Satan the Leader to All Who Resist the Reparation of Zion, Title page – Dedication
SATAN THE Leader in chief to all who reſiſt THE REPARATION OF SION. As it was cleared in a Sermon to the Honourable Houſe of Commons at their late ſolemn Faſt, Febr. 28. 1643. By ROBERT BAYLIE, Miniſter at Glaſgow.
Publiſhed by Order of the Houſe of Commons.
Micah 6.9. and 7.8, 9.
The Lords voice cryeth unto the City, and the man of wiſdome ſhall ſee thy name, heare ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
Rejoice not againſt me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I ſhall ariſe; when I ſit in darkneſſe, the Lord ſhall be a light unto me.
I will beare the indignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned againſt him, untill he plead my cauſe, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I ſhall behold his righteouſneſſe.
London, Printed for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND, at the Braſen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard, 1643.
Die Mercurii 28. Febr. 1643.
IT is this day Ordered by the Commons Houſe of Parliament, That Mr. Rous doe from this Houſe give thanks unto Maſter Baylie, for the great paines he took in the Sermon he preached this day at the intreaty of this Houſe, at St. Margarets Weſtminſter, It being the day of publike Humiliation: And to deſire him to Print his Sermon. And he is to have the like priviledge in Printing of it, as others in like kinde uſually have had.
H. Elſynge Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I appoint SAMUEL GELLIBRAND to Print this Sermon.
ROBERT BAYLIE.
For the Right Worſhipfull, his much honoured friend, M. ROUS, One of the Members of the Honourable Houſe of COMMONS.
Right Worſhipfull,
THeſe late times have produced many great and ſenſible changes in many, Time a great changeling.both matters and perſons: I muſt acknowledge the power of time, that mighty changeling, over my minde alſo. Some four yeers ago, it was my wiſh, and very paſsionate deſire, then publikely expreſſed, to have had that favour of your honorable Houſe, as once to ſpeak in their audience: Ladens: Autocat Praef.Notwithſtanding, the other day, when, in their Honours Name, you did offer to me that ſingular courteſie, how unwilling I was to entertain it, my own heart doth know fully, and you in a part can bear witneſſe. Verily, my former deſires to ſpeak when I could not be heard, were no greater then my preſent to keep ſilence, when I was required to ſpeak.
As I would have been very glad in ſo honourable an Audience to have ſaid nothing, ſo when your entreaty, in ſō great a Name, had neceſsitated me to ſpeak ſomething, I could have wiſhed that what then was ſaid, might have past away without any farther notice: But being it was your deſire that what then was ſpoken ſhould now go abroad, eſteeming it unfit to diſpute any of your Commands, in this alſo you ſhall have me obedient.
Be pleaſed therefore to receive what you required of me, the Notes of that poor Sermon, without any addition at all, and without any change conſiderable: It is well if it finde in the eyes of others when read, that patience and reſpect which it had in your ears at the first hearing.
I know the matter it ſelf is above any juſt contempt, The ſcope of the Sermon.for it is not mine, but the Spirit of God's, ſpeaking to the Churches: That of it which belongeth to me, the managing of theſe divine Truths, and their Application to the auditor, I leave to the benigne conſtruction of every Reader: intreating his belief, it was my ſincere intention, with ſo great ſimplicity and clearneſſe as I was able, To ſpeak a word in ſeaſon to every ſoul, To let out from the fountains of Scripture the ſtreams of conſolation on the dry and parcht ground, To ſend down from the Lamps of the Word the Rayes of divine Light, for direction in theſe dark and miſty days: By the terrours of the Lord to perſwade ſome, To ſmite with the rod, with the Sword of the Spirit, the ſecure ſouls of our ſleeping friends, to awaken them; and of our too watchfull enemies, to pull them with fear (but yet with all compaſsion) out of the ſnare of Satan, wherein now they lie captive at his will.
The Text led me by the hand to that moſt ſeaſonable Conſideration, That in all quarrells about the building or rebuilding of a Church, The chief parties in the preſent quarrell are Chriſt and the Devill.the chief and principall parties are Chriſt and the Devill; Men are but inferiour and ſubſervient agents to theſe two Princes: It is most certain, That ſide which is for Truth, for Piety, for Juſtice, muſt in the end triumph: For it is utterly impoſsible, that the Dragon and all his Angels, though for a time and a long time, they maintain the fight, ſhould ever prevail over Michael the Arch-Angel and his followers.
Theſe extraordinary Commotions, whereby not our Kingdom alone, but the moſt of the neighbouring Nations, are at this very hour ſo terribly ſhaken, we truſt they ſhall prove preparations for a glorious Work. At the building of a Royall Palace, where much rubbiſh is to be removed by many hands, where timber, ſtones, and other materialls, are to be brought together, and ſet in the work by a multitude of divers Crafts-men, no marvell if in that place, for a time, there be much noiſe and ſtirre, much commotion, and ſome confuſion alſo.
