Love one another: a tub lecture, preached at Watford in Hartfordshire at a conventicle on the 25. of December last, being Christmas day, by John Alexander, a joyner. His text was taken out of the epistle of Saint Iohn, and himselfe was taken by Captaine Bird, Lieutenant Rock, and other officers, from whom he received such usage as his doctrine did deserve; for which the said officers were commended by the Parliament.

Love one another: a tub lecture, preached at Watford in Hartfordshire at a conventicle on the 25. of December last, being Christmas day, by John Alexander, a joyner. His text was taken out of the epistle of Saint Iohn, and himselfe was taken by Captaine Bird, Lieutenant Rock, and other officers, from whom he received such usage as his doctrine did deserve; for which the said officers were commended by the Parliament.

Table of contents

Title page

Love one another.

Love one another.

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BEloved, you are well met in this solemn Synagogue to hear from me those words of Truth, and wholesome Doctrine which this day you shall receive from me your teacher. And you are to understand, that although I have had but six shillings at a collection for my other Sermons, which like good seed I have sowed among you, and the fruite whereof in a plentifull increase to your great advantage you have reaped, yet for this Sermon I shall well deserve twelve shillings, both for the solmnesse of the day, and the sweetnesse of the Doctrine that floweth from my Text, and the gravity, and Authority of me your Teacher, I will dispense a little (with your Christian patience) with the two first reasons, or inducements, and begin first with the last, which is the sufficiency of your Teacher.

And what man indeed more fitting to direct your understanding in this point, then I, who am your known, your deare, your persecuted Alexander? whose life you have seen, whose Doctrine you have heard, & whose zeal in the holy Cause you have admired. This is not the first time you have heard of my prayses, nor shall it be the last. To whom is it more sutable to discourse upon this Text of Love, then unto me, who by profession am a Joyner a man ordained to joyne and settle things in order? and if the husband of the Virgin Mary (as the Text saith) was but a Carpenter, I believe a Joyner is not to be despised. A Carpenter Beloved doth raise Seats or formes in the House of God, but it is the office of a Joyner to make the Pulpit, but when the Joyner doth not onely make the Pulpit, but is the Preacher that is in the Pulpit, who joyneth Truth to Falshood, Ignorance unto Knowledge, and Misdevotion unto Zeal, what a Joyner, nay what a Conjoiner must that be? and this Beloved, is the happinesse which you all behold, and injoy in me this day: and so much briefly for my self, who am your Teacher, I will now return unto my first particular which is the solemnesse of the day.

[Page]And [...] in the first place not to conceive of me to be so superstitious, as to make any conscience of the solemnity of this day, because the Church hath ordained or doth enjoyn, no God forbid I should be so prophane, it is a detestation of their blindnesse, that have brought me hither this day, to enlighten your eyes, and to informe your eares, how much they are abused, and doe abuse the ignorant, and a consciousnesse withall of my present wants, which crave a supply from your Christian charities to relieve them: and in the first place, I give you to understand, that the very name of Christmas is Idolatrous and prophane, and so verily, are the whole twelve dayes wherein the wicked make many daily, and nightly sacrifices to Riot, and sensuality. The Papists Christmas (pardon me, Beloved that I am forced to repeat the word) doth begin in Holland ten dayes before it doth in England, for so I have been informed by a godly brother from Amsterdam, wherein they make more haste the good speed, and in their doing so, three things offer themselves to our observation.

There are three sorts of men that make haste.

The first that make more haste then good speed.

The second those that make haste with good speed.

The third those that make neither haste, nor good speed, of these in their order, and first of the first.

They that make more haste then good speed, those I say, are the Popish and the Idolatrous Churches that in their Superstitious Rites, and Ceremonies follow them, and this indeed is the way of all sinners, and Reprobates whatsoever; thus in the Gunpowder-Treason they made more haste then good speed. Thus Guido Faux that limb of the Devill with his dark lanthorn which was another limb of the Devill, for every work of darknesse is a limb of the Devill, made more haste then good speed. Thus the Earle of Newcastle at this present with his Papisticall Army, makes more haste then good speed, to overthrow our Ierusalem, and to [...]oot out the true Reformed Religion from amongst us, but God I hope will put a bridle in his mouth, and send him back the way he came, or send [...]im to those whose battells he fights, whither yet he never came.

The second sort of those that make haste, are they that make haste with [...]ood speed, and those Beloved, (with teares of joy I speak it) are your [...]elves, who are met all together to heare me this day: Thus the Prodigall [Page] makes hast with good speed to discharge the Usurer before the use of his money doth eate into his acres, and leaves him, and his posterity desolate.

