own safety , and made the way easie unto further victories . but we have a more excellent example to follow , forbearing one another , and forgiving one another , saith the apostle , even as christ forgave you , so also do ye , col . . that man can have no assurance of christs forgiving him , who resolveth to be avenged on his brother , matth. . . he who choseth rather to be a murtherer , to take away another mans life , or to throw away his own , than to suffer a reproach , hath , give me leave to say it , eousque , renounced the doctrine of christ , who commandeth us to do good unto those that hate us , and pray for those that despitefully use us , matth . . as himself did , luke . . who being reviled reviled nor again , but was as a sheep dumbe before the shearer , as the prophet speaks . by this noble moderation we disappoint those that wrong us , quia fructus laedentis in dolore laesi est , we fence our selves against the harm which an injury would do us , as a canon bullet is deaded by a soft mudd wall , and the force of a sword by a pack of wooll . he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife , prov. . . we melt and overcome our enemie , and heap coals of fire on his head , rom. . . but above all we honour god , to whom alone vengeance belongeth , we adorn the gospel , and evidence our selves to be the disciples of christ. . being subject , by the dictates of overmuch self-love , to assert with rigour our own right and interest , in this case also the precept is necessary , let your moderation be known ; rather remit of your own due , than by too earnest an exacting of it , to grieve your brother , or to discredit your profession ; abraham did so , though the nobler person , yet in order unto peace and honor , that their dissentions might not expose religion unto reproach amongst the canaanites , he gave unto lot the praeoption of what part of the land he would live in , gen. . . it was as free for the apostle to have taken the rewards of his ministry of the corinthians as of other churches , yet he purposely refused to use that power , that he might not hinder the gospel , nor give occasion of glorying against him unto those that sought it , cor. . , , . cor. ● . , our saviour , though he might have insisted on the dignity of his person , as the sonne of god , from paying tribute , yet to avoid offence he did cedere de iure , and gave order about the payment of it , matth. . , , . no doubt is to be made , but that it is free for christians to recover their just rights by a legal tryal , yet when the corinthians sued one another before unbelievers , and thereby exposed the gospel unto contempt , the apostle reproveth them that they did not rather take wrong , and suffer themselves to be defrauded ; the evil being farr less for them to suffer wrong , than for the gospel to suffer reproach , cor. . , , . thus doth this most amiable grace whereby we behave our selves towards all men with all equity , facility , equanimity , and suavity of conversation , attempering the severity of other vertues with the law of love , exceedingly conduce to the honour of god , and credit of the gospel , yea to our own safety and interest ; for as a tempest doth not break the corn which yields unto it , but the oaks which withstand it , nor thunder so easily hurt shrubs as cedars , so the wrath and prejudice of adversaries is exceedingly mitigated and abated by the humility , moderation and meeknesse of those that suffer them . lastly . being subject to the same common passions and infirmities with other men , and thereupon lyable to be transported into excess in the use either of our knowledge , power or liberty ; here also comes in the seasonable use of this excellent precept , let your moderation be known . moderation of iudgement , moderation of power , and moderation of passions . . moderation of iudgement , that we suffer not our knowledge to puff us up , but temper it as the apostle directeth us with charity , and use it unto edification , cor. . . i do not hereby understand moderation in the measure or degrees of our knowledge , as if we should content our selves with a mediocrity , and be , at our own choyse , willingly ignorant of any part of god's revealed will , as we please our selves ; for we are required to grow in knowledge , pet. . . and the word of christ must dwell in us richly , col . . nor do i understand a moderation of indifferency , as if it matter'd not what judgement we were of , but had , as the priscilianists claimed , a liberty at pleasure to depart from the rule of divine truth in outward profession , to serve a present interest ; for we are to buy the truth , and not to sell it ; we can do nothing against the truth , but for it ; we are to hold fast the faithfull word , tit. . . and having proved all things , to hold fast that which is good , thess. . . but by a moderation in judgement , i understand these three things : . a moderation of sobriety , not to break in and gaze upon hidden and secret things , as the men of bethshemesh into the ark , sam. . . nor to weary our selves about questions , as the apostle speaks , which are unprofitable and vain , tit. . . such as that of peter , what shall this man do ? john . . and that of the apostles , wilt thou now restore the kingdom unto israel ? acts . . but to be wise unto sobriety , rom. . . and to content our selves with things revealed , and leave secret things unto god , deut. . . in quem sic cred●mus , saith saint austin , ut aliqua non aperiri etiam pulsantibus nullo modo adversus eum murmurare debeamus . and therefore that good father gave no other answer to a curious question , than this modest one , nescio quod nescio , as judging an humble ignorance much better than a proud curiosity . . a moderation of humility and modesty , not to be so opinionative or tenacious of our own private , meerly disputable and problematical conceptions , wholly unnecessary to faith , worship , or obedience , as out of a love of them , not onely to undervalue and despise the as probable and sober judgements of other men , but by an imprudent and unadvised publishing of them , to obtrude them with over confidence on the belief of others , and haply thereby to cause a great disturbance in the church of god , directly contrary to the counsel of the apostle , hast thou faith , have it to thy self before god , rom. . . it is not fit that the peace of the church should be endangered by the bold attempts of every daring pen. of this sort was that unhappy controversie in the dayes of pope victor , between the roman and asiatick churches , touching the time of easter , who though former bishops of rome had , notwithstanding the different observations in that case , held intimate fellowship with the asian bishops , did out of excess of passion , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as socrates expresseth it , excommunicate all the asian churches , and made a dolefull disturbance in the church of christ ; upon which occasion , the forenamed historian hath a grave discourse , to shew how several churches did differ from one another in matters ritual , and yet retained firm unity and communion still . . moderation of charity , when in such things wherein a latitude and mutual tendernesse may be allowed , we choose rather , according to the doctrine of the apostle , not to offend our weak brethren , than unseasonably to insist on our own knowledge and liberty . and truly as it is an honour which learned men owe unto one another , to allow a liberty of dissent in matters of mere opinion , salvâ compage fidei , salvo vinculo charitatis , salvâ pace ecclesiae , ( for those three , faith , love , and peace , are still to be preserved : ) so it is a charity which good men owe unto one another , upon the same salvo's , to bear with the infirmities of each other , not to judge , or despise , or set at nought our brethren , as useless and inconsiderable persons ; but whom god is pleased to receive into his favour , not to cast them out of ours . this latitude and moderation of judgement , some learned men have taken the freedom to extend even to the case of subscriptions by law required ; the learned a author of the book called an answer to charity maintained , and the late learned b primate of armagh archbishop bramhall i shall not take upon me to affix any private sense of mine upon publick laws , or ever judge it desirable , that the doctrine of the church of england should have too slack a tye on the judgement of the clergy ; onely sure i am in points which are not fidei but questionum ( as saint austin distinguisheth ) in matters of an inferiour nature , wherein no man can rationally hold himself bound to trouble or discompose the mindes of the people , or the order and peace of the church , by an unnecessary publishing of his own private perswasion , so that his opinion and the churches quiet may be very well consistent together , learned men have ever allowed this latitude unto one another . . moderation of power , by gentle and winning wayes , to reform the manners , allay the distempers , and conquer the frowardness of inconstant and discontented mindes ; by placide and leasurely steps and degrees to get the possession of them , and to model and compose them unto an equal temper . this was the counsel of the old men , speak good unto them and they will be thy servants for ever , reg. . . as moderation is by grave and prudent men observed to be the preservative of power ; so cato in plutarch , and iulius caesar in that excellent oration which he made unto the senate in dion : so certainly it is a special means for the right administration of it . therefore the lord chose moses the meekest man alive for the government of his peculiar people , num. . . and of christ the prince of peace it is said , that he would not break the bruised reed , nor quench the smoaking flax , matth. . . as he saith of himself , learn of me for i am meek and lowly , matth. . . and the apostle beseecheth the corinthians by the meekness and gentleness of christ , cor. . . so the same apostle expresseth his tenderness towards the church , by the affections sometimes of a father , cor. . . sometimes of a mother , gal. . . sometimes of a nurse , thess. . . he calleth upon timothy , in meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves , because the servant of the lord must be gentle to all men , tim. . , . and upon titus , to shew all meekness to all men , tit. . . rulers are called healers , isai. . . and a physician , saith plutarch , will if it may be cure the disease of his patient rather by sleep and diet , than by strong purges . grave writers have observed , that even in the avenging of conquer'd enemies moderation is advantagious to the conqueror . he , saith thucydides , who is kinde to an enemy provideth for his own safety ; and surely it cannot but be usefull for healing distempers , amongst a long dilacerated and discomposed people , ut quod belli calamitas introduxit , hoc pacis lenitas sopiret , to use the words of iustinian the emperor . a course observed with rare clemency by our most meek and gracious soveraign in the act of general pardon and indempnity towards his people . i do often sadly recount with my self the wofull distractions which are in this once flourishing church , occasion'd by the wantonness of some , and subtilty of others , and can scarce arrive at any other expedient than abrahams iehovah iireh , gen. . . i do not need at all , neither shall i at all presume to bespeak the reverend governors of the church in this case of moderation , in any other way than the apostle doth the thessalonians in the case of brotherly ▪ love. as touching moderation ye need not that i write unto you , for you your selves are taught of god to shew all meekness to all men , and to restore those that are overtaken in a fault with the spirit of meekness , and indeed you do it . one thing i assure my self would greatly conduce to the healing of our divisions , and reducing of many unto the communion of the church who have departed from it , if all the other ministers of the gospel in their respective places would every where preach the word with that soundness , evidence , and authority , and so commend themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of god , reproving sinne not with passion , wrath , and animosity , but with the spirit of meekness , and by the majesty and authority of the word ; ( which alone can convince and awe the conscience ) would lead such holy , peaceable , and inoffensive lives , would treat all men with that prudence , meekness , and winning converse , that all who see and hear them may know that god is in them of a truth , that they do indeed love the peoples souls , and so faithfully discharge their trust , as those that do in good earnest resolve to save themselves and those that hear them . thus are all the interests of a christian church by all the officers therein , to be managed and preserved with that wisedom which is from above , which saint iames tells us , is first pure , then peaceable , gentle , easie to be entreated , full of mercy and good works , without partiality , and without hypocrisie , whereby the fruit of righteousness is sowen in peace of them that seek peace . . moderation of passion , when we suffer not our passions to anticipate right reason , or run beyond the dictates of practical judgement , when they flye not out beyond their due measure , nor transport us unto any undecency or excess , when they do not like a troubled sea cast up mire and dirt ; but are like the shaking of clean water in a christal glass , which onely troubleth it , but doth not defile it . for this purpose we must keep sanctified reason alwayes in the throne ; the higher and more heavenly the soul is , the more sedate and calm it will be , inferiora fulminant , pacem summa tenent . we must get the heart ballanced with such graces as may in special manner establish it against perturbation of passion , with clearness of reason , serenity of judgment , strength of wisedom , sobriety and gentleness of spirit , humility and lowlyness of minde , ( for ever the more proud , the more passionate ) with self-denial ; for all impotency of affections is rooted in an inordinate self-love ; this will transport a man to furious anger , to insatiable desires to excessive delights , to discruciating fears , to impatient hopes , to tormenting sorrows , to gnawing emulations , to overwhelming despairs . the heart , saith the apostle , is established by grace , heb. . . we have thus largely considered the duty here required , which the apostle would further have to be such a moderation as becometh them as christians . and therefore the precept is closed in on all sides of the text with certain peculiarities of christians , rejoycing in the lord , verse . and what can befall a man to shake and discompose his heart , who hath a lord alwayes to rejoyce in ? nearness of that lord , the lord is at hand ; and what is there in all the world , the beauty whereof can bewitch with inordinate love , the evil whereof can tempt to immoderate fears the heart which can by faith see christ coming quickly with a farr more exceeding and abundant weight of glory ? an access in prayer and supplication unto the throne of grace , v. . and what evils can disquiet the heart of that man with anxious , excessive , and discruciating cares , who hath the bosome of a father in heaven to powre out his requests into ? lastly , the peace of god which passeth all understanding ; and what perturbations are able to storm such a soul as is garrison'd with divine peace ? there is a mere philosophical moderation , quae mimice affectat veritatem , as tertullian speaks . but christian moderation is that which is founded in the law of christ ; which requireth us not to resist evil , to love our enemies , to bless them that curse us , to do good unto those that hate us , to recompence to no man evil for evil , to weep as though we wept not , and to rejoyce as though we rejoyced not . it is founded in the love of christ , the sense and comfort whereof ballanceth the soul against the assault of any other perturbations . it is regulated by the example of christ , of whom we learn to be meek and lowly , to forbear and to forgive , who when he was reviled reviled not again , who prayed for his persecutors , and saved them by that blood which their own hands had shed . it is wrought by the spirit of christ , the fruits whereof are love , ioy , peace , long-suffering , gentleness , goodness , meekness , as the apostle speaks . it is ordered to the glory of christ , and honour of christianity , when by our moderation we adorn the doctrine of god our saviour , being blameless , and harmless , the sons of god without rebuke , shining as lights in the world. for this end it is that the apostle requireth this moderation of theirs to be known , not as the philosophers and heathen shewed their vertues for vain-glory , ostentation , and interest , as gloriae animalia , & negociatores famae , as tertullian calls them : but that others seeing our good works may glorifie god in the day of visitation ; for if they who profess obedience to the rule of christ in the gospel live dissonantly from the prescripts of that rule , they do not onely harden wicked men in their sinnes , but expose the name of god and his doctrine unto reproach , as the apostle teacheth , rom. . , . tim. . . as nathan told david , that by his sinne he had caused the enemies ▪ of god to blaspheme , sam. . . so perverse and