BEcause I know you were at a distance when that fu­rious, never to be forgot­ten, and never enough to be lamented Fire, begun the 2. of Septemb. desolated our Native City, the glory of England and of Eu­rope, London; In which, I, your Com­patriot, formerly happy in it, am now a great sufferer with it; I think it a just service to the publique, and no unac­ceptable present to you, to endeavour such an account of the commencement, [Page 2] progress and conclusion of it, as both mine own view, and the faithful re­port of others assists me to; that as God may have the glory of his just judge­ment on a populous and rich City dis­persed and impoverished, so men may see the dreadful effects of providence, untutelar to their acquisitions, and call off their hearts and confidences, from these sublunaries, to God, who only can bring them to us, and preserve them with us, and by whom only they can be transformed into comforts, (which as elementary and vicissitudina­rious, they can in no true sense be. For the fashion of this world passeth a­way,) and the glory of it being but as a Flower of the Field; to set the heart upon that which has wings and flyes away, will we, nill we, is to be as ac­cessary to our own deception, as weak­ness and wilfulness can make us, or misery and judgement can continue us to be.

And because (Sir) it is bruited abroad by some that this fatal acci­dent had a more than ordinary express of fury, that is, that London was fired from Heaven, as was Sodom and Go­morrah [Page 3] of old, though say they, God restrained the Fire from such dismal effects as then were permitted it: And others referr it to the spight and fur­therance of male-content Villanes, and mischievous Forreigners, greedy thus to revenge themselves of us, for our stout demeanours towards them, and our great successes against them, which they judge no otherwise ballanceable than by this spoil and non-such disap­pointment, equal, if not paramount, to any other diversion: because (Sir) I say men are so variously acted in this Euroclydon of Providence, which has been so stupifying to every mans sen­ses, that either was a compassionate spectator, or a concerned sufferer in the spoil and loss of that once famous place, which Tacitus so long ago terms, Nobilissimum emporium & commeatu ne­gotiatorum maxime celebre; I have ad­ventured to write my thoughts of the rise, nature, and circumstances of the Fire, and to beg your patience and par­don both to them and me.

And here (Sir) I must confess though I adore the greatness of God, [Page 4] and deplore the grievousness of the sin of London, for which God may justly bring upon it, not only what he has, but greater and more eradicating judge­ments, such as he expresses, when he be­gins he will make an end by, and the fire of his wrath shall burn, and none shall quench it. Though whatsoever of this that might have been more, is the deserved severity of God to its many and monstrous sins, yet doe I not be­lieve that this Fire was like that of So­dom and Gomorrah, for that was fire from the Lord out of Heaven, Gen. 19. 24. Fire not only of wasting things combustible, but Fire of exinanition to to the earth and soyl, incapacitating it to produce necessaries for the life of man and beast, converting the sub­stance of the place into Brimstone and Salt and Burning, as the Lord para­phraseth on Sodoms judgement, Deut. 29. 33. so that it became desert, ne­ver to be dwelt in again. Isaiah 13. 19. for such fire, like the waters on the old world, God may be only thought once to exemplifie his power by, and to fix the fear and awe of him in the minds [Page 5] of men, insolent against him, whose greatness it can reach, whose obdurati­on it can penetrate, whose fixation in the world it can dissettle; God who has said his spirit shall not always strive with man, forasmuch as he is but dust, lest the spirit that he hath created should fail before him, makes all judgement his strange work, and therefore such stupendious ones as this, he may be thought to ac­count much more his strange work: once indeed he has appeared in flaming Fire and devouring Brimstone to So­dom and the City of the rich and fertile plain, who were sinners before the Lord, that is, who because they were rich were riotous, and because they had a­bundance from the soyl which was rank and lusty, gave themselves up to luxury and pride; (For the sins of Sodom were idleness and fulness of bread.) Once more he will send his Son in flaming Fire to dissolve the world and render ven­geance to his enemies; but his intercur­rent judgements of Fire between this first & that last president of unparallel­ledness, are alloyed by mixtures of mer­cy in them. And I perswade my self of [Page 6] this nature was the late judgement by Fire upon London, a City not like Sodom without Priest and without Magistrate, whose vices and insolencies bore down both ordinances of Church and State. Londons fulness of bread and idleness were no publick and owned effronte­ries, no such wickedness as Sodom had was setled by a law, or practised against law in her, no rioters against Angels were her inhabitants as the Sodomites were, no murmurers were they against Gods soveraignty as the Sodomites were, ver. 13. Therefore God in the midst of judgement remembred mercy to London; God overthrew not only Sodom and Gomorrah, but all the Cities of the plain, giving Zoar only for a Sanctuary to one Lot; but God has not destroyed the Suburbs of London or the neighbouring City to it, but re­served them for a shelter to her many thousand inhabitants; God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in a moment, Lament. 4. 6. by a special and not to be disputed finger of God, no mortal instrument co-operating, no culinary fire being so speedy in its consumpti­ons, [Page 7] but God exercised his judgements on London gradually that the spectators might by the sight of their punishment, bewail the ingratitude of their sin deserving it; God overthrew all the Inhabitants of Sodom, and that which grew upon the ground of it, but God has preserved the Inhabitants of Lon­don and much of their riches to be a seed of succession and a door of hope to its future restauration. God petri­fied Lot's wifes body as a standing mo­nument of his wrath upon her, but for looking back upon Sodom whence she was delivered, with commiserati­on of it and wish of better fortune to it, but God has delivered the inhabi­tants of London to look to London with pity and to praise him for their deliverance, and they wish its re-edify­ing, I hope, without sin, and will set on to build it, I hope, without inter­ruption. Lastly, Sodoms judgement is termed Eternal fire, 7v. Jude as if God had made those monstrous sinners, who tur­ned the glory of God into shame, to have a Hell both here and hereafter, unusual sinners punished with unusual [Page 8] judgements; But Londons doom, I hope, is not such, for God has given its inhabitants the spirit of grace and of supplication, and though they have ashes for beauty, and the spirit of hea­viness for the garment of salvation, yet are they submissive to God, and ac­cepters of his correction, and abiders by it till he release them from it. And hence it is (Sir) that I conclude since London was that City when it was fired that had a people and thousands of them that feared God sincerely; if in any part of the world God had a chosen generation, and a people nigh unto him, the judgement of fire sent upon it was not miraculous and extra­ordinary as those fires we read consu­med the Sacrifice on the Altar, 9, 10. of Levit. Lib. 3. c. 9. Iosephus lib. 8. An­tiq. Iudic. c. 7. l. 8. c. 2. or that which consumed the Flesh upon the Altar upon Elias his Prayer, or that which destroyed the Souldiers, sent to apprehend Elias, or that which consumed Solomon's Sa­crifice, 1 Chron. chap. 8. all which with other the like Fires in Scripture was by Lightning, fire darted from Heaven upon them, and prevalent beyond all [Page 9] natural operation and activity sepera­ted from the addition of Gods penall power in it, no such Fire I humbly conceive was this, but that Fire which the providence of God suffered to fall out by the mediation of concurring circumstances specifique to that Issue and productive of the consequences of it.

Yet Secondly I humbly also conceive this Fire of desolation, not to be barely natural, but to be signal of some­thing supernatural, for Gods not exer­ting his power to hinder it, is the tacite commissioning of nature to ex­press its utmost of active evil, that is, of penal truculency, which only is mi­tigated and asswaged by God, who says to the Sea, hitherto shalt thou go, and to the Plague, Sword, Famine, Fire, beyond this bound yee shall not pass. Which considered, there may several particulars be mentioned which might subserve to this ruine;

As first the general and malicious con­junctions of enemies ab [...]o [...]d who know­ing London the Governments Epitome, the Copy from the life of this Empires [Page 10] Majesty, the second Throne of Rega [...] Glory, the readiest and most certain supply of all necessaries for Offence or Defence, the great Sanctury of Protestantisme, the almost all of Great Britain, this so combined in London to her Soveraigns lustre, the Nations supply, and her opposites disappoint­ment, might rationally originate evill thoughts against her, and thence evil practises upon her, and as the chief and most fatal to her this of Fire; which as it hastneth the spoil, so both terrifieth the inhabitants, and gives rise through the suddenness of its con­fusion to any discontented numbers in her, whose designs being tenebrious, and their Partizans lewd and despe­rate, can have no sitter an opportunity to act a Sicilian Vespers, or a Parisian Massacre in, then in that mist and fog of danger and inconsideration, where­in every ones particular concern be­comes a neglect of the publick, and the Nerves, Sinews, and Arteries of Governments contexture become shri­velled [...]p, and by reason of their vio­lent Convulsions, incorrespondent to [Page 11] their general designment; This wa [...] one of those evils that might have made, and probably was designed to make the time of the Fire more fatal than God in goodness suffered it to prove; for since contemptor propriae vitae Magister tuae is a true rule, and it is riveted in the corrupt nature of man to revenge injuries by destruction of the Soul, body, substance and being of enemies, and mens ambitions are most keen in exploits for their Countreys, to cause good to which, a Great spirit would not only beg off a believed curse, as that Venetian Senator did the Popes interdiction of Venice, with a Rope about his neck, lying like a dog at the Popes feet, and not being to be drawn thence till he obtained it, but with Codrus dye to obtain his Countreps liberty, I say considering that policy tempts power to scruple little, that is, its advantage, and that where ever there is mony to give, there will be service to exchange for it, be the fact as horrid and sanguinary as that of Faux or any like it; and con­sidering that no mischief done us can [Page 12] amount to any thing like this to Lon­don, it is not improbable but that this Fire might be first kindled in the re­venge, and then lighted further by the hands of miscreants hired there­unto;Quoniam benefaci­endo non potuit in­notescere, male agen­do innotes­ceret. for did not Herostratus a base Fellow,Iosephus Antiq. lib. [...]8. c. 1. lib. 7. de Bello Iud. c. 10. purely to have a name for vil­lany, set on fire the famous Temple of Ephesus, the worlds wonder? &c. Did not Iudas the Gaulomite, and Sadoc the Pharisee, with his lewd comorades, set on fire the Temple of Ierusalem? And a single Souldier of Vespasian's burn a se­cond time the Temple at Ierusalem contrary to Vespasian's mind, and though he came with Souldiers to quench it, yet the Souldiers continued it burning that they might come at the Gold which they believed it full of; and if this hath been the course of other things, why should we not consider that what has been may be, and what is to London so dreadful, may as probably be the effect of such ma­lignant counsels as ever ruled hereto­fore to prodigies, if not parallel to, yet second to this; I see no cause not to suspect it now, when this which is pro­bable [Page 13] enough to be the wisdom of the children of this world, shall be confirmed by confessions of parties, agents, by depositions of confedera­cies, threats, preparations and agitati­ons by persons banished the land, or capital offenders for being in the land, when notwithstanding the Laws pe­nal in force against them,27. Eliz. 2. they shall abide and be in the very face of pow­er,35. Eli. 2. and glory in the confusions that by Parties and Fire they have made,1. lac. 4. There is just cause to fear there be many Michalls amongst us. 3. Car. 2. And let us (in Blessed King James his words) rejoyce and praise God for the discovery of them, Par. 88. of his works in Folio. assuring our selves they were never of us, accounting all them to be against us, that either rejoyce at the prosperity of our ene­mies, or rejoyce not with us at our mi­raculous deliverance, and let us also dili­gently and warily try out those crafty Michalls, for it is in that respect that Christ recommends unto us the wisdom of Serpents, not thereby to deceive and betray others, no, God forbid, but to arm us against the deceit and treason of Hypo­crites that go about to trap us▪ Thus [Page 14] that Solomon of his time wrote, ad­ding his weighty reason, That these Me­ditations of mine may after my death remain to the posterity, as a certain te­stimony of my upright and honest mean­ing in this so weighty a cause; Pag. 81. from which I collect this positively, that not to be prudently zealous, and poli­tickly severe to men of bloody and active principles, who are by the Breves of their holy Father comman­ded not to take The Oath of Allegiance, Paul the 5 in his B [...]ief to the Eng­lish Ca­tholiques. cited p. 254. of K. Iames because this Oath cannot be taken with safety of the Catholick Faith, and of their souls health, since it containeth many things that are plainly and directly con­trary to their Faith and and Salvation; and who embrace this as Divine Canon, which I do not believe all Romanists do, whom Secretary Wallsington styled Papists of softnesse and conscience, though the Jesuited sort, Papists of Faction undoubtedly do; I say, not to take notice of these dangers is much a blemish to the integrity of Refor­med Religion in the hearts of those that are guilty of it, which to clear themselves from, as of old there has [Page 15] been prudent regard to those Engi­neers of disturbance, who to relieve their Religion from Captivity as they pretend, have in the days of Queen Elizabeth and King Iames, Princes of Eternal memory, raised invasions and conspiracies, and of latter days have carryed them on, hanging forth Pi­rats colours to suppress true men till they displayed a Papal interest under the Vizzard of a popular Re­formation;See Faux and Win­ter's examinat on at the Powder P [...]ot. p. 231, 233, 234. which though it were by wise men perceived, yet was permitted by God to punish our too much favour to them,Apolog. for the O [...]th of Allegi. p. 252, 264. 270 who do not only main­tain Parracides and Rebelli­ons;Speed in H. 8. p. 790. some of which the Raign of Hen. And the Pope in­stigated the Princes and Subjects o Eng. against H. 8. Speed p. 783. 8. shews, who was a Prince of their own perswasi­ons, though he opposed the Popes power over him, for which many of his Popish Subjects opposed him, (though they paid dear for it,) as still many such would do if they had power; and if the maximes of their State Fathers the Iesuites had, that power with them that here­tofore [Page 16] they had; for though it must be acknowledged, many of the Eng­lish Romanists are and may be good Subjects, because they have and will I hope take the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy without Papal dispensation Stat. 28. H. 8. c. 10. or mental reservation, which declares their fidelity to the Crown and Go­vernment; yet are there many that are so far from so doing (because they are taught that salvis principiis they cannot do it) that they will ra­ther hazzard any thing than do it; and I am contented they that will not do it, should rather hazzard their any thing, then the Kings and our All. As I say these preliminations ushered in Laws of purgation, prevention and punishment heretofore to be made, so do they upon presumptions of equi­valent prudence prompting thereunto, solicite and warrant the revival of those laws vigours, Now in this nick of time wherein the Gangreen of en­mity against Englands glory, and its Empires prosperity, is so combined against; And I bless God and the Great King and Parliament of England [Page 17] now sitting,In His Ma­jesti [...]s Pr [...]c a­m [...]tion of the 10. of Nov. 1666. upon the desires of His two Houses of Parlia­ment. c. 25. de mo­narchia hi­spanica. for their vigilance and zeal in this provision lately concluded against the evil instruments, and evil effects of such disloyalty as the Iesu­ited Engineers have raised against us, not only that of Wars, (which their Campanella has long since counselled to and is now brought about,) but also all other ways of subjecting this Crown and Subjects to their Catholick Tyran­ny, which (not only that Anonymus au­thor Revelatio consillii Tridertini set forth in French, and then suppressed, though since about 1620. printed in Latine, has made good by irrefragable instances, which I here would have set down verbatim, had not my copy with other things of mine been burned in Syon Colledge,) but many other Authors have given us severalties, which sum­med up together, makes out such secret Policies & bloody Practises, tending to the like funest issues: Witness the boast of the Duke of Alva a little before his death, that he had caused neer 18000. persons to be under the Executioner for several sorts of punishment for Re­ligion sake: Witness that speech of [Page 18] Phillip the Second of Spain, Thuanus l. 85. 98. that he had rather lose all his Provinces than seem to grant or favour any thing which might be prejudicial to the Catholick Religion; so in the pacification of Colen, Anno 1580. the Spanish Mini­sters of State declared openly that the Protestants would be well served if they were stripped of all their goods and forced to go seek new Countreys like Iews and Egyptians, who wander up and down like Rogues and Vaga­bonds: Witness that boast of Cardinal Granuellanus, who was wont to say, that he would reduce the CatholickGaspar. Grevinus in Institut. p. 192. B [...]llaeus de actis Pont. Religion in all places, though 100000. men were to be burned in an hour; and reported it is, that in less then 30. years the Spanish Inquisition did con­sume by various torments and sundry kinds of death 150000. yea, so hate­ful is any thing of Reformed Religion to them,Campa­nella c. 16. de monarc. Hisp. that not only doth a man of note of their Church blame Charles the fifth Emperor for keeping his word with Luther, which he says he kept va­num clementiae famam aucupans, affe­cting the vain fame of clemency, and [Page 19] that which reason of State ought to have excused him from; but if, says he, he did well in such a punctilio, yet post in domuitione illum eundem oppri­mere debuisset atque principes Prote­stantes De comitiis [...]ormaci­entibus & Augustio­nis, c. 27. jam suppressos prorsus extinguere; That is, when he was upon his return home he ought to have surprised him, and utterly extinguished all the Protestant Princes he had power over: And, if I am not mis-informed, it was disputed amongst the Inquisitors, whether the bones of Charles the fifth were not to be digged up and burned, because be­fore his death he seemed to be incli­ned to the opinion, That man is only saved through faith in Christ. Yea, that Learned and Good Son, of a Match­less Father, Dr. Du Mouliu, Answer to Philanax Ang. p. 58, 59. evidences the kindness and charity of Jesuited Romanists to consist in no better fruits of piety to us, than to censure the Pro­testant Reformers (Soveraign Princes and their Loyal Subjects) and the Re­formation it self (though done by their authority) guilty of Rebellion and High Treason, calling it the new Gospel, Iusti­fies Mariana and the Iesuites against [Page 20] those that object to them their Doctrine of King killing, cryes down Protestants as persons not to be trusted with the Go­vernment of the State, or suffered to live in any Common-wealth; bestows upon them the most odious terms that he could devise, Traytors, Diabolical, Cockatri­ces, Infernal Spirits, and such wilde terms. And yet while that Author reviles the Religion that our Gracious King, his Loyal Parliament and Sub­jects are of, and inveighs against them as unworthy the trust of Government, he has the impudence to style himself Philanax Anglicus. And King Iames of blessed memory has long ago char­ged it as an abuse of his Lenity, that though he had honoured many Papists with Knighthood, that they were known and open Recusants, though he did indis­serently give audience and access to both sides bestowing equally all Favours and Honours on both professions, all Ranks and Degrees of Papists, had free and con­tinual access in his Court and Company, that he frankly and freely did free Re­cusants of their ordinary payments, and gave out of his own mouth strait order to [Page 21] spare the execution of all Priests, not­withstanding their conviction, joyning thereunto a gracious Proclamation where­by all Priests that were at liberty and not taken, might go out of the Country by such a day: This general pardon ha­ving been extended to all convicted Priests in Prison, whereupon they were set at liberty as good Subjects, and all Priests that were taken after, sent over and set at liberty there; notwithstanding all his Royal clemency, beyond which so zealous a Protestant Prince as he was, could not warrantably go; the good Kings charge on the Papists was such, that not only the Papists themselves, grew to that height of pride, in confidence of my mildness, that they did directly ex­pect, and assuredly promise to themselves Liberty of Conscience and Equality with other of my Subjects in all things; but even a number of the best and faithful­lest of my said Subjects were cast in great fear and amazement of my course and proceedings, ever prognosticating, Pag 253. In the A­pologie for the Oath of Allegian. and justly suspecting that sowre fruits to come of it, which shewed it self clearly in the Powder Treason: Thus the King.

[Page 22] If I say the confidence and enmity of the Jesuited confederacy be such, when the power of the Nation is (bles­sed be God) not theirs, nor the hun­dredth man in the Nation theirs, and when they have all the favour Sub­jects that are sober and conformable to Law can have or be happy with; what would the courtesie of England be less then Banishment, Fire, Faggot and Slaughter, if they were in power and had their will, and if their devi­ces were not by the boast, bra­ving, and appearing of their activity, taken notice of, and the Nation there­by remembred, that danger is design­ed by those homines novae fectae & ma­lefica superstitionis qui republicam tur­babant, as the words of the arrest of the French Parliament for expulsion of the Jesuites are? with which the Statute ofEt per Ie­su [...]tas Fa­ct [...]oois Hi­spaniae e­missar o [...] vulgi ani­mos solici­tasse at (que) hoc rebelli­onum la­cendium in Gallia quae side erga [...]gitimos Principes ante illa tempora precipua suit, &c. Thuanus l. 101. To 5. 27. Eliz. c. 2. consents, when it declares them to be sent, as hath ap­peared by sundry of their own confessions and examinations, as by divers other manifest means and proofs, not only to withdraw her Majesties Subjects from their due obedience to Her Majesty, but also [Page 23] to stir up and move Sedition, Rebellion and Hostility!

All which suggestions (Sir) laid to­gether amount to this, that probable it may be, that the Fire in London might be the effect of desperate de­signs and complotments from abroad, shrowded under and seconded by some male-contents at home, because it seems to me of such consequences to Forraign purposes, not only by be­coming an opportunity for commoti­on, and the dreadful consequences of it (had not God in mercy restrained them) but also by retarding the supplies of men, mony, and all other necessaries for peace and war, which thence are best readiest, and in fuller proportion ser­ved than from the greatest part of the Nation besides, and if sup­pliable elsewhere, yet with more charge, more difficulty, less constantly, less plenarily.

Which has ever kept up the honour and influence of London; for had it not been for the River of Thames, and the portability of that which it brings up to the Keyes of London, which drew and [Page 24] kept together. Trade, and t [...]ereby plenty of men and mony, London would not have been so deservedly ac­counted the Chamber of her Kings, the Seat of their Government, the Mart of the Nations Trade, the Ma­gazine of the Nations wealth, for en­emies and enviers she has ever had more than many, and those of the great men, some of whom have had the face to court their Daughters, and with their portions to redeem their Lands mort­gaged,See my defence of Arms and Ar­mory printed Anno 1660. and to inherit more by them, yet forgot the gratitude they owe and ought to pay to their Fathers, made what they are in London; yea, London has ever had more rough and op­probrious scorns cast upon her by the issues of Citizens, grown men of Coun­try Fortunes got in London, then by any more noble Country Gentleman: Which considered, if London were not such a useful part of England, as the heart is in the body, it would not have been of such import as it was; but such it being, it must by a parity of reason become the mark of this Kingdoms enemies malice for so be­ing, [Page 25] and thence must follow unavoid­ably, that all designs of ruine and di­minution are formed and executed a­gainst her, for her so being.

