The Author and Subject of Healing in the Church, Title page – Dedication
THE AUTHOR and SUBJECT OF HEALING IN THE CHURCH Set forth in a SERMON Preached before the Right Honorable The PARLIAMENT of England, at St. Margarets Church in Westminster, on Wednesday April 25. 1660. Being the day of their Assembly.
By Edward Reynolds D. D. and Dean of Christ-Church, Oxon.
LONDON, Printed by Tho: Newcomb for George Thomason, at the Rose and Crown in St. Pauls-Church-yard. 1660.
To the Right Honorable the LORDS & COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT.
Right Honorable,
WHen I was commanded by the Council of State to Preach before you on the day of the Parliaments Assembling, I could not but reflect on the woful and never-enough to be lamented confusions, under which these Nations were ready to sink and perish, till the Lord was pleased, as it were foreign, to raise up an Honorable Instrument, by his Wisdom and Valor to put a stop to the progress, and to open a way, that you by your Counsel and Authority, might put a period to the Being of them. In order whereunto, I thought it my duty, as a Minister of the Gospel of Peace, and a Servant to our Great Lord, whose work it was to heal and recover, Luke 4. 18. Humbly to set before you the Author and the Object; and on the Monday following, before the Right Honorable House of Peers, the means and method of Gods healing a Sick Nation: And thereupon to be seech you, so to imitate the example of Christ, who is the Lord that healeth us, so to promote the fear of his Name, and the great works of Humiliation, Supplication, and Reformation amongst us, as that you might comfortably plead his promise, to hear, forgive, and heal the Land: For the Lord will be with you while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found of you.
And for this work of setting up the fear of God, and real conversion unto him, though godliness have as many enemies, as there be Devils in Hell, or wicked men in the World; yet profaneness is in it self so shameful, and holiness so amiable, that endeavors in this most weighty work, will, I am confident, meet with no prevalent opposition or obstruction among you. All sober men of every perswasion, how soever otherwise divided, acknowledging the necessity, and professing their desires, that the Name of the Lord may in purity of Doctrine, and in holiness of life, be magnified amongst us.
You have made an happy entrance unto this healing work, (for certainly the great sufferings of our Princes, have had a strong causality upon our distractions, it can never be well with the Body, while it is ill with the Head,) and you have hereby blasted the projects and attempts of any, whose ambition might animate them, to awaken old, or to kindle new flames amongst us.
If together with this noble act of Justice and Loyaltie, you proceed to secure the Interest of Jesus Christ, by establishing the True Reformed Religion, an Orthodox, learned and painful Ministry, pure Worship, and the Power of godliness, suppressing and putting to shame all profane practises, whereby the wrath of the Lord may be again kindled against us, you shall thereby greatly blast the desires of licentious and evil men; and comfort the hearts, and give evidence of the answer of God to the prayers of good men. Which that you may be enabled and assisted to do by the power of Divine grace, is the most earnest prayer of
May 5. 1660. Your Honors most humbly devoted in the Lord ED. REYNOLDS.