The Wedding Supper, Frontispiece – To the reader
The true Effigies of Thomas Larkham Miniſter of the Goſpell at Taviſtock in Devon. L. Croſs ſculpſit
THE Wedding-Supper: AS It was handled out of the fourteen firſt verſes of the 22. chapter of Matthew, in ſundry Exerciſes in Taviſtock in Devon.
WHEREIN The Offer of Salvation, both to Jews and Gentiles, is Noted: and divers plain and pithy Doctrines Obſerved, and Applied.
BEING, The effect of twelve SERMONS Preached by Thomas Larkham, the oppreſſed Paſtor of the deſpiſed Church of Chriſt there.
Iſa 53.1. Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
London Printed, and are to be ſold by Giles Calvert, at his ſhop at the black ſpread Eagle, neer the Weſt end of Pauls. 1652.
TO THE Supream Power, next and immediatly under GOD, and his Son Chriſt Jeſus, within the Dominions of England, Ireland and Scotland, and the adjacent Iſles; The PARLIAMENT of the Commonwealth of England.
Grave Senatours,
IT may ſeem, not only an indiſcreet, but a preſumptious (yea unſufferable) Act, in one ſo mean as I am, to preſs with ſo plain a piece into your moſt honourable preſence. And indeed it would be nothing leſs, were it not that all other ways of finding relief for my ſelf and a poor oppreſſed Congregation of profeſſed Chriſtians, who have choſen me to be their Miniſter, were hedged up. I do not preſume to come before you out of any abſurd truſt or vain confidence that I ſhall finde favour; neither can fear of diſpleaſing keep me off (for that in either I ſhould have diſhonourable thoughts of that dreadfull Tribunal; which all that are lovers of God, their Country, and true Religion, will make a conſcience of entertaining but in expectance and hope to finde Juſtice, as it is meet I and every one elſe ſhould at your hands; ſo it is (may it pleaſe your honours) that for preaching of theſe Sermons (which here I humbly preſent to your view) I was judged unworthy to be continued in the employment of Goſpel-preaching by ſuch as are mine and the Truths, yea moſt of them the States enemies. And thereupon a great part of my livelyhood was (and is yet) detained, though ſetled in a regular way upon certain Truſtees to my uſe (as being the Lawfull preaching Miniſter of Taviſtock in Devon) out of a Sheaf or Rectory neer adjoyning; taken in 15 years value at 90. l. per annum: 1350 l. being deducted in lieu of the ſaid Parſonage out of the fine which the Gentleman was ſet at in his Compoſition for Delinquency, who formerly was ſeized in Fee-ſimple therein.
Whereupon receiving (as I apprehended it) a Call from God, to be employed in my Function elſewhere, I obeyed it; and departed from the aforeſaid Town of Taviſtock, with a purpoſe to return thither no more to dwell among them.
But receiving Letters from the godly party, from time to time, in which there ſeemed to be a ſtrong continued Call that I muſt return: I began to conſider what was beſt to be done, whether to prefer my profit and eaſe before ſuffering affliction with the People of God (as I had cauſe to fear I did) or to truſt God, of whoſe owning of me (with humility be it written) I had ſo many, ſo great experiences: And at laſt I reſolved to adviſe with Godly, learned and judicious Miniſters, which thing I alſo did, and found them all to agree (upon view of the Letters ſent me) that I muſt return. One ſaid, Mr. H.P.that I could not part with the Godly party at Taviſtock; and that he believed others would be of his minde when they did view the Call. Another, Mr. L.S.that I would go off lame, and not recover while I did return. And ſo a third likewiſe; adding that my Caſe was his, and he muſt return to — whence for want of maintenance he had departed. Here God enabled me to deny my ſelf, and I wrote from London news of my reſolution to come among them. Mr. I.B.But as ſoon as that news came to the ears of the adverſe party, it cannot be imagined with what wrath of pride they run together. I will ſet down an extract of a Letter. — For ſince we heard that happy news of your comming, the Enemies do moſt furiouſly …age, and have acted together (as we hear) to ſend a Letter to the Earl of Bedford, that at no hand he ſhall preſent you, &c.
