A Royal Edict for Military Exercises, Title page – Dedication
A ROYALL EDICT FOR MILITARY EXERCISES: Publiſhed in a Sermon preached to the Captaines, and Gentlemen that exerciſe Armes in the Artillery Garden at their generall meeting.
In Saint Andrewes Vnderſhaft, in London, Iune 23. 1629.
By IOHN DAVENPORTE, B. of Diuinity, and P. of Saint Stephans in Cole-man-ſtreet in London.
ISA. 49.23.
Kings ſhall be thy nurſing Fathers, and Queenes thy Nurſes.
LONDON. Printed by ELIZABETH ALLDE for RALPH MAB, and are to be ſold by NICHOLAS BOVRNE, at the South entrance of the Royall Exchange. 1629.
To The Right worſhipfull St. Hugh Hammerſly Knight, Iuſtice of Peace, and Alderman, and one of the Colonels of the Citty of London, and Preſident of the Martiall Company exerciſing Armes, in the Artillery Garden: AND To all the reſt of the famous Society, Captaines, Aſſiſtants, and Gentlemen, profeſſing, and exerciſing Armes.
Worthy Preſident, Captaines, and Gentlemen,
THe ſame Perſons, and the ſame Argument, that induced me to preach this Sermon in your eares, hauehave preuailed with me to preſent it, in this manner to your eyes; not to ſubmit it to your iudgements,foreign. Iames 3.1. cap. 4.11. as our maſterly-cenſorious hearers expect, who make themſelues Iudges of that, which ſhould teach them to iudge themſelues, and ſhall one day iudge them: 1. Cor. 11.31. Rom. 2.16. Heb. 4.12. Iude 11. Pſal. 91.4. 2. Theſ. 2 10.nor to craue your patronage or protection of it: for it is the Word of God, mighty in operation, and ſharper then a two edged ſword, to cut off all that gainſay it, and ſo, able to defend it ſelfe; yea, it is the truth of God, a ſhield and Buckler to thoſe that receiue the louelove of it, and ſo, able to defend them. For my ſelfe; who am I, that I ſhould hope to be exempted from the common condition of Preachers and Writers, Ier. 18.18.that is, to bee ſmitten with the tongues of thoſe, who account nothing worthy acceptance, but the fruite of their owne braine? There are principally, three ſorts of men,Luke 22.50. that (like Malchus, hauing his right eare cut off) heare all things ſiniſterly. Firſt, Ambitious perſons. Secondly,3. ſorts of perſons iniurious in their cenſur s of Preache s & Sermons. Malicious perſons. Thirdly, Vicious perſons: if this Sermon come into any of theſe perſons hands, I muſt expect, that (as men looking vponupon any thing through a coloured glaſſe, iudge that thing to be of the ſame colour with the glaſſe, through which they looke ſo) their opinions of the Preacher, and of the Sermon, will be conformed to the inward diſtemper of their owne hearts. Firſt,Maleuoli, velut Momi aruedut nos magis animi morbo, quā iudicio. Melanth. Gul. Epiſ. Hauſmano. 4to. 1. Ambitious perſons. Nihil eſt quod Eccleſiam ita diuellere qucat at que ambitio dominandi. Chryſt. Hom 11. in cap. 4. ad Eph. 3. Ioh. 9. Iames 4.6. the Ambitious perſon ſeekes to raiſe himſelfe in the fall, and to honour himſelfe in the diſgrace of thoſe who ſeeme to outſhine him in true worth. Thus Corah, out of a deſire of eſteeme, reſiſted Moſes; Diotrephes, out of a LoueLove of Preeminence, withſtood Iohn the Diuine; and thoſe falſe Apoſtles, that they might exault themſelues, vilified, and traduced Saint Paul. Thoſe wee hauehave more cauſe to pitty (becauſe God reſiſteth them) and to pray for them, that God would make them more humble, and lowly-minded, then to bee diſquieted at their inſolencies, which is a ſure ſigne of their folly, and emptineſſe. For wee ſee, the boughs, the more laden with fruite, they are the more lowly, but in a fanne, we ſee, the chaffe is aboue the Corne, not becauſe its better, but becauſe its lighter. Secondly,2. Malicious perſons. the Malicious perſon, out of an inward hatred againſt the perſon of another, miſiudgeth all his actions and intentions. This you may ſee in the carriage of the Prieſts and Prophets againſt Ieremy, Ier 26.11. Amos 7.10.of Amaziah againſt Amos, and of thoſe cruell, and ſcornefull men, concerning whom the Prophet Iſay ſpeaketh, that would make a man an offendour for a word. Iſa. 29.21.For theſe my prayer is, that the Lord would deſtroy the workes of Satan, that enuious man in their hearts, and fill them with the fruites of the ſpirit, eſpecially, louelove, Gal. 5.22. 3. Vicious perſons. Iſa. 5.29.peace, gentleneſſe, goodneſſe, faith. Thirdly, Vicious perſons, ſpeake good of euill, and euill of good, theſe put darkeneſſe for light, and light for darkeneſſe, theſe put bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for ſowre. Dauid out of much experience of ſuch, ſayth, They are licentious, and ſpeake wickedly: they talke preſumptuouſly: they ſet their mouth againſt Heauen, Pſal. 73.8, 9. Male de me loqūtur, ſed mali. Mouerer, ſi de me M. Cato. Si Lelius ſapiēs, ſi duo Sci…iones iſta loquerentur, nunc malis diſplicere, laudari eſt. Soen. de rem. fort.and their tongue walketh thorow the earth. To be diſprayſed of ſuch, is a prayſe; as when an Enemy reuiles a Generall, or Captaine, or common Souldier for his faithfulnes to his King, and Country: But J muſt not make a Booke of an Epiſtle.
To you (right worthy Cittizens) with all due reſpect, I dedicate theſe Meditations, ſuch as they are, as belonging to you by right. For your ſakes they were preached; at your requeſt, they are now publiſhed. If heerein you ſhall finde any mo…iues to encourage you, any rules to direct you in this laudable Exerciſe, let God hauehave the Glory, and J am abundantly ſatisfied, whom nothing could hauehave drawne to this taske, but my vnfeigned louelove to your perſons, and my hearty deſire of your incouragement in ſo worthy deſignes.
Yours in all Chriſtian duties and ſeruices, J. D.