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A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable Houſe OF COMMONS At their late Monethly Faſt, being on Wedneſday, June 30. 1647.
By NATHANIEL WARD Miniſter of Gods Word.
LONDON, Printed by R. I. for Stephen Bowtell at the ſigne of the Bible in Popes-head Alley 1647.
THis Sermon by a ſpeciall Providence came into my hands. The enſuing Letter was written by the Au
I had not offended any: but my judgement is altogether againſt it.
It hath not beene my manner to grieve any mans ſpirit in the Pulpit, But in a diſtempered time, when occurrenExercere hanc artem induſtriouſly: and God ſeemes to pinion up every mans armes, whoſe hearts is ſet to doe him or this State any true ſervice; but I am farre from excuſing my ſelfe any far
Two or three things I heare pleaſed not, 1 My perſwading ſo much to lament the King, wherein I acknowledge I let fall one redundant expreſſion; I am very ignorant of Gods minde, if it be not a very Chriſtian, and at this time a very neceſſary duty; I thinke I had ſpoke nothing to the Text, if I had not ſpoke to that which is the maine poynt in it. I earneſtly wiſh that time doth not drive us to a more bitter lamentation for his carriage and miſ-carriage, then now we are able or willing to foreſee, I deſire to bewaile my ſelfe that I can bewails him no more. Yet if I may beleeve my ſelfe, hot or cold, I am as farre from being a Malignant as any man that heard mee.
Another was ſome paſſages concerning the Army, which I have ſent you verbatim, I acknowledge I can but pitty and pray for them, and ſo far as God who is able to worke good out of evill, makes them his inſtruments to awaken the Parliament to expedite what is neceſſary. I looke on them in hope they will doe no great harme, but when I conſider, how they have be
The other was, the word carting, which you ſhall meete withal in its place, it grieved me to ſee divers ſmile at it with ſleight Spirits in ſo ſolemne a time. I weighed it before and adviſed with a godly prudent Divine about it, who ſaid it
Ezek. who ſaith, Chriſtus, or, ſpiritus Chriſti eſt optimus & peritiſsimus Auriga, &c.
Some of you know how truely unwilling I was to come upon any publique Stage, knowing how perillous and jealous the times are, and how ſeriouſly I declined this text ſuſpectI conſulted with ſeven intimate friends about it, and another much cooler and peaceable, whereto my owne minde moſt led mee, as they can beare mee witneſſe, ſix of them urged mee to this, yet my heart did conſtantly diſcourage me from it, though upon many thoughts I could not conceive any ſub
I truſt I ſhal not be grieved that I was not thanked or orderI am not only above but a verſe to both. I have had more thankes then I can tell what to do with, and many juſtiI feare too much, and more importunity to print it then I have or ſhall liſten unto, for I ſee the nakedneſſe of it well enough, this I acknowledge grieves me ſadly, that comming a hard Winter voyage over the vaſt raging Seas to doe what ſervice I could to my Country, in preſerving Truth, and proI am obſtructed ſo far as I am. I am not ignoI have attended faithfully, meekly, and not without ſome ſucceſſe, but
I am not altogether diſcouraged. I hope I ſhall make and keep my peace with the Lord, as for men I hope not for it, till hee ſhall vouchſafe to give us more humility and feare then I can yet ſee in this Land, which two graces ſeeme to me to bee much more wanting then they ever were in my dayes.
I pray let none take any copy of this Sermon, but ſuch as are wiſe, and friends to me, and have no itch to publiſh it, I would not adde offence to offence, it hath beene often told mee with ſome confidence, that it is already in the Preſſe, but where and by whom, I cannot learne: I have uſed means and friends to prevent it, if it ſhould by any other Copy. I ſhall then ad
I intreat you, if in peruſing it you find any evill in the matI ſhall find a time and way to unſay and undoe it, in the meane while pray for him, that ſhall be
And fire is gone out of a Rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruite, ſo that ſhe hath no ſtrong Rod, to be a Scepter to Rule, this is a Lamentation, and ſhall be for a Lamentation.
Jſrael.
The firſt, under a two-fold or rather three-fold Al
Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the Princes of Jſrael.
It well beſeemes a State profeſſing Religion to la
And ſay, what is thy Mother? a Lyoneſſe, ſhe lay down among Lyons, ſhe nouriſhed her whelps among young Lyons.
