The Burning of London, Title page – To the reader
foreign OR, THE BURNING OF LONDON IN THE YEAR 1666.
Commemorated and improved in a CX. Diſcourſes, Meditations, and Contemplations.
Divided into four Parts, Treating of
I. The ſins, or Spiritual cauſes procuring that Judgment.
II. The Natural cauſes of Fire, morally applyed.
III. The moſt remarkable paſſages and Circumſtances of that dreadful Fire.
IV. Counſels and Comfort unto ſuch as are ſufferers by the ſaid Judgment.
BY SAMƲEL ROLLE, Miniſter of the Word, and ſometime Fellow of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge.
LONDON, Printed by R. I. for Nathaniel Ranew, and Jonathan Robinſon. 1667.
TO THE READER.
Chriſtian Reader.
THe two firſt, and preliminary Diſcourſes (as I have called them) being a genuine Preface to the enſuing Book, I might and ſhould have forborn to have written any thing by way of Epiſtle, but that I was willing to tell thee what is the method, and what the deſign of this Treatiſe, not knowing but it might gratify thee, (as it uſeth to do my ſelf) to have a kinde of Synopſis, or general view of the Authors drift, and ſcope, in, and throughout his whole Book: as alſo, for that I was willing to make a juſt Apology, for ſome few things, which I knew not but the more critical ſort of Readers might object againſt; as namely, the length of the Book, the Independency of one Diſcourſe upon another, &c. Firſt as for the Book it ſelf, it conſiſts of four parts: The firſt of which (having diſpatched thoſe Preliminary Diſcourſes, which are in the nature of a Preface) proceedeth to treat of all, or moſt of thoſe ſins, whereby (as Scripture informeth us) God hath been provoked firſt, and laſt, to bring the Judgment of Fire.
The ſecond part containeth ſome few ſtrictures of Philoſophy, touching the nature and Phyſical cauſes of Fire, which after the ſad and wonderful effects we have ſeen of it, one would think ſhould put every ingenious Man upon inquiry, what this ſame Fire is, which as an inſtrument in Gods hand hath done ſuch great things, and laid ſo famous a City (or the moſt of it) flat, in leſs than four days time. Some part even of the ſecond part is intelligible enough even by thoſe that are no Scholars; yet becauſe ſome paſſages therein are not to be underſtood by others, I have made that part as much ſhorter than the other three, (which they that run may read and underſtand) as the number of Perſons in England, that are competently Scholars, may be ſuppoſed to fall ſhort of their number that are in no wiſe ſuch, it being, though a fourth diviſion, yet not about a twelfth or fourteenth part in proportion to the bulk and bigneſs of the whole Book, and yet not without its moral applications neither, eaſie enough to be underſtood.
The third part reflecteth upon all the remarkable paſſages, and circumſtances, of the late dreadful Fire, (which the Author could well think, or inform himſelf of,) endeavouring to make ſome practical uſe and improvement of all or moſt of them: as alſo glanceth at ſome few other things, either paſſages of Scripture, or otherwiſe, that ſeem cognate, or to have competent affinity with the ſubject in hand, as namely thoſe analogical Fires (if I may ſo term them) which we read of in Holy Writ, viz. The Tongues of Men, the Word of God, and the Heavenly Angels, &c.
The fourth and laſt part is wholly and only converſant in wholeſome Counſels, and ſure Foundations of ſupport, and comfort, calculated, and propoſed, for the direction, and conſolation of thoſe that are under any kinde of ſufferings; but more particularly under this, viz. by the late Fire.
Having given you this bill of fare (if I may ſo call it) or account of what you are here to expect, ſuffer me to do my ſelf that right, as to prevent (ſo far as I may) ſome obvious (and yet I hope) groundleſs objections, which the more ſevere ſort of Readers, may be inclined to make againſt the inſuing Treatiſe. Some I doubt will ſay it is too long and may fear it will tire them ere they get to the end of it. Such may pleaſe to conſider that ſo long a judgment (as I may call it in reference to the conſequences of it, though not to the continuance of the Fire its ſelf) could ſcarce be ſolemnly enough commemorated by a ſhort Diſcourſe, nor would a Book that might preſently be peruſed, cauſe Men and Women to dwel long enough upon the remembrance of ſuch a Calamity as that, which ought never to be forgotten. Moreover, Diſcourſes to the number of a hundred and upwards (which number hath been occaſioned, much-what, by the deſire I had to gather up all the fragments (circumſtances I mean) of this Judgment, that nothing might be loſt) could not eaſily be couched or contained in a very ſmall room. And as for matter of tiring or wearying your ſelves, with the prolixity of this Book, I think that need not be, if you will but reſt and pauſe a while at every ſtage, there being above a hundred ſtages, or reſting places, (for each particular Meditation and Diſcourſe, I reckon to be ſuch) where you may take breath, and refreſh your ſelves, as long as you pleaſe, before you proceed in your journey, and upon ſuch termes even pthiſical and ſhort winded perſons are able to travel, were it a hundred miles an end.
