ENGLANDS REMEMBRANCER, OR, A thankfull acknowledgement of Parliamentary Mercies to our English-Nation.
Wherein is contained a breife enumeration of all, or the most of GODS free favours and choise Blessings multiplied on us since this Parliament first began.
By IOHN VICARS.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Vnderhill, and are to be sold at the Bible in Wood-street. M.DC.XLI.
ENGLANDS REMEMBRANCER, OR, A thankfull acknowledgement of Parliamentary Mercies to our English-Nation.
COme hither, each true Christian heart and see;
But, bring a joyfull, thankfull heart with thee.
Come see (I say) to Gods eternall praise,
His miracles of mercies in thy dayes.
1. Two Parliaments dissolv'd.
How,
2. A third called.
though two former Parliaments were broke,A third is cal'd, hopefull to strike the stroke
Of blessed reformation; to which end,
See how the Lord the peoples hearts did bend
3. Choice of Knights and Burgesses.
To choose renowned worthies there to sit,
Maugre the adverse plots t'have hindred it.
How God stirr'd-up our Scottish Brethren brave,
4. The Army of Scots our friends.
As friends, not foes, justice (with us) to crave.
In which meane time, how by Heavens providence,
5 Souldiers turne Reformers.
Souldiers ith' Country, with strange violence
Turn'd rude Reformers,
6 And haters of Papists and Pontificians.
hating the Popish-partyAnd Pontificians with despight most hearty.
Crossing the Papists and the Prelates plots,
7. Prelates plots crost.
To force fierce warrs betwixt us and the Scots,
To three great Kingdoms certain Desolation,
8. The Pacification.
All crossed by a blest Pacification:
[Page 2] Scatt'ring and batt'ring (that time) Spaines great Fleet,
9 Spanish-fleet at Sea, vanquished by the Hollanders.
By honest Holland, who, their pride did meet,
How God begins t'avenge th'unpater'nd ruth,
10 M. Burton, D B [...]st. M. Pr [...]ns. happy return from captivity.
Of that pair-royall-Witnesses of Truth,
11. And the rest of Christs sufferers.
And all the suffering Worthies of the same,
Restoring them to comfort, credit, fame.
How God hath shot those impious Canoniers
By cursed Canons to deep shame and feares,
12. Canons and Oath in the [...]ynod damned.
Of fatall,
13. And turn'd to their owne ruine.
finall fall, even by an Oath,Wherby they hop'd to get full Popi [...]h growth.
How Heaven discovered hath a rotten-Sort
Of scandalous Baals-Priests of foule report;
14. Scandalous Priests discovered.
And open set a Doore of restauration
For faithfull Pastours happy re-plantation.
15. Golly Pastors restored.
How,
16. Plots harme the Prelates most.
by their own plots▪ God hath strangely wroughtPapists and Prelates to decline to nought.
How by the very blood of traiterous foes
17. Traitors executed
The Lord begins the wounds to heale and close
Of Church and State, and, for this purpose,
18. Dayes of private humiliation by godly Christia [...]s.
hathKindled the fire of Supplicating Faith
And fervent Zeale in private humiliation,
Such, as the like was nere seen in this Nation;
And with transcendent sweet returns re-paid
Our prayers into our bosomes with blest aid.
19. And returns of their prayers
How the Lord hath, the Spirit of Unity
Shed on Both Houses, Courage and Constancy;
20. Blessed Vnion in Both Houses.
O, how their indefatigable paines
Our happy Hopes in Church and State maintains!
To see both Prince and People blessedly
Conjoyned in a sugred Symphony
To sit and to consult with full content,
21. Agreement twixt King and Parliament.
Till they themselves dissolve this Parliament.
And after it to sit triennially
To Church and States future felicity.
22. A trieniall Parliament enacted
To see Ship-money,
23 Ship mony & Patiēts dāned
Pattents damned down,24. Good men made officers of State.
And good men set in seates of high renown.
[Page 3] To see Non-Residents justly disgrac'd,
25. Non-Residents voted against.
To see our lazy Pluralists displac'd;
26. Pluralist voted against.
And godly Lecturers by their flock elected,
27. Lecturers rightly chosen.
And droanish Deanes
28. Deanes and Chapters voted downe.
and Prebends disrespectedAnd voted-down in Parliament. To see,
Oxford and Cambridge hopefull purg'd to be.