It ſeemes God and the Prophet tooke the Com
If Common-wealths were ſuch Mothers as we read of Prove. 31. And would inſtruct their Princes ſo piLemuels and fewer Rehoboams.
If Princes would acknowledg their common-wealth to be their Mother, there were ſome hope they would better obſerve Solomons advice, or rather Gods, which is not to forſake the Laws of their Mother to rule pro arbitrio, nor prove a heavineſſe to their Mother, nor a ſhame to their Mother, nor deſpiſe their Mother, nor chaſe away their Mother, nor curſe their Mother, nor ſmite their Mother.
But this Mother at this time was a Lyoneſſe, ſhee couched among Lyons, and nurſed up her whelps a
If Common-wealths bee Lyons, how or why ſhould their Kings be Lambs?
If they will nurſe up their Princes among young Ly
Young Courtyers are lightly none of the beſt Tutors.
And ſhe brought up one of her whelps: it became a young Lyon, it learned to catch the prey, it devoured men.
If Subjects will bee Demobori why ſhould not their Kings bee Demophagi?
It becomes a King to bee a Lyon, but a Lamb too, elſe hee will not bee like Chriſt the King of Kings, and King of Saints.
The Nations alſo heard of him, hee was taken in their Pit, and they brought him with chaines unto the Land of Egypt.
Forraigne Nations, though heathen, doe neither like, nor love their neighbour Kings, if they heare they are oppreſſors.
What pits Princes dig for their Subjects they often fall into themſelves.
Now when ſhe ſaw that ſhe had waited, and her hope was loſt, then ſhe tooke another of her whelps, and made him a young Lyon.
It is Chriſtianity to waite with all patience for the returne of a King: it will alſo ſtand with Chriſti
And he went up and downe among the Lyons; he be
Of this before ver. 3.
And hee knew their deſolate places, and he layed waſt their Cities, and the land was deſolate, and the fulneſſe thereof by the noyſe of his roaring.
When Princes begin to oppreſſe they know not where they ſhall make an end; vice hath no meane but not to be at all.
A King may roare his Land deſolate, by roaring Proclamations and Edicts.
Then the Nations ſet againſt him on every ſide from the Provinces, and ſpread their Net over him: he was ta
And they put him inward in Chaines, and brought him to the King of Babylon, they brought him into holds, that his voyce ſhould not be heard upon the Mountains of Jſrael.
It were Royall wiſdome for Kings, to take warn
When Kings will not be quiet without abſolute Mo
Theſe were forraigne toyles, but European Hiſto
Civill Nets, which is a great trouble to Subjects, but a mercy to Kings if their people be Chriſtian and mercifull.
Thy Mother is like a vine in the blood, planted by the waters, ſhe was fruitfull and full of branches by the reaſon of many waters.
And ſhe had ſtrong rods for the Scepters of them that beare rule, and her ſtature was exalted among the thicke
But ſhe was plucked up in fury, ſhe was caſt down to the ground, and the Eaſt-wind dryed up her fruit, her ſtrong Rods were broken and withered, the fire conſumed them.
And now ſhe is planted in the Wilderneſſe in a dry and thirſty ground.
Calvin takes blood for pollution as cap. 16.6. But I muſt crave leave to think that the Prophet ſpeakes in vinerous language.
It is a great felicity for States to flouriſh in people and plenty.
It is a peculiar mercy when they are well ſtored with ſtrong Rods, or Scepters of rule.
It is an eaſie matter for Kingdomes to abuſe proſpe
And it is as eaſie with God to deſtroy ſuch king
And fire is gone out of a Rod of her branches,
which hath devoured her fruit, ſo that ſhe hath no ſtrong rod to be a Scepter to rule: this is a lamentation, and ſhall be for a lamentation.
A Scepter is an Enſigne of publique authority, it is called Baculus Regius, le Baſton Royal.
Sceptrum Jovis, from whence I take other Scepters were derived, was wont to ſolemnize great matters.
A Scepter is ſometimes in ſcripture and other AuMonarchical power.
Sometime for Ariſtocraticall and the power of ſub
Sometime for the Standard rule or law whereby they rule.
Out of this 14th. ver. wherein there are no Criticiſmes, omitting other collections, or animadverſions, which may be more offenſive then profitable, I will onely take this generall Obſervation.
When a State hath brought it ſelfe to that paſſe that the Scepters of authority, and powers of Government are waſted and weakned, it is a lamentation, and ſhall bee for a lamentation.