illogical is malice , as to charge those sinnes , which are aberrations from the doctrine of christianity , upon the doctrine it self , as genuine products and consequences thereof . the moralist hath observed , that the antient grecians called a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , light , teaching him so to live as to be a light unto others . sure i am the apostle hath told us , that though we were by nature darkness , yet we are light in the lord , and therefore should walk as children of light , and shine as lights in the world , eph. . . phil. . ● . lastly . as it must be known , so universally known unto all men ; it must be without hypocrisie , not attempered to interests and designs , like the devotion of the pharises , who for a pretence made long prayers ; like the civilities of absolom and otho , of whom the historian saith , that he did adorare vulgum , jacere oscula , & omnia serviliter pro dominatione . it must be without partiality , not varied or diversified according to the differences of persons with whom we have to do . we christians , saith tertullian , nullum bonum sub exceptione personarum administramus . it must be known to our brethren , that they may be edified ; it must be known to our enemies , that their prejudices may be removed , their mouths stopped , their hostilities abated , and their hearts mollified and perswaded to entertain more just and honourable thoughts of those precepts of the gospel by which our conversations are directed . many and weighty are the arguments which might be used to perswade all sober , pious and prudent christians unto the practise of this most excellent grace . they may be drawn from our great exemplar and pattern , whom though we finde once with a curse against a barren figg-tree , once with a scourge against prophaners of his fathers house , once with woes against malicious and incorrigible scribes and pharises ; yet generally all his sermons were blessings , all his miracles mercies , all his conversation meek , lowly , humble , gentle , not suited so much to the greatness and dignity of his divine person , as to the oeconomy of his office , wherein he made himself of no reputation , but took upon him the form of a servant . from a principal character of a disciple of christ , humility and self-denial , which teacheth us not onely to moderate , but to abandon our own judgements , wills , passions , interests , when ever they stand in competition with the glory of christ , and welfare of his church , which maketh the same minde be in us which was in christ iesus , to look not every man on his own things , but every man on the things of others . from the credit and honour of christianity , which is greatly beautified by the meekness and moderation of those that profess it . hereby we walk worthy of our calling , or as those who make it their work to shew forth the worth and dignity of the christian profession , when we walk in lowlyness , meekness , long-suffering , unity , and love , eph. . , , . as the splendour of a princes court is set forth by the robes and fine rayments of their servants , matth. . . sam. . . so the servants of christ shew forth the honour and excellency of their lord , by being cloathed with humility , pet . : and decked with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit , pet. . . from the breaches , divisions , and discomposures which are at any time in the church or state ; towards the healing of which distempers moderation , meekness , and humility , do exceedingly conduce ; though sharp things are used to search wounds , yet balm and lenitives are the medicines that heal them ; as morter , a soft thing , is used to knit and binde other things together . it is observed by socrates and nicephorus of proclus patriarch of constantinople , that being a man of singular lenity and meekness , he did thereby preserve intire the dignity of the church , and by his special prudence healed a very great division in the church , bringing back unto the communion thereof those who had departed from it . from the various vicissitudes and inconstancies of human events , whereby many times it cometh to pass , that things which for the present are judged very needfull and profitable , prove inconvenient and dangerous for the future , as polybius hath observed . hereby we may in all conditions be taught moderation , not to faint or be dejected in the day of adversity , because god can raise us again ; nor to swell or wax impotent with prosperity ▪ because god can as easily depress us . it was a wise speech of the lacedemonian ambassadours unto the athenians in thucydides ; that they who have had many alternations and vicissitudes of good and evil , cannot but deem it equal to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , diffident and moderate in their prosperity ; as coenus the macedonian said unto alexander , that nothing did better become him , than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as arrian tells us . and so on the other hand , this grace of moderation doth so poize and ballance the heart with christian constancy and courage , that it is not easily tossed or overturned by any tempest ; but , as they say of the palm tree , beareth up above all the difficulties that would depresse it ; as good iehosaphat , when he was distressed with a great multitude of adversaries , said in his prayer to god ; we have no might against this great company that cometh against us , neither know we what to do ; but our eyes are upon thee , chron ▪ . . lastly ▪ from the nearness of christ , which is the apostles argument in the text , the lord is at hand . prope ad auxilium , near to help us , the lord is nigh unto all that call upon him , psal. . . deut. . . we have no sufficiency of our selves to improve any talent , to manage any condition , to use our knowledge or liberty , our power or prosperity to the honour of god , or service of his church , no power to rejoyce in adversity , to forgive injury , to correct the exorbitancy of any inordinate and irregular passion . only we have a lord near unto us , his eye upon us to see our wants , his ear open to hear our desires , his grace present to assist our duties , his comforts at hand to support our hearts , his power and providence continually ready to protect our persons , to vindicate our innocence , to allay the wrath , and rebuke the attempts of any that would harm us . this is one principal cause of all our impatiency and perturbation , that we are so soon shaken and discomposed with every temptation , so soon posed with every difficulty , that we do soon despond under every storm , because we do not with an eye of faith look up unto god as one that careth for us , and is ever near at hand as a sun and a shield , a sanctuary and an hiding place to secure us against all our fears . prope ad judicium , near to judge us , to take a full and impartiall review of all that is done by us , and accordingly to recompence either rest or trouble , as the apostle speaks . this is a fundamentall doctrine which we all avow as an article of the christian faith. act. . . rom. . . . cor . . that christ shall come as the ordained officer to whom all judgement is committed , in flaming fire , attended with all the holy angels ; matth. . ▪ . thess. . , . iud. . , . to give a righteous , an impartiall , and finall doom and state unto the everlasting condition of all men . before whose most dreadfull tribunal we must all appear , stripp'd of all our wealth , honors , dignities , retinues , accompanied with nothing but our consciences , and our works , whether good or evill , to beare witness of us , and there receive a proportionable sentence to the things which we have done : holy men a sentence of absolution and mercy , for the manifestation of gods glorious grace , when he shall come to be magnified in his saints , and admired in all those that believe . wicked men a sentence of rejection and everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , for the manifestation of his glorious power and justice , when all the devils in hell and powers of darkness shall be brought all together , and be trodden down under his feet , when all the low and narrow interests of secular wealth , pleasures , power and greatness which short-sighted men so passionately dote upon , and so eagerly pursue , shall to their everlasting disappointment be swallowed up in the general conflagration and so vanish for ever . when the poor and pittiful artifices , whereby angry mortalls do countermine and supplant one another , and mutually project each others vexations , shall to the confusion of the contrivers be detected and derided . in a word , when nothing that ever we have done , shall afford benefit or comfort to us , any further then as it was with a single and upright aime directed to the glory of god , and mannaged by the law of love. certainly this is one principal reason of all immoderation amongst men , of despondence in adversity , of insolence in prosperity , of excess in delights , of perturbation in passions , of vindictive retaliations ; one principal reason why they do not with a single eye and an unbiassed heart mannage all their actions and designes to the glory of god , the credit of the gospel , the interest of christianity , the edification and salvation of the souls of men , but often suffer weak passions , prejudices , interests to state , model and over-rule their designes ; the reason i say of all is , because the terror of the lord hath not perswaded them , because they are not sufficiently awed with the all-seeing eye , and near approach of the lord of glory , before whom all their wayes are naked , with whom all their sinnes are laid up in store , and sealed amongst his treasures . let us therefore seriously resolve to regulate all our actions by our great accompt . to say with iob , what shall i do when god riseth up , and when he visiteth what shall i answer him ? job . . he hath entrusted me with many talents , with a rich treasure of power and interest , of wisedom and honour , of wealth and learning , he hath deposited with me the custody of his eternal gospel , the grand interests of the church of christ , and of the precious souls which he redeemed with his own blood. god forbid that i should ever suffer any immoderate passions , or prejudices , or partialities , or low and narrow interests of mine own so farr to transport me , as that i should betray so great a trust , and provoke the wrath of so holy and just a judge . god enable me with that equanimity and singleness of heart , without hypocrisie , and without partiality , with a direct eye to the glory of god , the kingdom of christ , the edification and peace of his church , the flourishing of his gospel , and the prosperity of the souls of his people ; so to discharge every trust reposed in me , as that i may be able to give up mine accompts with joy , and when the chief shepheard shall appear , i may lift up my head in the day of redemption , and receive a crown of glory which fadeth not away . thus let your moderation be known unto all men , because the lord is at hand in his future approaching iudgements .. but hath not the lord been at hand , near us , in the middest of us already by many strange intermingled providences , by a series of glorious mercies , and a vicissitude of dreadfull judgments ; as if he would both wayes try , whether by the one we would be led unto repentance , or by the other learn righteousness ? is it a small mercy , that we have had the gospel of salvation in the purity of the reformed religion for so long a time in this land , having brought ▪ forth so little fruit in answer to the light and grace which hath been therein revealed unto us ? i have read an observation in one of the homilies of our church ( if my memory do not greatly faile me ) that we shall not often finde , that a nation which hath had the gospel in purity , and not brought forth the fruits thereof , hath enjoyed it much longer than years . i do not mention this as a sad presage , for i dare not set bounds to the infinite mercy and patience of god , his judgements are unsearchable , and his wayes past finding out ; the secret things belong unto him , and things revealed to us and our children ; it is not for us to know the times or the seasons , which the father hath put in his own power : onely i desire , by this sad observation , to awaken both my self and you timely to consider the things that do belong unto our peace , before they be hidden from our eyes ; for this is a sober and certain truth , that the sins of a church , as the fruits of a well-ordered garden , do ripen much faster than those of a wilderness ; and therefore the prophet amos calleth them by the name of summer fruit , amos . . the prophet ieremiah compareth the judgements threatned against them unto the rod of an almond-tree , jer. . . which shooteth forth her blossoms before other trees . and therefore when we have reason to fear that god will hasten iudgements , we have great reason to resolve with holy david , to make hast and not to delay to keep his commandements . again , was it not a great and eminent mercy , when god commanded up into the scabbard the sword of violent men , swell'd into pride and arrogance , with their many successes , when he infatuated their counsells , shattered and dissipated their undertakings , and swallowed them up in the confusion of their own consultations ? was it not a glorious and wonderfull mercy , that after a long and bitter banishment the lord brought back our dread soveraign in the chariots of aminadab , upon the wings of loyalty and love unto his royal throne , without the effusion of one drop of blood , and thereby made way for a stable and durable settlement both of church and state ? to say nothing of the other ordinary mercies , of flourishing of trade , and plenty of provisions , wherewith this nation hath been for a long time blessed : and may it not be said of us as it was of hezekiah , that we have not rendered again according to the benefits done unto us ? but have surfeited and played the wantons with these great mercies ; so that the lord hath been provoked to lift up his hand in many sore and dismal judgements against us ? for after that thousands and ten thousands had fallen by the sword of an unnaturall war in the high places of the field , he hath stirred up potent adversaries abroad against us , though blessed be his name we have not only hitherto been delivered from their fury , but by signall successes have had good reason to hope that the lord hath owned our righteous cause . yet for all this , his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still ; for he hath in these two years last past emptied this city and nation in very many parts thereof , as we may i presume with good reason compute , above an hundred thousand of her inhabitants , by the fury of a raging and contagious pestilence , the like whereunto possibly cannot be paralell'd for some hundred of years . and yet after all this , his anger hath not been turned away , but his hand is streched out still . he hath likewise contended by fire , and by the late direfull conflagration , hath laid in ashes the glorious metropolis of this nation , hath made desolate almost all her goodly palaces , and laid waste almost all the sanctuaries of god therein . thus the lord hath come with fire , and with his chariots like a whirlewind , to render his anger with fury , and his rebuke with flames of fire ; for by fire and by sword hath he pleaded with us , and the slain of the lord have been many . we see how the lord hath been near us both in wayes of mercy and of judgement , as if he would say of us as of ephraim , is ephraim my dear son ? is he a pleasant child ? for since i speak against him i do earnestly remember him still , therefore my bowels are troubled for him . i will surely have mercy upon him , saith the lord. and again , how shall i give thee up ephraim , how shall i deliver thee israel ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? mine heart is turned within me , my repentings are kindled together . i will not execute the fiercenes of mine anger , i will not return to destroy ephraim , for i am god and not man , &c. jer. . . hos. . , . i shall limit the inference from all this to the first acception , which i gave of the original word in the text , namely , to teach us from hence to walk as becometh the dignity of our high calling , according to that exhortation of the apostle , let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ. for every thing of the gospel doth call upon us for holyness of life , the author of it a pattern of holyness , he that saith he abideth in him , must walk even as he walked , . ioh. . . the end of it a design of holyness , that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies , might serve him without fear in holyness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life the doctrine of it a mystery of godliness , . tim. . . there is not an article of the creed which hath not holyness a consequent of it . the laws of it prescripts of holiness , be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect , matth. . . the cardinall graces of it faith , love , and hope , all principles of holyness , faith purifieth the heart and worketh by love , act. . . gal. . . love is the fulfilling of the law , rom. . . herein is love if we keep his commandements , joh. . . and every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure , joh. . . no man can rationally hope to be like unto christ in glory hereafter , who resolves to be unlike unto him in grace and holyness here ; for glory is the consummation and reward of grace . all the precious promises of the gospel invite unto holyness , having these promises , dearly beloved , let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , perfecting holyness in the fear of god , cor. . . lastly , the dreadfull threatnings of the gospel drive unto holyness ; since we know , that without holyness no man shall see the lord , heb. . . and that he will come in flaming fire to take vengeance on those that know not god , and that obey not the gospel of our lord iesus christ , thess. . . and therefore as ever we expect to enjoy the benefits of the gospel , ( without the which we are of all creatures the most miserable ) we must shew forth the efficacy and power of the grace of the gospel in our hearts and lives , which teacheth us to deny vngodlyness and worldly lusts , and to live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world , tit. . , . which that we may all do , the god of peace , who brought again from the dead the lord jesus , the great shepheard of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make us perfect in every good work to do his will , working in us that which is pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ ; to whom be glory for ever and ever . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e a for the church of england i am persuaded that the con●ia●t doctrine of it is so pure and orthodox , that whosoever believes it , and lives according to it , undoubtedly he shall be saved ; and that there is no error in it which may ne●e sitate or warrant any man to disturb the peace , or renounce the communion of it this , in my opinion , is all intended by subscription ; and thus much if you conceive me not ready to subscribe , your charity i assure you is much mistaken . in the preface , sect. . b we do not suffer any man to reject the articles of the church of england at his pleasure ▪ yet neither do we look upon them as essentials of saving faith , or legacies of christ and his apostles : but in a mean , as pious opinions , fitted for the preservation of unity . neither do we oblige any man to believe them , but only not to contradict them . in the treatise called , schisme guarded and beaten back upon the right owners , &c. sect. . cap. . pag. . see also his iust vindication of the church of england , cap. . p. . henoch clapham his demaundes and answeres touching the pestilence methodically handled, as his time and meanes could permit. clapham, henoch. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) henoch clapham his demaundes and answeres touching the pestilence methodically handled, as his time and meanes could permit. clapham, henoch. re., pere. , [ ] p. printed by richard schilders], [middelburg : . editor's envoi signed: pere. re. partly in defence of clapham's "an epistle discoursing upon the present pestilence", for which he had been jailed. running title reads: questions and answeres touching upon the pestilence. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership 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represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng epidemics -- england -- early works to . plague -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion henoch clapham his demaundes and answeres touching the pestilence : methodically handled , as his time and meanes could permit . . iohn . . try the spirits whether they are of god. . thessa. . . try all things , keepe that which is good . . iohn . hereby haue we perceaved loue , that the ( namely christ ) layd downe his life for vs : therefore we ought also to lay downe ( our ) liues for the brethren . phil. . . looke not every man vpon his owne things , but every man also on the things , of other men . . to the church of god wheresoever dispersed , elect according to the foreknowledge of god the father vnto sanctification of the spirit , through obedience and sprinkling of the blood of iesus christ , ( apprehended with true faith ) grace & peace be multiplied vnto you all , amen . christian reader , it was wy lot to light vpon these few leaves . and being pervsed by som that had in times past bin acquainted with the author him self , and so finding in this canvasing cōference such sound satisfaction for matters of doubt , which in the other epistle of the pestilence , were short & brief , learned and scholerlike reasons , still striving to bring out the kernel of knowledge , which lay couched vnder the shell of obscuritie . and the further he ripped and reached , to make gods glorious power knowen , which others so long had masked : it caused many questions to bee mooved , which in this canvasing conference is answered to the full . i my self being an eare-witnes , to som part of that doctrine : which was as strange to many at the first , as it was to the men of athens in mars street , which counted paul but a babler , because he preached vnto them , iesus and the resurrection . but i heare the author is in prison , and why ? because som ministers complayned that he preached a doctrine ( which they could neither begin nor end ) past the boundes of their knowledge . but henoch wher are thine accusers ? hath the finger ( of * god ) written their faults easie to be read , doe they not stand out to accuse thee ? then i hope the learned will not condemne thee , that haue trod out the corne before thee in the same path . so was the doctrine of possession likewise distilled out of the cloudes , and so high past every lay mans reach , that the layety were driven to their pastors for satisfaction in the doubt of that doctrine ( because the priestes lippes should preserue knowledge ) but they being found nonresidence in those studies , one made answer thus : i am no prophet , i am no apostle , miracles are ceased , &c. these hearers could not be at the beginning & ending of all these sermons , which was the cause they rested vnsatisfied , and so they began to expounde the doctrine them selues according to those parcels which they had gleaned by peece meale from the author , never vnderstanding the author as he meant . but whosoever thou be , that will take vpon thee to say all , before thou heare all , shall be sure to lye all . and so damnable speaches were bruted abroad , before either of the doctrines were finished : but the last sermon of possession , made all plaine , and so plaine , that since that time ( to the glory of god be it spoken ) i never heard of any about london nor elswhere that were so extraordinarily possessed . but ordinary wicked persons that are never dispossessed of a wicked tongue : like the athenians which gaue them selues to nothing els , but either to tell , or heare som newes . but in the end m. marbery set in foot ▪ to maintaine the same doctrine , vpon christes temptation in the wildernes , affirming that [ * if no going in , no coming out . ] so did the last sermon of the pestilence make all attentiue hearers satisfied . these circumstances considered , i tooke it for duty , once towards the church [ who is the piller and ground of truth ] as also for profitable acquaintance heretofore had with the author : i could do no lesse but diuulge it . and so much the rather , for that therein is cleared , what in all points is to be held touching the pestilence : a doctrine hetherto , over-confusedly and slenderly handled of many , if my iudgement fayle me not . thine in christ iesus , amen . p. r. the authour to the reader . the last great pest-time ( i speak of the great plague in london , for otherwise , it is now the greatest pest-time in the country , and throughout his highnes dominions ) it pleased god to give me affection and strength to continue & hold out my ministerie to the end , publikelie teaching , and privately comforting the lords poore flocke abyding in the citie of london ( as occasion here and there , night and day was administred ) what time the citie was much infirmed for civill governement , and well-nigh emptied of due ecclesiasticall cure . satan “ the accuser of our brethren , maligning the happy successe of my labors , he gets som vnwise spirits to bruite abroad , that clapham taught the plague not to be infectious , and that all that dyed of the plague were damned , as dying without faith . the first accusation came readily to the present lo. bb. of london , but the second ( it seemeth ) not so . for about som . wekes after my first cōmitment , the said lo. bb. and sir edward stanhope in court did publikely affirme , that they had not heard of that bruite before : what time i my selfe then first vttered it in their court , that so then in the face of all by-standers it might be checked , so well as other slaūders , forged only for obscuring myne innocency . the bb. beleeving the first tale , he ( without sending for me , or talking with me ) caused me to be taken ( euen presently vpō a sermons ending , wherin i had opposed to such insensible reportes ) and so was conveyed to the * clinck prison . passing by some inter-currentes ( which in som other my writings are layde downe ) he at the eleven weekes end convented me , thē signifying that i had bene imprisoned for teaching , that the plague was not inf●ctious ; as also for publishing an epistle concerning the pestilence ; and that in contempt of the booke of orders for the wednesdayes fast , authorized by the king. to both i answered negatiuely , if so by plague they vnderstood not that stroke of the angel termed of the holy-ghost deber ; but that which grew from corruption of the creature . well to the gate house prison i was sent , and to my booke and the contentes , i should answere in another place . to passe by the second convention , it being to no other end then the former , the weeke before the archb. death , i was called to lamboth . there , after assurauce had of certaine articles their compasse , i tooke my othe to answer truly to them . the next monday at the registers office i did so . the answere was sent to the bb. of londō . he seeing it made not to his purpose , did not convent me , but ( without all adoe ) he let me ly in prison still as afore . my wordes nor writings prevayling any whitt , i complayned to the king on “ easter monday , who appointed the same to be conveyed to the bb. and he thereto to giue in his answer . hearing nothing more of that of . weekes , i on the day of pentecost insuing , complayned to his highnes againe . thereto , sir iulius caesar in his maiesties name subscribeth thus . the kings maiesty hath eftsoones referred this petitiō to the lord bishop of london , who is required by his highnes calling other of the hycommission vnto him , withall convenient expedition and according to the law , to proceede to iudgement , either with or against the partie , as his cause shall deserue ; that his highnes may not further bee importuned herein . so farre the kings commaund . to the bishop i sent it , but hearing nothing from him , a fortnight after , i sent to the king againe . about a week after , i was convented . and after much talke to no purpose , the bishop concluded thus : you may doe this at least ; the doctrines being put downe as supposed to be taught of you , you may subscribe herein , i was truely or not truly vnderstood . i answered , let that be done , and i shall doe what i ought . doctor stanhope then said , maister deanes of westminster & pawles are appointed to that , who ( at their convenient leasure ) will send for you . so the court broke vp . this was the eleventh of iuly last ; and then the first time also of excepting at the doctrine of faithes apprehending deliverance from the plague , taught in the foresaid epistle . being thus left to the two deanes , i writt to them sundry times for speedy proceeding . one of them sent my messenger to the other , backward and forward . at the monethes end , doctor androes sends me word , that he had put the matter from him . and so he never sent for me , according to the courtes depute . passing by inconvenient repeates , about three weekes after , i was sent for to the registers office . coming thither , his man lets me see doctor androes his moneths worke . and what was it ? a flat recantation , and nothing answerable to that which the court ( in myne hearing ) appointed as afore . so much i signified to the bishop , as also to the doctor , but other answer since i could haue none but this : put in bondes so to protest , when and where we shall appoint , and so departe prison . so my cause at the penning hereof standeth . the severall pointes , for the which i am thus handled , in the sequent discourse i do treat of , by way of quere and response ; that is by way of question and answere . wherein my cause is vnsound , reiect ; wherein orthodoxall , accept : and so farre be gods instrument for my good. art thou a magistrate ? then hearken what salomon saith : deliver them that are drawen to death ; and wilt thou not preserue them that are ledd to be slaine ? if thou say , behold , we knew not of it , he that pondereth the heartes , doth he not vnderstand it ? and he that keepeth thy soule , knoweth hee it not ? will not he also recompence every man according to his workes ? thus let the magistrate take heede how he pleades ignorance , and wincketh at the fall of the innocent . for such a looking through the fingers , may fill the earth with innocent blood , till it roare again for heavens iudgement . and so not only such , but also the whole lande shall fare the worse for iniustice . art thou a minister ? then heare what moses and salomon say : and if any haue sinned , namely , by hearing the voyce of an othe , and he can be a witnesse , whither he hath seene or knowen of it , he do not vtter it , he shall beare his iniquitie . open thy mouth for the dombe in the cause of all the children of destruction . some of you are reported to say that clapham hath a good cause , but it is to be doubted , if so he haue sufficient learning to defend it . that i haue , i haue : god make me faithfull in that i haue . but thou that art able to giue in thy testimonie , art bound also to do it . if thou wilt not be a procter for christ in his members , one of the two theeues executed with lesus , shall turne preacher , & giue in s●fficient evidence , to thy condemnation . to the people . also brethren , i beseech you for our lorde iesus sake and for the loue of the spirit , that ye would striue with me by prayers vnto the lord for me , that i may be deliuered from the disobedient , and that my seruice ( which i haue yet to do ) may be accepted of the sanctified : that i may come forth to his people with ioy , by the will of god , and may with you be refreshed . thus the god of peace be with you all , amen . yours , henoch clapham . qu. is the plague infectious ? chap. i. answer . every answer is to be made , either by * affirming or denying , or distinguishing , or by retorting . affirme it to be , or not to be i cannot , for reason ensuing . for retorting an answer i could , by vrging a quere of like nature , thus : is the crab restoritiue , yea or no ? if answer be made , tell me whither you speak of the fruit crab or sea-crab , and then i will satisfie you : euen so i say , tell me whither you speake of the naturall plague , or the supernaturall plague , and then i will say it is , or it is not , infectious . the doubtfulnes then of the answer , doth arise from the doubtfulnes of the question . the question is doubtfull by reason of the word plague , for that it hath sundry significations . for the better vnderstanding whereof , let vs first examine the seuerall senses . plague , is a word taken in the evill part , and spoken of any harme inflicted vpon any creature . all diseases are termed plagues , be they inflicted vpon mankinde , or others . so be crosses in common wealthes , ch●rches , famelies : so be som windes , and weathers to trees , hearbes , flowers , &c. and so egypt had his ten sundry plagues . but passing by all such inferiour sortes , it is in this dispute taken for a speciall kinde of evill inflicted on mankinde . the divine prophets canonicall do terme it in hebrue deber . the divine * septuagint● do specially terme it in greek logos . the ancient heathē phisitians do terme it loimos . the latines call it pestis , and plaga : whereof do come our english wordes , pest. pestilence , plague : but plaga in playne english , a stripe or blowe : and therefore how many stripes , so many plagues . quere . that plague which is so straingly mortall at this time throughout england , is it infectious , yea or no ? chap. ii. answer . i vnderstand that plague , or pest not to be single , or of one kinde . and so farre as i conceaue , no learned divine or phisition , is otherwise minded . thereof it is , that sometimes they vrge textes of scripture for making the angell agent , according to that speach of our king in his parliamentall oration , who termes the pest the viol●●lence of gods devouring angell : and sometimes againe they discourse of corrupt ayre in suing constellations and fuming corruptions . in which respecte , naturall politicall orders are vrged ; as for the other , fasting and prayer . in regard of the first , one ( speaking of the plague in davids time ) writes thus : this plague came not by any caryer or travailer , or by any infected persons travayling from place to place & infecting the people wher they came , but it was sent sodainly from god , as the revenger of sinne . he