Thus (Sir) it may be probable the instigation to it was from abroad: Nor Secondly, can it be denied but that it may be furthered from a party at home, who being mixed, partly consti­tuted of men differing in main points of Religion and of dangerous principles in Civil Policy, and of men loose in Life and indigent of Fortune, may both rejoyce in, and be helpers for­ward of the doom of London, which while Loyal and under due Obedience to lawful Government they look up­on as the only check to their exorbi­tancy, and the only probable ballance to their mutinous preponderations? for though I well know they do not all agree in first principles, yet may they conjoyn in the design of ren­dring their opposites, (as they account all men who are for legal settlements, & subject-like demeanour) less potent, and their enmity less formidable, which makes the case of London more [Page 26] deplorable▪ in that it had not only a contest with the Fire to quench it, but also with the virulent vulgar, and the deboshed libertines nessed in her, whose necessities and vices as they pinch them, so will they provoke them to any destructive course in sup­plement to them. For London, as all o­ther promisouous aggregations of men, having vast Suburbs, and (those inha­bited by multitudes of men, and those under a loose Shire Government, and many of those single Persons, Game­sters, and others of shuffling life, or married persons, full of charge and poverty,) undergoes a great danger from those insolent and needy num­bers, who if not restrained by strong Watches, and Trained bands ready upon all summons, and hindred rise or conjunction by vigilant Officers, and Popular readiness to seize upon In­surrectors, would undoubtedly upon any general and amazing contingent, become vexatious and bloudy, which being the apprehension of Govern­ment has caused it in all times of fear to survey the Out-parts, and take ac­count [Page 27] of all Inmates, requiring the Inhabitants to be responsible for them, and upon survey of their number about 1647. I remember the number of them who lived in the Out-parts and were in­dependent on Government, as to their charge to or in it, was said to be many thousands. And how dangerous these added to the other poor members of Parishes and Masters of Sheds and Houses are, is easie to be judged and has been found by sad experience in the Fire, the loss of which was much in the Goods imbezzelled, and the Thefts committed by them upon pre­tence of helping forth goods and hin­dring the approaching Fire, as well as in the actual consuming by the Fire, (the houses only excepted,) and proba­bly those in a good part had been sa­ved, had they restrained their hands from theft, and imployed them to ma­ster the Fire, by handing water, pul­ling down houses, ridding away ma­terials mingled with the Fire, and ob­serving the commands of provident and knowing leaders in that (so im­ployed) saving service. But their de­sign [Page 28] being not what wontedly (though stealing has been ever in fashion in those cases) so much to stay the Fire and aid the sufferers and their neigh­bours, yea, and the whole City which ought to be concerned in the misery of any part of it, as to prog for them­selves, and to pilfer from them whom the Fire sufficiently threatned, and at last preyed upon; the Fire had no im­pediment from their labour, nor the removers any benefit by their fidelity, but they either valued their labour so high that no losers purse could well reach to it, (by reason of which some ordinary House-keepers were put to 40. pound charge but to remove from the Fire, and some few of the more stored sort as I have been informed at neer 400. pound,) or accepted in­gagement, that under pretence of it they might colour and act their de­signed falshood; for though many there were that gave and could give great rates for honest Carts and La­bourers, yet others there were that could not reach it, monies being not so flush with them, nor they so stored [Page 29] with it on Saturday nights, men then paying out all on Saturdays their pay day; and those who had thus drayned themselves were certainly put to great straits, being either forced to give one part to carry away the rest, or to leave all to the fire; the mercies of which was cruelty to all that it came neer; the flight from which gave opportunity to mis-carriage of thou­sands of pounds worth of goods, and to many thefts of goods lodged in open places, Fields and others for pre­sent riddance out of danger and ho­ped for security from it, which as it frowardly proved, became a remo­val out of the danger of Fire, into the Den of Thieves; so that indeed in some sense, the City, that rich and glo­rious seat of Merchants and other Tradesmen, who were as those of Tyre are said to be [...], the Ho­nourable of the Earth, Members of the Crowning City, which imployed the Nations younger Brothers and Si­sters, and restored them in their po­sterities, of elder Brothers Fortunes and Honours. The City, that I think [Page 30] I may say was one of the wonders of the world, if Pope Innocent the fourth were a competent judge, who desi­red not with Moses to see Gods glory, but to see with Satan the World and the glory of it, summed together in the riches of London, and the rarities at Westminster; this riches in some de­gree, and the subsistance of the inha­bitants thereof, was as well devoured by the Suburbian thieves, and by the Countreys extortion for their Carts and conveniencies, as by the Fire; all which had their respective share in laying load upon Londons broken back, and upon the general distraction of, and in it.

Which I note, not to lay an Impu­tation upon all assistants, either as Labourers or as Carts; for some, and many I hope, and know by relation, to have been very honest and reasonable, but into those honest and happy hands God knows many of my goods fell not, nor the goods of thousands more, but into the hands of those Harpyes that devoured all they took, and cryed Give give, never to return again; [Page 31] whereupon the argument must stand good, that the riches of London be­ing only the posessors during the vi­gour of Laws and the ability of the Magistrate to circumspect every part of his charge, all disability of thine so to do, and so this distraction of the Fire must demolish the wall of sepe­ration, and draw a line of level to whatever industry and villany during that rage will prey upon. For as In­ter arma silent leges, so inter flammas cessat proprietas, and in such case Oc­cupancy is judged by men unconscio­nable the best title, and the after Pro­clamations may endevour, return and threaten detension of goods so unjust­ly gotten, and some out of honesty, and othes out of fear may return some parts, and others out of envy to those that have more than they may dis­close things that by these means may come to the owners hands; yet not­withstanding all these, there will not be thetenth of the goods restored that were carried away purely in theft; so great and effectual a temptation is op­portunity, to need where it is not re­strayned [Page 32] by conscience, nay in this harrass of Fire, and that so generally ab­sorptive of the City, then there is some­what towards authorizing a scruple of conscience, and absolving persons from the guilt of theft; In that what they took being in a kind of Land­wreck, wherein no body owned goods, and they deserted and left to the Fire, must have been consumed; better they were taken away by any to whom they would do good, then consumed by the Fire which does no­thing but hurt. And if they will now part with their dubious titles upon reasonable terms, they that took away goods in a sort wrongfully, will prove themselves preservers not raptors, which I in a great measure distrusting, do conclude that though the Fire in London might not come, yet it might be negatively continued from those needy numbers who fish in trou­bled waters, being like the vul­tures in publico malo falcies, carry­ing more from two or three dayes such disorder, then they will by labour or patrimony get or save to themselves all their lives. There is a story in Iose­phus [Page 33] of the Fire in Antioch which con­sumed the four square Market-place, the publick place where all Writings and Registers were kept, as also the Kings Houses; which Fire so increased that it threatned firing the whole City; Antiochus accused the Jews to be the incendiaries, and all the Jews were like to be slain upon the suspi­tion and bruit of it;Book 7. c. 25. de bello Iu­dic. but Collega ap­peasing the people, and further in­quiring into the matter, found the Jews wholly innocent, but certain in­pious people had done this being im­debted, thinking that when they had burned the Market places, and the publick writings, that then their debts could not be required at their hands. And though if men thought seriously upon the judgements of God on such evill works and ways, such gains would prove but like the hire of a Mic 1. 7. Jos. 7. 21, [...]4. Harlot, or like the wedge of Achan, or the Babylonish garment, a curse to them and theirs, yet posession being nine points of ten of the Law to them, the advantage they in present (for fur­ther they look not) have by it, carries [Page 34] them out to withdraw assistance from hindring its progress, which by their manual labour they might probably have done; so that though what has been written is intended to satisfie so full as it can, You (Sir) and all that read this, from concluding this to be from a supernatural cause, that is from Fire darted upon it from Heaven; yet does it not, nor can it in the least drive at making it a bare accident and a nude casualty, but a just and severe judgement of God upon the place and nation, auxiliated and perfected by concurrence of circumstances, be­nign to, and corresponding with a vastative event; nor is any evill of punishments on Cities, or Men, or Nations, but from God concurring with it, and exciting and carrying forth instruments to the accomplishing of it,Ex. 13. 3 The deliverance from the capti­vity of Aegypt, The raising of the Syrians against Israel, The defection Ezek. 9. 23. 1 Km. 11. 12, 13. of the ten Tribes from Rehoboam, The Jer. 29. 4. Jer. 27. 9. Jer. 32. 3. captivity in­to Babylon, The desolation Mi. 3. 12. Zec 1. 12. Luke 21. 20. of Ierusalem by Vespasian, The afflictions of 2. Sam. 13. 14, 15. David from his childrens lust and insolency, [Page 35] the Sanguis martyrum semen Ec­clesiae. misery Job 1. 12. of Iob from Satans inrode upon him and his, The storm 1, & 2. c. Jonah. upon Io­nah for his disobedience, The temptation of Mat. 26. & 14 Mat. Peter for his self-confidence, The thorn 2 Cor. 12. 7. in the s [...]esh for Saint Pauls eleva­tion; The persecution of the Primi­tive Martyrs, which were the Chur­ches Spawn, The Translations of Em­pires, The advance and reducements of families, The Marches and Coun­ter-marches of men and things out of one posture into another, all these are circumacted by God imploying in­struments of his in the managery of them. Thus though by good and evil spirits God leads about the world and all in it, bringing them into the mold and method of his own good pleasure both of wisdom and power; yet are these instruments so purely passive compared to God, that they are drowned in his omnipotence, whose vassals and visible puppets of agency they only are, nor are men to respect them but as bubbles raised up and flatted, as God the Master-build­er of them, informs or deserts them.

Which rectified notion proves a just [Page 36] medium of expediency to those equal­ly boystrous extremes of seduced man, who on the one side will have this judgement miraculous and Fire from Heaven without any natural assistance, Gods finger heavier than all the loyns of nature; or on the other side ascribe it so to second causes, that they will allow no more judgement of God in it, than that which accompanies com­mon casualty; whereas indeed in this case of London there are so many con­currencies which have their attending cheques; which possible are to be, but actually, were not improved in remedy that the prevalence of the Fire against, and in despight of those wonted pru­dences, and usual resistances, and the Latitude of effects, seconding such a neglect of impeding means, where so well understood, and so dexterously at other times practised; this I say duely and impartially considered must evince some more than ordinary con­currence of God to arm and enable those arising pimples to such a ge­neral distemper and mortification. And I pray God that this judgement [Page 37] that has thus begun at the House of God (For such I dare account London) let prophane and superstitious defa­mers of it say what they please (God had more marked ones for Mourners Ps 37. 37. over and livers against the abominations done in the Land, in London, E [...]e. 9. 4. then I be­lieve in a great part of the Nation be­side) may stay there, and not pro­ceed to those that are yet preserved who are no more righteous than their ruined neighbours; Which the Lord of mercy grant for his Sons sake.

Having thus (Sir) made way to the more Historical part of this Nar­rative, which falls in properly with the circumstances of co-operation with the Fire, whereby it unhappily as to man, though happily as to God pro­pagating his power by it) prevailed against the City, I come to the par­ticularization of such instances as were by wise men observed Fautive of its progress and conclusion.

And the first circumstance notable in it is that of the time when it began, which was ominous as it was about 3. of the clock on a Sunday morning, a time [Page 38] when most persons, especially the poor­er sort, were but newly in bed, and in their first dead sleep; for Saturday being the conclusion of the weeks la­bour, and the day of receipts and pay­ments, the markets last not then only all the day, but some part of the night, especially in Butcheries, and too often in Ale-houses, the Poors pockets then stored with mony over­flowing mostly that way: And thence might the Fire get a more than ordinary rooting, from the lei­sure of its burning before it met with checque or suppression; Yea, and when it was discovered, the usuall custom being to lye longest in bed on Sunday might make men more indulge their ease, and remit their early stir­ring and wonted vigour, than other­wise they would and besides this, amazements in the night are most terri­fying to men even of courage, whom the dangers of the day are not at all dis­comforting to, because known and distinguished to be what they are by them; whereupon in that it pleased God to permit it then to break forth, [Page 39] it was not without intimation of some displeasure; For usually it is with God to make dayes, places, and persons, peculiarly and devotedly his the in­stances of his eminent and wasting judgements, thus he is said in commis­sionating judgements to begin at his Sanctuary, Je. 25. 29. to give his beloved into the enemies hand, Ezek. 9. 6. Ps. 78. 61. to tread the Daughter of Judah in a Wine-press, Lam. 1. 15 to make Shiloh the mark of his anger, Jer. 7. 12. 14. 26. v. 6. to abhorre his people, Amos 6. 8 and to hate Sacrifices, Isa. 1. 11. and to cause the Sabbath to cease from a La [...]d, Jer. 6. 20. to cast down the Prince and the Priests his own Vicegerents, Isa. 1. 13. to make Jerusalem a hissing and an astonishment, Hos. 2. 11. Lam. 2. 1. and to give up his Temple and people into the spoil of the Nations, Jer. 19. 8. c. 25. v. 9. to suffer the Bloud of Iesus that speaks better things than did the bloud of Abel, to be the bloud of ex­ecration and indictment against them, who cryed out, Let him be crucified. These things thus by God ordered, and the method of his ordinary providence, in­verted, and corrosion coming into the room of Balsamittiqueness; this ru­ling of Wine into Vinegar, and of Oyl into Aqua Fortis, (as I may say) ar­gues [Page 40] God highly incensed, and resol­ved upon destruction and vengeance. For some provocation unnatural, unu­sual, persisted in with obstinacy and in opposition to, and despight of the meanes and motions of [...]eclaimer; And applicable hereunto seems Lon­dons case, as to the time, to be suita­ble, for did he not God make His holy day of Rest, a day of labour and dis­quiet? did he not cause the Church to be thin of people to pray to him and hear his Word from him? did he not cast off the care of his Sanctuaries and Ministers, and give them and theirs up as a prey to the Fire? be­cause many of the people would not be present at their Churches accor­ding to the Law; nor many of the Mi­nisters spiritually expend themselves, but according to the law of man, has not God dis-parished and scattered them, Priest from people, & Neighbour from Neighbour? Indeed (Sir) these things are to me observable, and that God who is a God of Peace and a God of Order, should bring distraction and disorder upon a City Regular and [Page 41] Religious, upon his own day, and in the morn of it, to anticipate as it were, their conventions of expiation, and to avocate them from the use of a probable and prescribed remedy, argues indignation: For Gods pro­mise to Solomon as a Type of Christ was,2 Chron. 7. 12. If my people that call upon my name, shall humble themselves and seek my face, and turn from their evil way, then will I hear in Heaven, my dwelling place, and have mercy and heal their I and▪ For I have chosen this place to my self for an house of Sacrifice; yet God seemed to walk contrary to his people of London in this, for he drew them as it were off from the remedy, that his hands being loosened, Deu. 9. 14. he might punish and not be prevailed with to pardon, which aversion of Gods from being intreated, imponderates the judgement with a weightier note of Gods displeasure, which the pensive Prophet Ieremiah rehearseth to this sense, The Lord saith he hath swallowed up all the habitations of Iacob, and hath not pitied, Ch. 2. v. 2. he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the Daughter [Page 42] of Iudah, he hath brought them down to the ground, he hath polluted the King­dom and the Princes thereof. This, this, is that which is not ordinary, that God began the Fire of his wrath on the day of his rest and solemn worship, and (with reverence be it utter'd) pro­phaned his Sabbath, which he comman­ded to be sanctifyed; as if the sins of the Nation punished in London, the head and heart of it were such as had pro­cured a violation of all the methods of kindness and paternal goodness, whereby God wontedly correspon­ded with us, and as if he had recalled his former condescension, and would be in Covenant with us, and a Patron to us no longer;La. 2. 15. This advantage given the passers by to clap their hands to hiss and wag their head at London, saying, Is this the City that men call the perfe­ction of Beauty, the joy of the whole earth; This, this, brought upon Lon­don, upon a Lords day, wherein were more Sanctifyers of his Holy day and Name, than in most of the Nation be­sides, gives the judgement a tincture, nay, a deep woad of intense displea­sure, [Page 43] He that commands, we shall not do our own works, nor think our own thoughts upon that day, would not him­self have set a foot this work, this strange work, upon that day, nor have thought thoughts of ruine to a popu­lous and ancient City, called upon by him, on that Holy day: But that the Notation of the day might lesson us displeasure extraordinary. Which I mention not to comply with any party whose constructions of Gods meaning are calculated to the Meri­dian of their interest, which has cou­ched in it a secret reak of enmity to their opposites, and of applause of themselves, such as are on the one hand the outed party, who expound it to be for their ejection, or the other party, who averr it to be a pu­nishment of Phanaticism, which they will have favoured and advanced by London, or of that proud party who will have it sent for the pride of Lon­don, who because the Citizens in it thrive and provide well for their Wifes, Children, and Relations, are accounted proud in their suitable li­vings [Page 44] to their births, and Gods bles­sing upon their industry and thrift, or of that prophane party who will intrude their loose sentiments into Gods counsel, and confirm themselves in their libertinism, to live, and speak as they list, because they see them­selves delivered, when the Precisians of London (as they deridingly, and perhaps sinfully call them) are plagued and punished by Fire; I say not to dance after these mistaken Pipes whose notes are besides Gods Gam­muth. All that I see or dare believe inscribed by God upon the judge­ment is, that the sin of the Nation, punished by War and Plague last year, and yet unrepented of, is further pro­secuted by God, thorough the sides and heart of the chief Corporation and Master-City of this Island,Eze. 15. 8. Lon­don, whose burning is the Herald of God to the Nation, calling it to view its remaining doom upon its persisted impenitence; For as they were not the greatest sinners on whom the Tower of Siloam fell, so were they the greatest sinners in England on [Page 45] whom the Fire of London fell, and whose Fortunes and habitations it has levelled; but except we punished, and others yet priviledged therefrom, repent, we shall all, and altogether perish.

The next remarkable circumstance in this Fire, was that of Place where­in it first began, which was Pudding­lane, a place so called, but from some eminent seller or sellers of Puddings living of old there, it being usual to take denomination of Lanes and Streets, not only from mens names, chief owners of, and dwellers in them, but from some other accidents from whence they are denominated; thus as the Lord Baynard, Lord of Bay­nards Castle, gave name to Castle Baynards Ward, and Sir Iohn Basing to Basing-hall Ward; so streets have been called according to several oc­casions, as Lothbury, because Foun­ders and Brasiers living therein, made every one Loth the Street for the noise; Bread-street, Milk-street, Wood-street, Candlewick-street, and infinite others were called from the Bakers, [Page 46] Milk-women, Wood-buildings, and Chandlers that in quantity dwelt there, which is evident in the Survey of Lon­don, Stowes Survey. so is this Pudding-lane called; For that Lane bordering upon Thames-street and Billings-gate, where people of labour and poor condition ply, and are early in the morning, and late at night, when the Tyde serves to bring up Fishermen, Passengers, and other Boats and Portages; the vicinity of such a good house as they call them, wherein Pudding, the general belo­ved dish of English men was sold, might reasonably bring the place in request, and thence give denomination to the corner wherein the seller lived.

This little pittyful Lane, crowded in behind little East-cheap on the West, St. Buttolphs-lane on the East, and Thames-street on the South of it, was the place where the Fire origi­nated, and that forwarded by a Bakers stack of wood in the house, and by all the neighbouring houses, which were as so many matches to kindle and car­ry it on to its havock; thus the Fire meeting with the Star Inn on Fish-street-hill [Page 47] on the back of it, and that Inn full of Hay, and other combustibles, and with the houses opposite to it, and closed with it at the top, burned three ways at once, into Thames-street, (the lodge of all combustibles, Oyl, Hemp, Flax, Pitch, Tar, Cordage, Hops, Wines, Brandies, and other materi­als favourable to Fire; all heavy goods being ware-housed there neer the water side, and all the wharfs for Coale, Timber, Wood, &c. being in a line consumed by it) unto Fish-street-hill, till it met the other Fire at the Bridge, to the Interval of Building, and to Butolphs-lane into Mark-lane in Tower-street; and in all this Sa­vage progress met with no opposition from Engines or other Artifices; be­cause it was impossible in such a strait, and in such a rage of Fire, they should be serviceable; for if all the Engineers of mischief would have com­pacted the irremedyable Burning of London, they could not have laid the Scene of their fatal contrivance more desperately, to a probable success than there where it was, where nar­row [Page 48] Streets, old Buildings all of Tim­ber, all contiguous each to other, all stuffed with aliment for the Fire, all in the very heart of the Trade and Wealth of the City; these all concen­tring in this place, put a great share of the mischief upon the choice of the place.

And hence there may be a more than ordinary argument, that this choice was not a thing of accident but contrivance, and meditation for some time, If it were by the Instru­mentality of Man only permitted by God, for so was the Plot by Mendo­za as Throgmorton and Parry confessed: So was the Vault under the Par­liament House,Speed p. 872, [...]73. in the case of the intended Powder ruine by Faux, great enterprises alwayes requiring grave perpendment of the method, by inspection, circumspection, and re­trospection, before they be reduced into act; forasmuch as in the defect of due adjustments and prudent li­bration of what weight they will and will not beare, suitable whereunto must every particle of the composure [Page 49] be framed and disposed, not only the whole Fabrick sinks and proves effete, but the actors in it, and the well wi­shers to it, prove ridiculous, if not ruined, which causes that axiom to be so acclamated among Politicians, Deliberandum est diu quod constituen­dum est semel; nor do wise men and fools differ in any thing more than in those specifique actions which are de­nominative of them, fools running hand over head, and wisemen go­ing fair and softly, surely though slow­ly; and probable it is that the many forraign minded and addicted subtilists amongst us, adjuuated by the needy miscreants and desperadoes at home, might do much to the production of this Centaure, which so speedily de­voured more houses of State and Re­sidence, and more wealth and value in Merchandizes, and other better things, than many years wars could spend, or many years labour can get; yea, the victory of any thing beneath an Indies will be but a ten groats composition, for a 20 s. lost.