The truth of this doth now ſtare us in the face with ſo grim a viſage that I need not be long in confirming it.
All the Schoole-men and wiſe-men in the world can hardly determine whether man bee moſt beholding to God for his being or his well-being, much may be ſaid on both ſides from Scripture and reaſon, but there is no preſent need of this diſpute.
The being of man, God hath placed, in his naturall conſtitution, his well-being in his politicall inſtitution.
Politicall Inſtitution is compleated in
Ordination,
Adminiſtration,
A faile in any of theſe, makes a mutulation in ſtate.
VVee are to ſpeak moſt properly of the laſt, the Text confines us to it.
If weak or unfit men be elected into publique places, if Rulers prove defective in their Actuall Adminiſtrations;
If every wheele of Government keep not its proper ſta
The Scripture reveales the univerſall or generall Po
VVee may ſee it in a breife ſcale or Clymax.
Knoweſt thou the Ordinances of Heaven,
God bleſſed man and gave him dominion over the Fiſh of the Sea, the fowles of the Aire,
God gave Rulers and Superiors dominion over Infe
God gave yet a higher Dominion to his Angells,
God gave Chriſt who is right Heire to all Crownes,Dei Claviger, as the Grand Tyrant of Ruſsia miſtiles himſelfe; If he through unskilfullneſſe, or unfaithfull
Theſe Ordinations are Gods foundations, which if they ſhould faile, what can the righteous doe? he muſt do as others do for ought I know; ſome tranſlations have it where ſhall the righteous appeare? The righteous have an Intereſt and acceſſe into all the ſanctuaries and Citta
VVere it not altogether unmeet to damask faſt Sermons with humane Hiſtories, I might inſtance this truth in all or moſt of the ſtates of the world, The Egyptian, Perſian, Hebrew, Greeke, Latin, and in divers nearer hand, If my obſervation and memory miſuſe me not, I thinke I might give you Preſidents from Claſſicall Authors of 66. Em
Yet give me leave to mention one inſtead of the reſt, The Greek Empire having flouriſhed many yeares, eſpeAlexander the great Scepter failed, Leoſthenes a very wiſeman ſaid, that the heart of it did preſently Palpitare moribunde, the ſpirits of it huc atque illuc jactitare miſerrimè, that it did ſcatere vermibus, ignavis Regibus, Ducibusque torpidis, and forthwith marceſere, et contabeſcere intra ſe, But I ſhall forbeare and hold my ſelfe to Scripture, and ſcripturall reaſons.
When Dominion or Authority failes,Scaliger ſaith, That Ordo eſt Anima mundi, another Author, that it is Anima Reipublicae; let order be diſſolved, confuſion followes.
The Holy Ghoſt ſaith that Chriſt ſhall ſit upon the Throne of David and his Kingdome,
Job ſpeaking of the Territories of darkneſſe, and the ſhaddowes of death ſaith, It is a Land without Order.Symmetry and Harmony are the two ſupporters of the world; Plato ſaid God was alwayes ſetting things in their due ſtations and proportions; We ſhall often obſerve in Scripture when God threatens deſtruction, hee threatens it under the word Confuſion.
VVhen a man is confounded, the Animall, Vitall, and Naturall ſpirits are powred together, a man for that
Ordines, ſo ſhould all other States-men be.
VVhen Dominion failes, Religion failes.
Authority maintaines piety, Government preſerves Chriſtianity, If not, It failes officially. David divided the Prieſthood into their courſes and Offices,
In the time of Jeroboam the loweſt of the people were made Prieſts, ſuch as were not of the ſons of Levi, who ever would might be conſecrated.
It failes Theorically, In the times of theſe lamented Kings the Law of God was prevaricated,Maccabees the Law gathered ſo much corrupt droſſe, and ſuch falſe gloſ
It failes Practically. In the time of the Judges when Authority declined, Piety degenerated, thoſe were very ſinfull times,Iſraell, every man did what was right in his owne eyes, They took what Gods, what Prieſts, what Concubines, what Heritages, and undertook what warre they pleaſed; When the Ordinances and everlaſting Covenant was broken, then was the Earth defiled, and the Lawes tranſ
When Authority failes, Juſtice failes.