Some it may be, will think I have reflected too much upon the Popiſh party (or rather upon ſome of them:) in relation to the Fire: others again, that I have reflected upon them too little, not poſitively and confidently enough. To the former, give me leave to ſay, that if I have here and there inſinuated, that ſome of the ſame Religion with thoſe that did hatch the 5. of November Powder-Plot, (I ſay ſome, not all, nor it may be the moſt of them) are ſtrongly preſumed, and vehemently ſuſpected to have had a hand in the burning of London; it is but what moſt of thoſe Treatiſes concerning the late fire that I have ſeen, (which got into the World before this, though this were almoſt ready for the birth long ſince.)
I ſay it is but what the moſt of them have given ſhrewd intimations of; ſo that I am not the firſt that hath entertained any ſuch hard thoughts concerning ſome of them, nor do believe I ſhall be the laſt. Manifeſt it is that Hubert, (for ſo was his name that confeſſed himſelf guilty of the burning of London, and was executed at Tyburn for it) did die in the profeſſion of the Romiſh faith. For that he earneſtly denyed himſelf to have been a Hugonite; did declare that he did believe confeſſion to a Prieſt was neceſſary to his ſalvation, and was accordingly confeſſed by a Popiſh Prieſt, and did make uſe of Avie Maries, for his uſual prayer, Had he not been of that perſwaſion before the commiſſion of this fact, or had he been really a mad-man, Papiſts would have been well conten that ſo infamous and odious a Perſon ſhould have profeſſed himſelf a Hugonite, at his death, neither would they have been ambitious to have proſelited either ſo great a Malefactor (as others account him) or one that was really mad. To imagine he ſhould do ſuch a thing without inſtigation from others, (yea without the combination and conſpiracy of others joyning with him) is no leſs beſides reaſon, than (if I miſtake not) contrary to his own confeſſion. If the Committee of Parliament which were appointed to examine how the Fire came, and was carryed on, did manifeſt no ſmall jealouſie, that it was by Popiſh treachery (after they had received the teſtimonies and informations of many ſufficient witneſſes, as in reference to the Fire) yea if the Parliament its ſelf, did ſince the Fire manifeſt a greater zeale and hotter diſpleaſure againſt the Papiſts than ever before, publiſhing to the World that they had been filled with complaints of the great Inſolencies of the Papiſts in ſeveral Counties; and if it be well known to many, that many Romaniſts have been very jocund and full of triumph ſince that Fire (as who ſhould ſay, ah, ah, ſo they would have it, or as one brings them in, ſaying Ah, this hit better than the Powder-plot.) I ſay if all theſe things may not warrant ſo much as a rational ſuſpicion that more Catholicks than that one that was executed for it, did promote the burning of London: I ſay, if from hence we have not a ſufficient ground to ſuſpect ſome of thoſe who are the enemies of Proteſtants as ſuch (and vehement ſuſpicion is all I have inſinuated, leaving it to God in his due time, to make a further diſcovery of that matter, one way or other) let me paſſe for vainly cenſorious, which yet methinks I ſhould not, when ſo great Authors have appeared to have the ſame ſentiments and ſuſpicions. Moreover when the Papiſts falſely ſay in their Apology, that he was a Hugonite Proteſtant, that ſaid he burnt the City (throwing the Odium of ſuch an action upon Proteſtants) (yet ſeeming tender of charging him too deep, in that they really abſolve him as to the fact, whilſt they accuſe him of a vain, that is falſe confeſſion (which had they taken him for a Proteſtant, they would ſcarce have done;) why may not we ſay (as the truth is) that he was a profeſſed Papiſt, and that at his very death? at which time Men leaſt dare to diſſemble. Yet on the other hand, I am poſitive and abſolute in charging no Man with the guilt of that fire, whom the Law its ſelf hath not charged with and condemned for it; nay I ſhall go further than ſo, and ſay, that if I ſhould ever be ſure that no more Papiſts than one had a hand in it, I ſhould be heartily ſorry that I ever harboured a miſtruſtful thought of any more of them, upon that account. I am or would be as earneſtly deſirous that all Papiſts may appear innocent in this particular, in caſe they be ſo, as manifeſtly guilty, if they be guilty indeed: neither would I that a hair of any of their heads ſhould be ſinged for the burning of London, unleſs it can be proved demonſtratively that it was burnt by their meanes. As for a bare ſuſpicion that they did it, they deſerve, and invite no leſs, by manifeſting a great deale of joy (as ſome of them are ſaid to have expreſſed) ſince the time it was done.