And if God, who knows all things, [Page 50] and whose infinite wisdom is past finding out, or hiding from, stirred up evil men to act his counsell to pu­nish England by London this way, that should need (as it were) no second to it, then we have all great cause to take off our thoughts from evill in­struments, men; and place them pe­nitently upon evil Sin, for which Gods thoughts are upon us for evil, and not for good, and we have just ground to bemoane our ways and doings which have not been right be­fore God; for the punishment where­of he sends such sweeping and un­checqued judgements, such as a Fire is, which has no ears to hear the cryes of the sick, weak, aged, lame, who are in danger to perish, by not being able to remove themselves from it, nor happy in being tendred by others who will in that disorder pity them; nor eyes to see the cryes and moans of those Widdows, Orphans, and spoyled Creatures, whose tears are Orators potent enough to prevail with any thing but its inexorability, When God gives the inhabitations of [Page 51] London for Fuel to the Fire, when he sets his face against them, that they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them then this had, 'tis sad. And this was the case of London, the fire removed from in one place follow­to another, yea, sundry there were that removed two or three times, yet lost at last, and that not only by evil instruments who forfeited their trust and took advantage of the confusion incumbent on all men, but by the very Fire which broke in, like waves of the Sea, and raged like a Beare, robbed of her Whelps, untill it had executed its errand, and made that predicable of London which Florus writes of Samnium, so destroy­ed by Papyrius the Roman Consul, Vt hodie Samnium in ipso Samnio requi­ratur. So that though the advantage of place was much in this as in other cases, ubi plus valet locus quam virtus, and though there might have been rational and probable anticipations of these conflagrating progresses, yet were they altogether hid from the eyes of those whose interest in com­fort [Page 52] and fortune it would have been to have improved them.

The third circumstance of furthe­rance to the Fire was that of the wind, which was not only not still but boy­sterous, and such as carried it to, not from the City, and turned to fan and blow up the Fire East, West, South, and North, at some time or other du­ring the Fire; like that judgement God threatned upon Elam, 49 Ier. 36. Vpon Elam will I bring the four Winds from the four quarters of Heaven, and will scatter them toward all these winds, and there shall be no Nation whither the outcast of Elam shall come. So Iosephus sayes, the pro­vidence of God turned the Fire the Romans put to the wall of Ieru­salem upon the City,Antiq. l. 7. c. 2 [...] by reason of which the Fires natural tenden­cy was carried forth to oblique as well as direct effects of wasting, that is, spread it self this and that way, till it had prevailed every where, spreading it self like an Armys wings first drawn forth, and the main body marching up to it: Which com­plication [Page 53] of circumstances inductive to and in augmentation of, a mercyless fate, argues this Fire to be no ordina­ry judgement, but to be sent as an evidence of God incensed, and of sin the meritorious cause of it out of mea­sure sinful. For if the punishment of one single element be dreadful, as the water was to the old world, and the Air is in pestilential infections, and the Earth was when it opened its mouth to swallow up Corah and his company, how dreadfully sinful are those provocations of a land or person That God punishes with double and treble judgements in their judge­ment? what vengeance is that like to prove, which has Gods Armies of fire and wind united, when his single army of Insects are enough to destroy Aegypt? and when his negative ho­stility is productive of Famine to consume his enemies? Whom, because they would not serve in the abundance of all things, he will press to serve their enemies, and be ruined by his bringing upon them the want of all things? And if Ionas his storm at Sea [Page 54] was so dreadful, that he swallowed up in it, is said to call to God out of the belly of Hell, 2 Ionah 2. What a Hell of confusion and torment were the in­habitants of London delivered from when their lives were in the rage of Fire and Wind, and when the Fire carried the noyse of a whirle-wind in it, and was so informed with terrour, that it surprised the eyes and hearts of men with fear, as well as their houses and goods with flame? So that this wind from the Lord was not a wind like that of Numb. 11. 31. which brought the Israelites quayles, a wind of benignity, nor such a wind as God made to pass over the earth to re­turn the waters into their Trench after they had inundated the earth, and absorped all the gayity of it, Gen. 8. 1. but a wind it was that carried away and rent asunder, by leading on the Fire upon its prey, a wind it was that was commissionated to joyn with the Fire to devour above 2 third parts in the midst of the City, as the phrase is, Ezek. 5. 2. And this is that which in the concurrence of two such [Page 55] potent circumstances renders it more than ordinary as well in the intention of the chief cause as in the operation of the mediate ones. For had God an­tipathized and severed their conjun­ction, they had not done that compli­cated mischief they did, but in that they corresponded each with other, and both performed a savage charge upon London, routing her Beauty, Riches, and being in a great degree, it is not to be doubted but as the instru­mental enemies rage is glutted with the booty of his option and design­ment, (those that prophesied of its firing before it happen'd, being proba­bly the principal contrivers and fur­therers of the firing of it, & those that blew the coals, heated the iron, and made all things ready to further it) so the Lords anger in permitting such a success was great, and the humiliation, for it ought to be serious and sacred; for if God made the wind winged, I allude to that passage in Zach. c. 5. v. 9. to proportion the fire to its breadth as well as boisture of fury, if this judge­ment like that of the Caldaean God [Page 56] speaks of in 1 Hab. 16. must march through the breadth of the City, if the flying rowl of Cursing had its length and its breadth, as the Prophet Zachary has it, 5 ch. v. 1. then this fire and wind in its length and breadth of procedure and subversion, being a great judgment, calls for length and breadth of humiliation before God for it, yea not to be sutably affected for the provokings of sin, is to be de­servedly punished once for all; incorri­gibility is next door to final impeni­tency, the merit of utter subversion.

And truly, when to all this it is con­sidered that the Fire burned at some time contrary to the wind, and as it were in opposition of it, and then did as much spoil unto whatsoever it ap­proach [...], & was as unchecquable then as when it had the winds raising and chasing it, then surely there must be great ground to conclude that this wind as well as this Fire come from the Lords anger, and that whatsoever in it was besides the usual import of Fire in a place of so great help and experience to obviate and Master it, [Page 57] was by the precise appointment and commission of God, who does not on­ly Authorize the Sword to do executi­on upon the world, but imploys Air, Wind, Fire, Water as well as other Creatures to be his Baliffs to Arrest, if not his Devils to ruine them. And if further it be ruminated, that Gods proceeding by pauses, (which though not very deliberate, compared with fatal protracted ones, yet mild weigh­ed against the method of Gods firing and consuming all in a moment as So­dom was, seems to insinuate that God in this might expect a man or men holy before and accepted with him to stand in the gap, and propi­tiate (as it were) for the City, where­by the Fire might have been forced back and carryed off) the non appear­ance of such, whose spirits God touch­ed with holy Charity to Gods cause and their Nations weal, shrewdly insi­nuates a suspicion that God by re­moving or suspending the impediments might conclude the formidable issue, that it had, when God not only hides himself from his people that [Page 58] pray, but calls off his peoples devotion from prayer for pardon, that so his wrath may take its full course, and burn so that none can quench it. In such a case Gods expectation being defeated, it is time to sit down un­der Judgments with confession of our doing wickedly, and justification of Gods righteousness in whatever he has done.

The fourth circumstances of aid to the Fire was the drought of the season and the want of water, which had not only prepared the combustible matter for a speedier reception of igneous At­toms and Contacts, but prevented ap­plication of remora's and extinguish­ments, to both wind and fire; For as showers usually lay winds, so winds abated, usually mitigate fires. Here then was another instance of propaga­tion to this fire, that God suffered it to carry all before it, and to be im­peded by nothing specifiquely its check, whereby is argued in a good measure Gods allowance of the quar­rel and his conduct of this his artillery of havock, and besom of severity; [Page 59] God having created all things in proportion to the whole of his design, and placed in nature ballances and re­pulsives as well as insolencies and pe­stilences of assaults on harmony, when these repulsives shall be exinfluenced, and their vigour not only be aba­ted, but their contraries prevail and be effectual, then is doom inevitable, and the consequence as fatal as the coun­sell of it, unsearchable. And this was Poor London's case, God had given us a long brightness of weather, and made every thing so dry, that it was of it self, by the length and efficacy of that exhaustion, in potentia proximâ to fire, and the Springs were so low, and the Engines of raising water so de­stroyed, that there was no suitable appease to it, applicable, whence it came to pass, that as a Buck that is not able to run must yield and die, and a Vessel that cannot bear steerage and sails, must be surprized and taken, by wanting the conveniencies to flight, and a Souldier that has lost his sword and shield must submit to his Enemies quarter, how manly soever his courage [Page 60] be, so in the defect of those obsta­cles to fire, it unavoidably must follow that whatever the fire can do it may and will do, for all natural stays being absent, the battel is gained without stroake, and the possession got without so much as challenge.

For as in ways of mercy God makes every thing ancillary hereunto, as he suspended the fires consuming in the case of the three Children, and in the bush which burned but consumed not, and as he does in invigorating dry bones, and in making the weak things of his justitution to confront and evict the mighty oppositions of flesh and bloud, as he bears down the daring Monarchs of humane Learning, and precipitates the fiery Sciolists of su­perstition by the piety, zeal and humi­lity of illiterate men Apostoliz'd and made by him unopposable, God ma­king his little and low Ordinances as the world esteems them, the foolish­ness of preaching, and the faith of a Crucified and derided Saviour, para­mount to all more subtil projects of captivation, because conducted and [Page 61] blessed by him who is all power, wis­dom and duration, and therefore can be neither abbreviated or defeated in his volitions and resolves. (All things working together for the good of his Elect, and his counsel ever standing like Mount Sion which can never be removed.) As I say in his paths of kind­ness and obligement to man he predis­poses and forecalls severalties to their Randezvous, and draws forth such services from them, as conduces to his own honour and his holy servants se­curity and comfort by them, so in or­der to judgements does he ripen and forward them by such assistances and proper adjuncts, that the beauty of penal providence is maintainable from them in spight of all artifices of wick­edness to Eclipse or cashire it; Thus when he will destroy a sinner, he hardneth his heart against his fear; and when he will give Victory to his Armies, he causes a noise of horsemen and Cha­riots, and drives them away in fear when none pursues them, yea he will and does prove a Terrour to wick­edness even in the pleasure of it, as [Page 62] he did in the hand-writing upon the wall to Nebuchadnezzar.

What alas signifies Haman's rage, if God deny him favour with Aha­suerus as wontedly, and bring in Ester his Enemy to his supersedal? What avails Sampson's strength, if God give a key to the secret of it, which resides in its unshavenness? To what purpose is Achitophel's po­licy, if God turn it into foolishness and conntermand the aids and co­operations with it, we put all our endeavours and attainments in a bro­ken bag; if God be not the blessing of them, if he speaks no fiat, folly is the best prognate of our contrivances; so necessary is Gods allowance and aid, that without it all is abortive and amort.

As then when God is in mercy or judgment present, all things are as they are properest to be, so in his ab­sence on either side, there can be no thorow effect of either, for all things observe him, and as when he says Goe they Goe, so when he says re­cede they depart, as he gives heaven­ly [Page 63] influences in mercy, so he with­draws them in wrath, he makes the light darkness, and the rain fruitles­ness, the suppression, the exaltation, the death, the life of his, manifests to the world what He is; and when He has famine, pestilence, sword, or any other noyance to charge a man or Na­tion with, he withholds seasons, show­ers, salubrity of air, and causes the [...]ire of animosity to break out into war, and no endeavour of honoura­ble peace to be offered or accepted, he withdraws remembrance of old leagues and ancient obligements, he casts a veil upon true Christian advan­tage, and will not render its amability to the view of judgment and impar­tiality, and he suffers such intricacies to clog breaches once made, that they are reconcileable by no Tertian, nor are they admissive of any expedient be­neath that dubious, fatal, and I had al­most said uncharitable one, of aut Vincere aut vinci, either get or lose all. And thus God pa [...]esies the way to his displeasure, in that he drys up the pooles of supply in the [Page 64] wilderness of need, and as a moth of corrosion in place of a horn of salva­tion.

And if the drought and scantness of water upon a Land, be a judgment, as God testifies it to be, 50 Ier. 38. where he says of the Caldaeans, a drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dryed up, for it is a land of graven Ima­ges, and they are mad upon their Idols; and God is said to call for a drought on the Land upon all things man and beast, Hag. 11. as a token of his dis­pleasure, then to want water when fire burned, and to have the buckets of heaven and the lodges of earth ex­haust of water to quench it, (there be­ing no rain of a long time before the fire, and both the Springs low; and the Water-works at the Bridge-foot which carryed water into that part of the City burnt down the first day of the fire.) Thus, thus for it to be was no small judgment, for as it is a mercy to have God a ready help when trouble is near, so is it a judgment to have his creatures denyed when there is most use for them, when their presence is [Page 65] salvi [...]ique and repulsive, when God gives a stomach to eat and no food to satiate it, When he opens his peoples hearts to pray, and yet hides himself from them, and will not be found of them; when he that is all plenty be­comes a barren wilderness, and he that is all power contracts his arm and will not out-stretch it. When he that commands the Seas, Winds, Fire, and they obey him, raises those Elements by evil instruments, and remands them not into their restraint, but suffers them of servants to become Masters and in­struments of spoil and terrour; This unconcernedness of God, when his great arrows are thus shot forth of his Almighty bow, and fixed in the very hearts of mens delights and recumben­cies, so that they see all that was dear to them ruined before them, and they rendred helpless to themselves, can not chuse but be a signal of Gods in­dignation. And we may conjecture God sends his fire to punish our [...]e, his wind to reward our wind. Levity and zealesness for Reformed Religion, and enmity and uncharitableness in [Page 66] matters of no moment compared to pro­voking one another to love and to good works, See Let­ter Arch-Bishop York to K. Iames. Cabala [...] part. p. 13. has undone all; repining a­gainst God and against one anotehr has had a notable share in this judge­ment, and as this puts the charge into Gods Cannon, so has undervaluation of God, ramm'd home the charge to fit it for fataller execution; in 78 Psal. 21. God had smote the rock and the wa­ters gushed our, and yet the people questioned, Can God give bread in the wilderness? The Lord, says the Psalmist, heard this, and was wrath, and a fire was kin [...]led against Iudah and an­ger also came up against Israel; And I pray God this late harrass of us by a more than Gottish and Vandallique fire, be not the stroke of some such brutish and unchristian provocation of God, For greater and more express indications of Gods power and good­ness has no Nation ever had then we, never any Nation less conformed to the call and mercy of it then we; Gods Jewels have had their righteous souls vexed amongst us, and they cry out to God as David did, 57 Psal. 4. [Page 67] My soul is among [...]yons, and I lye among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are Spears and Arrows, and their Tongue is a sharp Sword. And may not God, to revenge this offence to his little ones, hang the Milstone of his fury about our necks, and cast us into a Sea of misery, and into the pressure of a helpless conditi­on? may not he pour out the fury of his anger and the strength of battle? May not his anger set us on fire round about, and we lay it not to heart though we be burned by it? as the words of the Prophet from God are, Ier. 42. last.

O that this were seriously conside­red, that it might work a penitential reflexion in us upon our ways and doings, which have not been good; For which God has both lengthened and strengthened the sphere and acti­vity of the Fire, to inundate things sacred and civil, and to be repulsed from neither the water manageable against it, nor the wind dormant in it, but has been provoked by every thing that might make our guiltness [Page 68] suspect that God having kindled the Fire in our gates, made it unquench­able, till it had left nothing almost further to ruine! And I pray God it were not a Saboth days punishment, for many Sabbath and Fast days pro­phanation, 17. Ier. last. This I sub­joyn, to shew that where God shews his displeasure he does it by all in­struments of advantage to his purpose, not only desolating chief and remarka­ble places, but by denying all combina­tions of aid against it, that so the judgement might not so much sip as swallow down its full draught of waste and consumption; that as he made them all things in perfection, so he may shew us that he can so perfect­ly destroy them, that the place of their once being, shall be known no more.

The fifth circumstance of augmen­ting it, was that of the choice of place that this Fire was to work its woe upon, the Heart of the City, both for Houses of State, Trade, Charity, publick Magistracy, most of which it took into its Cyclopique arms, and crumbled into ashes, for its burning [Page 69] was from London Bridge to neer the Temple, both upon the Street side and on the bank of the River, its ex­pansion was from a good way low into Fanchurch-street to all the houses that were upon the hilly part of London, Candlewick-street, Gracious-street, Lom­bard-street, Cornhill, a part of Broad-street, Thred-needle-street, Throgmorton-street, and so up Coleman-street, and so all up to Cripplegate, to Aldersgate, all Newgate-market to Holborn-bridge; Thus from the East to the West it prostrated Houses, Halls, Chap­pels, Churches, Monuments; all which it so flaked and enervated, that it has left few standing walls, stout enough to bear a roof, without new raising or charge of repair equivalent to new building; which argues the Fire more than ordinarily in earnest, when it was not only not impartial, but not copa­ble with by those Gyants of strength that usually outstand the shock of Fire; yea, it brought to ashes that Goodly and Generously useful Pile Sion-Colledge, the place of my then comfortable and beloved Residence, [Page 70] whose foundations (laid by Dr. White and perfected by Mr. Simpson, D. D. One of the Residen­tiaries of St. Pauls. Twins of precious memory, and the ever to be celebrated benefactors to Londons Clergy, and Religions Increment) it demolished; For which I cannot but grieve as much as for mine own great losses both in and out of it, because it was a publick Dedication to God in a good and graceful accommodation to persons of Learning, and aged Po­verty; the former sort of which had access with welcome to its fair and well-furnished Library six hours in the day duely and freely open to all com­mers, whom the honest and under­standing Mr. Spencer, (the trusty and Aboriginal Librarier, yet living, and yet faithfully attending the remains of the Books, (for which he deserves to be well rewarded with a fixed Pension during the little restancy of his life) conscionably and with much diligence and humility attended; And the latter sort persons of Poverty being twen­ty of both Sexes chosen Alms-folk into the Colledge, were quarterly relie­ved out of lands appointed thereunto [Page 71] by our Reverend Founder. This Colledge, I say, not added to (God knows) in Lands by any since its Foundations Gifts (though God has made its Library, a good part of which is preserved, and safely lodged in an upper Gallery by the Favour of the Honorable Government of Sulton's Hospital) increase by the gifts of pious and charitable Gentlemen, Citizens, and their Widows and Children, as also by good additions from the London Clergy, and by others formerly well addicted to it, amongst whom that Learned Grandaeus long since deceased and now with God, Mr. Walter Travers Bachelour of Divinity, ought as he deserves to be remembred, the greatest Benefactour to it of any Cler­gy man whatever since the two Reve­rend Founders: This, this, Belo­ved Sion so nobly design'd, and so kept up in its Credit and Reputation, till the unhappy dissolution hereof by this Fire, was burned down and ruined; only the Case of the Library and some of the Gate-piece yet re­mains, but so shattered that long it cannot stand, nor suddenly is it like [Page 72] to be repaired; the site of the Col­ledge lying for three Months since the fire open, many of the Materials embezzelled, too few resenting the detriment that Religion and Lear­ning will receive by the neglect of it, so that the remains within the Free­dom that were exempted this fire were only from Leaden-hall to the Barrs without Algate; from Bishopsgate-street Corner in Cornhil to the Barrs without Bishopsgate, and from Moore­fields first postern Gate along the wall with Broad-street, from the Church up into Bishopsgate-street, from Cripple­gate to the Barrs in that Parish, from Aldersgate-street to the Barrs above in that street, and all the compass with­out the wall, from thence to the end of Cow-lane, and from Holborn Bridge to Holborn Barrs; these together with the houses, from near Iron-Mongers Hall in Fanchurch-street up to Algate and down Mark-lane, till within near twenty houses of Tower-street end, with Crutched Fryers and the Appen­dixes thereto, were all that of the Li­berties of London were preserved, [Page 73] which I reckon not above the twenty­eth part of the City Freedom in quan­tity, nor the hundereth part of it in value of houses, and all this waste committed by the mercyless flames in four dayes, the speed whereof ad­ded to the quality of what it preyed upon, argues the judgment remark­able and past president.

For it was wont to be computed amongst the choice mercies of God to London, that it was specially pro­tected from fires, notwithstanding the houses were most of Timber, very contiguous each to other, and had constant and fierce fires kept in the hearths of them night by night, and those later than in any City of the world;Ferox Flammae urbes mul­tas Eecle­siam quo (que) Sancti Pauli Apo­stolicum majori & meliore parte Lon­donia con­sumpsit. the good Government there­of making the night as safe for Pas­sengers as the day,Dunelm. p. 214. which gave occasi­on to more free and more lasting ho­spitalityes in her then otherwhere are practicable. And yet so has God in all times preserved London, that such a fire as this never before was kindled in her thus to prevail over her.

[Page 74] I read indeed of great Fires of old in her, In Anno 764 when many Cities and places were destroyed igne repen­tino. London, Dunelmensis sayes, was one,P. 106. and in Anno 798, London is again storied to be burned, repentino igne cum magna hominum multitudine consumpta. In Anno 982 Temps Ethelred there wasP. 114. a great Fire. In Anno 1087,p. 267. Cambden tells us the Spire of S. Pauls was so high (quae ignem caelestium provocavit) as his words are that it was set on Fire bySpeed p. 39. Lightning,Cambd. in [...]idx. arsitque non sine Magno to­tius vrbis damno, E [...]t. in King Stephen's time there was a Fire that began at London Stone, and consumed all unto Aldgate; Not to mention the smaller Fires which have been many, the damage whereof has returned only upon private per­sons, These have been the remarkable Fires: yet none of them were such as this, not only because London was not then near what now it was, nor the consumption of it by them proportio­nable to what it was by this Fire; which was not a Fire that pick'd and chused, but a Have at all Fire, a Fire that took into its possession 81 Parish [Page 75] Churches, and at least 6 or 7 Chappels, & other Churches answerable to them, amongst which, the famous Cathedral of St. Paul, was one, so incinerating the Glory & Emasculating the vigour and firmness of them, that the standing Walls are (for the most part) unable to bear new roofs, the sturdy Supporters of them being enervated, the Monuments in them burnt to powder, the Bells in the Steeples melted, the Vaults under­ground pierced, the Stones of the outside so scaled, as if the Fire was greedy to eat out all firmness in them. Thus God spared not Shiloh in the day of his feirce wrath, but destroyed the Gates of Sion, together with the habitations of Iacob.