When the foundations are out of courſe,
When the mighty men, the Judges and, Ancients faile, and Children are Princes, Rulers Babes then the People ſhall be oppreſſed every one by another,
When Politicall rule failes, then the ſtrength of a State failes. When a Kingdome of Gold degenerates to Silver,
It was ſaid of the Aſsyrian State,
When Dominion failes, the wealth of a State failes.Rehoboams little ſinger was heavier then Solomons Loynes,Jehoiachim, exacted the Silver and the Gold of the People. In ſuch times God gives Jacob for a ſpoyle, and Iſrael to the Robbers. He makes the Earth empty and waſt, States are ſpoyled, they faile and mourne and languiſh away, No man hath any mind to trade or Husbandry, they know not whats their owne, nor how long they ſhall keepe it,
Greeke Empire was broken, one compared it to a great Cheſt of Gold and Silver, whoſe ſides falling out, the Purpurati, and all that could, fell ſcrambling to the prey with all their might.
When good Government failes,
Jeruſalem the City of God was beautifull,Sion with a cloude, and caſt downe from heaven to earth all her beauty, all that honoundique happy, Domi & foris, as this was in Solomons time.
When Government failes,Peace. 2 Chro. 15.5, 6.Abijahs and Aſa's reign, Iſrael was without the true God, teaching Prieſts, without the law and Government; in thoſe dayes there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Countrys, & Province was deſtroyed of Province, & City of City, for God did vex them withall adverſity; thus it hath beene with the State of Florence, Syracuſe and many oGermany, and little better with ours.
I take theſe ſeven things may well be accounted the ſeven Pillers whereon wiſdome bulldeth her houſe,
And that which boyleth up the miſery to the full height is this, that in ſuch times States are of themſelves irreparable, now is Ephraim, like a ſilly Dove without heart, now is the State of Egypt intoxicated, the wiſe-men and greateſt Counſellors infatuated, the Lord mingles a perverſe ſpirit amongſt them, there is nothing but contradiction and prevarication,
In that day they ſhall be like unto women which doe nothing but talke,Phyſitian, by whom the health of a people can be reMacedonian State was broken, a wiſe-man ſaid it was like a blind Cyclops that reacheth forth his armes and hands, to find ſomewhat to ſtay upon but cannot. Juſtus Maenius writing of the troubles of Germany, juſt a hundred years ſince, this preſent yeare, ſaith, it had beene better for a man to have dyed by the firſt ſtroke then to bee ſaved through ſo many diſtreſſes.
Theſe are the dayes wherein God will not bee inMicah, to looke unto the Lord, to waite for the God of his ſalvation, to bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe he hath ſinned againſt him, untill he pleads his cauſe and bring him forth to the light, and to perſwade him
TO this paſſe was this ſtate now brought.
Wee come now to the ſecond part, What ſuch a collaps'd State ſhould doe, which ſhall ſtand for Appli
This is a lamentation, and ſhall be for lamentation; for this very calamity the Lord commands this Prophet into theſe paſſions,
Sigh,
There is a time to rejoyce, wee have had ſuch times long, I wiſh wee had better improoved them, there is alſo a time to mourne, into which time our Sinnes, and Gods righteous Judgements have now brought us.
Let us firſt Mourn and Lament for our Royall Scepter that he is thus weakned and unfitted to Rule;Iſrael, Princes that were wicked enough, and more then enough inſtrumentall, to the ruine of that Common wealth, and their owne houſes; let their demerits be what they will, it is Gods mind and Subjects duty to lament them, They are bone of our bone, and fleſh of our fleſh, and as men ought to be pittyed. David a man after Gods own heart, thinks it good Religion to lament Saul, Gods and his profeſſed Enemy; I much feare that that man is much wanting in Grace and loyalty, which hath not ſhed teares in the behalfe of our King, or done that in part of griefe which amounts to teares. If he laments himſelfe too little, let us be waile him ſo much the more. Let us alſo lament him in reſpect of his Political ſorrows;Moab, all that are about him bemoane him, and all that know his name ſay, how is the ſtrong ſtaffe and beautifull Rod broken? bleſſed be God, our ſtaffe and Rodde is not yet utterly broken, but greatly warped and weakened: The Lord in his mercy reſtore him and bind him up again.Pharaoh King of Egypt taIſraell in his Net, much more for the Kings of Iſraell as bad as they were.Jeremiah LaZedcahiah this finfull and miſerable Prince, ſaith, the breath of our Noſtrills is taken in their Net, Of whom we ſaid under his ſhaddow we ſhould live. A naFiat to all Lawes and Ordinances in an ordinary courſe; If in an Extraordinary, a State wants this breath, it breaths but faintly, Authority is not in the full, but much Eclipſed, at leaſt in the thoughts of Subjects.
