Gods Doings and Mans Duty Opened, Title page – Letter 3
GODS DOINGS, AND MANS DUTY, Opened in a SERMON Preached before both Houses of PARLIAMENT, the Lord Major and Aldermen of the City of LONDON, and the Assembly of DIVINES; at the last Thanksgiving Day, April 2.
For the recovering of the West, and disbanding 5000 of the Kings Horse, &c. 1645.
Quadragesimus hic quintus mirabilis Annus
Ang. Hyb. Sco. requiem det Deus ut pariat.This fourty-fifth great yeer, of wondrous worth, Lord grant it may Great Brittain's peace bring forth.
By HUGH PETERS Preacher of the Gospel.
Judg. 3. 31. So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord; but let them that love him, be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the Land had rest fourty yeers.
The second Edition, corrected by the Author.
LONDON, Printed by M. S. for G. Calvert, at the sign of the black Spred-Eagle, at the West end of Paul. 1646.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lords and Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT.
I Professe that I never thought my self master of my own Trade, and therefore never forward either to cast such a mite as this into your Publique Treasury, or to be in Print with the rest of my brethren: But since it was your pleasure to make choice of me to bring in a Narrative of Gods bountie, as being an eye-witnesse to many of his glorious works; I have obeyed, in this, and that. I knew not what better to pitch upon then Gods doing, and your dutie. He that will not confesse God hath done much, (I fear) means to wave the duty; and who so shall slight this duty, must look for that sad Curse of Anathema Maranatha: And therefore I again commend it to you. They that have much given, and much forgiven, will love much. The woman spent all that shee had upon Physitians, for the cure of her Bloudy Issue, and nothing would heal, till shee toucht the hem of his garment, who was the way contrived in Heaven, to bring over Salvation to man: I doe believe it hath been thus far your Cure to this Bloudy Disease; and to enjoy a thorow Cure, I beseech you stoop againe, and touch the hem again: you cannot honour the Lord more then in loving his Sonne and believing in him.
Bear with my rudenesse; if I say you must be very hard put to it in your Counsels, should you not live comfortably upon your experiences, and cheerfully looke all changes in the face for time to come? You have a greater stock by you, then the greatest and richest Nation in the world could get and lay up for themselves. The same God give you skill to improve it to his advantage, and the good of this poor Kingdome, that begins to breathe againe (through his blessing upon your unexampled care and travell.) Methinks I see the Ages to come marking your doors and dwellings as the habitations of their Deliverers. I wish that never a soule of you may die at Nebo, but come to their injoyments of Canaans milk and honey. You seem to have before you two or three great mountaines to go over: and though I can contribute little to your encouragement, yet I will beg your wonted patience for a few words.
First, since you are still buzz'd in the ear with a desperate encrease of Errour, give me leave to offer this Expedient by way of Quaere. The wound seems to be in the Understanding, and the Cure must lie there: (VnderUnder favour) what if some convenient place or places in the City were set apart two or three times weekly, where godly learned men appointed by your selves, and the Leaders or Heads of those Errours (as they are termed) might have leave to come, and there in a brotherly way take and give satisfction? for as Conclaves have alwayes been dangerous, so these poor erring men cannot have the benefit to appear with boldnesse; and reasonable souls may sooner certainly be taught with Reason and Scripture, then with cudgels and blowes. Tyrannus had a School; and Christ disputed with the Doctors in their Synagogue.
Religio docenda est, non coercenda.Wollchius.
Religion is to be taught, not forced. This I am sure, Conviction should goe before Punishment. The Lord will not burne Sodome, till be see whether the report be true. I pray consider Gen. 18. …1.it.
Secondly, for the present Government, in order to any man or men, if you keep to the premises, the Lord himselfe will make a blessed conclusion.
Thirdly, for further Hostility; the Lord hath own'd you and your Army, and made you formidable beyond what we conceive at home; my onelyonly fear hath been diseases in our bowels; which gave me that boldnesse to urge a neer union betwixt your selves and the Citie, which hath since a double knot upon it by your late full and satisfying Declaration, and your ordering the dissenters about Churchmatters to bring in their severall thoughts backt by the Word, that so you may keep to that Clause in the Covenant which concerns England. OnelyOnly be couragious, and your work will be issued so, as your selves and wee shall cry, Grace, Josh. 1.grace, &c.
For any other request unto you, I have but one: I most humbly beseech you, spread that Gospell you own; and to that end doe professe my grief not onelyonly for the miserable, dark, and ignorant parts of the Kingdom; but that divers Orthodox, learned, faithful Ministers of the Gospel, with their precious Flocks, cannot enjoy publick places in the City, but their …ry gifts and almost their persons, are stifled by being thrust into corners, which keep them under the name of Schismatiques, whose souls have panted under your service in these calamitous times; and their purses constantly opened, themselves hazarded beyond many: a word from you, may enlarge them.