Add to this, that the Fire reached the very Wombs and Mynes of Cha­rity, the Worshipful Societies of London, to whose honour I dare erect this Trophe, That of all the Societies in England or Europe none excell, if any parallel them in discharge of their Trusts, which they punctually and indispensably do Modo & forma statutis, not transgressing any appointment of [Page 76] the Donors will, except it be in en­largement of his charity as it improves These, that were the maintainers of aged Poor, whom they housed de­cently, and salaryed competently, These, who were Benefactors to Young men of their Societies, whom, upon security to make good the Principal, they lent hundreds a pounds to per­sons, upon none, or very small Interest, to begin the world with, by which (with Gods blessing,) [...]hey grew rich and wealthy in after times. These, that gave out Portions to Maids Marriages, brought up poor Children, fitting them for all Callings; let good Peny­worths to their Tenants; hospitably treated Strangers, and their Members at their Halls, allowed comfortable exhibitions to Young Scholars at Uni­versities; gave Presentations of Livings in City and Country to worthy Clerks; maintained bravely their Guilds, Common Halls, Servants and Utensils. These, that upon all pub­lique occasions of Triumph, made up the renowned Pomp of Londons Festi­vals and appearings. These, These, are [Page 77] in a great measure ruined; Eleven of the Twelve chief Companies Halls (the goodlyest buildings one with another in any one Town in Christen­dome▪ being burnt down, the Furni­ture and Utensils of some of them wholly lost, besides the spoil done to the 24 Companies, very many of whose Halls and Incomes are likewise destroyed. Amongst which, that of the Company of the Stationers is sad, the Common Stock of which valued re vera at between Twenty and Thir­ty Thousand pound was imployed to yeild the profit of the Joint Stock to those Old men, Widdows, and others qualified (according to the Laws of their Society,) who were allowed re­spective proportions in the same. None of which exceeding above 360 l. made way for the more accommoda­tion of perticulars, than if they had allowed men to have put in greater Sums; This so good a security, and so gainful a proceed to many aged Stationers, their Widows and Children, This Dreadful Fire has wholly con­sumed, and over and above de­stroyed [Page 78] of the Members of this Society and other Booksellers and Printers in London, near to the value of 150000 l. in Printed Books and Copies, besides the loss of their Common Hall and other Houses and valuable things be­longing to them. And if one and but a mean Society, compared to other Societies of the City has thus suffered, what incredible detriment have the Societies joyntly suffered? How many asking hearts, hungry bellies, bare backs, will this Winter shew us helpless by want of their Charity? How many impoverished Tenants, how many wandring Pilgrims, outed of Houses, Callings, Acquaintance, has this caus­ed? Yea how many not only valuable parts of intrinsique wealth, but Writ­ings, Evidences, Charters, [...]oyntures, Contracts, Morgages, Bonds, Ac­quittances, Books of Accompt has this consumed? It were endless to wade into the confusions hereby made, into Hospitals laid wast, and their Inhabi­tants, Children, and other aged per­sons turned out to the cold weather, helpless in themselves because decre­pit [Page 79] through Age, or tender by reason of Childhood; yet uncapable to be helped by others whose hearts prone enough to it, are not seconded by their Purses provided for it, Chur­ches levelled, and their Poor and pain­ful Clerks at once robb'd of their Tithes, and over and above of the charities of those that are now compa­nions with them in Misery & Poverty; Publick places of Magistratique di­spatch bare of all Beauty, and visible only in their deplorable Ruines. The Houses of Hospitable and Wealthy Aldermen, Merchants, and Shop­keepers swept away, and they them­selves either fled, or cooped up in some hole of Covert, the Maintenan­ces of Widows, Orphans, and others ill Marryed, brought to nothing, and they by means thereof either forced to beg or to work for a Livelihood, and glad they can get the Bread they and theirs may Eate; This is that God has done to London. He hath not spared in the day of his fierce wrath, but hath covered the Daughter of London with a cloud in his anger, he hath swallowed up [Page 80] most of the habitations of its Jacob, he hath thrown down the strong hold of the Daughter of England, and hath polluted the Kingdom; he hath violently taken away his Tabernacles, he hath abhorred his Sanctuaries, the Elders of the Daugh­ter of London sit upon the ground and keep silence, to allude to the Pro­phet Jeremiah writing of Jerusalems ruine; Lament. 2. Behold, O Lord, and consider to whom thou haste done this, To Lon­don, the Chamber of Eng­lands Kings,Londinum totius Bri­tanniae Epitome, Britan­nicique imperii sedes, Reg [...]um (que) Angliae Ca­ [...]era tantum inter om­nes emi [...]ct, quantum [...] viburna cupressus. C [...]mbd. Brit. lat. Edit. 1587. To London, the chief of Englands Empire, To London, the Native place of Princes, Prelates, and men of Renown, To London, that Ancient and Rich Magazine of Trade and Wealth, whom men called the Perfection of Beauty, the glory of the whole Earth, To Lon­don, the Citizens whereof were men of Bloud, Fortune, Valour, men of Re­nown as those of Tyre was, To London, the Non-such of orderly Government and of frequent and fervent Religion, Adeo ut Religio & pietas hic sibi delu­brum collocasse videatur, as the Lear­ned [Page 81] Antiquaries words are, To London the inexhaustible Secret of her Princes,Fons imperii, orbis Ter­ranum Mater, gentium, Regionum contumbernium pacis aeternae consecra­tio, Sanctus Hyeronimu; lege clogia Romae apud Ludovicum. Dorleans in Comment ad l. 1. Annal. T [...]citi. p. 2. To London the Treasury of Men, Money, Arts, the Rome; the Athens, the India of Eng­land. To this London hath God done this, Weep O Daughters of England! for this London who cloathed you in Scarlet, but now is her self cloathed with Confusion, Mourn ye Princes and Grandees for this, because the mighty City is fallen which once was the Market of what brought you Wealth and Peace; For this London who took off your youn­ger Sons, making them thrifty Com­mon-wealths men, and in time retur­ned them to you Great and Noble, for your Daughters who into it were comfortably bestowed, and from it were richly provided for in their Per­sons and Issues. For their Eldest Sons, whose Wives portions, the provisions of Younger Children, were hence plen­fully had, without sale of Land, or di­minution of Income; Weep O Peasan­try! who had London for a Market [Page 82] swallowing up all Provisi­ons for it,Grande illud & ante T [...]mpus invictum caput Syracusae quamvis Ar­chimedis ingenio de [...]en­deretur, aliquando ces­serunt. Jornandes l. 1. de Regni & temporis successu. and all quantities brought to it. Weep O Poor! that in London had great relief, Weep O Aged! who in London were re­freshed, and prepared by constant Devotions and hourly Ser­mons for their dissolutions; Weep all, High, Low, Honourable, Mean, for London was, but is not!

London, O Popu­lum dig­num orbis imper [...]o dignum (que) omnium savare & admirat o­ne hominū ac deorum compulsus ad ultimos metus. Idem. despise it who will and dare, the Great and Flourishing Sprig in our Princes Plumes, the Pyramyd of conspicuity in the admired Pile of Britain. The Graecatrojan Horse out of which marched many of the Hectors of Englands courage; The great Acade­my of Arts, wherein the Learning and activity of all parts united; The Hospitable Sanctuary of all distressed strangers, who thither came nume­rously, and there were entertained civilly; London the great Bulwark of reformed Religion against the assaults and batteries of Popery and Pro­phanness, is in a great measure destroy­ed; O tell it not in Gath, declare it [Page 83] not in the Streets of Askalon! lest the Uncircumcised Levellers rejoyce, and the Enemies of God and the King, the Parliament and the Religion say, Ah, Ah, so would we have it.

O Day, O Month, September, not more inauspicious to many Famous Cities, such as Ierusalem, Iosephus lib. 7. c. 16. de Bello Iudaico. begirt the seventh and entred the eighth of Sept. Nicephorus l. 15. c. 21. Evageius l. 2. c. 13. Baronius Tom. 5. 465. such as Constantinople which was wasted by sire Anno 465. In the begin­ning of September, such as Heidleberg, which was taken by the Im­perialists about Anno 1622. And now to London in this Fire, of September 1666. I mention no more, though probably those forty which See Chronol. Ca [...]ncsi [...] Edict Quartae Impress. Francae-surti. Anno 1650. Caluesius mentions in his Chronology, might yield more in execration of September, I say not more trist to other parts of the World and to this Nation in general, then to Me in particular; For it hath been successively within eight years Productive of a Quaternion of unhap­pinesses to Me; The loss of an Excel­lent Wife, of an Indulgent Father, the [Page 84] affliction of a terrible Sickness, all which happened to Me in September 1658. and now were added to by this of September 1666. wherein it pleased God to give me a fourth tryal by Fire, that I may for the future learn to devote my portion of Soul & Body to him in theFucre qui annotarent XIIII. Calendis Sexti­les [...]rincipium incendi [...] [...]ujus Ortum quo & Senones captam urbem inst [...]mmaverunt. Ta­citus Annal. lib. 15. p. 792. Edit. Porle­ans. de incendio Romae. sacred and serious service of him, Which O Lord I desire to do as, and when, thou shalt call, enable and accept Me; This is my particular appre­hension of Septemb. which Sept. thus the time of Londons firing and England [...] Misery, let it be Discalendred, and not be numbered amongst the Twelve, let it be accounted the Iudas Month that betrayed all the rest to infelicity; Let that day that first opened the Wombe of fire be darkness, and let the shaddow of death stain it, let a Cloud dwell upon it, let the blackness of the day terrifie it; as for that night let darkness be upon it, let it be solitary, and no joyful voice come thereon, let the Stars of the Twylight hereof be dark, let it look for light but have none, as holy Iob's pathetique is [Page 85] upon a like dismal accident and occa­sion, because it produced a Monster, and diminished the enjoyment of pre­sent, and the hopes of after-ages, and cast into the Widows disconsolacy. Her, that sat as a Queen upon a hill of plenty and honour, viswing all the Nations doing homage to her, as to the Faithful City, as to the City of Righteousness 1. Isaiah to 26, as the City of praise, the City of all Joy, as Damascus was called 49. Ie­remiah 25. as the City of Renown, who was strong in the Sea, that caused their terrour to be upon all that haunt it, as the Prophet Ezekiel describeth Tire. c. 26. v. 27. London, the Earthly Paradice of Cities, having the glory of Gods Ordinances, and the light of his Reformed Truth in her, shining like a Jaspar stone, clear as Crystal; The foundation of the Wall of which City was garnished with all manner of precious Stones; Its Government, its Magistrates, its Ministery, its Frater­nities, its Franchises being all Emble­matical of, and Symmetrious with the Greater Ones of the Nation, in the [Page 86] best and clearest instances of its Royal­ty. This London ancienter as is thought than Rome, and more potent though less politique then she, that has her Oar in every Boat, This London, (which its learned Native, and Eng­lands admired Antiquary Cambd. Britain. terms such, that none hath better right to assume to it self the Name of a Ship Road or Haven, than she, For in regard of both Elements most blessed and happy it is, as being situate in a rich and fertile soil, abound­ing with plentiful store of all things, and on the gentle ascent and rising of a Hill, hard by the Thames side, the most mild Merchant (as one may say) of all things that the World doth yield) hath swelling at certain set hours, which the Ocean Tides, by its safe and deep Channel, able to entertain the greatest Ships that be, daily bringeth it so great Riches from all parts, that it striveth at this day with the Mart Towns of Christendom for the second Prize: thus her Cambden. This London, I say, who was to those that lived in it, whatever Heaven and Earth could indulge a Militant condi­tion and a viatory state, did God give [Page 87] up to the destruction of Fire. So that now there is little resting in it but Piles of Rubbish, and Mountains of wast, no neatness of Pavement, no Magnifi­cence of Structure, no vestige of Maje­sty, there only now is to be seen the the tops of Steeples Belless, and the Stones of Structures Mortarless, and the figures of Beauty disfigured; no Pallaces have the Magistrates to sit in, no Prisons, as wontedly, to hold Offen­dors in, no conveniency almost to su­stain Order to its future hopes, but God has made it a Bochim, and scatter­ed the Inhabitants of it into all quar­ters: Thus has God done to London, [...]2 Neh. 43. our English Ierusalem, the joy of which was heard even a far off. More I could Write, and more of this I had written in a Commentary on the Char­tar 9. H. 3. For election of the Lord Mayor of London, but that with many other Manuscripts fitted for the Press, together with the general col­lections of the study of my life being burned, I can only weep my kindness to her, Quid faciam, vocem pectori negare non audeo, amor ordinem nescit; [Page 88] And if London the place of my Birth, and of my longest dwelling, should not have all the right my poor Pen can do it, It deserved not to be accounted any thing tending to the Pen of a ready Writer, nor indeed is it, but I hope it will be accounted & prove it self to be the Pen of a veracious & well mean­ing Christian Englishman, whose glory it is, not so much to subdue Divels of dan­ger, & to level Mountains of difficulties, as to be owned a Friend to Learning, a Servant to Religion, a Native of London. And if I forget thee, O London! let my right hand forget her cunning, and they that forget thee by their cold Prayers, heartless Tears, Vituperious Sarcasms, Secret rejoycings at thy ruins had best to remember that the Inun­dation of thy Thames may cool their courage,Franci illi qui pugnae su­per suerunt Londinum convolantes, I am j am urbem perdaturi erant, nisi Tamisis qui nunquaem Londinensibus de defuit Romanos milites per­errore nebuloso maris à classe abductos opportunè intulisset Cambd. in M [...]ddx. p. 265. and thy tutelar Angelique Pa­tron, become thine avenger on them, for God has fixed an immortal spirit in Lon­don, the horn and branch of which, will sprout out to her detractors amaze­ment, [Page 89] and though she sit now in dark­ness, yet the Lord shall be a light to her. While England is an Empire, London will be the Metropolis of it, let who will dote on that Northern Prophecy, which some thought fulfilled in stout Bishop Montaigne, Lincoln was, London is, York shall be; yet the very Learned and Noble Geographer Dr. Heylin is so far from cherishing that,Cosmogra­phy. p. 316. which has any reflexion of Ec­clipse to London, whose misfortune is as it were the prodromus of the Nations misery, that he discreetly docks, the recitall, [...]incoln is, London was, &c. And Ingenious Dr. Fuller (who will be more valued in after ages,History Worthies. p. 227. as most are, than in their own) upon this Proverb, thus writes, But as for those whose hope is York shall be the English Metropolis, they must wait until the River of Thames run under the great Arch of the Ouse bridge. However York shall be, that is, shall be York still as it was before, for if York (I write for my Native City, and no City or person ought to be offended with me for my zeal for London) would ever [Page 90] have overpoysed London, it was pro­bablest to have been when the union of England and Scotland into Great Bri­tain was, because of its neer situation to the Two Kingdoms then conjoyned. But then it failing by the advantage London gave to the seat of Govern­ment, above that or any part of the Nation,Ca [...]sa fun­dationis Civitatis Londi­ne [...]sis Fluvius Thamisis liber Dun­thorne. the River of Thames that flowing up to her, caused her founda­tion at first, will I trust in God forever keep her in her Metropolitical station, and add to her Paramouncy of re­nown, as the Vrbs aeternabilis, as Rome is called, For so she seems to be framed after the Protoplast of the Nation, that she answers every feature and digestion of parts in the Greater Body. As if the Providence of God and the Policy of Antiquity, had set her as a Glass before her Monarchs to see the paths and per­fections of the greater Government, in the methods and manageryes of her the less. And so far does London answer the favour of her Soveraigns in their in­dulged liberties to her, that she hath the suffrage abroad to be one of the most August, Regular, Religious, Subaltern Governments in the world.

[Page 91] And now (Sir) after a more than usually long digression, I come to the last Circumstance promoting this deso­lating Fire; which was that Dread and pavid manlessness, that seised the In­habitants, by reason of which, they not only fled before the Fire, leaving it to its forradge, and not checquing it while dealeable with, nor anticipat­ing its Progress by pulling down or blowing up buildings before it; For by this did every mans unmanly exam­ple discourage, till at last the hearts of men were in their heels, and every hand (as it were) became Palsie thorough terrour of apprehension; there being a kind of Divination in men introductive to, and fautive of, the victory of the Fire over both their houses and endevours;lib. 10. c. 10. For as Iosephus well observes, when God has designs to accomplish, he puts upon men the guilt of humane errour and incredulity, by which they think it not lawful for them [...] to avoid their future calamity, neither shun they irrecoverable destiny, which as it was the case of the Iews when Nebuza­radan led the Iews captive into Babylon, [Page 92] burning the goodly Temple and razing the City. So was it (in a great measure) the condition of London; for though the Inhabitants had seen many Fires, and seen them soon again upon Gods blessing on their endevours quenched, yet This, This Fire was from the begin­ing of it, a Fire of amazement, a Fire bespoke by them to be portentuous, they gave up all by common Opinion & mistrust of vote unto it, God stopped some ruling mens ears against Counsel, and filled other mens hearts with ter­rour, the rich packed away, effaemi­nating their endevour by the securings they made of their Wives, Children, and Goods, and those not only near and within view, but remotest from the Fire, when no colour or prudent probability gave judgment to warrant such doings. But yet was it done, and thereby the City undone; for had not that exportation been,Diligentis­sima est tela sui [...] Fortitudo. their diligence and success against the Fire would have been trebled, and sutably for ought any knows have prov'd successful; the pray­ers and tears of some cooperating with the hands & heads of others, being more [Page 93] probable securities to communities, then such courses of astonishment which tended to presage of depopula­tion, and was a holocaust to nothing but the extortion and thefts of For­raigners, and had not God been more merciful, to Outrage and Savageness.

Which seisure of the Inhabitants, and over early pregustation of Woe, disarming them of all agible judgment and prudent succour was if not the [...] of, yet the [...] in the judg­ment. For as in the body natural, when the Sun, and the Moon, and the Stars be darkned, when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, as the Preacher describes old Age, c. 12. v. 2, 3. Death is at the dore, so in the body Politique, when manly Courage flags and the spirit of people fail them so that they crep about like walking Ghosts; there is a sign that God is the cause of it, and punishes by it; when God turns mens pleasure into fears, 21 Isay 4. when fear prepares for the pit and the snare, 24 Isay 17. when fear is on every side, 6 Ier. 25. when [Page 94] God sends a voice of fear, 30 Ier. 5. and when he seconds the voice with real fear, 48 Ier. 43. and those that fly from fear shall fall into the pit, v. 44. when God sends a fear from all those that be about men, c. 49. Ier. 5. This fear of exatlantation arising from guilt, and its punishment poorness of spirit, is that which is the Judgement and Curse of fear.

Now this God does to make way for his execution, and to render the endeavour against it less potent, and to save himself the drawing forth of his Almighty Artiller; This he doth to shew that his wrath is perfected by rendring enemies passive to his power as well as by becoming himself active in power irresistible; And as in evidences of mercy, The righteous shall be quiet from the fear of evil, 11 Prov. last, and be not afraid of sudden fear, 3 Prov. 15. and Gods people are dehorted from fearing other mens fears, 8 Isay 12. And God, St. Paul sayes gives not his Elect the spirit of fear, 2 Tim. 1. c. v. 7. so in displayes of judgement fear shall amate and terrifie wicked [Page 95] men, God will mock when their fear comes, when it comes as Desolation, 1 Prov. v. 26. 27. Fear shall be upon the Land, 30 Ezekiel 13. Fear fell upon all them which saw Gods judgements, 11 Rev. 11. This not only real, but opinionative and imaginary fear is the Crysis of the judgement, therein lies the vigour and execution of it, when God gives up the Pilot to neglect stee­rage and stoppage, when the Marri­ners that should ply the sails and pump, prepare for planks and ship­wrack, when the light of reason is under a Bushel of passion; and impu­issance is regent in the soul and senses, when the right hand not only knows not what the left hand doth, but hath forgot it is a right hand, or a hand, and hangs it self down folded, when the sluggards dilatoriness is upon men, and they will sit still a little longer, and pause a little more, till sorrow and mi­sery come upon them like an armed man; These remisnesses in cases of strait and Paroxisms of instancy, argue Phrygian wits, and arrive men at woe with a witness. Thus was Troy lost by [Page 96] the sloth and carelesness of her Inha­bitants. And thus,Baptista Gramay D [...]scripti­on of Asia. Sir, was London's Fate and fyring, helped forward by the extremes of some mens precipitancy and other mens dilatoriness; For had but Industry led the Van, Security probably, or at least not this havock, would have Marched in the Rear, but because some neglected the fire to save their Moveables, and others neglected removing upon belief (therein, Sir, I accuse my self who was one of those unbelievers) that the fires limits would be within and short of them and theirs, the fire diverted not from its persuit, but devoured the Goods of many, and the Houses of all, so dangerous a thing is that, which the consequence calls unpreventive wisdom, that the want of it is censured by many (whose fortunate fright has proved advanta­geous to them) to be wanting to their own good, and helpers forward of their own Woe.