The third sort of those that make haste, are they who neither make haste nor good speed, And these Beloved, (Let it not trouble your patience, for I must needs speak the truth) are our carelesse servants at home I am afraid now, who while our pots are boyling over, make no haste, [...]ill all the fat is fallen into the fire. Thus the foolish Virgins would put no oyle into their Lampes, untill overtaken by the Bridegroome, they were refused as unserviceable. Aud thus the slothfull in the Proverbs, deferreth his travell from day untill at the last he is inforced to goe in the rain, and not able in it either to make haste or good speed, is sowsed to the skinne. And thus I have done with my three observations occasioned on my meitation of my first inducement which was the solemnes of the day, I now come unto the second, which is the sweetnesse of the Doctrine that is flowing from my Text.

My Text you heare is Love, a very necessary Text in these contentious times, whenever we our selves are troubled, are persecuted, and routed in in our Synagogues, when we cannot have those expositions, and preachings with that priviledge and security as becometh us, when the Reprobate and prophane intrude themselves into our assembly, and catch at our words to make us or odious, or ridiculous. When our feastings are made the admiration of the gluttons, and our Graces thought longer then the Prayers of the Liturgy-mongers, when our honest desires of competency in wealth is accounted coveteousnesse, and the closenesse, and wisdome of our carriages passeth for hypocrisie. Brethren, and Sisters, these are the last dayes, into which we are fallen, and it behoveth us, (mark what I say) to be as wife as Serpents, and because we are pursued, derided and traduced, (though if all things succeed according to our prayers) there will a speedy and happy period be put unto our sufferings and revilings, and we shall live to revile the reviler, and to spit in the faces of those that have opposed us let us (I say) joyne all together in one close desire, and doe as the Text enjoynes us, Love one another.

The words you heare are few, yet very remarkable, if you consider in them the drift of the Apostle, it is an exhortation to Love, wherein you shall find the Object, the Subject, and the Abject. The Object is Love, the Subject which is also the Abject is one another; I call the Subject the [Page] Abject, because we should think our selves as Abjects in this world, and not mind it nor any thing that doth belong unto it, no more then needs must, but settle our affections altogether, on the holy Assembly of our selves, defying any sociation with the wicked and prophane: from this ariseth those two Doctrines,

First, that we must hate all those that be against us.

Secondly, that the best way to love one another, is to Love our selves first.

First we must hate all those that be against us, for how can we love our selves, unlesse we hate our enemies? how can Peace be setle [...] in a Kingdome, unlesse all that seek to destroy it be utterly consumed? how can the pure light of the Gospell shine, as long as the thick night of Superstition and those monstrous rags of Rome, the Rites, and Idolatrous Ceremonies of our Church, which the proud Prelates doe put on, and practise: They are the hay, chaffe, and the stubble of Antichrist, which the breath of Reformation shall blow away, and scatter in the desarts, where there shall be none to seek it out. We must beare a perfect hate to those men and to their Arts: If we will Love one another. We must hate the Bishops as Hell, and the Prelates as the flaming smoke of Brimstone that proceedeth from it. It is no matter in what they have transgressed, for they are enemies to us, and to the musick of our Assemblies, and we are bound to hate them. They hate our Love, and we doe love their hate: What though we are not learned as the Clergy, what though we are not so great Scholars as they, Let us love one another, and make our selves not onely one Church, but one family, and be as it were one family of Love. Away with all Learning, away with all immodesty, and the trumpry of the Arts: the very Grammar is prophane, and instructs our children in the obscenenesse of Conjunctions copulative, and what a smell thinke you are they like to have when they come to Tullies Offices: Verily brethren, were that mystery of iniquity laid open to us in our mother tongue, I doe believe that the vilest jakes about this towne would not be so unsweet in the nostrills of good men, as that booke of Offices: much more may be aleadged, but I hasten to my second Use. Which serves for terrour and astonishment of heart, to all those who stile themselves by that Reprobate ti [...]le of Cavaliers, whether horsemen, or footmen, or of what degree or sex soever, these be they, who tooth and naile labour to pluck up Reformation by [Page] the root, who will have their dinners, as long as ours, and their haire longer, men of no piety, nor grace at all, who oursweare the French, out drink the Dutch, out Paramour the Turk. Bold Sonnes of Beliall, begotten on the daughters of Anak. O that they were within my reach, now Beloved, with this hand, would I hurle Seas of water to overwelm them, and with this hand balls of wildfire to consume them, with this would I throw fearfullnesse, and trembling, and with this utter ruine and desolation on them, Mark what I say, and mark well what I doe. Here would I mayme them and there would I braine them: Here would I quash them, and there would I thrash them: Here would I thrum them, and there would I burn them, & quite overcome them: here would I wound them, & there would I — O my brethren my zeal is enlarged, and me thinks I am all on a fire, which certainly at this instant would exhale me, did not your Christian patience assist me, which leads me to the third sort of men, on which we must exercise our hate, and in the first place I beseech you,

Looke not my beloved so amased and distractedly on one another, for I will speake unto you in a softer tone, and in the voice of gentlenesse. There be a third sort of men, I say, who live amongst us yet are not of us, nay they are rather directly against us, and they are they who inveigh against our assemblies, deride the purity of our doctrine, and scorne our instructions, of these we ought to be more wary, the more slily they carry themselves amongst us, and the neerer they are unto us they will prove more dangerous.