afterwardes graunteth , that such a plague is not at this day for vniuersalit●e and quick dispatch , but yet still that god hath the same meane at his pleasure , so to do . and this writer must be remembred , to haue beene authorized by the sea of london : and the same booke applauded with the preface of an ancient paynfull * preacher . for the other sorte of pest , namely derived from some corruption of the creature , and not immediatly from the angells stroke , any learned ( skilfull in nature ) do graunt . and for that , take a christian physitians testimonie amongst vs. he having alleadged som reportes from histories touching naturall contagion , doth then conclude thus * this may be sufficient to shew , that the plague is not always the immediat stroke of an angell . in this pestilence generally scattred through the land , there so falleth out some stroke supernaturall , some naturall , as i haue againe and againe taught in my epistle so much traduced . he that is against me in this , is so not contrarie minded to me , but to our king , to our divines , and phisitians also . no marvayle then though another authorized divine do say with the right learned phisitian fernelius , hisunt morbi , &c. these be the diseases whereof i haue said often , they haue som secret cause . and a litle after ; the first causes which breed the pestilence , are so vnknowen , so invisible , and so strange to all our senses , that we are altogeather ignorant of them , &c. necessarily so it foloweth , that som thing in this plague be supernaturall ; and somwhat naturall , as at large i haue delivered in my epistle of the pestilence ; without which observation , one shal deliuer quid for quo , as haue done my articlers ; what is saide of the supernaturall to vrge it as spoken of the naturall , ( et è contra ) to the seducing of the hearers . quere . the stroke of the angell immediatly inflicted , is it infectious , yea or no ? chap. iii. answ. first let me heare what infection is . a domestick doctor , signifying what person is infectious , doeth write thus : * very properly ( saith he ) is he reputed infectious , that hath in himselfe an evil , malignant , venomous , or vitious disposition , which may be imparted and bestowed on another by . “ touch , producing the same and as dangerous effect in him to whom it is cōmunicated , as in him that first cōmmunicateth and spreadeth the infection . so farre he. it being remembred , that infection properly vnderstood , is not that which begetteth another but the same euill , so argumentate . that stroke which the angell inflicteth , is supernaturall , and not within the compasse of phisicall causes : but infection is naturall and within the compasse of phisicall causes : therefore the angells stroke not infectious . for the second proposition , i leaue it till anone . meane time the first proposition would be cleared , seeing the conclusion dependes primordially of it . that the angels stroke is supernaturall , it may appeare , once in that he the angell ( be a good or bad one , “ for either may be so imployde ) he is a spirit , and this his action done by an immediate spirituall power beyonde our reasons pitch . secondly , we see the angell in aegpit , as also in iudea & israell ( nor els where do we ever heare the contrary ) to be imploide in smyting house after house , and city after city , even all along the coastes , from dan to beersheba , and not smyting that which might smyte another , which otherwise ( if but for instruction sake ) would somtyme haue bene done , and mentioned . and this ( no doubt ) caused one to write as afore in the former chapter , that * the pest in davids tyme , came not by any infectious person . thirdly , by the septuagintaes version of the word deber , it may be collected to haue bene then the church of israels iudgement . the word deber in proper english the pestilence , they turne by the greeke word logos in english the word ; as if in the text it were not deber but dabar , this indeed signifying a word ; and the very terme that saint iohn in his first chapter doth giue vnto the son of god , by whom as by a word , the creature had his beginning and beeing . so that the . psal. and third verse , they thus read , he shall deliuer thee from the word , not fro the pestilence . and why ? because that pest ( as the comon creature at first ) had the beginning and beeing solely by the word of god : and this plague for contemning the blessed covenaunt sealed vp in him that is logos the word . afterwardes in the sixt verse of the same psalme , the hebrue-greekes read , thou shalt not be affraide [ apò toû pragmatos ] of the thing , in steed of pestilence . why ? because it was such a rhema , such a pragma , such a thing , as they knew not properly how to terme it in the greeke language : they well vnderstood that the heathen-greekes did terme it loimos , and in respect of the popular spreading epidemia , wherefore then in their translations should they so avoyde these wordes , and rather choose such a terme , as should drive the heathen to a non-plus ? no reason i can render , but that thereby they finely checked the gentiles , as ignorant of that plagues cause , and therfore must be glad ( leaving their great naturians ) to come vnto the written woord of god for better learning . and in so doing , they shall finde that deber is indeed dabar , which not only signifieth a word , but also a thing ; yea , a miraculous thing ; as in genes . . where sarah thinking the woord of promise impossible , the angel thus checkes her ; shall any dabar be heard to the lord ? where that miraculous thing was to be effected by the power of the word dabar signifying both . now if the pest was such a word , or such a thing , effected by a word , then it is to bee nombred amongest supernaturalls , and so not infectious , seeing the partie so smitten , could not by all the corruption in his nature sende out such a word , such a thing , begetting the same effect in another : for so ( which i thinke were a petie blasphemie ) in steed of iehovahs angell , mans beastly corruption should equalize the angell , & take the worke out of his handes , as being iehouahs messenger herein ( for angell is the greeke word , and messenger the english ) which i haue not read of , at least not observed . true it is , that the angells blowe , rayseth vp mudde in mans nature , giving it an head to the heart ; and therefore in psalme . . with logos they ioyne tarachodes turned of vs noysome , but in proprietie , bemudding , as if by such a stroke , the mudde of our vncleane poole , were stirred vp to the poysoning of all the blood and powers ; even as è contra , the angells mooving of bethesda , brought sanitie to the diseased . and true it is also , that that corruption may offend and hurt nature in others , but yet not infect , that is beget the same and as dangerous effect in another : for many things ●e noysom , that be not infectious . fourthly , that the angells stroke is super●aturall , it may appeare from the meanes whereby it is stayed . the meanes by prayer , “ and the offring vp our selues a living sacrifice , which david ran vnto in sam . he seeing the angell smyting the people in ver . . ( and not the people infecting one another ) he humbles him selfe , offring his lyfe ( few such governors ) for the ransome of his people , who are indeed a kings glory , pro. . that this holy interpellation ( and not gallens northeren winds breathing the chambers ) was the meanes whereby that pestilence deber was stayed , the angels hand staying to smyte and longer . to that purpose , one by authoritie thus writeth : “ this noysom● pestilēce ( in . sam. . ) ceaseth here as we see ; but by whose meanes ? did tyme weare it out , or did the phisitian cure it ? or did a fine devise remooue it ? no , no , it was done only by the commaundement of god , enioyning the angell to stay his hand . this consideration moveth also another domestick preacher vpon nombers . . not to teach physicall , but metaphysicall perfumes for putting away this sorte of pest. amongst other things thus he writes : * if the cause of this infection were elementarie , why must holy fier bee taken from the alter ? fier out of the chimney would purifie that : a●terwards . let euery one therefore bring his censer , that is , his heart vnto the lord an hallowed and sanctified vessell for this purpose , to offer vp incense of pray●r vnto god , a vessell layde vp in the holy of holyes . the medicine so being spirituall , supernaturall ; it remaynes ( as afore ) that the stroke is not infectious . lastly , the absolute mortalitie of the angels stroke , doth argue i● not to be infectious : for if it were , then every pestilenced person must dye , without such a supernaturall and “ miraculous recoverye , as wherewith hezekiah was revived . but as none will graunt such a communitie of miracle , so all must graunt the angels stroke not to infect another with the same or like . that the angels stroke is absolutely deading in his nature , it may appeare , once , in that no one smitten with deber is read to haue recovered life . for hezekiah , he was first a dead man in respect of his diseases nature [ els isa●ah● message were vntrue ] howsoever the humbled king was afterwardes miraculously restored : and yet his malady not deber in the text , but a sicknes to death , howsoever not without his boile , or swelling there termed shechin , one with the sixt plague inflicted on aegypt in exod. . . but deber ( for terme ) one with the first plague , englished a moraine ; whereof no beast smitten escaped . secondly , it is to be gathered from the . chro. . where the angel is sent to ierusalem lehashchithah to corrupt it , namely to death ; for shachath implyeth corruption taking head to the death and graue . thirdly the angells stroke appeareth to be deadly , from the epithets giuen to it in psal. . where it is termed a lyon , an aspe , a dragon , who naturally devoure and poyson to the death . such is the iudgment of some * domestick writers authorized by the sea of london so to teach and print . for iudgement of foraigners , take the learned mollerus ( approved of the vniversitie of witteberge , * and his labours printed at geneva , who in the . psalme so vrgeth the epithets meaning , in specialty ( saith he ) i take the prophet willingly alludeth to the pest in these appellations . for it is not to be doubted , but he had respect to the nature of these beastes [ vt vim veneni significantius exprimeret ] for more significant expressing the force of the poison . so farre he. whereby also may appeare the stroke not to be infectious ; seeing the corruption in a man so stoong and poysoned of aspe , or dragon , it sendeth out of that body no s●ch ●avour or power , as whereby the same evill and so dangerous an effect can be begotten in another , not so stoong of the serpent . and herevpon it is , that the same learned man ( so well as * others ) doeth vnderstande that psalme to be penned vpon davids deliverance in sam. . and the angell to be that fowler , in psalme . . whose particular act is , to pitch the same pest-snare and so to strangle people , as the fowler doth birdes . and so ( as afore ) the stroke deadly , and vn-infectious . but because our people are so infidelious touching the angels stroke , it pleaseth god somtymes to let the smitten feele a sensible blow , and both he , and others playnely to see , the print of a blew hande vppon the place so smitten . this indeed was flouted at in my booke , as if there were no such thing . but lett vs heare another writer of their owne authorizing , thus he writes : because the lords power and might more appeares & is more manisest in this great evil , then in any other , i thinke it not fabulous what i haue heard som reporte , that they haue seene ( as it were ) the print of a hand vpon the armes and other partes of the body of sundry smitten with the pestilence . so farre he. wherewith would be noted , that no one so printed doth escape death , so far as i could ever heare ; nor yet that pest●print beget the like in any of the beholders , and so not infectious . thus if men would haue vnderstood them selues ( but nebuchadnetzar had forgot his dreame ) clapham should not haue beene so vnbrotherly , and vncivilly entreated , for teaching the angels stroke to be supernaturall , and in his nature not infectious . but many supposing the doctrine i taught herein , to haue no proppes from some other teachers , to whom sectary-wyse they were addicted ( they holding faith , which saint iames forbiddeth , in respect of persons ) they so in their blind zeale , were helping to hammer my chaynes , adding affliction to my bondes . heavenly father forgiue them , for they knew not what they did . quere . whither or no is that plague infectious which ariseth immediatly from some corruption of nature ? chap. iiii. answ. in his owne nature it is infectious , howsoeuer somtymes bridled of god from infecting ; as the lyons naturally devouring howsoeuer the creator did bridle that creature from touching of daniel . and this to be vnderstood , not only of corruption following open knowen naturall causes , but also ( as afore ) of that muddy corruption raysed by the vn-infectiue miraculous stroke of the angell ▪ for corruptiō can beget nothing but the same , or the like corruption or otherwise be noisome , according as the subiect it worketh vpon , be more or lesse thervnto affected . this in my epistle ( vniustly traduced ) i teach againe and againe . in the addition to the first section there i say thus ; this kinde of plague of pestilence , is of him ( namely galen ) termed loimos , respecting only bodyes bursting out in corruption , which may be cause sometimes of corrupting bodyes ; specially such as are inclinable to , and capable of such corruption . then to the second section this , the angels stroke so is the cause , the plague sores and markes appearing & arising , are an effect . the first not infectious . the second is infectious sometimes more or lesse . afterwards in the third section having said , it is for none to make physicke their staffe , nor yet their first meane , i then write thus : is phisick then in this , and all other plagues to be avoyded ? no , we are not to neglect such naturall meanes , as reason & experience haue found out to avayle against naturall infirmity [ deo non obstante ] the lord not crossing nature . otherwise , we shal be found tempters of god , leaving our way ; rather then faithfull keepers of our way . thus much there , and much more then this , for approving and enioying phisical practise , in regard of such contagious corruption . how greatly then haue they sinned against the evident trueth , who haue said , that clapham taught the plague not at all to be infectious , as also that he reiected the practisers of phisicall meanes for atheistes ? but how deepe haue their sinne bene , * who laying my said epistle before them , haue culled out all spoken of the angells stroke , & of pretence haue skipped over these aforesaid speaches and the like , touching infection & phisicall meanes ; and that for so framing their articles , as it might be thought , that my saide epistle taught no such infection , no such vse of phisicke , and so consequently ( as they speake ) clapham an occasion of the death of thousands . if ( as he , that write the spirituall perfume ) i should haue skipped ouer such naturall respectes ( and why ? may not a divine do it , whose practise is , not to preach phisick ) how would all accusations then haue passed for current against me . yea , the bishop knowes by a letter writ to him , how in the pulpit i said , whosoeuer dee●es pestilenced ayre , earth bodyes to be in their owne nature infectious ; they deserued rather to be taught it in bride-well with stripes , then out of the pulpitt with argumentes . and yet this hath helped nothing . that the plague ( that is , pestilenced ayre , earth bodyes ) should bee infectious naturally ( for we speak not against gods providence , somtimes crossing nature , as once it hindered the lyon from hurtinge the asse , who otherwise according to his devouring nature , killed the disobedient ryder , . king. . but we speake of the nature of the corruption it selfe ) it can not be marvayled at or gaynesayd , when as we finde and graunt , inferiour diseases amongst mankind & beastes to be readily and sharply infectious , and ordinarily to be prevented & healed by naturall remedy . to particularize them are over-lothsom and vnnecessary this discourse . if thou say , thou hast conversed nearly with such as haue bene p●stilenced , and yet that way vntouched : i answer , so haue i , not by way of tempting god , but in way of discharging holy & necessary duty , and also i ( with all my famely somtymes so imployde ) vntouched that way . that this fell out , it is not because there was no contagion in such pestilenced persons , but because god bridled it , that wee so survi●●ing , might speak of his wonderfull workes , and laud him for his mercies . of this naturall pest , the phisitians and clarkes of nature , thus write : * the cause of the generall pestilence , whiche indifferently attaynteth all sortes of men , is the ayre which we sucke , that hath in it self a corrupt and venemous seede , which we draw with our●in breathing . by which ayre , hipocrates doubtles meant not only the common ayre element all investing all bodyes , but also the ayre fluctuated ( as winde ) from out of pestilenced bodyes . were it not for such gust and touch , we need not to feare to converse nearely with such as be taynted with morbo gallico , and other such peculiar peccatorious maladies . but for this worke of nature , i leaue to the reverend studentes of natures secretes ; contenting my selfe only with this , that i know no learned divine , to be heerein contrary minded . and every maister is to be heeded in his owne faculty . quere . can the angels stroke by som essentiall marke be differenced from the taint of naturall corruption ? chap. v. answ for my part i see no such assured ma●ke . the blew hand and blew spots ( commonly called gods tokens , and whereof i yet can heare no phisitian to giue a reason , and therefore they leaue them as vnphysicall , although i take it an acquaintance of mine in the citie was restored of the second ) they seeme to be differenced from the other , and the first in a speciall maner to put vs in minde of the angell smyting . and whereas now of late , many are killed vp ( as report goeth ) without having vpon them , either sore or former markes , as if the lord would giue vs no signe by reason of passed abuse of signes , it might seeme to administer an essentiall marke ; but seeing that cannot be called an essentiall differencing marke , which either holdeth not in all so smitten , or which falleth out besides in another kind of plague ( and contrary thereto , i haue no assurance ) i leaue it with my ignorance : and instead of exquiring , i reverence before the lord , crying out , ô the depth of his iudgments , his wayes are past finding out . one defineth the plague to be , a stroke of divine anger for the ●●nnes of mankind . so are a thousand maladies more , and all stripes inflicted on mankind for sinne ; and so the definition a meere genus without his differentia , vttering what is common to all maladies , but nothing formall to the pestilence whereof he disputeth . such a definition i could frame to the angels stroke , but then i should be as iustly derided for it , as he was reported in a leafe or two , vniustly to impeach my iudgment of the pestilence , physico , physica ; vt theologo , theologia . the cause why god hath not revealed to vs a sufficient difference , as it may well grow from our sinne , so it teacheth vs in such estate to vse and reverently to esteeme of , both phisicall and spirituall remedies ; least fayling in one , we be iudged for that one ; and in neglecting neither , we may haue a good conscience in both . and from this consideration it was , that i not only taught and prayed , but also ( all the time of pestilence ) did vse phisicke my selfe , propounding it also to my family , & som other acquaintance . * all the creatures of god are good , and nothing to be refused , if it be receaved with thankes-giving ; for it is sanctified by the word of god and prayer . and seeing the angels stroke doeth leaue behind it , bodies wounded to death ( howsoever that stroke , beget not the like naturally in another ; more then the stroke of god vpon ananias a●d saphira infected the by-standers and porters , act. . ) yet seeing the elements in such bodies resolue all into hatefull putrifaction , it should be ( at the least , seeme to others ) an act over presumptious to gaine say the vse of naturall preservatiue and medicine . quere . doth the . psalme propound deliverance from the pestilence deber , to som sorte of people ? chap. vi. answ. that it doth at large , as the learned mollerus thus writeth vpon the third verse ; eos qui fide certa in deum recūbereut tut●s fore à pestis sevitia affirmat , the propher avoucheth that they shal be safe from the pests cruelty , which rest vpon god with a sure faith . to him take another writers testimonie sent out this last pest-time . his words are these : how might god make vs a more excellent and fayrer promise , then that he promiseth to deliver from the pestilence , vs that be his children , and that we need not to be afraide thereof , though a thousand dye of the same at our left-side , and ten thousand at our right-side ; yet shall it not reach vnto vs , if we do but beleeue the promise , and let it be our speare and shield . so farre he. of such a beleever , chrisostome thus writeth : securus habitat at in terra & prolixam vitam inveniet , he shall dwell secure in the earth and finde long life . afterwa●des he tels how this is done : totum hoe fit per spem , hope in god bringes all this about . other witnesses might easily be produced , but these shall suffice to shew , that very vnadvised they were , that said , it was claphams sole fancie , to conclude any deliverance from the plague , from psalme . though ( being learned ) they might from the reverend tremellius and iuniu● their notes thereon , haue reformed their iudgment . specially if therewith they had conferred bezaes argument vpon the ● . psalme , attributing much there to mollerus , desiring the● also divines not to take in hand that disputation ( which ought to be sent to the scholes of phisitians ) whither the pestilence be contagious or no ; but rather to beate into the mindes of men , the doctrine which is so necessarie and godly set forth in this psalme . so farre he. but reading not onlie the promise in leviticus . and deut. . made to the obedient , so well as crosses and cursses to the disobedient : and hearing also the apostle teach timothie , in . epistle . chap. that godlines is profitable to all things , which hath the promise of the life present , and of that is to come : and david such an interpretor of the law as therewith ( so well as moses ) secretly delivering the spirituall benedictions vnder corporall blessings , and not the one but both : my adverse-brethren having read all this , i wonder in what other sense they could read and vnderstand the psalme . som new fangled sense it must needs be . let any such one now smite his hand on his thighe , and say , what haue i don ? if they had read only the vulgare latine translation , which ( following the greeke , not the origenall ) doth in psalm . . and . verse , read verbum asperum , a sharpe word , in stead of noysome pestilence ▪ and in the . verse negotium busines , for pestilence , then they in the ignorance of the originall , might haue intended a deliverance from sharpe slaundering tongues , and from wordly businesses or molestations , as doth thē papisticall iansenius . and yet if they had done so , they had run vpō a doctrine which they would seeme to avoid , namely a deliverance from temporary evils , & that from such-ones , as believers are no more freed from , thē middeber hauoth ( turned of frier felix and approved of pope leo the tenth a peste pravitatum . l. confrionum ▪ ) from the noysome pestilence . this chapter then i will finish with iohn campensis , his paraphrase englished here and printed anno domini . the wordes be these on psalme . . it is not for naught then , that i put my confidence in the lord. therefore who so ever thou be that hast vnderstanding , set the lord ( whiche is aboue al things ) afore thine eyes as ● most trusty refuge ; which if thou do , i that write these things dare bee bold to promise thee , that there shal never any suddain evill happē to thee , & that ther shall no plague v●xe thine houshold . so far his paraphrasis in the person of david . quere . what faith is it , which the . psalme propoundeth for apprehending such deliverance ? chap. vii . ans. first i will propound the sortes of faith. for though it bee said of the apostle in the epistle to the ephesians and . chapter , there is one body , one spirit , one hope , one lord , one faith , he meaneth not that there be no moe sortes in any sence : seeing besides the one body mysticall of christ , there is another of antichrist . besides that one spirit which giveth life to the church , the aforesaide body , there is another spirit , that breatheth in the synagogue of satan , & many spirites rationall , &c. so , besides that one , hope , which is the ancker-hold of the true church , there is another of the false . and besides that one , faith , which apprehends christ vnto eternal life , there is a second faith , termed historicall , which is that saint iames speakes of , whē he sayeth ; thou believes ( or thou faithes ) that there is one god , thou dost well , the devils beleeve , and tremble . such , believing the bibles history to be true , the wicked haue in commō with the godly . a third faith , ther is , termed miraculous , by reason wonderme●tes are thereby effected , whereof the apostle speaketh in . corin. . . if i had all faith ( that is as beza well noteth , the whole of this kinde of faith ) so that i could remooue mountaynes , &c. and this faith also the wicked haue in comon with the godly . there is another fatth termed temporary , whereof the apostle speaketh in . tim. . . when he saith , that in the latter tymes som shall apostate from the faith ; that is shall fall away from the ghospell , sometymes meant by faith : for from the first faith abouesaid , there is no fallinge away , no more then from election . and this kinde of temporary faith is peculiar to som reprobate , speaking only of mans-estate since adams fall . otherwise in the time of innocency , adam had faith touching the trinitie , their workes and goodnes ( but not of the son as a saviour , for yet was no need , because no sinne ) from the soundnes of which faith he [ écousios ] frankly and freely fell , admitting a right hard conceypt of god , till hee was restored ( more miraculouslie then was hezekiah ) to the same and a more excellent faith touching a seede ( not seedes ) which should arise from woman , for destroying the workes of satan . of these sortes of fayth or beliefe , the first is of an eternall nature , of a grayne or cranell growing in fine to a tree , having the roote grounded in christ. but as the vine riseth by meane proppes , so this faith ariseth gradatim , som and som by temporarie favoures and promises of this life ; as may appeare thorough-out moses , who by such shadowes leades vs to the substance . in which respect , i approve the distinction of faith temporarie , and faith eternal ; not called temporarie for that it selfe indureth for a tyme , so much as for the obiect , it eyeth and apprehendeth , which is som temporary promise , and blessing : as also the other eternall , for the eternall promises and blessings , it eyeth , apprehendeth , and holdeth . both of them meet in the elect , as two eyes in the soule , to see by , but often times ( as were leahs eyes ) very tender : yea , with the poore man in the ghospell , do often behold mē but as trees : which caused another to cry , i beleue , lord , help my vnbelief . in this distinction of eternall and temporary faith i here rest as fittest to the present purpose , as also to the meaning of such writers as already i haue vrged , and againe must vrge . my answer so to the second question is , that both these sortes of faith are commended and called for in the . psalme . the temporarie is propounded in the first sence , & according to the letter . the eternall and iustifying faith , in the second sence , and according to the myster●e . the first is the shell , the second is the cranell ▪ 〈◊〉 having the promise of both , and both the gift of god , david could teach no otherwise , seeing moses gaue him his text from levit. . and deut. . and can be construed no otherwise . our saviour sends his hearers to moses for triall of his wordes and workes ; and in moses they could never be found , but by seeking a mystery in his historie ; a spirit in his letter ; a substāce in his shadowe , an eternall blessing cōveyed vnder a temporarie . they that teach otherwise , must frame a man of only soule or only body ; or invent a christ with the familistes , that hath litle or nothing to do with the body . when our saviour sayth , all things are possible to him that beleeveth , doth he by all things , meane only the things of the soule ? no , he meaneth also , what so ever may be comfortable to the body . and in that place the point is cleared , seeing by the fathers faith , the child then became dispossessed of an vncleane spirit ; that bodily good being denied vpon his state of incredulitie . a cloude of witnesses haue their faith extolled in hebrues . and for what ? specially or at the first●hand , for apprehending temporary deliverances , though sealing vnto them a greater . * daniell so stopped the lyons mouthes . ananias , azari and misael did quench the violence of fire : david by faith escaped the sword ; samson of weake , was made strong , &c. but what saith a writer authorised by the sea of london hereto ? he shall giue in both demaund and answere . i demand ( quoth he ) whither gods ministers , and good people now , may not receaue as great mercies and blessings ( aswell corporall as spirituall ) by faith , as the people of the iewes did , when christ was conversant vpon the earth ? we know his knowledge , his love , his mercies are not diminished or chaunged ; his power and might is the same & more glorified . surely , then , that which letteth the free course of his graces and mercies from vs , must be in our selues , ignorance , hardnes of heart , and great infidelity . so farre he. if now infidelitie hinder the course of corporeall blessings ; yea , of so great blessings as were vouchsafed to peoples bodyes in our saviours time , then necessarily it followeth , that the lord in . psalme , & any other such place , doth make such promise . and this was it , which mooved another last pest●tymes to write thus : “ if there he now such a faith as giveth credence vnto god , be shall preserue him from wicked imaginatio●s and evill sicknesses . thus clapham in nothing , wil be found odd , & singular : let the accusers therefore be abashed , and leaue of their vnthriving transgression . quere . are they then to be held faithles that dye of the pestilence ? chap. viii . answ it hath bene reported , that clapham should teach , that such so dying , had no faith. hearke what his wordes be wherevpon such bruite was raysed . in his said epistles fourth section he writes thus : but seeing the lord promiseth deliverance from the plague , to all such as rest vnder his winges , & walke in his way , it may be asked how comes it to passe , that som believers dy of the pestilēce ? the answere then is thus there made : the lords promise beeing ever fast to the beleever ( for he is faithfull that hath promised ) there is in beleevers so dying , waant of faith , for apprehēding this particular delivrance , this temporarie mercy : though they haue not lacked faith , for their eternall iustification , and finall salvation , by vertue whereof their flesh resteth in hope of an happy resurrection , and their spirit is gone to god that gave it . so farre there . in them wordes is the former question plainly resolved ; namely , one may dy of the pestilence , having notwithstanding true faith in christ , to their eternall iustification , & salvation : but such a one so dying , wanteth that faith , whereby that particular temporary deliverance might also haue been had . it is not said , that they haue no faith ( for the contrary is affirmed , namely , that such a one may haue true iustifying faith ) but that in such a one , there was a want of faith , for apprehending this particular deliverāce , this temporary mercy : the veritie whereof may appeare , by that which hath been said afore , but here shal be vrged further . had such so dying , such faith , for apprehending , that temporary deliuerance ? if they had it , and yet so dyed , it were to make god a deceaver : for such faith , so well as iustifying faith , is the gift of god. i graunt that such a one , may haue som swimming conceipt , of deliverance , as a reprobate may haue , his vnrooted conceipt , of soules salvation ) but virtually & truly , such faith they had not : for god gives not faith , without the thing faithed . * walke before me ( saith he ) and be thou vpright , i am el-shaddi , the strong god , all-sufficient , ●or answering thy faith and obedience . and this was it , which caused our saviour in the ghospell still to say , according to thy faith be it . if god in his iustice , “ do aunswere the wicked , according to the idol-inventions in their own heart , even to the brawning of them , in their witchery superstitions ; what mravayle is it , though the same god in his mercy , do answere his children , according to his owne grace , wrought in their hearts , by his owne spirit ? but let vs heare , one speake authorized from the sea of london . in psalme . it is thus : the plague shall not come neere thee . it may be demaunded ( saith he ) how this can be true , for that we read both in elder ages , and s●e dayly , that the pestilence , where it is sent , doth not only come neare the godly , but also smites dead , &c. the answer ( saith he ) is this , that either they fayle , in the * particular faith in gods providence , so much commēded , and required in this psalme , . or they keepe not within the boundes of their callings . so farre he with authoritie , but in me , it must be a heresie . he saith such faith for deliverance , is required in psalme . and many of our cleargie haue deried it in me . if faith , for deliuerance from pestilence , bee not in every christian , required , why is our church [ in the collect on trinitie sunday ] inioyned to pray against all adversitie ; as also in the letany to pray directly thus : from the pestilence good lord deliuer vs ? al true prayer , is to be made in faith ; ( for what is not of faith , is sinne ) and as