And yet (Sir) God often impreg­nates his severity with this which is the Talent of Lead in the Ephah of judgment, [...] Z [...]c [...]. 7. that men shall not see the [Page 97] day of their Visitation. This fetched tears from the innocent eyes, those Casements and out-looks of the tender heart of our Lord Jesus, who behold­ing the City Ierusalem wept over it, saying, O that thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day the things that be­longed to thy peace; This is that which becalmed Ierusalem, who sate as a Queen and knew no evil, till at last Misery came upon her in a moment and desolation as a whirlwind, when men and Citties have Babylons doom to be cast into a deep sleep; 29 Isa. 10. so that sooner may all be crumbled down about their ears, and they buryed in the rubbish and confusion of their downfall, than they awaken, when God brings a high repose on Saul in the Cave, and makes him secure amidst bare and watchless weapons of defence; Then either men are taken napping as Saul was,1 Sam. 26. 12. or are ruined nodding as Eutychus, but for a Miracle had been,20 Acts 9. and nothing but mercy reached out of the Clouds can save them from their perpetual sleep and unawaking period, 51. Ier. 57. Now though (Sir) it be too heavy a [Page 98] guilt to charge this on London, yet how we of this City can discharge our selves of it, I do not very well know, unless we take refuge in that rule, Quos perdere vult Iupiter dementat, or in that Quae fata manent non facile vitantur, which Tacitus makes the salve for every fatality, or unlesse the day of Visitation being come, and the time of recompense being on us, God makes the Prophet a Fool, and the Spiritual man mad; that is, brings Prescience, Counsel, Courage, Con­stancy in all degrees of their activity out of date, giving men up to the just surprise of ridiculous stupidness, and to obstinate contumacy against the dictates of them. And if God had not intended much of this nature to be evidenced in this Case of London's trouble in order to the whole Nations abatement, he would not have char­ged home this assault in the time of London's weakness, when so many of the Good and Grave Magistrates of London, men of steddiness, experi­ence and power in the City were in their Graves, when many of the [Page 99] Weeping, Fasting and Praying Inter­cessors of her Clergy, whose Office it is to expiate for her, were either ab­sent or disseised (by fear) of that vi­gour which their hands and Prayers in full Assurance of Faith nothing doubting might otherwise have ex­pressed against the judgment. Nor would he have made the hearts and hands of the people of London so lan­quid and unactive in this day of their Concern; But thus, and only thus it was preordained of God to lesson the Nation that God can bring down high thoughts, and that the scorn and con­tempt of Religion and sober sincerity in Her and in her skirts, might be pu­nished with an amazing and insolite judgment, that those that are round about and are not less guilty than She that is punished, May hear and fear and do no more presumptuously. For though London be the place smitten and afflicted by God, yet because that cannot be charged on her that Iosephus relates of the seditious Jews that had gotten head in Ierusalem; L. 6. c. 16 de Bello Judaico. I will not cease to speak that which grief [Page 100] compels me, I verily think that had the Romans forbore to come against these se­detious, that either the Earth would have swallowed the City up, or some Deluge have devoured it, or else the Thunder and Lightning which consumed Sodom, would have light upon it; For the people of the City were far more impious then the Sodomites. Thus Iosephus, because I say (though wicked enough London was yet so wicked it was not (but as regular and Religious a City, and as full of those that feared the Lord, and called upon his Name, and that Mourned for the Abominations done in it, and in the whole Land as any I perswade my self the world then had or at any time ever had) To convince the incredulity and ill-will of re­fractory spirits of the truth of which; God I believe reserved a Remnant in it, and was mercyful to the Bodies and Goods of the Inhabitants of it, the greatest part of whom and which are now blessed be God resient dwelling and Trading in the remains of the Free­dom, and in the reserved Suburbs. This (Sir) Shall be written that the Gene­rations [Page 101] to come may know it, and the people that are yet unborn shall praise the Lord; For if the Lord had not been on our side may London now say, If the Lord had not been on our side when the Fire rose up against us, then the Fire had swallowed us up quick when its rage was kindled against us; Yea, certainly God never mingled a Cup of wrath with more Mercy than this, which was rather Physick than Poyson, more a Paternal chastisement, then an extir­pating Vengeance.

For whereas he Marched against Ierusalem of old, charging her from his pale horse of fury, bring­ing truculent and bloudy Enemies against it: Romans, Syrians, Ara­bians, all which accompanyed [...]e­spasian against it, and that then when there were 270000 Jews which came to Sacrifice, shut up by the siege in it as in a Prison, and were slain and star­ved during the siege and at its rendi­tion, whereof 600000.L [...]b. 7. c. 16 de bello I [...]d [...]ico. were cast out of the City in such distress that a Bushel of Wheat was sold for a talent which is 600 Crowns,L 6 c. 16. and the dung and raking of the City sinks was [...]d [Page 102] good Commons, and necessity made a Mother kill her Child and dress it, and whereas the dead Bodies lay so thick, that the way by them was not passable, the whole City flowing with bloud; so that many parts set on fire were quenched by the bloud of them that were slain, and after all the City was burned, whereas God thus punished Ierusalem by giving it a Cup of trem­bling, and filling it brimful with dead­ly Poyson, leaving no remnant from which succession should arise, or re­building, and re-inhabitation become probable and effective, yet to the praise of the glory of his Grace be it written, and be this loving kindness of the Lord never forgotten by London. It was not with London as Tacitus writes of Rome, Sequiter clades, om­nibus quid urbi per violentiam ignium acciderunt gravior at (que) atrocior. Annal. lib. 15. p. 791. Edit. Dorleans. No bloud of the Londoners was mingled with their Sacrifices; that is, no vio­lent essusion of bloud was in London, no Famine during the fire was in London. God indeed made the Inhabitants of [Page 103] London during the distraction like Reeds shaken with the wind, its Streets were confusedly walked and hurried about in, thwack'd with Carts, pe­ster'd with Porters and Portadges, every house threw out its Furniture, which they could not carry away more orderly, Men, Women, Children of all degrees and ages carried out somewhat, either to safety or spoil, some sent their Goods into the Coun­trey, others into the Feilds and other Open places, watching them many nights, and others removed them from place to place to lose them at last; yet though this was sad, God gave them their lives for a prey, and they had had the Pity, Presence, and Comfort of their Good King, and the Noble Duke of York, with the most Generous Lord Craven, and others, for Guards and Securers to them and theirs. There were indeed bruits of fear, and there were companies of suspicious persons who at the best, live upon the vices of the Nation, and who like Coasters ride out at Sea, to expect prey from wrecks, and small Boats which they [Page 104] can Master and prey upon,Scyllam inopem un­de praecipu­um auda­ciam Ta­cit. Annal. lib. 14. p. 159. Ex edit Eudovici Dorlea [...]s. such Cor­morants of pillage and snaps of ruine My Lodgings were an eminent instance of before they were burned yet open violence there was none to speak of, but much even of exemplary Justice, and charitable Mercy, In the time of the Fires raging, and of the distra­ctious impetuosity; which I write not to vindicate the dissolute Multitude of pretended Labourers, and other in­struments of carriage (who exhansed the rates of their own portadge, while perhaps their Wives, Children, and Servants, or some of them, were busie at other work, all becoming theirs which their hook could reach, or their Net drag away.) Nor yet do I mention This to atone the displeasure had against those Country Carts and Labourers, some of whose wages exceeded the worth of their Lading, or the ability of the persons they in this distress exacted it from, From these so dreadfully Mercenary to their sensual gain, as no more Justice or Courtesie is to be expected than is haveable from a Spoyler, who must [Page 105] leave what he cannot carry away, and who does not take all, not because he cannot find in his heart so to do, but because he is afraid so to do, whose avoydance of extortion is from wisdom of caution to prevent trouble, not upon Conscience of duty to approve himself to God and to Humanity. From These, I say, as no Mercy or Justice is (upon resolution) to be expected, so the Justice and Mercy of These, do I not in the least intend to mention by way of praise) the Justice and Mercy then remarkable, was that of many Honest persons, who well understand­ing the Duties of Constables and Offi­cers, became voluntarily such to pre­seve peace and prevent disorders, assi­sting Government against the common rout, apprehending and deteining suspicious persons till they brought Good vouchers and cleared them­selves. And other Guards and Foot Souldiery upon duty, answered the end of their array, and did not only not do violence to any, but secured all against the violence of any that at­tempted it; it was not with the Suffe­rers [Page 106] in this Fire, as with the Iews when the Romans besieged and Master­ed them, and they were envyed, the Gold that was supposed to be in their Bellies, it being noysed that they had swallowed down much, which caused some of the Roman allyes in one night to rip up the Bellies of 2000 of them, to search for that they found not, which Vespasian hearing of,6 lib. c. 16. De bello Iudaic. and the cruelty of it abominating, caused them to be compassed about with Horse, and to be destroyed; No such truculency was acted here, but the Citizens wer fuffe­red to secure what they could, and to pass and repass with what possible freedome and security the exigency of affairs would permit, The Souldiers riding about, and being their guard and help. Thus did King, Duke, Peers, People, Souldiers, do their parts, but Gods Counsell stood, and he did with the Buildings and Riches of the City, what came in his Soveraign mind to do, by reason of which, the beauty, vastness & order of Lond. came down to its Chaos in four dayes, which had been climing up to its Meridian [Page 107] above 2000 years,Impetu pervaga­tum incen­aium, plana primum, deinde in edita as­surgens in­feriora po­pulando anteriit remedia velocitate mali. Ta­cit. An [...]l. lib. 15. p. 791. Edit. Dor­lea [...]s. exchanging its name of a goodly City, for the reproach of a graceless heap; The rumination of all which particulars, that God suffered a City saved by the Lord from the miseries of War, and the mercylessness of Insurrection, Risen by grave pauses and Centuries of time, into a Miracle of stature, accommodated with all ingredients and concentrations to pub­lish and establish it in request and value, Whose appositeness for Trade, was Magnetique of all Nations and Merchandises to it. Whose Credit for order and honesty, lewred Strangers out of their Countrys to reside in it, and kept them here, and naturalized them to it, Whose Government was effectual and sweet; To ends of ter­rour and obligement, whose Customes and Franchises were beneficial and stated, Whose Cittizens were Rich and Hospitable, Whose appearances were pompous, and becoming their De­scents and Fortunes, That London which was so celebrious for publique Edefices of State and Religion, that it was not possible almost to wish better [Page 108] or more remarks of Christian Devotion and Politique Grandeur in such dimen­sions as it stood upon, That this City which once deserved the Union of all Characters of glory, vying with Rome for Religion, with Naples for Nobility, with Millan for Beauty, with Genoa for Statelyness, with Florence for Policy, which Venice for Riches, That this which was compleat usque ad Invidiam mundi, as I may so write, should become inglorious, and be the Subject as well of her Enemies insult, as of her Friends pity; This Inscription of Gods fury on the Roll of her Judgment, Lamentation, and Mourning, and Woe, ought to call us,26 Ezek. 13. 7 Jer. 34. 16 Jer. 9. From joy and melo­dy, from pleasure and riot, which God has caused to cease, unto prostration and confession before God; And that not by Hanging down the head like a Bulrush for a day, and returning to our Sin the next day, like the Dog to his Vomit, not by presenting our selves in the Congregation of God, which too few do, and there only counter­feiting Devotion for an hour only, but following it with unmortified be­stiality [Page 109] and inhumane luxury, not by bare words of piety without any re­flexion of them on the heart, or any evidence of the truth of its radication, in the Flower of it, the life; Humilia­tion that God commands and accepts is deep and setled, the souls contusion and exinanition, such abhorrence as Iob speaks of 42 Iob. 6. an abhorrence of a Mans self, and of that Sin that cleaves closest to him, and is most connatural with him, and a repenting in dust and ashes, that is an evidence of self condemnation in the vivid'st and most exact note of it, in that which is Emblematical of the lowest dejection, such a frame of Soul as weeps bitterly with Peter, and makes restoration with Zachaeus, and rejects the former allure­ments to Sin with Mary Magdalen, and resigns up it self wholly to Christ Je­sus as consternated Saul did when Christ dismounted him, 9 Acts 6. and he became his Convert, such a humiliation as Manasses and the Good men in Nehemiah presi­dents us to in the 9. Neh. where 'tis said the Children of Israel were assembled with fasting and Sackcloth, and with [Page 110] Earth upon them, V. 1. 2. and the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquity of their Fathers; Such a humi­liation as pulls with indignation sin from its Root, and suffers no corner of the Soul or Land to be fantive to it or polluted by it, such a humiliation as is in sincerity and truth commensu­rate to the God of Truth whom it is devoted to, such an humiliation as includes the Kings, the Peers, the Pre­lates, the Clergy, the Laity does God call for, and that in proportion to that Epidemique mercy that he hath ob­liged all by, and suitable to that hea­vy and repeated judgment he hath al­ready brought and farther may bring upon all, such a humiliation as excuses, no degree, no age, no person from it dres the Lord require from thee,13 Jer. 18 2 Chr 12. c. v. 6. O England! and from thee, O London! To whom he hath shewed Mercies of a former or latter date, parallel with, if not paramount to his manifests to any Nation; He hath called us Belo­ved who were not beloved,28 D [...]ut. 13. and cau­sed us an Island to become the Head and [Page 111] not the Tail of the Nations, He hath brought us into the marvellous light of Christianity, who sate in darkness of errour, and in the shadow of death through Ethnicism, he hath not been a wilderness to us, nor planted us in a barren soil, but given us a Canaan, 11 Jer. 5. flowing with Milk and Honey, a Land rich in Corn, Pastures, Cattel, Fruits, Fish, every thing that necessity and delight calls the glory of any Land, God has raised us up Kings, Rulers and Iudges, not è Fece populi, but derived from loins Noble, 10 Eccl. 17. the Sons of Honour and Majesty, who have been Nursing Fathers to our Pieties, Persons and Laws, God has preserved us from Vassalage, and made us free in our persons and properties (safety and pro­priety being in the Kings Protection and his peoples subjection, according to the Law.) God has preserved the Rights and Renown of England so, that the Subjects of it are famous for Va­lour and Success in their Enterprises by Sea and Land, God hath made this little spot, that in the Map of Choro­graphy is hardly discernable, a Mart [Page 112] of Trade and a Mine of Wealth, which the inexhaustion of this last twenty six years, by Sums unsummable, and in their possibility to be adjusted would be incredible, yet have not drawn low, but preserved pregnant to carry on its just and necessary Interests against her potent combined Enemies; These Mercies to Engl. ever since her Chri­stianity, recognised by those abridge­ments of them in the Reigns of the five last Princes equalling all other anteceding them, The Reformation of Religion by E. 6. The deliverance from the cruelty of Popery in Queen Maryes Reign, The Restoration of Protestancy in Quen Elizabeths dayes, in spight of the Jesuited Plots, Spanish Invasion, [...] Thankful Rem [...]m­brance of Gods mercy. See Dr. Sharpe's Letter. Cabala p. 256. 259. 1 part. expensive Wars purposely raised to distress and divert her; In the Reign of King Iames, whom God brought in rightfully, setled quietly, and deliverd from the fatal Powder-Plot, to leave his Crown Rich and Great to his Successor, the late Glori­ous King Charles, [...] (whose Reign was as beneficial, and peaceful, (for the most part of) it as any preced-ed, [Page 113] and had made the Nation as happy af­ter a Cloud, had not God punished and polluted the glory of it with the storm of Contradiction in a Civil un­civil War, and with the guilt of the, bloud of that, Solomonique Codrus whose life was sacrificed to vindicate the Religion and Laws of Loyalty and Liberty, against the Oppressions and Insolencies of Antiscriptural Er­rour and Antimonarchical avarice;) These five last Reigns in which the Princes and people of England were kept from either the sufferings of pub­lique mischief or the long and grie­vous detinue under it, shew Gods Mercy to this Nation, and call for hu­miliation from it; And if these so long past are not fresh in our Memories, as God forbid they should, (being done but within the Age of those that yet Live, and God forgive if they be, which ought to be had in everlasting remem­brance) yet there are Obligations of late which are Monitory to us of Mercy abused and ingratefully deported to.

And here give me leave (Sir) to Apostrophize as God did by his [Page 114] Prophet Isaiah, 1 Isa. 2. Hear O Heaven, hearken O Earth, bear witness Angels and Men, and our own Consciences, whether God has not nourished us up that are now alive as his Children, and yet We, we have rebelled against him; O Sir, the Mercies shewed to our Glorious Lord and Renowned Soveraign of England, our Gracious King Charles the Second, whom God long preserve and Sanctifie thoroughout both in Body and Soul, are the Marrow and Fatness of all Gods Treasury of Mercies con­cerning this life; His seasonable de­parture and safe arrival beyond the Seas, when he might have been in the same hands his blessed Martyr Father was, His Conduct and Preservation while abroad, in the condition of a Pil­grim, & under the Eclipse of a Pensio­ner, His preparation to reduction by his opposites dimnion, and his Subjects better prospect into their Seduction & combination against those Artificers of their former delusion, His Generals and ever Glorious Father in fidelity to him, and success for him and us. I make bold (with His Majesties graci­ous Pard [...]n humbly implor'd) to use [Page 115] the Compellation that I have heard reported to be given him by His Ma­jesty) the now beloved and deserved­ly admired Duke of Albemar [...], his sagacity in carrying his intents undis­covered, till he had both enabled himself and disabled the opposites to discover or defeat them; The honest and wise Parliament of 1660/1 their plyableness first to publish, and after to act the security and seasonableness of his Restoration; The passivity of a potent Army and Party formerly a­gainst him, which fore-seeing what is come to pass, yet opposed nothing at all, at least to no purpose, but rather in a great measure forwarded the mercy by their activity. The advan­tage that accrewed to His Majesty up­on his reverter, not only of Money and Monyes worth by Offices, but by Im­provement of Lands, & by other valua­ble perquisites; and besides all, the love of his Subjects, who adoring the ri­sing Son of so blessed and lamented a Father, and accounting themselves de­livered by him, and Establishable a­gainst relapse only from him, Sacrificed [Page 116] all to him, Their persons and fidelity to him by Oath, Their Laws, Liber­ties and Purses to him by Parliamen­tary playbleness, Their Prayers to him by thinking that best done which he did, and their prayses of what he did, as acceptable to them, and mag­nified by them; This, this Sun-shine in the harvest of their hopes; This, This Rain of Fertility after Englands Sultre of war and dissention. This mercy of Inundation in the joy of Englands King Charles returned, is a mercy from the Womb of the Mor­ning, which the light sprung from on high visited us with, a Visitation it was of Gods Light and of his Truth, Of the light of his countenance in making our Captivity like the Rivers of the South, 126 Ps. 4. a reaping in joy after a sowing in tears;1 [...]2 Ps. 28 11 Prov. 21. of the Truth of his Promise, The seed of the Righteous shall not be forsaken, of the truth of his Paterni­ty to us who thus remembred us in our low estate. For his mercy endu­reth for ever. This, this prosecuted and perfected by his deliverances from Insurrections at home, from Confede­racies [Page 117] against him abroad, from the violencies of ungo [...]ly men, and from the dangers and uncertainties of war, This raising of him in his Reputation, and making his Adversaries appear little to him, Is the Matchless mercy of God to him, and is Gods Envoy and Herald to beseech His Grace to suitable subjection to him, and to cir­cumspect Sanctimony before him.

And if O England! and O London! God has thus obliged thy Monarch, and his Peerage and his Prelacy, and his people of all degrees. Then what O England! does God require of this Renowned Recipient and Lodge of thy mercy by the distributions from whence thou art refreshed and inrich­ed, then that thy Monarch with all his Train of dependants, do execute Ju­stice, love Mercy, and walk humbly with his and their God. Answer God O England! Prince and people in this requiry of his? Do Iustice upon sin, the abominable thing that he hateth; upon sin of all sorts, of all degrees, in all persons, Execute the Laws impar­tially while they stand in Force, Re­peal [Page 118] them if they be supernumerary, mitigate them if vexatious, explain them if dubious, adde to them if too short to reach and redress emergent evils, and be not over-come of the evil of partiality, but over-come that and all other evil with the goodness of publique spiritedness, which aims at entailing Gods blessing upon him and his. For he hath not only said he will forgive the sins of those that exe­cute judgment, 1 Isay 17. 18. But has promised that those that Execute judgement, make their shadows as the Night in the midst of the Noon-day, hide the out-casts, and betray not him that wandereth, to have their Thrones be E­stablished in mercy, and their Posterity sit upon them in truth, 16 Isa. 5. yea with execution of judgement, God whose Throne is Established by Righte­ousness, & whose ways are Mercy and Truth, is so taken at, that He promises to pardon a great and sinful City, Ie­rusalem, if in the streets and in the broad places thereof, there can be found but one man that executeth judgment and seeketh the truth, 5 Jer. 1. Thus to [Page 119] do Justice is to please God, if it be seconded by Love of mercy to Gods poor and afflicted Ones, Relieve the oppressed, visit the Fatherless and Widow in their extremity, be not a terrour to those that do well, do not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoaking flax; Let the long-sufferance and patience of God to you make you compassionate to those whose errours you ought to pity and pray for, rather then punish, Let Gods Longanimity in your renewed Conscience break out upon their passions in Victory over them; and in vertue expressed to them that are contrary minded to you, and think that the noblest Conquest that makes you triumph over mortal wrath which accomplishes not the Righ­teousness of God, 1 Jam. 20 and that carries you out under every weight that would suppress your heavenly ambition to take heaven by force, and to lay hold of eternal Life, and to carry away the assurance of God yours in the Talons of an Eagled faith, which looks upon the Son of Righteousness boldly, and which mounts to the Throne of glory [Page 120] with humble confidence; This, O Prince and People of England is to love mercy, To seek out every true and sacred object of it, To neglect no manifestation of it to such, To be un­wearied in such welldoing, To expend every measure of it with Eye to him in heaven that doth command, cannot but accept, will without fail reward it; He that remembers that Gods Ex­traordinary benevolence to Man is phrased by shewing mercy, 14 Num. 18. 3. Lam. 22. 103 Ps. 8. 11. 17. and that he promised his mercy and loving kindness, he will never take from His, cannot but promise himself great com­fort in shewing mercy, and greater in loving mercy. For God delights in the mercy which is complacential and flows from the bowels and beeing of the shewer, and because he delights in mercy and is a God merciful and gracious,34. Exod. [...]6. therefore he requires Men his Vicars,2. Chron. 30. c. v. 9. to love mercy;103. Ps. 8. Evil men may occasionably shew mercy.3. Jer. 12. But good men only love mercy. Thus O England! thou hast invitations from thy God to performances of doing [Page 121] justice and loving mercy; Nor is this all, but there is another requiry aequi­valent to these in the coordination of which, Gods postulation of thee is an­swered, walk humbly with thy God; This, This, O England! is thy duty and interest to propagate also, for there can be none of the two former without this latter, there is no demeanour natio­nal or personal under-mercies, true and uniform, without the Condiment and Ballast of this, Humility in owning God the spring of all authority and enable­ment to do justice, and love mercy, is that which carries the grace of resolu­tion to its period of performance, Let God, O England! O London! have all the glory of what ye have arrived at, while some put confidence in Charriots and Horsemen,49. Ps. 6. and say their Bow hath brought them their Venison, and their Councel and their Confederacies has thus befriended them, while they boast of their hearts desires, 10. Ps. 3. and of a false gift, 25. Prov. 14. while they boast in their Idols, 97. Ps. 7. and of too Morrow which they know not what it may bring forth, 17. Prov. 1. [Page 122] do thou, O England! boast only of God all the day long, 44. Ps. 8. and so mo­derate your minds, under all your mercies that ye may be termed the Mi­nisters of our God, that ye may eat the riches of your Enemies, and in that glory shall you boast your selves, 61 Isaiah 6. O England! O London! the Countrey, the City of my birth breeding, and love, how considerable an Interest is this to thee, praeponde­rating all those of Moneys, Men, Na­vies, Armies, though all admirable and useful, yet without thee thus prostrate and devoutly nothing in thine own Eyes, thou art nothing before God, nor wilt thou be any thing against thy Neighbours, but in this, and in the strength of Gods might by this, Thou wilt be more than a ballance to them; Thou wilt be a Victor over them, for God saveth the afflicted people, 18. Ps. 27. that is the humble people, 2. Sam. 22. c. v. 28. 49. Isa. 13. and To England and To London thus afflicted & paenitent for their sins, God I trust will commiseratingly say as once he did to his Church by his Prophet, [Page 123] O Thou afflicted, 64 Isaiah 11, 12, 13. tossed with Tempests, and not Comforted, Behold I will lay thy Stones with fair colours, and lay thy Foundations with Saphires, and I will make thy Windows with Agates, and thy Gates of Carbuncles, and all thy Borders of pleasant Stones, and all thy Children shal be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy Children. This is the cause why I humbly pro­voke the Nation to humiliation before God upon view of his mercies imme­rited, we have not been worthy of the least of those Myriaded ones that we have enjoyed, nor improved them to such a degree of Melioration and gra­titude as we might and ought, For if those mighty wonders that had been amongst us, had been done in any other Nation or City,Mat. 11. 21. 23. they would have re­pented long ago in Sackcloth and Ashes,Lu [...]e 10. 13. whereas We are still setled in our Lees, 48 Jer. 11. and return not to him that smites us, 7 Hos. 10. neither bring we forth fruits meet for repentance. 4 Mat. 8.

