The Character of Cruelty in the Workers of iniquity, Title page 1 – Prefatory address 1
THE Character of Cruelty IN THE VVorkers of Iniquity: AND Cure of Contention Among The People of God. Held forth in TWO SERMONS. Preached in the Day of Publick HUMILIATION Upon occaſion of the late ſad Perſecution in PIEDMONT.
By Faithful Teate, Miniſter of the Goſpel of Peace.
Pſal. 74 20 The dark places of the earth are full of the Habitations of Cruelty.
LONDON Printed for George Sawbridge, at the Bible on Ludgate-hill. 1656.
To His Highneſſe OLIVER Lord Protector OF The Common-wealth OF England, Scotland, and Ireland.
My Lord,
REſt in the Fleſh is not ordinary with Gods People, (whoſe Reſt remaineth, Heb. 4.9.) but rather trouble on every ſide; without fightings, 2 Cor. 7.5.within Fears, with manifold perills by ſtrangers and Heathen, by Friends and Country-men; 2 Cor. 11.26.what through the wickedneſſe of the wicked, what through the Remainder of the Root of bitterneſſe in, and among, themſelves.
Where Satan's ſeat is, (as to perſecution) Sinners Eat up Saints: where the Goſpell runnes (as to Liberty of profeſſion) Saints are too prone to eat up each other. The former is the Hurt of our Brethren abroad, where the ſword bereaveth; Lam. 1.20.and Papists, being high, perſecute poor Profeſſors; The later is our own Hurt at home, where there is as death; for God hath lifted his Peoples Horn on high, but alas! they have puſhed at one another.
In reſpect of the former, each Party of Profeſſors amongſt us are troubled, and ready to ſay (as David) The men, that have done it, 2 Sam. 12▪5.deſerve to dye; but I fear in Reſpect of the later, ſome Nathan may come and tell one and other of Us,verſe 7. you, and you are the Men. Now both are the Subject of this diſcourſe, and are, and ſhall bee, to mee, for a Lamentation.
Enemies alas! know not; nay, friends conſider not, How tender in themſelves,Joh. 21.15. and tendered by their Saviour,Iſa. 40.11. are the Lambs of the Lamb, the little ones of Chriſt: who will not endure that One of them periſh, Matth. 18.14.no nor that one of them bee offended, verſe 6.no nor ſo much as that one of them bee deſpiſed: who,verſe 10. if hee hear an Iſhmael but ſcoffe, Gen. 21.9.writes down perſecution, Gal. 4.29. And if hee ſee a Paul and a Barnabas but contend, hee cals it a Paroxyſm, Act. 15.39.foreign And how can it chuſe but bee painfull to the Head, when there is a paroxyſme in the Body?
But if Contention bee a Paroxyſme, it is high time to Endeavour a cure, i…e. (for our own, yea for Chriſts ſake) to enſue peace with each other, if it may bee to the lenghtning out of our tranquillity; for certainly the Lord, otherwiſe, will ſpeedily Judge between Cattle and Cattle, becauſe of our thruſting with ſide and ſhoulder, and puſhing all the Diſeaſed with horns, till wee have ſcattered them abroad, Ezek. 34.21.22.
Toward which endeavour though I (being leaſt among the thouſands of Judah) am leaſt able to contribute: Let theſe two mites be accepted, though others, of Ability, might caſt in much more abundantly.
For though mine unskilfulneſſe, and the ordinarie Lot of the friendly Interpoſer among violent Contenders (Moſes himſelf not exempted therefrom) might deter mee from offering my poor thoughts towards the Cure of ſo Epidemicall a Diſtemper;Exod. 2.13. yet remembring the Dumb Child, in the ſtorie, that could not but ſpeak, when they went about to kill his Father; or rather the words of the Pſalmiſt, That out of the mouth of Babes and ſucklings God hath ordained ſtrength, Pſa. 8.2.for the ſtilling of the ENEMIE, and the AVENGER; I am bold (though but a Child that cannot ſpeak, yet) as I am able, to cry out to Perſecutors abroad, O kill not the Saints! and to Saints at home, O kill not one another! being hopefull that the Treatiſe will prove it ſelf to be Truth; and TRUTH is of Age, let it ſpeak for it ſelf.
