Several Sermons, To the reader – Dedication 3
To the Reader.
UPon the ſurvey of this Epiſtle to the Right Honourable Thomas Atkins, the now Lord Major, &c. I conceived it not amiſſe to adde ſomething more by way of caution; which howſoever it needed not to thoſe that know me, yet being now caſt upon ſtrange men, and ſtrange times, I cannot ſpeak too plainly; be pleaſed then to know, that the men of whom I ſpeak, are not ſuch as are truly (that is, univerſally, charitably and peaceably) conſcionable, nor ſuch as I therefore diſtaſte, becauſe they be of a different opinion in ſome things from my ſelfe: No, the Lord keep me from quarrelling men, becauſe their light is more or leſſe then mine, if that be all their crime, and from judging their conſcience; whileſt ther's no more in it but conſcience, reaching after further information, theſe be not the men I meane, but men of another ſpirit, who condemne the things they doe not underſtand, and goe upon principles, and in wayes that will mar all if they be not timely lookt to: What their courſes and tenents be, I am loth to make too publike, & therfore rather intimated then expreſſed them before, & now do much rather deſire their buriall then their life; to that end, I ſaid ſomething to the honourable Governours and godly Citizens of this place; and doe further implore and beſeech all others who deſire the peace of the Church, the proſperity of the City, the advancement of Chriſts Kingdome, to bring ſome Buckets towards the quenching of theſe wild and unnaturall fires amongſt us; yea and above the reſt, I humbly pray thoſe of my Brethren to lend herein their hand & help, who are more (as they conceive) indulgent towards them, at leaſt (as others think) moſt prevailing with them. This is all, and this I hope is enough, being added to that which already hath paſſed the Preſſe.
Robert Harris.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD MAJOR and Court of Aldermen, with other Citizens of the renowned City of LONDON.
THE Accompt that Imake of my ſelfe and ſervice is this: For my ſelfe, the reaſon of my ſlowneſſe in this work grew not from any undervaluing of your ſo honourable invitation, but from mine owne diſtemper of body, which at the ſame time forced me to deprecate a greater ſervice to a greater Aſſembly, and to lay aſide this till it was too late to put it off. 2. For the Works ſelfe, 1. in my choyce, I had reſpect to custome and entreaty, and in the purſuance of that choyce I lookt upon the ſeaſon and Auditory: You have now by your motion (that is) command, Jubet qui ïogat, &c. Obligant qui impetrans, &c.made it publique, and it being your owne, it is in your power to make it good: That is a good Sermon which doth good, as that's good ſoyle which mends the ground: that good food or Phyſick that helps the body: Some worth you have put upon it in your calling for it, and ſending it ready written to my band; if now you pleaſe to tranſlate it into Practice, the work is done. And ſurely there lyes before you the faireſt of opportunities; never was there a ſitter ſeeds-time for Prayer and Almes; in the one the pooreſt may concurre, in the other they cannot; that's your happineſſe that you can give, and will be more yours if you doe the thing. It was ſome comfort to me to heare (ſo ſoone after my ſervice) of a deſigne for the poor, that newes was to me what Jonahs Gourd was to him; and my prayer is, that this may be more lasting then that: The poore are exceeding many, and their wants exceeding great, and it is not the leaſt of our griefes, that many of us in the Miniſtery can doe no more; we meet them hourly, and part but ſadly; they ſighing becauſe they cannot receive, and we becauſe we cannot give; and give we cannot til we receive better anſwers then we do from more then enow: We know you not, we cannot, we will not, we may not ſupport ſuch a —I am not (I confeſſe) well read in your Charter, I know not your bounds; this I know, that this famous City hath been heretofore much honoured and bleſſed both by and for their Miniſters; this I know, that Magistrates by calling are Heirs of reſtraint, Judg. 18.9. Nch. 13.17. Rev 1.20.41. Prov. 29.18. Jumad lieum, & Shindler. Pentag. foreign (ſc. foreign, & quae ſequamu. apud Soph.and that ſinne uncontrold and unpuniſhed by them, will be ſet upon their heads, and beaten upon their backs; Yea, and this I have read, that where viſion (preaching) failes, the people are naked, or (ſay ſome) idle and uſeleſſe; that where men grow high in ſin and ſcorne, the City is enſnared or fired, Pro. 29.8. that where any City is divided, it cannot ſtand, Mat. 12.25. This I am ſure of; and therefore my humble ſuit unto you is, that as you tender your ſelves, your ſafety, your City, your Poſterity, your Religion, your Chriſt, your All, doe your utmoſt to reſtraine all deſtructive ways of ſinne, errour, faction, &c. and to establiſh a ſetled Government, and ſincere Religion among you: Oh! let it not be free for any men at pleaſure to proclaime their Jubilees, to aſſert, to preach, to print, what ſeems good to themſelves; & under colour of Christian liberty & free grace, or I know not what new light, to cry downe Magistracy, Ministery, Repentance, Obedience, ſay I? nay Scripture it ſelfe, Chriſt himſelfe in his Nature and Offices. My Lord, and worthy Senators, I'le trouble you no longer, the reſt you ſhall read in ſilence; I commend your Perſons, your Imployments, your honourable City, and all your publique Concernments to the grace of our Lord Jeſus, beſeeching him to raiſe up ſtill amongſt you Magistrates of Jethro's marke,foreign Importes all men of might for wiſdome, wealth, courage, men of truth (whether for Theorie or Practice) but no men for ſelfe either ends or turnes: So prayes
Your humble Suppliant and obliged! Servant in our common Lord, Robert Harris.