An Indictment Against England, Parliamentary order – Dedication
Die Jovis 26. Decemb. 1644.
IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament Aſſembled, That the Houſe doth hereby give thanks to Maſter Calamy for his great pains taken in the Sermon he Preached on Wedneſday the 25. of this inſtant December, in the Abby Church Weſtminſter, it being the day of the monethly Faſt. And this Houſe doth deſire him to Print and publiſh the ſame. And laſtly, It is Ordered, that none ſhall Print or publiſh his ſaid Sermon without being Authoriſed ſo to doe under the hand of the ſaid Maſter Calamy.
Io. Browne Cler. Parlamentorum.
I Doe appoint Chriſtopher Meredith, to Print this Sermon, and no man elſe.
EDMUND CALAMY.
AN INDICTMENT AGAINST ENGLAND BECAVSE OF HER SELFEMVRDERING DIVISIONS: Together VVITH AN EXHORTATION TO AN ENGLAND-preſerving Vnity and Concord.
Preſented in A SERMON PREACHED before the Right Honourable Houſe of Lords in the Abby Church at Weſtminſter; at the late Solemne Faſt, December 25. 1644.
By Edmund Calamy, B. D. and Paſtour of Aldermanbury in LONDON.
Cyprian.
Pacem Eccleſiae Martyrio praeferimus.
Peius eſt ſcindere Eccleſiam quam ſacrificare Idolo.
LONDON, Printed by I. L. for Chriſtopher Meredith, at the ſign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard. 1645.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE HOVSE OF Lords Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
THe differences and Diviſions of England at this day are ſo many, ſo great, and ſo deſtructive to Church and State, as that it cannot but be accounted a tranſcendent act of Piety and Charitie for any man to endevour according to his place to compoſe the one, and remove the other. But though this worke be very excellent, yet it is alſo very dangerous to him that ſhall undertake it. For it is often found, that he that will ſtep into reconcile two parties that are a fighting, doth prove the party againſt which both of them will fight. Or if not both, yet alwaies the party that doth the wrong will be a bitter enemie to him that would make up the breach. And therefore it is expreſſely ſaid, Act. 7. 26, 27. That when Moſes ſaw two of his brethren ſtriving one aagainſt the other, and ſtept in to ſet them at one, ſaying, Sirs, ye are brethren, why wrong ye one another? He that did his neighbour the wrong thruſt him away, ſaying, Who made thee a Ruler and a Judge over us? But yet notwithſtanding, happy is that man whom God ſhall make any wayes inſtrumentall to the bringing in of a holy and bleſſed Peace into this diſtreſſed Iland, though with the loſſe of his owne life. Famous is the example of Gregory Nazianzen, who was Biſhop of Conſtantinople, eminent for Learning and Piety: And yet when he ſaw a prevailing Faction endevouring to chooſe another into his place, and that it would much diſturbe the peace of the Citie Ruffini hiſtor. Eccleſiaſt. lib. 2. cap. 9.if he did not yeeld it up; he brake out into this ſpeech: Abſit, inquit, ut mei causâ aliqua ſimultas oriatur in Dei Sacerdotibus. Si propter me eſt iſta tempeſtas, tollite, & mittite me in mare, & deſinet à vobis quaſſatio. God forbid that for my cauſe any difference ſhould ariſe amongſt the Miniſters of God: If this tempeſt be raiſed for my cauſe, take me, & throw me into the Sea that ſo the tempeſt may ceaſe. A ſentence worthy to be written in letters of Gold, and to be put in practiſe by every true hearted Engliſhman. The like we read of Codrus a Heathen King, who for the love of his people expoſed himſelfe to death. And of Curtius, and of three Decii that devoted themſelves to ruine for the ſafetie of their Countrey. The Booke of God tels us of Moſes that was willing to have his name blotted out of the Booke of life: and of Paul that was willing to be an Anathema, that ſo God might be reconciled to the people of Iſrael with whom he was diſpleaſed. But the greateſt example of all is of our Lord and bleſſed Saviour, who emptied himſelfe of his Divinitie, and became a ſervant, and a curſe, that he might become our Peace-maker.
Much to this purpoſe is ſaid in the inſuing Sermon, which is now made publique by your Commands. Something alſo is ſaid to keep up your ſpirits from being over-diſmaied at the conſideration of theſe Landdeſtroying Diviſions. Great are the ſearchings and tremblings of heart, becauſe of theſe Diviſions. But be not over-diſcouraged: It is Gods Prerogative to bring light out of darkneſſe, good out of evill, unitie out of diviſion. He worketh by contrarie meanes as well as by unlikely meanes. He delivered Jonah by a Whale, and kept him (as Baſil ſaith) vivus in ſepulchro. He raiſed Joſeph by caſting him into priſon; he cured the blind man by clay and ſpittle. And I doubt not but he will bring a great deale of good at laſt out of our Diviſions. It is obſervable that Simeon and Levi, that at firſt were brethren in iniquitie, joyning together to deſtroy the Shechemites, and for this cruel act, as a ſutable puniſhment, were divided in Jacob, and ſcattered in Iſrael, Gen. 49. 7. Yet notwithſtanding becauſe afterwards Levi was zealous for God againſt the worſhippers of the golden Calfe, and did appeare valiantly on Gods ſide, Exod. 32. 26. God did turne this curſe into a bleſſing, Deut. 33. 10. For Levi was conſecrated to teach Jacob Gods judgement, and Iſrael his law, &c. And the Simeonites, as Ainſworth obſerves, Ainſw. xi Gen. 4…. 7.were alſo Teachers of the Law in the Synagogues of Jacob; and the Levites in the Schooles of the ſonnes of Iſrael. This ſtory is written for our conſolation. The time was when we dwelt in peace and unity, but then we combined againſt God and his children; and for this cauſe as a juſt curſe, God hath divided us one from another, to the utter ruine one of another. But yet notwithſtanding, if you (Right Honorable) will goe on to ſhew your ſelves zealous for God and his Cauſe, and to appeare vigorouſly and faithfully on his ſide; God will turne our great curſe into a great bleſſing. And as the dividing of the Red Sea was made by God a way and meanes to lead the people of Iſrael over into Canaan, and to deſtroy the Egyptians: So God will make our Diviſions in this Red Sea of bloud, into which we are plunged, a way and meanes to a happy Canaan of unitie and peace; and to the utter ruine of our implacable Adverſaries. Thus he did with the diviſions of Paul and Barnabas, as this Sermon relates unto you. OnelyOnly be couragious for God, and in nothing be terrified at our differences, but make your peace with him, and he at laſtwill make us at peace one with another: which is the earneſt prayer of
Your Honours Spirituall ſervant, EDMUND CALAMY.