Doubtleſſe, ere long, The end of the preſent troubles muſt be happy.the Scene of this world muſt be cloſed, the Man of Sin muſt be beaten from the Stage, which long he hath poſſeſſed; The Rebellion muſt be removed from Jacob, and the Iron ſinew taken out of the neck of Iſrael: The fulneſſe of the Gentiles muſt be brought in with them, that both may mourn after Chriſt their common Saviour. The ſhaking of the Heavens and Earth are the Lords Prefaces and Prologues, his antecedent Acts, which muſt be followed with ſuch joyfull Concluſions. When we are moſt toſſed with Tempeſts, when we are moſt likely to be ſplit upon the Rocks of deſperate dangers, then would we caſt up within the Vail the holy Ankor of this hope, the ſtrong Cable of this confident expectation.
In the ſubſequent Diſcourſe I glance at one Point which I wiſh were well weighed by all who truely minde the proſperity of the Work in hand: The longſome Anatchy of this Church is lamentable.Durſt I have taken the boldneſſe of prefacing to the whole Houſe, as indeed I was loath to preſume it, having already by the length of my Sermon, taken from them ſo much of their precious time, it would have been all, or at leaſt my main purpoſe, to have propoſed to their Honours, and preſſed that one Conſideration, which now, forſooth, is become ſo triviall and common in the mouth of every one, that it ſeemeth to be rare in the heart, and reall ſenſe of many; I mean theſe extraordinary and unexpected delays of ſetting up the Government of God in his Houſe.
The ordering of the State and Kingdom, The firſt care of the State ought to be the ſetling of the Church.how neceſſary ſoever, ought not to precede the ſetling of the Church; In this, the intereſt of God, in that, the intereſt of man is chiefeſt: If any could be ſo impious as to avow their poſtponing of God to the world, yet they would do well to be ſo wiſe as not to marre their own ends, by the miſ-order of their proceedings. Except the Lord build the houſe of a Kingdom, the induſtry of the wiſeſt men is for little purpoſe: And how ſhall the Lord concurre with men in building their ſtate, when men are ſo careleſſe of his Honour and Service, as not to build his Church? Nehemiah laid not a ſtone in the wall of the City, untill Zerubbabel had ſet the Cap-ſtone on the wall of the Temple.
It cannot without injury be denyed, that the endeavours of this noble Senate, for the Houſe of God, have been greater then any Parliaments we ever read of in this Land: That notwithſtanding their exceſsive Labours, the Work is not yet neer an end, it muſt be imputed to all others, rather then to them.
That moſt Reverend, Learned, and Pious Aſſembly of Divines, on whoſe ſhoulders the task of Religion is principally devolved, cannot in any Juſtice be charged with neglect of dutie herein: They have ſo many, and ſo notable witneſſes of their daily indefatigable Labours, that no honeſt mouth will be bold to faſten the leaſt ſlander of this fault upon them.
How then cometh it to paſſe, that the Wheels of the Lords Chariot ſhould move with ſo ſlow a pace? This is it which all the godly farre and neer, do vehemently deſire to be taken in the moſt ſerious thoughts of every Religious Member of either Houſe. It paſſeth, I confeſſe mine and every common underſtanding, to hit upon the true and full Cauſe, and the ſolid remedy of this great Evill, whereof the world doth ſee and proclaim, the ſad and ſenſible effects.
By this weariſome procraſtination to erect the Diſcipline of God, The bitter fruits of that Anarchy.that ſo the Laws of the Goſpel might be really execute; it cometh to paſſe, that millions of men and women, live as they liſt, in Blaſphemy and Drunkenneſſe, Chambering and Wantonneſſe, Strife and Envy, Ignorance and Impietie, without the controll of any ſpirituall correction.
Beſide theſe open vices, which like a flood without the oppoſition of any Bulwarke, carry down to hell ſuch a multitude of ſouls; there is another more ſubtill device of Satan whereby daily many thouſands are deſtroyed: Hereſies, and Schiſmes, under the colour of Truth, and more then ordinary devotion, eat like a Gangreen, and Canker, run like a Peſt, from City to City, to the over-ſpreading of the whole Land, without all poſsibilitie of remedy, ſo long as Chriſts Diſcipline is holden out at doors.
How can it be, but the loſſe of ſo many thouſands, ſo many millions of poor ſouls, which prophaneneſſe and errour, daily doth deſtroy, ſhould not cry to Heaven for judgement againſt them, be who they will, who for what reſpect ſoever, are retarders, or but faint promovers of the Lords Ordinance, the onelyonly ſpirituall, the onelyonly proper remedy of all theſe heavy evils?