Some it may be will wiſh, that more of connection and dependency, (viz. of one Chapter upon another) had been made uſe of, than is in ſome part of this Treatiſe; but as to that, it is well known (if it be but as well conſidered) that books of this nature, viz. conſiſting of various Meditations and reflections, are uſually Miſcellaneous, and like books of Proverbs, in which little coherence is to be found (witneſs the Proverbs of Solomon) which in the Hebrew Language are called foreign or Kingly ſayings, therefore haply becauſe each of them hath a kind of independent Juriſdiction, and territory to its ſelf; or we may compare both Proverbs and Meditations to Beads, which though many of them hang upon one and the ſame ſtring, yet each of them is incohering and intire of its ſelf.
I fear leaſt ſome ſhould be offended (if not fore-warned) at my taking ſuch a liberty (and that but now and then) as did the Prophet Elijah, when he ſpake Ironically to Baals Prophets, 1 King. 18.27. where the Text ſaith, Elijah mocked them and ſaid, Cry aloud, for he is a God, either he is talking, or he is purſuing, or he is in a journey, or he ſleepeth, and muſt be awaked. If this were no levity in that good Prophet, (as doubtleſs it was not) why ſhould it be counted ſo in others, when with like ſarcaſmes they reflect upon Idolaters (or worſhippers of graven Images) who ought to be cuttingly reproved (foreign) and for that purpoſe, I hope we may be allowed ſomething of an edge.
Laſtly, ſome it may be (if not prevented) will cenſure me for prefixing more names than one, of my worthy and honoured friends to this little book (at leaſtwiſe for ſo doing before each of the four parts and diviſions of it.) But I am conſcious to my ſelf that a grateful ſenſe of their reſpects and favours towards me (which is uſually teſtified in ſuch a way as this, and which at preſent I knew not how to teſtifie to the world otherwiſe) was my great, if not onelyonly inducement ſo to do; and if to be grateful be a fault, as David ſaid, when Michal ſcoffed at him, he would be yet more vile; ſo give me leave to ſay, I muſt be grateful ſtill, and yet more grateful, if I knew how to be ſo: OnelyOnly miſtake me not, as if in ſo ſaying; I did threaten the world with another Book, for if I had reſolved to clog the Preſs, it is like I ſhould have reſerved to another opportunity ſeveral of theſe names which I have now inſerted (as it were in album amicorum.) If I have erred in multiplicity of Dedications, it is not without preſident from that great maſter of Contemplations, Biſhop Hall (of precious memory) whoſe practice (if I miſtake not) is ſufficient to authorize, at leaſt to excuſe in me a matter of this nature. Reader, if thou think there be here and there a paſſage that wants a grain or two of that ſadneſs which thou didſt deſire ſhould have been uſed upon this occaſion, do what thou wilt with it, provided only, that whereſoever thou doſt meet with convincing rebukes, and expreſſions awakening to Repentance, with ſerious obſervations, with ſeaſonable counſels, with right methods for acquiring true happineſs and comfort (even under ſuch a ſtroke as this.) I ſay, provided where thou meeteſt with any ſuch things as thoſe throughout this booke, thou wilt receive ſuch truths in the love of them. Praiſe ſhall wait for God, from the mouth and heart of his poor ſervant, the Author of this work, if he ſhall hear of any good that ſhall be done by theſe his mean labours; which God forbid that he ſhould ſin in ceaſing to ſecond with his earneſt prayers, that (aſſiſted by the ſpirit of God) they may kindly co-operate together with the late judgment (and all others) upon the heart both of the writer and readers. The Author doubts not, but there is a great deale of hay and ſtubble in the ſuperſtructure of this work of his (as in and with all other his performances (and it may be thine too, though not ſo much.) Pray for the pardon of his defects and miſcarriages, (as he would do of thine) cover them with love (which covereth a multitude of infirmities) if there be any paſſage in this work, one or more that God ſhall make to thee as Gold, Silver, or precious Stones, give God the glory of it (for he it is muſt make it ſo) and take to thy ſelf theſe following words on the unworthy Author his behalf, viz. that though all that hay and ſtubble which is found upon him, or upon any ſervice of his, muſt be burnt up, yet himſelf may be ſaved, though as by Fire: in which and all other needfull requeſts, he deſireth heartily to reciprocate …h thee, who is
Yet an unprofitable Servant to Chriſt and his Church, but deſirous to be otherwiſe. S. R.