Let us alſo here Lament a Branch of our Royall ScepSybnah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer, thy Plants are gone over the Sea, the Lord keep him there without infection, and returne him in ſafety. The Prophet Ieremiah bewayling Jeruſalem, in her comfortles Condition, ſaith, There is none to guide her of all the Sons ſhe hath brought forth, neither is there any to take her by the Hand of all the Sons ſhe hath brought up; our Caſe is not altogether ſo, but too neer it.
Let us in the next place ſadly lament our Nationall Scepter,Zachari, for the Cedar is fallen, the mighty are ſpoyled; Howle ye Oakes of Baſhin,
Jordan is ſpoiled; you are our Fir-trees, our Cedars, our mighRome in Anthonies time, and in the Reigne of Valentinian the third, and Placidia his Mother, how with the State of Germany, when the Empire was tranſlated to Charles the fifth. If the whole head be ſick, and the whole heart faint, there will be no ſoundneſſe from the ſole of the foot to the Crowne of the Head, but wounds and bruiſes, and putrifying ſores, which can
Lament your conſtitution,Heterogeneus, disſimular, and contramixt. Where the Members are Membra dividentia the whole can hardly bee whole; An Heterocranian in our nationall head will neceſſarily breed greater troubles in our nationall bodies.
I conceive it would pleaſe God and the Land well if you would pleaſe to give ſome generall directions, if it were but by way of requeſt to the people, for the choice of Parliament-men; you are not ignorant what Laws and limitations not onely the Scripture but Heanatu majores, primogeniti, ſapientes, probi, ſeniores. &c.
Lament that the Providence of God, and the imEngland, if the world might know, though there bee vaJoſeph in the hand of Ephraim with the ſticke of Judah,
Judah and Iſrael.
Lament your Adminiſtrations,primum mobile of all good Government. He cannot reigne with ſtrength if his Scepter bee weake: To put but a Reed into his hand is next doore to the ſetting of a Crowne of Thornes on his head; let him have his compleate Dominion, and he will have a care of your regular Au
Lament if you have not ſufficiently attended the reſecundum neceſſarium. The providences of God are immenſly deepe, hee can turne our delayes into his expeditions, a Kings peremptorineſſe and a Parliaments ſlackneſſe, into a greater good then all the eyes of the Land can foreſee, yet certainly it is no leſſe then an amazement to many conſiderate men, that that worke ſhould go ſo ſlowly on. If a Common-wealth bee headleſſe the people will be brainleſſe. I dare profeſſe in the eares of God and this Honourable Senate, that I know not how any man can bee more jealous then my ſelfe, that he ſhould bee reſtored upon imperfect and unſecundum neceſſarium, and that till you two our great wheeles be ſet right, all the leſſer are like enough to go wrong.
If you have not beene early enough in rewarding the Army, with juſt payments, and due honour, I humbly intreat you to lament it: If any of this honourable Houſe have erred in diſcouraging, or diſparaging them, I intreat them to lament it, yea though it be now healed, it is no diſhonour to honeſt men, (as we preſume you are) to re
If the zeale of maintaining the Power, and Liberty of the Parliament, and the Peace of the Common-Wealth hath moved you to prevent, or reject ſome Petitions, though they were ill countenanced, and thereby cauſed the people to feare a loſſe of their popular Liberty, I likeHenry King of Swede, ſuffered, for an errour of this kind, though I confeſſe much worſe in degree.
If through connivence, and indulgence you have too long ſpared ſome that have too boldly blaſphemed our ſupreme Court and Councell, and thereby emboldened others to ſpeake more evill of you then there is cauſe, you ſhould do very well to lament it, and reforme it.
If you and your Officers have been any thing unthrifty in the accounts and disburſements of the Kingdomes Treaſury, I pray let it be lamented and amended.
If you be ſo deſerted that you are neceſſarily expoſed to ſuch yeeldings as may prove prejudiciall preſidents to future Parliaments, and deepe detriments to the whole Realme, it would be cordially lamented.