Now that I may ſum up all in a few lines; This is the caſe; I was choſen by the Inhabitants of Taviſtock (My Lord of Bedford having promiſed to preſent and pay him whom they would chuſe.) Their choice under many ſcore hands, accompanied with atteſtations of the neighbouring Miniſters, procured a legal preſentation to the incumbency, without my ſtirring at all in the buſineſs, (indeed (to ſay truth) I had not freedom of ſpirit to do) I continued Preaching Miniſter quietly ſome time, and might ſtill, had not my judgement concerning Diſcipline made me liable to diſlike and Obloquy.
But now, they that were otherwiſe judgemented, and profane ones, gnaſh their teeth to ſee Chriſts Ordinances on foot in publique, and themſelves laid by as Reprobate Silver; and begin to quarrel at my preaching, and to joyne ſhoulder to ſhoulder againſt the new Church (as they were pleaſed to call us that laboured to ſerve God in the ſpirit, according to his word) and would have another to be their Miniſter that would, (according to Cuſtome,) carry on (as they call it) Gods good ſervice; Hereupon the Raſcal Multitude are encouraged to abuſe the Godly Party. Such as were Officers, Troopers, and Foot-Souldiers in the late Kings Army, are thought fitter to be choſen Officers for the Pariſh, then men that have lain in priſon or by the hedges in cold nights, and have been Plundered for their fidelity to the Parliament by their own wicked Neighbours; while the ringleader of this preſent adverſe Party was in the Kings Quarters in Cornwall; Who now ſtands up like a Champion, and with big words thinks to trample down Gods People whom he (in a Letter written to one of them) calld the Rigid Faction.
I Humbly crave leave in the heat of a Chriſtian, and fidelity of a Commoner of England, to write, and I will write no more then I can proove (for I know whom I appeal unto) that the differences at Taviſtock are no other but between Chriſt and Belial; The Common Wealth of England and Royalty; worſhipping of God according to rule, and Superſtitious cuſtomary formality, whatever men pretend to the contrary.
Now becauſe theſe enſuing Sermons are ſo cried down for unſufferable railing with which they are ſtufft by report of the Enemy; I have faithfully tranſcribed them and (with the help of ſuch as wrote in ſhort hand) brought them to that paſs that now they appear in: Being verily perſwaded that not one harſh expreſſion (which might be more excepted againſt then another) is left out. Neither would I be thought to print them out of opinion that (in theſe glorious times of Gods giving gifts to men) they will give any great blaze; But to give an account of my manner of ſpeaking in the name of the Lord: That ſo, if it ſeem good unto you, I may be reſtored to my brethren and employment in the work of the Lord at Taviſtock (though I ſhall in regard of means of ſubſiſtence have much leſs then I am to have ſhould I continue Miniſter there, where I am come under the bond of Conſcience; and whither I am by jealous Letters, and by ſtrong Arguments woed to return again) Or otherwiſe may ſubmit to Gods will and pleaſure (in whoſe hands are the hearts of all, to turn them which way ſoever he pleaſeth; and therefore yours) with this comfortable teſtimony, in mine own Soul, that I am ready to do my duty, keep my ſtation, and go in and out before the People over whom the Lord hath made me Overſeer: So far and ſo long as it ſhall pleaſe his heavenly Majeſty to give me life, livelihood and liberty ſo to do. And if my Adverſaries have any thing to charge me with, that is of legal cogniſance; I ſtand at our Engliſh Caeſars judgement ſeat, where let me be judged in Gods name. I that have learnd by his Grace to look with boldneſs on my Father in Heaven, in Chriſt; need not fear thoſe (but rather flie to them,) that are his Miniſters for our good on Earth; beſides I am of them that have in moſt parts of England, I was Captive to the Lord Vicoun Liſle, &c. and to Sir Har. Waller. the firſt four years of the ten at Breerwich, and elſewhere in K…nt.and alſo in Ireland adventured my life, ſpent my ſtrength and poor eſtate; often endangered my liberty, and limbs, and health, in my faithfull ſervice of, and adhaering to the Parliament of England, for theſe Ten years laſt paſt, ſince my return to my native land from that exile which Epiſcopal Tyranny and tenderneſs of conſcience forced me unto. I am loth to be too bold, I might boaſt of my many and great ſufferings under the Prelacy, and of Gods wonderfull deliverances vouchſafed me in thoſe dayes: but I will make an end, humbly ſubmitting my Sermon to your cenſure, mine outward man to your ordering, and you ſhall I commend in my daily prayers (as in duty bound) to Jehovah Elohim, that you may be a bleſſing to the Common-Wealth, a joy to the good, a terror to the bad, and ſucceſsfull in all your undertakings.
