the declaration of the right honourable the duke of buckingham, and the earles of holland, and peterborough, and other lords and gentlemen now associated for the king and parliament, the religion, lawes, and peace of his majesties kingdomes. with three letters (delivered july the .) one to the house of peers; another to the house of commons: and the third to the ld. major, aldermen, and commons of the city, in common-councell, assembled. buckingham, george villiers, duke of, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b thomason e _ estc r 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: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the declaration of the right honourable the duke of buckingham, and the earles of holland, and peterborough, and other lords and gentlemen now associated for the king and parliament, the religion, lawes, and peace of his majesties kingdomes. with three letters (delivered july the .) one to the house of peers; another to the house of commons: and the third to the ld. major, aldermen, and commons of the city, in common-councell, assembled. buckingham, george villiers, duke of, - . holland, henry rich, earl of, - . peterborough, henry mordaunt, earl of, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. [s.n.], london : printed in the yeare, . the duke of buckingham = george villiers; the earles of holland and peterborough = henry rich and henry mordaunt. in this edition line of title ends: (delivered july the .). annotation on thomason copy: "july. th". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng law -- england -- early works to . religion and state -- england -- early works to . great britain -- history -- civil war, - -- early works to . great britain -- politics and government -- - -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the declaration of the right honourable the duke of buckingham, and the earles of holland, and peterborough, and other lords and gentlemen n buckingham, george villiers, duke of a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the declaration of the right honourable the duke of buckingham , and the earles of holland , and peterborough , and other lords and gentlemen now associated for the king and parliament , the religion , lawes , and peace of his majesties kingdomes . with three letters ( delivered july the . ) one to the house of peers ; another to the house of commons : and the third to the ld. major , aldermen , and commons of the city , in common-councell , assembled . london , printed in the yeare , . the declaration of the right honourable the duke of buckingham , and the earles of holland and peterborough , &c. finding this conjuncture to be the proper time , when this wearied kingdome may be delivered from those miseries , it both hath and may apprehend yet to feel , by such persons , as are il-affected to our peace ; who at this time without authority or commissions , disperse themselves into all parts , to raise forces , with no other intention , but to continue a bloudy and intestine war , which may prove dangerous to the whole kingdome from the assistance they find by the committees of the severall counties , who have so abused their power and the people , by an arbitrary way of government , as they shun and apprehend nothing more then what we shall endeavour and seek , peace , and a wel-setled government ; and therefore that the whole kingdome may be satisfied upon what grounds and principles we go to oppose and prevent this mischief and danger , we do here declare that we do take up armes for the king and parliament , religion and the known laws , and peace of all his majesties kingdomes : professing before almighty god , that we have no other designe in this undertaking , but to see this well , and speedily established , and will with readines and joy lay them down whensoever god shall give us the injoyment of this blessing , professing that whatsoever may be our successe and prosperity in this good cause , we shall not say by way of menace to the parliament , that we will use the power god hath put into our hands , but shall blesse god that he hath made us the instruments to serve the king , the parliament and kingdome in the way of peace , in a just and equall composure between them ; and we hope the city and the kingdome , will well weigh and consider whether they may not more reasonably and conscionably joyne with us in these pious and peaceable resolutions , then with those forces that have by their breach of faith , and their disobedience , kept up the sword , when those that delivered it into their hands , commanded the laying of it downe ; which disobedience hath brought this fresh storm of bloud , that is now falling upon this kingdome , and all those fears and confusions that petitions daily shew to be in the thoughts and apprehensions both of the city and the whole kingdome : we might adde sad circumstances that are of late discovered and broken out concerning his majesties person , and likewise a confused and levelling undertaking to overthrow monarchy , and to turn order that preserves all our lives and fortunes into a wild and unlimited confusion ; but we desire not to expresse any thing with sharpnesse , since our ends and pursuit is only peace ; which shall appear to all the world , whensoever we may see a personall treaty so begun with his majesty as we may expect a happy conclusion by it , that cannot follow but by a cessation of armes , which in all parts of the world hath accompanied these treaties , even between the bitterest enemies , christians & turks , much more to be expected in these our civill divisions amongst our selves , for the sword should not be in action as long as a treaty of peace is in agitation , since accidents of hostility on both sides will sharpen and divide us rather then close and unite us . this we thought fit both to desire and to declare that the discourses that may be raised upon our actions , may not have power to abuse the kingdome , as if we did only move in a way to set up his majesty in a tyrannicall power , rather then in his just regall government , the which hath been alwaies found in this nation , very well consistent with the due rights and freedoms of parliament , the which we do here most faithfully protest the endeavouring a preservation of , and call god to witnesse of our sincerity in this intention . holland . g : buckingham . peterborough . for the right honourable , the speaker of the house of peers . my lord , we doe here take away your jealousies by giving you a cleer knowledge of our designes ; which if you shall be pleased to communicate to the house of peers , we hope they will find , we do not vary from those principles and grounds , we have been ingaged in , both from his majesty and the parliament , which god give them grace so to think , and advise upon it , as his majesty may find his just rights , according to our covenant and declarations , and the parliament rise and recover the dignity due unto them , by a speedy way of setling the peace of this distracted kingdome . your lordships most humble servants , g. buckingham . holland . peterborough . the same to the house of commons . to the lord major , aldermen , and commons of the city in common-councell assembled . having a long time beheld the sad calamities and miseries of these kingdoms , and finding no other means for redresse , we are forced into this undertaking , which we desire may be rightly understood of all that are wel-affected , especially of this city , whose actions and endevours do sufficiently evidence their good affections . to this end we have inclosed a brief account of our intentions , which we hope may give satisfaction both to you , and the whole kingdome , whose assistance , ( with gods blessing ) we desire no farther , then our designes are reall for the good and happinesse both of the king , parliament , and kingdome , according to our covenant , your humble servants , g. buckingham . holland . peterborough . finis . tolleration iustified, and persecution condemn'd. in an answer or examination, of the london-ministers letter whereof, many of them are of the synod, and yet framed this letter at sion-colledge; to be sent among others, to themselves at the assembly: in behalf of reformation and church-government, corinth. ii. vers. . . and no marvail, for sathan himself is transformed into an angell of light. therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transform themselves, as though they were ministers of righteousnesse; whose end shall be according to their works. walwyn, william, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing w a thomason e _ estc r 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: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) tolleration iustified, and persecution condemn'd. in an answer or examination, of the london-ministers letter whereof, many of them are of the synod, and yet framed this letter at sion-colledge; to be sent among others, to themselves at the assembly: in behalf of reformation and church-government, corinth. ii. vers. . . and no marvail, for sathan himself is transformed into an angell of light. therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transform themselves, as though they were ministers of righteousnesse; whose end shall be according to their works. walwyn, william, - . [ ], , [ ] p. [s.n.], london, : printed in the year, . attributed to william walwyn by wing. annotation on thomason copy: "jan: th "; the second in imprint date crossed out. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng religious tolerance -- england -- early works to . church polity -- early works to . religion and state -- england -- early works to . great britain -- church history -- th century -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no tolleration iustified, and persecution condemn'd.: in an answer or examination, of the london-ministers letter whereof, many of them are of walwyn, william f the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the f category of texts with or more defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the letter of the london ministers to the assembly of divines at vvestminster ; against toleration , mildly examined ; and the mistakes thereof friendly discovered ; as vvell for the sakes of the independent and separation , as for the good of the common-wealth . when i call to minde the generall oppression ( before the parliament ) exercised upon good people , conscientious in the practice of their religion ; and that the presbyters did not onely suffer as much as any therein , but exclaim'd , and labour'd as much as any there-against : it is a wonder to me , that now that yoke is removed , and a blest opportnnity offered by almighty god , to the people and their parliament , to make every honest heart glad , by allowing a just and contentfull freedome , to serve god without hypocrisie ; and according to the perswasion of conscience : that one sect amongst us , that is the presbyters , that have been yoke-fellowes with us ; should not rest satisfied with being free as their brethren , but become restlesse in their contrivances and endeavours , till they become lords over us . the wonder is the same , as it would have been , had the israelites , after the aegyptian bondage , become task-masters in the land of canaan one to another , but that is more in them who have been instructed by our saviour in that blessed rule ; of doing unto others , what they would have others doe unto themselves . to discover the severall policies the presbiters have used to get into the chayre they have justled the bishops out of , whose example they have followed in many particulars ; as especially in the politick and graduall obtaining the ordinance for licencing , upon a pretence of stopping the kings writings , but intentionably obtained , and violently made use of against the independents , separation , and common-wealths-men , who either sees more , or something contrary to the designes of the licencer . to signifie to the people , how the presbiters have laboured to twist their interest with the parliaments , as the bishops did theirs with the king , how daily and burdensomly importunate they are with the parliament , to establish their government , ( which they are pleased to call christs ) and back it with authority , and a compulsive power , ( which by that very perticular appeares not to be his ) to lay open their private juncto's and councels , their framing petitions for the easie and ignorant people , their urging them upon the common councell , and obtruding them upou the chusers of common councell men , at the wardmote elections , even after the parliament had signified their dislike thereof ; to sum up their bitter invectives in pulpits , and strange liberty they take as well there , as in their writings , to make the separation and independents odious by scandals and untrue reports of them , in confidence of having the presse in their own hands , by which meanes , no man without hazard shall answer them , to lay open the manner and depth of these proceedings , is not the intention of this worke ; i only thought good to mention these particulars , that the presbiters may see they walke in a net , no 't is no cloud that covers them , and that they may fear that in time they may be discern'd as well by the whole people , as they are already by a very great part thereof . the london ministers letter , contriu'd in the conclave of sion colledge , is one of the numerous projects of the clergy : not made for the information of the sinod , but the misinformation of the people , to prevent which is my businesse at this time ; i will only take so much of it as is to the point in hand , to wit , tolleration . letter , it is true , by reason of different lights , and different ▪ sights among brethren , there may be dissenting in , opinion , yet why should there be any seperating from church communion . why ? because the differences in opinion is in matters that concerne church communion : you may as well put the question , why men play not the hypocrites ? as they must needs do if they should communicate in that church society , their minde cannot approve of . the question had been well put , if you had said , by reason of different lights , and different sights , there may be dissenting in opinion , yet why should our hearts be divided one from another ? why should our love from hence , and our affections grow cold and dead one towards another ? why should we not peaceably , beare one with another , till our sights grow better , and our light increase ? these would have been questions i thinke , that would have pusled a truly conscientious man to have found an answer for . that which next followes , to wit , the churches coat may be of divers colours , yet why should there be any rent in it : is but an old jing of the bishops , spoken by them formerly in reference to the presbiters ; and now mentioned , to make that which went before , which has no weight in it selfe , to sound the better . letter . have we not a touchstone of truth , the good word of god , and when all things are examined by the word , then that which is best may be held fast ; but first they must be knowne , and then examined afterward . i shall easily concur with them thus farr , that the word of god is the touchstone , that all opinions are to be examined by that , and that the best is to be held fast . but now who shall be the examiners , must needs be the question ; if the presbiter examine the independant and seperation , they are like to find the same censure the presbiters have already found , being examined by the bishops , and the bishops found from the pope : adversaries certainly are not competent judges ; aga ine , in matters disputable and controverted , every man must examine for himselfe , and so every man does , or else he must be conscious to himselfe , that he sees with other mens eyes , and has taken up an opinion , not because it consents with his understanding , but for that it is the safest and least troublesome as the world goes , or because such a man is of that opinion whom he reverences , and veri●y believes would not have been so , had it not been truth . i may be helpt in my examination , by other men , but no man o● sort of men ▪ are to examine for me , insomuch that before an opinion can properly be said to be mine , it must concord with my understanding . now here is the fallacy , and you shall find it in all papists , bishops , presbiters , or whatsoever other sort of men , have or would have in their hands the power of persecuting , that they alwayes suppose themselves to be competent examiners and judges of other men differing in judgement from them , a●d upon this weake supposition ( by no meanes to be allowed ) most of the reasons and arguments of the men forementioned , are supported . they proceed to charge much upon the indepe●dents , for not producing their modell of church-government ; for answer hereunto , i refer the reader to the reasons printed by the independents , and given into the house in their own justification , which the ministers might have taken notice of . i proceed to the supposed reasons urged by the ministers , against the tolleration of independency in the church . letter . . is , because the desires and endeavours of independents for a toleration , are at this time extreamly unseasonable , and pre : properous for , . the reformation of religion is not yet perfected and setled amongst us , according to our covenant . and why may not the reformation be raised up at last to such purity and perfection , that truly tender consciences may receive abundant satisfaction for ought that yet appeares . i would to god the people , their own friends especially , would but take notice of the fallacy of the reason : they would have reformation perfected according to the covenant , before the independents move to be tollerated : now reformation is not perfected according to the covenant , till schisme and heresie is extirpated ; which in the sequel of this letter , they judge independency tobe , that their charity thinks it then most seasonable , to move that independency should be tolerated after it is extirpated : their reason and affection in this , are alike sound to the independants . their drift in this , indeede is but too evident , they would have the independents silent , till they get power in their hands , and then let them talke if they dare , certainly , the most seasonable time to move for tolleration is while the parliament are in debate about church government ; since if stay bee made till a church government bee setled , all motions that may but seeme to derogate from that , how just soever in themselves , how good soever for the common-wealth , must needs be hardly obtained . and whereas they say , why may not reformation be raised up at last to such prity and perfection , that truly tender consciences may receive abundant satisfaction , for ought that yet appeares . observe , . that these very ministers , in the sequel of their letter , impute it as levity in the independents , that they are not at a stay , but in expectation of new lights and reserves , as they say , so that a man would thinkf they themselves were at a certainty : but t is no new thing for one sort of men to object that as a crime against others , which they are guilty o themselves : though indeed but that the presbiters use any weapons against the independant's , t is no crime at all , yea 't is excellency in any man or woman , not to be pertinacio●s , or obstinate in any opinion , but to have an open eare for reason and argument , against whatsoever he holds , and to imbrace or reject , whatsoever upon further search he finds to be agreeable to , or dissonant from gods holy word . it doth appeare from the practises of the presbiters , and from this letter and other petitions expresly against toleration , that unlesse the independants and seperation will submit their judgements to theirs , they shall never be tollerated , if they can hinder it . their . reason is that it is not yet knowne what the government of the independent is , neither would they ever let the world know what they hold in that point , ●hough some of their party have bin too forward to challenge the london petitioners as led with blind obedience , and pinning their soules upon their preists sleeve , for desiring an establishment of the government of christ , before there was any modell of it extant . their d. reason , is much to the same purpose . i answer , . that the ministers know that the independent government for the generall is resolved upon by the independents , though they have not yet modelized every perticular , which is a worke of time , as the framing of the pres●●terian government was . the independents however have divers reasons for dissenting from the presbyterian way , which they have given in already . and though they have not concluded every perticular of their owne , but are still upon the search , and enquiry ; yet it is seasonable however to move for toleration , for that the ground of moving is not because they are independents , but because ▪ every man ought to be free in the worship and service of god , compulsion being the way to increase , not the number of converts , but of hypocrites ; whereas it is another case for people to move for establishing of a government they understand not , having never seene it , as the london petitioners did , that is most evidently a giving up of the understanding to other men , sure the presbiters themselves cannot thinke it otherwise , nor yet the people upon the least consideration of it . besides , the london petitioners did not only desire , as here the ministers cunningly say , an establishment of the government of christ , but an establishment of the government of christ ( a modell whereof the reverend assembly of divines have fram'd , which they never saw ) so that herein , the people were abused by the divines , by being put upon a petition , wherein they suppose that government which they never saw , to be christs government . if this be not sufficient to discover to our presbyterian lay-brethren , the divines confidence of their abilitity to worke them by the smoothnesse of phrase and language to what they please , and of their own easinesse , and flexibility to be so led , i know not what is . . the ministers urge that the desires and endeavours of the independ●nts for toleration , are unreasonable , and unequall in divers regards . . partly because no such toleration hath heitherto been establisht ( sofar as we know ) in any christian state , by the civill magistrate . but that the ministers have been used to speake what they please for ● reason in their pulpits without contradiction , they would never sure have let so slight a one as this have past from them : it seems by this reason , that if in any christian state a toleration by the magistrate had been allowed , it would not have been unreasonable for our state to allow it : the practice of states , being here supposed to be the rule of what 's reasonable ; whereas i had thought , that the practice of christian states is to be judg'd by the rule of reason and gods word , and not reason by them : that which is just and reasonable , is constant and perpetually so ; the practice of states though christian , is variable we see ; different one from another , and changing according to the prevalency of particular partees , and therefore a most uncertain rule of what is reasonable . besides , the state of holland doth tollerate ; and therefore the ministers argument , even in that part where it seems to be most strong for them , makes against them . again , if the practice of a christian state , be a sufficien● argument of the reasonablenesse of a tolleration , our state may justly tollerate because christian , and because they are free to do what ever any other state might formerly have done . but i stay too long upon so weak an argument . . partly , because some of them have solemnly profest , that they cannot suffer presbitary , and answerable hereunto is their practice , in those places where independency prevailes . 't is unreasonable it seems to tollerate independents , because independents would not if they had the power , suffer presbyters . a very christianly argument , and taken out of the . of matthew . love your enemies , blesse them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them which hurte you , and persecute you : what , were all our london ministers forgetfull of t●eir saviours instructions ? does their fury so farre blinde their understanding , and exceed their piety ? which seems to be but pretended now , since in their practice they would become jews , and cry out an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth . whosoever meddles with them it seems , shall have as good as they bting : was ever so strange a reason urg'd by a sect of men , that say they are ministers , christs ministers , reformers too , that would make the world believe they are about to reduce all matters christian , to the originall and primitive excellency of christ and the apostles , and yet to speak and publish to the world a spleenish reason , so expressely contrary to the precepts , to the practice of christ and his followers . to christ i say , that bids us love our enemies , that we may be the children of our father which is in heaven , who makes the sun to shine on the evill and the good , and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust . the ministers should be like the master , what a dispro●ortion is here ? as if the title were taken up for some other end ; we know the apostle speaks of ministers that could transform themselves ●s though they were the ministers of righteousnesse ; i pray god our ministers do not so , i would willingly suppresse those fears and suspitions ; which , doe what i can arise in me , from their words and practice . sure they had approved themselves better christia●s , if upon the discovery of so bad a spirit in any of the independents ; as to persecute , had they power ( though i beleive , there are not any such ) i say , it had been more christ-like in our ministers , to have disswaded them from s●unmanly , so much more unchristianly a vice , then to have it made an argument for practice in themselves . they might by the same rule , be jewes to the jew , or turke to the turke , oppressours to the oppressour ; or doe any evill to others , that others would doe to them : if other mens doing of i● , be an argument of the reasonablenesse thereof . but i hope , our ministers will be so ingenious , as when they see their weaknesses forsake them , it will be both more comfortable to all other sorts of men , and in the end more happy for themselves . . again , i suppose your suggestion to be very false ; namely , that the independents if they had power , would persecute the presbyters : though let me tell you of all s●cts of men , those deserve least countenance of a state that would be persecutors , not because of their consciences in the practice and exercise of their religion , wherein the ground of freedome consists ; but because a persecuting spirit is the greatest enemy to humane society , the dissolver of love and brotherly affection , the cause of envyings , heart-burnings , divisions , yea , and of warres it selfe . whosoever shall cast an impartiall eye upon times past , and examine the true cause and reason of the subversion , and devastation of states and countries , will i am confident ; attribute it to no other , then the tyranny of princes , and persecution of priests . so that all states , minding their true interests , namely the good and welfare of the people , ought by all meanes to suppresse in every sect or degree of men , whether papists , episcopalls , presbyters , independents , anabaptists , &c. the spirit of domination , and persecution , the disquieter and disturber of mankind ▪ the offspring of satan . god being all love , and having so communicated himselfe unto us , and gave us commands to be like him , mercifull , as he our heavenly father is mercifull ; to bear with one anothers infirmities : neither does reason and true wisdome dictate any other to us , then that we should do unto others , as we would be done unto our selves ; that spirit therefore which is contrary to god , to reason , to the well-being of states , as the spirit of persecution evidently is ; is most especially to be watcht , and warily to be circumscribed , and tied up by the wisdome of the supream power in common-wealths . i speak not this to the disgrace of presbyters , as presbyters ; for as such , isuppose they are not persecutors : forasmuch as i know , some , and i hope there are many more of them , that are zealous and conscientious for that form of government , and vet enemies to a compulsive power in matters of religion . but for this end only , namely to beget a just and christian dislike in all sorts of men , as well presbyters , as others ; of forc●ng all to one way of worship , though disagreeable to their minds : which cannot be done , without the assistance of this fury and 〈…〉 . and partly to grant to them , and not to other ▪ sectaries who are free ▪ born ●s well as they , and have done as good service as they to the publick ( as they use to plead ) ▪ will be count●d injustice , and great partiality ; but to grant it to all , will scarce be cleared from impiety . to the former part of this argument i gladly consent , that sectaries have as good claimes to freedome ▪ as any sorts of men whatsoever ; because free-born , because well-affected , and very assistant to their country in its necessities . the latter part of the argument is only an affirmation , without proof ; the ministers think sure it will be taken for truth because they said it , for such a presumption it seems they are arrived to . in the mean time what must they suppose the people to be , that do imagine their bare affirmations ground for the peoples belief ▪ i would the people would learn from hence to be their own men , and make use of their own understandings in the search and beleif of things ; let their ministers be never so seemingly learned or judicious , god hath not given them understandings for nothing ; the submission of the mind is th most ignoble slavery ; which being in our own powers to keep free , the subjection thereof argues in us the greater basenesse ▪ but to the assertion , that it will be impiety to grant it to all sectaries . i answer , first , that the word sectary is communicable both to presbyters and independents , whether it be taken in the good sense for the followers ▪ of christ ; for such , all presbyters , independents , brownists , anabaptists , and all else , suppose and professe themsel●es to be : or in the common sense , for followers of some fewmen more eminent in their parts and abilities then other . and hereof the independents and presbyters are as guilty as the separation , and so are as well sectaries . now all sectaries , whether presbyters , independents , brownists , antinomians , anabaptists , &c. have a like title and right to freedome , or a toleration ; the title thereof being not any particular of the opinion but the equity of every mans being free in the state he lives in , and is obedient to , matters of opinion being not properly to be taken into cognisance any farther , then they break out into some disturbance , or disquiet to the state ▪ but you will say , that by such a toleration , blasphemy will be broached , and such strange and horrid ▪ opinions , as would make the eares of every godly and christian man to tingle ; what must this also be tolerated ? i answer , it cannot be just , to set bounds or limitations to toleration , any further then the safety of the people requires ; the more horrid and blasphemous the opinion is , the easier supprest , by reason and argument ; because it must necessarily be , that the weaker the arguments , are on one side , the stronger they are on the other ▪ the grosser the errour is , the more advantage hath truth over it ▪ the lesse colour likewise , and pretence there is , for imposing it upon the people . i am consident , that there is much more danger inn small , but speciously formed error , that hath a likenesse and similitude to truth , then in a grosse and palpable untruth . besides , can it in reason be judged the meetest way to draw a man out of his ●●ror , by imprisonment , bonds , or other punishment ? you may as well be angry , 〈…〉 ●●ripes or bonds to recover his sight how pr●posterous would this 〈◊〉 your ho●per ●nd mee● way ●u●e is to apply things 〈◊〉 to his cute . and so likewise to a man whose understanding is cloud●d , 〈…〉 and imperfect whose mind is so far mis-informed as to 〈…〉 or the scripture● ( for we instance in the worst of errors ) ●a● b●●lam or the fleet reduce such a one ? n● certainly ▪ it was ever found by all experience , that su●● rough 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 the error , not remove i● nothing can doe that but the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 power of found reason and argument ▪ which , 〈◊〉 to b● doubted , they are 〈◊〉 furnisht withall that use other weapons ▪ hence have i observ ▪ d that the most weak & passionate men , the most unable to defend truth , or their own● opinion are the most violent for persecution ▪ whereas those whose minds are establisht ; and whose opinions are built upon firm and 〈◊〉 grou●d ●eare no● what winds blow● fear not to grapple with any e●ror , because they bo●●d ●n● they 〈◊〉 overthrow it ▪ . independency is a schisme , and therefore not to be tollerated . the principall argument brought to prove it , is this ▪ because they d●part from the presbyter churches , which are true churches , and so confost to ●o 〈◊〉 by ●he i●depend●nt● . i answer , that this argument only concerns the 〈◊〉 because they only acknowledge them to be true churches . whether they are still of that opinion o● no i know not , 't is to be doubted they are not , especially 〈◊〉 they have discern'd the spirit of enforcement and compul●ion to ●aig● in that c●ur●h ▪ the tr●est mark of a false c●urch . i believe the independents have ●●●ng'd their 〈◊〉 ● es●eially those of them whose pastors r●●●ive their office ●nd mi●is●try 〈◊〉 the election of the people or congregation , and are not engag'd to allow so much 〈◊〉 the presbyters , because of their own interest ▪ as deriving their calling from the bis●ops and pope ▪ for the making up a supposed succession from the apostles , who se● their own sakes are enforc'd to acknowledge the presbyter for ● true church , 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 are necessitated to allow the episcopall and papist church , true o● valid fo● the substance ▪ as they confesse in the ordinance for ordination , because they have receiv'd their ministery therefrom , without which absurdity they cannot maintain their succession from the apostles . but that the independents are not a schism , they have and will , i believe ▪ upon all●occa●ions sufficiently justifi● ▪ i shall not the●e●or● , ●ince it concerns them in particular , 〈◊〉 thereupon ▪ 〈…〉 to the supposed mischiefs which the ministers say will ●nevitably fo●low upon th●● toll●r●tion , both to the church and commonwea the first , to the church . . causelesse ●nd unjust revol●s from our ministery and congreg●tions . to this i say , that i● argues an abundance of distrust the ministers have in thei● own abilities , and the doctrines they pr●●ch , to suppose their ●uditors will for●●k● them if other men have liberty to speak . 't is authority it seems ●ust 〈◊〉 thei● churches , and not the truth and eff●a●cy of their doctr●nes . i j●dge it ●or my pa●●●●ufficient ground to suspect that for gold that can't abide a triall . it seems our ministers doctrines and religion , are like dagon of the p●ilistins , that will fall to pie●●s at the appearance of the ark . truth sure would be more confident , in hope to app●●● 〈…〉 glorious , being set off by falshood . and therefore i do adjure the ministers , from ●hat lovelinesse and potency that necessarily must be in truth and righteousnesse , if ●hey think they do professe it , that they ▪ would procure the opening of every mans mouth , in confidence that truth , in whomsoever she is , will prove victorious ; and ●ike the suns glorious lustre , darken all errors and vain imaginations of mans heart . but i fear the consequence sticks more in their stomacks , the emptying of their churches being the eclipsing of their reputations , and the diminishing of their profits ; if it be otherwise , le● it appear by an equall allowing of that to others , which they have labour'd so much for to be allowed to themselves . . our peoples minds will be troubled and in danger to be subuerted , acts . . a. the place of scripture may concern themselves , and may as well be urg'd upon them by the separation o● independents , as it is urg'd by them upon the separation and independen●s ; namely , that they trouble the peoples mindes , and lay injunctions upon them , they were never commanded to lay . and 't is very observable , the most of those scriptures they urge against the separation , do most properly belong unto themselves . . bitter heart-bur●ings a●ong brethren , will be foment●d and perpetuated to all posterity . i answer . not by , but fo● want of a tolleration : because the state is not equall in its protection , but allows one sort of men to trample upon another ; from hence must necessarily ●rise heart-burnings , which as they have ever been , so they will ever be perpetuated to posterity , unlesse the state wisely prevent them , by taking away the distinction that foments them ; namely , ( the particular indulgency of one party , and neglect of the other ) by a just and equall tolleration . in that family strife and heart-burnings are commonly multiplied , where one son is more cockered and indu●g'd then ●nother ▪ the way to foster love and amity , as well in a family , as in a state , being ●n equall respect from those that are in author●●y . . they say , the godly , painfull , and orthodo● ▪ ministers will bee discouraged und d●spis●d ▪ answ. upou how slight foundation is ▪ their reputation supported , that fear being despised unlesse author●●y forces all to church to them ? since they have confidence to vou●h themselves godly ▪ painfull , and orthodot , me thinks they should uot doubt an ●udience . the apostles could empty the c●urches , and jewish synagogues , and by the prevalency of their doctrine convert at a sermon ; and doe our ministers f●are , that have the opportunity of a church , and the advan●age of speaking ●n h●●re together without interruption , that they cannot keep those auditors th●y h●ve ; but that they sh●ll bee withdrawn from them by men of ●eaner 〈◊〉 ( in their esteeme ) by the illiterate and under-valued lay preachers , that ●r● ( as the ministers suppose ) under the cloud of error and false doctrine ? surely they suspect their own tene●ss or their abilities to maintain them , that esteem it a discouragement to bee opposed ▪ and feare they shall be despised if dispu●●d withall . . they say , the life and power of godlinesse will be eaten out by frivolous disputes and vain janglings . answ. frivolous disputes and vain janglings , are as unjustifiable in the people as in the ministery , but milde and gentle reasonings ( which authority are onely to countenance ) make much to the finding out of truth , which doth most advance the life and power of godlinesse . besides , a toleration being allowed , and every sect labouring to make it appear that they are in the truth , whereof a good life , or the power of godlinesse being the best badge or symptome ; hence will necessarily follow , a noble contestation in all sorts of men to exceed in godlinesse , to the great improvement of vertue and piety amongst us . from whence it will be concluded too , that that sect will be supposed to have least truth in them , that are least vertuous , and godlike in their lives and conversations . . they urge , that the whole course of religion in private families will be interrupted and undermined . answ. as if the independents and separation were not as religious in their private families , as the presbyters , . reciprocall duties between persons of nearest and dearest relations , will be extreamly violated . answ. a needlesse fear , grounded upon a supposition , that difference in judgement must needs occasion coldnesse of affection , which indeed proceeds from the different countenance and protection , which states have hitherto afforded to men of different judgements . hence was it , that in the most persecuting times ▪ when it was almost as bad in the vulgar esteem to be an anabaptist , as a murtherer , it occasioned dis-inheritings , and many effects of want of affection , in people of nearest relations ; but since the common odium and vilification is in great measure taken off , by the wise and just permission of all sects of men by the parliament , man and wife , father and son , friend and friend , though of different opinions , can agree well together , and love one another ; which shews that such difference in affection , is not properly the effect of difference in judgement , but of persecution , and the distinct respect and different countenance that authority has formerly shewn towards men not conforming . . they say , that the whole work of r●formation , especially in discipline a●d government , will be retarded , disturbed , and in danger of b●ing utterly frustrate and void . it matters not , since they mean in the presbyterian discipline and government , accompanied with persecution ; nay , it will be abundantly happy for the people , and exceedingly conducing to a lasting peace ( to which persecution is the greatest enemy ) if such a government so qualified be never setled . the presbyters i hope , will fall short in their ayms . ● . 