For peruſeall whereof if your Highneſſe bee pleaſed but to allow any few vacant Minutes, I humbly hope that my boldneſſe in troubling your hands therewith, ſhall bee pardonable unto mee; ſince the Lord, to whom the Glory belongs, hath put it into your Highneſſes Heart to expreſſe ſo naturall a care for the ſtate of the Brethren abroad, that are Perſecuted; and ſo ſolicitous a deſire to redintegrate the Brethren at home, that are Divided. And hath put moreover ſo ſingular advantages into your Highneſſes Hand of becoming a further Reſtorer of waſt places to dwel in to the former, and Repairer of the Breaches among the later.
Your renowned indeavors in the one, the world knows, are not wanting; mine humble prayer to God is that the difficultie of the thing, or Moroſotie of any Perſons may never bee a Remora to the later; Surely a Lyon in the way of any dutie incumbent on your Highneſſe (before whom God hath ſtopped the mouths of ſo many) would bee leſſe plea for you, than for ordinary Perſons.
What though the Diviſions of our Reuben bee dangerous? the Wound great, or at leaſt contuſed and greatly rancoured? Is there no Balm in Gilead?Jer. 8.22. is there no Phyſitian there? why then may not the health of the Daughter of our people bee recovered? Iſa. 53.5 10.Is not the blood of a wounded and bruiſed Chriſt effectuall to ſtanch the bleeding, Col. 1.2…1 Joh. 1.7.and cleanſe the feſtring ſore of Sion? Even the Blaſpheming Beaſt can boaſt of his deadly wound that was healed, Rev. 13.3. Therefore let not Sion ſay,as Jer. 15.18. my wound is incurable.
Oh! how great a diſparagement would it reflect upon Chriſt, to account the Diſtance betwixt diſſenting Saints to bee like the unpaſſable Gulf betwixt Abraham and Dives, either for greatneſſe or for fixedneſs? Luk. 16.26.as if the Deſtroyer were a better artiſt in the healing of the hurts of his Party, than the Saviour who hath alſo promiſed to his Party;Jer. 32.39. that they ſhall have one heart, and one way: And ſhall ſerve him with one ſhoulder: Zeph. 3.9. Zac. 14 9.And that he will bee One, and his name one.
If any ſay wee will ſtay then, till hee come and perform what himſelf hath ſpoken; 'tis a known principle, that hee that hath made Promiſes, makes the means of their accompliſhment: Who though hee be ever faithfull to his Covenant, yet is not therefore bound to gratify our unfaithfullneſſe to our duty. If any reply; however, 'tis enough for us to pray for the Peace of Jeruſalem; But endeavourleſſe Prayers weigh as light in Gods ballance, as Prayerleſſe endeavours.
Now ſince the God of all Peace and bleſſings hath bleſſed the conſiderers of the poor, Pſal. 41.1. Mat. 5.5, 7, 9.and with them the meek, and the Peace-makers; My Prayer is that all his people in generall, and your Highneſſe in ſpeciall, may bee ever found giving all heed to this pure Religion, and Undefiled: till the Lord ſhall give ſtrength to his (poor,Jam. 1.26, 27. Pſa. 29.11. weak) people (abroad) and bleſſe his people (at home) with Peace: So Prayes
Your Highneſſe moſt humble Servant, Faithful Teate.
TO THE SONS OF VIOLENCE.
Yee Men of Belial;
THe God of Peace hath ſent mee this day to proclaim war againſt you, for waging war with his People; who will ſhortly bruiſe you (with Satan, your Leader) under his feet, except you ſpeedily humble your ſelves under his Mighty hand.
Furie is not in him, who would ſet up Briers and Thorns in battell againſt him?Iſa. 27.4, 5. Hee would go through them, and burn them together: or let them take hold of his ſtrength, that hee might make Peace with him for them, and hee ſhall make Peace.
The Lord is a man of War: The Lamb is a Lyon: who ever hardned himſelf againſt God and proſpered? Your Fathers, where are they? and the Perſecutors, do they live for ever? Verily nay; The Lord hath ſworn that hee will have war with Amalek continually:Exod. 17.16. Pſal. 55.23. and that bloodie and deceitfull men ſhall not live out half their dayes.
Agree therefore with your Adverſarie quickly, whilſt you are in the way. Kiſſe the Son leſt he bee angry, and yee periſh; for hee cometh,Pſal. 9….13. for he cometh to judge the Earth; Slight not the Alarm, though it be but a Child that blows the Trumpet.