The Discovery of a Public Spirit, License 1 – Dedication
Die Lunae, 31. Martii, 1645.
IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament aſſembled, That Mr Cheynell, who Preached before the Lords in Parliament, on the 26. of this inſtant March, is hereby deſired to Print and Publiſh his ſaid Sermon; which is not to be Printed or Reprinted, but by Authoritie under his own hand.
Joh. Brown, Cler. Parl.
THE DISCOVERIE OF A PVBLIQVE SPIRIT: Preſented in A SERMON BEFORE THE Honourable Houſe of COMMONS at Margarets Weſtminſter, at their Publique Faſt, March 26. 1645. By William Goode B. D. Paſtor of Denton in Norfolk, one of the Aſſembly of DIVINES.
Gal. 5. 13.
Serve one another in love.
Gal. 6. 10.
While we have opportunitie let us do good unto all.
Nemini dubium eſt quod ea quae Dei dono accepimus ad Dei cultum referre d…bea…, et in eius opere conſumere quae eiuſdem ſumpſimus largitate.
Salvi…n lib. contra Avatitiam. 1
LONDON, Printed by I. L. for Chriſtopher Meredith, at the ſign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard. 1645.
Die Mercurii 26, Martii. 1645.
ORdered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, That Sir Roger North, and Mr Cage doe give thankes to Mr Goode and Mr Ward for the great paines they took in the Sermons they preached this day, at the intreaty of the Houſe of Commons, at St Margaretts Weſtminſter, (it being the day of Publique Humiliation) and to deſire them to print their Sermons. It is alſo Ordered, that none ſhall preſume to print their Sermons without Licence under their hands writing.
H. Elſ. Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I Doe appoint Chriſtopher Meredith, to Print this Sermon, and no man elſe.
WILL. GOODE.
TO THE HONOVRABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS in Parliament Aſſembled at WESTMINSTER.
I Could have drawne many ſtrong arguments from mine owne weakenes againſt the publiſhing of this Sermon, had not your deſire deprived mee of my freedome. It is enough to me, and I hope it will be ſo to others, that what I doe herein, is an act of obedience to your Commands. The doctrine I have herein preſſed upon others is, that they ought to be ſerviceable to the Publique, which I durſt not confute by concealing my poore and weake labours, after they received the ſtamp of your iudgement upon them to bee in the leaſt meaſure uſefull for the Publique good. In this Diſcourſe I now preſent you with, I have laboured chiefly to diſcover thoſe Rockes of ſelf-ſhipwrack which lie hidden in the waves of Publique employments, that in your ſteering of the Publique Ship, you might not daſh your ſoules againſt them, and ſo ſinke the comforts that out of all your worthy labours might eternally redound unto your ſoules. If you ſeeke Gods honour, God hath ſecured your honour by his owne promiſe. You muſt not exſpect alwayes to be paid1 Sam. 2. 30. in good coyne by men, who reap the benefit of your hazards for their ſecurity. Many will deale with you, as beaſts do with trees, they get under their ſhadow in time of a ſtorme, and when that is over browſe and crop the boughes thereof: But in reference to God, you may ſafely conclude, as Marcus Antonius did, Hoc habeo quodcun que dedi. You know what Chriſt will ſay to his Church-Samaritans, Matth. 21. 40. In as much as yee have done it to the leaſt of theſe, yee have done it unto me. I have often ſadly wondred, what was the meaning of that Ballancing providence of our moſt wiſe God, who hath often made the ſcales even betwixt us and our enemies, in this civill War, nor can I finde it out, unleſſe it be this; becauſe the wheels of our Reformation drive ſo heavily. It is Gods Great mercy, and your great honour, that ſo many unprofitable Thornes are already ſtubbed up which choaked the libertie of the Goſpel, yet if now the Churches field ſhould lye halfe tilled, wee muſt expect abundance of weeds. The ſooner you can accompliſh the planting of a good Miniſtery, and the giving of iuſt encouragement to thoſe that labour in the Vineyard, and that a Government with Scripture warrant may be fully executed, the ſooner you may expect to bring the Ship of the Common-wealth into the harbour of a happy Peace.
That you may ſo manage all your employments in the Publique ſervice, as may be moſt for Gods glory, the ſpeedy redreſſe of our preſent miſeries, and the comfort of your own ſoules; is and ſhall be the earneſt and conſtant prayer of
Your moſt unworthy ſervant in the worke of Chriſt, WILL. GOODE.