And for my self, I acknowledge here before God, Angels and men, the Characters of your favour; protesting that your work hath been so good and so sweet, that I have found my wages wrapt up in my work, and a great addition by your acceptance. I could even say as he did:
Si in vita prodesse possim, quid vis imperate; si in morte, vel occidite; quicquid de me statuetis; hoc semper confitebor & profitebor semper, hanc vestra humanitas mihi fecit, injuriam, quod vivam & moriar ingratus.
If my life may be profitable, command what you please: if my death, even kill me; whatever you shall determine of mee, this will I alwayes confesse and professe, this injury your humanity hath done me, that I shall live and dye ungratefull.
I blesse God heartily for a Parliament, yea, for this Parliament: and the blessing of him that was in the bush, and kept it in the fire, be upon you and yours for ever: And let all that love the God of Heaven, who is the God of England, say
AMEN.
My Lords and Gentlemen, I am Yours most humbly devoted, Hugh Peters.
To the Honourable, the Lord Major, the Aldermen, and the Common-Counsell of this famous City of LONDON.
YOu were invited to what ensues by the Honourable Houses, and you invited them to a portion sutable to that day; and I take leave to return you thanks for their and your patience towards my selfe, in hearing what I now present, for which I humbly crave favour of them and you for some inlargements, being then pent into much narrownesse in regard of the time, and the rather, because I strove to sute your expressions of respect and love to them, who deserve so much from your selves, and the Christian World. How I have been represented unto you, and others, by printings or otherwise, shall not fill up this paper; I must reserve to some other way, which shortly I shall doe (God willing;) but in the mean time and ever doe professe my constant respect to and esteem of this Citie, from your first compliance to the great Counsel of this Kingdome, that I have left remembrances of you in forren parts, and (without flattery) do think this City one of the best peeces of ground in the World. I am sorry I caus'd any unexpected smiles in my zeal for your further conjunction with the Head and Heart of this Nation; If I commended you as a good portion, he did not An Epist. to a Sermon.well that thought, it ridiculous; nor do I think you too good a portion for those I wooed you unto. You know me, and your wisdoms know how to make allowance to my zeal: They have a strong appetite to quarrel, that are offended at expedients presented against future quarrelling, My sighs to God for you are these, That you may still move with faithfulnesse in your own Orbe, That you remember you and yours live in a Parliament, That you are made wealthy for others, not your selves alone, That you would not make Opinions your Interest which are changeable, but Godlinesse and Faithfulnesse, That you would rather punish known sins, shew mercy to the poor, a known duty, maintain Civil peace, look to your City-priviledges rather then lose your selves in doubtful questions, I must remember you that I have heard many of you wish for such a Parliament and such an Army: Own your own desires, and be assured your constant concurrence with our great Counsel, will not onelyonly be your present safety, but strength to posterity. Beleeve it, a now suspected party in the Kingdom, have no further designe then your and the Liberty of the Nation from Bondage; who deserve your love, not your displeasure. The God of all grace be with your spirits, and help you to love him, who hath kept you in the midst of your relations and comforts, whilest so many thousands have fallen on the one hand and the other of you: May your souls prosper under the abundance of rich means you enjoy: May your examples for wisdom, piety, faithfulnesse, love to the Lord Jesus and his Saints, provoke the next Generation to glorious things. These are the desires and heartie breathings of,
My Lord and Gentlemen, Yours in any service for Christ, Hu. PETER.
To my truly Honorable and Faithful General Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX.
SIR;
ONe of the greatest comforts I have bad in this world next to the grace of God in Christ to my poor soul, hath been to be a Member of your Army, and a Spectator of his presence with you and it. What others doe, I know not; but it is my duty to return to my work, and to meet you again; which I am bold to doe with this simple present. I know your minde, who must not, will not be flatter'd; nor am I skilful in that mystery: I have seen you upon Earth, and doubt not but to meet you triumphing in Heaven. I onelyonly must crave leave to speak your own words, That your great experiences of Gods power and mercy, have made strong obligation upon you to love him and the Saints, which I have seen you doe impartially: you have made it your interest, and now finde you are not deceived. The God of all your unparallel'd mercy dwell in that thriving soul of yours, strengthen you throughout to the compleating of this great Work, yea
Serus in coelum redeas, diuque
Laetus intersis populo Britanno.After t… England hath long, long enjoy'd you; At length returne to him, who here imploy'd you.
For my self (if it be worth your acceptance) I am resolved to live and die in your and the Kingdoms service; and as you have obliged three Kingdomes to you and many thousands of Saints, so none of them more to honour you then
SIR, Your ever faithful servant in Christ, HUGH PETERS.