29. Vniversities reformed.
To see Gods Sabbaths more sincerely kept,
30. Sabbaths better sanctified
Of Carryers, Fruit'rers, Taverns soyle well swept;
31. Printing Presses opened.
And Presses open wide to vindicate
The Sabbaths precious honour, which, of late,
By impious Prelates, Pontificks profane,
32. Sabbath-sports put downe.
Had (by vain sports) receiv'd a deep-dy'd stain.
To see to th'Sacrament,
33 Lords-Supper rectified.
none (now) admittedBut such as piously are therto fitted,
To see the Surplice and such Romish trash
From Parliament receive a deadly gash,
34. Popish Ceremonies sentenced.
Wherby no Popish gestures, vestures are
Impos'd'gainst Conscience on Gods Saints to weare.
And no man forced (now) at Church to stay
35 Liberty to heare the word more freely.
Where is no preaching to promote Gods day.
To see Gods Out-casts called home again
36. Persecuted Pastors recalled
And sonnes of Beliall feele just shame and pain.
No High-Commission, Sp'rituall-Court to see,
37 No High Commission Court admitted.
Wherby Gods peoples hearts from feares are free,
Of their unjust Commands, lawlesse taxations
And all Church-wardens clear'd from vile vexations.
38. Church-wardens freed.
To see our Seas and Cinque-Ports fortify'd;
39. Sea's and Cin (que)-Ports fortifide.
That we may und'r our Vines securely 'bide.
But, specially to see, with exultation
From Both the Houses a blest Protestation,
40. A blessed Protestation
Together, all true English-hearts to tye,
In a blest league, Romes Strumpet to defie,
Against all Popery and Popish Innovations.
All Popish Innovations to disdain,
Christs Truth toth' death constantly to maintain.
O, who cannot these Halcyon-dayes admire,
And with enflamed Zeale be set on fire.
[Page 4] To sound the praises of our bounteous Lord
Who these heart-cheering comforts doth afford
Unto a Nation, in th'esteeme of most,
For Sin, forsaken, perishing and lost.
But,
A proper Simile.
now, much like a Ship by swelling-wavesTost to and fro,
England compared to a Ship tost at Sea.
gaping to be the gravesOf all its heartlesse Marriners, but yet
A sodain calm and faire windes favouring it,
'Tis brought in saf [...]ty to a harbour faire
Where all arive, where all preserved are:
So, O, even so, thy God in mercy free,
O England, England,
Admonition to England.
thus preserved thee!Hopelesse and helplesse: Lay this then to heart,
Rouse up thy Soule, perform thy praising part.
O great King CHARLES,
Counsell to the King.
cheer-up thy soul, likewise,Ponder these ponderous things, arise, arise,
High time to put-on resolutions rare,
To honour God, who with such honours faire
Hath blessed thee and thy three Kingdomes,
Reformation desired.
now,A thorough Reformation in them vow.
5 Princely Petitioners to our King.
Remember also and Commiserate
1 Thy royall Sisters poore Palatinate,
2 Sad Germanies long lamentable woes;
3 Rochell, like Rachell in her childlesse throwes.
4 Thy neare allyed Denmarke in distresse,
5 Holland thine honest, ancient friend no lesse.
Who All, with Us, and on Us, looke for ayd.
From thee, great Prince, who long have been ore-layd
With Romish rage and Spanish cruelty,
Gainst Spaine and Rome.
Still groaning, grieving, by their tyranny,
To forward which most blessed worke,
Helpes at hand.
behold,Thy prudent Peeres
1. Peeres.
resolv'd with courage bold,Thy pious Prophets
2. Prophets.
with their prayers addrest,Thy people
3. People.
all with hearts and purses prest,To give thee all their aide, to spend their blood,
To hasten-on this work so great, so good.
[Page 5] And, O our God, let thy good Spirit strike-in,
4. A Prayer.
To make the work compleat, to pull-down sin,
To set-up Christ in his pure, powerfull throne
To rule and raign in all our hearts, Alone.
So shall we All, all our remaining dayes
To thee our God eternall trophies raise
Of all obliged praises infinite,
Who, thus, to do us good, dost take delight.
FINIS.
[...]
[...]