If by theſe or any other defects you have laid your
Job's parable, and ſay,
Our lives and all that wee are, and have, are bound up in your reputation, and all that your ſelves are, and have, alſo; But I muſt excuſe you the more, becauſe it
England want no grace more then Humility, which is the ſoyle of all graces, and the beſt way to Exaltation.
Let us alſo lament our preſent Martiall Scepter.
Let us lament, that a Scepter made of ſo much gold and ſilver, and true Engliſh mettall, ſhould have any part of it of a weſtphalian temper. Let us lament that ſuch honourable and ſerviceable Troops ſhould have any mounted upon any Saddles of John a Leyden's make.
Let us lament that ſo good an Army ſhould advance toward ſo ill a worke, at leaſt in their ſhewes, and our feares, as to deliver a Parliament of ſome eminent MemCaeſarian ſection.
Let us very ſadly lament, that ſome of them of a meJohn a Loyden, Knipper Dolling, or Jack Cade, then a Loyal Engliſh Subject. But what if the ſword contemn eMarcus Brutus in the like caſe.
It was too great a diſparagement to make out King who is the Lord paramount of all our free-holds, ſuch a
Let us lament that there ſhould be any Korah's, Dathan's, and Abiram's, in an Army, that layes ſo much claime to Piety.
Let us lament with much ſpirituall griefe, that many of this Army have bemeazled ſo many ignorant Coun
In the firſt of Ezek. there is a deſcription of a ſtrange wheel; it was a wheel, and wheeles, and a wheele within a wheel, and four wheels, and there were four flaſhing, and ſparkling Creatures, guided by a ſpirit, that was in the middeſt of them, whither the ſpirit went, they went, the forme and motion of this wheel made the Heavens looke terrible; I could paralell our Army to this wheel alluſively but not abuſively; If they can ſo drive their wheels that they overthrow not Charles his waine, nor breake the axel-tree of the State, I meane the Parliament, and run not the wheels over ſome of their owne loynes, and can bee ſo wiſe, as to unload on this ſide Munſter, before they come to bat
Let us lament that theſe our Brethren have imbar
Let us lament that ſuch an Engliſh Army have caſt ſo much well deſerved honour in the duſt, and ſuch a black voyle over the face of the Goſpell.
Let us alſo lament the whole State,David to ſinne againſt them. Kings can ſinne faſt enough of themſelves, and kindle fires upon themſelves, and the people but uſually people, by their ſinnes, blow the Coales to a flame.
Lament that they have a ſuſpended King. Did they know what the Egyptian and Ruſsian States, and what the Kingdome of Fez ſuffered for more then ſeven years together, for want of a King, they would lament to pur
Jſrael ſhall ſay we have no King,Papirius Cenſor, What ſhould a King doe to his people embroyled in ſo many Diviſions, Commotions, and Diſtractions? What ſhould a King doe in a Country where there are ſo many Kings, and ſo few Subjects? I dare frcely ſay, that Claudius Gordianus nor the Barbarian Hermite, would not willingly at this time take the Royall Scepter into their hands,
Abimileth, or a Perkin, or a Michael de Lando, would if they might.
Let us lament, that through theſe diſtractions,Gilead to recover our healths.
Lament that you purſue your owne Parliament with ſo many ſtrifes, and ſtripes of tongues, whereby you may degrade them much more than any defects of theirs, or any conteſt or affront of an Army. You go the next way to cut off your owne necks, and your Chil
Lament that you have ſo farre loſt your proper popu
Lament, that the Figtree languiſheth, the Pomgra
Lament in a ſpeciall manner, that your Townes, and
Laſtly, let us lament, that we cannot lament, at leaſt as God would have us lament; becauſe it is not a lamenJeremy, who lamented for theſe mi
The Lord threatens the people to double the Sword the ſecond and third time; if he hath intermitted a while, that he might whet and furbiſh his Sword for a ſecond ſcene, or act of Warre,
Hee that cannot ſee whence the third is like to come,
But ſome may ſay,
I had thought to have ſpoken ſomewhat of Eccleſiaſti
That the higheſt honour, and weightieſt charge, God hath betruſted any of the ſonnes of men with, is publick authority.
That no man can ſinne a greater ſinne againſt God and Men, then to caſt the honour and power of authority in the duſt: The ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt excepted.
That beſides the Mal-Adminiſtrations of government by Magiſtrates themſelves, there is no readier way to pro
That if Rulers once lay publick authority waſt, they will find it the difficulteſt peece of worke that ever mor