Further (Sir) I do humbly pray and wish that England and London would consider the necessity of their humilia­tion [Page 124] before God; for the Judgments past, present, & probably to come upon it and them that are Impaenitent in it, and unreformed by them.

And here methinks I hear the Nation crying to its Neighbours, & inhabitants as Ierusalem is personated to cry out, 1 Lam. 12. Is it nothing to you all yee that pass by behold and see, If there be be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger? Is it nothing to you that after above 80 years peace I should have an Intestine War, an Irish Rebellion, a Scotch In­surrection, and an English Discord; By the Tragickness of all which, in Bat­tails fought, in Violencies committed, in Depraedations made; I lost Hundreds of Thousands of Men, Millions of Wealth, Multitudes of Buildings of State, suffered Havock of Religion, Humanity, Timber, and what not that was valuable to keep or get? Is it nothing to you that I had wickedness setled in me by a Law,9. [...] [...]6. 9 [...] 13. 6. [...] ▪ 12. and that the Rulers of the People caused me to erre; [Page 125] turning judgment into Gall, and righte­ousness into Wormwood, till at last the light of our eyes, the Annointed of the Lord fell in their snare, and the blood of that Holy and Just one Charles the First, my once Lord and Master was slain in me? Is it nothing to you, that I was made another Absyrtus, and my seameless coat was torn in pieces, and divided between those that then were chief; That I was in a good progress to Anarchy, and to an impossibility ever to have been recollected and re­duced into my orderly and consistent way of regularity and harmony wherein our Governours might be as at the first, and our Iudges as at the first, 1. Isai. 26. no Neighbouring eye pitying me in this day of contempt, or saying unto me Live, had not God made this time of my pollution, the time of his Love? Is it nothing to you, that God has gi­ven me a Horn of salvation in this house of his Servant David, 132. Ps. 2. and we that under his shadow and prote­ction sit under our own Vine, and under our own Fig-tree, and enjoy our good things with Peace, yet do [Page 126] repine at the Anchor that holds us all together from wreck, and think ne­cessary aids granted to him, burthens, and his Proclamations and Manifests against Prophaneness and contempt of God (disobeyed by many of those who will Ram and Damn themselves to be his best friends, & all Phanatiques, who refrain from the same excess not to be heeded with them) Is it nothing to you that God has brought a War upon me from my Neighbours in Situation, and Religion, and made the two Earthen Vessels placed in the Sea, and insupe­rable while inseperable, dash each against other,Certo constat Regem Hi­spaniarum si totam An­gliam cum Belgio do­nare possit totius Europae magnae (que) partis mundi Novi Monarcham cito Evasurum; Omnino id agat ut Anglorum vires infringat, ad quod effi­ciendum Naves Hollan­diae & Frisiae sufficerent si nimirum Classi A [...]glae opponerentur. Campanel­la c. 25. de Monarchia Hispanic [...]. and they that in their Union are a terrour to all their opposites, become in Hostility the advantage of those that abet their feuds, looking for that day (which I hope they shall never see) wherein they promise themselves the spoil of them? Is it nothing to you that the God of Heaven hath brought upon many great Cities and [Page 127] Towns in me and into my London, in Anno 1665. the grievous Plague and Pestilence wherein above a hundred thousand dyed. Many of its Inhabi­tants were scattered into several cor­ners of the Nation, and impoverished by high expences, loss of Trade and Debts, and by other unavoidable ac­cidents. And when they were but a little returned, and were in their way of settlement and recovery, Is it no­thing to you that God hath by this Dreadful fire of Londons havock given the Enemy of the setled Religion of England occasion to account England and London forsaken of God;71 Ps. 11. And Apology and Ap­peal to the Royalists now pub­lished. now to be as vituperious of me and mine as their Predecessors in Profes­sion were in their Petition to King Iames, in which they have amongst many other passages this; (Assuring your Grace that howsoever some Prote­stants or Puritans incited by morral ho­nesty of life, Cab. l [...]. 2 p [...]t. p. 84. or innated instinct of Na­ture, or for fear of some temporal punish­ment, pretend obedience unto their High­ness Laws, yet certainly the only Catho­liques for Conscience-sake observe them, [Page 128] Is this? Is this nothing to you that thus the adversary reproaches me upon the misery of London? Beloved Lon­don, Virtutum omnium domicilium, as theAmmi­ [...]nus Mar­ [...]lli-nus. [...]. 14. Historian styled Rome, now the object of our Tears, who wast hereto­fore the pleasures of our eyes, whose being and bravery God has given up into the rage of fire as the punishment of God upon the Nations and its own sins;2 Cor. 4. c. v. 9. Though thou art persecuted yet art thou not forsaken, Why may not the words of the Prophet Isaiah be ap­plyed to thee, [...] 2 Isa. 11. 12. Behold thy Salvation co­meth, And they shall call thee the Holy people, the Redeemed of the Lora; and thou shalt be called sought out, A City not forsaken.

Tell me, O tell me, ye that are most proud upon your prosperity, ye that despise the day of small things, and think ye are delivered to do all the abominations that the worst of men do, who follow the lusts of their own eyes, and the thoughts of their own hearts, and make God unconcerned in their behavious, As if every one that doth evil were good in the sight of the [Page 129] Lord, and he delighteth in him, or where is the God of judgment, 2 Mal. ult. ye who discharge the providence of God from all Regency over the world and the men, and things of it subjecting all things to chance, as if the Lord who made it, wholly cast off the care and controul of it, and will not do good, 1 Zep. 12▪ neither will he do evil in it; Tell me O ye mistaken ones, who smile in your sleeves, and exalt your selves against those that the Lord has humbled,Vere affirmare possu­mus mundum novum quodammodo perdidisse mundum. may not the Prophet Obeds words be applyed to you. But are these not with you, even with you sins against the Lord your God; 2 Chron. 17. c. v. 10. For which sins God may meet with you also? Let these things O people of England be weighed,Veterem nam mentibus nost. is a varitium inse­vit & mutuum amorem inter homines extrin [...] ­it. Campanella c. 16. Monarch Hispan. and let it not seem light to you that God has made such a breach in the wall of the strength of England, and caused the Metropolis of it to be a Step-Mother to her Children.

This O London Inhabitants now di­spersed, take religiously to heart, and [Page 130] let God have the glory of your volun­tary and penitent taking to your selves shame and confusion of Face; For be­hold the Lord hath made the Earth of 24 Isa. 1. London waste, he hath made it empty and turned it upside down, and scatte­red abroad the Inhabitnnts thereof, God hath given it (for but a while I hope) the portion of Egypt to be de­solate and waste,29 Ezech 9. though the River (was and is and will be I trust Hers,) which brought all Trade to her, and carryed all Trade from her, not only into England, but into all other parts of the habitable world. Because of which testimony of Gods indignation against us, for our untowardness to him, and our neglect of him when his judgments on us ought to make us learn righteousness. What cause (Dear Sir) has England and London to cry mightily to God for a profitable issue of this his judgment upon us, and how ought we all to abhor our selves for provoking his goodness, and patience, so long and so far?

Let (Sir) evil Instruments have their due Guerdon if they be found, and [Page 131] found guilty, Let no eye spare, nor any heart compassionate the misery of any Villany that shall be Confederate against the Lord, and against his A­nointed in the ruine of London, (which was more happy in some respects when on fire, thanNec quisquam desen­dere audebat, creb [...]is multorum minis re­stinguere prohibentium, & quia alii palam fa­ces jaciebant atque esse sibi auctorem vocise­rabantur sive ut raptus licentius exercerent, seu [...]ussu. Tacitus An­nal. l. 15. p. 791. Edit. Dor [...]ea [...]s. Rome when on fire was) But yet the great Delin­quent that provoked God to give up London such a main Pillar and Master­branch in Englands Gran­deur, into the power of ra­ging fire was Englands and Londons sins, for which she and it hath received such things at the Lords hand. This is a lamentation, and it ought to be a lamentation; For of all the Clouds over England, none more por­tentuous than this.

Which (Sir) in mine opinion, (but I am a modest subscriber to your and other Wise-mens better judgments) addresses to the Nation this Counsel to promote union and general comply­ance amongst true Englishmen, to serve their Prince resolutely, supply his ne­cessities [Page 132] roundly, discourage his Ene­mies manfully, and in all things prove themselves a terrour to the common Enemy, whose pride it is to see us peevish, and whose project it is to keep us jealous and inconfident each of other, and thence impotent against them, so Camp [...]ella has told the world. For having advised to open Popish Schools in FlandersAd Rel [...]gionem Angl [...]ae quod s [...]ectat obtinet quidem Calvin a [...]a at­tamen moderata, nec tam prava ut Gene­vensim est quae tamen facile restling ui non po­test, nisi aperiuntur Scholae in Flandra, quae gens cum Anglis multum commercii ha­bet, int [...] ventuque illa­rum spargentur semina Scismatum in Scientiis Naturalibus, &c. c. 25. de Monarch. Hispan. (which Country hath much commerce with England and is neer to it, he concludes that Natural Sciences professed there, and drawing over ma­ny great Wits thither, will so engage them to cavil and busie their brains in disputes, That the errours of the Calvinists will be made manifest. And he proceeds, c. 27. To conclude that God himself has shewed, them the way by which the Heretiques may be overcome; namely, their rendring into Sects and Parties, which he assures by the endeavours that he prescribes may be such, That there hard­ly be found a family in that Land [Page 133] (meaning Engl.) in which divers Hersies shall not be favoured, nor is there wanting to our wishes anything but the knowing & improving of so desirable an opportunity, For every Kingdom divided against it self shall be desolated, Deus ta­men ipse postmo­dum ust [...]a­d [...]t vtam quà illi vinci po­tuerunt cum ipsi (Protestantes) per sectas in diversas partes decesserunt, Cro [...] sciliscet Lutheri, subtilis Calvini, dissoluti Zuinglii & Mem [...]c nis, adeo ut vix ulla domus ibi terrarum inveniatur in quà [...] diverse Haer [...]ses soveantur, nec ulla desit nobis quam scientia ap­prehendendi & usurpandi tam exoptatam occasionem, omn [...] en [...] regnum inse divisum desolabitur & unio fi [...]ma difficilem semper habet nodum. c. 27. and firm union has ever a undissolvable knot; Thus Cam­panella.

For as in the body natural the am­putation and dock of one member for­ces the bloud and spirits that therein reside when fixed, to recur to the heart, and there to succour it in the absence of that part, to the more plena­ry vigour of the remaining parts, so in the body politique, in this sense In­tentio supplere debet defectum, What England has at present lost in Londons Counsel, Riches, Readiness, it must supply by the hale and uninjured o­ther parts, till Londons dispersions can be recollected, and the impoverishings [Page 134] of it be regain'd. The number of Lond. (blessed be God) are not by the fire much destroyed, nor their spirits Crest-fallen, nor are they languid and despairing in their endeavours to get up again, if God give his blessing to them, and if they be left (so far as may suit with His Majesties pleasure and the Laws direction for publique advantage) to the building of it upon its old Founda­tion, and according to the just pro­portion of every mans allowed claim and right; This, in such mea­sure as the wisdom and justice of Go­vernment shall indulge, may make us hopeful, and I hope confident to see a London again, and therefore O Eng­land, O London, renounce thy Factions and Parties which are great Remora's to thy prosperity, and let us who are Christian Englishmen keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace, 2 Cor. 13. c. v. 11. 4 Eph. 3. 3 2 Isa. 17. 11 Prov. 30. and the God of peace will be with us, and make the work of it peace and assurance for ever, rendring this fruit of Righteousness a tree of life. Nothing tends to redin­tegration, to improvement like union, for by that are unnatural Breaches [Page 135] made up, and firmness the only auxili­ary to opposition of Enemies is advan­ced and carryed on to its amiable issue; while Brethren live together and are full fed at their Fathers Table they of­ten will be found jarring each with o­ther, and contending with animosity for straws and bubbles, but when their provident Fathers disposes them into several quarters, and they see and hear from one another but seldom, then their childish vatiances fall off and they unite into an indissolvability of af­fection, so that they will covet to hear from and see each other, omitting no expression of obligement that they can make to one another; Sembably in Na­tional differences it proves true, that the common affection of Countrymen solders them into a common resolve of kindness each to other, when they see they have bought their humours at too dear a rate to boast of their purchase, or to continue in it any longer. And this, they that are most stupid and setled upon their Lees, may easily dis­cover; And if God that divided Sime­on and Levi in Jacob, and scattered [Page 136] them in Israel, because cruelty was in their dwellings, Ge [...]. shall unite Ephraim to Manasseth, and Manasseth to Ephraim, Iudah will have no cause to complain both of them against each other have been against her. Nothing is a Curse of subversion to a Nation but Faction,9 Isa. 20. Dissention, Jealousie, which the afore­said Campanella calls (the most ap­proved and successful way to humble the Heretiques of England and distract them that can be,Egregia vero via ad humilandos Ha [...]eticos eosque distrahendos e­tiam haec est, nimirum aperire Scholas Philo­sohicas & Mathemati­cas in Germania ut e­jusmod [...] speculati omni­bus immergatur potius quum Haereticis studiis vacet. Et Paulo post una quadem via est si animus omnis et vo­luntas interse coeundi et conspirandi illis au­feratur suspiciones et simultatis inter illos alendo, &c. c. 23. for while they are afraid of one another, and keep at distance, they all lie open to become the prey of their Adversary.) Nor can this Nation be solidly thankful to God for his Mercies on the right hand and his Cor­rection on the left, nor are they or any of them rightly understood or applyed by us, till with one heart and one mind we turn to God by Prayer and Supplication, till we seek him with undivided hearts, and beseech him junctis viribus, with intireness and [Page 137] unbroken devotion, till we all become a Fulminans Legio, a band of seekers and servers of him orderly, as those that are gathered together, and the King­doms to serve the Lord, Psalm 102. v. 22.

O union! how wilt thou befriend Engl. if thou now become the blessing of City and Country, of Church and State, High and Low, old and young; let this spirit hold riffe in Engl. and let us learn obedience to God by the things that we have suffered, for being too much without it, and our prospe­rity will be like a River, and our Re­nown and dread like a mighty stream, our enemies will be before us as the Chaff before the wind, One of us will chase a 1000,23 Josh. 10. five of us will chase a 100, and a 100 of us will put 10000 to flight, 26 Lev. 8. For till union be Gods gift upon Nati­onall endeavours and prayers, its best blessing is like to prove but a ballance to enemies, not a Victory over them, God may, and 'tis but a may, make their bow abide sure to wound their enemies in the hinder-parts, yet shall they still be but partial Victors, while [Page 138] their enemies industry and unitedness wasts that by length which it cannot scatter or bear down by strength.

And if any man (Sir) think this a paradox and mis-judgeth it an error in History, let him rectifie his mistake by the Oracle of truth Christ Jesus, A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand, and let him thereupon consider whether the plenary success of Nations in their enterprises both offensive and defensive, depend not, under God Al­mighty, upon union, which if the late judgment of Pestilence and Fire, with the present war will not invite us to, and confirm us in, what will do I know not, unless whom the Lord intends to destroy, He hardneth against his fear, and against knowing the day of their sa­ving Visitation, which I hope and pray Engl. may be delivered from, and do promise my self Englishmen will ever make good that humour which I think is natural to them,Read Sir Walt. Baw­leigh 2 Book 1 part p. 262. l. 10. to lay aside all pri­vate grudges, and bid their Valours to a reconciled entertainment in fu­rious charge upon their Countries e­nemies, and thereby discharge their [Page 139] Countries vexation; For if pro aris, pro focis & Patre Patriae if in these cases (to use K. Iames of blessed Memory his words)p. 233. of his works in folio. no man ought to think his life happyer and more gloriously be­stowed than in defence of any of the three; how great an obligation is there on us to be true to our Nation when all are in danger, and how ought we all to be united to defend them all, who are so happy by them all?

Thus (Sir) having observed to your Ju­dicious eye and to the Nation's, the mercies of God to Engl. in general, and to London a considerable part of it, I think it proportio­nable to mine honest intendment, to become in that measure that God enableth me, the Cities Orator & Advocate to the Nation, to whose aid, splendour, convenience, Gran­deur, She when she stood upon her ancient bottom was so great a Contributor, Do not, O do not glory in her ruines, trample not upon her dislustre, reproach not her widow­hood, insult not over her humbling; Do not, O do not vomit out Invectives against her whom God hath given as it were the Cup of23 Ezech 32. abasement and astonishment to drink;12 Zach. 2. do not lay load upon those Shoulders that God has in a sort, Issachar'd, 49 Gen. 19 to crowch between two Burthens of Poverty and dispersion, lay not that upon them which they [Page 140] are not able to bear,36 Isa. 27. because God layes up­on no man more then he gives strength to undergo;1 Cor. 10. c. v. 13. Be not lifted up in this day of Londons dejection, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and he hurl you Lucifers out of the Heaven of your sinful selicity, and make you Noctifers and Mortifers of misery and contempt; Remember God was sore displeased with the Heathen that were at ease, Because I was (saith he) but a little displea­sed, and they helped forward the affliction, 1 Zach. 15. For I hope God is returning to it in Mercy, and his Houses shall be built, and a Line shall be stretched forth upon it, v. 16.

I the rather (Noble Sir) mention this, because the rancour of ill Nature, lewd rage, and un-English truculency discovers it self in the words and actions of some to such degrees, that they count London as Nero's House was termed, Spoliarium Vrbis & Or­bis, Censuring it thus punished for her bloud and Rebellion, for her Sectarism and Puritannicalness, making the loss and just complaints of her Inhabitants, the matter of their secret repast, if not open exultation. To this the answer of our Lord to his furious Di­sciples, who would have had Fire called for from heaven upon their enemies, is apposite You know not of what spirit ye are, there­fore [Page 141] to such I shall make no reply that will incense them or engage me. Only (Sir) I hope I may with modesty and truth say, that whatever Londons guilt before God hath been, and its receiving from the Lords hand by this fire is, God is just, and it hath reaped but the fruits of its own sinful do­ings, as to God Londons destruction is of it self, but as to the Nation, it hath not I per­swade my self had more than a proportion of sin with it; Her Magistracy, Her Mini­stery, Her Sabbaths, Her Congregations, Her Citizens, Her altogether has been as orderly & pious as the proportions of them in other places privileged from her Calamity were, and when ever the temper of her Inhabi­tants was most distemper'd, they were then no more Criminal than the rest of the Na­tion; whose Emissaries and Suffragans either called up those disorders in her, or confir­med, ex post facto, what was vildely done by them. And if London (be it as bad as it will be, must in policy be made as good as it can, and be born with till its humors be sweetned, and its eventriqueness be redu­ced, for the Metropolis of Engl. I hope God has ratifyed in Heaven it shall ever be and abide;) then to no purpose is this waste of rage, while Lond. being the common Hostel­ry [Page 142] of the Nation, receives into it men of all additions and tempers, nor can it be respon­sible before God or man for that, which a more governable place (then the continued building which in this account is reckoned Lond. but really is not) would be, Londons numbers made London orderly, or the con­trary, as the predominant vertue or vice of them led her, nor avails it much what a few wise and loyal men say or do, if many more than they will appeal from them to the power they have gotten over them, and the mastery they are resolved to keep upon them. And though the least instance of Lond. misdemeanor be that which I wish from my soul she could not be charged with, yet if those that are most censorious of her, and most profess service to the K. and the Coun­try would consider it aright, they may I pre­sume find cause to joyn with Renowned K. Iames, who in his acknowledgment of Her great forwardness in that honorable action of proclaiming him King, says,Anno. 1602. Cabala. p. 81. Wherein you have given a singular proof of your anci­ent Fidelity, a Reputation Hereditary to that our City of London being the Chamber of our Imperial Crown, and ever free from all shades of tumultuous and undutyful courses, so that King.