There be ſome who care for none of theſe things, the loſſe of ſouls, the flouriſhing of Satans Kingdom, the defiling of Chriſts Crown in the duſt, toucheth not ſo much as the utmoſt skin of their carnall heart; Let ſuch worldlings bewar they feel not ſooner then they expect, the civill inconvenience, which to them alone is conſiderable of that matter whereof we ſpeak. For what I pray ſhould hinder numbers of our people rooted in prophaneneſſe upon occaſion, if they were tempted, to deſert the Cauſe of Religion, and ſide with the enemy for our ruine: Can conſtancy be certainly expected, where piety its onelyonly bottome cannot be found. Alſo what diſturbance may be wrought in the ſtate by the multitudes of Hereticall and Schiſmaticall people, habituated by long cuſtome in their wayes of errour; It is no difficult matter for wiſe men to prognoſticate, who either from ſtory or experience, are acquaint with the ordinary courſe of humane affairs.
Theſe and many other the like lamentable fruits of the too too long Anarchy of this Church, are a matter of daily diſcourſe to many, but of great ſadneſſe and heavyneſſe of heart, to the children of God: A remedy of them none doth expect, out of Heaven, from any but the wiſedom and zeal of this high Court.
To theſe who have no experience of the many ſtrong inviſible Impediments, Too long conſultation is very dangerous.whereby the motion of all publike good Works uſe to be retarded, it ſeemeth a prodigie, that the reparation of this Church ſhould ſtick ſo long in the way: eſpecially when they conſider that no Proteſtant Church to this day, did ever ſtay the half of the time in purging the whole Body of Religion, in Doctrine, Worſhip, Diſcipline and all, as this Land hath already ſpent on ſome few points of Diſcipline alone. It ſeemeth they were incompaſſed with as many, and great difficulties in their action, as we are in ours: Conſider when we will, Germany or France, Scotland or Holland, we ſhall finde the hands of their Reformers were fewer and weaker, for all worldly ſtrength, and their oppoſers, whether ye ſpeak of Princes or Clergy, or Nobles, or People, were more and more potent then ours this day: However, we have little reaſon to pretend difficulties from any of theſe quarters: by the mercy of God theſe two by-gone yeers, neither Prince, nor Papiſt, nor Prelate, nor any open Malignant have been able in the leaſt degree, to ſtop the wiſhed Reformation: Such an imputation during the named time, cannot be charged upon any of them: what ever may be ſaid of their will, yet the good hand of our God hath circumſcribed their power within ſo narrow a line, that for any reſiſtance of theirs, it was fully in our hands, to have ſet up what ever Church-policie we had found meeteſt, in the moſt, and beſt parts of the Kingdom.
I do verily think, if any Church in the World had taken our preſent courſe, they ſhould have found it exceeding hard, ever to have attained to their wiſhed end: If England, either in Edward or Elizabeths dayes: If Scotland, either in their firſt or ſecond Reformation, had ſuſpended over all their Kingdoms the exerciſe of any Reformation, till every puntillo thereof had been Scholastically debated, in the face of an Aſſembly; till every Diſſenter, over and over, had made to the full, againſt every part of every Propoſition, all the contradiction, his wit, his learning, his eloquence, was able to furniſh him: It ſeemeth apparent, that theſe tedious delays had caſten them ſo open, and given ſuch pregnant advantages to the enterprizes of their active adverſaries, as eaſily they had been ſurprized, and all their deſignes cruſhed before they had ended half their conſultations, or ſo much as begun their practiſe; And who knoweth what all this prodigall expence, and ſpinning out of precious and irrecoverable time, may produce.
Certainly, this method of proceeding, cannot bring us to any quick iſſue. If theſe points of Government, of Worſhip, of Doctrine, which yet are before us, be handled as theſe that are behinde us, which in themſelves are far leſſe conſiderable then many of the former: If every opponent must be heard upon every point, to object, to reply, to double, to triple his exceptions (as I know no reaſon why it must not be ſo, if we proceed in an equable pace, and our motions to come, be of a length proportionable to theſe that are paſt.) This courſe, I ſay, if constantly kept, cannot but hold us in hewing of our Stones more then a week of yeers, before we can begin to lay ſo much as the Foundation of our Building.
But I muſt hold, for unaware and unſenſibly, my Pen has run beyond the bounds of an Epiſtle: Your more then ordinary benignitie did invite me to that libertie; It is our comfort, when either, the mentioned, or any other inconvenience begins to diſcourage us, that God has put in that ſupreme Court, men of your Zeal, Wiſedom, and Experience; by whoſe deep prudence and induſtrious Action, what to us ſeems deſperate, can quickly be remedied to the full ſatisfaction of all, whoſe underſtanding, and affections permit them to be capable of reaſon. Thus praying God to aſiſt every man of your minde and temper, that ſo this afflicted Church and State, may come in Gods due time to a happy end of all the preſent troubles, I reſt
Your Worſhips to be commanded, ROBERT BAYLY.