Life and Death of William Laud, Illustration – To the reader
William Laud Arch-B: of Canterbury Prymat of England was beheaded on Tower:hill Ian:10th 1644 W.AL. Sculp:
The Life and Death OF VVILLIAM LAWD, late Archbishop of CANTERBURIE: Beheaded on Tower-Hill, Friday the 10. of January.
1644.
I. Here is a brief Narration of his Doings all his life long faithfully given-out, First, That his sayings at his Death may not be a snare to the perdition of souls.
II. His Doings and Sayings being compared and weighed together, his Sayings are found infinitely too light; Yet of weight sufficient to presse every man to make a Threefold use from All, of infinite concernment to his eternall soul.
By E.W. who was acquainted with his Proceedings in Oxford; was an eye and eare witnesse of his Doings and Sayings in his Courts here at London; and other places under his dominion.
REVEL. 9. 20, 21. Yet they repented not of the works of their hands: neither of their murthers,nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their Thefts.
PROVERBS 28. 15. As a roaring Lion, and a ranging Bear; So is a wicked Ruler over the poor people.
Audacia est stuper quidam sensus cum malitia voluntatis. Verul.
Non saepius Phebotomiae necessariae sunt in curationibus quam caedes in Civilibus. Ibid.
LONDON: Printed for Iohn Hancock; dwelling in Popes-head Ally. 1645.
To the Reader.
IT is the manner to adresse a few words to thee at the entrance to a Discourse, which are these; I was an eye witnesse of this mans Doings in his life; an … ear-witnesse of his sayings at his Death: yet had I not a thought (for I thought it needlesse) to tell the world what his Doings were [no not then when I saw his … boldly published to the world, to make gaine of money thereby, though with the hazard of souls] till the … fornight after he suffered Death for the …: On that Day, a worthy Minister, my dear friend, came to me, told me that they who were thought the fittest men for the worke, had no purpose to doe it, (there was a mistake, for the fittest of Many hath done it,) then moved me about it by such arguments as might have commanded me, and so did though not at that time, yet some hours after. Then I girded my self to the service. To give a Breviate of his Doings first (The Reader could exp ct no other in such scantnesse of time and roome, different from that is extant, as I thought also the time and place did require) Of his saying after, that his Doings and sayings being laid together, the one may interpret and explaine the other; And the scriptures of God may warrant the Reader to be judge of both.
I have made hast here, as I was desired to do; and as a man hasteneth to take an Anti-dote to expell the poison he hath unadvisedly drunk down. Yet this … is not of that Nature as to cause Repentance. But er ours it may have caused not a few, which the Author and the Printer, may lovingly divide … them, and be at no losse: For the Reader must take all in good part for these reasons.
(1) Because he may make a great gain by this to his …. He may learn by this how to live, & order all his doings all his life long. How? As the righteous, Gods faithfull servants do; and then he may be sure his … shall bee like theirs, and the comfort of his sayings then answerable to his doings; I have through … Grace strengthening me, done all Thy wills, Lord, I have kept Thy word: Come Lord Jesus, Come quickly, I commend my soul unto Thee; For thou hast … it, … God of Truth.
2. The Reader may be informed hereby touching the Religion, we, without mentall Reservations, call …, That it is not like our garments still … after the fashion of the Times: nor like the … neither, now …, and then waining, as shee … to us: But Religion is as the Sun, a perpetuall and … Ordinance in heaven.
3. Touching the warre about Religion; who they are, who so venter far and freely in this warre: who fight indeed the Battells of the Lamb? Truly Reader, The old Serpent the Devill, speaking through a Dying man, as audibly in the eares of a great People, as once he spake in the eares of our Grand-mother Eve, would have beguiled all the Christian world, touching this matter. It was my great Care to undeceive thee at this great Point, to Discover that Grand. … to thee; which I have done, but not indeed so fully as I would … could: but yet faithfully, not daring for my life, to doe otherwise, in a matter, which did so highly concerne The High God, His Christ, His Church, and His Parliament, now fighting the Lords Battells against the …, and His Angells. Indeed the Scripture calls the Adversary and enemy row, not the Dragon; but the Beast; And hee would seem the tamest of Beasts, a Lamb; and make the world beleive he would, That … fights the Lords Battels venters as farre and as freely for the Religion and Faith of Christ, as any in all the world.
Now what see wee? For wee may behold now as Rev. ….… Iohn did in a vision; A Beast like a Lamb: But how … he? he spake as a Dragon.
How … hee? As a Dragon wee may be sure. And it is as … before our eyes, by his … and Sayings; That, though he be a … in shew, he is a Dragon indeed; for Dragons … are never … then are his words.
And hence, Reader; Thou art taught a great Lesson; Not To trust the Dragon though in … like a Lamb; and may speak like a Lamb. So he … speak for advantage, that hee may Act anon … a Dragon. … as all the faithfull servants in the world … now; They send their Embassadour to heaven, their prayers thither, through the Mediation of … and only Friend, to make peace; that is the peace they breath-after, Peace and Holinesse, Peace and Righteousnesse, Truth and Peace; They hearken not what the Dragon saith, nor what the Beast saith, nor what the Lamb saith, which is but like a Lamb; they Psal.hearken what their Lord saith for He speakes Peace. A Peace of their Freinds making, and their Gods giving. Surely their expectation, is from God, a peace of his speaking & giving. And in the world they expect trouble, and with the Dragon War, while he and the Saints are together in the world. These things the Lord hath spoken, That (which makes amends for all the Dragon can doe or say) in Mee yee might have Peace; In the world ye shall have Tribulation: But bee of good cheer, I have overcome the world. So saith the faithfull … 16. ….and true witnesse, The
Amen.