[Page 143] And so much by way of Attone­ment for London, the challenge to which needs no other or better re­ply than that of the Archangel, con­testing with his Antagonist about the body of Moses, whom he answered not with rayling accusations, but said, The Lord rebuke Thee; even so, O Lord,St. Jude 9. rebuke the evil spirit of these Sanballats, and raise up the spirit of the Nehemiahs and such other He­roicks of Kindness and Ability, to con­sider London; If not the place of their birth, breeding, supply, or the foyle in which their Ancestors layd the foundations of their Honour and Fortune, yet that wherein their younger Brothers, Sisters, or Cozen-Germans were disposed of, and li­ved happily in.At Pompeii theatrum igne fortuito haustum, Caesar extructurum pol­licitus est, eo quod ne­mo è Familia restauran­do sufficeret. Tacitus Annal. lib. 3. p. 417. Edit Dorleaus. And, O that such of the Nobility and Gentry, whose Greatness owes its Freedom and Full­ness to their City Ancestors who throve so well in it, as to leave them that where­by they and their thrifty Poste­rities may enjoy the plenty they [Page 144] neither laboured nor spun for. O that, I say, these would think the ruines of London, under which the Monuments of their worthy Fathers or Grandseirs, and the ashes of them lye, worthy their rescue and revival, by re-edifying those Piles of Devoti­on in which they were erected and buryed; That what is written but upon the Porch of one Church now in the Borders of London, may be the Motto of every such restored Church and Chappel,St. Gyles's in the Fields. Heus viator anne bonis operibus effoetum est hoc soeculum. A senatu petivi [...] Lepidus ut B [...]silicam Sancti Pau­li Aemiliam monumenta propria pecuniâ firmaret, o naret (que), erat enim tunc in more publica munisi­centia. Idem eodem loco. And O that the aid of their great Estates would come in to help the publique Places of Londons Go­vernment, Guild-hall and the Halls of the Worthy and Charitable Societies of the same, a Work becoming the best and bravest Minds, and only expectable from such, who thereby would more con­tribute to their own earthly perenni­ty, than by the doubtful continuance of Sons and Daughters. God knows [Page 145] my heart, I hate the vapour of words divorced from real and solid Intenti­ons, but this, if you (Sir) and other Worthy men will give me leave to write, and belief in writing, I had rather live in such publique Munifi­cencies, than in Sons or Daughters. And had I an Estate as Au­gustus had,Legata non ultra Civi­lem modum nisi quod po­pulo & Pleb. ccccxxxv. Praetoriarum co [...]ortium militibus singula num­mûm millia, legionariis autem cohortih [...]s Civi­um Romanorum trecenos nummos vi [...]itim dedit. Annal. lib. [...]. p. 33. Edit Dorleans. whom Tacitus reports to have bestowed by Legacy in his Will, in­credible sums of Money to the Citizens and Souldiers thereby entitled to his Gift; I should rather chuse, after moderate Provision for my Children, to make the Ruines of London. (In which Beloved Syon Colledge should have no small share) Mine Executor then to restore, or continue my own Family by it. And, I trust, God who I believe has accepted, as well plea­sing in his sight, the Piety, Faithfull­ness, and Diligence of the Corporati­ons in London, will give a Command to those Lazaritique spirits, who have been of late engraved in cold re­solves [Page 146] to hoard what would be bet­ter thus imployed, to come forth and become charitably visible; And if God be with London to this purpose, He that at first brought Order out of Confusion, can from this present Heap of Rubbish, raise up a New and no less Renowned London. And there­by provide a-new for the Reverend, Learned, and Painful Clergy, many of which Constant Preachers, Polite Wri­ters, Discreet and Holy Livers, are now exposed with their Wives, Children and Families to hardship, un-housed, dis-parished, Fortuneless; Some where­of have lost all, or part of their Libra­ries, Common Places, and Sermon Notes, the fruits of their Studies, and the supplies of their Cures, and other advantageous Emergencies; and what is yet as lamentable as any other unwelcome Accident, have lost the convenience of Sy [...]n Colledge, whose well furnished Library (though little added to these late years) in a good part saved, yet by the ruines of its Case, and the uselessness of it in any place, but that which was peculiar [Page 147] to it, adds to their unhappiness; to recover which pristine convenience, there was a Motion made to the Pre­sident and such of the Governours as could be got together about three weeks after the Fire, by a Gentle­man who would have been the Col­ledge Orator, had they given him, and some other Gentlemen joyned with him, Credentials to address in their name, and to so worthy a pur­pose, The then living, though now dead,Dr. War [...]er. Bishop of Rochester, whom the Motioner, to my knowledg, told such of the Governours as there were pre­sent, the most likely of any one live­ing to accept the Intreaty and Mo­tion, to become the Patron and Re­founder of the Colledge. God ha­ving concentred in his Lordship those arguments of Motive for him to do this, which he has not now, in many no less willing, as that his Lordship was a Native of London, the Son of a wealthy Citizen in the same; That he was a Church-man in the City ma­ny years; That he had been a Go­vernour of Syon Colledge; That he [Page 148] had long published himself an inten­der of Publique charity by way of a Colledge to be built, or some Hospi­tal, or both; if this, added to his Fa­therly ability in point of Estate, and his non-avocation by Provision for Children, which many mens Intenti­ons this way are pestered with, and rendred ineffectual by; These, I say, all amassed together, did portray him probable enough to expect such an address, and to be by God prepa­red, not to brow-beat it; especially when the Eminency of this Charity had furtherance by the cheapness of it, the restoration of which Edi­fice to its splendor, would not, with the Materials (when the Motion was made) already there, have amounted to above 3000l. which was far less than either our first Founder, Reve­rend Dr. White, or our second Foun­der worthy Mr. Simpson, though but a playne Rector of a Church in Lon­don, St. Olaves Har [...]-stree [...]. and having a charge of Children, bestowed upon their respective parts of Foundation therein. But this Mo­tion (which no man can deny to have [Page 149] been then not impossible to have gain'd accomplishment to those honest ends) ceased under the conclusion, He was an angry old Man, and would not relish such an Application, and so it dyed, and two moneths after his Lordship too; but I wish it be not the hopefullest opportunity that the Colledge will ever have. And I pray God that future diligence may supply what herein may be feared wanting, and that the Library may be fitted to use. Since as the Lord Coventry once said, The Colledge had never been or continued,Nota ben [...]. if it had not been for the Library and Alms-houses.

This I thought here good to pub­lish, it being my nature and custome to promote all pious and learned In­terests by any opportunities I have, or can seasonably take, and to Gratu­late the Kindness, Convenience, and Favour I have had from any person or thing, with frequency of acknow­ledgment, and wherein I can with fluency of requital. Yea, so great a confidence had I of the feasibility of this Motion, had it been currantly fol­lowed, [Page 150] that, I dare say, and I would have none displeased with me, but if they be, I will be pleased with my self for believing it, That if the meanest Society in London had conceived such hopes of any man so related to them, and so enabled for them, as the pre­mentioned Prelate was to the Cor­poration of London Ministers at Syon Colledge, they would have not been so Modest as to have made to them­selves a difficulty to approach him, and a denyal from him, before they had attempted the one, and received the other; But would have made as much of it, as their diligence, furthered by Gods blessing, would have prospered their application to.

And I the rather (Sir) move the Nobles and Gentry to this, be­cause God, in the words of Mordecay to Esther, perhaps has brought them to, and preserved them in, riches and plenty for such a time as this, Esther 4. 14. And how can they do more to denominate them Noble and Great [...]inded, then this of building some­what [Page 151] of publique Use and State. Thus God when he declares his Mercy and Greatness to his, is said to Build the Cities of Iudah, Psal. 69. 35. And when the Lord builds up Zyon, he is said to Appear in his Glory, Psal. 102. 16. Thus God saies to his Peoples com­fort, The Heathen that are left round about you shall know, that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate, Ezech. 36. 36. And when God threatned the deriders of his destroyed people, whom he calls sinners of his people that shall die by the sword, which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us, Amos 9. 10. In the 11th v. he adds, In that day (to wit of their ruine) will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up his ruines, and I will build it as in the dayes of old.

And as God himself shews his Great­ness by this, so does he stir up great Mindes thus to do.See Sir W. Rawleigh [...] Book. 1. part c. 10. § 4. Thus he stirred up Solomon to build a House to him, 1 Chron. 28. 10. Thus God moved Cyrus to build the Temple, Ezra 5 [...]13. [Page 152] Thus Cain, Nimrod, Ashur, and all men else of Might, are excited to build Cities and Houses, and to call them after their own Names, which was not onely the Fashion of elder times, and Eastern Countries, but has ever been the Custome of England: Most Halls and Lordship Houses take­ing Denomination from the Primitive or most remarkable Owner of them; Which perpetuation of any mans Name and Memory, is more probable and certainly continuous, than that of a Child, who may die, or leave no Heir, or but an Heir Female; or may by unthriftiness waste an Estate, and so extinguish the Ancestor; when as a publique Bounty fixed on the Basis of a notable Structure imployed to a general Use, can undergo no such change; for its Corporation never dies, and its Alienation is secured a­gainst. Which is verified in that Magnanimous and liberal hearted Be­nefactor to London, and that Glory of Englands Traders in his time, Sir Thomas Gresham Knight, and Mercer of London, the wealthy and service­able [Page 153] Merchant of Queen Elizabeth of ever blessed Memory; who dying childless, is buryed in the alienation of Asterly, and other great parcels of his Lands, now out of the Name of Gresham; but yet he lives in the Col­ledge of his Foundation, and in the City House he lived in, which is by the Mercy of God preserved from Fire, and become the Chamber, The Guild-hall, The Common-hall, The Exchange of the remaining City; The Royal Exchange in Cornhil of his Foundation, Anno 1571. being whol­ly burnt down, and all the Stately and Kingly Effigies of it demolished, except his the Founders, which yet stands in its Arch undefaced: which president of Gods Custody of a cha­ritable mans Statue in that place and posture which to his Memory it was first placed in, insinuates to me a ve­ry cogent Argument of invitation to some of the descendants from Citi­zens to set apart some share of their spare Estate, to restore waste places of Use and Notability, wherein they will more display the Piety, Grati­tude, [Page 154] and bravery of their Natures, than by any Paradoe of Pompe, or any affectation of Grandeur which is Personal. It was a rare Testimony given of the Centurion, That he loved the Iewish Nation, because he built the Iewes a Synagogue. And 'twill be a sure Evidence of Love to the Ance­stor that in London rose and enriched a Family in London, when the Des­cendants from it so enriched, shall do good in their good pleasure to Lon­don, and help to build up the ruines of its Churches, Chappels, Halls and Colledges, which the sooner they are done the more exemplary, the less chargeable they will be; and till they can be done, there are many real Objects of Charity, which the wayffs and strayes of their amplitude would releive, The impoverished Cler­gy, The deserted Children of Christs Hospital,Remember this that God may remember you. The aged poor of the Alms­houses of the Societies. These, to­gether with thousands of altogether distressed and undone House-keepers, call for your charitie, and will be worthy Objects of your Almonage. [Page 155] Look upon these, O ye Great and Rich men, whoss Barns are full, whose Purses are weighty, whose Bellies are pampered, whose Credits are questi­onless, whose Houses are well stored, whose Children are well matched, whose Rents come in sleeping and waking, Cast away some of your Bread upon these Waters, sprinkle some Crumbs of Comfort before these helpless Infants; divide some porti­on to seven or eight, to what number your discretion directs you to, and your Piety shall bless you in so do­ing; For you know not what Evil shall come upon the Earth, Eccles. 11. 2. Remember (O man) God the distin­guisher of thee and him, was the Cre­ator as well of thy Brother in want, as of thee in plenty; (the Rich and the Poor meet together in their Com­mencement, both dust, God is the Maker of you both, Prov. 222.) and if thy heart be hard to him, and thou turnest thine eye from his misery, and succourest not his poverty with thy plenty; as The Love of God dwells not in thee so the blessing of God will [Page 156] not rest upon thee.Deut. 15. 7, 8, 9. If there be a poor man among you, one of thy Brethren, within any of thy Gates in thy Land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee; Thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor Brother, but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year the year of release is at hand, and thine eye be evil against thy poor Brother, and thou givest him nought, and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee: Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him; Because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy Works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. This is Gods Enaction in Force in the Moral Chari­ty of it to the Worlds end.

Which, in the Bowels of Christ, I think (Sir) is pressable upon rich exempted persons now, according to such proportions as the publique Af­fairs and other Exigents, I know more [Page 157] then ordinarily expensive, will per­mit. Yet still revolving in their mindes that of St Paul, He that sowes sparingly, shall reap sparingly; A Suit of Clothes, an Exuberant Servant, a Dish of Meat, an affected Folly, is better spared, than a Charity to one of these: To whom a cup of cold water given, shall be from God above rewarded. But I forbear, what mine Oratory is in­cogent in, which for the Poor, God can supply, who has the hearts of the Rich in his hand, and can soften them into such distributions, as they by the poor, devote to him.

There is also (Sir) another Act of Charity, or rather Justice, that I humbly commend to the great men of the Nation, to express to the ru­ined Citizens, To wit, suddain and full payment of their just Debts. For they, poor Souls, being outed of their Habitations, and loosers in the Fines▪ as well as Proprieties of them, are not only exposed to lay down new Fines, and those, God knowes, unreasonable ones, to get them an abiding place, but are (by the suspicion that their [Page 158] Creditors have of their loss and inabi­lity) rendred unable to buy up Cre­dit, upon which double exhaustion of them by the act of God, and the ine­vitable inference thereupon; if those that are able be not willing, and sud­dain in paying them, they will una­voidably be ruined, which, I hope, their great Debtors, whom they must (for losses make men less confident, except they be such as are totall and irreparable) address with less cou­rage, and are less able to compel, if refractory, than heretofore, will count it beneath them to put them to; For a Great man is not more distinguisha­ble by any thing that is a di [...]play of Notability, than by a Mind Just and Generous, as well abhorring to do as to receive wrong, To whom Unjust and Mean advantages taken against their Inferiours, is so execrable, that they count it no less than a staine to their Honour, and an abatement to their Herocisme. King Sesostris is reckoned one of the most Virtuous and Noble of the Egyptian Kings; yet he forgot himself much, when he [Page 159] caused four captive Kings to draw his Coach; nor had he the true view of worldly Instability, nor the great sentiments of Regality, when he pri­ded his inconstant Fortune, in the desport of their Vassalage. A bra­ver humour prevailed in the Christian and Masculine Soul of Charles the Fifth (many of whose previous acti­ons, to the resignation of an Empire, and the contentation with a private life, were proportionate to the utmost expectable from an Immortal Mortal▪) This Great man, having by his Forces at the siege of Pavia, taken Francis the First of France, a great and war­like King,L. Herberto Hist. H. 8. p. 167. Shewed only such sense of it as became a wise Prince, and one that was not himself exempted from a Quar­tan; for if he considered Francis in the custody of his Guards, he looked up­on himself as in the custody of his Phi­sician, saying moreover, It was not for Christians to rejoyce in their Victories each against other, but only against In­fidels: So treating him as if he had been no Prisoner, but a free Prince: This, this to do is as Greatness ought, [Page 160] which cannot but understand that the chances and changes of life are in Gods hand, and that they are misun­derstood by men, when their eye is evil, because Gods is good: whose Moral, as well as Religious Rule, is not to lay snares, nor to make men miserable by their power, Because he is an avenger of such things; But if our Enemy be hungry, give him bread; and if he be thirsty give him water to drink, for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee. So King Solomon, Prov. 25. 2. Con­firmed by a greater then he, Christ Jesus, Matt. 5. Luke 6. 27. And if those men owe nothing to, but in point of Charity, be thus to be treated, then surely much more ought to be expres­sed to them, who to this Obligation of Charity and Freewill, have in them a right of Justice to crave Kindness from their Debtors, even that Kinde­ness of seasonably paying them, what they seasonably for their own supplies took up of them

This (Sir) I conceive very requi­site to be intreated in the behalf of [Page 161] the now distracted Citizens, because I have heard it said to be one of the great miseries of Trade, to have arich Shop-book, and a lank Credit, by rea­son of the detinue of Debts due to them, by which they should keep touch with their Creditors, with whom they are forced not to corre­spond as they ought, because they are not enabled by the solvency of their Debtors. And the noise of the world is, that many men of great Estates, are most bare of money, and most backward in payments; the sluce of which Evacuation, or the nick of which retardment, must be either the secret displeasure of God against their abused greatness, from which God has less tribute then is his due and ex­pectation; or from the vage expence of their Persons; or from Frauds com­mitted upon them, by non-inspecting their own Estates, but trusting others wholly with the managery of them; which of these is the cause, I am not wise enough to state, but that it is so, that many of those that have most reason, in prudence and possibility, to [Page 162] be before hand, and to lend, rather then borrow, and pay when they buy, rather then run into the Book, are the Debtors that are least, and latest ready to pay.Sir Walter Rawleigh 5. Book part 1. p. 467. That being too often true which the Judicious and most Learned Knight long since wrote, Most of those who present Death upon the points of their Swords to all that give the lye to them, use nothing so much in their conversation and course of life, as to speak and swear falsly: which is not only a palpable Scar to their Reputations, (their Credits being often refused) but a diminution to their Estates, they paying upon such presumptions of hazzard, and uncertainty of payment, 20 or 30 l. per Cent. more then the rea­dy money Market value, and yet are the Dealers with them beggars by it, because Trade being like a Scale, in motion up and down, the circumaction of it by paying and receiving, upon buying and selling, is the life of it, which upon such incorrespondence, if not insolvency, must acquiesse, and not flow and [...]bb; whereupon it has ever been the Maxime of great and solid [Page 163] Traders, To Purchase Lands of great Men, but to trade and deal with com­mon Persons, whom they can reach by the Laws compulsion, if they cannot perswade by Credits value.

And truely (Noble Sir) if it seem­ed good to the Power and Policy of the Nation, I could (yet with humility and submission) wish that it might be examined whether those provident Statutes of 34 H. 8. 4. 13 Eliz. 7. 1 Jac. 15. 21 Jac. 19. against Bankrupts may not be extended somwhat fur­ther now, then when they were made, there seemed to be reason to apply them: The Preamble of 1 Jac. 15. has these words; For that Fraud and Deceit as new diseases, daily increase amongst such as live by buying and selling, to the hinderance of Traffique and mutual Com­merce, and to the general hurt of the Realm, by such as wilfully and willingly become Bankrupts. For since, now it ap­pears, not only Traders, but divers o­thers, do contract Debts, buy Lands, settle them on their children, or in trust, and take Prisons for their San­ctuaries, defying their Creditors, which [Page 164] is Fraud and Deceit to all the execra­ble issues preambled in the Statute, why these though not Traders yet un­der the same guilt, should not be lya­ble to the same severities, and be brought within the compass of those Statutes, I am to seek of reason for it, as many are to seek of remedy against those Frauds for want of it. A better course it is which Solomon prescribes, Prov. 3. 27. With-hold not good from him to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it: say not unto thy neighbour go, and come again, and to morrow I will give it, when thou hast it by thee. Take heed of thus taking a pledg of thy brother for nought; and of strip­ping the naked of their cloathing, of gi­ving not water to the weary to drink, and of with-holding thus bread from the hungry; least by reason of this, thy wick­edness be great, and thine Iniquities in­finite: as holy Iob his words are, Ch. 22. vers. 5, 6. For such with-holding of more then is meet tendeth to poverty, Pro. 11. 24. Yea, certainly to with-hold a just Debt, when there is ability in the Debtor to pay it, and the convenient [Page 165] time of its discharge is come; or to let it come, when it comes, with defal­cations of Fees and allowances of poundage, is no less a great trouble to the Creditor receiving, than a de­ceit to the Debtor paying: To avoid which, it were much more peace to the Sellers conscience to sell at a reasona­ble price, and with moderate gain, upon money ready paid and no haz­zard encountred with (ready money answering the opportunity of a speed to Market again, and of many light gains magnified by quick returns) and much more profit to the buyers estate, and diminution to his expence, then upon this latitude of Credit, given and taken, falls out to either.

Let then (Sir) the Man of Estate that is deep in the undone Tradesmans Book, and who heretofore, thought it but a thing of course to make him stay long, and dance many fruitless atten­dancies, and to inforce him to hedg in his first Debt, by addition of money lent, and acceptation of security for both: Now consider the Citizens im­potency thus to do, and the merciless­ness [Page 166] of thus delaying him, and comply with this accident of stress which God has, without his possibilitie of presci­ence or prevention, brought upon him and he will oblige him by a Mercy and Justice propitious to this his exi­gent, and declare himself truly Great; For Titles and Words are but Wind, but real actions of Virtue are the sub­stantial determinations of Magnanimi­ty; the life-draught of which was Heroically expressed in that Contest between the Earl of Essex, and the Lord Mountjoy, Temps. Q▪ Eliz. be­tween whom there being quarrels up­on rivalry of Favour, Caesar and Pom­pey's hautess being revived in them, the Lord Mountjoy daring to accept, as readily as the E. of Essex was ready to give him the Challenge, met the E. of Essex in the Field, the after Stage of their Combate; the Lord Mountjoy being the Defendant, told the Earl of Essex, That he fought him with some disparity, because that if he killed the Earl, his life was sure to go for it; but if you my Lord of Essex kill me, your Interest is so great at the Court, and [Page 167] in the Favour of her Majesty so much to you, that you will easily obtain her pardon; therefore, my Lord, before we fight, let me beg the favour of you, that you give it under your hand, that you challenged me, and do pardon me: The Earl of Essex said, That I will, but how shall we do to have a Pen and Inkhorn: My Lord Mountjoy replyed, I have one: Oh but quoth the Earl of Essex, would you have me quit my Sword in the Field, and my Guard up­on which I stand: Yes, my Lord, (quoth my Lord Mountjoy) and you shall write it upon my back; I know your Lordship to be a Person of so great Gallantry, that there is no dan­ger to me, that can dishonourably come from you: So the Earl of Essex wrote it upon his back, after which they generously fought, to shew their respective Valours.

This I introduce to shew that true Nobility and Generosity, abhors to take an advantage poorly and surpri­singly against any man: Whereupon I am hopeful this disablement of the Citizens of London by Gods act, who [Page 168] is Soveraign over all, to whose plea­sure our Souls and Bodies, with all the present and future attendants on them are Vassals; I trust, I say and hope, it will produce a speedier and more effectual payment of their due Debts from those that owe them, then otherwise they would have got them in from them.

