The City of Peace, Section 5
The Palace of Peace
Is the Temple: The Court or Palace of Peace.the peace of man can neuer bee preserued without the worship of God. It is not enough for the citie to hauehave lawes, but these must be diuulged, made knowen to the Inhabitants; the obseruation of them continually vrged: for by nature men are apt enough to flye out. Howsoeuer the Romans built their Templū Pacis without the gates, yet heere it is the chiefe honor and ornament of the Citie. Heere Peace keepsher Court, and sits like a royall Queene in her Chaire of Estate. Which is not like Solomons Throne, guarded with Lyons; but with milke-white Doues, and couered ouer with Oliue branches.
But alas! how doth her Palace now fall to ruine for want of reparation? Few there bee that repaire it, but to impaire it thousands are ready. The question was once;1 Sam. 9. 7 What shall we bring to the man of God? Now it is a motion suffered in all Courts, What shall we take away from the man of God? The noble Shunamite built him a chamber, with a bed and a candlesticke: We hauehave those that pull downe his roomes, disturbe his rest, and put out his light. Nehemiah reduced the Tythes to the primitiue institution and order: But if any Nehemiah should now vndertake it, and restore our portion to our own hands; there are tenne thousand Harpies ready to catch it ere it come to our mouthes. Wee may sing, or rather sigh one to another, as little children chaunt in the streets: When shall we eat white Bread? When the Puttock is dead: when there is not a Sacrilegious Lawyer left. If the walls of Ierusalem should beginne to rise, there is a Tobiah or Samballat to flout vsus,Neh. 4. 3. that a Fox is able to breake them downe. Corrupt Aduocates are those Foxes, and by their wills the Vine of Peace should beare no Grapes that ecape their fingers. Some hauehave written wittily in the praise of folly, some hauehave commended Baldnesse; other in a quaint Paradoxe extolled deformity: but in former times it was neuer heard that any wrote Encomiums of Sacrilege.
That the Kings of the earth should conspire against Christ,Psal. 2. 2. it was no wonder:1 Cor. 2. 8 for they knew him not. Psal. 13. 6.That the Edomites and Ishmaelites should oppose him,Acts 4. 27 no wonder: for they stood on termes of hostilitie. That the Iewes should confederat against him, no wonder: for they hated him. But that men baptized in his Faith, bearing his Name as their honourable Title, and wearing his Profession, as their chiefe ornament; should consent to rob him, and iustifie it by their law! this is such a thing as the very Barbarians would blush at. Suppose the Ministers of this Citie, the Pencioners of Peace, by some humble complaint request their owne, or (at most but) so me small part of their owne; is the Spoyler at a non-plus? Cannot hee finde an Aduocate to plead for him, and make his cause (though not be, yet) appeare good? What, not one for his fees, that can cry downe the Temple, the Gospell, Christ himselfe? Is there no Bill to bee framed? no false plea to bee found? Is Sathan turn'd foole? Hath none of his schollers any braines left? Yes, we might think the deuil were dead, if there could not bee found an Aduocate to plead for Sacriledge. The Lord in his Iustice for sinne, hath broken downe her hedges; Psal. 80. 12and now eueryevery hand hath a snatch at her Grapes.
In many places, Ahab- like, they hauehave engrossed the whole vineyard: but if the poore, exposed, & vnsupported Vine be left, it shall beare the owner but a few grapes. This may hold in Iure Fori, it neuer shall hold in Iure Poli. God promised that the faith of the Church should remoue mountaines: such were Domitian, Dioclesian, and those Imperiall persecutors. The Church prayes, Dorsum corum incurua, Bow downe their backes; and so the Lord did. Valerian was so bowed downe, that hee became a footstoole for the King of Persia, to mount vp to his horse O that the Church of Peace had still this miraculous Faith, to remoue these mountaines; malicious and truth-hating pleaders, the pioners of the Temple, and the maintainers of those that pillage it.
They tell vsus, the Law is open, and there be deputies; Acts 19. 38but who be the deputies in this Citie? Is there any other then a Iudge of their owne? And is it not then a prouerbiall answere of any man questioned in this Sacriledge; Aske my father if I bee a theefe? When Dauid decided the matter to Mephibosheth; Thou and Ziba diuide the land: 2 Sam. 19. 30.he answered, Yea let him take all: For the misery of Law, I neuer by experience found it, because I neuer tried it: but when they hauehave leaue to diuide the Inheritance of Christ with their Ministers (and it were somthing tolerable if they did but diuide it) I say, yea let thē take all, seeing all they will hauehave, rather then we go to recouer it by such a Iudgement. But certenly God cannot long abide to see that people prosper, who cannot abide to see his Church prosper. They that spoil the Palace of Peace on earth, shall neuer be entertained into her glorious Court of heauen.