Gods Three Arrows, Title page – Dedication
GODS THREE ARROVVES: PLAGVE, FAMINE, SVVORD,
In three Treatiſes.
I. A Plaiſter for the Plague.
II. Dearths Death.
III. The Churches Conqueſt over the Sword.
By WILLIAM GOVGE Doctor in Divinity, and Preacher of GODS Word in Black-Friers, LONDON.
EZEK. VI. XI. Alas, for all the evill abominations of the houſe of Iſrael: for they ſhall fall by the Sword, by the Famine, and by the Peſtilence.
Famem, & peſtilentiam, & beſtias peſſimas, & quicquid aliud malorum ſuſtinemus in ſeculo, propter noſtra venire peccata manifeſtum eſt. Hier. Comment. l 2. in Ezek. 5.
LONDON, Printed by George Miller for Edward Brewſter, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the Signe of the Bible, at the great North doore of Pauls. 1631.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, SIR THOMAS COVENTRY, Knight, Lord COVENTRY, Baron of Alesborough, Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of ENGLAND.
Right Honourable,
EVen he that joyned his foreign aVox honorem exhibentis, & omnia bono precantis.Abrek his joyfull applauſe with the joyfull acclamations of many when your Lordſhip Gen 41. 43.was firſt advanced to your honourable place, doth now ſee further cauſe to adde this foreign bVox congratulantis & collandantis Deum. Rev. 19. 6. & in pſal. ſaepiſſimè.Halelu-jah, his congratulation, praiſing God for your continuance, as in your place, ſo in your approved Integrity, which hath beene found, (as the Apostle ſaith of the faith of Chriſtians) foreign c 1 Pet. 1. 7., unto your praiſe, and honour, and glory, like good gold, which from the furnace appeares more ſolid and reſplendent. For, your kind of judicature, according to the nature of your place, and your owne purpoſe, is not onelyonly (to uſe dAug. ad Marcel. Epiſt. 158.Saint Auguſtines phraſe) Iudicis mollire ſententiam, & mitiùs vindicare quàm leges, but it is like that which a eZac 8. 16.Prophet calls foreign Iudgement of peace: which fHier. Comment lib. 2. in Zac. cap. 8.Saint Hierom thus expounds, Hoc eſt judicium pacis ut propoſitum Iudex habeat pacificare diſcordes. This is no ſmall difficulty, ſince according to the ſame gHier. Comment. lib. 1. in Eſa. cap. 1.Hierom, Non eſt omnium rectè judicare, ſed eorum qui prudentes ſunt: who are made wiſe from above. Therefore hSalomon in viſione per ſomnium hoc à Deo poſtulavit, ut accepta ſapientia juſtè populum judicaret. Ibid.Salomon in a dreame asked this of God. And ſhall not the praiſe thereof by him that receiveth it, by them that partake of the benefit of it, be returned to him from whom deſcendeth iforeign & foreign Sie diſtinguo, ut denationem ab ipſo dono. Beza.foreign, foreign; But, my good Lord, leaſt telling the truth of your ſelfe may ſeeme flattery to others, and flattery neither ſorts with your diſpoſition, nor becomes my profeſsion, give mee leave in mine high eſteeme of your Honour, and humble expreſsion of mine affection, to publiſh my poore paines under your honourable name: wiſhing I were able, beſides my obſervance to your Lordſhip, in my zeale to Gods Church, Gemmas offerre. But with Origen, Quia haec ſupra me ſunt, pilas caprarum habere merear, &c. For, whatſoever my weakeneſſes bee, are not theſe times ſeaſonable (I would they were not) for ſuch a Subject as is here handled, Treatiſes of Plague and Famine, yea and of Warre too? For, though by the Prudence & Providence of our royall Soveraigne, Sonne and Heire of the great Peace-maker, foreign warre be kept out of our land: yet in other parts of Christendome, it, and the reſtrage like over-flowing flouds, to the ruine of many States and of true Religion. The Lion hath roared, who will not feare? The Lord God hath ſpoken, who can but propheſie? Yet are theſe Treatiſes neither to terrifie for what is paſt, nor to propheſie of what is yet to come; but rather to heale the wounds that have beene made by the fore-intimated arrowes, and to direct us how to keepe the Lord from further ſhooting out the like. It is the part of us Miniſters of Gods Word, out of his Word to declare what he intendeth and expecteth when he ſmileth, or frowneth on his people. Magiſtrates (who by reaſon of their places, are in Canaans language ſtiled foreign Gods and children of the Pſal. 82. 6.moſt high) have the power to cauſe divine directions to bee put in execution. Thus therefore doth an ancient Father paraphraſe on that text, bringing in God himſelfe thus ſpeaking to Magistrates, I have given you mine own honour, and dignity, foreign. Iuſtin. Mart. Queſt. & Reſp. ad Orthodox. q 142.and title, Therefore judge the people as if I my ſelfe judged it. To whom now may thoſe ſeaſonable Treatiſes which do (as it were with the finger) point at Gods particular dealing with us, be more fitly preſented, then to him, who under his most excellent Majeſty, hath ſo great a place and part, with others, to ſettle orders for ſuccouring poore people, wounded as aforeſaid, and for ſheltring them from thoſe arrowes. Of the Treatiſes thus commended to your honourable Patronage, gracious acceptance is in all humility craved by him that profeſſeth himſelfe to be.
At your Honours command, WILLIAM GOVGE.