't is not certain that the parliament mean to settle the presbyterian government , since they have not declared that government to be agreeable to gods word ; although the presbyters are pleas'd , in their expressions , frequently to call their government , christ● government . howsoever their determination ( which may well be suppos'd to be buil● upon their interest ) is not binding ▪ they are call'd to advise withall ▪ not to controul . . in case the parliament should approve of that government in the main , yet the prelaticall and persecuting power of it , we may well presume ( since they themselves may smart under it as well as the rest of the people ) they will never establish . . all other sects and heresies in the kingdome , will be encouraged to endeavour the like tolleration . sects and heresies ▪ we must take leave to tell them , that those are ●ermes impos'd ad placitum , and may be retorted with the like confidence upon themselves . how prove they separation to be sects and heresies ; because they differ and separate from t●em ? that 's no argument , unlesse they can first prove themselves to be in the truth ? a matter with much presumption suppos'd , but never yet made good , and yet upon this groundlesse presumption , the whole fabrick of their function , their claim to the churches , their preheminence in determining matters of religion , their eager persuit after a power to persecute , is mainly supported . if the separation are sects and heresies , because the presbyters ( supposing themselves to have the countenance of authority , and some esteem with the people , judge them so : the presbyters by the same rule were so , because the bishops once in authority , and in greater countenance with the people , did so judge them to be . and whereas they say , that sects and heresies will be encouraged to endeavo●r the like tolleration with the independents . i answer , that 't is their right , their due as justly as their cloths , or food ; and if they indeavour not for their liberty , they are in a measure guilty of their owne bo●dage ▪ how monstrous a matter the ministers would make it to be , for men to labour to be free from persecution . they thinke they are in the ●addle already , but will never i hope have the reines in their hands ▪ their th . feare is the same . . they say the whole church of england ( they meane their whole church of england ) in sh●rt time will be ●wallowed up with di●traction and confusion . these things are but laid , not proved : were it not that the divines blew the coales of dissention , and exasperated one mans spirit against another ; i am confidently perswaded we might differ in opinion , and yet love one another very well ; ●s for any distraction or confusion that might intrench upon that civill peace , the laws migh● provide against it , which is the earnest desires both of the independen●● and seperation . . they say , tolleration will bring divers mischiefes upon the common-wealth : for , . all these mischeifes in the church will have their proportionable influence upon the common-wealth . this is but a slight supposition , and mentions no evill that is like to befall the common-wealth . . they urge that the kingdome will be wofully weakned by scandalls and divisions , so that the enemies both domesticall ▪ and forraigne will be encouraged to plot and practise against it . i answer , that the contrary hereunto is much more likely , for two reasons . . there is like to be a concurrence , and joynt assistance in the protection of the common-wealth , which affords a joynt protection and encouragement to the people . . there can be no greater argument to the people , to venture their estates and lives in defence of their country and that government , under which they enjoy not only a liberty , of estate and person , but a freedome likewise of serving god according to their consciences , which religious men account the greatest blessing upon earth ; i might mention notable instances of late actions of service in independents and seperatists , which arising but from hopes of such a freedome , can yet scarce be paraleld by any age or story . . they say it is much to be doubted , lest the power of the magistrate should not only be weakned , but even utterly overthrowne ; considering the principles and practices of independents , together with their compliance with other sectaries , sufficiently knowne to be antimagistraticall . an injurious , but common scandal , this whereof much use has been made to the misleading the people into false apprehensions of their brethren the seperatists , to the great increase of enmity and disaffection amongst us , whereof the ministers are most especially guilty : let any impartiall man examine the principles , and search into the practises of the separation , and he must needs conclude that they are not the men that trouble england , but those rather that lay it to their charge : the seperation indeede and independents are enemies to tyranny , none more , and oppression , from whence i beleeve has arisen the forementioned scandall of them : but to just government and magistracy , none are more subject , and obedient : and therefore the ministers may do well to lay aside such obloquies , which will otherwise by time and other discovery , turne to their own disgrace . in the last place they say , 't is opposite to the covenant , . because opposite to the reformation of religion , according to the word of god , and example of the best reformed churches . i answer , , that the example of the best reformed churches is not binding ▪ further then they agree with the word of god , so that the word of god indeed is the only rule . now the word of god is expresse for tolleration , as appea●es by the parable of the tares growing with the wheate , by those two expresse and positive rules , . every man should be fully perswaded of the t●uth of that way wherein he serves the lord , . that whatsoever is not of faith is sinne ; and . by that rule of reason and pure nature , cited by our blessed saviour : namely , whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you , that do you unto them . . they say it is destructive to the . kingdomes nearest conjunction and uniformity in religion and goverment . i answer , that the same tolleration may be allowed in the . kingdomes , together with the same religion and government ; whether it shall be presbiterian , or independent , or anabaptisticall : besides that i suppose which is principally intended by this part of the covenant , 't is the union of the . kingdomes , and making them each desensive and helpfull to the other , which a tolleration will be a meanes to further , because of the encouragement that every man will have to maintaine his so excellent freedome ; which he cannot better do , then by maintaining them ●ll because of the independency they will have one upon the other . . 't is expresly contrary to the extirpation of schisme , and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine , and the power of godlinesse . i answer , that when it is certainly determined by judges that cannot err , who are the schismaticks , there may be some seeming pretence to extirpate them , though then also no power or force is to be used , but lawfull means only , as the wise men have interpreted it ; that is , schisme and heresie , when they appeare to be such , are to be rooted out by reason and debate , the sword of the spirit , not of the flesh ; arguments , not blowes : unto which men betake themselves upon distrust of their own foundations , and consciousnesse of their owne inability . besides , as the presbiters judge others to be a schisme from them , so others judge them to be a schisme from the truth , in which sence only the covenant can be taken . . hereby we shall be involved in the guilt of other mens sinnes , and thereby be endangered to receive of their plagues . i answer , that compulsion must necessarily occasion both much cruelty and much hypocrisie : whereof the divines , labouring so much for the cause , which is persecution , cannot be guiltlesse . . it seemes utterly impossible ( if such a tolleration should be granted ) that the lord should be one , and his name one , in the . kingdomes . i suppose they mean by that phrase , it is impossible that our iudgements and profession should be one ; so i believe it is , whether there be a tolleration or no . but certainly the likeliest way , if there be any thereunto , is by finding out one truth ; which most probably will be by giving libetty to every man to speak his minde , and produce his reasons and arguments ; and not by hearing one sect only : that if it does produce a forc'd unity , it may be more probably in errour , then in truth ; the ministers being not so likely to deal clearly in the search thereof , because of their interests , ar the laity , who live not thereupon , but enquire for truth , for truths sake , and the satisfaction of their own mindes . and thus i have done with the argumentive part of the letter . i shall onely desire , that what i have said may be without prejudice considered : and that the people would look upon all sorts of men and writings , as they are in themselves , and not as they are represented by others , or forestall'd by a deceitfull rumour or opinion . in this controversie concerning tolleration , i make no question but the parliament will judge justly between the two parties ; who have both the greatest opportunity and abilities , to discern between the integrity of the one side , and the interest of the other . that the one party pleads for toleration , for the comfort and tranquility of their lives , and the peaceable serving of god according to their consciences , in which they desire no mans disturbance . that the other that plead against it , may ( i would i could say onely probably ) be swayed by interest and self-respects , their means and preheminence . i make no question but the parliament , before they proceed to a determination of matters concerning religion , will as they have heard one party , the divines , so likewise reserve one ear for all other sorts of men ; knowing that they that give sentence , all partees being not heard , though the sentence be just ( which then likely will not be ) yet they are unjust . besides , the parliament themselves are much concerned in this controvers●e , since upon their dissolution they must mixe with the people , and then either enjoy the sweets of freedome , or suffer under the most irksome yoke of priestly bondage : and therefore since they are concern'd in a double respect ; first , as chosen by the people to provide for their safety and freedome , whereof liberty of conscience is the principall branch , and so engag'd by duty : secondly , as members of the common-wealth , and so oblig'd to establish freedome , out of love to themselves and their posterity . i shall only add one word more concerning this letter , which is this ; that 't is worth the observation , that the same men are part of the contrivers of it , and part of those to whom 't was sent ; mr. walker being president of sion colledge , mr. seaman one of the deans , ( observe that word ) and mr. roborough , one of the assistants , all three members of the synod : who with the rest framing it seasonably , and purposely to meet with the letter from scotland , concerning church government , may w●ll remove the wonder and admiration that seem'd to possesse one of the scotch grand divines in the synod , at the concurrence of providence in these two let●ers : of the politick and confederated ordering whereof , he could not be ignorant . finis . eli trembling for fear of the ark a sermon preached at st. mary aldermanbury, december , / by edmund calamy ... upon the preaching of which he was committed prisoner to the gaol of newgate, jan. , ; together with the mittimus and manner of his imprisonment, annexed hereunto. calamy, edmund, - . 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 c 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, - ; : ) eli trembling for fear of the ark a sermon preached at st. mary aldermanbury, december , / by edmund calamy ... upon the preaching of which he was committed prisoner to the gaol of newgate, jan. , ; together with the mittimus and manner of his imprisonment, annexed hereunto. calamy, edmund, - . [ ], [i.e. ] p. 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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 ark of the covenant -- sermons. religion and state -- england. sermons, english. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a copy of the mittimus and manner of imprisonment of mr. edmund calamy . for as much as i have received a certificate from and under the hand and seal of the right reverend father in god gilbert lord bishop of london , that mr. edmund calamy late curate of the parish church of st. mary aldermanbury in the said city of london , being ( according as is provided and enacted by the late act of parliament made for the uniformity of publick prayers , &c. ) by reason of his inconformity disabled to preach or read a●y lecture or sermon , in any church or chappell within his majesties realm of england , or dominion of wales , and town of barwick upon tweed , and continuing and remaining still so disabled , did since the feast of st. bartholomew last past , upon two several dayes , viz , on tuesday the twenty sixth day of august last past , and upon sunday the twenty eighth day of december , , in the said church of st. mary aldermanbury presume and take upon himself ( without any lawfull approbation and licen●e thereunto ) to preach or read two severall sermons or lectures publickly before the congregation then and there in the said church assembled , contrary to , and in contempt of authority of the said act of parliament : these are therefore ( as i am required by the said act in his majesties name to will and command you to receive into your custody within the gaol of newgate the body of the said edmund calamy brought unto you therewith , and him there detain for the offence aforesaid , for the term of three months from the day of the date hereof , without bail or maine prise , according to the tenor and effect of the act of parliament aforesaid . and this shall be your warrant therein , dated this fifth day of january . . upon notice the day of january instant that a warrant was issued against the sa●d edmund calamy by his lordship to apprehend him , the said edmund at night personally appeared before his said lordship , and desired his lordship that he might have favour not to be committed till the next day , and promising ( wi●h o●her sufficient persons that he would the six●h of january about eleven of the clock peaceably render his body to the goale of newgate upon sending a mittimus ; his lordship took the word of himself and sureties , and ●hereupon by mr. john marshall , one of the city marshalls and sworn constable sending the said mittimu● at the time desired , he the said mr. calamy went with the said marshall , and now is prisoner in the gaol of newgate . eli trembling for fear of the ark. a sermon preached at st. mary aldermanbury , dec. . : by edmvnd calamy , b.d. late minister there . upon the preaching of which he was committed prisoner to the gaol of newgate jan. . . together , with the mittimus and manner of his imprisonment , annexed hereunto . oxford , printed in the y●●●●●●● an advertisement to the reader . wee believe you have heard of the imprisonment of mr. edmund calamy ; as also of the matter of fact , viz. for preaching ; being dis-inabled thereunto for his non-conformity to the present state of affairs in the church of england . many ( we have heard ) do blame him for his imprudency , in acting against a known law , but nemo omnibus horis sapit ; yet we are so bold as to say , he is the more excusable , for as much as it was in a time of need : do you not knovv vvhat david did vvhen he vvas an hungred , and those that vvere vvith him , matth. . , , &c. 't is well known mr. calamy went to church with no intention to preach , but to hear , but the minister that was expected , failing , mr. calamy being present was intreated and incouraged by some eminent persons there to perform the work ; who presently answered their desire , and it may be that scripture was urgent , cor. . , &c. so that he preached not as curate , or lecturer , but onely occasionally , and that not in contempt of authority . we suppose you are desirous to see the sermon , we have therefore gratified your desire , and assure you that this is faithfully and exactly as he delivered it ; read it therefore , 't is verbum tempestivum . farewell . sam . . . and when he came , ●o eli sate upon a seat by the way side , watching , for his heart trembled for the ark of god. that you may the better understand this text , you must know , that what ever god threaten'd against old eli , in the second and third chapters , it was because he did not restrain his two wicked sons from their leud courses , and is here ex●cuted in this fourth chapter ; and therefore we read in the beginning of the chapter , that four thousand of the children of israel were slain by the philistines ; and the elders of israel met together to consider what they might do to repair this great loss ; they confess that it was the lord that had smitten them ; wher●fore hath the lord smitten us ? but they foolishly imagined that the way to repair the loss , would be by fetching the ark from shil●e , and carrying it into the battel ; whereupon they appointed hophni and phineas to take the ark of the covenant , and carry it into the battel , thereby imagining , that the presence of the ark would secure them from ruine : but herein they were miserably mistaken ; for the reason why they were smitten , was not because the ark was in the camp , but because sin was in the camp ; for as augustine observes , the ark wherein the two tables were , would not pro●●ct those that had broken the two tables ; the ark of the covenant would not preserve those that had broken their covenant with god ; therefore notwi●● stan●●ng the presence of the ark , there were thirty thous●●● o● the children of i●rael slain in the battel , and hop●ni and phineas that bore the ark , were slain , and the ark its●lf was taken prisoner . but now let us consider what old eli was doing all the while the battel was fighting : the good old man was . years old , he was not able to go to the battel ; but he got upon a seat by the way side , near the battel where it was fought , and th●re he sits watching what wil become of t●e ark : and lo eli sate upon a seat by the way-side , watching ; fo● his heart tr●mbled fo● the ark of god : for fear lest the a●k of god should be taken . he was not troubled what should become of his two sons , he was not troubled what sh●uld become of the people of israel ; but all his trouble was for the ark of god ; he sate by t●e way side wa●ching , for his heart trembled for th● ark of god. in the words we have three par●s . . we have old eli's solicitousness concerning the ark , h● s●te watching , &c. . his fearfulness ; old eli trem●l●d for fear of the ark. . old eli's preferring the safety of th● ark before the safety of his two sons , and before the safety of his wife and children : old eli sate wa●ching , for his heart trembled for the ark of god. but you will say unto me , what was this ark , this ark of god ? why should old eli tremble for fear of the ark ? why , i wil ●ell you ; this ark was the holiest of all the holy things of god ; it was so holy , that it made every place holy where it came : solomon brought the daughter of pharoah out of the city of david , unto the house that he had builded for h●r ; for h● s●d my wife shall not dwell in the house of david king of israel , because the places are holy whereunto the ark of the lord had c●me ; chro. . . this ark was the dwelling place of god : pray observe sirs , this wil make way for an excellent discourse by and by . this ark of god was the habitation of god , psal. ● . . the lord sitteth between the cherubins ; no● the cherubins were placed over the ark ; this ark was th● speaking place of god , it was the place where god met the people of israel when he gave them answer concerning any doubt : they came to consult with god before the ark , exod . , . thou sha●t put the mercy-seat above the ark , and there i will m●et thee , and commune with thee from above the mercy seat , from between the two cherubins which are upon the a●k for the testimony of all things which i wil give thee in commandment unto the childr●n of isra●l . this ark for which old eli was so solicitous , it was god's footstool , and all the people of israel did worship at this footstool , fall down before this foo●stool , psal. . let us come and fall down , and worship at his footstool , h.e. before the ark ; this ack was the strength of israel , so it is called psal. . he delivered his strength into captivity ; that is , the ark ; the ark it was the glory of israel , and it was the strength of israel , nay , l●t me add , this ark was the terror of the enemies of god ; therefore when the ark came into the battel , the philistines were afraid , and said , what shall become of us ? wo to us , for god is come down into the camp , sam. . . for indeed this ark was called jehovah : when the ark was to move , there was a cry , ( num. . ) arise o lord , and let thine enemies be scattered . in a word , the ark was a pledge and visible symbole of gods gracious presence with his people ; as long as the ark was safe , they were safe ; as long as the ark was with them , gods presence was with them , the token of gods presence was with them ; but when the ark was taken away , that was a sign that god was gone ; his protecting , preserving , comforting presence was gone ; and therefore no wonder this good old man was so troubled for fear left the ark of god should be taken prisoner : i call him a good old man ; but many learned men think old eli was not a good man ; indeed his fault was great in not punishing his two sons ; but surely , surely he was a good man ; and there are these two reasons to make it out that old eli was a godly man : the one is this , that he took the punishment of his iniquity so patiently , when young samuel had told him what the lord had intended against him ; it is of the lord ( saith he ) let him do what seemeth him good . secondly , he was a good man , as appeareth in the text , his solicitousness what should become of the ark , and the trembling of his soul left the ark of god should miscarry . now before i speak to the point of doctrine , i must further tell you , that this ark was a type of jesus christs for as god spake by the ark , and from the ark , so god speaks to us by christ. and then secondly the ark was a type of the church of christ ▪ for as the ark was a preserver of the ●wo tables of the law , so the church of christ is a preserver of the scriptures . thirdly , t●e ark was a type of the ordinances of christ ; for as god did communicate himself to his people by the ark , so god by his ordinances doth communicate his counsels , his comforts and his graces unto his people . the ordinances of god are oraculum , the speaking-place of god , by which he conveys himself to his people . the text now being thus expounded , there are these two excellent conclusions to be learned from it . first , when the ark of god is in danger to be lost , the people of god have thoughtful heads , and trembling hearts . secondly , that a child of god is more troubled , and more solicitous what shall become of the ark , than what shall become of his wife and children ; or his estate ; he lays more to heart the danger the ark of god is in , than the danger his wife , children and estate is in . first , when the ark of god is in danger to be lost , the people of god have thoughtful heads , and trembling hearts . but if i may put this doctrine into a gospel dresse , take the doctrine thus : that when the gospel is in danger of losing , when the ministry is in danger of losing , when gospel ordinances are in danger of being lost , then the people of god have trembling hearts , and careful and solicitous heads . i do not say when the ark is lost , for that was death to old eli , he broke his neck , he was so troubled when the ark was lost ; it cost the life of old eli's daughter , phineas wife ; when the ark was taken prisoner , she took no comfort in her child that was newly born , she regarded it not ; they told her a man-child was born , that she had a son ; but she regarded it not ; for said she , the glory is gone , the glory is departed from israel . therefore i do not say , when the ark of god is lost , but when it is in danger of losing , when the gospel is in danger , and the ordinances of god in danger of being lost , then the people of god have trembling hearts and careful heads . thus we read exod. . , god threatens he would no● go with the people of israel ; i wi●● n●● go with you , for you a●e a stiff-neck●d people ; and they were ●o troubled for the loss of gods presence , that they put off their ornamen●s ; when the people ●eard this evil ty●ings , that they should lose the presence of god , they mourned , and no m●● pu● on his orname●ts . you shall read that they were without the presence of god twenty years , sam. . . and i● came to pass , that while the ark abode in ki●ah jearim , that it was long , for it was twenty years ; and all the h●use of israel lamented after the lord , that is , after the ark , after the presence of god speaking from above the ark. so you shall read of uriah , da●id would fain have had him gone down to his wife , and make merry , but mark what uriah answered , sam. . ● . the ark , and israel and judah abide in tents , ( mark it i p●ay ) & my lord kno●e●h ●he serv●nts of the lord ar● in the camp in the open field ; & shall i go down to my house to eat and to drink , and to be merry , and to lye with my wife ? as thou li●●st , and as thy soul liveth , i will not do this thing . we read also of elias , that he was very zealous for the lord of hosts , king. . the c●ildren of israel have forsaken their covenant , they have thrown down thine altars , and slain thy prophets , and i am very zealous . now all this proves , that when the ark of god is in d●nger , t●e people of god have very much trembled ; and there are these reasons for it why the people of god are so much troubled when the ark of god is in danger . first , because of the love that they beat to the ark of god ; as god loveth the gates of sion more than all the dwellings of jacob ; so the people of god they love the gospel , they love the ordinances , they love the ministry and the faithful ministers of jesus christ above all other things in the world ; and therefore saith david ( psal. . . ) o lord , i have loved the habitation of thy house , and the place where thine honor dwelleth , and in psal. . . one thing have i desired of the lord , that will i seek after , that i may dwell in the house of the lord all the dayes of my life . now you know love stirreth up affection . you have heard me tell the story of croesus youngest son to croesus , who when he saw his father ready to be killed , though he never spake all his life time , yet the very love that he did bear to hs father , burst the strings of his tongue , and he cryed out , o kill not my father , kill not my father : such is the love that the saints of god have to the ark of god , that it must break forth , and they cannot be silent , that they cannot but tremble for fear the ark should miscarry ; for sions sake they cannot hold their peace , and for j●rusalems sake they cannot rest , til the lord make the righteousness thereof to go forth as brightness , and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth . secondly , the people of god cannot but be troubled when the ark is danger , because of the interest that they have in the ark of god ; now you know interest stirreth up affection ; when a man 's own house is on fire , or when another mans house is on fire , as you have had a sad and lamentable accident mu●h to be laid to heart , that happened yesterday morning , a very sad accident , and such as i suppose if the minister that was appointed to preach , had been here , he would have studyed to have affected your h●arts with that providence , and indeed it is not to be ●orgotten : how suddenly may we after we have been feasting , be burnt to ashes ? truly it was a very sad providence , and ought to be laid to heart . now interest as i said , stirs up affection ; how are they ●ffected that have an interest in those that were burned ! how are they afflicted with that sad providence ! why now the peopl● of god have an interest in god ; god is the heaven of a child of god , god is the portion and inheritance of his people ; and when he begins to forsake them , they cannot but grieve and be affected : and so the ordinances of god they are the jewels , the treasures of a ch●●stian , and he cannot but be troubled for fear of losing the ordinances . iesus christ is the joy of a christian , and when he is departing from them , they cannot go and be merry at such a time . thirdly , the people of god cannot but tremble when the ark of god is in danger , because of them m●schiefs that are coming upon a nation when the ark of god is lost ; wo be to that nation when the ark of god is gone from it . the trojans had the image of pallas , and they had a tradition , that as long as that image was preserv'd among them , their city should never be conquered ; and therefore they kept it in a tower , and called it palladium . and the romans had a buckler , and they called it anselam , and they had a tradition , that as long as that buckler was kept safe , rome should never be taken ; and they said that buckler came down from heaven . but sure i am , when god is present with a nation to protect them , where the gospel is preserved in purity in a nation , that nation cannot but be safe ; but when the ark of god is gone , when the gospel is gone , then the palladium , then the ans●●am , then the safety of a nation is g●ne . my beloved , had i the tongue of men or angels , i was not able to express ●he misery of a nation where the ark of god is gone , give me leave to set it forth bri●fly a little in a f●w particulars , which i shall but just name . first , when the a●k of god is taken , then the ways of sion mourn , and none come to her s●lemn assembli●s ; this was the complaint made in lament . . . the wayes of sic● moura , because none come to her solemn assemblies . and is not this matter of sadness ? s●condly , when the ark of god is taken , the minis●●rs of c●rist are driven into corners ; and that is matter of heart-trembling . thirdly , t●e souls of our wives and children are in danger to miscarry , when the ark of god is taken , and the gospel gone . fourthly , the enemi●s of god will then be ready to blaspheme and say , where is now your god ? w●ere is now your a●k ? now the en●mies of god triumph o●●r the people of god , and as david saith , p●al . . as with a sword in my bones mine e●emies rep●oach me daily , while t●ey continually say unto me , wh●re is n●w thy god ? fifthly , when the ark of god is taken , jesus christ is t●en trampled und●r feet , the ordinance of god are shut of door ; then bla●phemy , atheism , and all manner of wickedness comes in like an armed man. fourthly , another reason why the people of god must needs tremble when t●e ark is in danger , is , b●cause of their acc●ssariness in losing of the a●k : an● this was that which made old eli so much tr●mble , because he kn●w it was for his sins that the ark was taken prisoner ; and that god suffered it to be tak●n away , he knew that his not punishing his two sons was one great cause of the great slaughter that the people of israel met withall , and that made him to tremble . there is n● p●rson here in this congregation this morning , but his heart will tell him , if ●ver the ark of god should be lost in this n●tion , that he hath contributed something towards the loss of it : i sa● , there are no●e of us so holy , bu●●ur consciences must ac●us● u● , th●t we h●v● contributed something towards the lo●s of the ark , if it should be ●ost . and this mr. b●ad●ord that blessed mar●y● a●k●no●ledged in his prayer , as you have it record●d in ●●e book of martyrs . lord ( sayes h● ) it was my untha●kfulness that that caused the untimely death of king edward 〈◊〉 ●h . and those christians that were banished and fled in q● . ma●yes dayes , they profess●d wherever th●y came , that g●● for their untha●kfulness had taken the gospel from 〈◊〉 . we m●y all of us say , for my sins ' , and for thy sins the ark of god is in danger , and t●erefore we had need always to hav● trembling hear●s & solicitou● heads what will b●come of the ark of god. and so much for the explication of the doctrine . i come now to the application ; and if it be the prop●rty of a true ●●ild of god to be so solicitous when the a●k of god is in danger , and to have such a trembling he●rt for fear the ark should miscarry , then ' ●is a certain sign there are but few that are children of god in truth . oh where is the man or woman that is like old eli , that ●ets trembling for fear of the ark ? i suppose you all believe ( and you have cause so do ) that my coming hith●r this mo●ning was not by way of d●sign , but meerly by the providence of god ; and th●refore that which ●ow i say , was not premeditated for this assembly . it must not be denied but that the ark of god is in danger to be lost , and that upon this double account . first , in reference to the many sins that are in the nation : let me tell you , there is not one sin for which god hath taken away the ark from any people , but that sin may be found among us : did the church of ephesus lose the candlestick because she left her first love ? and have not we done so ? did the church of laodicea lose the candlestick ? you know the gospel is called the candl●stick ; and was not the gospel removed from them because of their lukewarmness ? and are not we guilty of lukewarmness ? did the people of israel here lose the ark because they abhorred the offering of god ? and do not we do so ? are not the sins of the people of israel among us ? nay , are not the sins of germany and all other nations among us ? and can any man that is here before god this day , that considers the unthankfulness , the great prophaneness that there is in the nation , but must confess , surely the ark is in danger , and god may justly take it away . i will not make a catalogue of our sins , for that is not my purpose ; i might tell you of our common-wealth sins , drunkenness , uncl●anness , bribery and oppression ; i might tell of our sanctuary sins , the prophaneing of sabbaths , and so of all our other sins , of unthankfulness , unfrui●fulness ; you of this place , sirs , god may well take the ark from you ; and indeed , it was the great respect i had to you of this parish , whom i shall ever own , and praise god for , as long as i h●ve breath in me ; it was my respect i bear to you , would not let me send you home this morning without a sermon . is there any of you of t●is parish or congregation , that can say , god may not justly unchurch you , and take away his gospel from you ? you have had it now in three famous successions , dr. t●ylor , dr. stoughton , and my pains in three or four and twenty years among you : do not your consciences tell you now , that god may justly unchurch you , and take away the power of the ministry ? for i count that an unchurching , when we want the power of the ministry , a soul-searching ministry , when we want a faithful minister to go before us ; and that 's one reason why we may safely say the ark of god is in great danger of being lost . secondly , i have another that i may without prejudice say , and that is the abundance of popish priests and jesuits that are in the midst of us , the growing and encreasing of pop●ry , and that proneness that is in people to run headlong back again to the garlick and onions of egypt : this argument is sufficient to make us all believe the ark of god is in danger . nay , shall i add , the discontentments and divisions that are in the nation ? and christ himself hath said , that a nati●n divided against it self canno● sta●d . but i leave these things to your consideration . i believe now there is not one that hears me this morning , but will confess the ark of god is in danger of being lost . but now where are our old elies ? whe●e ●re such as phineas wife , such women as she , that would not be comforted ? where are our moseses , our ur●ah's , our elias's ? where are those that lay to heart the danger of the ark of god ? m● brethren , you complain of taxes , of the decay of trade , you complain of this and that civil burthe● ; but where is the man , where is the man that complains & bemoans the danger that the ark of god is in ? most of you are of gallios temper , of whom it is said , act. that he cared for none of tho●e things ; had it been for civil matters , he would have hearkened ; but when it came to matters of religion , gallio cared not for it , nor regarded it not . my brethren , every man is troubled about m●um and tuum , about his civil concernments , and very solicitous what shall become of him ; but who lays to heart , who regards what shall become of the ark of god ? there is a strange kind of indifferency and lukewarmness upon peoples spirit● , insomuch that most people so they might have their trading and their civil burthens removed , they care not what becomes of the ark ; there is a t●xt i would have you turn to , though i cannot spend time in opening it , because i shall be prevented ; it is in ho● . . stra●gers have ●e●oured his streng●h , and he knew it not ; ●ea , grey hairs are here and there u●on him , and he knows it ●ot . shall i say , grey hairs are upon the gospel ? i come not here to prophesie this morning ; i do not say the gospel is a dying , i say not so ; but i say it hath grey hairs ; for we have had the gospel above a hundred years now in england ( pray mark ) and therefore it is in its old age ; and i dare challenge any scholl●r to shew me any nation that ever enjoyed the gospel a hundred years together , except this nation of engla●d ; and we have enjoyed the gospel above an hundred years : therefore i m●y truly say it hath grey hairs after an hundred year● ; that is , no wonder grey hairs are here and there ; yet no man knows it , no man regards it , and no man lays it to he●r● . shall i spend a little time to shew you what a sin t●is is , not to be affected w●th the danger the ark of god is in ? consider it in these two particulars briefly . first , 't is a sign you love not the gospel , if you have no love to the ark ; for had you any love to it , you would be troubled more for the danger the ark is in , then for any outward danger what ever , i have read a remarkable story amo●g the romans , that when any man was accused for his life , all his friends and relations put on mourning garments ; and when he went to answer for his life , all his kindred and relations followed him in mourning before the king , therein shewing the love they bore to his person in danger . and beloved , did you love the ministry of the gospel , did you love the ordinances of christ , you would all put on mourning garments when they are in danger ; ●nd because you do not , it is a sign you have no love to the gospel . and then again secondly , t is a sign you have no interest in the gospel ; for interest wil stir up affection ; 't is a sign sirs , you are not concerned in the gospel ; ●or if it were your concernment , you would be affected with it ; for i said but even now , it is impossible that those that are concerned in the late lamentable fire , ( the like hath not happened in london since the gu●-powder got fire near the tower , when so many houses were blown up by the powder ; that was a sad , lamentable time indeed ; but since that ) the like hath no● been seen in london ; and it is impossible but that those that had interest in it , should be aff●cted with it : you have no interest in god , if you are not troubled at the loss of his presence ; you have no interest in christ , and in the ministers of christ , if your hearts tremble not , nor fear at the loss of them . nay , let me say , thirdly , there is a curse of god pronounced against all those that lay not to heart the afflictions of joseph ; give me leave to read to you amos . . wo to them that are at ease in zion , that trust in the mountain of samaria , that put far from them the evil day , that lie upon beds of ivory , that eat the lambs out of the flock . and dance to the sound of the viol , that drink wine in bowles , but are not grieved for the afflictions of joseph . oh wo , wo to you that make merry , and n●ver consider the danger the ark of god is in . use . the second use is , to beseech you all ; being this day unexpected , it is possible my coming may do much good , it may prove a good providence : let me beseech you then , that you would declare that you are the people of god in deed and in truth , in following the example of old eli : five things i would perswade you to : first , that you would believe that the gospel is not entailed upon england ; england hath no letters patents for the gospel ; the gospel is not perpetual and immovable ; god took away the ark , and forsook shiloh ; god took away the ark not onely from the children of israel , but took away the temple , unchurched the jews , unchurched the seven churches of asia ; and we know not how soo● he may unchurch us : i do not know any warrant we have to assure our selves that we shall enjoy the gospel anoth●r hundred years . i suppose many here know that i have often told you , god knows how to remove his candlestick , yet not to destroy it ; god will never destroy his candlesti●k , his church ; but god often removes his church f●om one nation to another ; he hath removed h●s church out of the east ( for greece was once the most famous church in the world ) this place now the church is gone from ; god knows how to remove his candlestick , though he never breaks and destroys it . secondly , i would likewise perswade you to this , that e●glands ark is in danger of being lost , were it onely for the sins and prodigious iniquities that we are guilty of . oh the strange and unheard of ingratitude that is in the land ! but i will say no more of that , because i wil speak nothing but what becomes a sober and peaceable minister ; yet i would have you be perswaded of the great danger the ark of god is in . thi●d●y , oh that i could raise you up to old eli's posture ! r●m●mber the tex● , he sate watching , and his heart trem●led for fe●r of the ark ; and to move you to this , consider wh●t a sad condition we should be in , should the ark be lost : alas ! what good would your estates do you , if the ark of god be taken away ? how can you look upon your wives and children with comfort , if the ark of god be gone ? wherein doth england● glory go beyond other nations ? other nations are more wealthy then england ; the turk hath mo●e wealth than any protestant king ; the heathen nations have more of the glory of the world then any christian king hath , more outward pomp , and rich apparel ; what then is the glory of engl●nd , but the gospel ? and if the gospel be gone , our glory is gone , and all our comfor●s are gone . remember phineas wife ; they came and told h●r she had born a son , but it was no great comfort to her , she regarded it not , she hearkened not unto them , but called his name ichabo● ; why so ? f●rth● glory is departed from israel . oh! when the glory is gone , who would desire to live ? i am loth to tell you ●h● story that i have heard of from unqu●stionable authors , of chrysostome ; he was but one man , who yet when ●o ●eave constan●inople , when he was put out of his pl●●● , and banished , the people of consta●tin●ple were so ●ff●●t●d with chrysostome , that they all went to the 〈…〉 petitioned for their minister , saying , they 〈◊〉 soon miss the sun out of the firmament , as miss chrysostom . but i will not enlarge upon these things . wo , wo , the sad , lamentable , and woful condition that we shall be in , if the ark of god be taken ; and therefore we had need sit trembling for fear of the ark . fourthly , another thing that i would perswade you to , is this , not to mourn immoderately neither : i would willingly speak some comfort to you , god onely knows when i shal speak again ; and therefore before i leave you , i would not send you home comfo●tless : mourn not therefore as without hope ; for i have four arguments to perswade me , that the ark of god wil not be lost , though it be in danger of being lost . arg. . the first encouraging argument is this , because god hath done great things already for this nation , and i argue like man●a's wife , surely ( saith she to her husband ) if go●●ould have destroyed us , he would not have done so much for us ; but god hath done so much for us , that surely he will not now forsake us ; and that may be some ground of hope , that though our hearts do tremble , yet let them not sink within us . secondly , another encouragement of hope is from the abundance of praying people in the nation : there are many that pray to god night and day , that the ark of god may not be lost ; and let me assure you one thing this morning , god never did destroy a praying and reforming people ; when god intends to destroy a natio● , to take away its ark , he takes away the spirit of prayer from that people ; where god continues a spirit of prayer , there god will be present , and there god wil continue his ark ; you all know if there had been but ten good men in five cities , god had spared the five cities for ●he ten mens lakes . now through mercy there are many hundreds that fear god in this natio● , and that do not give god rest night nor day , but cry to god for mercy on the nation ; and who knows but for their sakes god may continue the gospel to us ? thirdly , another ground of comfort is this , and i am much affected with it , god hath dealt with england not by way of rule , but by way of prerogative : for beloved , we have had church and sermon-sins in the midst of us all along queen elizabeths dayes , king james , and king charles the first his dayes ; we have also been an unthankful nation , and our ministers have threatned ruine and destruction upon us from year to year ; but god hath hitherto saved england by way of prerogative , though we have those sins among us for which he destroyed other nations ; yet god hath spared us , because he will spare us , according to that text , i will be graci●●● to whom i will be gracious . god is not tyed to his own 〈◊〉 , god may make an exemption ; and who knows whether god may not make england an exemption from his common rule ? fourthly , another ground of comfort is this , god is now a pouring out his viols upon antichrist , and all those wars that are in christendom , shall end in the ruine of antichrist : observe this , and carry it home with you . i say , god is pouring out his vials upon the throne of the beast , and all those wars that are in christendom , shall end in the ruine and destruction of antichrist , both easte●n and western antichrist ; and though some drops of these vials may drop upon the reformed churches , and they may smart for a while , god may severely punish them ; yet it is but for a little while , but the vials shall all be poured upon antichrist , there shall it rest , there shall it center ; indeed the lord may chastise his people , and scourge all the reformed churches before the vials be all poured out ; i say , god may scourge all the reformed churches , and a sound of persecution may go through them all , which are called drops of these vials ; but the vials are intended for antichrist , and shall all end in the ruine of antichrist , and in the fall of babylon , which is ground of great consolation to the people of god ; and whatsoever becomes of us , yet our children , and our childrens children shall see the issue of these vials poured out at last upon the whore of babylon , to the ruine of antichrist and all his adherents . fifthly and lastly , to draw to a conclusion ; i am to exhort you all to contribute your utmost endeavours to keep the ark of god from being lost . now here i should shew you what the magistrates must do to keep the ark from being carryed into captivity , and what the ministers must do , and what the people should do . first , what the magistrates are to do ; and not being to speak to them , i shall speak little of them . the magistrates are to use their authority for the setling of the ark ; for the ark of the covenant will be like noahs ark , alwayes floating upon the top of the waters , till the magistrates that are set over it , will endeavour to settle it . thus we read of david , & sam. . david and all his men were gathered together , thirty thousand men , all his noble men went in great pomp to the fetching home of the ark ; you may read the chapter at your leisure . and in chron. . . there you find solomon and all his nobles with a great deal of pomp fetching home the ark . oh how should this encourage our nobles and our magistrates , that they might be solicitous in setling the ark of god. give me leave to say thus much to magistrates , you must not do as the philistins did , they had the ark , bu● what did they do with it ? why they set it up in the house of dagon ; but dagon and the ark will never agree ; always when dagon and the false religion goes in at one door , the ark and the true religion goes out at the other door : we must nor therefore put the ark and dagon together . secondly , what must the ministers do to keep the ark from being lost ? why the ministers that bear the ark must be ho●y , the ark will never prosper upon the shoulders of hophni , and phineas ; carry that home with you : it is not your wicked ministers that can sertle the ark ; it is not your prophane , drunken ministers ; no , it must be the godly , sober , pious and religious ministers . how holy ought they to be that draw near to the god of holiness ? so much for the duty of ministers . thirdly , what must the people of god do ? why there are four things that i will commend to you , and i will commend you to god. first , do not idolize the ark . secondly , do not undervalue the ark . thirdly , do not pry into the ark . fourthly , do not meddle with the ark unless you have a call . fifthly , keep the covenant of the ark . briefly of these , and i have done . first ; do not idolize the ark ; that was the sin of the people in the text , they thought the very presence of the ark would have secured them ; and therefore they carryed the ark into the camp ; though they did not repent and reform , yet they thought if the ark were in the camp , they were secure ; and thus many think , if they can get a good minister , certainly god wil bless them , though they themselves be never so wicked . this is to idolize the ark ; there is nothing that will secure a nation , but repentance and reformation ; 't is not the having the gospel , but the living answerable to the gospel , that wil secure the gospel . take heed therefore of idoliziog the ark . secondly , we must not undervalue the ark , this was michal her sin ; david danced before the ark , and michal mo●ked him ; but said david , it is before the lord , if this be to be vile , i will be more vile still . there are some men b●gin to say , what need we have any preaching , wil not reading of prayers serve the turn ? what need we preach , say others , what need is there of so much preaching ? will not once a day serve ? what needs all this ? oh! but firs , this is so undervalue the ark ; and the faithful ministers of christ must say , if this be to be vile to preach twice a day , to fast , and pray for the safety of a nation , we will be more vile still ▪ thirdly , we must not pry into the atk ; this was the sin of the be●hshemites , god destroyed . of them for lo●king into the ark : you must not be curious in prying into wha● god hath not revealed : there are great thoughts of heart when god intends lo deliver his people ; give me leave to speak plainly to you : there are many that talk of . they think the year of deliverance shal be that year when antichrist shall be destroyed ; and there is a book printed to prove that antichrist shall be destroyed in , and there are strong impressions upon the hearts of many learned men as to the year . some go to the year . for the ruine of antichrist ; some pitch upon a time that 's nearer , which i am loth to name to you : but truly my brethren , if you would have my judgement ( and i am glad of this opportunity to tell you so this morning ) this is to pry too much into the ark : remember that text , and live by it , t is not for you ●o know the times & seasons , you must not say , such & such a year ; for when that year is come , you find you are deceiv'd , 't is the way to make you atheists , to believe nothing : certainly those ministers do no good to the church , that prescribe times and seasons , for when those seasons are come , and we find our selves disappointed , after that we will believe the minister no more . give me leave to tell you a story , in the year one thousand , ( which i have from ancient authors ) wherein it was believed throughout all the chri●tian world , that the day of judgement should begin , and great humiliations and repentance was in all christian churches ; but when they saw the year end , and the day of judgement happened not , they al● fell to their old professions , and afterward would believe nothing . 't is more dangerous then you imagine , for men to pitch on times and seasons . gods time is the best time , and he that believeth , maketh not hast : we must not pry too much into the ark , lest the punishment of the bethsh●mites be our portion . fourthly , you must not meddle with the ark , unless called to it ; this was the sin of uzzah , he touched the ark ( you know the story ) the ark was in danger of falling ; he ( good man ) meaning no hurt , to keep up the a●k , to touch the ark , but it neither did him good or the ark , for he was destroyed himself , making a breach , and hindering the carrying home of the ark. we have had great disorder heretofore , and god is now punishing us for that disorder : there was abundance of well-meaning men that usurped the ministerial office ; and ( forsooth ) they were afraid the ark was falling , and they laid to their shoulders ; but their touching the ark , undid the ark , and themselves too , and brought a scandal on the gospel . if you would have the gospel settled remember , they that are consecrated must touch the ark. fifthly and lastly , if ever you will preserve the ark , keep the laws that the ark preservs ; for in the ark were the first and second table of the law ; now these two tables , the first and second table of the law you must keep ; keep the law , and god will keep the ark ; but if you break the law , you forfeit the ark. the ark is called the ark of the covenant ; keep the covenant with god , and god will preserve your ark ; but if you break your covenant made with god in your baptism , and the covenant renewed at the sacrament ; if you break this covenant , god will break the ark and you . and thus ( beloved ) i have adventured out of that great affection i bear to you , to give you this morning this discourse . the lord give a blessing to what hath been spoken . finis : liberty of conscience asserted and several reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion with several sayings collected from the speeches and writings of king james and king charles the first / john crook, samuel fisher, francis howgill, richard hubberthorne. 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 l 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, - ; : ) liberty of conscience asserted and several reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion with several sayings collected from the speeches and writings of king james and king charles the first / john crook, samuel fisher, francis howgill, richard hubberthorne. crook, john, - . fisher, samuel, - . howgill, francis, - . hubberthorn, richard, - . p. printed for robert wilson ..., london : . "this was delivered into the hands of the members of both houses of parliament the last day of the third month, ." reproduction of original in university of texas 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 between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; 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 england and wales. -- parliament. liberty of conscience -- early works to . freedom of religion -- england -- early works to . religion and state -- england -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion liberty of conscience asserted , and several reasons rendred , why no outward force , nor imposition , ought to be used in matters of faith and religion : with several sayings , collected from the speeches and writings of king james , and king charles the first . john crook samuel fisher francis howgill richard hubberthorne . acts . , . now i say unto you , refrain from these men , and let them alone : for if this counsel , or this work , be of men , it will come to nought : but if it be of god , you cannot overthrow it ; lest haply ye be found fighters against god. this was delivered into the hands of the members of both houses of parliament , the last day of the third month , . london , printed for robert wilson , in martins le grand , . liberty of conscience asserted , &c. liberty of conscience ought to be allowed in the dayes of the gospel in the free exercise of it to god-ward ( without compulsion ) in all things relating to his worship , for these reasons following . . because the general and universal royal law of christ commands it matth. . . all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them : for this is the law and prophets . that which every man would have and receive from another , he ought by christ's rule to give and allow it to another . but every man is willing to have the liberty of his own conscience , therefore ought to allow it to another . . because , no man can perswade the conscience of another , either what god is , or how he should be worshipped , but by the spirit , which god hath given to instruct man in the wayes of truth . . because , all obedience or service that is obtained by force , is for fear of wrath , and not from love , nor for conscience sake ; and therefore will but continue so long as that fear or force abides upon them . . because , that by forcing , no man can make a hypocrite to be a true believer ; but on the contrary , many may be made hypocrites . . because , that in all forced impositions upon mens consciences there is something of the wrath of man exercised , which works not the righteousness of god , bur rather begets enmity in the heart one towards another . . because , that by forcing any thing upon mens consciences , as to matters of faith and worship , many are hardened in their hearts against the things imposed ; when as otherwise , through love and gentle instructions their hearts might be perswaded to willing obedience . . because , that persecution for conscience contradicteth christ's charge , matth. . who bids , that the tares ( or false worshippers ) be suffered to grow together in the field ( or world ) till the harvest ( or end of the world. ) . because , force is contrary to the end for which it is pretended to be used ( viz. ) the preservation and safety of the wheat , which end is not answered by persecution , because the wheat is in danger to be plucked up thereby , as christ saith . . because , to force , is inconsistent with the belief of the jews conversion ( and other false worshippers ) which is prayed for by the publick teachers , and cannot be attained , if persecution for conscience be prosecuted . . because , they that impose upon mens consciences , exercise dominion over mens faith , which the apostles denyed , saying , they had not dominion over any mens faith. . because , imposition upon mens consciences necessitates them to sin , in yeelding a conformity contrary to their own faith : for whatsoever is not of a mans own faith , is sin . . because , that imposition and force wrestles with flesh and blood , and carnal weapons , which is contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , our vveapons are not carnal , but spiritual , and mighty through god : and we wrestle not with flesh and bloud . . because , there is but one judge , law-giver and king in and over the conscience , as the saints have testified in the scriptures of truth ; and whosoever would intrude , so as to be judge and law-giver over the conscience , intrencheth upon the prerogative of christ , isa. . . james . . . because , it is prophesied in isa. . the wolf shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lye down with the kid , and there shall be no destroyer in all he holy mountain ; and therefore no imposition upon mens consciences . . because , to impose upon mens consciences for differences in faith , is contrary to the advice of the apostle , who directs people to wait upon god to be satisfied , and not to the magistrate or others , to be forced ; who saith , vvhereunto we have attained , let us walk ; and wherein any man is otherwise-minded , god shall reveal , even that unto him . . because , to force mens consciences , and to lay yoaks upon them , is to make void the blood-shed and sufferings of christ , who sits upon the throne of the conscience , and gives libeyty there ; and commands us to stand fast in that liberty , and not to be entangled through the impositions of men , or yoak of bondage , gal. . . . because in all nations the different professions and perswasions of religion , are either friends or enemies to the governours : if friends then obliged by that bond. if enemies then christ's command is to take place , who saith , love your enemies ; which if observed , persecution for conscience will be avoided . . because , toleration of different perswasions in religion was allowed in the jewish state , as not inconsistent with their safety , and that in things contrary each to other , as the sadduces , pharisees , essaeans , herodians with others . . because , the true religion cannot be preached up by force of armes , and the primitive christians detested that form of proceedings . . because , no man hath such power over the souls and consciences of other men , as to lay a necessity on them to believe that which they do not believe , or not to believe what they do believe : true faith being the gift of god. . because , if the magistrate imposeth upon the conscience , he must either do it as a magistrate , or as a christian. not as a magistrate , for then heathens ( being magistrates ) have the same power to impose ; and so , by revolutions and conquests , may come to give laws to christians , and compel them to idolatry . . not as christians , for that contradicts christ's saying , the kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them ; but it shall not be so among you , for all ye are , brethren . . because , by the same rule and reason that the magistrate of one nation ought to impose upon , and persecute for conscience , the magistrates in all other nations ought to do the same ; and so the greatest part of mankind may come to be destroyed , there being more that dissent , than are at unity in matters of faith and religion . . because , the strength of truth , and its conquest over falsity and deceit , is best discovered by letting both have their liberty , from out 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 sion ; for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ou 〈…〉 ard force been less used , the prevalency of truth had been more manifest , and that wife saying , truly experienced in the world , viz. that which i● of god will stand , and that which is not will come to nothing . . because , the disciples of christ are rebuked by him for desiring the destruction of those that were contrary to him , and would not receive him : which zeal is sharply reproved in his saying , they knew not what spirit they were of . . because , to impose upon mens consciences , and to destroy their persons for difference in religion , is contrary to the end of christ's coming , who saith , he came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them . . because , people of divers religions in one nation , if not tolerated , must some of them be destroyed , or removed by banishment . if destroyed , the constancy and patience of the sufferers for their faith , moving pitty and commiseration , makes men more ready to own , than to reject their faith , and so rather multiplies , than lessens , the number of its professors . if banish'd , this renders the banished as so many enemies abroad , ready upon all occasions to disturbe the peace and tranquillity of their own native countrey . there is therefore , in order to the outward welfare of all nations , a kind of necessity for a toleration in them of all religions . . because , to impose upon mens consciences begets a hatred against the imposers in those who are imposed upon , and forc'd thereby to violate their consciences towards god in matters of worship . . because , men are commanded to be subject to the powers that are , for conscience sake , and therefore such powers ought not to persecute men for conscience sake , being that is prescribed for the rule of obedience ; the scripture saying , be ye subject not onely for wrath , but for conscience sake . . we find it asserted by king james in his speech to the parliament in the year , . who said , that it is a pure rule in divinity , that god never loves to plant his church with uiolence and blood ; and furthermore said , it was usually the condition of christians to be persecuted , but not to persecute . . and we find the samething in substance asserted again , by his ) son charles the first , in his book known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , printed for r. royston , as followeth . page . in his prayer to god , he said , thou seest how much cruelty amongst christians is acted , under the colour of religion ; as if we could not be christians , unless me crucifie one another . pag. ● . make them at length seriously to consider , that nothing uiolent and injurious , can be religious . pag. . nor is it so proper to ●ew out religious reformations by the sword , as to pollish them by fair and equal disputations , among those that are most concer●●d in the differences , whom , not force , but reason ought to convince . sure in matters of religion , those truths gain most upon mens judgements and consciences , which are least urged with segular ui●lence , which weakens truth with prejudices . pag. . it being an office not onely of humanity , rather to use reason than force , but also of christianity to seek peace and ensue it . pag. , . in point of true conscientious tenderness , i have often declared , how little i desire my laws and scepter , should intrench on god's soveraignty , which is the onely king of mens consciences . pag. . nor do i desire any man should be farther subject unto me , than all of us may be subject unto god. concerning oaths . p. . the injoyning of oathes , upon people , must needs in things doubtful be dangerous , as in things unlawful damnable . some words of advice from charles the first , to the then prince of wales , now king of england , &c. pag. . my counsel and charge to you is , that you seriously consider the former real or objected miscariages , which might occasion my troubles , that you may avoid them , &c. beware of exasperating any factions , by the crosness and asperity of some mens passions , humors , and private opinions , imployed by you , grounded ●●●ly upon differences in lesser matters , which are but the skirts and suburbs of religion , wherein a charitable connivance , and christian toleration , often dissipates their strength , when rougher opposition fortyfies , and puts the despised and oppressed party into such combinations , as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors . pag. . take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of religion devour not all . pag. . your prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting , rather than exacting the rigor of the laws , there being nothing worse than legal tyranny . acts . , , . gamaliel said unto them , ye men of israel , take heed unto your selves , what ye intend to do as touching these men , &c. acts . , , , , . gallio said , if it were a matter of wrong , or wicked lewdness , reason would that i should bear with you : but if it be a question of words and names , and of your law , look ye to it : for i will be no judge of such matters . the end . the demeanour of a good subject in order to the acquiring and establishing peace goodwin, thomas, or - . 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 g 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, - ; : ) the demeanour of a good subject in order to the acquiring and establishing peace goodwin, thomas, or - . [ ], p. printed by william downing for the author, london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. epistle dedicatory signed: godwyn. 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 between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; 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 religion and state -- great britain. allegiance. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jason colman sampled and proofread - jason colman text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the demeanour of a good subject , in order to the acquiring and establishing peace . god. son of man , hear what i say unto thee , be not thou rebellious . priest . give peace in our time , o lord. people . because there is none other that fighteth for us , but only thou , o god. london , printed by william downing , for the author , . to the sacred , and most excellent majesty of king charles the second . dread soveraign , that your majesties great and princely endowments of nature , have arrived to an admired accomplishment in the sublimest art of government , is doubtless the advantage your wisdome hath made of afflictions : the sufferings of the same times , have also enabled your subjects to a more exact and fearless obedience . the very knowledge of their enemies , maketh even those otherwise lyable to temptation , to abhor sedition ; and they are become more circumspect for prevention , and by suffering more sufficient for toleration . having before me two royal patterns , with so many ilustrious and pious attendants , ( together with a fathers example , and daily admonitory care the calamities of the late times could not but prove my benefit . being in my childhood inured to them , persecutions for the same cause ( even in these better times ) are borne with a kind of natural fortitude . to be sharply exercised above eighteen years at all weapons , which fanatical fury could administer to the assailants , and that above these last six years , they notoriously boast of victory , by procuring my dammages and frequent confinements , is so little discouragement , that by these i seem chiefly to rise and triumph over them . the narrowness of an estate or corporal distress , cannot bate my delight in an entire obedience to your majesty and the church of england , but are the enlargement of my affections ; and i am still high enough to look down upon mine enemies with pity , and thence afford them these directions ( such as i am furnished with ) to safety . nevertheless , when perswasions and arguments are rejected , i hope your majesties discovering and coercive felicity will alway disarme their rage , and so convince and protect them . if in the forwardness of my zeal , i have by any imbecility injured a cause so great , i cast my self by supplication for pardon at your royal feet : which , that the almighty be graciously pleased to keep and confirm , to walk on prosperously to length of days in this world , and eternity of glory in the next , is and shall be the constant prayer of , your majesties most humble , most obedient , and devoted subject , godwyn . the contents of the following discourse . chap. . who may be said to be a good subject ? chap. . what peace it is that a good subject would labour to obtain and settle ? chap. . the distinct offices of the prince and subject in the concerns of acquisition and settlement . chap. . the disturbances of the princes peace , is the same of the subjects . chap. . a good subject cannot but grievously mourn and be afflicted by his princes adversities . chap. . a good subject is so studiously careful and mindful of his princes welfare , that in his princes danger , he becomes unmindful of many of his own nearest and private concerns . chap. . the princes peace , and thereby the kingdoms setled , can truely influence with joy none but good subjects . chap. . no considerations of past or ensuing dammages , which have or may accrew to him , do hinder this joy in a good subject . the demeanour of a good subject , &c. chap. i. who may be said to be a good subject ? in these very confused times , i find , no title more generally assumed by all sorts of men in these dominions of great britain and ireland , then that of a good subject ; insomuch that if the neighbouring princes would be as easily cheated with the noise thereof , as many of our fellow subjects would perswade themselves able thereby to impose upon their own , we should be secured from forreign attempts , by the veneration of our kings majesty , and fear of his strength , supposed to be in the peoples affections . but our too too apparent disorders are sufficient evidence of notorious fraud in many mens pretentions , and that this great name , which includeth religion and prudence , is by more men injuriously usurped , then honestly desired to be appropriate . now although this title be such , that the community thereof lesseneth none , but rather disposeth each particular man to better fortunes and enjoyments , yet this is only so , when it is the due character of what it is affixed to , the consequences of separating duties and names , being alway very unhappy , especially the more eminent the concerns of any duty are . when therefore so many men of contrary tempers and practices , do even with clamour and fury , arrogate to themselves the credit of being good subjects , and as violently complain of wrong , if so much as suspicion seem to assail it ; and yet the vastly different inclinations and passions of the challengers hurry them on to as different actions , it being impossible that all , who lay hold of it , can merit it , yet that none can enjoy it except he merit it , the right of possession is the more strictly to be enquired into . a good subject i conclude him who submitteth to the higher powers , under the regiment whereof he is placed , as to the ordinance of god for conscience sake . and in this , be their ways and opinions never so discrepant , they all agree with me , at least i have not met with any denying it . now the higher power , this ordinance of god among us is the regal authority , which the authors of reformation whether church or states-men , have justly cammanded all persons within these dominions to own as supream in all causes , as well ecclesiastical as civil , under god. accordingly the church of england , by so praying , doth teach as that the obedience we pay unto the king , is in god , and for god. and indeed all the prescriptions of government how subtil soever , find no bonds so firm as those of subjection for gods sake , which unite men to their governors by a delivery of their hearts into custody ; so long as they believe god , they will obey their king. if any obey for other reasons then for god and conscience , they are not by this obedience good subjects , because their subjection not being founded upon religion , but interest and fancy , must be as the foundation is , mutable . but such as are loyal and obedient for his sake , by whom kings reign , are in their obedience constant and indefatigable as the cause is . there are good men , stable and preserving in their duty ; the others are either cunning men , timeservers , or foolish man , led about as asses with a bridle , which way soever those cunning timeservers manage them : they are either tame beasts for the publick service , or unruly and rapacious to the general annoyance , as their guides use the word of command . now , nothing is properly to be termed good , but what is well directed to a good end , and to benefit all that are therein concerned . the publick actions of inferiours then , that they may be well directed to a publick good , have their certain rules , whereby the design of them cannot fail ; but if they are done according to those rules , are certainly of general advantage . so that a good subject is one that is regular and constant , that knoweth his place and duty prescribed , and persisteth in maintaining his station , and so becometh useful abroad , happy at home . his good acts are not a distemper , which after extremity of chilness , fly out into a high feaver , and relapse again into the former shivering condition ; but are promoted by a considerate vigour of mind , which compelling him to be dutifull for gods sake , sheweth him withall the divine wisdome , which has mixed obedience and profit most inseperably . while his ingenious subjection is of concern to others , it is cheifly so to himself . for as his strict observance of duty conduceth to his princes peace , and is his neighbours example and tranquillity , so is it of much more advantage to the authour then others , who as a member of the body , shares in the publick good ; and moreover ( besides the satisfaction and joy thereof ) hath from the treasures of divine bounty an unconceivable reward . in fine , he is justly to be termed good , because his sole aim is to please god , and imitate his communicative property of goodness , he readily executing the good which he desireth or commendeth , either by himself or his vicegerents ; and this he doth so joyfully , that he accounteth submission and obedience no yoke or burden , but the most august assertion of his liberty and propriety . chap. ii. what peace it is , which a good subject would obtain and settle . we commonly observe that nothing is so universally desired and despised , as peace , earnestly longed for upon the least absence , and welcomed frequently with full testimonies of gratitude and admiration , but scarce enjoying the entertainment so usual to things of least consequence and easier purchase , a nine days wonder . the want of her , is wont even to murmuring to be lamented , the return admired , magnified , and ( the short solemnities thereof over ) a suddain forgetfulness overwhelmeth her favours . but this is no other then the common course of mankind , to prize what is courted , and villifie the same grown familliar ; as if we longed chiefly for disatisfaction , or loved a short enjoyment only in order to long abstinence . but that an ill trouble of any thing wanting in substance or value possesseth us , is certainly an affliction proceeding from our selves , and is the want of discretion and piety , which makes the most desirable goods , first uneasie to us , and quickly intollerably . our continually whirling fancies make us suppose changes in what continueth most the same , and when we will not see our own folly , we must be sensible of misery . and truly dissatisfaction is a weighty one ; but it is in our own pleasure to lighten or aggravate it , no mischief being more easily contracted or removed . for if we set our selves industriously to look into the causes of things , begining first with our selves , we shall seldom see any reason to search any farther . the wanton undervaluing the blessings of peace , is alway the first breach of peace , ingratitude being the root of disorder , distempering the mind with groundless jealousies , and the brain with extravagancies . but this mischief befalleth no discreet or good man , who by putting a true estimate upon things , is inoffensive to himself and others . the way to preserve peace is for each man seriously to enquire whether himself hath been constantly just in his esteem of her , and by rectifying the apprehended injustice every man in himself , lost peace is restored . and thus we remove disatisfaction without that tumult and amusing agitation , wherein our pollititians are at this day so much concerned . by being considerate we are either in it , or soon reduced to a true state of happiness , and need no laborious care or desperate councels to keep or repair that which is so much in our own power , which cannot be wanting nor rendered infirm without our being foolishly unthankfull . by keeping his thoughts quiet , every man contributeth to the publick peace ; and the private perfecteth the common security . but the diversity of dispositions , causeth a diverse construction of peace , which too too frequently is not given according to what it self is , but what the speaker would have it thought . as was before observed , the desire of being accounted good subjects , is great even in those , who run courses contrary to the rules of obedience ; so is the name of peace coveted as a reconciling ornament by those , whose affections are monstrously inform and brutish , whose sanguinary perverseness makes them the scandal of mankind . for so numerous , so delicious , rich and weighty are the benefits , which peace brings , so amiable and divine those minds , wherein she resideth , and such a flourishing beauty encompassing her habitations , that he who is her professed enemy , must by reason of the general hatred abandon humane society . thence it is that the very affronts and injuries , which compel her to seek heaven for refuge , walk under the disguises of peaceable designes , and peaces vindication and promotion . and because there is visibly a breach of concord , the authours thereof not able to bear the blame with a mischeivous industry shift it upon such as are most jealous of attempts against peace . so that upon cautious vertue , which by prudent love and innocence seeks to retain her , are thrown the imputations of treachery and discord . and in the mean time between those , who on one side aloud plead her cause , and on the other hand act according to her discipline , peace is lost and union dissolved . now the cause is in the credulity of unwary men , ( who are the most of any age ) who by turbulent men imposed upon , think many things wanting to them , and most of what they enjoy deficient ; that supplies and stores would abound were not the care of them committed to heavy and unseeing men ; moreover , they are affrighted with a puppetry of dangers represented as real and gigantine , which the drowsiness of their protectors suffereth to invade them without endeavour of prevention . at the beginning of conspiracies and disorder the wisest desires of peace are only called neglect and stupidity , and the people intoxicated with plenty , are perswaded to believe themselves poor , wretched , and in danger , and by mutinous clamours , to awake their careless governours , and animate them to diligence . but if their insolent behaviour be repressed , and fortitude ( the blest guardian of peace ) appeareth to check the contrivances of sedition , presently this is termed war , oppression , and tyranny , and the peoples condition becometh lamented , as if they were immediately to be subjected to slaughter , because required to be quiet and prosperous . and here nothing can be allowed to be peace ; but what an impracticable lenity shall permit to the impudent requests or ( rather ) demands of men destitute of sobriety . but such requests being a manifest violation of peace , the consenting and yielding to them is no other then an invitation of disorder ; and every subject , which appeareth pleased either with the gravity of pretentions or the way of promoting them , recedeth from the office of a good subject by assenting to what establisheth no safety . and the excuse of being ensnared by the specious assurances of publick good is not to be admitted ; for misunderstanding freeth him not from guilt , who ought to know certainly what he doth , before he moveth out of the rules and ways appointed to him , and antiently observed by men of eminent and fortunate obedience . neither is it the proper design of peace , which some so much extol and call moderation , whilst they comply with all 〈◊〉 actions , and think their cold indifferency interposed between the diverse extremities of heat , will in time reduce all to a convenient temper . for this is either a cowardly submission to the practisers against the general good given under a