And Sir, I am further hopeful, that those Creditors to the City that are undammaged, or so only detracted from by this accident, that they are but shaven by it, not shorn, that is, abated in the excrements and pa­rings of their Estates, not in the sub­stance and totality of it; that these would be as patient and tender as they Christianly can to them that are clean undone; as many, God knows, are, whose savings from the destruction will not keep the life and soul of themselves and their charges together: They whom this accident hath made unable to live, and yet whom Providence rescues not from their misery by death: Those whose children they them­selves are disabled to bring up, [Page 169] and by the disablement of others (the calamity being so Epidemical) are not to be supplied with breeding from others: Those who turned out of their callings, and unstocked by the loss of that ruffle, are neither a­ble to set up, or fitted to other im­ployments, if they could be found, proportionable to their age and abi­lity: Those that are thus already Prisoners to want, pensive thoughts and terrours of despair, are to be commended with all sympathy to their Creditors Mercie and Kindness: That they would forbear reproaches to them, and arrests of them, or suits against them; for prisons get no debts, nor doth poverty pay any; nor can they hope to be forgiven of God their great debt, who forgive not their Brother, thus distressed, his small one to them: And remember what Tilly, I have heard, said to Morgan, when the one marched into Stoade, and the other marched out, Hodie tu, Cras ego, I might have been in your case, the fortunes of Warr are dubious; you must now leave that place [Page 170] which you have kept as a man, and I now enter on that which I have bought with many a man, and with much mi­sery; therefore, Sir, let us be friends in the conclusion, who have been enemies in the premisses: Let this, I say, be practised in the little debates of mine and thine referrable to Trading, thus clogg'd and impeded, and there may be hopes that London may re­vive, and its Citizens have where­with to imploy their industrie in sub­serviencie to Gods blessing, and in time to make convenient restitution. And those Rents and Fortunes of Lords, Knights, Gentlemen, and other Propri­etors, which now are incontributive to the publique Charge, as well as unay­dant to their own expences, and chil­drens provision for, will in time ad­vance towards their wonted service; And the Magistracy of London be car­ried on by men of Fortune and fitness, whose Issues may, as heretofore, be provided richly for in all Counties of the Nation; and Charitie to the Poor and to Learning, may by them be propagated, whose Predecessors in [Page 171] dwelling and course of life, have, to­gether with men Ecclesiastical, been more publique and generous that way, then all the Nation besides. Which I mention, not to raise the in­dignation of any, but to move com­passion to the present cloud upon Ci­tizens, and to alledge what may ad­vance their present ease, in order to their future publique usefulness and benefaction. Thrifty Oaks, though fleeced of under boughs, yet if not headed, may thrive and grow stately timber Trees; but if once headed, prove after but Pollards, short and rough Timber, fit only for small and course uses. So is it with men under accidental Mischances; if they be fiercely proceeded against, and discre­dited, they are probable only to live in misery, and to die in poverty: but if they be favoured, till their industry fortunated by God has made head a­gainst its misfortune, and evicted its cloud, they prove rich and valuable, according to the belief, or the con­trary whereof, my humble prayer for them stands or falls.

[Page 172] It were also (Noble Sir) worthy the consideration of the Nations wisdom and goodness, to provide some Law of defence against the rigours of Landlords, and the refractoriness of Tenants, by which the Partie detri­mented by this act of God, might e­scape the additional misery of a vex­atious contest. Let (Sir) mercy be shewed to the Looser, but not pretence of loss, pass for loss of disablements, where it has really devoured nothing but valuless Lumber: Neither let the condition of Books, Papers, Writings, and Records burnt or lost, be unpro­vided for by some Good and Grave Salvo, pleadable for the Loosers In­dempnitie, least many long since dis­charged Debts be revived, and de­manded afresh; and least men be by loss of Evidences evicted their Free­holds, or at least vexed with Suits concerning them; nothing being more sure, then that many men out of Town, and in distraction in Town, either forgot to secure many Books and Papers of weight and value; or else committed them to they knew [Page 173] not whom, and shall receive them from them they know not when; nay it may so fall out, that many Writings may by chance come into those hands from whence they moved, and cease to be securities to those to whom they are passed; and what mischiefs may hereupon ensue (if some Law of limi­tation and bar be not interjected) is easie to presage. It were (Sir) also most sutable to the paternity of your House, to provide somwhat about the Registers of Churches, which are now in such dispersion, if they survive the Fire, that they would be commanded into some Office, there to be till the Parishes to which they belong be re­built: For since Certificate of Marri­ages, Legitimation of Children, proof of Ages, light in point of Pedegree, depend thereupon, the same will be the reason of their preservation now, that was of their Institution at first, and many poor Infants will be, when grown Men and Women, at a loss ir­remediable, if some caution against, possible, and probable evils of such nature, be not passed into a Law.

[Page 174] And Sir, to all these add not the least important act of your Piety and Pru­dence, the furtherance of a Law, for making the Second of September for e­ver, a Solemn Fast for the National sins that merited this Judgment of God upon its London: And the Sixth of September a day of Thanksgiving for ever, for Gods merciful stay of the Fire that it proceeded no further, to enter into the Suburbs, and to destroy there­in, as it had done in London: That the Pallaces of our Soveraign and his Peers, and the Cathedral and City of Westminster went free, that they should be spared when London and St. Pauls felt the furie of merciless Flames, ought to be had in yearly and hourly remembrance. Nor can any better and more religious occasions of both duties be given us by God, than these prementioned exchanges of his Pro­vidence, the Staff of which as well comforts us, as the Rod of it afflicted us; for since he shewed himself to be ex utroque Caesar, it befits us to shew our selves Christians to both his exhi­bitions of Power and Mercy.

[Page 175] These things (Sir) I have in haste prepared in present to you, that it may appear to the Nation, That there is one (amongst the many others that are well affected to London) that ac­counts it his duty to appear for her, not ashamed of her dislustre, and that now he can pay her no other duty, then that of his tears over her, and prayers for her, allowes her those, and over and above those, pleads her Cause with God and the Nation, not justify­ing her Innocency, or lessening her guilt, not excusing her Provocation, or drawing a vayle over her Defor­mities; No, God forbid I should thus become the Pharisee for her, who ought to put her Mouth in the Dust, and by her silence before her corre­cting God, testifie her consent to the Justice and adequateness of his Judg­ments upon her: On this account I will allude to Iob's words, No mention shall be made by me of her Coral or Pearls; Job 2 [...]. 1 [...] all her righteousness my Pen shall publish but as menstruous Raggs, the price of the wisdom of humbling her self under this mighty hand of God, shall in my suffrage excel any [Page 176] Rubies of insisting on Termes, God has done what he has done, and let all the Earth of London be silent before him: The Lord hath done that to Lon­don which he hath devised, he hath ful­filled his word that he hath commanded; he hath thrown down, but yet hath pit­tyed, Lam. 2. 17. London is the Back that is smitten, but there is not a Cor­ner in England, but hath contributed to the desert, and will first or last feel the rebound and consequence of this punishment to London. The sins of Sodom, the Violence, the Levity, the Prophaness, the Luxury, the Luke­warmness, that provokes God, is as much every where, as in London; there is a nauseousness of Angels Food, and a tendency to the Garlicks and Ony­ons of Prophaness every where, as well as in London: The Fields of England are every where ripe to the Harvest of Judgment, as well as the Sickle of it has been already thrust in­to London, the Glory of which God has cut down in his stupendious fury. Awake O North wind, blow O South wind upon the Garden of Holy Zeal,Cant. [...]. 16 that the Spices of indignation for [Page 177] God may flow forth:See Arch-Bishop of Yorks Let­ter to King Iames, Cabala part 1. p. 13 Come forth of your Graves you old Hectors of Holy­ness, Arch-bishops, Bishops, and other renowned and triumphant Saints of this English Church, Help O ye Iewels of Glory, and ye Bradwardines of cou­rage and constancy, and ye Fortherby's and ye Carletons of conviction and va­liancy for the Truth, worthy the Crowns ye enjoy, Come, O come ye in to the ayd of the Lord against the mighty hoasts of Prophaness and Un­charitableness, of Carnal Politicks, and Atheistical Ruffians, that are confede­rate against the Lord, and against his Christ: O remember the Prophetical descant of glorious King Iames, once our happy Monarch, who writing on the forth Angels Errand, by the Vial of Gods wrath, says thus:Paraphrase in Rev. 16 p. 50 ope­rum. Then the fourth Angel powred forth his Vial upon the Sun, and power was given him to afflict men with Fire. For even as the Sun was dark­ned in the fourth Trumpet, to wit, the special Teachers did begin to fall from the sincerity of the Truth, enticed there­unto, though not by Apolyon himself, for he was not yet risen; yet by the qualities whereof He is composed, and [Page 178] therefore is here punished for the same. And as Moses, troubled by the hot Ea­stern wind, the Land of Egypt, by the breeding of Grass-hoppers, so shall the fiery Spirit of God, in the mouths of his Witnesses, so trouble Babylon, with the burning Sun of Gods Truth, as men shall be troubled with a great Heat, to wit, she and her Followers shall be tormented and vexed therewith. So King Iames.

O sacred Zeal whither art thou fled, that thou hast lest England, Hos. 4. 3. a Land in mourning because of Oaths; A Land accursed because of blood touching blood;Psal. 107. 34. a Land deserving to be abarren Wilderness, for the iniquities of the In­habitants of it, to whom the Word of God is made a reproach, Ier. 6. 10. and a derision daily, Chap. 20. 8. The Saints of God are thought troublers, 1 Kings 18. 17. The Image of God which is renued in knowledg after the Image of him that created it, Col. 3. 10. censured singularity and hypocri­sie; holiness of life, which God com­mands as that which brings to his like­ness and exaltation, 1 Pet. 1. 16. Heb. 12. 14. is nick-named Phanaticism; Zeal for reformed Religion, is counted [Page 179] groundless mistrust, Real Fury, precise Singularity, factious Calvenism; Terms of opprobry beseeming rather the mouths of professed Romanists, then pretended sons of the Church of Eng­land, whose primitive Reformers, Bi­shops, Deans, and Doctors, if they could be raised up now to hear them, would obtest against them, as having lost the Zeal of their Profession, and not being a real honour to their way of worship and distinction, as if every thing were becoming, but what becomes every thing, Sincerity and plain dealing: Our Fashions and our Minds being so alike aery and sce­ptical, that we no day are what we ought, nor any day design to be what we should.

O Piety, O Gravity! Why hast thou forsaken England, who wert of old so friendly to her, and so befriended by her? why are thy effects so invisible now, which heretofore so cleerly ap­peared, and so becomingly adorned the words and lives of men, and the order and harmony of places and things? It is that which will kindle the rage of a Moses of meekness, and im­patience [Page 180] the patience of a Iob, to see and hear sin set up amongst us by com­mon consent and practice against Laws in Force, and Magistrates sworn to execute them. The21 Jac. 20. confirmed by 3 Car. 4. exercrable swear­ing, the notorious20 H. 3. 9 9 H. 6. 11. 18 Eliz 3 7 Jac. 4. In­continency, the abomi­nable4 Jac. 5. 21 Jac 7. 1 Car. 4. Drunkenness, the unconscionableSome of which are punish­able by fine and inditement, o­thers are against 3 E. 1. c. 29. 21 Jac. 26. 2 R. 2, 3. 3 H. [...]. c. 4. 13 El. 5. 27 El. 4. 13 El. 10. 52 H. 3. 6, 7. 34 H. 8. 5. 27 H. 8. c. 28. 31 H. 8 c. 13. 1 E. 6. c. 14. 13 Eliz. 1. deceit, the loathsome de­bauchery, the3 H. 7. 1. 1 E. 6. 10. 52 H. 3. 25. 1 Jac. 8. 3. E. 1; 23 H. 8. 1. 26 H. 8. c. 12. 1 E. 6. 12. 13 R. 2. c. 1. 16 R. 2. c. 6. bruitish Read Sir Walter Rawleigh [...] 5. c. 3. of his first part p. 468 Murther; These and o­ther Grists that pass by the Mill of publique Severity, and are challengers of privi­ledg by their universality, are ill re­turns to Gods multiplyed mercies, and shrewd provocations to his Chastise­ment: But when his Service is coun­ted a vain thing, Mal. 3. 14. when his Prophets are misused, 2 Chron. 36. 16. and those that have not been wind of levity, Ier. 5. 13. or Foxes of Crast, Ezech. 13. 4. or Prophets of Flattery, daubing with untempered Mortar, Ezech. 22. 28. but Prophets of Truth have been lightly set by, yea, shrewd­ly set against: When the Lords Day, [Page 181] set apart for Sanctification and De­votion, hath been prophaned and made common, and not only mocked at by Religions Adversaries, but thought too long by Religions seem­ingLam. 1. 7. friends, and the perparatory duties to them, and the performed duties on them, too severe for Christians. When the Judgments of God face us to hu­militie, as the testimony of our sorrow for sin, so destructive of us, yet mirth and jollity is so applauded and coun­tenanced, that no man almost Remem­breth the afflictions of Ioseph, Amos 6. 6 The de­solations that sin has already made, further may, and without prevention by repentance will make. It is to be doubted, Thy ways and doings which Hos. 4. 9. have not been good, Jer 4. 18. Lev [...]6. 25 O England, O Lon­don, have procured the evils thou feelest and fearest upon thee: Numb. 14. 12. Thy Incorrigi­bility and Obduration has brought the Pestilence, Exod. 9. 15. Thy contra­ry walking to God, has raised up Ene­mies against thee, Prov. 16. 7. Deut. 28. 48. The pride we have had in our Strength, hath made God contend by Fire with us, and by such a Fire, as hath eaten up, not the great deep of Eng­land, [Page 182] but a part of it, London. And yet God that has pulled some of us out of the Fire, and kept others from the Fire, is not returned unto, as he up­braids the people, Amos 4. 11. These Judgments have been upon England and London, the Lord deliver us from what followed upon Israels impeni­tency, Gods abhorrence of the Excel­lency of Jacob,Amos 6. 3. and his hating of his Pallaces; God forbid that Iudgment of Gods delivery of England, into her E­nemies hand, from his smiting of the great House of England, with breach­es, [...]ers. 11. as he hath done the little House of Lon­don with clefts, ver. 11. Be that Judg­ment, O Lord, be that undecreed by thee, and may our repentance reverse the first thoughts of thy severity this way to us. This be, O Lord, the pu­nishment of those who are as Children of Ethiopians to thee, sinners that swear by the sin of Samaria, [...] 9. [...] 7. and say to the Deities of their own Erection, thy God O Dan liveth, and the Maner of Beersheba liveth, Amos 8. last v. Let those who forsake thee, and Follow lying vanities be thus given up to fall, Ionah 2. 8 and never rise up again: But let Eng­land [Page 183] and London that have trusted in the Lord,Ps 1. [...] 7. be saved by thee, and that with A mighty Salvation: 1 Sam. 19 5 O be graci­ous to England, Isa. 45. 17 that as it hitherto has, so yet hereafter it may stand in thy sight a faithful Witness to thy Truth, and a signal Instance of thy Patronage for ever, and build thou up the walls of London that lye waste, and let it once more be called the Perfection of this Nations beauty; for my Nations sake, I cannot be silent; for my Na­tivities sake, I cannot hold my peace, I cannot contain my Pen, but it will bewray my hearts Language; for my Brethren and Companions sake, I will wish thee Good will, O London, in the Name of the Lord; The Lord send thee prosperity out of Sion.

And if the Question be asked of me, By whom shall London arise for it is small: my Answer shall be, God only knows how & by what, for he can make dry bones live: Yet there seems to me som ground of comfort from this, That the root of London being left, that which now seems arid, and sapless, may kindle in the womb of Providence, and take root downward, and bring [Page 184] forth fruit upward; first, and chiefly, in repentance, for past Provocations, and in Vows of renewed conversati­on in her Inhabitants; and then in making her Buildings, her Judges, and her Magistrates, as at the first, and the Renown and Authority of them, as in the beginning.

This Sir, is that which I would pro­mise to my self, and fore-speak to be the great mercy to England after re­vived London, The late loss of which, I be­lieve, to be great; which my prayers are, may be compensated with ten times ten Myriads of Increase, and that to ren­der it terrible to Gods and the Kings Foes, and supportive to the Crown, Religion, Lawes, under which it hap­pily flourished, till the late disastre up­on it; and God Almighty, who knows all secrets, and commands all hearts, raise it up, for these general and honest ends, Friends and Benefactors, who may not only further its acceleration to what it was, but to what, of further addition, it may be improved to. And may all the Timagenesses, who hate London, as he did Rome, augment their grief upon the cause he did, the [Page 185] fear and assurance he had Rome would be rebuilt more glorious than it wasSeneca Ep. 91 before. The prosperity of which must be the joy and prayer of every sober English man, and sincere Prote­stant; and, I hope, whosoever is not both these, shall never have the pow­er to hinder it, as I am sure he never will have the will to further it: I could enlarge in this Subject which is so pleasing to me, to expectorate my self by;An Apho­ [...]ism of Sir Benjamin Ruddiards. but over-doing is Vndoing, and there is no straine but comes home with a halt. Yet this I must subjoyn in comfort to London and England, Omnium i­starum Ci­vitatum quas nunc mag [...]ificas & Nobiles audes, ve­stigia quo (que) tempus eru­det non tan­tum manu­facta labun­tur juga mon [...]um destaunt, &c. Ep. 92 changes will, and must come, and those to great Kingdomes, mighty Governments, rich Cities, Seneca has languaged this appositely to us.

All that now (Noble Sir) remains for me to write, is to beg mine excuse for thus addressing you, whose greater affairs may be judged unreconcilable with the perusal of such papers as these, which carry the memoires of what is as unpleasing for you to re­member, as impossible to forget. But I am not at all diffident of your Ci­vility to them and me, because I am [Page 186] in them wholly acted by the co­gency of publick spiritedness to both, Propose Londons case to the Na­tions piety, and to publish mine own Gratitude to it, the place of my birth, and of the breeding and con­versation of my Worthy, Generous, and most Religiously sincere and DearFrancis Waterhous Esq Father, who both lived long, creditably and belovedly in it, and also had the publick respect and Ho­nour from it, to be chosen Chamber­lain of it upon the death of Cham­berlain Harrison (tho he was made incapable, when his hand was upon the book to be sworn in the Office, by one of those Orders that then were in date, to exclude those whom that Power termed disaffected.) These things, together with my expe­rience, conversation and search into the City Records, Customes and Sto­ry (in which, I may modestly say, I have desired not to be unknowing) court me to appear thus to you (Sir) and to the Nation in her behalf. And since (Sir) I have no design to promote her happiness by any black arts of in­jury and impiety to others Interests, [Page 187] leaving those mysteries of iniquity to such as Clement the seventh, who to ad­vance his own Family, sometimes chang­ed the Face of the affairs of Europe; and Cardinal Wolsey, L. Herberts H 8. p. 378. who to be made Le­gate a Latere, and to be enabled to visit not onely Monasteries,Idem p. 90 but all the Clergy, and dispense with Church Laws; so defamed the Clergy of his own Church and Country, that they were by the Popes Bull termed Dati in reprobum sensum. Since, I say, I have in this, and I hope I may truly say in my former appearings,Ad proden­dam virtu­tis memori­am sine gratia aut ambitione bonae tan­tum consci­entiae prae­tio duceba­tur vir bo­nus. Scipio A miratus in Digres­sionibus Politicis. p. 43. Edit. 1609. (In Apology for Arts and Interests Honest and of good Report, only de­signed the Glory of God, the service of my Country, and the just and necessa­ry vindication of my self from the cen­sure of living to no purpose, and of af­fecting an idle and unconversable mo­roseness, which I think a very great sin against God, Nature, and the Time and Men with whom I live, and to whom I am responsible for the service of any smal ability I have, or may be improved to have) I cannot but be in a sort assured that my Country-men, who read me, will excuse my Pathos [Page 188] for London; especially, when I have herein avoided all vehemence that I apprehended in any degree offensive, or mis-becoming the temperate ambi­tion of my heart and hand; which, as they are daily lifted up to God in pray­er, for his peculiar direction, how to live, speak, write and do, as suits with the attainment of a good Conscience, and the assurance of a glorious Hea­ven; the only noble imployment of time and parts, besides which all is vanity and vexation, (For of all other perfections, a few years will shew us the end.) So are they testimonial of their expectation to be freed from preju­dice, in respect of their author, who though he pleads for strict Piety, sober Order, Religions Influence, Laws e­steem, Trades increase, Londons resto­ration, yet is void of all private con­cern in any of these, further than as a Christian and an English man. No creature have I been, or am I of any design, no Polypus to times and men, no Vower, Covenanter or Engager, no Purchaser of Kings, Bishops▪ Deans and Chapters Lands; no Petitioner in Tu­mults; no Sectary in Conventicles; no [Page 189] waver in Judgment, have I, through Gods mercy, ever been; but a constant assertor of, and sufferer for my satisfi­edness in, and adhaesion to, the piety and probity of my breeding and be­lief, which was ever, yet is, and I hope, through Gods grace, to death shall be, in point of Religion according to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England. In Duty and loyalty, ac­cording to the sound judgment of the Law, and the Declaration of Kings by their three Estates in Parliament; In love to, and correspondence with the Universities and Houses of Learning, sutable to the gratitude I, as a Gentle­man, ought to express to them, where­in I have had breeding and acquain­tance, and from which I have received respect; upon all which considerations I trust (Sir) this plain and honest ap­plication to the Nation, under Gods and Your Patronage, will be seasona­ble and successful (tho it has been lon­ger held in the birth than was fit it should, had not the unpardonable slowness of the Press, and the chilness of the Frost demurred that, which the preparation of the Copy would have [Page 190] sent forth long ago. This, Sir, I be­seech you excuse.) And give me leave to conclude with that which is the most suitable farewell to all things of this nature; The application to God, that he would be our God; and the God of our posterities; that he would bless with long Life and a hap­py Reign, our most Gracious King Charles; with Wisdom and Understan­ding, the Lords and others of his Ma­jesties most Honourable Privy Coun­cel; with Zeal for God and holiness of life the Reverend Clergy; with Ju­stice and Courage the Learned Judges; with Obedience and Loyalty the body of the Commons: And that he would consolidate all these to the comfort of this and after Ages, by the High Court of ParliamentFidum & altum Rei­publ. Pe­ctus as Va­lerius his words are. Principes viri trium­phisq, & am [...]lissimis honoribus su [...]cti, hor­ [...]atu Prin­cip [...]s ad or­nandam [...]bem i [...] ­cti sunt. [...]elleius Pare [...]culus lib. 2. now assembled, that by these degrees of Gods merci­ful endowment to this Nation, all in this Nation, and of this Church, may be holy to the Lord, and happy in themselves, is and shall be the Prayer of,