London, May 12. 1652. This is the hearty prayer of him, Who deſires to be found a faithfull Steward in the Lords work, And hopes to approve himſelf true and faithfull to the Commonwealth of England, Thomas Larkham.
To all them in the Town and Pariſh of Taviſtock in Devon, that love the Lord Jeſus in ſincerity, and are now oppreſſed by an ungodly generation; Thomas Larkham, their Rightfull Paſtor, wiſheth increaſe of Faith, Patience and Wiſdom, &c.
Beloved,
BEcauſe the day is Cloudy among you, and the warming beams of that bright Sun of Liberty (which ſo many Saints in England, Ireland, and even in Scotland, ſit under) is obſtructed and kept off from you, by the furious marching of a youthfull Jehu (among you) in the head of a party that know not God, and that will not obey the Goſpel of Chriſt; I thought good to preſent to you theſe enſuing Sermons, preached among you and them; to be for a remembrance to you, a teſtimony againſt them, and an apology for my ſelf, againſt thoſe many obloquies and opprobrious calumnies, which by evil tongues and unhallowed pens, dipt in pride, wrath, and malice, are diſperſed againſt both you and me. The iſſue of things, I hope, you will readily refer to the righteous Judge; who hath a day ſet (which is always the beſt) to relieve his ſlandred, oppreſſed, and perſecuted Servants. My *Per a Call of God.temptations on the right hand will appear, by the loud Calls that I have to go into Macedonia, to help on the great Work of God now on foot there. And on the left hand the ſtrong oppoſition that I finde againſt my return to you (which can ſcarce be conceived aright, much leſs expreſt fully.) None but a God can hinder the builders of Babell, and deſtroy the enemies of Zion among you. Sit ſtill a while, and you ſhall ſee his ſalvation; So far as the Angel of his preſence ſhall go before me, I am ready to follow. Only let your converſation be as it becommeth the Goſpel of Chriſt, &c. And in nothing be ye terrified, &c. Our buſineſs (me thinks) is like the launching of great Ships; heaving and ſhoving will not do it, till the tide come and it be high water. When God puts forth his arm, your holy and juſt deſires ſhall be fulfilled. In the mean time wait, and read over theſe Sermons which once you heard; put in practice what is in them contained, rejoyce in the conſolation that you ſhall finde here and there in them diſperſed; live in love make up breaches, ſtudy to be quiet, and in your daily prayers, remember your Remembrancer
and loving Brother in Chriſt, Thomas Larkham, Miniſter of the Goſpel. From my Chamber in London May 12. 1652.
To the Reader.
CHriſtian Reader, The inhabitants of the place *Taviſtock in Devon.where theſe Sermons were Preached, may very fitly be compared to Jeremiahs figs mentioned cap. 24.2. One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are firſt ripe: And the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten they were ſo bad. This gave the firſt motion to the printing of theſe enſuing Sermons. The bad figs are among us very bad, and with a high hand hath God (and his wayes and worſhip) been oppoſed. Some paſſages thou ſhalt read, which may ſeem too invective and ſharpe, and as proceeding from a ſpirit of bitterneſs: but didſt thou know the occaſions, thou wouldſt wonder that the ſtones of the ſtreet did not cry out.
Now theſe Sermons (nothing leſs being dreamed of, then ſuch unworthy carriage, in the firſt taking of the Text,) meeting ſo right by Gods guidance and providence with ſome miſcarriages, were conceived by ſome, and reported to many, to be ſuch unſufferable Sermons, as the like have not been Preached; and ſo generally bruted among all the Cavaleirs of the Country. In the mean time many gratious ſouls bleſſed God that ever they heard them, and alſo manifeſted themſelves much affected with them. That (Therefore) they may anſwer for themſelves to the charge (divulged abroad) againſt them, and that they may be uſefull, read over; as they have been firſt ſpoken, they now come forth to their triall. The Authors firſt in print, after twenty ſeven years ſpent in Preaching, and ſuffering (in the time of the Prelacy) in almoſt all the Courts in England. If thou that readeſt them, find any thing in them with Gods mark upon it, bleſs his Majeſty for it; the Author was an earthen veſſel, but truths are treaſures. Let him that firſt preached, and now permits the publiſhing of theſe Sermons, have thy prayers, and thine encouragement to make publike ſome other labours.
Thomas Larkham.