fairer title only , or a foolish presumption concluding success in the vnion , it would form before acquaintance had of the nature of the subjects of the work proposed . the first of these hath alway proved an unfortunate and fatal endeavour of prevention , which the authours of mischief so easily discern , that nothing more encourageth them , and is commonly the sharpest spur of their galloping fury . and the latter advanceth it also by believing it self prosperous when most deluded . for unquiet men together with viperous affections , have a creeping and soft way of guile , whereby they insinuate hopes of submitting to reconciling proposals , when they least harbour such intentions . and the easiness of these indulgent pacifiers ; they use to carry on with more security and less observance whatsoever their devices and conspiracies . but besides this evil of being instrumental and assistant to the contrivers against peace , he is himself a breaker of it , who without license obtained , shall upon any pretence , recede from the station , to which he is ordered . let what prudentials or fancied polliticks soever possess him , they are no warrant , for his indifferent demeanor in respect to obedience ; but whosoever is not strictly obedient , is partly factious , and so far strengthens the ill designer as he hath withdrawn himself from his exactness of performance of duty . for this taketh some liberty , the other doth but take more , not to do what he ought ; but the latter hath as lawfull a permission as the former . in any part to move towards or shew a compliance with unruly men , is not a promoting peace ; for although it may seem for the present to abate their madness , it is alway found in the main more violently to excite it . a peace therefore , which being obtained , hath no firm hopes of establishment , is not that , which so strongly engageth the thoughts and care of a good subject . a peace patched up and composed of uncertainties , and dawbed over with the fallacious promises of men by experience known to be insincere , maketh wise men fear , and good men mourn , being rather then a peace to be accounted a time of respite for wickedness to gather strength , which should be crusht in the infancy . but a good subject , is studious of the same , he prayeth for , that the peace obtained may be such an one , as is without danger of leading into captivity , and when there is no complaining in the streets ; when there is security from forreign incursions , and enjoyment each man of his own , a general satisfaction at home . that force from without may not allarm the people , duty and reason directeth the subject by prayers and ready aids both pecuniary and military to give his prince strength and reputation . duty enjoyneth this ; and the reason of self preservation adviseth it , because neither money nor arms afford the owners defence whil'st altogether retained in private hands , but are their best guard and most their own when cheerfully resigned to their princes disposal . the splendor of his sceptor rendereth his sword formidable and most usefull ; and we best keep and enlarge our own fortunes , by a generous contribution of jewels to the beautifying of it , the glory and benefit being certainly more the subjects then the kings . but there must be a farther care of being every man religiously just at home , the great ones not oppressing the lesser , nor the lesser joyning into parties and conspiring again the greater , if they begin to think him for his neighbourly behaviour and meekness meet only to be cullied and undermined . these things done on either hand occasion complaining in the streets , which a good subject industriously laboureth to prevent and cure as opportunity and the place he standeth in permit him . injuries stir men up either to mutual revenge or publick clamours for satisfaction , which if craft or power hinder , the innocent government is caluminiated , and private abuses frequently grow into open disorder . and by these means pernicious examples are multiplied , men loose their liberty and have no free enjoyment of property . for liberty is not ( as some in our days would have it esteemed ) a sufferance , such as the holy text mentioneth of israelites , when for want of government , every man did that , which was right in his own eyes ; but is an exemption from a forreign yoke , and a priviledge of subjection to our own natural and lawful king. neither doth the enjoyment of property consist in using our own at any rate after our own will , but in using our own according to the prescriptions of religion and justice . so that to be able , every man according to his quality and in his proper place of subjection , freely to act that , which is good and praise-worthy , and to reap the benefits of so acting , is to enjoy liberty and property . to endeavour as he may his own and his neighbours good , is religious and just ; but to go beyond these , is not what we usually term to take liberty , but is usurping upon liberty , and becoming licentious . and to repress all licentionsness is the part of a subject practising peace ; notwithstanding he must warily keep within the lines of his office or power allowed , because even the repression of evil by other means and persons then those duly appointed , is a breach of peace . all irregularities , as they are greater or less , do more or less tend to her annoyance both in consequence and example ; therefore by good and wise men are carefully avoided , that she may be the more entire and indissoluble . so that by advancing their princes power and glory , and promoting by piety and integrity the common interest , they endeavour both to obtain and settle peace ; which is then only firm , when our defender is glorious abroad and honoured at home , and we all detest to do to each other the things that is evil. good subjects are not for innovation , nor can they bear with such as clamour for peace , and pretend to settle it by faction and seditious tumults . they very well know the vast latitude of their expositions of peace , and the narrowness of their intentions to her , whose obtended zeal is so loud and fiery ; and in short , that the people have no other rules for happiness but those of obedience to their king , and a discreet government of themselves . chap. iii. the distinct offices of the prince and subject , in the concerns of acquisition and settlement . to speak a man to be a true lover of peace , is to affirm him a good christian and very wise . a fool neither knoweth its value , nor how to compose himself to the study thereof . even those in diverse ages so much famed for policy and the ruine of crowns , did at the best but act that incendiary , who not capable of otherwise attaining a name , procured it by the destruction of a magnificent temple , whereas his unfurnished brain could have contributed nothing toward the erecting of a meaner fabrick . at the same rate do i judge of the exalted men of our times , who so cunningly scatter discords with an undiscerned artifice . to this malice leadeth them as a ready guide , inspiring them with councells suiting with their proposed ends , but the way of peace have they not known , nor are they capable of instructions how to find them or demean themselves in them . but as the arts of government do excell all others ; ( the rest being only attendants to them ) so of all regal excellencies ; a thorough conversation and intimacy with the arts of peace is undoubtedly the sublimest . and those subjects , who in their trusts and stations , sedulously apply themselves to the execution of kingly dictates , and to be fit ministers of injunctions of this sort , are questionless the most nobly aspiring ; and the more nearly and immediately they are concern'd in discharge of this office , the more delicately fine and polite their frame and temper ought to be . all men indeed have their executive parts to act and account for , but they are for the most part different , and the most accomplish't ( because subjects ) are but subordinate . in which condition to do well , is their true glory , but to attempt their own promotion , to set themselves forward out of self-confidence , is the greatest forfeiture , and most manifest discovery of infirmity of judgment . for although the love of peace is an admired virtue in both prince and people , yet the offices are not the same ; the prince is as the head directive , the subjects partly executive , partly passive . even those whom the king from his observations of them , receiveth into the recesses of consultation are , if not altogether , yet in this very point , for the most part executive , their advises being insignificative , until they have his approbation , and are by his will formed into a law , to which even they are to yield a ready obedience . now the counsels of peace are kings peculiar skill , a mysterious and god-like faculty , into which subjects are not to pry any farther then the admissions of royal grace . to attempt upon them is a sacrilegious breach of their peace , and a great interruption of the subjects own , which nothing destroyeth like suspition , that emboldeneth this sawcy scrutiny , and overthroweth in order to outward disturbances our best peace , even that of our minds . what therefore the prophet spake in gods cause , i may to the people inoffensively speak in the kings , in rest shall ye be saved , in quietness and confidence shall be your strength . this is the subjects safest course , although they are sometimes taught the contrary , that question being reiterated with ostentation of judgment in the speakers , at what time this duty and counsel is pressed upon them ; what , shall we all lye still , seeing such approaching dangers , and suffer our throats to be cut like fools and cowards ? and here , alas ! how quick-sighted we would needs be , when the dreamers of dreams have somewhat awakened , and told us their dreadful visions ? whereas , were we throughly awakened , we could not but see more clearly , and above all , plainly discern , that our watchful pilot , who sitteth at helme , doth naturally ( as bred up to speculations ) and judiciously ( as having all the accumulative advantages of knowledge ) foresee any tempest , which being like to arise , may endanger the ship of state. we that lie below too much fear sinking by every high blast , and hearken foolishly to envious destractors sailing in the same bottome , to whom our masters wisdom and greatness are a grief and eye-sore . thence , when there is really a time of need , help is mutinously ( i had almost said , rebelliously ) denied , because our commander doth not to the certain ruin of all , direct his course by common advice in an extraordinary case . at the beginning of a storm they 'l not be under his command , because they are told , that they know not what perilous rocks lye hidden in such a tract . insomuch that in the want of due assistance , if all be prosperous beyond expectation , the success is miraculous , and to be ascribed only to gods immense goodness , and our excellent conductors judgment and experience . but all this while , what probability can we have , that our prince either doth not , cannot , or will not see mischief drawing on , nor protect us , and by so doing , preserve himself ? of the eminence of his abilities , hath been enough , if not here spoken , yet every where known ; what reason then that his own safety should be so cheap in his own estimate ? doth he it out of hatred to himself ? or are his subjects so odious to him , that he becometh contented to ruin himself , that we may all certainly perish ? having no reason to conclude the first , we answer the second with an enquiry ; what have we done ? how have we behaved our selves towards him , to excite in him an indignation so prodigious , that taketh away all care and respect for himselfe ? and such an indignation there must be by our undutiful demeanour , or else it is manifest , that our consciences accuse us of evil in the height designed and endeavoured , which meriteth such an one , although he harbour it not in his sacred bosome ; for we cannot fear that which is not , or which hath not been deserved . but innocence is free from suspition , especially where the concerns are vastly more his , then any particular subjects , and at least equal to all . but the fears are raised , and the suspitions somented by men , who ( notwithstanding their professions , and the peoples opinion of them ) hate their king , and have no desires of their countrys tranquility . and where ever such appear , the king in his rules of peace cannot but see a necessity of taking them off by violence , ( if other means procure not a speedy remedy ) because the publick peace is preserved , when disorder is prevented ; and such victims are very satisfactory to her . nay , so far are they from being in the least offensive to peace , that those princes who have too long tampered with other medicines before they set upon this way of cure , have offended against her laws by too much delay . for when busy men have been permitted to goe on too far in dispersing their mallice under specious pretences , rather then they would strike off the cancred member to the general preservation , although this forbearance proceed meerly from compassion , the authours have been ( unwillingly indeed , but ) accessaries to the calamities which followed . it is ( i know ) a much applauded discourse ; that for the king to please his subjects , to rely upon their love , and cast himself wholly upon their affections , are the only means for him to establish peace , and attain to the height of formidable grandure : no prince being so powerful and rich as he , that winneth and so ruleth in the hearts of his people . but while they urge this to him , what in the mean time do they make their king , whom they would suppose not to know this , and how far it is true ? for if the constant exercise and practice of religion , justice and clemency , be not princely obligations sufficiently commanding all dutiful and grateful returns from reasonable and good men , subjects who are not these , will never nor ought by any endeavours to be otherwise wonne ; because the prince , who would gratifie unreasonable men , in so doing knoweth himself to offend against the rules of peace : god is thereby made angry and good men to mourn , and innumerable must the mischiefs be , which will of necessity follow . if those acts of magnanimity do not influence them , a descent from his majesty , which will render him less honoured , will not purchase him more love. those bold men from whose ill representations the most heroick vertues are traduced , need not much use of art to bring compliances under contempt . for they must either be assented to through want of judgment or tumultuarily forced : and in either case new breaches will be made , and former made wider . subjects , who shall find the advantage they have gotten over their prince , cannot ( as i said ) love him the more because they will less reverence him ; neither can they think themselves safe , who must alway expect revenge either of the blemish left upon reputation ( then which nothing hath a deeper impression ) when discovered , or the undutiful carriage , which hath presumed to take his throne lower then his ancestours . but still the thoughts of religion seem to urge an extraordinary care , by reason of the manifest dangers said to threaten it . and indeed , the concerns thereof are so transcendently high , that they justly demand all our skill and utmost vigilancy to be employed for its preservation , peace with present , and the hopes of our future welfare , being all enjoyments , which are religions blessings . neither can any man truely love his prince , his neighbour , or himself , who liveth indifferent , and carelesly contented with any thing that beareth that name , whether true or false ; because such an one hath somewhat , which he prizeth at an higher rate , in the enjoyment whereof , if disturbed , or in danger of disturbance , he will not scruple as he shall be able to act to the violation of vnion . nothing certainly more conduceth to peace , then an earnest zeal for religion , which seeth the state enervated by every faction that maketh eruptions in the church , and dareth object all its powers to its exclusion . nevertheless , this zeal must be according to knowledge , and the power it useth must be lawful , otherwise when it is erroneous and blind , it is also head-strong and outragious , and so is an adversary to peace ; and when it transgresseth the limits of the power the law prescribeth , it undertaketh to defend religion by impiety . and how acceptable that persons services are , who bringeth to the altar offerings of abominations , is easie to judge . now the most undoubted powers of contending against faction and innovation , which every man is allowed and enjoyned equally to use , are devout prayers and innocence of life . which if duely practised by the professed children of the church , would alone make her victorious , and prevent all solicitous counsels of disappointing her adversaries . and it is to be feared , that the greatest difficulty is in daring to use and confide in the successes of these best defensive armes ; yet if these be not chiefly relyed upon , other means afford little or no help . when therefore i hear so much daily said of religion and its preservation , and see these most necessary coercives of attempts upon it so altogether slighted by them , who seem most zealous , i cannot sufficiently admire why they undertake so great a work , who are most ignorant how to effect it . especially , strange it is to observe so much action and fury , both condemnable , the first for want of commission , the later as contradictory to the principles of christianity . and to all that are serious , the event is foretold when these agents for truth are considered ; for they are either men destitute of piety , having not so much as the form , or else such as proceed to exalt her in the very methods , which they condemn in others as tending to her depression . by the joynt assistance of most atheistical debauches and notorious hypocrites , we are great with expectation of a glorious church . i confess i do not so much wonder at the impudence of the principal conductors , as that many pretending to be and fortunately esteemed men of sobriety , should be led aside with an opinion and hope of these mens counsels , notwithstanding apparently pernicious . for neither peace nor religion can stand upon these frames made up of materials unlawfully and unskilfully cast together and disagreeing from what they are to support , religion is not to be modelled by every man , who fancieth himself a workman for that purpose ; nor if that established by law happen at any time to be erroneous or deficient in some parts , may subjects without especial commission for that very end attempt alteration or amendment . every man is bound to be well satisfied of the truth of what himself professeth ; but must abstein from what is the office of supream authority only , unless that be pleased to impower him to inquire into and correct what shall merit a rectifying inspection . otherwise , although they should be never so urgent , religion tolerateth not a relief of her necessities , by private mens invading the kingly power and prerogative ; it is disobedience , from which she will not own assistance . subjects may desire and pray , and some few of the wisest and most remarkably loyal , may modestly and privately petition their king , that he would graciously remedy and prevent such evils as the church susteineth or feareth . but in either case they ought evidently to shew the complaints to be of inconveniencies really incumbent , and their jealousies to be just and weighty , otherwise they give him just suspition of their either wisdom or integrity , that they are themselves ensnared by ill designing men , or would ensnare him . no assembly of men , although met together in council by his majesties especial command , are to meddle with matters of religion ( more then concerneth piety in the practise ) any farther then their master recommendeth it to their care to consider of it , and report to him the results of their consultations . to act , vote , or resolve herein , without his leave and direction , is to disown his authority in matters ecclesiastical , and make themselves a supream constitutive power . if some very meek addresses be ( as i said before ) modestly and privately made of their apprehensions of his and the publick danger , by mischiefs threatning the church , and some humble overtures of prevention submitted to his princely judgment , they have gone as far as good subjects dare . but if their prince see more sharply into his own affairs , while they will needs suppose him to oversee , it is utterly incoherent with the office of religious and good subjects , to use any violence or ill arts to compel him , forasmuch as they can but barely justifie their most humble entreaties . some have exceeded their commission , and extended their priviledges from just and honourable , to vnwarrantable and rebellious , under pretence that their prince did not see , neither would be advised how imminent his danger was . instead of faithful and loyal subjects assembled , to offer him their lives and fortunes , against forreign or domestick enemies , they have first fallen to other debates , and more trifled out time about eye-sores and harmless wens in the body politick , then to apply themselves to the cure of the distempers so much complained of , to endanger the vitals . and then to pare the nails of his power , and shave the excrescencies ( as they call them ) of his prorogatives , at the time of greatest need ( as themselves confessed ) when supplies should have been freest , were the onely means they found to restore health to these kingdoms , and exalt above his neigbours their princes scepter . at length when his acute judgment saw , and great spirit disdained their counsels , they resolved as guardians of a foolish or mad pupil by fetters to perswade , and most horrid indignities to lash him into compliance , and ( had not divine providence , as his shield , diverted their aims ) would no doubt have accomplished their promised glory and grandeur , by the before practised course of rendring their king immortal . how rationally these and the like actions conclude the peace of church and state designed , and the authors meriting the name of good subjects , is so unfit to be enquired into , that i wonder even fools and madmen , who take almost any thing upon credit of the deliverers , have no stones to hurl at these grossest of pretenders . but the lovers of peace are excessively ashamed , and our incomparably reformed church scandalized , to hear and observe the most reproachfully distracting studies of men , who seem to envy all others the fame of religious and loyal , all their expressions proclaiming their restless care of gods and the kings honour . but we see that smooth words tend most to the breach of peace , when there is war in the heart , and that no crimes are so odious as those over which the name of holiness is superintended . to prevent the excess of which debauchery of the mind , and the calamities which inseparably attend it , we must warily avoid the creeping folly at the beginning , which admitted , openeth the passage for what is most monstrous and prodigious . to that end we must reserve no patience of the ear for them , who by the magnitude of danger ( whether fictitious or real ) perswade men that they may divert themselves somewhat from the exactness of duty . this once received , presently confineth and enlargeth obedience at will , allowing it no proper bounds or assigned station , nor indeed any thing more then a bare name to serve the basest ends . the strictness of duty towards our prince well observed , is the greatest assurance of peace , because the firmest bond of religion , being in god , and for god performed . this calmeth all thoughts in us , by begetting a due and seasonable confidence in our king , trusting him with our selves and fortunes , which he cannot injure so long as we love and honour him . and suspition removed , we shall be generously executive ministers of peace , either in our common employments , or the particular charges , with which he vouchsafeth to honour us , leaving the grand care thereof upon him , with whom god hath entrusted it . this is virtuous , noble , and consentaneous to religion , being the ornament of that profession . while we know our duty distinguished from our superiours , and act christianity more than discourse it , we need not fear our tranquillity to be over-whelmed by force , or undermined by subtilty . for our care of peace and religion , will make us watchful over our selves to continue innocent , and over pretenders to keep them from sacrificing to their malice and ambition our most glorious and dearest fruitions : and by dutiful returns of seasonable provisions , in token of gratitude to our king , and the better to enable his love and care of us , reciprocal affections will alway abound , and gods blessing will manifest his approbation , that this is the onely right course of obteining , that glory may dwell in our land. the disturbance of the princes peace , is the same of the subjects . of this , much needeth not to be said to such as are apprehensive what is the duty of good subjects in the acquiring and establishing peace ; their griefs shew them also sensibly knowing how much what ever is matter of vexation to their king , is perplexity to them , and their labouring thoughts are restless , until relieved by assurances that he hath overcome the difficulty . others less sensible of the reason , are not by their ignorance the more exempted from sufferings ; although they too too frequently impute them to contrary causes , and so render them heavier and sharper to themselves and others . under pagan kings and magistrates , without their peace and prosperity , a quiet and peaceable life in godliness could not be presumed to be obteined by the primitive christians ; therefore was it enjoyned as the first work of piety , that intercessions and giving of thanks should to that end be made for them . certainly the case is not now altered , nor will disorders of christians greiving a most christian and gracious prince , promote peace and religion . but now the king is become the churches defender , his troubles are the subjects more direct wounds , and his griefs more generally afflicting . sometimes men are troubled and augment their troubles , by causlesly accusing their prince of mistakes , when it was their own perversness first disturbed him , and that continuing , is his farther vexation , and much more both theirs and every mans. it happeneth to them as to a reasty jade , which without cause is sullen , and winceth against its rider , discomposing him , but galling its own back , and bruising its own heels ; and being severely spured and whip't is the more angry , but altereth not its quallities ; nevertheless can have no remedy but alteration . the weakness of many mens judgments frequently proceedeth to insolence , and if their governour go not the way , which they prescribe , kick , murmur and rebell , and by disquieting him , gall and torment themselves ; whereas his only desire is that with them he may be quiet and prosperous . the vexations are great and spreading until they are reduced to good discipline , but his compliance is most fatal to all . we have an instance in sacred writ , which will sufficiently evidence the calamities befalling prince and people , when the prince is overuled by a clamourous multitude . saul being possessed of the israelitish diadem , was sent by god with an especial commission to lead an army against the amalekites and utterly destroy all that they had , man and woman , infant and suckling , oxe and sheep , camel and asse . but after victory obtained , the people murmur that so chargeable an expedition of two hundred and ten thousand men should have no recompence ; that the spoils of a rich eastern country , and such plenty of fat sheep and oxen , younger fatlings and lambs , should all ( while they had neglected their farms , flocks and herds at home ) perish to no mans benefit ; that at their return there must be publick thanksgivings , sacrifices and feastings , with their wives , children and relations at home ; which they judged would prove a lean and barren joy , if the sacrifices and beasts to be slaughtered , must be fetched from their own folds and stalls : these or the like , were the voices of the multitude , and were specious arguments used by the nobles , rulers and chief-captains to perswade the king to neglect his duty towards god for the good of the people . they all concluded that the present interest was the best religion , and that the shew and noise of sacrifice would silence heavens decree pronounced for the contempt of its laws . neither was this easily obtained of the king , who , although a valiant man , was forced to yield , for the murmurs and mutiny had proceeded so high , that he was put into a great fear , such as subjected him in the meanest sort to the raving populacy ; for ( as he saith of himself ) he feared the people and obeyed their voice . but thus the king pleased the people to his own and their ruine . for god immediately commanded the kingdome to be rent from him . and although some years intervened between the sentence and execution , yet the rest of his reign was but improsperous , and at length upon mount gilboa , the king , his sons and people fell down grievously slaughtered by a forreign enemy and invasion , and the victory over them was used most savagely and insolently . such are the usual harvest which subjects . reap from their undutiful behaviour , wherein the more successful they are , the more inevitable is their destruction . miscarriages in any such attempts are most happy , which instruct them what should have been forborn , what practised , and convince them of a necessity of renouncing all rude and irreverent thoughts of their king , in order to the establishment of happiness . but that so powerful an example set down by the holy penman must needs be prevalent with men so much professing religion , i should not have gone farther for one , then the so fresh and sadly memorable of our late times . then were seen the tides of popular fury to swell to such an excess , that they swallowed up all government both in church and state , our kings , princes , and most eminently pious and loyal churchmen were either murthered , banished , or driven into corners ; and in short , after the discontented rabble had taken the matter into their own hand ( to which frequent royal condescentions did but the more embolden them ) to repair , reform , cure and settle all , their miseries and dissatisfactions did even infinitely abound . and then to find what they sought for , they were compelled to retreat , to acknowledge their folly and distress , supplicating him whom they most rebelliously and ignominiously dispossessed of his crown and dignities , return thou and all thy servants . until his peace was restored , theirs was in excilement ; none other with their boasted sciences of government could after a long and wretched experience give any hopes of effecting the publick safety , but the same they had rejected . whom with accumulative honours they petitioning to return acknowledged that nothing but want of confidence in their lawful monarchs virtue and judgment , had so miserably enslaved them under anarchical tyranny , nothing but that confidence could revive the sinking kingdoms glory . so great a calamity and unexpected redemption successively furnishing us with infalliable rules for prosperous enjoyments , our suddain forgetfulness or careless observance of them maketh us appear the most despicably sottish of mankind . we are uneasy and thoughtful by listning to the authors of our newly vanquished afflictions , who with an ill natured , but most genuine ofspring instill poysonous opinions into the minds of their fellow subjects in detraction of the present government . i should rationally think their very persons caution enough against any their insinuations , much more when they repeat rebellion in the same methods , and rush on with more impudenoe then their former beginnings knew . nevertheless we have seen divers of them promoted to be of the grand council of the nation , and there principals of such ungrateful and undecent orations , that while they pretended to represent greivances , ought themselves to have been proceeded against as the most intolerable of all grievances . we hope that members of a sound constitution may by gods blessing succeed them to repair in truth those breaches which the former vitiated ones , have opened to scandal , confusion , and the terrour of our prince and all religious people . otherwise we ought to intercede with god and the king that such prodigies of state may no more appear among us to subvert our peace and religion with novel and unheard devices of government and vnion . what considerate man seeth not the foundations now stricken at , when by the same courses , and many of the same hands , they were before subverted ? and when the nation sinneth again its old crimes , after such a miraculous restauration , what can hinder the worse thing from befalling it ? or where shall we look for a second redemption , who have so idly undervalued the first ? in former ages the great assemblies did indeed what they undertook , support the nation by strengthening their respective kings ; but of late they have been so far from treading in the steps of their ancestours ( as that blessed prince delivereth it , who afterward more sharply felt the mischief of such parliamentary digressions ) by dutiful expressions in that kind , that contrarily they have introduced a way of bargaining and contracting with their king , as if nothing ought to he given him by them , but what he should buy and purchase of them , either by the quitting somewhat of his royal prerogative , or diminishing and lessening his revenues . this was spoken of disrespects and demeanours , inconsiderable in comparison of what himself became afterwards sensible of , and his royal son hath lately found too much cause to mention and reprove . and each of these disloyal practises encrease the consternation , which hath seized us , and is general , though diversly afflicting men according to their diversity of humours . some are entangled in labyrinths of conceits that their prince is ill advised , and hath no good councel , as if he wanted their judgment in choosing , and all of their choice and representatives were endued with infallibillity : some are so fearful of disorder in the state , and so jealous of religion least superstition should enter in and corrupt it , that they presently break the peace , which they only fear may be broken , and most superstitiously idolize those oracles of satan , which against scripture , primitive example and human reason , lead and perswade them : others piously lament their princes vexations , and the churches reproach and danger in the midst of so many partly malitiously contriving , partly inconsiderate and zeal blind adversaries ; whose infatuations they pray may cease , and the smiles only of fraternal union in our dearest mothers bosome and embraces may be forreign enemies envy , and the worlds discourse and amazement . chap. v. a good subject cannot but grievously mourn , and be afflicted by his princes adversities . that one , who feareth god and his ordinance , who desireth and endeavoureth the publick welfare , and seeth how inseperably god hath joyned the good of the higher power and the subjects , ( for saith st. paul , he is the minister of god to thee for good ) cannot but grievously mourn and be afflicted by his princes adversities , is nothing to be admired by them , that revere conscience , or truly mind heaven . for when he , who is the minister of god to us for good , shall by the devil , or any of his agents , have the channel of his power , through which our good must flow , stop'd or disturbed , this will be every wise mans grief . fulness and wantonness may at present make many in observant ; pride having made divers to contemn those blessings , which came not answering their own mode and prescription , may make them merry to observe it and help to promote it ; the rapacity of such as are not contented with what the usual course of the stream brought them , will assuredly by variety of arts corrupt and trouble the waters , in hope of more plentiful fishing and prey . but wise and good men lament these disorderly either hopes or joyes , seeing apparent mischief reigning under the smiles of men of unstable minds . the business of kings is not to satisfy fluctuating humours , but to give contentment to their subjects , which cannot be otherwise administred , then by religion and justice , and practising the blessed rules of peace . the concerns of religion and justice , are for the most part within the publick view : but i have shown that the mistery of peace is their peculiar skill , not to be pryed into any further than they are pleased to permit , but that the subjects acquiescence is their best strength and safety . and although this be true , yet there are too commonly men dissatisfied , ambitious and malicious , who will not be happy , who will be peeping , medling with , and speaking evil of the things they understand not . and sometimes it happeneth that these pernicious wretches go on with a fatal prosperity , insomuch that ( as the wise man speaks ) the city ( by which he meaneth the kingdom or commonwealth ) is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked . sometimes the commotions only threaten , and having begun the works of ruine , are not able to finish them , god being pleased to put an hook into the noses of the insolent , and to curb the madness of the people . but in any of these cases , the calamity beginneth at the head ; all the vitious members blowes and reproaches are at that : although they are pretensively aimed at something else , yet there they are designed to fall . but then , alas ! how sensible is every sound member of all the affronts indignities and sufferings , which it sustaineth ? if it ake and grieve , how they languish ? if it smart , how speedily do they feel the pain ? and its agonies put all on trembling ? every injury they feel , each deprivation is their loss , every reproach their shame . then they mourn and cry out as lamenting jeremy , for this our heart is faint , for these things our eyes are dim . ordinary troubles observed in equals , create commiseration in those who have not put off humanity ; but christians have a fellow feeling of their brethrens afflictions by the greatness of their compassion , bearing one anothers burthens ; as if suffering in the same body , and under the same calamities . if such be the affection of common neighbourhood , which the general rules of christian charity , and peradventure some , peradventure no particular obligations of dependance or communion have enlivened ; how boundless must those passions and griefs be , which proceed from charity , enflamed by all that the free exercise of religion , temporal hopes and dependencies , and the enjoyments of a pleasant fraternal communion can administer ? by the injuries and disturbances of the kings peace , the publick exercise of religion is also interrupted ; for then when the wicked arise , a man is hidden , then what they celebrated before with open joy and thanksgiving , gods children being scattered by the persecutions of the vngodly , are forced mournfully to perform in corners . they that will not allow their nursing father quiet , will afford the pious sons as little tranquility . and although no other molestation ensue from the impious authors of the kings grief , yet the remembrance by whom god hath hitherto conveyed those most heavenly pleasures to his servants upon earth , mingleth even those sweets with gall , when god's most sacred substitute is forc'd to drink of the cup of bitterness . each good man is desirous to undergo in his own person what he sustaineth , and would gladly give his life in exchange for the afflictions of the king , who is worth ten thousand of us . david although a king , was so concerned at the death of abner a reconciled enemy , that all the people could not perswade him to eat , because there was a prince , and a great man then fallen in israel ; much more good subjects , when they see mischief designed against their soveraign , and carried on with fury and insolence , do fast and mourn , and when they do eat , it is the bread of afflictions and tears . and in the next place ( although they do not move pious men with equal affection , yet ) our temporal dependencies and enjoyments considered , help to add weight to our grief , when the almighty's great almoner , by and under whom our table was prepared , our head anointed , and our cup did run over , shall be reduced to streights and anxieties . when he also whose love and care of his people laboureth to secure to each man ( as far as humane scrutiny can give judgment ) his just rights and fruitions redeeming the souls of the poor from deceit and violence , and breaking in pieces the oppressor , when he shall be under distress , or in any danger , by the conspiracies of cruel and blood-thirsty men , so great is the horrour that surprizeth them , that in the possession of what hath been preserved by past care , there is no comfort , no enjoyment . love cannot be ungrateful , and gratitude cannot be forgetful , but the memory of each delight causeth a melting of hearts , and as it were a dissolution of nature , when the principal cause is threatned to be taken away or removed out of sight . neither is this grief but in the least part proceeding from any fear of sequestrations and losses of estates and fortunes by the violence offered to our princes peace . although there 's little need of remembrancers to mind us how religious and loyal men were treated , when slaves were mounted and princes depressed , and that so just a fear is