A Door of Hope, Title page – Order
A DOORE OF HOPE, ALSO HOLY AND LOYALL ACTIVITY.
Two Treatiſes delivered in ſeverall SERMONS, in Exceſter.
By Iohn Bond, Bachelour of the Lawes, and Lecturer in the ſame City.
JUDGES 13. VER. 23. If the Lord were pleaſed to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offring and a meat-offring at our hands, neither would he have ſhewed us all theſe things, nor would at this time have told us ſuch things as theſe.
JUDGES 5. VER. 23, 24. Curſe ye Meroz (ſaid the Angell of the Lord,) curſe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof: becauſe they came not to the helpe of the Lord, to the helpe of the Lord againſt the mighty.
Bleſſed above women ſhall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, bleſſed ſhall ſhe be above women in the tent.
LONDON, Printed by G. M. for Iohn Bartlet, at the Signe of the Guilt-Cup near St. Auſtins Gate, 1641.
TO THE HONOVRABLE THE KNIGHTS, CITIZENS And BURGESSES of the Houſe of COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT:
Honourable and aSee Mat. 5 9.Bleſſed Patriots:
AS it was meere duty that firſt moved mee to preach theſe Sermons, ſo it is bare neceſſity that doth now inforce me to print them; they were preached when I ſaw the many bleſſed probabilities and firſt-fruits of reformation, which God and the King by your hands, did reach forth unto this Nation. For although I did conceive my ſelfe to be one of the leaſt, and laſt in the Miniſtry, as not having yet attained to more yeeres of mine age, then there are dayes in ſome Mone…hs, yet I thought my ſelfe old enough to bMat. 21.8, 9cry Hoſanna to your proceedings, and with thoſe Children in the Goſpell, to ſtrow theſe my two Branches in the way of approaching reformation. For how could I further that worke more effectually with God, then by a ſacrifice of thankeſgiving? or with men, then by the Doctrine of Activity? and theſe two, are the generall Contents of both my following Diſcourſes. In the firſt of them, I doe but write an Hiſtory (Epitomie rather) of the Lords mercy, our Soveraignes goodnes, and the proſperous paines of this happy Parliament. In the latter, (which was firſt preached) I doe preſſe mine auditory to bring Bellowes, and Fuell, to the cMal. 3.2.refiners fire, and to ſtand cloſe to the particulars of our bleſſed Vow and Proteſtation. Neither doe I wade further in any point then I have a clue from your proceedings to leade me ſafely backe againe. Thus it was meere duty that firſt moved me to cry Hoſanna.
But alas, as we reade in that Goſpell concerning Chriſts riding into Ieruſalem, dMat. 21.15.that when the Chiefe Priests and Scribes ſaw the wonderfull things that he did, and the children crying in the Temple and ſaying Hoſanna, they were ſore diſpleaſed; ſo I had no ſooner began to deliver theſe notes in publike, but preſently I heard, read and felt, the diſpleaſure of a like generation of oppoſites ſorely kindled againſt me. Troubler, Peſtilent, Sciſmaticall, nay Faction, Sedition, Treaſon, theſe were ſome of the common titles that by word and writing, were given both to the Preacher and the Sermons. But my comfort is, that the ſame Epithites, ſo unjuſtly wreſted, have beene caſt upon far better Miniſters, long agoe. Thus e1 Kin. 8.17.Ahab to Elij th, fAct. 24.5, 6, &c.Tertullus and the Iewes againſt S. Paul, and …he gLuk. 23 1, 2.Scribes and Phariſees againſt Chriſt himſelf. As for the Eccleſiaſticall authority which did convent me for theſe Sermons, (for convented I was,) although I found them and their adherents like hJud. 16.19.Sampſon when his head was ſhaven, And that their might to puniſh Innocence was taken away from them, yet I did plainely reade ſo much in their frownes and threats, as doth inforce me to beleeve, that if ever their locks do grow againe, I may expect the iver. 2…, 29, 30houſe about mine eares, for the prevention of which miſchiefe, my ſelfe am perſwaded by friends. Theſe my notes are thus enforced by enemies, to lye at your feete for juſtice, and if I be found an offender, or have committed any thing in theſe papers worthy of death or of bonds, I refuſe not to ſuffer, but if there be none of thoſe things whereof theſe accuſe me, nay if (contrariwiſe) the maine cauſe of their malice ſhould appeare to be this, namely that my Sermons are too true, too Parliamentary; then I doe leave it to your grave wiſedomes to conſider, whether or no, the kPſal. 69.9.reproaches of them that reproached me do ſeeme (I feare to name it) even to fall upon your proceedings, the ſumme (therefore) of mine humble Epiſtolary Petition is this: If your high Tribunall ſhall acquit mee for this worke, that then you would further be gratiouſly pleaſed to vouchſafe your Parliamentary protection, that ſo both my ſelfe, and Treatiſes may go abroad without danger, and if this Honourable Houſe ſhall daigne ſo much as to defend theſe my Bloſſomes from thoſe Birds, I doe here vow and devote my future fruites, yea, ſtock and all to your honourable ſervice, meane while I ſhall continue in prayer that the Wonderfull Counſeller, the Prince of Peace, would ſtill direct, protect your Counſells, Perſons, carrying you forward over the necks, yea (as hitherto he hath done) upon the, backs of his and your enemies, to the accompliſhment of that worke which he hath given you to doe.
So prayeth your obliged ſpirituall ſervant JOHN BOND. From my Study in Exceſter, Feb 5. 1641.
To the Reader.
Reader:
THE caſe was with me in printing theſe Treatiſes, as it is with ſome debtors and defendants, which are in danger of arreſts and law ſuites; they doe ſuffer themſelves to bee pres'd for publike ſervice, that ſo they may be ſafe from private Creditors and Adverſaries; So theſe notes of mine having beene moleſted with many ſlanderous enemies, when they were preached, and being afraid of unjuſt after-claps and arreareages, they are now forced, yea frighted to the Preſſe in their owne defence; And hereby I am made ſomewhat like that damm in the aMartials Epig.Poet, which was — Vulnere facta Pareus. Whatſoever errours ſhall be committed in Printing, for them blame the Stationers and not me, for I may truly ſay, ☜as be —Sine me liber ibat in urbem, I never did ſo much as reade over that Copie which went to the Preſse, but was faine to ſend the Epiſtles after it. As for the matter contained in theſe Sermons, if it be too thinne for publike view, thanke mine enemies which forced me to make them publike, if thou meeteſt with any thing there that may doe thee good, yet ſtill thanke thoſe enemies; For though the Lectures were mine, yet the booke (as I ſaid) is theirs. OnelyOnly here take notice how the divine Providence doth continually beat theſe men with their owne hands, for by endeavouring to crie downe theſe Sermons whilſt they were preaching, they have now cried them up in print, and ſo have ſpread their ſpo… a great deale broder by labouring too violently to rub it out. All that I will further ſay unto thee ſhall lie in theſe words, vel perlege, vel neglige, reade all or none. I am thine as thou likeſt me,
JOHN BOND.
FEBR. 2. 1641. At a Committee of the Houſe of Commons for Bookes and Printing.
It is this day Ordered that theſe Sermons be forthwith publiſhed in Print.
Edward Dering.