saint iames vrgeth , in chap. . . to bee made without wavering , as we would haue assurance , to obtayne our request . this doctrine so , s● is the doctrine of the heads of our church , enioyned vnder the payne of excommunication ; and may not clapham teach it without inprisonment ? as also in ferre necessarily therevpon , that in the lacke of such faith , the very elect , may iustly perish of the pestilence ? yea , that the lacke of such sayth , is cause of any adversitie inflicted vpon vs ? vnfold this riddle that can , for i can not . augustine is bold ( and the scriptures so teach him ) to impute the correctorie cutting off of moses his lyfe before he came into the promised lande , to titubatio fides , the stumbling of fayth . and no marvayle that lacke of such fayth , should put away temporarie favoures , when as it is said of our savior ( in whom wantes neither habilitie nor will ) that he did not many great workes , in his owne coūtrey● for their vnbeliefes sake , math. . . what doth all this doctrine tend vnto , but to the humbling of vs in our wantes , who haue made our selues vnworthy of , and vnsufficient to apprehend promise temporarie , so well as that is of an eternall nature ; as also , to the iustifying of god in all his proceedings ? the contrary doctrine causeth man to arrogate to much to him selfe , and to giue vnto god to little . but let vs heare how another divine writt last pest time : “ he having said there be two sortes of death , the one after the * comon course of nature ; the other before the time ( stumble not at the latter phrase , for the * scriptures approve it ) of this latter he thus saith : another way , death may happen to a man before the tyme , by reason of his great and grievous sinnes , as the lord hath threatned by moses , that if his commaundements be not kept , he will cause pestilence to raigne : whereout it is certayne , that when they be kept , the plague bydeth out . likewise saith the lord in the commandements , honor thy father and mother , &c. out of the which it is certayne , that his life , which doth them not , shal be shortned . afterwards , the same writer speaking of the promise in the . psalme , he addes thus : of this vntimely death only speaketh this psalme , and promiseth the faith full christian men , that they shal be free from it . for frō the right appointed death , into the which we haue consented in baptisme , we neither can nor shal be deliuered . wherefore if a vertuous christian man dy of the plague , it is certainly his very houre appointed him of god , which he cannot prevent . but doubtles , there dy of it many sinners also beside , which might well live longer if they repented . so farre he. from whose wordes the collection is evident , namely , that none dy of the plague sent out from god , but vpon their disobedience , be they believers or sinners . and then every divine must graunt , that error in fact proceedeth from error in faith ; as from want of faith exhibited in his threatnings or promises . let this my iudgement then remayne good by authoritie from scripture , from writers , and the imposed obedience of the church of england , how so ever poo●e i , must therefore be derided , slaundered , oppressed . quere● haue the wicked then at any time such a faith , as whereby they be delivered from the pestil●nce ? chap. ix . answ. this d●maund hath his answere , before in the seaventh chapter , namely , that the wicked may bee possessed of any kinde of faith , saving that which we call the iustifying faith , the faith whereby the eternall saving promisses are apprehended . “ the wicked may cast out devills , worke miracles , and what not , that bringes with it onlie som temporarie blessing ? but all this not to be so reioyced in , as to haue the name writtē in heavē . here i could note ( which is not much observed ) that pharaoh . nech● the vncircūcised king of aegypt , was countenanced of god by faith in a temporarie ; what time the godly iosiah king of iudah , was checked by vnexpected death for not believing , pharaoh-necho , though he no prophet nor prophets sonne ; nor we heare not by what meanes hee had such skill ; but i passe by it : only let it check all sortes of infidelitie in vs. and because this position is vniversally graunted of all sortes of divines ( be their sect what it shall ) it shall not neede heere any discourse . in my traduced epistle and section . i say of the wicked escaping in middest of strongest pestilence , first , it is not because they have any promise , but because it pleaseth god both to them and vs , to be in many things , many times better then his promise . so i speake of the wicked in generall for their escape , as also of any promise in scripture , as vnto them not belonging , that is properly and blessedly . afterwardes in the same section i adde . secondly , the wicked so escaping are ordinarily such as haue walked boldly thorough the sicknes , bragging of their faith in god , touching deliuerance frō the pestilence ; shewing plainly , that they had of faith in god for apprehending promise of deliuerance , though they have not had faith for apprehending things spirituall and eternall . so far . and herein appeareth , that the conclusion is inferred , not in respect of all wicked escaping in middest of the pests-heat , but of some certaine wicked , namely , such as gloried first in their hope and trust , walking thorough it without feare . now their speach & behaviour compared with the event ( & the . psalme propounding a tempo●rarie cover , to such as had hope in god ) what shall let ( seeing i can iudge but by externalls ) that i may not thinke such to haue had that faith , which apprehendeth that temporarie . true it is , that all promises in proprietie and blessedly , are made to the children of god ( whither we respect christ the sonne of god by nature , or the sanctified mankind , the sonnes of god by adoption ) but yet it followeth not , that therefore ; god cōmunicateh none of the things so promised to the wicked . god hath commaunded both sortes of faith to goe togither ( the one for the good of the body , the other for the soule , and sinne it is to parte them ) but yet , as he is called * the saviour of all men , specially of the belieuers : so , hee saueth the wicked in somti●es of affliction , and vouchsaffeth his temporarie sunne and rayne to pleasure and profit them . for there is no grace that can be seuered from sanctification ( as may be seene in balaam , saul , iehu , iscariot , &c. ) but it may be found with the wicked , be it corporeall or spirituall . if we say ; that the lords disposing of temporaries , are then there , and to whome , he will i answere , ●uen so is the disposing of eternals , then , there and to whome hee will : for as the wind bloweth so the spirit worketh at his pleasure , as our sauiour teacheth the vnlearned rabbin nichodemus in saint iohus . chapter . how soeuer then my adversaries wish it . this their wind shakes no hauour . quere . is it lawfull for inhabitants to fly the place of their habitation , during such time , as the pestilence there raignet● ? chap. x. answ. som look that i should say yea , such as haue at such times giuen them selues voluntarily to flight . but would they haue me graunt that● absurdum pecus pecc●tor , there is no beast to the sinner . graunt that liberty and then ( to the exposing of all , to rogues-ruine , housses , townes , cities , and at this time , the greatest parte of this kingdom ) must be dispeopled and left as cursed ierush●●lem , desolate . consider then the absurditie of that concession . no common wealths● man will euer graunt that ; nor any desire it , that be not madde . may none then departe ? to hold that ( it may be ) would prooue an errour of the right hand , as the other of the left . salomon forbids vs to be * ouer-iust & ouer-wise ; so well as ouer-wicked & ouer-foolish . least i should seeme partiall , let vs heare som others speake . and first to aunticnt eusebius , who handled the churches historie . hundred yeares since . hee giues vs an epistle , written by dionisius the episcop of alexandria in aegipt , running thus , as a doctor of our owne hath turned the greek . many of our brethren ( saith dionisius ) by , reason of their great loue and brotherly charitie , spared not them selues , cleaued one to another , visited the sicke , without wearines or head-taking , attended vpon them diligently cured them in christ which cost them their liues ; and being full of other mens maladies , tooke the infection of their neighbours ; translated ( of their own accord ) the sorowes of others vpon them selues , cured and confirmed other sick persons , and dyed most willingly themselues , fulfilling in deed the common saying , only friendship is always to beretained : and departing this life , they seemed the of-scourings of others . in this sorte , the best of our bretheren departed this life ( whereof som were ministers and som deacons ) in great reuerence among the common people : so that this kind of death , for the piety & strength of faith , may seeme to differ nothing from martyrdome . for they tooke the dead bodyes of the saintes , whose brestes , and hands , and faces layd vpwardes , and closed their eyes , shut their mouthes , and ioyntly with one accord , being like affectioned , embraced them , washed them , & prepared their funeralls . in a little while after , they enioyed the like them selues . for that the living continually traced the steppes of the dead . but among the heathen , all fell out the contrarie . for scarse had the pestilence taken place amongest them , but they contraried them selues , and fledde from their most friendly and dearest friendes . they threw them halfe dead into the streetes ; the dead they left vnburied , to be devoured of dogges ; to the end they might avoyde the partaking and felowship of death ; which for all that they could devise , they could not escape . so farre eusebius . from this recorde of eusebi●● , besides other thinges , i wish these pointes to be observed : first , it was helde piety , a worke of faith , charitie , glorious as martyrdome , to stand by it , doing service one to another , even to the death and buriall . secondly , that the persons so holily imployde , were ministers , deacons and others . as for the heathen set in an antithesis ; first , they fly one from another , euen from their dearest friends , exposing the dead to prophane violation . secondly , for all their flying so , gods hande did overtake them : such being the iudgment and practise of the church in them purer tymes : and such was the behaviour of the heathen ; iudge nowe , who last pest-tyme walked as the christians , and who as the heathen . but let vs heare some what out of a sermon printed last pest-time . his wordes are these : * vnwisely , and vnchristianly they doe , that out of inordinate feare of this plague , leaue their calling and office , malitiously withdrawing the loue , helpe , & faithfulnes , which they out of gods commaundement , are bound to shew vnto their neighbours ; and so do sinne greevously against the commaundement of god. for certainly they do but stirre vp the wrath of god more earnestly against them selues , that he may the sooner take holde vppon them , and pluck them away with this plague . for men may heare on every side , that som do shunne and fly , not only the sicke , but also the whole . yea , that which is more foolishnes , even the platters and candlestickes which came out of straunge houses , as though death did surely sticke therein . and out of such fo●de childish feare it cometh , that not only som sick persons be suffered to dy without any keeping , help and comfort ; but that women also great with childe , are forsaken in their most neede ; for at such tymes , few or none will come vnto them . yea , a man may heare also , that the children forsake their fathers , & mothers ; and one houshold body keepeth him selfe from another , and sheweth no loue vnto him ; whiche nevertheles he would be glad to be shewed vnto him selfe , if he lay in like necessitie . so farre he. vnto the trueth of whose complainte , the very poets them selues haue subscribed , in variable pamphlets published amongst vs at this day . to these let me adde a doctor of physicke his testimonie ; printed after the former : “ it remayneth ( saith he ) that acknowledging the pestes contagion , we notwithstanding ( who are christians ) carefully avoyd that faithles and paganish fearefulnes , whereby wee are made to breake all the bondes of religion , consanguinitie , aliance , friendship , and policie : the husbande forsaking and abandoning his deare wife ; the parentes their children : to sincke , or swimme ; the pastor exposing his flocke to euery devouring wolfe ; and the magistrate his people vnder his charge , to all confusion and disorder . we are apt to rushe into extremities . this were incidere in scillam , whilst we would vitare charibdim , to avoyd one evill , and commit as great or greater . he is to be reputed a grounded & discreet christian , who as he will not rush rashly into every infected and visited house , without iust cause , warrant or calling ; so , when he is called , or tyed by any bonde of pietie , nature , or policy , he will not forsake his station , or detract and fore● slow any dutie or office ; though the performance thereof be with evident danger of health , goods , or lyfe it selfe . so farre he. what haue i taught more in this matter , that i must bee made a gazing-stocke to angells and men ? looke into the last section of my traduced epistle , and if ( eyther by exhorting to dutie , or dehorting from breach of datie ) i haue said more ( yea , but so much ) then lett man haue no mercy on me . from the lords loue and lenitie , i there exhort to coniunct and mutuall humiliation ; in checking some others for abusing the scripture in levitic . . touching leprosie , for vpholding their irregular flight : and if an authori●ed divine may not doe this , actum erit ● ministerio , our ministerie will bee of small reckoning . for my doctrine there of the leprosie , i leaue it to be tryed by gods worde , for already it is vnder the tryall of the bishops sworde . only heere thus much . . the leper was not put off ; till his disease were throughly seene , tryed and censured . but our sicknes are shaken off without tryall : & often tymes vpon false suppositiôn . . the priest then was tyed by dutie , to take such tryall . but the priest ordinarily with vs , is of the rest , furthest from that ; shaking off not only the sicke , but the sound also . . the priest and people got the leper conveyed to some place apart , providing sufficiently for him , that so his lothsom body might bring no grievance to the congregation . but the most of our priestes and people haue beene so farre from convaying forth the sick so provided ; as they rather haue put out them selues , providing for themselues , and leaving the sick behinde them . . the leprous house and garment came also vnder the priestes tryall and censure : will our priestes do the like ? i will hardly beleeue it , till i see it . . the leprous garmentes were to be burnt , and the houses pulled downe : will they deale so with pestilenced houses and garmentes ? then downe with all england . haue i not ( these circumstances remembred ) had iust cause to complayne of abuse committed against the ceremoniall law of leprosie ? sub iudice lis sit , let the church of god all abroad iudge it . as for any rules of politicall decency , or safetie to be drawen frō levit. . or any other scripture , nether haue i ( nor i think any scholler ) ever excepted against . and as farre from my thought it was contemptuously herein to oppose vnto the doctrine of leprosie published in the booke of orders for the wednesdayes fast : besides that my said epistle was published before that book , som dayes , if not weeks , at least in my iudgement ( as they haue vnder my hand and oth ) nor could i euer from pawles church-yard , or otherwise learne the contrarie . but inough of that parenthesis . when men be vnwilling tolay downe their liues for their brethren , to giue their liues for their flocke ; to preferre bodies to soules , & eternall life to temporarie , what law of god & man will bind them ? what evasions will not be devised ? and what transgression will not of such be iustified ; euen somtymes to the harming of such , as haue beene conscionable obseruers of the law ? this chapter then i will finish with other mens wordes . * one saith thus : let not gentlemen and rich citizens by flying ( vnlesse they fly likewise frō their sinnes ) thinke to escape scot-free . another writes thus : “ it is a great shame for a christian man to be afrayde of the plague of pestilence , as to fly from them that he is bound to serue by gods commaundement . another writes thus : * they that fly for meare feare , ought to acknowledge their want of faith , and to bewayle it , as those that consider neither of them selues , nor of the hand of god that stricketh ; perswading them selues , that staying is the only daunger , and that flyinge is the only meane to escape . such men do as litle children , that flye from the fathers rodde , and so make him more angrie . againe another writes so : they must summon them selues vnto the iudgement feate of god , and looke on the plague , as on the messenger of gods wrath , which can not be avoyded with change of place , but by repentance and amendment of life . so farre they . from such authorised sentences , let the reader collect , that howso ever all departure be not gayn-sayed , yet no such departure is graūted , as whereby relatiue duties be omitted and cast aside , or barbanitie may ensue : for the least ( euill may not be done , to the ende that good may come thereby ) for to such ( saith the apostle ) “ damnation is iust . * from the beginning of the world god knoweth all his workes : and therefore neither needeth nor craueth , nor alloweth , the helpe of our false finger . let vs striue in all estates to be helpefull one to another , and blessed is that servant , who when his maister christ cometh , is found so doing . dixi. epilogue . equall is that pentameter , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . euery forced busines , is grievous . almost a yeare is passed , at the penning hereof . so long forbearance , was much and onerous ; specially in so even a cause . if my aduersaries scorpions , haue by lashing enforced this cry , and thou thereby bettered , deo gratias , giue god the prayse , who out of a flint can fetch fier ; and of stones , rayse vp children to abraham . meane tyme , be assured , it had beene more ease for me , not to haue beene so vrged . but though i were slaine , i must ( with iob ) hold fast myne innocencie . innocency ; by how much the more it is innoeencie , by so much the more i should ( by silence ) haue borne false witnes against god , his church , and myne owne soule . but if it bee remembred , what horride reportes , were scattered abroad of me , both touching fact , and matter of faith , notwithstanding all orderly suites , and protestations , subscriptorie , and iuramentall ; yea , against the tendering royal purpose , of our soueraigne : to the possessing of magistrates eares with vntruthes , to the perverting of ministers , and people ; for bending all against me , and so the sword of gods holy angell ( “ yet vn-sheathed ) gainst all ; damming vp the course of my ministerie , cutting of my bodies liberty ; propounding my life to daunger ; breaking the heart of my family , consumed the substance i had paynefully earned : to the gladding of fooes , sadding of friends , procuring murmurations , &c. and al for praying , preaching , visiting , and good-doing , to all sortes , pestilenced : when almost none els would ; if all this be layd to heart , am i iron , that i should not feele ; or am i lead , that i should not sound ? nay is it reasonable ( though i bee therefore cōmitted close prisoner , yea , should dy the death ) but i should speak , and write , for clearing of myne innocencie ? wherein i haue fayled ( and who is it , that in nothing sinneth not ) thou that art stronger , helpe to sustayne me : at least , simpathize so my estate , as i may be helped , by thy feeling and harty prayers . and so with reference of my cause to the iudgement of god , his church in england , scotland , france , ireland , and wheresoeuer , i end . this . of september , . the lord most vnworthy henoch clapham . a letter to a friend . you desire to heare by what law , i was committed , and so am still continued in prison ? i protest , in the presence of god , i know not , by what law , all this is done , there is a law , that toucheth som , concerning iudgement and doctrine of the pestilence . it is layd downe in the booke called the queenes orders for the pestilence : i speake of our late sweet soveraigne , now gone vnto god. the same booke since ( as i take it ) was published last pest-tyme , in his maiesties name , and this is it verbatim . order . item if there be any person , ecclesiasticall or lay , that should hold , and publish any opinions , ( as in som places report is made ) that it is a vayne thing , to forbeare , to resorte to the infected : or that it is not charitable , to forbid the same ; pretending that no person shall dy , but at their time prefixed , such persons shall not only be reprehended , but by order of the bishop , ( if they bee ecclesiasticall , ) shal be forbidden to preach : and being lay , shal be also enioyned to forbeare , to vtter such daungerous opinions , vpon payne of imprisonment ; which shal be executed , if they shall perseuere in that errour . and yet it shall appeare manifestly , by these orders , that according to christian charitie , no persons of the meanest degree , shal be left without succour and relief . admitt now , i had bene coulpable , of such doctrine : my punishment should not haue bene imprisonment , but som inhibition , to preach . but , as may appeare , by all my writings , i am cleared from all such imputation : and so no law ( that yet i can heare of ) in this matter , violated of me . his maiestie commaunded , i should be proceeded withall ; by the law , intending , that there was a law to cleare me , or condemne me : and yet ( as you heare ) i am kept still in bondes , only vpon my l. of london commaund , ( not vpon any law civill , or ecclesiasticall , once spoken of ) others of the hy-commission vnited with him therein , who ( i suppose ) dare not , easilie , be in any thing , vnto him , repugnant : and he having imprisoned me , before he truely vnderstood the cause , doeth thus goe about to make good his imprisonmēt , by wincking at the truth of the cause , seeming to plague me for the contrary . this may suffice , for your question ; wherewith i end , desiring your harty prayers vnto god , for my good : to whose saving mercies also , i referre you and your studies . yours he. cl. another letter . beloued ; i haue maruailed , what may be the cause of your walking thus those . if because of my daily repaire vnto the lords visited people , som moneths since you fear to com near me , you must vnderstand , that i haue bene ayred in prison these ten moneths . but in your iudgement ( it may be ) a man may travatle of the plague , beyond a womans ● weekes . in deed the old womans fable is , that the plague will lye years in a mouse hole , and then come out . that aphorisme ( it is like ) was cause ( as hath eftsoones bene reported ) that a neare preacher , newly beneficed , did plaister the walles faire , tempering the morter with vinger , [ “ eamque ob rem , medici peste grassante , cum in cibo , tum in potu , acc●ivsum mirificè commendant ] but for all that , his hourse was scarfe fimished , before he with plentie of gods tokens vpon him , so well as his predecessour , was buried . but if i may coniecture by your pulse , you feare to bee knowen my friend , whil● i am in bonds . an vngodly feare , to bee ashamed of well doing . such irregular walking , may cause me to call in question , whether ever you were a true friend , seeing one of gods canons runns thus : * a friend loueth at all times , and a brother is borne for adversite . besides , that such keeping aloof ( worse then that of nicodemus , for he came by night ) it weakens neophyts , and str●ngthens the hands of the adversarie . would you , in like case , be so walked with ? do as you would be done to . in the beginning , you kept of , for som such cause , but now you are impeded about episcopall canons , concluded by the province of canterburie : for though yorkes prouince be by proclamation , enioyned to vndergoe the same “ rules , yet ( i vnderstand not ) that that provinces voyce was called for ; and so vsed , as to the making of that coū . ●ell nationall , and one of the canons , concludeth ( as i remēber ) that 〈◊〉 be the voyce of the church of england , which hath bene vttered in ● councell nationall , not provintiall . e●en as the parliament 〈◊〉 nationall , for that euery part of the nation , hath his speaker in it . if that be your case , god and the king helpe you , for i can not . i am here for another gates testimonie , almost for sakē of you all as singular : but if you would have first vnderstood me , and secondly your selues ; all that i did , was but a bringing of that doctrine , into distinct methode , which ( for the most part ) was taught over-confusedly . in so much as sundry that heard you teach two tymes , vpon that argument , could not conceaue , but that in the second sermon , you were opposite to the first . if you had bene more comfortable to others , in their affliction , then doubtles you should not be so long destitute of comfort in any your afflictions , for faithfull is he that saith , the mercifull shall finde mercy . make vpright steppes to your feet , and feare not an happy issue out of all tentations . and so with my hearty prayers to god for your good , i leaue you to his guidance , that neuer for sakes the faithfull . your friend he. cl. courteous reader let me craue in kindnes , that what faultes thou findest , may not bee imputed to the authour : but meere ignorance and oversight in th● publisher . fare well . pere re● the publisher and his friend . question . is the plague infectious , or no ? answer . that is intricate , more then i know . to satisfie som-thing , i will not gr●dge , with some experimentes , then be thou iudg● . i. a sucking childe , suckt his mothers breast , hauing a filter , . or . yeares elder at the least , the mother absented , the eldest out of thrall , not car●ing for the yongest , any thing at all : the yongest liued , and survived , the eldest with the mother greeved and died . ii. a man being marked with gods tokens , looking euery hour , when his heart would be broke● hauing one child , loth to leaue behind him , layed it . dayes and . nights in bed by him : the father dyed , the child survived , and hath euer since prospered and thriued . iii. a plague fore , within a spanne of a womans dugge , whereat the little child , night and day did lugge , som fortnight sick and sore , shee was all that while , the child in midst of mothers grief , at her did smile the mothers sore made whole , & so she mended , the child since neuer sick , nor with grief offended . now my friend , if not my fo , tell me , is the plague infectious , or no ? qu. is there any place in the scripture , that vrgeth men to bee fo●ward in perfection , and striving to be perfect : answer . yes : ye shall therfore be perfect , as your father which is in heauen is perfect , mat. . . also the great commandement doth say : loue the lord thy god with all thy heart , & with all thy soule , and with all thy minde , and with all thy strength . this is the first and the great commandement . and the second is like vnto this : thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe . on these two commandements hangeth the whole law and the prophetes . the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of god , and is profitatable to teach , to improue , to correct , and to instruct in righteousnes : that the man of god may be absolute , being made perfect vnto all good workes , . tim. . . . this is a straight gate , yet we are commaunded to striue to enter in at the straite gate , luke . . now he that despiseth the teacher & vrger of this doctrine , despiseth the authour of the doctrine even christ him selfe . although no man can be perfect in this life , yet it is no reason that the mouth of the oxe should be moozled , for treadinge out the corne before them : and telling men what they ought to bee , althogh he knoweth , that none can be perfect in this life , no more then a cammell can goe through the eye of a needle , and though this be vnpossible to man , yet nothing is vnpossible to god. when thou art converted , strengthen thy brethren . the god of peace that brought again from the dead our lord iesus the great shepheard of the sheepe ▪ through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in all good workes , to do his will , working in you that which is pleasant in his sight , through iesus christ , to whom be praise for euer . amen . p. r. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * iohn . . . one made that aunswer . * ergo no possession . notes for div a -e “ revel . . . * anno do : . novemb. ● “ . prover . . . . leuit. . . prou. . ● . rom. . . &c. notes for div a -e * affirmando . negando distinguendo . retorquendo . * they were . hebrues that turned the law into greek , at the appointmēt of ptolomy philadelph the egyptiā king , vnder whom daniels people were capti●ed . notes for div a -e w. cupper , on . sam. . pag. . * stephen egerton . * doct. fran hering in his epist. to his defence , &c. see h ▪ hollands spir. preservatiue pag. . notes for div a -e * d. lodge in his booke of the pestilence , cha . . “ touching is of sundry natures . “ bucer in mat. . * w. cupper on . sam. . iohn . “ rom . galen in . lib. de temp . observed by doct katachius in regimine sanitatis . “ w. cupper on . sā . . . * roger fēton in his spirituall perfum● . publisher . “ the adding of . yeares to his life , and the sunne going back . degrees in the diall of 〈◊〉 : without 〈◊〉 help , was 〈◊〉 raculous , . king. . ● isa. . . 〈◊〉 * ma. holland . * m. cupper . henricus mollerus in psalmo● . * beza and others her● at home . h. hol. sp●● preser . p. . ia● . . . notes for div a -e * publisher , was it not doctor andros that culled thē ? * do ▪ lod ▪ from hipocrates de humana natur . notes for div a -e * tim● . ● . notes for div a -e t. c. on psalm . chris. on psalm . . frater feli● his translation on th● psalme . notes for div a -e iame●● . beza on . cor. . . hebrues . eternall or iustifying faith. temporarie faith. mark . ● . * hebr ▪ . . &c. h. hollāds sp . preserva . “ t. c. o● psal. ● notes for div a -e psal . * gen. . . “ ezek. ▪ ▪ &c. h. hollands spir preser . pag. . . * this ter● was flouted , and yet not in myne but in ma. hollands book● augustin on psa . . “ t. c. on psal . . * num. . . * eccles. . . psal● . . luke . . notes for div a -e “ ma●● . 〈◊〉 * . tim● . . . notes for div a -e * eccle. . , . merideth hanmers translat . of euseb & in chap after●y greke . * t. c. 〈◊〉 psal● . “ doctor her. epist. before his def. printed . leuit. . doct. he● . in his rules , pag. . “ t. con psal. . * wil. cup. per on sa. . pa● . h. hollād● pr. preser . pag. . “ rom. . ● . * act ; . 〈◊〉 notes for div a -e “ never raged this sick nes so mightily and vniversally in england , as now it doth notes for div a -e “ in amo●di villanovani exegefi super schol. sale●n . ● . ● , * prover . 〈◊〉 . “ canon ● the greeke : rule is the english. consilium anti-pestilentiale, or, seasonable advice concerning sure, safe, specifick, and experimented medicines both for the preservation from, and cure of, this present plague offered for the publick benefit of this afflicted nation by richard barker. barker, richard, sir. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) consilium anti-pestilentiale, or, seasonable advice concerning sure, safe, specifick, and experimented medicines both for the preservation from, and cure of, this present plague offered for the publick benefit of this afflicted nation by richard barker. barker, richard, sir. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng plague -- england -- prevention. epidemics -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion consilium anti-pestilentiale : or , seasonable advice , concerning sure , safe , specifick , and experimented medicines , both for the preservation from , and cure of this present plague . offered for the publick benefit of this afflicted nation , by richard barker , med. lond. gloriam da deo pro misericordiâ , & verêre judicia ejus . london , printed for the author , anno . to the right honourable sir john lawrence , knight , lord maior of the city of london : and to the right worshipful , the court of aldermen of the same city . the great abuse of many who pretend the publick good , when as indeed their chief aim is only their private interest , ( multi res suas agunt communium praetextu ) made me for a great while unwilling to appear upon the stage , lest i should incur the censure of some zoilus or other , but that the daily numerous addresses unto me ( for relief not only for the present direful sickness , but also in divers other great distempers ) by those who have been too often frustrated in their expectations from others ; and the love i bear to this famous city , of which i am a member ; as also the late encrease in the weekly bill of mortality , notwithstanding the directions published by the colledge , constrained me at length to cast in this mite , whereby i have been , through the mercy of the almighty , instrumental to many for their recovery . for though those directions , and many other medicines , are reported to have been useful in former days ; yet now failing , there is a general longing and earnest desire for some more powerful and more effectual means ; and if such be not speedily brought forth , a general calamity is seared likely to befall this city . and therefore , spurr'd on by our royal soveraign's most gracious care ; as over all his subjects in general , so especially over this famous city ; as also his majesties princely countenance to all ingenious persons , that are able to lend a helping hand ; and your own ready compliance with his majesties royal care and orders for his majesties subjects health and preservation , i thought good to present this paper to your lordship and worships , out of my tender love and care of the publick welfare , which i did upon mature deliberation and consultation with other very able and understanding physicians , ( plus eni● vident oculi , quà● oculus ) ; for i would not appear before you but with such remedies as are built upon solid grounds of sound reason and manifold experience . i do not intend to enlarge my self in words at this time , the present necessity ( and daily encrease of the sickness , even in the city it self aswell as in the suburbs ) calling rather for deeds and effectual help . it is true , that it is the great judgment of god which afflicts us , our prophaneness and manifold sins , provoking the just indignation of divine justice : however , the lord even in the midst of his anger being not forgetful of his mercy , it behoveth both divines and those of our profession , in the common calamity to stand in the breach , and become instruments to allay his wrath , and procure his mercy , all according to our several stations and sphears of activity ; and that all , of whatever degree , authority or capacity , take heed , that we may not oppress the innocent , lest thereby we exasperate the wrath kindled against us , but rather asswage the same by mercy and mildness . when it shall please god that these afflictions be over , i shall then publish another tract , concerning four diseases predominant in this city , which i indeed intended to be first of all , but that by this present very urgent necessity i am prevented . in the mean time praying for your temporal and eternal bliss , i rest , right honourable and right worshipful , your lordships and worships most faithful humble servant , richard barker . epistle to the reader . loving reader , whereas there hath been a report , that my house is visited , and that divers dyed out of it ; this is to let thee understand that the same is a meer false slander and fiction , maliciously invented by some of my profession , on set-purpose to divert patients from me , and to mar my practice . both my self and family are all in perfect health , ( god be praised for it ) and i hope to live to the comfort of my friends , and conversion of my enemies . in the parish where i live , there hath been as much affliction , by the current epidemical disease , as in other parishes , but that by the use of such medicines as they had from me , they escaped , the almighty in his mercy giving his blessing thereunto . according to the compute of the last weeks bill of mortality there died no more but seven out of it , and all the time before but four ; which i do not doubt but that by the help of god they might have also escaped , if they had not been frighted from coming to my house by that groundless aspersion . it is true , that medicines formerly used , and now prescribed again in the printed directions , have been beneficial in those dayes ; but now a certain malignity , like a furious lion , infesting in the present calamity , will not be curbed by such usual directions , but requireth other helps more astral and powerful , such as those were which the patients in this parish , and divers in the city besides , had from me . variatto temporis ▪ & circumstantiarum indicat variationem remediorum . there have been strange and various faces of the heavens of late years , especially this last , wherein three blazing-stars , or comets , appeared ; the fashion of their appearance i need not describe , it having been obvious unto , and noted by many thousands ; only , it is generally agreed on , that plagues and such like judgments use to follow upon such signs . i have made many observations of the heavens , since i understood something of that learning , and could wish there were more frequent observations made by better understandings than my own , and that the enemies of that learning would be more moderate , and forbear to condemn what they are not skill'd in . for according to the opinion of our physicians if there be any contagion in the air , the same naturally springeth forth from the configuration of the heavens ; which i will not discourse of at this time , nor trouble thy head , when thy heart should mind the one thing necessary . let them that flee from the city , not think themselves the safer from the judgment ; nor let those in the country flatter themselves with vain hopes : for i fear they will taste as deeply of the cup of this indignation , as those in the city . it is a strange time , people are afraid one of another ; yea , even the best friends keep themselves aloof from one another . yea , such a spirit reigns all over the country , that they could be contented to block up all the citizens , and rather let them perish than come forth into the air to refresh themselves . and therefore you which are remaining in the city , have great reason to love one another as you are neighbours , and to make provision of convenient places , where no body can resist you ; as also of fit means , and able men , that may make it their business to study your preservation . you plainly see , that this grievous disease not only endangereth your lives , but also your repute and trading , and marreth your fortunes , insomuch that you lose that esteem and courtship which you were wont to have from those that wanted your goods and moneys ; yea , those that flattered you , do now frown upon you and scarce own you . all which might be easily remedied , and your reputation and trading preserved , if you pleased but to consider of it , and love one another , and take counsel of such as are able to advise . for which end i could wish , that there might be chosen a select number of persons , to advise and direct to the best means conducing to this purpose , in regard that the old and ordinary courses fall far short of what may be devised and advised . i make no question but that having been a practitioner in physick in this city these fifteen years , i may be credited concerning the things i propose ; for , whoever tryeth my medicines , will find them speak for themselves , and need no further commendation from my self or any one else . the ingredients of the medicines here offered are no minerals , though chymically prepared , and i do assure thee that they are very safe even before they are prepared . chymical medicines have been ever , and especially now at this time , found so necessary , and beyond the ordinary usual medicines , that the physicians of the colledge themselves have given order for preparing of a chymical medicine to johnson their chymist in amen-corner . in the next book which i do intend to put forth , i shall give an account of my rise and pedigree , and how i came to the atchievment of these things which i now profess , the late infortunate times obstructing me from aspiring to variety of languages and other acquirements , which else i might have enjoyed . how-ever , as to my abilities in what i profess , my practice and successes upon my patients will speak sufficiently on my behalf . and i would have thee take notice , that my medicines proved very beneficial to divers that came out of prison this last winter , where i suppose ( as my observations upon the said persons induce me to believe ) this plague had its first rise . thus wishing thee health and happiness , i remain , thine ready to serve . r. b. directions to be observed , to prevent this of all most terrible sickness . . in the morning do not go forth with an empty stomach , but first refresh your self by breaking your fast , and filling your stomach ( so far as you can endure it ) with any convenient food , drinking after it a draught of small beer , mixt with two or three drops of true oyle of sulphur , such as is not sophisticated , or else six drops to twelve of the true spirit of salt. . carry about you a ball , made of tobacco-leaf , roll'd up and tyed in some tiffiny or lawn , and so dipt in vinegar : smell often to it , and sometimes clap it to the temples for some few minutes of time . . those that use to smoke tobacco , let them mix it with its fourth part of flower of sulphur , and seven or eight drops of oyl of amber for one pipe , and take three such pipes every day , viz. in the morning , in the afternoon , and at night . . at night , take one scruple of flower of brimstone , in a glass of canary , perfumed with the smoak of brimstone , which is to be done as followeth : take flower of brimstone , melt it in an earthen pan , dip therein some pieces of packthred , or small wooden sticks , that they be covered over with the brimstone , which reserve for use . then take a glass-bottle , holding a quart , or pottle , or gallon , according as you will prepare more or less of the canary , turn it with the nozel downwards : light your match or piece of packthred , or wooden stick covered over with brimstone , and thrust it up into the nozel , that the smoak may ascend up into the bottle ; and when the same is filled with smoak , so that it will receive no more ( the sign whereof is when it bloweth out the fire of the match ) ; then take out your match , and thrust up a funnel , and turn the glass , and fill it half full of canary , and having taken out the funnel , quickly stop the orifice of the glass with your hand , and shake it up and down until it hath drunk up the smoak . then stop the glass close , and keep it for your use as above directed . . be sure to smoke all the rooms of your house every day twice or thrice with brimstone , using half an ounce of it at a time , more or less , according to the bigness of the house , and as far as you can endure it , keeping the brimstone burning with coals kindled in an earthen chafing-dish or pan , or with a red-hot iron ; for this cleareth the air from infection above any thing else : and though by some pretenders the brimstone be altered by the addition of something else , yet the sulphur ( as it is of it self ) being best , that alteration signifieth nothing else but to conceal it from the vulgar , and to make them pay dear for that which they may have at a cheap rate ; for they shall certainly find the brimstone alone of it self to do as well , yea rather better than the other . further direction for preservation , fit for all , as well children as old folks , especially such as are of a weak nature . let them take of the elixir vitae every morning , from half a spoonful to a whole spoonful , which being of a very balsamick nature , will as it were embalm and preserve all the vitals from corruption and infection , and from all other distempers that may give occasion thereunto . note . if this preservative be diligently taken , and yet the party chance to be over-powered by an extraordinary force of the pestilent disease now reigning , they will then be so much the easier cured by the medicine following . directions for the cure of those that are infected . you may know the coming of the disease upon you by a squeamishness of the stomach , faintings , giddiness in the head , yea an universal consternation of all the faculties and functions of your body . which when you perceive , take in hand these medicines following , and you will be infallibly cured ( by the blessing of god ) with two doses , yea sometimes with one ( as it hath often hapned with many ) unless there be an extraordinary commission from divine vengeance to the contrary , which is in no medicines power to resist . . so soon as you find your self ill , take of the clear white liquor so much as is contained in one glass , sealed up with a red thred , and the letters r. b. pour it out in a silver or earthen dish , or in a drinking-glass , and drink it off leisurely , and then lay your self down , and within a quarter or half an hour you will find its operation either by stool , urine , sweat , vomit , bleeding at the nose ; sometimes by most , and sometimes by all these : which operations either by all , or one , or some of them , are a certain sign of your cure. this proportion is for a man or woman at age , but to one of twelve years old give but half a glass ; to a child but a quarter , and so proportionably according to their several ages . note , that when you have taken this medicine , and suspect that it may come up again , then hold in your mouth a bit of sugar-candy , or any other thing you like best . . three hours after the operation , let them take half a spoonful , or one spoonful of the above-mentioned elixir vitae ; which though it be mark'd with the same letters , and sealed up after the fashion of the former medicine , yet you may know it by the colour , it being towards an orange . . twelve hours after the taking of the first dose of the white liquor , let him ●●ke the second half ; and again twelve hours after , another 〈…〉 ; which in all will be two whole doses . . when the patient hath a drowth , let him take some small beer warm'd , in his mouth , and spit it out again . but in case necessity forceth him to drink , let him take posset-drink wherein dandelion hath been boyled , with two or three drops of spirit of sulphur , or six of spirit of salt put into it . and let him be sure to keep himself warm , not only for that day , but also the dayes following ; for its operation will hold on divers dayes after , till he find himself well . . in case he should throw up the medicine presently , or before a quarter of an hour ( after the taking of it ) be past , let him take another dose presently . and in case you judge , that it be not all come up , then give him but half another glass or dose , and twelve hours after the other half . these medicines being so rare and infallible in their effects , all masters of families will do well to provide some quantity of them in time , that they may have them in readiness , and be not to seek for it in time of need ; for they are such jewels for the recovery and preservation of health , as there can be no better ; and all circumstances well considered ; they are the cheapest medicines they can buy for this purpose . the spirit of salt ( not that dropsical one , ushe●'d in under the specious names of [ philosophick , and of the world ] instar asini sub pelle leonis , but the true and genuine ) as also the spirit or oyl of sulphur per campanam , are likewise to be had in the same places where the other medicines are . both of them mightily resist putrifaction . the spirit of salt is diuretick and very balsamick , and of excellent use in most diseases . the spirit of sulphur is the soboles of a most pure vitriol contained in the sulphur , which the same robb'd from the venerial marcasite or oar , when it was melted and severed from it . it is both diuretick and diaphoretick , and mightily strentheneth the stomach ; and as it resisteth all putrifaction , and what ariseth therefrom , so it killeth the worms , preserveth from the scurvy , and all other diseases that have their rise from putrifaction , and so causeth life to hold on to a great age , the party living temperately , and using it two drops twice a day in a little draught of small beer . many other occasions there are , in which the said spirits are very useful ; but being unwilling to be too prolix at present , i forbear , reserving the further speaking of them to another time . whereas there hath been enquiry made by many worthy persons of this city for dr. trigg's medicine ; whereby the said doctor did great cures in the last great plague in london , and preserved himself and his family from it , and continued also thereby free from all sorts of diseases , ( notwithstanding his sedentary life ) to his dying-day , which he spun out to a very great age , to the wonder of all men . i do give you to understand , that the same medicine ( marked and sealed up as the former , onely with this difference , that dr. trigg's hath blue thred , and the others red ) may also be had in those places whither you are directed unto for the former medicines . the said doctor was a man of singular parts and endowments , and greater worth than any man was aware of , or his enemies believed in his life-time . virtutem incolumem odimus , sublatam ex oculis quaerimus invidi — there hath been lately set forth a book , under the name of dr. trigg's secrets , arcana's , and panacaea's ; but let the reader be advertised by me , that they are all wrongfully fathered upon him , not one of them all being his ( as pretended ) nor in the least deserving those glorious names . and that they are none of the doctors , his kinsman timothy woodfield ( to whom he imparted all his secrets ) can testifie , who living now with me , is preparing the said doctor 's medicines , which i intend for the service of the publick when there shall be occasion . the use of dr. trigg's great cordial , or medicine against the plague . for preservation , take half a spoonful of it in the morning before you go forth , and as much at night going to bed . for cure ; so soon as you imagine to be surprized by the malignity of this infection , take two spoonfuls of the said medicine , and go into your warm bed , and sweat upon it , and continue sweating for the space of two hours . and this you may repeat once or twice more ( keeping twelve hours distance betwixt the times of sweating ) according as you shall see occasion . the places where these medicines are to be had . . at the author 's own house in barbican , next door to the three crowns . . at mr. hutchinsons , upholster , in birchin-lane , at that end of the lane which is near the royal exchange . . at mr. devonshires the chyrurgeans house in drury-lane ( next to the earl of clare ) at the sign of the chyrurgean . the price of 〈◊〉 medicines .   l. s. d. a glass of the white liquor , containing two ounces a glass of the elixir vitae , containing two ounces a little glass of spirit of sulphur , containing half an ounce a little glass of the spirit of salt , containing one ounce note . there are that sell the spirits of salt , and of sulphur , at lower rates , but such as are adulterated ; but these which i do expose to sale , are genuine and true . finis .