As he was preaching this, Captaine Bird and one Eeles his quartermaster were with some others at the outside of the house where this congregation was assembled, and overheard this doctrine, and with some impatience attended the end of this Sermon.

Beloved, wee have more ill birds I am afraid then Wren, and some fish too that are even as bad as Fish the Proctor. Beloved, there are fish known to most of this assembly by the name of Eeles: these Eeles as the gravest writers doe affirme delight in the most nethersome part of the water, or in the mudde from whence they doe proceed: Besides, they are of a slimy and slippery nature, slimy by reason of their propensnes unto the act of generation, and slippery by reason of their craft and ficklenes; this fish beloved (if we may beleeve Antiquity) hath a head and body resembling the old Serpent from whence it doth derive its subtilty, and [Page] instead of speaking, it hisseth. I pray God (my brethren) we have not some such fish neere us, and who sometime like the Serpent in Paradice come creeping in, even into this congregation of the Saints. Beloved, we ought I say with all care and circumspection to looke about us, and to prosecute them with the extremest hate; wherefore if any such shall attempt to circumvent us, and beare ill will unto our assemblies, let one of them be as Anathema, and the other as Maranatha. I will speake now but a word or two by the way of motive to exhort you to love one another, and so I will conclude. Doe you labour to love one another? doe you instantly and earnestly desire it? then you must love mee who am your teacher, who takes paines to informe and direct you in the right way, who do distill into your eares the doctrine of sincerity, and keepe more close unto my text then the aged man unto his chimney, or the lame man to his stilt, or the hungry man to his food: But some may here object, how may we expresse our love unto you: My brethren and sisters I will answer it briefly by enlarging your stipends and contributions to me, doe it beloved cherefully, cherefully, a cherefull giver is most excepted. You know when my sonne Iqnathan was borne what trouble I endured, what charges I was put to because I refused to have him buried according to the superstition of the English Church, and when my daughter Abigall was borne, you know againe what persecutions ensued on me, because out of the tendernesse and purenes of my conscience (which I hope you all have) I would not have him Baptized at any prophane Font, which hath bin corrupted with the superstitious Lyturgy of the Church of England, and made odious to all good Christians by the often figuring of the Idolatrous signe of the crosse. These troubles beloved have befalen me, and you know not how soone they may come upon your selves, wherefore deale bountifully with me who am ordained to be your example, and if you will ever love one another learne to love me in the first place, so shall the text and I and you come together in the end, and agree in this great and happy point of loving one another.

FINIS.

§

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Love one another: A TVB LECTVRE, PREACHED

At Watford in Hartfordshire at a Conventicle on the 25. of December last, being Christmas day, by JOHN ALEXANDER, a Joyner.

His text was taken out of the Epistle of Saint Iohn, and himselfe was taken by Captaine Bird, Lieutenant Rock, and other officers, from whom he received such usage as his doctrine did deserve; for which the said officers were commended by the Parliament.

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Printed in the yeare of private instructing.

Information about this book

Title statement

Love one another: a tub lecture, preached at Watford in Hartfordshire at a conventicle on the 25. of December last, being Christmas day, by John Alexander, a joyner. His text was taken out of the epistle of Saint Iohn, and himselfe was taken by Captaine Bird, Lieutenant Rock, and other officers, from whom he received such usage as his doctrine did deserve; for which the said officers were commended by the Parliament.

Taylor, John, 1580-1653.

Edition statement

1643

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A64178

ID [STC]

Wing T476

ID [STC]

ESTC R6037

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99872936

ID [PROQUEST]

99872936

ID [VID]

125383

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A64178)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 125383)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 15:E85[38])

Source

— Love one another: a tub lecture, preached at Watford in Hartfordshire at a conventicle on the 25. of December last, being Christmas day, by John Alexander, a joyner. His text was taken out of the epistle of Saint Iohn, and himselfe was taken by Captaine Bird, Lieutenant Rock, and other officers, from whom he received such usage as his doctrine did deserve; for which the said officers were commended by the Parliament., Taylor, John, 1580-1653..

Extent

[2], 6 p.

s.n.],. [London :: Printed in the yeare of private instructing. [1643]. (John Alexander = John Taylor.) (Illustrated t.p.) (Place and date of publication from Wing.) (Annotation on Thomason copy: "Jan: 23 1642".) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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