cause enough for trouble of mind , and that trouble no way discommendable , yet this least afflicteth any good subjects thoughts . for should such as move towards our soveraign's disquiet never so plausibly and largely promise the same freedom in spirituals and as full enjoyment of our liberties and properties as we either do or can desire to obtain , nay could they give us caution and security sufficient to prevent all fears of non-performance of thse promises , when it should be in the power of their hands to perform or change ; yet could none of these promises or offered securities remove a good subjects sorrow . for in the first place vsurpers account all that they leave in the possession of those , over whom they have assumed authority , to be matter of courtesy , not of right and justice , and the subversion of the fundamental right , the alteration of property , although the thing be retained , doth so much abate the pleasures of fruition , that it rather appeareth a gently protracted misery . but then by a nearer inspection into things , good and wise men see an impossibility of performing these promises , although the promisers would be , what rebells never are , exact in these their covenants . for not to be disquieted in gathering in and eating our own bread and of our own flocks and herds , or sitting and drinking our own labours under our own vine , is not peace nor a blessing , but a curse . every morsel we swallow goeth down with dread and menaces , and our drink chilleth our very spirits as at death's approach . for in the midst of all plenty looking up in stead of that glorious and auspicious star , which god hath alway graciously appointed to influence and be the blessing of our fortunes , we see black and prodigious clouds and wandring stars with flaming denunnciations of wrath , which cause to vanish whatsoever pretendeth to joy . god will have his work done his own way , and his blessings administred by sacred hands . men of impudence , riots and lusts , who are uncapable of well using a private fortune although too large for them , yet rapaciously extend their desires to the state , which is above subjection , cannot at the same time be the publick scourges and blessings . they never appear but for humane punishment ; the sight of them admonish us repentance and sorrow , which when we religiously abound with , they are designed for the fire . chap. vi. a good subject is so studiously careful and mindful of his princes welfare , that in his princes danger he becometh unmindful of many of his own nearest private concerns . our nation at this time aboundeth with men who please themselves with religious discourses ; and this inviteth me to head this part of my discourse with a scripture example . mephibosheth being the son of jonathan , david's admired friend , was after david's coronation called to court , made to eat daily at the king's table , and all the lands of king saul restored unto him . after a long prosperous reign king david's son absalom conspired against him ; the conspiracy was so strong and sudden that the king had no time to prepare himself for defence , scarce enough to fly . but among all the true-hearted subjects which lamented the kings distress , that of mephibosheth is most remarkable , who being lame in his feet , yet had not dressed his feet , nor trimmed his beard , nor washed his cloaths , from the day the king departed , until the day he came again in peace . there was a rare divine soul in a weak and informe body ; and the grief of the mind was exceedingly the greater , because disabled of corporal assistance in his princes necessity . but he would not be deficient wherein he was able ; therefore he produceth a powerful supply of prayers and tears instead of arms and sinews of war. neither was he afraid in dangerous times to shew his dislike of the publick joy at jerusalem , or to be a mourner amidst absalom's triumphs . to shew fear had been to cast out love , and was beneath his large gratitude , and incomparable loyalty . these rendred him fearless and regardless of all other misfortunes after the king's departure . he so much saw his master's danger , that he saw not his own ; beyond him he had no hopes , without him no pleasure . which is easily discerned seeing his lameness being from his infancy , and needing a continual care , yet his sorrow and cares for his exiled king afforded no time for cure or refreshment . he could not mind ease and decency , when the kingdom was in disorder , nor let his thoughts that were high in consultation and suspence for the sick head and faint heart descend so low as to be employed about his feet . self preservation would have been the first of most mens thoughts , but it was none of his at all , the weightiest concerns taking deepest impression in his great and capacious mind . mean spirits would have thought of nothing else , but how to preserve themselves and their fortunes ; let david or absalom or whosoever could get the throne much alike to them ; so long as they could find ways to ingratiate and fawn , no matter by what hand they were fed . but generous and divine souls reject those despicable politicks , which certainly ruine conscience and fame , and run greater hazards of temporals then they , who firmly adhere to their loyalty and integrity . for rebellions are seldom prosperous , or not long so : and although constant fidelity doth willingly adventure all , yet it never hath need to apologize for desertion , or supplicate a returning princes mercy and pardon . his peaceable restauration is the faithful subjects prayer and fortune ; this he chiefly desireth and aimeth at ; and if other fortunes sink in the acquiring , he esteemeth the purchase cheap enough . those other men of mean spirits , like ratts and such contemptible vermine , if the building wherein they are threaten a downfal , presently shift for themselves , not caring what becometh of any thing , provided they are far enough from the danger , whether it stand or fall : but good men put their shoulders as props to sustain the fabrick of the state , and never move from their undertaken charge , so long as they have any hopes of benefiting it by their endeavours : and rather had they be opprest in the ruine , then not to have endeavoured the utmost , when need so required . and this is certainly the greatest policy to them , who make any professions of religion , or think justly of god. i add this last , or think justly of god , because it is too well known , that they who in later times , and in these days , make loudest professions of religion , are the first in seditious and rebellious practices . but this sheweth their professions insincere , and that in truth they do but make a mock of the name of conscience , and think of god , ( as that royal prophet expresseth it ) that he is altogether such an oxe as themselves , or rather , do say in their hearts , there is no god. the better sort of moralists have in all times outdone these christians , believing their allegiance to their prince to exceed all private interests , whether personal or relative ; and exhibiting incorrupt loyalty under the greatest temptations and durance . nay even the better sort of doggs have shewn grateful fidelity to their masters to the extremity of breath . so far have those other pretenders to the great titles of piety , put off even morality and nature . but such as truly fear god , and revere conscience upon each neglect , or injurious act , declare to themselves what david proclaimed to abner and the people , who sleeping left the king to david and abishai's mercy ; as the lord liveth we are worthy to die , because we have not kept the lords anointed . and wise men , who know the danger , will be as careful not to incurr the divine displeasure by sleeping when it is time of action ; but rather they hate the act of negligence more then the desert , and are so in love with their duty , that no violence can seperate affections , or hinder their diligence in preserving or rescuing from danger the lords anointed , the breath of our nostrils . and this ( although good men in the performance of their duty , least think of a temporal reward , yet ) they know to be the highest part of prudence too , or rational subtilty . they know the divine power to be no fiction , or dream , but recollect and treasure up in their memories the omnipotent acts of revenge of its dishonour upon the unthinking contrivers of treason , and the most frequent temporal manifestations of his love and honour to the faithful . they see it to be but a tryal , and being confirmed for their duty , are sure of being approved , and that when god seeth his time to turn again the captivity of his people , for their present grief , they shall obtain the chief places in the theaters of joy. it being gods promise , that the king shall joy in gods strength , and that he will prevent him with the blessings of goodness , they know , that as the kings sorrow was theirs , so shall his joy be . so that their trouble , although excessive , hath yet much consolation ; because they hope always , and their hope is rational depending on god , who besides scriptural most delicious promises and examples , hath further amply furnished us with incomparable modern patterns and observations . in the midst of their griefs , sufferings and endeavours , they seem to hear directed to each of them , as well as lamenting rachel , refrain thy voice from weeping , and thine eyes from tears , for thy work shall be rewarded , and they shall come again from the land of the enemy . they are as a faithful wife , whose husband being either in the field ready to engage in a desperate battle , or at sea in stormy weather , and a road infested by pyrats ; anxity and fear make her continually mournful , she is viduated and neglectful of ornaments and food , using but little , enjoying nothing . yet hope taketh its vicissitudes of administring comfort , minding her of the prevalency of prayer and patience , repeating the successes with which god hath hitherto blessed either him or others , who industriously relyed upon the excellency of their cause , and which he hath to such promised . this giveth intermissions of grief , and often gaineth victory , although subject to frequent relapses . at length his return banisheth hope and fear , but both serve to make great the joy , which without them must have remained among the small and disregarded ones . the king is the soul of his countreys joy and felicity , whose dangers or absence cause convulsions of spirits in his faithful subjects , who are espoused to him , and sharers in all his fortunes . and it is impossible while men are under greatly distracting cares for the publick , but that private affairs and pleasures must cease to be respected . but before these thoughts swell the heart to despair , divine comfort appeareth encouraging fidelity , with promisses of a blessed conclusion . for by the generations past they are taught , that adversities may fall upon kings for their kingdoms wickedness , god designing them as punishments and tryals for the peoples amendment ; but in his appointed time is wont to turn him to the prayer of the poor destitute , and not to despise their desire . and although god doth sometimes afflict , yet he patronizeth the cause of kings , and calleth it his own . and the very success of the wicked is an assurance of their approaching fall ; for it is alway by them tyrannically and savagely used , and accompanied with such prodigious haughtiness , that the expectation must be inevitable ruine . these interchangeable sorrows and hopes did once long contend for victory in the minds of the loyal party of these kingdoms . the delays and improbabilities of our most gracious kings restauration ( after we had seen his blessed father exalted to a more glorious crown ) gave grief the longer possession . but our reason ( when grief well nigh spent would permit us the use of it ) shewed us the impossibility of such sanguinary pride long continuing , or that those mens insatiable desires , which by receiving were the more extended , till at length they were enlarged as hell , should wanting supplies abroad not fall to feed upon their own instruments first , afterward one upon another , and in the end ravingly exspire . this reason was strengthened by a firm belief that god would not suffer such and so much blood to cry unrevenged , that the patient abiding of the meek should not alway be forgotten , but that our god would be pleased to shew a token upon us for good , that they who hated us , might be ashamed . our fears were more durable , but our hopes by these dependencies and encouragements were more quick and powerful , and in the end vanquishing our fears were themselves lost in the following pleasant and celestial enjoyments . the benefits whereof , i humbly beseech god , we may by our virtues and pious thankfulness make truely our own , and by such patterns leave the possession of posterities . but the foul interruption , which ill men have by indirect counsels made , putteth us again upon the rack , and giveth even the name of joy but an unwelcom reception , until judicious hope relieveth us with assurances that their expectation is but short , and sheweth us the achitophels politickly contriving the frame and as cunningly erecting the ladder , from the top of which they may boast their success and give perpetuity to their memories . each dutiful subject in the mean time with a lamenting care beholdeth his princes troubles and the fate of those , who so occasion them . and ( such is the usual course of divine rewards descending upon prudent obedience ) although he is least in his own thoughts , yet by all his faculties endeavouring it , he beginneth his own prosperity at his soveraignes . being careless of all even life it self , that is , being resolutely willing to expose all that is dearest to him as the purchase of the kings peace , he best keepeth and secureth his all. by this means his adversity is shortned , his joy rendred more durable and copious . chap. vii . the princes peace and thereby the kingdoms settled can truely influence with joy none but good subjects . what good men ask of god according to his will , and industriously labour for , in this being obtained they truly rejoyce ; but others have not the like joy , although partakers of the same blessings , having been deficient in the means . for although ( as it is in general blessings ) multitudes have had joy by his majesties happy restauration , yet all those could not truly rejoyce in it , that being both the purchase and work of piety . it was the fruit of incessant prayer , whereby the faithful prevailed with god for this return to his afflicted people , according to the wonted course of his favours , as elias did after so many years of drought to the thirsty israelites , who all knew the misery they lay under , but not the cause or remedy . as it was with them , so with us ; the very authors of the dismal judgement groaned under it , and lamented the pressure , not the provocation . we had men esteemed crafty , who had wit enough to bring mischief upon others , to derive much upon themselves and put all into disorder , but were unseen in the ways of feace and composure . but , alas ! they who are endued with this wit only , are but each puny devils fools . could they judiciously have betaken themselves to the art of reconciliation , they had been to be admired . nothing more common then for a fool , in one minute to destroy the curious contrivance and labour of many months ; and without difficulty a mad man can quickly fire a most magnificent edifice , not modelled and raised without vast expence of councel , riches , labour and time : and out of his fit this incendiary may happen to lament the desolation , and weep into the ashes , especially if sensible that before its funeral , that house was wont to be his hospitable shelter from necessity . all his wishes , either that he had not done it , or that it were rebuilt , ar insignificant without materials , judgment and money ; the resurrection must not owe it self to one possest with a brain-sick fury . they who kindled the late terrible flames , which laid three kingdoms wast , claim an equal interest at least , with subjects of the most untainted loyalty in the restauration and joy thereof of as principally their work and benifit , ( and i would to god it were their due , that the happiness might be the more compleat ) but the immodesty of the claim , accompanied with indignation towards such as find it their duty to mind them of a necessity of repentance for past delinquencies , and an undutiful demeanor towards their master ever since his return , plead against them , and vacate their pretensions . they who repent not what injuries they committed against the father , could not sincerely pray for the sons peaceable return , as to his just and undoubted rights ; and what they could not pray for , they could not cheerfully rejoyce in : and they who use all scurrilous wayes of shewing a dislike to that church , whereof he , is pleased to declare himself a resolute defender , cannot love him , who defendeth what they hate : for certainly they , who threaten and spare not to speak their hopes of our churches downfal , must ruine the defender , before they can fix any fatal weapon in her . as i confine joy to religion , so joy and religion to the love of vnity : it was for vnity's sake ( as knowing none but a king , gods ordinance could restore it , and that an vsurper could not be gods ordinance , neither vnity consist with his interest ) that the faithful were in such trouble , and prayed day and night with such fervency . when by our lords gracious respects to their petitions , the grand artificer , instrument and means were given , they could not be partners either in the petitions or joy , who would not be wrought upon to contribute to the vnity , but like so many sanballats and ammonites , were rather exceedingly grieved that there was come a man to seek the welfare of gods people ; as not withstanding their first pretences , their after scoffs and oppositions , and their late practices have manifested . now these men by his majesties mild reign and manisold indulgentes are rich , living in ease and plenty , wanting nothing that conduceth to joy , which is within the immense power of a king to give : yet want of gratitude and piety makes contentment wanting ; so that in fine , they have , but rejoyce not in the blessings , which make glad the hearts of others . if ( as they have over-boasted ) they were of those , who desired and prepared the way for the kings return ; yet to offer this with propositions and upon terms , ( which was disloyalty , as tending to his dishonour ) or upon such hopes as the granting them was inconsistent with the splendor and safety of his crown , or upon revenge to an inferior faction , which ungratefully usurped authority over those , who tutored and nursed it up , had none of the respects and zeal of good subjects , nor could they entertain true joy , who were blindly transported with divers lusts and intemperate desires . the joy for the king and kingdoms peace restored as the greatest of divine mercies , requireth a serene mind , free from all mists and vapors of passions , all dreggs of lust , envy and malice , and all whifling clouds of irresolute fancy , a mind satisfied with the discharge of its duty , and which by present perceptions hath a fair prospect of greater benefits , which these beautiful ones only usher in to strengthen faith and cherish holy expectation . but while my restrictions are of this sort , they may seem to exclude from this joy all subjects , none having minds so clear and innocent , as never to admit any thing contrary to those prescribed qualifications . and indeed every admission is a diminution , or weakning of it , indisposing mens appetites to the relishing those admirably pleasant fruits , which providence hath set so plentifully before them . and with unconstant minds , nothing sooner prevaileth to a dislike than the plenty , wantonness making them snuffe upon these unvaluable delights , whose nourishment is too high for their unrefined constitutions . but as to what is incident to humanity , the best of men have suffered under some surprizals of infirmity , and do rather sometimes forget , than commit against the strictness of duty , so that by the abatement of their sacred pleasures they are quickned to it again . now such as by their vigilance overcome evil passions and condemnable motions , i speak innocent and pure from them accounting love and desire of perfection to be the fulness of the vertues required . for it is but reason that as god accepteth them , man should esteem them ; and he indeed putteth the full value upon faithful endeavours . and ( as to the present discourse ) the desires of being loyally obedient is a through obedience , which will not be misguided by passions , improper expectations , bottomless conceits and suspicions , or revengeful hopes , but rejoyceth in the performance of its duty making it self its chief reward . an obedient man desireth and endeavoureth peace , and being obtained imbraceth and keepeth it as studiously as he laboured for it , praying for its blessed continuance , loving all that joyn with him in the same affections , and hating none but as they are its enemies . peace is his desire , his delight and glory , the end of all his actions , the emblem of his eternal recompence , his heaven upon earth . and this no corrupt minds can truly rejoyce in ; they may peradventure be pleased with it for a time , but are soon glutted with its pleasures and stores , grow insolent and kick at her blessings . but good men cannot surseit upon her favours , though abundantly satisfied with them . for in sound minds the same plenty be getteth desire , which in depraved , groweth to an abhorrency . neither can peace be obtained by evil or unstable men , any more then continue by them , when it is in their power to disturb it : for the sacred oracle declaring , that there is no peace to the wicked , they certainly can never give that to others , which they cannot procure for themselves , or brook in others . so that to be able to rejoyce in peace , every man must conform to a virtuous life , and be wife with sobriety . for vitious living enclineth men to anger , suspitions and all sorts of unruly courses , and generally begetteth in them an over-value of their own judgments and abilities ; which hath been sadly experienced in some of the great debauches of our times . some men again well deserving , and who have been long known to govern themselves in the proper rules of this joy , have at length become too apprehensive of being useful , and thereby have ceased to become good subjects , a proud confidence destroying that loyalty , which had been admirably excellent , had it continued among the works and labours of love. because they hear that well doing deserveth a reward , they wrong their judgments in reaching at an immature one , and too much discover a long concealed malignity in their minds , which hath disturbed their joy although without publick observation . for where there are illegitimate hopes , there must be sometimes great fears , which ( as we see ) break out into disorders , and are ever disturbing the contentment of the soul , which by well doing only should be kept in tranquility . the pious satisfaction of gods great favour in hearing the cries of his afflicted people , and restoring to us our dread soveraign in peace , and the virtuous care of continuing this mercy certainly mind nothing but god and the kings ' approbation . if these performances observed produce any further grace , it is venerably received , not as a recompence , but a princely condescention and bounty . good mephibosheths loyalty is an incomparable pattern , who was so truly glad of his princes return , that the joy was to him a possession ; for other things he careth not , but saith calumniating ziba , yea , let him take all , forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace . but some of the great pretender to loyalty have stained the glorious repute , which they had gotten , at a most foolish rate . for where the king hath been pleased to accept the services of some subjects , and to signalize them with grants of eminent indulgences ; they who were profitable servants , became foolish favourites , and what they have industriously managed to their princes advantage in an inferior station , their pride hath ruined in advancement . for wanting continence in elated fortunes , they though their deeds merit , not duty ; and judging themselves such men of excellence , that the scepter could not be weilded without their councell , they have presumed to act above the condition of subjects , forgetting their original and the humility which gave their honour a being . and these were so far from following mephibosheth's example of leaving all for joy , that they have thought nothing sufficient reward , which accumulative liberality hath laid upon them . and indeed herein the strength of their judgments met with the severest tryal . for they , who could laudably sustain and overcome the sharpest adversities , have been drawn into a snare by the blandishments of fortune , and their fortitude being eneruated by her leniments , she hath led them about as the most ridiculous captives . so easily are heedless men divested of their joy , in the midst of their triumphs , by yielding to the beginning of temptations of making reward the chief inducement to loyalty . chap. viii . no considerations of past or ensuing damages , which have or may accrew to him , do hinder this joy in a good subject . true loyalty is so little swayed by interest , that it is its own contentment , and rejoyceth in the king's peace for god , his church and peoples sake , looking for no reward beyond self satisfaction . the excellency of the example biddeth me again repeat it , and make remarques upon the sacred history or mephibosheth . he was the son of saul , ( as the holy text speaketh it in the relation of that action more observably ) yet came down with an unparallel'd joy to meet king david returning from exilement . this mephibosheth was heir apparent to the crown of israel , as it respecteth the house of saul , being the son of jonathan , saul's eldest son. neither the reflections upon his disinherison not withstanding his title by a most direct descent , nor david's preceipitate dispossessing him of his lands , upon the false accusations of ziba his servant before he had liberty to answer for himself , did any thing prevail with him to lessen his affections to the king , or his gladness that he was returned in peace . the king indeed had sent for him to eat at his own table , and restored unto him all his patrimony . but the respect to his succession could soon have fitted him with replies ; that the specious kindness of calling him to court might be both pride , and policy ; pride , to render his own majesty the more awful by so great a princes attendance ; and policy , to keep him near him alwaies in view , that so he might not be able to cause sedition or innovation . and then what did an inheritance ( which , his title to the crown considered , was but part of his right ) in a corner of one of the tribes signifie to a man thoughtful of the loss of a kingdom ? what was it but an occasion for his brethren the benjamites to upbraid him with want of courage and judgment , who should so tamely acquiesce in this as a favour , and content himself with a private fortune , who was born unto so glorious a scepter ? but piety quasht all these suggestions ( so apt to swell and puff up a young princes mind ) and gave him a most sacred judgment to discern god's work and decree , and taught him by meekness to enjoy himself , and all that the king bestowed upon him as truly royal favours . the same almighty power , which exalted his grandfather saul to be king , had for disobedience to his commands denounced by the same prophet , who anointed him , the renting away of his kingdom and giving it to his neighbour , and soon after the denunciation caused david by the same prophet to be anointed . that he was ordained king by god , saul knew and envied him for it , and often endeavoured to frustrate the divine decree by killing him ; this jonathan knew and loved him ; this mephibosheth knew , and thence gave him the honour , which true majesty demanded and conscience enjoyned should be given by all subjects . this being a well weighed ground for him to despise his own title , he saw as little cause to be angry at the disposing his estate to treacherous ziba . he considered it to be the king 's meer bounty at first , and was thankful for so long a time of enjoyment . and his joy at the king's return was only lessened by pity , that the crown , which taketh away all personal defects , did not as well remove the defects of the mind , and make the king less humane by being infallible . with all wise men a large and ponderous good begetteth oblivion of a small inconvenience or evil , ( none but fools bemoaning the loss of trifles , and pursuing them in their thoughts to the contempt of solid pleasures ) and with all good men the publick good is the greatest . that vulgar expression , that every man is nearest to himself , is only true in respect to neighbourhood and private commerce , but never ( that i know or have heard ) owned by men of any understanding to extend to the publick . for those very men , who seek themselves only by the ruine of others placed above them , hypocritically move under the shadow of the general welfare , because mankind universally abhorreth any such position , that private injuries are to be revenged by a publick mischief . therefore discontented persons we see shunned as pestiferous , there 's no coming near them without danger , nor letting them abroad with safety , until they are throughly purged and cured . if once a real wrong done by his prince ( as such may happen to be sustained ) shall justifie a subjects disorders , innumerable fained or supposed ones will continually appear to the destruction of peace and government . now a wise man considereth , that if by any misresentation of him to his prince ( as was mephibosheth's case ) he hath undergone some damages , by his diligent continuing in his duty and allegiance he may become observed , and probably repaid with advantage ; but if not , that injuries of this nature are more discreetly dissembled than reparation prosecuted , which is both difficult , unjust and ill natured . for such is the power of a king , that he that provoketh him is generally seen to sin against his own soul ; his hopes are stronger than his arms , wit , or religion . and withal they are as ill grounded as his religion , which requireth the subject in this case above all others ( if there should in a king appear manifest intentions of wrong doing ) to leave vengeance to god. by endeavouring to do himself justice he sacrilegiously robbeth god of his prerogative . but if his power be supposed to equal his soveraigns , yet how barbarously ill-natur'd is he , who by the destruction of multitudes of innocents aimeth to arrive at satisfaction , uncertain whether he shall recover , or add his guilty soul to his other losses ? religion ( wherein is contained prudence and mercy ) directeth a subject better , and silenceth him from so much as complaining out of joy , that his case is singular , that it is no worse with him , and that the rest of his fellow subjects are pleasant and happy . nothing with him savoureth more of disingenuity than to deface the bliss of a general festivity with tears , or mix with laments the peoples acclamations . if by bad offices his good be maliciously or fraudulently evil spoken of and any thing unworthy his vertue and loyalty doth thereby happen unto him , he looketh upon his prince as chiefly injured by the approach of sycophants to his sacred person , and only wondring at the impudence with indignation hath a short diversion from his joy by considering that god giveth in his tlife no pleasures without mixture of somewhat sharp , because he will have perfect felicity another worlds glory , the fruition of man translated to the state of incorruption . immediately from these thoughts he is restored to his usual liberty and improveth his joy by these accidents . for when the craft of the devil , and cunning devices of men would put him out of his proper station , and tempt him to resign his internal peace , he glorieth that it is not in the power of enmity to disturb that without a voluntary surrender , and that god blesseth his sincerity , with resolutions to retain his own , to adhere firmly to his obedience , and to rejoyce with his fellow subjects for the common safety . to do the will of god is his felicity , and it is no less to bear it . and although like mordecai that spake good for the king , he bears haman's indignation , yet he continueth unaltered ; he cheefully waiteth the time of being made known , although not extreamly solicitious , whether in this life or another . neither again will he justify a malignant detracter by acting , or so much as speaking to the least dishonour of his master , but still pleasantly and obediently intendeth his peace and welfare to the utmost of his power , and so putteth te silence the calumnies of foolish men . he at first prayed for the publick peace ; and god answering his petitions , he is resolved not to break it . he prayed for the prosperity of the church , to which the publick peace chiefly conduceth ; his peculiar outward losses are no hindrance to it ; therefore his religion being secure , so is he ; the church flourishing , he is happy ; the king in the defence thereof graciously encouraging and promoting the faithful , and curbing the insolence of gainsayers , he hath the desire of his soul ; gods servants religiously assembled to thank him for the general redemption of mankind by the blood of his son , for the particular redemption of these parts of his church among us , and all other his mercies exhibited to us , and to pray for a continuance and encrease of his loving kindness to us , and to all men ; upon the wings of these devotions is he wrapt up into paradice . his virtue is extreamly reproached by thoughts that he , who hath such blissful preceptions , can descend from them to the considerations of some temporal disadvantages . his and the common way to heaven being rendred more open and passable , he joyfully ascendeth , walking vigorously on in the footsteps of the general assembly , and multitudes of holy men gone before , shewing by his dayly practice that their works do follow them . the conclusion . the consideration of our advancement as men and christians , imposeth on us a necessity to be good and just , and subjection being our natural condition , cannot be any way uneasie or improsperous , without our either imprudent or wanton renunciation of it : by aiming at what is set above us , we usually fall beneath those inferioritis , which we before viewed with contempt ; for the injustce of our discountented pride hath not a more proper recompence . inviolate prerogatives are the subjects safety and honour , and the surest charter of their freedom , which protect them from injury , who have never practised to their diminution or weakning . let reason or interest be consulted , the resolve will be , that the least invasion of them is unjust , and not to be attempted by any , that are good and wise , because certainly prejudicing the general welfare . men of unsetled but self-confident councels , think themselves great and able for the most eminent atchievements , and sufficient for the highest flight , if but bedeckt withsome of the ealges plumes ; but being too feeble for the work and consequent weight of envy do shame their undertakings and followers , whom some name of reproach signifying their folly and crime distinguisheth from the rest of mankind . additions to them , or at least fortifications of such as impairing time hath in any part enfeebled , are looked upon by all that judiciously mind their own preservation to be continually necessary . for the prerogative of the crown rendred infirm do inevitably cause to halt the priviledges of the members , which may peradventure swell high , but then speak their sickliness and fate , and that they then incline most to dissolution . without doubt that kingdom is most happy , where discourses of this nature are least heard : but on the other hand it much more conduceth to the publick good , that the prince be rigourous , even to the brink of tyranny , then addicted to lenity and easie concessions of popular demands . the errors of the first sort are little felt , and scarce discernible ; those of the latter are universally and apparently pernicious . but in no part are the prerogatives more dangerously intrench'd upon then in those , which concern religion , wherein the people by seeking , and the prince by yeilding , do the same as when fond parents to their crying children allow the handling of r-zours and lances . in this case a sharp reprehension conserveth the peace , and hindreth a certain effusion of blood. for protestations , leagues and covenants , and projectures of impossible vnions have no tendency to what they speak , but to what is most contrary ; these terms being taken up premeditatly to the dissolution of the most inviolable and sacred obligations , without the religious observance of which vnion hath no consistence . where are the wise contrivers of them ? or , what bonds can unite those to the church , whom rebellion , blood and devastation hath separated from her ? such vnitings are the debauches of religion , and the directest courses to the subverting monarchy and hierarchy . what fury did before act , is now required to have a legal introduction : and although we abhorr the murderers of kings and prince , and give sacrilegious men their merited epithites , yet that these be by opinion admitted into the great employes of state and bosome of the church , no contrition or desires of reconciliation preceding , is the best prescribed rule of preservation and canon of ecclesiastical communion . in fine , the much applauded projectors of our constitutions of peace , do no otherwise then tell us , that to prevent the potency of such as are feared will spare neither king nor church ; our only course is to promote and impower those , whose hatred to both is known and implacable . it is not to be doubted but that the indulgences and connivances of these times , have raised to this height of insolence ( as their accustomed gratitude ) the spirits of these zealots ; and thence is to be conjectured their future deportment upon a toleration fortified with legality . reason not assisted by the sadest domestick experiences , sheweth any toleration of diversities of religions to be of ill consequence ; but that inevitably destructive to monarchy , which ceaseth to be a favour , and standing guarded with one law , is enabled to command more , and at length what it will. all these mischiefs ( which the humourous multitude , led by some pestilent councellors , esteem their happiness , till the pungent sting of their enjoyments sharpen them to an apprehension of their folly ) good subjects resolutely oppose , yet behold with pitty , to see religious assemblies void of piety , kingdoms , whose administrator of justice hath his hands bound , and obedience charity , humility , and all other virtues dwindle into names only , stir up their magnanimous souls by commiseration to cares of relief : and this they discern no way to be effected , but by restoring and confirming their king to and in his royal prerogatives , by promoting his peace , that by it all may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty . and as they are herein zealous , so constant , not apt to be diverted by the gawdy hopes of change , nor disencouraged either by suspition of disrespected merit , or apparentcy of good services ill repay'd . they act knowingly and so are above change ; and their generous minds admit not the torments of suspition , unless of deficiency in themselves . and this same temper inclineth them to an assurance , that besides his princly inclinations the kings interest diverseth him from remunerating loyally with injuries ; which , if at any time thy befal a good subject , he considereth , and findeth them to proceed from the ill representation of envious detractours , a sort of state moths , which cannot without great difficulty be kept out of the linings of the crown . reward is least in their desires , ( except that great one , the innocent glory of well performing ) and nothing but omission of duty can afflict them ; thence they are stedfast and unmoveable , knowing that their labour is not in vain , but that their recompence and inheritance shall be for ever . and now that peace and love may unite us under our head , by the virtuous government of our selves let us work his security . by vitious living all mischief is propagated ; that introduceth ruine of subjects , and bringeth contempt upon princes , who become not governours of men , but kings of beasts , and god angry that his inesteemable pearls are cast before swine , surrendereth them to the possession of the legion . that insuperable goodness , which magnifieth its power most chiefly in shewing mercy and pity , is wearied and made deficient by ingratitude ; nay more , is converted into fury by our misguided and corrupted affections . it is from this cause that the clamours and murmurings , too much heard in our land , do proceed . vices abounding , encrease suspitions , prepare men for strifes , and multiply disorders : then these make mens minds like the troubled sea , to cast up mire and dirt . and indeed god seemeth to have abandoned a great part of this wretched nation to the curse of their own follies and imaginations , to delight in seduction , and to believe lies , because they would not retain the discipline and order of holy peace and joy. continually leading lives contrary to divine obligations and their own professions ; they were brought first to suspect what they knew , afterward to believe what they suspected . they have lost their reason , by becoming enemies to virtue its illustrious guardian ; so that the reclaiming them is an impossibility to all but a miraculous compassion . this happening to many , ought to be the more exemplary to others . all of us who see their miscarriges , and the cause , should be as quicksighted into the ways of duty , and keep our selves happy by loving and esteeming peace , that is , by an holy care of continning affectionatly zealous of gods honour , obeying his ordinance with true love and a pure conscience . let us therefore duely offer up our thanksgivings for what we enjoy , and perfect them by obedience , by the humility and sincerity of which , let us aspire each man to an immortal crown , magnanimously raising our subjection to heaven , by imitating the lowliness and meekness of the king of kings . amen . finis . london , printed for the author , and are to be sold by ben. harris at the stationers arms under the piazza of the royal-exchange , . lingua testium: wherein monarchy is proved, . to be jure divino. . to be successive in the church (except in time of a nationall desertion) from adam untill christ. . that monarchy is the absolute true government under the gospel. . that immediately after extraordinary gifts in the church ceased, god raised up a monarch for to defend the church. . that christian monarchs are one of the witnesses spoken of rev. . . that england is the place from whence god fetched the first witnesse of this kind. . england was the place whither the witnesses, (viz. godly magistracy and ministry) never drove by antichrist. where is proved, first, that there hath been a visible magistracy, (though in sackcloth,) these . yeares in england. ... amongst these things are proved that the time of the calling of the jews, the fall of antichrist, and the ruine of the beast of the earth is at hand. wherein you have the hard places of mat. , and rev. . explained with severall other hard texts: ... / written by testis-mundus catholicus, in the yeare of the beasts of the earth's raign, . hall, edmund, or - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r 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: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) lingua testium: wherein monarchy is proved, . to be jure divino. . to be successive in the church (except in time of a nationall desertion) from adam untill christ. . that monarchy is the absolute true government under the gospel. . that immediately after extraordinary gifts in the church ceased, god raised up a monarch for to defend the church. . that christian monarchs are one of the witnesses spoken of rev. . . that england is the place from whence god fetched the first witnesse of this kind. . england was the place whither the witnesses, (viz. godly magistracy and ministry) never drove by antichrist. where is proved, first, that there hath been a visible magistracy, (though in sackcloth,) these . yeares in england. ... amongst these things are proved that the time of the calling of the jews, the fall of antichrist, and the ruine of the beast of the earth is at hand. wherein you have the hard places of mat. , and rev. . explained with severall other hard texts: ... / written by testis-mundus catholicus, in the yeare of the beasts of the earth's raign, . hall, edmund, or - . [ ], , [ ] p. s.n., [london : ] testis-mundus catholicus = edmund hall. place of publication from wing. with a final errata leaf. annotation on thomason copy: "july. .". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng charles -- i, -- king of england, - . catholic church -- controversial literature -- early works to . divine right of kings -- early works to . continuity of the church -- anglican communion -- early works to . eschatology -- early works to . monarchy -- great britain -- early works to . religion and state -- england -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no lingua testium:: wherein monarchy is proved, . to be jure divino. . to be successive in the church (except in time of a nationall deserti hall, edmund d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion lingva testivm : wherein monarchy is proved , . to be jure divino . . to be successive in the church ( except in time of a nationall desertion ) from adam untill christ . . that monarchy is the absolute true government under the gospel . . that immediately after extraordinary gifts in the church ceased , god raised up a monarch for to defend the church . . that christian monarchs are one of the witnesses spoken of rev. . . that england is the place from whence god fetched the first witnesse of this kind . . england was the place whither the witnesses , ( viz. godly magistracy and ministry ) never drove by antichrist . where is proved , first , that there hath been a visible magistracy , ( though in sackcloth , ) these . yeares in england . secondly , that this magistracy in all ages ( since antichrists being visible ) hath witnessed for christ against antichrist . thirdly , that the late king who was cut off with the axe , was the lawfull successor of gods witnesses , who for these . yeares have been witnesses in sackcloth for christ against antichrist , whereby t' is evident that he is the slain witnesse that finished his testimony . fourthly , that his son the k. of scotland who is the witnesse expected . yeares and an half after the slaying of ( the witnesses to rise again ) is by an unquestionable title emperour of rome , and that prince expected to be the ruine of the antichristian monarchy of rome . amongst these things are proved that the time of the calling of the jews , the fall of antichrist , and the ruine of the beast of the earth is at hand , where in you have the hard places of mat. , and rev. . explained with severall other hard texts : together with a description of the last enemies which slay the witnesses , whereby t is evident that england is the place where the witnesses are slain , and no place else . written by testis-mundus catholicus , in the yeare of the beasts of the earth's raign , . reader : i have taken upon me one of the hardest taskes this day in the world , and who am i that undertake it ? but the weakest that ever travelled in this high way . i find gyants in learning , stumbling , falling , stragling , and quite tyred in this way : many mighty men durst never adventure to put foot therein , and few that ever entred it can say they came to their journies end ; there was still a pus ultra which they all acknowledged . this only was my encouragement to enter into this sacred thicket of divine mysteries , that that divine essence which gave it to the world , delights to reveale it to babes and sucklings in the world . i am sure my lord and master the king of heaven and earth delights to have it so ; the great god usually magnifies his grace this way , by doing great things by the weakest meanes , he made a poore , weake , despised maid , alone , to bring forth the mighty monarch of heaven and earth . indeed , in this great work i have been , ( as the blessed virgin ) both {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} alone . whiles i was bigge of what i have here brought forth in both these tracts , i was inforced ( like elizabeth ) to hide my self ; for so grievous were the thrumps and kicks of my friends against it ; whiles i went in pain of it , that i could not endure them , and now it is born , the herods of the times doe seek its life . i must confesse it goeth adroad in a homely dress , yet it is never the lesse , nor never the worse truth . the harp is davids harp , though the method and the stile ( which are as the strings and the fingers ) are mine ; which i could heartily wish were better . the rudenesse of them i doe acknowledge may give occasion to my enemies to make me the morrall of lucians fable who ( deriding illiterate sauce-boxes ) tells us of a supercilious asses whose aspiring minde ( looking at least five sphere above his reach ) made his rude fingers itch to be playing on orpheus his harp , snatching it therefore from apollo to whom 't was dedicated , to work he went , and made therewith such an hideous noise , that instead of making wilde beasts tame ( as orpheus was wont ) he made the tame dogs of the town madde , who ran upon him and tore him in pieces . i doe not desire to make the morrall of this fable , let if i must , because my enemies will have it so , if i make such harsh musick of that sacred harp the bible , that i inrage the dogs of this age against me , but my enemies remember that my unskilfull fingers make harsh musick onely in dogs eares ; and however , the harp i play upon is still the same , and none but dogs thereat will be inraged . i confesse of all instruments this of sigionoth is the hardest , and i may truly say that many excellent musicians ( otherwayes ) have made such harsh musick on this instrument , that the romish dogs have had to just a cause to bark at them ; but as for the romish party i feare them not , because i am sure they cannot come at me for their own authors , they must thrust them through to touch me , and so must the independents likewise : so that i have the least cause of any man to feare either of them ; and as for others , i expect by the law of gratitude faire dealing at their hands : if it be asked why this preface is made a book distinct and not joyned to [ manus testium ] as it ought . i answer , . 't is not my fault but theirs that print it , these are times of separation . . i committed them to severall hands , that if one miscarried , the other might possibly have safe arivall ; and if either , there might be light enough in that alone to tell the the world who the witnesses are , where they shall be slain , when they shall be slain , and who shall slay them , and when and where he shall be overcome that slayes them ; for this cause have i handled many things in this preface which i have touched on in the book , and touched many things here which i have handled in the booke ; that ( in this tract i have handled more clearly ) which i lest obscurely [ through over much brevity ] in the book , especially that of monarchy , and that of the beast which slayes the witnesses in rev. . where i have indeavoured to answer all the hard questions in that chapter which is the mystery of the revelations , as yet to me never by any one fully and clearely opened . i have not studied loftiness but plainness of speech in these tracts , i have not ( as most schollars doe ) eyed onely schollars , but herein ( playing the jesuite of our times ) i have eyed the vulgar ●ort most , and writ to their capacities , that so ( counter-workking the jesuite of our times ) i might undeceive poore misled soules ( who are stung with those iesuiticall independent scorpions ) and bring them to the knowledge of the true church , a lawfull magistracy and ministery , and discover to them the true antichrist . for this cause ( reader ) doe i run a corporall hazard on purpose to save thy soule harmlesse by pulling thee by timely repentance out of babylon that is now falling . i beseech the therefore since i have not counted my paines , purse , person nor life to much too prepare it and present it to thee , doe not think thy paines to much to read it , read it as i writ it with much diligence and fervent prayer , and i pray god grant that it may be so effectuall by the operation of the holy ghost upon all that reade it , that the drooping feebl soul may be incouraged , the blind enlightned , & the obstinate so terrified , that the divels kingdome may be shaken by it antichrists kingdome may be confounded by it , and the beast of the earth who supports them both may be speedily and utterly ruined by it : this is the daily and hourly prayer of him who studies nothing more then thy spirituall welfare . the author to his book . my little book ( i only call thee mine , because in these dark times i 'm only thine ) goe quickly through the world , and boldly say , that mighty monark's comming to destroy the church her enemies ; let proud rome know from thee shee 's neare her last great overthrow ; and tell the earth-beast when the seven trump ' sounds , his death 's designd : that trump ' his power confounds . then let the dragon also understand , christs comming , and his chaining up's at hand and let the house of austria know , and spain . their sunne shall set , and never rise againe this message don , ( my booke ) goe to the jewes , and with a cheerefull voyce proclaime this news our lord is their messias , and their eyes shall weepe ore him whom now they doe despise . their native king our lord , shall by his hand restore the twelve tribes to their native land . they shall put eie to eie , that is , shall see their prophets and the apostles to agree . this don , go to the gentiles church which lies , this day o'rewhelmed with deep calamities : comfort her thus , tell her the scriptures say , her witnesses shall rise that beast to slay , in whose destruction the grand power of all the three last gospell enemies shall fall , tell her this earth-beast raignes , this howers that day which slayes her witnesses , the scriptures say . bid her not feare , those offices now slaine in church and state shall shortly rise againe . whose glorious rising shall the world affright and slay this earth-beast with his men of might . then shall the vialls run , gods wrath shall rise and ruine his three last grand enemies . let then that northern kingdome understand by this , it's day of triumph is at hand . it 's now distressed ministers and king shall mourne no more , but hallalu-jahs sing . that church no more her sackcloth shall put on , shee shall be clothed with salvation . her king shall raigne in righteousnesse , and make gods enemies throughout the world to quake . he shall be nursing father to the jewes , and shall no acts of grace to them refuse they shall flock in to him , he shall destroy their foes , that bard them from salvations way . immediately before this come to passe her troubles shall be such as never was . the prefixt symptoms of this day must be her low state and her foes prospertie . hence t is this great dayes prophecies allude to each great church deliverance since the flood she sings the song of moses and the lambe ; 'cause out of such deep miserie she came . lift up thine eyes ( o zion ) then , and see , in this great day thy foretold enemie . three yeares and halfe thine enemy must rage ore thee , by warre which he with thee doth wage . one thousand two hundred sixty dayes just o laver vs cromwell's name makes , who must . a three yeares and an halfe by his b sword-power raigne ; which is that time the c witnesses lie slain . jf ( who he slayes ) by ought demanded be , t is kingly offfce , and the ministry this beast's that d little horne that puls away three hornes ot'h ten him e christ comes to destroy . this beasts f deceitfull , perjur'd , base , love's lies , and beares g up rome with all her blasphemies , this is that enemie which doth divide mount h olvet , and makes the breach so wide twixt north and south , and makes one day like night , but when its evening comes , it shall be light , that is ; this beast in scotland shall rage there but one prophetique day , that is , one year jn'th' ' ev'ning of which yeare it shall bee light toth' church , and to this beast eternall night . this beast betwixt betwixt the seas in scotland must incamp , ●nd there be scattered as the dust . share then my book twixt zions friends and foes , their unexpected lots of joyes and woes . tell zion now i' th dust full fraught with sorrow , her bloodie tears shall bring forth joys to morrow . haste then toth' scots , tell them the prophets say , their warre is christs and he 'l give them the day . and this shall be the signe even this alone , when the enemie seems most strong , they most undone . reader , what is deficient in this , thou shalt find supplyed in manus testium . the method of gods afflicting providence in the church since the creation , is worthy the observation of all ; but more especially of him who undertakes to interpret the holy scriptures . the method of god in his acts of providence towards his church are : . to bring them exceeding low before he deliver them . . after he hath delivered them from their great troubles , and put them in a hopeful way of peace , for ends best known to himself , he oftentimes dashes their hopes , and darkens the way by sad and heavy afflictions : as the former is undeniable , so the latter is cleer in the scriptures . see this verified in jacob , the father of the twelve patriarchs ; jacob being newly gotten from a heardmaster , and passed the river with his wifes and substance , he resolved to go into the promised land : when he was got seven dayes journey ( in all probability , out of labans reach ) on a sudden the storm riseth , laban pursues him with his forces , and esau prepares to stop him in his flight with men ; so that we may see here jacob , like christ on the cross , a miserable object betwixt two thieves . to this , jeremiah alludes , when he prophesies of the great troubles of the church , immediatly before the conversion of the twelve tribes , he calls it the time of iacob's trouble , none hath bin like it . so likewise when the church was delivered from egypt's bondage , and all their enemies drowned ; and when they had seen and tasted of the goodness of the lord from heaven , in raining manna , and of the sweet and spiritual love-tokens of god from mount sina , when god had given them lawes and ordinances , and began a glorious reformation ; and when they were going into canaan , then riseth corah , datha● , and abiran , against the witnesses , moses and aaron ; and then the people rebell , and that glorious sun of a reformation went retrogade many thousand of degrees by asa's diall . so likewise david , when he went to fetch the ark home , he went forth like his son solomon's ships for gold , with great pomp ; but came home broken and tottered with loss . he went with the priests and the people to fetch the ark to ierusalem its resting place ; he made a new cart and wheels , and prepared the beasts to draw it ; he got the ark upon the cart , and the beasts did draw it towards ierusalem : but in the way , what an unexpected storm of cross winds riseth , the beasts stumbled , the ark tottered , gods wrath ariseth ; and this stops the ark that it came not then to ierusalem . to this doth ezekiel ( chap. . ) allude , where he seeing in a vision , that glorious day of the twelve tribes conversion to christ in the last dayes ; immediately before that day , he seeth the gospel-magistracy and ministery , drawing the ark of a reformation to his settled place : there the magistracy ( as in revel. . ) is compared to the beasts which draw the ark , and the ministery to the wheels full of eyes , which support the ark . these ezekiel saw carrying on a reformation with much boldness , and through many difficulties : when the beasts went , the wheels went , and they turned not : when one was lifted , up , the other was lifted up : when the magistracy went on , the ministery went on in a reformation ; but when they stood , they let down their whings , there was the great stop : the magistracy was taken away , their whings , after the war , ezek. . . were let down : and immediately follows , ver. . a voice from heaven , which is the same with the seventh trumpet , matth. . rev. . rev. . , . when the great day of the jews conversion shall begin , and the great obstruction of their conversion shall be removed : likewise after the captivity , that joyful reformation begun and carryed on so successfully , how did its evening come upon it ( as i may say ) at noon tide ? how was all dasht , and that happy work retanded on a sudden ? and how great a muntain the devils pioneers raised in zerubbabels way , ezra . look we further , and we shall see the greatest and gloriousest reformation in the world , retarded in the middle of it , and in the height of it , even that blessed reformation , which is the standing rule of reformation to the end of the world , that of our lord jesus in the flesh here on earth , when he had called the apostles , sent out the seventy , two by two ; and when he had preached , healed , converted many , when his enemies thought all the world would follow him , when they sang hosana to the highest , and when his enemies were confounded before him , being unable to gain-say his truth , when all the countries round rang of his fame , and came to see him , and hear his doctrine , and to be healed , then on a sudden comes judas , and betrays him with a kiss : the king is taken and bound , and falsly accused , unjustly sentenced to death , scourged , buffited , spet on , mocked , carryed away to be crucified : his disciples fled , he nailed to the cross , and a spear thrust into his heart ; he taken down from the cross , carryed to the grave , and there seated in his grave : and thus to the eye of the world was that glorious reformation destroyed , the king being cut off , and his officers dissipated . this reformation , though to the eye of the world at that time it was quite put out , yet it suddenly and unexpectedly rose again , and broke out into greater and more glorious flames throughout the world then ever : for two angels in glorious brightness appear at the grave of the slain jesus , that martyr of martyrs , and immediatly follows a mighty earth-quake , whereat the souldiers that slew him trembled : the lord jesus arose , called together his dispersed and hopeless disconsolate disciples , led them to galilee , and there proclaims his imperial power and soveraignty , that all the kingdoms in the world were under his power , and all the mighty dominions in heaven were subject to him : and that those his enemies that slew him , might know this , he ascended from mount olivet , which mountain was on the east of jerusalem exceeding high , looking directly into ierusalem ; so that they that slew him in ierusalem , might plainly see him in that glorious bright cloud ascending to heaven : and immediatly after this ascension of his to his imperial court in the heaven of heavens , where he is in full possession of his royall purchase , he like a conquerour in full possession of his dignity , gives to his officers , especially to his apostles , magnificent gifts , beseeming so great a prince to give , and officers so neer him to receive : these twelve spirituall princes , like so many monarchs of unity amongst themselves , divided the world amongst them , and went forth conquering , and to conquer , from sea to sea : the glorious spiritual victories that these champions got , and the mighty conquests over the devils kingdom which they made , is not unknown to the whole world : their government and laws still stand , and shall remain for ever . apostacie from which hath been the miserable ruine of all those famous eastern churches to this day . great hath been the apostacie of both eastern and western churches from the laws of the apostles : and sore have their spiritual afflictions ( proportionated to their sins ) been ; the eastern church is drove into the wilderness by mahumatisme , and the western church by popery : of this grand apostacie , and most abominable hypocrisie of the western churches , not onely the apostles , but the prophets in the old testament have prophesied . in the church-histories the dissipation of the jews , and the driving of the gentile-church into the wilderness , seems , to me , to begin near about one time ; and their rising again to a flourishing state , seems to me to be both at one time , by the prophesies of the old new testament . now the rising again both of the jews and gentiles to a flourishing state under the gospel , is that great and last day ( i. e. ) of reformation , so much spoken of both by the old testament-prophets , by christ himself , by the apostles , and especially by john in revelation . of this last day , there are not onely gross mistakes amongst the ancients , but many absur'd conjectures among the ancients . many of the ancients looking into the prophesies , which are to be fulfilled in the end of the roman monarchy ; and reading those high prophetick expressions of that glorious day , wherein christ promiseth in a most glorious powerful manner to appear for his churches alvation , and his enemies ruine ; conceived that it should be by the personal raign of christ on earth a thousand years ; conceiving ( rightly ) that the thousand years binding of sathan , begins when antichrists raign is accompl●shed ( for 't is absurd to think otherwise ) but misunderstanding , rev. . as if that chapter were meant of the state of the church in this life , which is against the clear and manifest light of the holy ghost in the prophesie : this gross mistake ( i humbly conceive ) made not onely papias ( the first author of the abominable opinion of christs raign on earth a thousands years ) of this opinion ; but many others more moderate as irenaeus , turtullian , lactantius , victorinus , apolonius , severus , justinus , and several others : these did not hold as corynthus did , that they should raign with christ in corporal , but in spiritual delights , after ▪ years were accomplished from the creation , may not i say augustine ( lib. . de civit. dei , cap. . ) is of this opinion , and ierome on dan. . where he saith , in uno romano imperio propter antichristum blasphemantem , omnia simul regna delenda sunt , & nequaquam terrenum imperium erit , sed sanctorum conversatio ; a saying much harped on ( though not quoted ) in these times , to further the design of slaying the witnesses . and upon the same mistake ( as it is conceived ) the councils , though they were for the most part against this opinion ; yet they could never unanimously agree to condemn the opinion as heretical . others of our recents , very learned men and pious , thinking to confute this errour of the chiliasts , run into more absurdities then the most of those whom they endeavour to confute ; for not knowing how to remove that mountain betwixt the chiliasts , and them , about the first resurrection , and the raign of the saints , and the . years binding of sathan : they say that the raign of the saints is pa●t , it being before antichrist comes into the world : of this opinion is hortulanus , and ( as i am informed by schollars ) pereus ; galianus that learned romanist is of the same opinion ; as appears by his manuscripts in the vatican , by antichrist , they mean that beast of the earth , rev. . . which shall arise , rev. . . and slay the witnesses : few of the romanists concur with them in their opinion ; but very many protestants , in the main ; jump with them : but as contrary to the light of the scriptures , as darkness is to light . but there are other learned men of great renown , who decline both these opinions , as bullinger , beucer , and seraphin who affirm that the great and magnificent promises made to the church in the old testament and in the new , are not yet fulfilled , but are to be fulfilled after the downfall of antichrist , after which ( say they , and others with them ) the devills kingdom of darknesse , heresie and blasphemie shall be ruined , and the church shall no more be afflicted with heresie , but the heavenly form of government shall be set up in the church , which shall suppresse all its enemies : with these learned men , so far as i have quoted them , i shall concur . for , this i do affirm ( yet not i , but the scriptures ) that there is another great day of reformation to be in the world before the day of judgment , besides that great day of reformation already past , which christ when he was on earth began : this shall be a more glorious day then any that ever yet was on earth : i do not say that christ shall reign on earth personally , i abhor that extreme with that learned father b. hall , in his tract called the revelations unrevealed : but i ( or rather the prophets ) do affirm , that in this great day of reformation to come , after the downfall of antichrist , the twelve tribes shall be converted to the gospel . here therefore i must with my reverend fathers good leave be his dissenting son , notwithstanding all he hath said to the contrary : for first , whereas he saith , the promises in the prophets are spiritually to be taken , and not literally , concerning the twelve tribes ; but concerning the gospel-church , i briefly reply , this argument is invalid , because he neither backs it with reason nor scripture : with reason he cannot , for it is a non sequitur to say , because the prophets somtimes are to be understood , therefore alwayes ; i am sure this is neither true in logick nor divinity . . there is no probability in his assertion : for though indeed jerusalem be somtimes in the prophets put for the gospel-church , yet where the prophets speak of the house of iudah , and the house of ioseph , there i believe 't will be hard for the doctor to prove that they are spiritually to be understood of the gospel church , as zach. . , , . so in severall other places : had the bishop instanced in any place of the prophets , we should have grapled then for probability . but i passe on . . if these prophecies do nothing concern the restauration of the jewes in these latter dayes , then to what purpose did god send his prophets to sing songs in their ears , if it nothing concerned them ? certainly these prophecies were prophesied amongst them to no purpose ; if all those prophecies belonged to the gentiles , then certainly god would have sent his prophets amongst them , but they principally concerned the jewes , and therefore they were prophesied amongst them , and to them , to whom they belonged ; for god never sends his prophets out of order , all gods prophets prophesied to the people to whom they were sent , but the prophets of the old testament were appointed prophets for the twelve tribes ( except those that had speciall commission , as ionas , to go to the gentiles ) and therefore to them principally these prophesies belong , and therefore that hard question is thus resolved , since in luke . ierusalem shall be trodden underfoot untill the time of the gentiles be fulfilled ; and the time of the gentiles reigne continues ( rev. . . ) . years , how coms it to passe in dan. . that the time of the church's dissipation shall be . dayes ? to that 't is thus answered ; daniel was a prophet principally designed for the jewes , and therefore god declares to him how long the dissipation of the jewes shall be , which ( as m. brightman and other learned men say on dan. . . ) began anno . therefore their time is up about this yeare . their time of dissipation being to continue . years : but now our saviour in luke . . respects the gospel gentile church , as well as the jewes , which shall be ( as rev. . . ) drove into a sack cloth condition untill the time of . years be accomplished . now many learned men count , that the time of antichrists appearing to be formally antichrist , and the time of the witnesses going into the wilderness , and putting on sackcloth , was in , or neer about the year . so that antichrists raign , and the witnesses sackcloth condition , is expired in anno , . now if daniel , in his prophesie , should onely respect the gentile church , how could iohn , christ , and daniel , be reconciled in their prophefies ? to return therefore to the thing in hand , we affirm , that the prophets in the old testament , prophesied of the futurehappy state of their own kindred and nation , and not of the gentile church ; but accidentally and occasionally for the most part ; as shewing what shall come to pass in the gentile-church , immediatly before the great day of the jews conversion , which is the sign that the jews shall have of their approaching glorious day : and therefore the old testament prophesies of the uniting of the house of ioseph and iudah together under one king , and bringing them back again to their own land , can be meant of nothing , but of the restoring of the twelve tribes to their own land , under their ancient government , as in davids time . as for his alleaging a seeming inpossibility , that they that have been out-casts so long from the covenant of grace , should now be called home to the gospel ( which is it seems beyond the doctors faith ) to that we answer , and he acknowledgeth . . nothing is impossible with god . . god hath promised to call the dispersed out-casts of israel , from the four corners of the earth , esa. . . and they shall be so hopeless in the eye of the world , that before their conversion they shall be as dry bones in golgotha , ezek. . , . yet god will call these dry bones together : therefore their conversion is also expressed , ezek. . , . under the notion of raising dead men out of their graves god will first open their graves , and then lead them out of their graves : so that to the world they shall seem dead and buried , when god intends to convert them : so that that which upon a bare principle of reason the bishop makes his argument against the truth , i upon a principle of faith , built upon gods promises , make the argument to confirm this truth ; and who stands on the beasts bottom ( whether he on bare reason , or i on a divine promise ) i 'le leave christians to judge : but that which the bishop most derides , is the opinion of those , who say this year , . the jews shall be converted ; he bids us shew him a thrave of jewes as yet converted , which are now to gather , professing the gospell . to this 't is answered : we can shew in this year , . more probability for the conversion not onely of a few , but thousands of the hebrews to the faith of christ , then the bishop can against it : in the year , . there is a book that makes mention of . east-indians converted to jesus christ , by mr. robert iunius . now there are more arguments to prove these of the seed of iacob , then the bishop can bring to prove the contrary . again , look into the west-indies , and this year . tells us of a glorious harvest begun , in the conversion of those natives there ; and there is more probability that they are of the stock of iacob , then the contrary . for there have been jews that travelled those ways , who have found some of the ten tribes in america : some learned travellers have rationally conjectured , that those natives in new-england are some of the ten tribes : for upon diligent observation of the people , their customes , language , and ceremonies , have brought these arguments , to prove them hebrews ; for ( say they ) . they have a traditionall knowledge of god , which they say their fore-fathers which were wise , and endued with knowledge , taught them : they say that god made the world , and this god is but one god . . they say this god is the author of all the good that is dispensed in the world , and the author of all the evill that is inflicted in the world . and hence is that custom amongst them to this day , when any evill is inflicted on them , either by immoderate weather , whereby their corn is spoiled , or by any other judgment , they solemnly meet together under a green tree , and weep before him who hath inflicted all that evill upon them , whom they acknowledg to be the maker of the world . . they preserve their pedigree , with all the care they can , as far as their memories will go , and are carefull to promote their kindred after the manner of the hebrews . . the chief of them are exceeding reserved , and keep themselves from strangers , so that the wisest of them are hard to be met withall , whereby further discovery might be made of their original ; but much of the golden oar , of the hebrew language , is found among the drossie language of the vulgar natives . . 't is said that they are excellent in expressing themselves parabolically , after the manner of the hebrews : by all which there is probability , that they are of the dispersed of israel , whom god is now calling home to the knowledge of the gospel . menasseh ben-israel saith , and also montezinus , ( both jews , and learned men ) that the first inhabitants of america were the ten tribes : if so , i think i have the greatest probability on my side , that these many thousands that we have heard of already converted , and the many more thousands which we expect and pray for , are hebrews of the sons of jacob , to be converted to christ in this age of the world . but suppose there were never a jew converted , must this make the purpose of god of none effect ? god forbid , it is true that from posse to esse there can be no certain consequence ; but from gods promise to his purpose , we may conclude affirmatively . if god have promised to convert the jews , 't is his purpose to call them : all his promises are yea , and amen : if god promise that israel shall be no longer then . years in egypt , they shall be there not a day longer , though nothing more unlikely in the world then their deliverance : so shall it be in their conversion in these latter dayes , though there be nothing more unlikely , yet there shall be nothing more certain ; for god hath promised it , rom. . , . all israel shall be saved i. e. ) all the tribes shall be converted : the precedent verse tells us the time when ( viz. ) when the fulnesse of the gentiles is come in , that is , ( as in luke . . ) when the time of the gentiles is fulfilled , which rev. . . ) is . moteths , i. e. . dayes , i. e. years . observe , paul writes to the church of rome , forbidding them to boast of their gospel-priviledges , in a proud insulting way over the rejected jews . paul foresaw to what impudent insulting pride the church of rome would rise ; therefore he bids the church not to be high-minded , but fear ; for if god spared not the jews , the naturall branches , much less would he spare the gentile-church of rome : for this end paul would not have the gentile-church ignorant of this mystery , which mystery of god ( rev. . . ) shall be finished at the seventh trumpet , and that is when antichrist that sits in rome , when the fulness of his time shall come in , then shall israel be converted : here israel is put in opposition to the gentile-church . now this paul acquaints the roman church with , lest they should be wise in their own conceit , or over-much puffed up with pride : so that from these texts it seems cleer to me , that the jews conversion shall be at that time when the roman pontifick state shall go to ruine ; and if in this sense we may understand romanum imperium , the bishop knows better then my self . i have many thraves of ancient and latter writers to support me against him . lastly , i answer , that the conversion of the jews shall come in on the sudden : they shall come like the doves to the windows , that is , swiftly and in great numbers ; and this shall be ( ezek. . . ) when israel gave themselves for lost , and their hopes were cut off , then the whole house of israel , like bones exceeding dry , came together , and they that were in the valley of dry bones ( v. . ) became an exceeding great army , ver. . how cleer there doth the holy ghost prophesie of the conversion of the whole house of israel , that is , the twelve tribes . now if it should be objected , 't was prophesied of their restauration under the second temple , to that i answer , it cannot be , because onely the two tribes returned , and not the ten tribes , to the second temple , as manass-ben-israel affirms ; and generally all historians hold , that very few of the ten tribes returned with the two . but now this prophesie extends to the whole house of israel , ver. . ( i e. ) the twelve tribes : so that from the time of the prophesie , untill this day , it hath not as yet been fulfilled , and therefore 't is to be fulfilled ; and when 't is fulfilled , it will be suddenly : as romes ruine will be sudden , so the jews conversion will be sudden , and therefore our lord jesus , and their true messia's prophecying of their conversion , matth. . in ver. , , . he tells them antichrist shall be busie with his false prophets immediatly before the day of christs coming to destroy antichrist , and to convert the jewes ; and then shall he come , as the lightning which comes from the east , and is quickly in the west , so shall the coming of christ be . this coming of christ cannot be meant of his coming to judgment , but of his coming to call the jews to repentance , and to destroy the roman monarchy , or the roman antichristian pontifick state in ver. . the destruction of rome is prophesied , and ver. . prophesies of the repentance of the twelve tribes in the day of his spiritual appearance to them in the gospel , ver. . prophesies of the time when this shall be ; it shall be at the sounding of the great voyce , and the trumpet , that is , at the sounding of the seventh trumpet , rev. . . when the witnesses shall rise , antichrist shall fall , and euphrates shall be dryed up , ver. , . tells us , that the tribulation of the gospel-church under the rage of hereticks , as separatists , blasphemers , seducers , antichrists , and false prophets , is as sure a sign of the downfall of rome , and the conversion of the jews , as the budding and sprouting of the trees are of the approaching of the summer . now these heresies , and these false prophets shall be eminent in the gospel-gentile church , which shall be the true sign of the jews conversion , ver. . plainly tells us , this cannot be meant of the day of judgement ; for this generation ( saith christ ) shall not passe , that is , the stock of israel shall not be extirpate , untill they have seen all these things fulfilled ; this day is called luke . the day of the redemption of the twelve tribes : now if this day ( as some would have it ) be the day of judgement , this day would be the damnation of the tribes , if they must be in the world untill this day , and unconverted ; therefore this day is the day of the jews conversion , not the day of judgement . ver. . the next verse is to confirm the certainty of the prophecy , for heaven and earth shall passe away , but not one title of the word shall passe away . ver. . but of that day , and of that hour ( i. e. ) ( of the heavens and earth passing away ) knoweth no man : by this 't is manifest , that christ in the whole chapter speaks not one word of the day of judgement , untill ver. . which he forbids any to pry into ; for god only knew that ; but of the day of his coming to ruine rome , and convert the jews ; he bids us by the foregoing signes know for certain that it was near , even at the doors . ver. . now this glorious coming of christ in his spirituall and corporall punishments on his enemies ; and his spirituall and corporall favors to the jews , shall be as the lightning which is swift in it's motion , it gives light from east to west presently , so shall all the kingdomes in this world become the lords , and his christs on a suddain : therefore far be it from any protestant to have such a malignant thought , as that god hath forgot to be gracious , or that his hand is shortned that he cannot help the poor jews , which are this day , many of them , looking , listening , and admiring at us in england and scotland , whose eyes , i trust , shall see some glorious sign of good to them ere long . forty times more may be said in vindication of this manifest truth , concerning the twelve tribes conversion ; but considering how little is said against it , i shall say no more , but proceed . the subject of my ensuing discourse in this , and manus testium which should be joyned with this is , concerning this great day . my opinion is , that the three grand enemies of the church shall neer about the end , or within a year of . begin to rise , and never fall more : at this time also the morning of the jews conversion shall begin , and shall shine more and more untill it come to a perfect day . these opinions the reader shall find bottomed on scripture , which scriptures are not of any private interpretation , but such as are matched with scripture , which illustrate the things proved by them , and also have several learned authors concurring , in the confirmation of the same thing ; so that if i am laughed at for my opinion , i doubt not but in that particular ( what ever it be of moment ) i shall make the remonstrant confess , he scoffs not onely at me , but at his betters . i write not this to deter any from endeavouring to confute this ensuing tract : for one end of my writing so briefly on so large a subject , is , that i may have a speedy answer , and a seasonable confutation ; which if it be cleer from scripture-grounds , i shall readily and willingly submit , and return a thankfull reply to my corrector , and promise him to retract my errours . as for the time of antichrists fall , which i conceive to begin presently after . it is well known that 't is no new opinion ; for brightman , and several other learned men have so conjectured , upon this ground , which is humane , because 't is drawn from humane story : for he begins the jews great afflictions in an. . so that their . years afflictions must necessarily be expired in this year , . and dr. homes , and several others well-versed in the study of the revelations , and of history , do gather , that antichrist appeared visibly in the church in anno . so that the gentile and jewish church afflictions seem both to expire at one time ; for antichrist is to rage over the gentile church but . years , which by the compute is accomplished anno . now ( as dr. homes saith very well ) in so many years , possibly , there may be lost-time in the account ; so that he takes a grain of allowance ( that is ) a year over to his . years : upon the same ground , in this thing , i shall follow him , and comply with him , though there is no necessity for it . others ( as clavis apocalyptica , written by a german ) draw water from the same springs , quote the same texts , as dan. . and rev. . and looking into history , say , that these texts of . days , and . days , are not fulfilled until . so that these agree with the former in explication of the texts , but not in application of the histories to the text : in which difference , he that hath the clearest histories to shew the time of antichrists rising , and the time of the witnesses going into sackcloth , as relating to the gentile church ; and likewise he that interprets that text ( dan. . . ) most clearly , and by history can clear it exactly , and tell when the daily sacrifice was taken away , and the abomination of desolation set up be doubtless , will gaine the greatest credit from the judicious reader . in my jndgment learned brightman on dan. . . is most clear and rational , and none do , i find , guess nearer the time ( in print ) of antichrists visible appearance in the church , then dr. homes , let me give the devil his due . but of the main point , which is concerning the slaying the witnesses at , or neer the end , ( or whether at or neer the end ) of antichrists . years raign , he speaks not a word , which makes me think , that his sermon , octob. . . was preached against the light of his own conscience ; for in the revelations the holy ghost hath so linked antichrists raign , and the witnesses slaying in the end of antichrists raign , that he that studies the one , must necessarily take notice of the other ; and indeed he that can shew us the witnesses slain , may easily point at the end both of the gospel-church afflictions and the jewish states dissipation : but here is the difficulty , and here are the gross mistakes of men , who studying application of history to the text , more then the explication of the text it self , have given most ridiculous ghesses , to the great scandall of the protestant . my antagonist speaks not one word to this text ; but the german divine in his clavis apocaliptica , p. . tells us , that three years and a half before antichrists raign is out the witnesses shall be slain ; for ( saith he ) they both expire together , both antichrists raign , and the witnesses slaying : and therefore he renders , rev. . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , in futuro simplici , when they are about to finish : so cloverius and mead reads the text : in this i shall not much dissent from them ; yet i think they render it best , who read it from the words , as it most naturally drops into english , and that is when they shall have finished their testimony : for it will nothing at all clash with ver. . where they prophesie . days in sackcloth : for the finishing of their testimony doth not cause their prophecying to cease : their suffering , and their slaying is the gloriousest part of their sackcloth prophesie ; for then saith the holy ghost , here is their faith , and here is their patience . the finishing of their testimony is the joynt concurrence of the two witnesses ( viz. the magistracy and the ministery ) in establishing the doctrine and the discipline of the church of christ against antichrist the beast of the sea ( i. e. ) the pope that keeps the witnesses in sackcloth on the one hand , and against the beast of the earth that slayes the witnesses on the other hand ; now when was this testimony finished ? the sum of this testimony you shall find in the covenant ; but when they finished this testimony i leave christians to judge , whether when the assembly of divines had finished their work , that of the doctrine , and discipline of the church , and when the parliament ratified their work , resolved to disband their armies , and bring home the king on honourable covenant-tearms ; and then the beast of the earth arose , made war against them , and drove them out of the house : since which that reformation hath lain dead . or whether it began then when the magistracy were fully agreed to establish the doctrine and the discipline of the church against popery , on one hand , and heresie on the other , when the king gave his royal assent , and the parliament voted the kings concessions to be a sufficient ground for the establishing the peace of the church and state ; then the beast ariseth and makes war against them , and overcomes them , and kills them : how kills them ? rev. . . makes answer , beheads them , ( saith beza ) cuts them off with the axe . now which of these times 't is , is no easie thing to determin ; but the former act seems , to me , to be the time when they finished their testimony : for then the beast set up his sword-power , and then the magistracy and ministery finished their church-work : and immediatly after they had finished it , this beast of the bottomless put threw it down , and then followed that abominable vote of non-addresses to the king . now this fell out neer about october , ● . ( as i remember ) if about that time , then the witnesses must ●●●e about may or june in the year , . or thereabouts , for then his three years and an half is up : but if we begin to account the witnesses s●aying , their finishing their testimony , and the beasts of the bottomless pits raign not to begin , unti●december , . when the king was slain , and the offices of the two houses slain , and the assembly scatterd , for not subscribing to the beasts mark , then the witnesses will not rise untill june , . now that these witnesses are the magistracy and the ministery , there is nothing so cleer as learned woodcock on rev. . makes it appear , and several others ; besides the ferenity of the holy texts themselves , which makes it most cleer : this is most certain , that the two witnesses are two lawful offices ( i. e. ) a lawful magistracy , and a lawful ministery . now their opposites who slay them , are usurpers in the state , and usurpers in the church ( that is the beast of the earth and the beast of the sea , with their followers ) now the witnesses rising shall be these usurpers confusion ( i. e. ) the ruine of the pope , and the beast of the earth , with their seven thousand men of name : so that the battel shall be fought betwixt lawful magistracy , and lawful ministery , against usurping magistracy and ministery ; but more of this in its place . the greatest difference ( betwixt those that come near the time of their slaying is concerning the place where they must be slain : now there are many groundless conceits that we find in print , about this place , where they shall be slain , i shall not repeat what others have said , but indeavour to prove that the witnesses must be slain in these three islands of england , scotland , and ireland . this i shall prove : . from the offices that are slain . . from the person that slays them . the offices that are slain are two ; a lawful magistracy , and a lawful ministery . the lawful magistracy is that which hath the christ and his apostles ordained in the church , and established , untill his second coming for to teach , instruct , rebuke and comfort the church . now these two must be slain in that place where they have all their time been in sackcloth ; but a lawfull visible magistracy , and a lawfull visible ministery have since . been visible in england , though in sackcloth under the popes tyranny , treachery , and oppression : now let these countreys that brag of the slaying of the witnesses , amongst them first shew me for these thousand two hundred and sixty years . a lawfull magistracy and ministery , and then those so long in sackcloth if they shew me not this , i 'le not believe the witnesses shal be slain where they are not ; but confident i am , england can only shew these witnesses , & no nation els , so long together in the world ; as god continued monarchy in the church from the creation , untill the mighty monarch of the world came : so that mighty monarch the lord jesus after his ascention , chose him his first vice-gerent here in england : lucius by name , who swaid the scepter for christ ; from that christian race the romans received their christian magistracy ( as constantine ) and christian monarchy ( except in a national discertion ) hath continued visible in this kingdome of england , well nigh years ; so that england above and before all other nations since the profession of the gospell hath retained gods witnesses , a lawfull ministery being established by that good king lucius , that christian monarch ; let us then look for the witnesses where god hath placed them , and never till this day totally plucked them up : i say , i here challenge all the historians and antiquaries in the world , to shew me where , or when since these fourteen hundred years past ; that the two great offices in the church and state ( the lawfull magistracy , and the lawfull ministery ) were in so sad a slain abject condition , as at this day in england ; let historians bring me the blackest night that ever came upon these two offices , and i dare undertake to make it appear , that this day is seven times blacker and sadder to these great offices , then any heretofore ; may i not add one thing more , to prove that the witnesses have onely been in this kingdome visibly in sackcloth , before william the conquerors time , our chronicles make mention of godly kings , which for their piety were called saints : th●se you shall find them opposing the insolency and wickednesse of the church of rome , king edgar acknowledged no supremacy in the pope , but saith , that the care of the church of christ , ad nos spectat , it belongeth to the king , not to the pope ; and this he did ( saith hoveden ) by the advice and means of ethelwood , bishop of winton , and oswald bishop of worcester ; so that seven hundred years since we have had magistrates and ministers , against the popes supremacy , and before that as is evident in malmsbury de gest. reg. lib. . p. . afterwards , from william the conqueror to the last king of england , we have it clear , they have testified against the popes usurpation , and have in every age suffered much , and been put into sackcloth , by the prevailing treacherous , rebellious factions of the popes raising against the kings of england , no kingdome in europe can say the like , and which is one of the remarkablest passages in the world ; the king that wast cut off when he had finished his testimony , was the only protestant king in the world ; therefore the only witnesse ( say i ) yea he was , as learned sir robert naunton proves in his fragmenta regalia , cap. . p. . the lawfull successor by lineall dissent of the ancient british kings , so that if any magistracy in the world be the slain witnesse , 't is that of england , which is lawfull in it's self , hath been visible for christ before antichrist , in sackcloth visible under antichrist , and in the sight and hearing of all the world cut off with the axe , for finishing the testimony against antichrist . now as for the ministery of england , the other witnesse of christs against antichrist , that it hath been as ancient as the christian magistracy , and as visibly suffered under antichrist , and now lieth under the greatest reproach ignominy , and slain condition , is as clear as the former . i shall say nothing to this office , that office will speak for it self , i am sure 't is of age and ability enough to gainsay all his opposers , you see how much probability we have from the persons that are slain , that the english magistracy and ministery are the witnesses . now we proceed to shew what probability , there is , that these witnesses are to be slain in these northern islands , i will say the lesse of the beast that slaies them , because i portrayed him in the ensuing tract , i shal only discover him where he is to be found in scripture prophecies , and then what those scripture prophecies say of his downfal in rev. . . he is called the beast that ascendeth out or the bottomlesse pit after the witnesses have finished their testimony , where note that this beast that slaies the witnesses , is not the pope , but one that riseth when the witnesses have finished their testimony , and his raign is but three years and an half , and this all the greek and latin fathers assent unto , and 't is as clear as the sun from this text . in rev. . . he is called the beast of the earth , to have us to observe , that he is one distinct from the sea , ver. . 't is wonderfull to behold how many learned protestants joyn these together in one , when god by his word hath severed ; they are distinguished by their originall ; the one ariseth out of the earth , and the other out of the sea . the holy ghost calls the beast of the earth another , and many protestants ( though not all of them , for bishop cooper saith , 't is one distinct from the beast of the sea ) make them notwithstanding the same , the beast of the earth hath but two horns , and and the beast of the sea ten : more arguments may be picked out of the texts to prove the beast of the earth which slays the witnesses shall rise and raigne but three years and an half during the time the witnesses shall lie slain , as 't is clear , rev. . . . this beasts rising is the witnesses falling , and the witnesses rising in this beasts ruine , that the beast of the earth , and the beast of the bottomlesse pit are one , and the same is clear , for rev. . . . he riseth then , when the faith and patience of the witnesses are exercised , here is the faith and patience of the saints , their suffering graces , when the beast of the earth ariseth , are exercised , and the beast of the bottomlesse pit , is he that exerciseth their defensive graces , so rev. . . he makes war with them and overcomes and kills them . this beast of the earth , or bottomlesse pit beast , is called in rev. . the beast bearing up babilon with all her blasphemies murthers . in this sevententh chapter the holy ghost gives us a view of the last scene of the last act of the romish antichristian factors : i 'le beg the sober christians earnest attention here , for it is the hardest chapter in the whole revelation , in rev. . . the angell tells you what time o' th' day 't is with rome , 't is neer her judgment day at this time : iohn saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast : here are three distinct names mentioned in the chapter , the woman , the beast , and the great whore : now the great whore sitting on many waters , v. . is expounded v. . to be that spirituall whore that hath inticed the kings of the earth to commit idolatry ( which is spirituall fornication ) with her : this whore is the pope of rome which inhabits the city with seven hills , which is rome . the woman mentioned v. . is expounded v. . and v. . 't is the city standing on seven hills as rome doth , v. . 't is the metropolitan city as rome is . but now the scarlet-coloured beast , v. . which beares up the city rome , is not so plainly to the eye of the reader unfolded , though there be most spoken in this chapter of this beast and his party , this beast is one part of the mystery which iohn wonders at . observe therefore in v. . this beast is called a scarlet coloured beast , because of his bloudinesse : this beast cannot be the pope , for the pope is the great whore that sits upon many waters , and is born up by this beast , . it cannot be the pope , for the pope came not out of the bottomlesse pit , but fell from heaven , and got the key of independency into his own hands , which is the bottomlesse pit there spoken of rev. . . but now this beast coms out of the bottomlesse pit , to shew that this beast is the selfesame that slayes the witnesses , rev. . . who also coms out of the bottomlesse pit . . this beast cannot be the pope upon any rationall account from any expositor , because this beast is the eighth , and is of the seven : now the pope by every protestant account makes the seventh distinct head of government in rome , but this beast is of the eighth : now lest he should be taken for the eighth head of rome , the holy ghost ( as it were with a prolepsin , v. . ) tells us he is of the seven , and how he is of the seven ; it may be because he beares up the woman with seven heads , and ten horns : he is none of the ten subjected to rome , neither is he one of the seven heads of rome , but he is the eighthdistinct from the seven of rome , and of the ten hornes subject to rome , and yet he is of the seven , that is , he hath somthing of all their wicked craft and subtilty , he is of the seven ( saith haymo ) because this beast shall seven times more persecute the church of christ then the other seven : this holds good ; for to prove him to be the beast that slayes the witnesses . saith another of this text , he is the eighth , because regnum ejus distinctum à singulis , and he is of the seven , quia in omnibus septem existit . i humbly conceive the holy ghost uses this expression [ he is of the seven ] to take us off from imagining that this beast ( though he be the eighth ) is the eighth head of rome : no , saith the holy ghost , he is of the seven , and that you might not imagine this beast , on the other hand , to be one of the ten horns subject to rome ; saith the holy ghost , he is of the seven ; and what followes ? and goeth to perdition . twice you have the perdition of the beast mentioned in this chapter , i humbly conceive , for two ends : . to note that this beast is the last enemy of the church , which bears up rome with all her blasphemous hypocrites , which vent their poyson , and profer it to the world in the golden cup of glorious gospell truths , when they are full of all abominations , and filthinesse of fornication ; when romes judgment day is neer , then v. . doth that scarlet coloured blasphemuus beast arise , then is it a year of jubilee with rome , v. . she is richly adorned and decked with all outward pomp , and hath a golden cup in her hand , out of which she vents her abominable blasphemies . then hath rome , v. . a name written on her forehead , mystery babylon , now mystery babylon is legible in her forehead ; we shall see babylon in a mystery , when rome is neer her downfall , as to cry down with antichrist , and murther a king that ingaged to pull down antichrist : to pretend to promote the gospell of jesus christ , and pull down the godly ministery . to exalt the kingdom of christ , and to grant a toleration of all religions against christ : to plead liberty of conscience , and devise spirituall wracks and tortures for mens consciences : for the brats of rome to cry down with the pope , and down with rome , and down with antichrist , whilest they promote rome and the pope , and undermine the gospell ? what is this but mystery babylon , written upon rome's politicians fore-heads : this is the comfort , mat. . , . these are the forerunners of romes ruine by these mysterious plots , the wolves of rome get into the sheepfold of christ , and suck the bloud of christs flock ; and therefore ver. . john saw rome drunk with the bloud of the saints at this time when she was going to ruine : to note , that immediately before rome goeth to ruine the witnesses must be slain , for she is now found drunk with the saints bloud : and when is this that rome is drunk with the saints bloud ( ver. . ) it is when this beast bears up rome , that otherwise had fallen by the hands of the witnesses , whose bloud they now drink : in as much as this beast throws down those that would have ruined rome , and had covenanted so to do , he may well be called the beast that bears up rome . for certain the tenth part of the city babylon had fallen , had not this beast bore it up , by slaying those that had finished their testimony , and were fully resolved to pour out their vials on rome : now when this beast goeth to perdition that bears up rome , certainly then rome will fall , when the pillar that props it up falls , then down it falls : and therefore it is said , in rev. . , . when the witnesses arise , and put themselves under the wings of christ : this rome-supporting beast john saw , when the pope and his party , v. . with him , and when the beast by the witnesses ( for i have proved already , that the battel is onely betwixt the beast bearing up rome , and the witnesses ) is overcome : in ver. . the pope is taken , and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles : this false prophet is the beast of the earth that slays the witnesses , who is called a false prophet , because rev. . . he doth great wonders ( ver. . ) on purpose to deceive : so that this eighth beast bearing up rome when rome is going to judgment , when he goeth to perdition , rome must necessarily fall with him . . the holy ghost in that he calls him ( rev. . . ) the eighth beast , and tells us twice in that chapter , that 't is he that goeth to destruction . i humbly conceive the holy ghost points at daniel . . which daniel calls another little horn . daniel longing to know the meaning of him , the holy ghost tells him , 't is that horn that shall rise after the ten horns , under the roman monarchy , and shall pull three of the ten horns up by the roots , ver. , . makes war with the saints , and prevails against them : just as in rev. . . this horn ( ver. . ) shall arise after the ten kings subject to rome and shall be diverse from them : in this respect he is said to be the eighth , rev. . and he shall subdue three kings ( i. e. ) kingdoms , and ver. . by the setting up of christs kingdom , the beast shall be slain , and given to the burning flame ; as rev. . . and . he shall reign untill a time , times , and the dividing of times ; and then by the coming in of christs kingdom , he shall be destroyed to the end , utter ruine shall befall him . now who should this little horn be that riseth in the end of the roman monarchy , and throws down three kings , that is , usurps the dominion of three kingdoms , purely professing the gospel , where the saints whom he persecutes are , and reignes tyrannically over the saints but three years and an half , and must be destroyed by the erecting of christs kingdom , and putting the saints in possession : but onely the beast which john rev. . , . and . setteth forth in his rising , reigning , and ruine . object . but how comes this beast to have seven heads , and ten horns , since he is none of the roman heads ? in revel. . , . sol. i thought , till i looked into the original , that the seven heads , and ten horns , had related to the woman , and not to the beast ; and i thought ver. . would have born me out as well as the vulgar translation ; but i perceived it not onely clashing with ver. . and v. . but confounding the syntaxis of the words in the greek copy ; for the participle in v. . and the article in v. . are of another gender : as in v. . how can {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} agree together ; but {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} agree together : so likewise in v. . how can {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} agree together , when as it agrees with {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , therefore learned beza reades v. . vidi mulierem insidentem bestiae coccinae plenae nominibus plasphemiae habenti capita septem ; so that habenti agrees with bestiae , which is agreeable to the greek copy ; the vulgar renders it doubtfully , but the greek copy decides this cleerly , by referring the horns to the beast , not the woman . ob. how comes it to pass then , if the beast be not the pope , but he that riseth and slays the witnesses ( when the popes time is drawing neer to an end ) that he is said rev. . to have but two horns , and here to have seven heads , and ten horns ? sol. the subject i am now upon is exceeding mysterious : so mysterious , that john wondered , with great admiration , to see babylon in a mystery , devouring the bloud of the saints , v. , . to see men , under the name of saints , and tender consciencious men , drinking exceedingly of the bloud of the saints : this is a great mystery , and a mystery to be wondered at ; now this mystery v. . ) the holy ghost tells us is double : there is a mystery of the woman , that is , rome ; and the mystery of the beast that at this time ( now rome is going to ruine ) bears her up . now this beast is not the pope , for the pope sits as a whore upon many waters : this double mystery then is in thishow the woman rome should come to be drunk now with the bloud of saints , when she 's going to ruine ; and the other part of the mystery lyeth in verse . how the beast that had horns like a lamb , and a fair smooth tongue like a dragon , rev. . . should now have the feet of a bear , and the jawes of a lyon ; how he that had covenanted to throw down rome , and professed himself a great friend to the saints , and yielded all his assistance to throw down popery , superstition , and idolatry , and holds the same religion in profession that the true saints do : how this beast should become the beast bearing up rome , here is the mystery , and such a mystery as is to be in the church when the witnesses shall be slain , and when rome is neer to utter ruine , which mystery being this day in our eyes revealed , is a sure prognostick to me , that rome is not far off from her utter ruine . now i humbly conceive that the beast is said to have the seven heads , and ten horns , because he supports rome with seven heads , and ten horns : now as the heathen emperours were called the red dragon with seven heads , and ten horns , rev. . . and the pope is the beast of the sea with seven heads , and ten horns , because they kept up the emperial pomp and state of rome : so this beast of the earth is said here to have seven heads , and ten horns , because he supports the pomp and state of rome , when the witnesses had finished their testimony , and were ready to pour out the vialls upon it . this beast is therefore the eighth , ver. . because he is distinct from those seven kings , v. . and yet he is of the seven because he is an usurper and a tyrant , who rules by his sword-power , as the seven before him did , who bore up the woman with seven heads : therefore this eighth beast ●●●…d to be of the seven , because of the likeness of the government he sets up to theirs before him . hence 't is that in v . the beast that bears rome is called the beast that is not , and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit : he was in the idaea of his government , in the usurpation of caesar , but [ is not ] because he is to come out of the bottomless pit , rev. . . where the . years reign of antichrist draws towards an end , and then slays the witnesses : the next words cleers it , that this beast is also the beast of the earth mentioned rev. . , , . hence he is called the beast that was , because rev. . . he makes the people to worship the first beast whose deadly wound is healed , that is , he makes people subject to a government as caesar set up in rome , which was a packt company of senators , whom he at his command could sway , to what he pleased after he had drove away , and secluded the faithfull members of the senate-house : but by what power doth he do this ? the same ver. of chap. . tells us , he doth it by the power of the first beast before him , that is , the pope , ( as we have shewed ) these two first beasts mentioned in the same verse signifie . . the pope , in whose presence the last beast acts , and by whose power he acts . and the other is caesar , whose government he endeavours to set up : now he doth it by the power of the pope , that is , by treachery , lying perjury , treason , and lying wonders : therefore in rev. . . the time when this beast shall be in the world shall be a time of wonder , the people shall wonder at him , wonder at the changes he makes in times and laws , and wonder at his proceedings ; and the reason is in rev. . . because he doth wonders in the sight of the men of the earth ( that have not rooting in christ ) by his glorious successes , and his specious pretences ; and also his boasts of the prevalencies of his prayers with heaven , how providence guides him , prospers , and protects him : thus he cheats the pope , and makes them to admire him , for his acting by the first beasts power , that is , by the popes power , so that this beast is after the pope , and to be expected ( as the fathers say ) when rome is to go to ruine , and to be destroyed . thus this beast is the beast that was , and is not , and yet is . ob. how is he the beast that is ? sol. he is [ the beast that is ] because at that time when john had this revelation , rome had the government of caesar , though caesar and that family were extinct , there was a senate in rome , and that senate curbed under the power of the sword , sword-men bore the sway , the general of the army was the emperour : though they had the name of the senate , they sate & voted in the senate , but it was the general and his souldiers acted what they pleased ; and in this sence , this beast was in johns time , that is , in the government ; and in this sence also the eighth is of the seven . the hardest knot still remains to be untied , and that is rev. . , . where 't is said , that the ten horns are ten kings , which have received no kingdom as yet , but receive power as kings one hour with the beast : what should these ten kings be who have no kingdom , nor power , untill this beast arise , and then they have but power as kings one hour with the beast ? . we must answer negatively these ten horns here mentioned cannot be meant the ten kingdoms subject to rome ( as some would have it ) for that is expressed in ver. . otherwise , then by ten horns there the head of rome , the pontifick state , is called the whore , and the powers subject to rome compared to waters , which waters are by the holy ghost in the same verse interpreted peoples and multitudes , nations and tongues . . we answer possibly , yea most probably , ten horns may have a double sence and meaning ; the one , to set forth these kings subject to the roman empire , and so dan. . . is to be understood ; and so the most learned protestant writers understand these ten horns : 't is also the opinion of learned men , that by ten horns is meant the senate of rome , subordinate to the imperiall power of rome : so alcazar understands these ten horns , he calls them poliarchiam senatorum . and ( not rejecting the common interpretation of the ten horns ) i conceive this may be the meaning of rev. . . where when the state of rome was changed from emperours to popes , the seven heads had blasphemous names on them , and the ten horns were crowned . the senate of rome under the emperor had no crowns ; but when the pope came up with his ten horns , that is , his conclave of cardinals ( resembling a senate ) they had their miters on ; here the ten horns are crown'd : as i do not dote upon this interpretation , so i dare not despise it , for it hangs upon as much reason as the other , if not more , and i know no reason , but why these ten horns may have a double signification , as well as the seven heads ; but the seven heads ( rev. . , . ) signifie seven mountains , and seven kings . therefore by these ten kings here , rev. . . i conceive is meant those senators , or that packt party , that this beast sets up by his sword power ; and as caesar conquer'd under pretence of subjecting people to his packt-senate in rome : so doth this subdue nations and kingdoms to his packt-party of senators . observe how clearly this appears in the text , v. . . the holy ghost doth not say these kings shall receive kingdoms , but a kingdom [ ten ] is but indifinitly for many ; as ten virgins , ten talents ; and now these many shall not reign in distinct kingdoms : for john saith they have not received a kingdom , noting these many kings shal be in one kingdom . . they are not absolute kings , but receive power as kings ; they rule and tyrannize , and make lawes , and exact obedience from the people as kings . . 't is but one hour that they have this power , three years and an half is the utmost extent of their duration in this power , for they come in with this beast : now this beast continues but three years and an half . . these all make but one vote , v. . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} that is , in english , make one vote . i do not know how better to express it in english : therefore i conclude , that these are not distinct kings , but such as vote together in one councel to propagate the beasts designs ; and in so doing , ver. . they are by the holy ghost marked for those who fight with the lamb , and the lamb overcomes , so that hence i gather , that the great battel spoken of to be fought ( rev. . , . ) by christ against the beast , and the false prophet , is the battel that is to be fought against the beast , and these ten horns : for on the churches side the generall and his army are one and the same in both ; here he is called the lamb , and rev. . , . he is called the lamb ; here he is called the king of kings , and lord of lords , and there , vers. . he is called king of kings , and lord of lords : here his army is called faithfull and chosen , and in ver. . there their generall ( who makes them like him , by calling them to him ) is called faithfull and true . this battell is set forth , rev. . . by a great earthquake , and rev. . , . by gathering the vine of the earth into the vinepress of gods wrath : a usuall metaphor to set forth the ruine of the enemies of the church by , like that in judges , the gleanings of ephraim are better then the vintage of ebiesar , that is , the little conquests of ephraim in taking these two princes , were greater then ( the vintage ) the great conquest of gideon over that vast army . but here is another hard question comes in , and that is from v. . and . q. how can it be said in v. . that the horns make war with the lamb , and the lamb overcomes them ; and in v. . the ten horns shall hate the whore , and make her naked , and eat her flesh , and burn her with fire . resp. to this we answer , those ten horns cannot be the same in person , in v. . with these in v. . . because these in v. . make war against the lamb ; but those in v. . make war for the lamb . . those in v. . are destroyed and overcome by the lamb , and therefore cannot be the same in person with those in v. . because they shall hate the whore : now comes in the judgement of the whore spoken of , v. . and in this , v. . the officers that shall bring her to judgement are set forth . observe but the opposition that the holy ghost puts betwixt the person and persons in one office : by the ten horns ( as i have shew'd ) signifies a senate , a parliament , or a supream power consisting of many members : this v. . and . ( if seriously perused ) shew us , that there shall be a great rent amongst persons conjoyn'd in one office ; the ten horns , v. . arise with the beast ; but the other ( v. . ) give their kingdom ( through their oversight to the beast ; so that these clearly are distinct : for these last ten horns had a kingdom , or else they could not give it away ; but the other v. . come to be kings , or as kings with the beast : so that the coming up of these is the casting down of those ( vers. . ) untill the words of god be fulfilled : those ten kings vers. . give their power and strength ( which they received from the beast ) to the beast against the lamb . but those ten horns v. . give but their kingdom for a time , and when that time is fulfilled ( i. e. ) when the seventh trumpet sounds , when the mystery of god shall be finished or fulfilled , then those shall hate the whore , and shall make her desolate , and eat her flesh , and burn her with si●e : this gives us a most clear description of the slain witnesses , by a party atising out of their own bowels : here are the same ten horns for the beast against the lamb , and the same ten horns for the lamb against the beast , and the whore : this is a mystery which hath been locked up from former ages , and is now in the eyes of all the world revealing it self : these ten horns therefore are distinct in their persons , and the same in office , onely the one party sides with the beast who gives them his power to slay the witnesses : so that these reigning , keep the name and power of a parliament , and so they are called the ten horns , and this rome they keep till the true parliament ( which pretendedly was on the beasts head ) arise , and by their powerful prosecution of their covenant-reformation , shew their hatred to the whore , make her desolate , eat her flesh , and burn her with fire : for certain the rising of the slain witnesses shall be the downfall of the beast , the pope , and the devils kingdom : i am not ignorant how remote i am from the common received opinions of the protestants ; neither am i ignorant , how far they are from the clear light of sacred text , which gives too much occasion to the romish party in their writings , to scorn at their interpretations : it were easie to shew the contradictions that they make , who interpret these ten horns to be the ten kings of europe : but i forbear , and only make this the excuse of my prolixity , because i easily perceive the great stone which the protestant writers stumble at , is this last beast that is to rise and raign three years and an half , in which time he slays the witnesses : this beast few of them ( for ought i can perceive ) ever dream't of ; therefore they mistake the beast rising out of the bottomless pit , rev. . . the beast of the earth , rev. . . and the eighth beast , rev. . . to be the pope , and these ten horns to be the ten europian kingdoms , which are all gross mistakes , and the causes of greater in most of their writings . having thus ( by the good grace of the holy trinity ) by these mysterious texts discovered this last beast , and these last enemies of the church , i trust he that is not spiritually blind will say , surely these scriptures are fulfilled in our eyes this day . was there not a glorious reformation began , and though with much danger and difficulty , yet ) clearly carryed on : read but the assemblies works ; read the good ordinances made by the parliament for the carrying of it on ; read the covenant , and then say , whether there was not a glorious reformation began : nay did not the king give his royall assent to this reformation , and did not the parliament close with these concessions ; and then , even then , on a sudden when these witnesses had finished their testimony , then ariseth this beast , and over throws this reformation , by slaying the witnesses which had finished their testimony : by this the reader may see my confidence , upon scripture-bottome , that these are the times , and this is the place , and the magistracy , and ministery of england , are the witnesses that now are slaying ; and this power now tyrannizing over the church , is that power that slayes the witnesses ; and the beast that set up this power , together with the power that he hath erected , shall gather all their strength against the lamb , that is , against the true saints , which in sincerity worship christ ; and there the mighty hand of god shall appear to the utter ruining and confounding of them ; then shall the witnesses arise and take up that reformation which hath lien dead three years and an half , and shall carry it on without any more opposition ; and all this shall begin to be done ( i do not say finished ) neere about this present year , . these i have more largly discoursed of in the ensuing tract , yet not at large , because i expect to have it answer'd by some of the time-serving champions , especially docter homes , whom i take to be the learned'st saint of them all in this study ; and he hath got him almost as great a name amongst the ignorant crew for a prophet , as lillie the hedg-prophet , who jispsie-like gets his living by telling fortunes : as lillie , so doth this doctor make his oracle speak to the humour of the times : as that infamous priest of apollo , out of base flattery made the oracle {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . so doth the blasphemous wretch indeavour to make the holy oracles of the scriptures {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , that is , to humour the usurping trayterous bloudy hereticks of the times , and with more subtilty then any of his fellows . it behoveth christians to observe some mens designs more then others , and to observe how they carry on their designs ; as for this doctor he undertakes to prove the foulest actions that ever were committed by christians , to be the gloriousest and greatest actions that ever were performed by christians , and pretends to fetch all his proofs from sacred scripture , from propheticall texts ; and 't is commonly taught , that king charles who was cut off was the antichrist , and london the city that must be destroyed with seven hills ; and the presbytery the locust that must be destroyed ; so that ere long we shall have protestants massacred as antichristian ; 't is therfore time to look after such fellows . indeed there are many in print , who assume scribendi libertatem ( as scaliger saith of the french ) but have not scribendi facultatem . i think the writers of these times upon this subject , edged with the doctors designes , may be distinguished , as maladies are amongst the learned ; some are privative , some are positive ; in some there is seminarium stultitiae , in other some seminarium invidiae : now the later of these is most dangerous : from hence proceeds heresie and apostasie from truth ; if we mark it , error is a positive act ; and where it meets a malicious heart , and a subtill head , it doth infinite hurt . now i shall sooner prove the doctor one of these , then stile him one . as for that other sort of prophetick time-servers , though 't is true there be unus utrique error , yet , poor soules , they make such ridiculous nonsense of what they steal from learned men , that every man of ordinaryparts cannot but cry out of them as eruditi fures , and deserve as much to be slighted , as iohn goodwins songs to be laught at . the truth is , such self-conceited ideots deserve better to be met with a lacedemonian whip , then to be corrected by a sober pen : they are such as hierom complains of , qui loqui nesciunt , & tacere non possunt ; i do not mean onely such tinkling cymballs and crackt trumpets as sterrey and powell , durie , feake , the furriers boy , will . sedgwick , iohn goodwin , simson , and carpenter the converted jesuite , with his brother tillam the blasphemer ; but many others , poor soules , who are great zealots against antichrist , but know not what he is : a man that hears the contradictions , absurdities and egregious falsities that they impudently utter sometimes in one houre , would conclude as ( lactantius doth against the philosophers ) aut stulti aut in ani , nullus enim ager , nulla anus , ineptiùs deliravit ; these empty-headed fellowes , whose privative malice proceeding of ignorance , makes them belch forth such indigested crudities , i would intreat good christians to pray for them , for they know not what they say . but while i am viewing the followers of the beast : there is a third sort of time-servers , the worst of all , by how much the more eminent they are for the profession of the protestant religion ; for that of iuvenali is true : omne animi vitium tantò conspectius in se crimen habet quantò major qui peccat habetur . these are not such lascivious goats as the doctor that i deal with , nor such silly hogs as those i pass over , who like those possessed run in a herd together down the precipice of ruine into the sea of perdition , without remorse or stop : but these are men of gravity , men of sobriety , men professing outwardly godliness , men that , like judas , kiss christ with their lips , and imbrace christs murtherers in their arms , that have their lips in heaven , and their arms in hell : they are like the ayr in their constitutions , which element , though it proceed ex duobus elementis à symbolicis , yet notwithstanding 't is utrique symbolicum ; and so are they , i mean such as mr. nye , mr. thomas goodwin , mr. shadrack simpson , mr. bridge , rows of eaton ; who though no priest , yet may well be stiled a franciscan apostate : and i would i could leave out mr. j. car. and m. ob. s. i am loth to name them , because i am ashamed that the world should know that two such eminent-godly-learned men are amongst such an antichristian abominable faction : but who knows that mr. caryl is amongst them , and that mr. obediah sedgwick keeps publike thanksgiving dayes for the overthrow of the scots , our covenant-keeping brethren , hi sunt illi ( saith tullie ) qui non solùm vitia concipiunt , sed etiam infundunt , in civitatem plusque exemplo quam peccato nocent : these are those adultae patriae pestes , that , if it were possible , would seduce the elect : how much mischief have these men done by their evill example , by their open apostacy from their church and state-principles , by their covenant-breaking , and by their elegant pleading ( like job's acquaintance ) against a righteous cause ; and most shamefull extolling and complying with wicked men , cursing the righteous whom god afflicts , and blessing the wicked whom god abhors : these {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ( as greg. nazianzen calls them ) such as will truck away their religious principles , and break their covenants , for the gain of the world , notwithstanding their former writings and opinions , fight with their present actings , like the souldiers of gadmus to their own confusion . these men going in the way of cain , and running after the errour of balam for a reward , have provoked me , unworthy me , like balam's ass , unexpectedly , though out of the anguish of my heart , to reprove the madness of these prophets . i no whit wonder that hereticks , and scandalous loose fellows , such as doctor homes , and john goodwin , keep thanksgiving dayes , and make ballads at the overthrow of the church and state of scotland ; for they know that scotland is the greatest enemy to heresie and lechery in the world : these go upon that new-found maxime , self-preservation , and so have some ground for what they do : for doubtless homes had been hang'd for his uncleanness , and abominable lewdness , had the scots laws been put into english practice , and such as goodwin had been justly banished , for open apostacy and obstinate heresie , if not hang'd for a blasphemer : therefore i the less blame them for what they do , and the rather , since their own former writings save me the labour : doth the doctor call the church of scotland , and the presbyterian church whore by craft ? poor man , we very well know that this is not his first mistake ; it is not the first time that he hath mistaken an honest woman for a whore , witness his congregation that excommunicated him for such gross mistakes , and to this day for the same stands excommunicated : were it not therefore through this doctors sides , that i intended to wound the whole rabble of deceivers , and false prophets , who most egregiously abuse prophetick texts , to the defaming of the true church ; and that the time-servers may know i dare incounter their sturdiest champions , i should have been ashamed to have entred the list with so scandalous a man as doctor homes : but why should i be ashamed to confute him , when the lord major of london was not ashamed to make him his teacher . let no man think that i do {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , meddle with that which concerns me not ; for by my covenant i am bound timely to make known and discover , whatsoever church or state-evill : i am not able to suppress , and i do no more here , i know that this my young lamb must pass through the midst of wolves and lyons , who will indeavour to devour it : and therefore i have arm'd it with armour of proof , the holy scriptures . i do not ( as cromwel in his letters falsly saith the scots do ) use weapons of a foolish shepherd , i fetch all my weapons out of davids armory , the scripture : here hangs a thousand bucklers , all the shields of mighty men , i draw no arguments from conjurers dreams , or from astrological predictions , such really are the weapons of a foolish shepherd ; i offer no such poysonous water to the thirsty traveller in this road ; all that i draw comes clearly up exprofundissimis scientiae fodinis , from the scriptures , the wells of living water : here are no texts crook't ( though cross to the common interpretations ) by any private interpretation , to particular self-ends : indeed i do swim against the stream of common interpreters , but not without just cause given , i protest it is not out of a desire to be singular , as not a few in this age do , who think no fabrick of fame stands so stately , as that which is built exruinis alienae existimationis , esteeming it no small piece of honour to be counted novae alicujus rei authores , let it be what i will , for my own part , i protest against such folly . i onely follow the ark ; which way it goes , i go ; and when it stands still , i stand still . i shall submit my self wholly to the censure of learned texts men , whether i have wracked any texts to stretch it beyond the lawfull bounds of interpretations , or whether i have made any {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , or not made my {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} to be {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} onely . this i will assure the reader , that he shall find nothing in this book either prater fun lamentum salutis , or contra a fundamentum salutis : nor scarce any one text ( of these many ) unfolded , but what learned writers do concur with me in ; for i walk upon the learned heads of at least fourscore interpreters , and if i fall from ones head , i presently fall into anothers arms , so that my sence falls not to the ground . indeed my style and my method may justly be blamed , i am heartily ashamed that it should go so tatter'd with its rags into the world ; but indeed the reason is because it was done in hast , not that it was studied in hast , but scribed in hast : it is well known this piece proffer'd to the press within a month after the doctors sermon was printed , and from that time , to this day , it hath waited at the press ( like the cripple of bethesda ) expecting dayly some one to put it in ▪ indeed my book ( if it could ) should not go like independents wives {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . now the church is in her winding sheet . the first part of it proves monarchy to be jure divino , and to be visible in the church from the creation to christs incarnation , who was both monarch ( by a right of succession from adam ) of the whole world , and by right ( of succession from david ) king of the jews , according to the flesh : i have not handled this point , or any other , so fully as i might and could , i intend it not , untill i hear what my antagonists say against me ; and then i shall ( by gods good grace ) say more upon this subject , if need require , not otherwise ; for i hate coming in print , except in a case of necessity ; and in that case onely privatly . i heartily praise god that i have so fair an opportunity to declare my self in this of monarchy , for at least seven years ago , i was unjustly slander'd by those ingrateful wretches whose family and goods i protected ) that i should say that i would kill the king . this news , and my name , was carryed to the court , where it met with his majesties ear as he was at dinner : there it was told him that i ( naming me by name ) was the man that had vow'd the kings death where ever i saw him . this doubtless had died away , and never come to my ears , had not this accident hapned ; he gouty good gentleman of the house ( where the king at that time kept his court ) though he could neither stir hand nor foot , by reason of his age and disease , yet was so inraged at the news , that he vow'd , as decrepit as he was , to be the man to fight with , and kill such a rebellious villain ( meaning me ) as would attempt such a thing . i never had an opportunity to vindicate my self from this foul aspersion , nor so much as to present hearty thanks to the gowty gentleman for his hearty and loyall affections to his soveraign the king , in that he would adventure his life to kill a villain that should attempt to kill the king . i profess before god and men , that i , when i was so aspersed , was of this opinion , that he was both a villain and a traytor and deserved sudden and cruell death , that would presume in his heart to think so evil a thought as to kill the king : for my own part i had rather be a slave to my liege soveraign , then a ruler amongst the rebellious . i am througly convinc'd , that monarchy is that government which god hath ordain'd and set his stamp upon ; and all other government is the ordinance of man immediatly , though approved by god , as the seventy were under moses , and that no person upon earth can by gods law question or bring to punishment the person of a monarch . this we all know , both jews and gentiles , that hold the divinity of the scriptures , that the church of god ( before christ ) was beholding to a monarch , both for their church-laws and state-laws . for the revelation of the will of god , and the manner of his worship , moses the monarch was the first mediator , into whose hands the first glorious gospel dispensations were put . god revealed himself immediatly to moses , and the people received gods mind immediatly from their monarch moses . the first revelation of the covenant of grace was given to adam the monarch of the world : the second manifestation of the covenant , with a seal , was given to abraham the monarch of the church , and the gospel-church received all their spirituall lawes and ordinances from christ the natural son of both : but now the question will be , whether christ ordained monarchy in the gospel church , as well as the ministry : if so , shew us the monarchy , i acknowledg this a difficult question , i do not find any of the learned so much as touch upon it : indeed i find many men in the negative , but scarce one affirmative in this question ; i find ( though not directly ) hierom and calvin negative in the question , that christ ordained a government , and that potestas & ordo , power and order , are essentiall in that government , ●o divines do deny ; but the modus & titulus in this government , is that which as yet lies disputable . some say this government ought to be aristocraticall : of this opinion is that holy and learned calvin ( which i wonder at ) his grounds for it are because he thinks the ancient government of the jewes was aristocratical : but the sandy foundation of this opinion . shews us the weakness of this argument : for there is nothing more clear , then that israels government , from their deliverance out of egipt , to their captivity in babylon , was monarchical , if supaemacy in one be monarchy ; so that out of the rains of calvins argument will arise a firm argument : thus if the examples of civill-government , under the gospel , must be according to that under the law ( for there the force of calvins argument lies ) then monarchy is the government that must be erected in the time of the gospel : but we pass this . hierom is of opinion , which he grounds on dan. . . that when the great day of gospel-reformation shall come ( i. e. ) when the roman monarchy is destroyed , then ( saith he ) all kingdoms shall be thrown down , and there shall be no government at all , onely the communion of the saints . but this opinion ( as 't is much built upon these times , so ) 't is built on a sandy foundation , upon a mistake in the interpretation of dan. . . and it is absolutely contradictory to these prophetick promises of uniting the two tribes , and the ten tribes , under one king or government , ( i. e. ) making them , as at first , one kingdom under one king ; and against those texts which promise to the jews , that in the gospel-dayes amongst the gentile-gospellers , he will raise up kings to be their nursing fathers , and queens to be their nursing mothers , and many other texts : therfore we pass this also . the noble and most learned hebrews , for the most part , conclude , that god will call them again , and make them a famous monarchy : so that the worst of them hold , that monarchy shall continue untill the end of the world : indeed levie ben gerson , an hebrew , upon the first of sam. . pleads for aristocracie ; and to advance it , he ( like the serpent ) bites kingly-government by the heel : like as the prelates on the one hand , and the independents on the other hand , plead against presbytery , so doth he against monarchy : for he picks up the excrements of the kings of judah and israel , and from their illsavouring infirmities conclude , therefore their government is such as their infirmities were , which is such a childish weak way of arguing , that it deserves no answer : as if because the priests were naught , therefore their office must be naught : or because a sacrifice was lame , therefore the temple was naught : or as if because the image on the gold is defaced , therefore the gold is naught : this is peevish-childishness , therefore we pass that also , and come to the question , whether christ ordained monarchy to be in the gospel church ? to that we answer negatively , as to the title . . no king on earth since christs incarnation , to this day , can shew an extraordinary or immediate call from god to be king , as david could , and solomon could , for he was chosen king , by god , before he was born . . there is no king , since christ , that can say he hath a naturall right to his kingdom . succession , that ended in christ , who had a true title , by natural succession , to be monarch of the world , as descending from adam , luk. . and a natural right to the monarchy of the jews , as descending of abraham , matth. . so that christ onely is naturally according to the flesh , by succession , the king of the jews and gentiles ; and in this sence is rom. . . to be understood , where adam is said to be a type of him to come , that is , as he was monarch of the world by divine institution , and naturall right : so that he that claims since christs incarnation , by a natural right , the monarchy of the world , or kingdom of the jews , usurps the office of christ ; for christ onely is monarch of the world by a natural descent , and in this respect he is both king and priest after the order of melchisedeck ; for melchisedeck was without beginning of dayes , or end of time , in respect both of his priestly and kingly office , without beginning of dayes , that is , in respect of his pedegree ; for he was both king and priest by naturall succession from seth the son of adam , which was time out of mind ; for none at that time were able to tell the antiquity of his descent , who by birth was both monarch and priest ; and then this melchisedeck was without end of time : for neither the kingly office , nor the priestly office were extinct in the church untill christ came , in whom met both the kingly , the priestly , and the prophetick office : this christ was according to the flesh the naturall son of melchisedeck , who having carried up to heaven with him his humane nature , sits a king , a priest , and a prophet in that nature in heaven for ever , on his churches behalf ; and in this sense melchisedecks offices are without end of time ; for our king and our priest is ascended up into heaven , where he makes continuall intercession for us ; so that since him there is no succession of monarchs by lineall descents : but magistracy is not made null under the gospell , because it ceaseth in respect of a naturall title by succession for god hath ordained by his approving providence , other ways of erecting monarchs then by succession or immediate call , as david was monarch over the countries round about him , not by succession , nor by an immediate call from god , but by conquest ; so that the great office of monarchy may lawfully come in at other doors , though the door of succession and immediate calling from god be shut . but this is not the question . that christ hath not abolished monarchy under the gospel , nothing is more clear : for government is a morall thing , and stands as sure as the fifth commandement : now monarchy is gods government , therefore it stands firm with the fifth commandement , which laws he came not to make void , but establish . we may truly argue therfore for monarchy under the gospel by an argument taken à fortiori : for if under the law god gave to his church monarchicall government , much more doth that great blessing belong to the gospel church , paul exhorts that prayers especially be made for kings , that they might be converted , that so under them the church might lead a peaceable life , so that kings were to be brought in under the gospel as well as others . it is true indeed , there was not immediately after christs ascension a visible established magistracy in the church , because the church was not then established : besides , there was no need of magistracy at that time , for christ the absolute monarch of heaven and earth by a true and unquestionable title , both by succession and conquest , after his ascension , according to his promise , sent his holy spirit in an extraordinary way upon his twelve apostles , who dividing the world amongst them , went forth in the power of the holy ghost conquering the people : during their time there was no need of any magistracy , for their protection ; for the holy ghost protected them beyond all the magistracy in the world ; it released them out of the strongest prison , brake open the strongest gates , and knockt down their stoutest enemies , as paul , who was doubtlesse some great magistrate amongst them ; for he was the companion of herod , and when he was converted , the church had peace round about ; which argues , there was none before his conversion greater then he : he punished the scandalous , as ananias and saphira : it gave ( like a monarch ) large boons to those that desired it ; it healed the sick , gave limbs to the lame , raised the dead , and by its imperiall power made spirits of men in every nation bow down to the apostles commands : this extraordinary presence of the spirit with the apostles , was beyond all the monarchs in the world ; for this spirit saved all the passengers in the ship , when the ship was broken all in pieces , which all the monarchs in the world could not do ; this spirit raised paul from death to life after he was stoned , which all the powers in the world could not do ; therefore there was no need of a magistracy to protect them in that age , the power of working miracles was their magistracy at this time ( say some . ) we may truly affirm , that since christs universall conquest on the crosse , after his resurrection , from that day ( matth. . . ) that he divulged this universall power in heaven and earth ; the church hath not been left without a true monarch , for christ is that monarch who gave commission to his disciples to divulge his laws , and command the world to observe them , and he would be with his embassadors to the end of the world ; so that the true church cannot be without a monarch , who by a naturall right according to the flesh , raigns over them , and will raign in the midst of his enemies , and make all their designs promote his honor , and his churches good ; this grand priviledge only the gospell church injoys , for the jews had only temporall monarchs , according to the flesh , who died away , but they had not a spirituall monarch , who by right of succession came , whom ( through unbelief ) they reject to this day , though for certain he is their lawfull naturall king , by a naturall right of succession , being of the linage of david , and he is our naturall king ( we being gentiles ) by a right of succession from adam ; and he is spiritually the king , both of the jews and gentiles , by that spituall infinitely glorious conquest , which he got over the wrath of god , and his divine justice , over the powers of hell , and all their malice , and over the souls of the elect , and all their sinnes ; so that he is by conquest the monarch of the gospell church , so that the church under the gospell can never be without a throne , and one to sit upon that throne . in the last place , this we do affirm , that soon after extraordinary gifts ceased , and that extraordinary succession of ministers which christ promised to be with til the end of the world ( mat. . . ) succeeded , god raised up a civil magistracy for the protecting of the church , propagation of the gospel , and preservation of the ministery : this magistracy was visible in england before any other part of the world ; and as rome furnished our magistracy with a godly orthodox christian ministery , so not long after our magistracy furnished rome with a godly magistracy , to rescue the ministery out of the jawes of those heathen dragons : lucius about years after christ ( being a brittish king of this nation ) was called to be gods vicar ( as elutherius bishop of rome terms him ) this christian king sets up christs lawes and faith in his kingdom , pulling down paganism , and setting up christian bishopricks in the room of the pagan flamins . about years after , out of the same royall brittish bloud , god raised up that famous witness for his truth constantine , who became the first great protecter of the christians throughout the habitable world ; he was the first that made rome , which for a long time had been the devils throne , to become gods throne , rev. . he threw down the bloudy dragons , the emperours , and rome afterward became famous in her magistracy and ministery for christ , beyond all the world , untill antichrist arose , and drove these witnesses into the wilderness , and made them war sackcloth ; since which rising and tyrannizing of antichrist , there hath been a visible magistracy and ministery in england , as witnesses to the truth of christ , though many times in great obscurity through outward persecutions : it would be here too tedious to relate what might be said of the magistracy and ministery of england , we will onely say thus much , that the kings and bishops of england testified to the truth against the popes antichristian usurpation more then others , and before any other witnesses ; for about the time , anno . when the popes were swelled to their height , even then shall we find ( when other kings kissed the popes feet ) the kings and bishops of england opposed their usurpation . what if i did assert this ? that the first lawfull christian magistracy under the gospell arose in england , from england it went to rome ; wherefore a little while ( half an hour ) it flourished and caused great peace in the church ; but when antichrist arose , he drove the lawfull magistracy and lawfull ministery of rome into sackcloth , and into the wildernesse , that is into some remote place from rome ; observe it , rev. . . the woman , that is , the church that brought forth such a happy son as constantine : this woman by antichrist is drove into the wildernesse ( saith the text ) into her place ; whence i conclude that england is this wildernesse . for first , this was the place from whence a godly magistracy went unto rome : and secondly , this was the place unto which the witnesses were drove again , where i say have been visible in sackcloth since the popes usurpation of rome : nay , let me add this to my assertion , that the lawfull monarch of rome by a true line of succession was charles the king of england , who was beheaded on a lofty scaffold at noon at his own door , january . . for if noble sir robert naunron that learned antiquary , and noble lawyer say true in his fragmenta regalia , cap. . p. . whose words are these ; remarkable it is , ( saith he ) concerning the violent desertion of the royall house of britains , by the invasion of the saxons , and afterward by the conquest of the normans , that by the vicissitude of times , and thought a discontinuance ( almost a thousand years ) the royall scepter should fall back into the corrent of the old british bloud , in the person of henry vii . together with whatsoever the german , norman , burgundian , castalian and french atchievements , with the intermarriage which eight hundred years had acquired , incorporated , and brought back into the old royall line . hence then i prove , if henry vii . were the lawfull successor of the british kings , then he was the lawfull successor of constantine king of england , who conquered rome ; and if henry vii . be the lawfull successor of constantine , then those lawfully descended of henry vii . but this lawfull family of the stuarts are lawfully descended of henry vii . ergo . the stuarts are the lawfull successors of constantine the great , the first christian emperor of rome : there are very many other waies which to some seem clearer , whereby to prove this truth ? if so , know ! oh rome , that the lion of the north , thy lawfull emperor and true christian magistrate , will suddainly arise to the utter confusion of that bloudy usurping prelate , which by his subtill treacheries hath caused the lawfull magistrate , the lawfull emperor of rome ( drove into this wildernesse , where in sackcloth the office hath continued , having finished that prophetick testimony in the year . ) to become a slain witnesse for christ : the other office of the ministery lying dead ever since , but the three years and an half of their lying dead is almost expired , and then the same offices shall arise to the eternall ruine of the pope , and popish idolatry : but no more of this in this place , i hope some antiquaries will be so truly noble , that they will plead a distressed kings cause , and clear this title of his , which is doubtlesse to them an easie thing , and may procure them great renown in after ages ; for my part i shall say no more of it in print , unlesse i am challenged , and then if no body will take up the cudgells in the quarrell , i am resolved , neque clipeum objicere , neque causam deserere , though indeed i have as much upon my weak arme as i am well able to beare , well able to doe i say ? i professe my selfe ( as in the undertaking , so in the defending of so great a cause as i have taken in hand ) utterly unable without the divine hand to support me : the reason why i have discoursed so much of monarchy is , because i am fully perswaded that the great reformation to be wrought amongst jewes and gentiles , shall be wrought by monarches , when god shall open the eyes of the jewes , to know assured that the lord jesus is their true and naturall monarch according to the flesh , and their naturall priest , that is , by birth-right , as melchisedech was ; then shall they look on him whom they have pierced , and mourn over him , they shall then be converted : now this conversion is designed in that gospell epistle written to the twelve tribes , called the epistle to the hebrewes , as the knowledge of their true monarch and priest shall work wonderfull conversion amongst the hebrews , so the knowledge of a lawfull magistracy and a lawfull ministery shall work a wonderfull change at the same time amongst the gentile churches , who are now overwhelmed with the cruell tyranny of the usurping prelaticall power of rome : a lawfull monarch rising shall be the instrument of a glorious gospel-reformation , of restoring the witnesses , and of the overturning of the roman empire in its pontifick head . much of this opinion is that dutch divine in his clavis apocalyptica , to whom iohn durie the scotch man binds himself as in a dutch duell , where he falls to stick and snee with him ; for saith the dutch divine in pag. . a high potentate amongst evangelicall professors shall arise , and be exalted , to the terror of the papists , and shall open again a free course to the gospell , and reestablish the exiled and oppressed gospellers . and iohn durie out of the sootie region of a dark intellect , gives us this dark notion in p. . ( which he cals the preface to this dutchmans book , intending that the reader should put on his black spectacles to read the dutchmans white booke withall . ) i believe ( saith john durie ) that we shall not have any great earthly potentate at all ever to appear for the lamb in this battell , but that they shall joyn alwayes against the lamb-like nature of the saints , to oppose and destroy it . how can two be more contrary ? i must leave them , though i leave iohn in the dark , who participates more of the man of his countrey , then of the nature of his countrymen . there are some questions that betray ignorance , rather then discover wit , as this ; say some , how can it be said that in henry . dayes when the abbies were pulled down ; in q. elizabeths dayes , when the kingdom it flourished , and religion prospered and was countenanced ; and so in king iames's time ; how can the witnesses be said then to be in sackcloth ? in part we have answered to this elswhere ; but let such take this as one great part of the answer , let them read diligently the history of our nation since henry the sevenths time , and observe the counterworkings of the pope against the protestant reformers , and they will say they were in sackcloth . i shall conclude this preface with a short discourse of our former reformations , not so much by way of information , as premonition to him whom it concerns . the objects of every reformation have either been civill 〈◊〉 ●●clesiastick matters . a civill reformation hath respect either to the offices in the state , or to the laws in the state : the office of state in the head hath been unquestionable in all ages , except in times of rebellion or usurpation ; and then , not the office , but the persons in the office have been aspersed and questioned ; in all which ungodly actions , the pope , and the popish clergie alwayes had a hand . indeed the popes have grapled with the supremacy of kings , and usurped a supremacy in this kingdom over the kings in ecclesiastick affairs , and in that respect their offices have been questioned , but the kings of england never yeelded up their right to the pope , but kept the supremacy of church and state affairs in their own hands , not only since the norman line came in , but in the time of the saxon kings , as appears by many of their lawes and charters which respect the clergie , wherein the king , as head of the church , doth ecclesiastica authoritate dispose of the rites of the church , and the great offices thereto belonging , promoting some , and debarring others , whom they please , from the office of archbishop or bishop . this supremacy the norman kings kept , which was mostly the ground of this quarrell betwixt the kings of england and the popes ; who were the cause of the english kings wearing sackcloth ; for the popes never suffered them to live quietly , but alwayes either raised their own subjects to rebell against them , or foraigne princes to invade them ; but most commonly the pope sets the religious houses against the king ; for there the pope kept the band-dogs to werry royalty , when it opposed this supremacy . the insolency , strength and wealth of the clergie caused accidentally a reformation in the church , ( which is the proper object of a reformation ) now this must be premised before we can proceed . we must know that lucius the first christian king , when he erected bishopricks , he gave estates to those archbishops and bishops which he placed in the kingdom : he did but according to the light of nature in it : for the pagan priests had means allowed them : the three archflamins and the twenty eight flamins of the pagans the king turned into so many archbishopricks and bishopricks : afterwards the saxon kings erected many more religious houses , chanteries , monasteries , hospitalls , and to which livings were given for the maintenance of the ministery , and relief of the poor , the giving of these livings was not the person that was sowed in the church as some have erroniously conjectured . these church-lands anciently were called by their right name , appropriations , because they were appropriate to a particular succession of clergy-men , which were of severall orders and houses , each of which made a body politique , and obtained either of the pope or of the king , that their successors ( suppose the incumbents , priors , abbots , or prebends ) might without institution or induction of the ordinary be perpetuall incumbents ▪ so that as one of them died his successor might forthwith enter into his place : hence they were called appropriations . when the clergy had appropriated these livings to themselves , they grew idle , lascivious , proud , rich , and rebellious , insomuch that the pope for the most part , making them of his faction , curbed the king of england in his own dominion : whereupon henry viii . partly to secure himselfe from the inraged pope , but chiefly for the profit of the abbies and religious houses pull'd them down , which that he might do effectually , and with much applause he ingaged the lords and commons against them , who envying their pride and wealth , were easily drawn to concur with the king in the same : and that they might gain a party in the clergy , this work of pulling down abbies was reported as the onely high way to a reformation of religion , ( and indeed there was a great alteration in religion for the better ) hereupon the magistri novae disciplinae , the masters of new discipline ( these were the protestant divines ) they were embraced by the king , ( just as the presbyterians were by the parliament , when they took away the bishops lands ) the king made large promises , untill the parliament had confer'd the church-land upon him , and then the masters of the new discipline were as much slighted as the presbyterians are now ; and thus appropriations become impropriations , justly so called , because they were put into improper hands ; lay-mens hands . from this discourse , i draw these two inferences . all the reformations , as yet , have been but sackcloth reformations . 't is a land-devouring , king destroying , god-provoking , soul-damning sin , to be guilty of sacriledge : let that king then that looks for a blessing from god , make conscience of restoring that to the church which is her due , notwithstanding long detained from her : let no man think that i plead for my self in this , for i am no clergy man : i must break off here abruptly , for the printer grutcheth at my prolixity . the blessing of the eternall trinity be upon thee ( reader ) in reading this and the ensuing tract , that from it thou may'st receive light and comfort in these dark and disconsolate times . fjnjs . reader , since nothing is more common , and nothing more dangerous then erratas , to prevent that common danger i have given thee here the erratas , to keep thee from error : thou hast only here those in lingua testium , and not all those , but only the grosse ones , such as upon a swift perusall i found most grosse : i durst do no otherwise , lest the printer should ( as those unworthy fellows that printed manus testium ) totally neglect the printing of the erratas sent them , whereby the book suffers exceedingly ; as also in the leaving out of many clauses misplacing stops , commas , and parentheses , and crowding together distinct matter in a confused heap , with mistaking of texts , as in p. . there hebrews is put for revel. and in f. the fourth seventeen for seven psalmes , which seven relate the church her great distresse , and her glorious deliverance by the mighty hand of god ; and in f. fourth papists is put for pa●●ias , p. . for this present r. the protestant . p. . ex ejus r. ex ciis . for ... endatiae r. mendariae p. . for sybillae fraudulentia predicet , r. sub illâ fraudulentiâ perdidet . and in p. . the fifth and sixth lines are confused , and severall other places which i have forgot , having not the erratas by me . this i give thee to free my self from the censure of tolerating errors ; especially in that which so nearly concerns me . in the title in proposition . for never read were . in the last words in the title page , for beasts read beast . p. . l. . r. petrus galatianus . p. . l. . understood , r. understood so . p. . l. . . r. . per their account . p. . l. beasts r. best . p. . l. . . r. . p. . l. october r. december . betwixt p. . & . three words are left out . p. . penult . pape r. people . p. . rome r. powers . p. . eruditi r. ineruditi . p. . l. . malice r. maladies . l. . à symbolicis r. à symbolis . l. . r. who knowes not . p. . l. . raines r. ruines . l . worst r. most . p. . l. . from seth the son of adam r. from adam . p. . l . wherefore r. where , for . l. . i say have r. i say they have . l. . thoght r. through . p. . l. . man r. name . l. . l. . this r. his . p. . l. . person r. poyson . betwixt p. . & . two or three words are omitted . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- isay . . dan. . . a d. . . b d. . c rev. . d da. . . e r. . . . f r. . . . g re. . . h za. . . da. . .