Admonition Moving to Moderation, Title page – Dedication
AN ADMONITION Moving to Moderation, Holding forth certain Brief Heads of wholeſom Advice to the late, and yet Immoderate Party.
PHIL. 4.5.
Let your Moderation be known unto all men; the Lord is at hand.
Aug. de Gen. ad lit. l. 4.
Eſt etiam menſura aliquid agendi: ne ſit irrevocabilis & immoderata progreſſio; & eſt numerus & affectionum animi, & virtutum; quo ab stultitia deformitate, ad ſapientiae formam decuſque colligitur: & eſt pondus voluntatis, & amoris, ubi apponet quanti, quamque in appetendo, fugiendo, praeponendo, poſtponendoque pendatur.
By JOHN GAULE, Miniſter of Great Staughton, in the County of Huntington.
LONDON, Printed by Henry Lloyd and Roger Vaughan, for Henry Brome, at the Gun in Ivy-lane. 1660.
TO THE KINGS Moſt Excellent MAJESTY Charles the II. By the Grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King; Defender of the Faith, &c.
Moſt dread Soveraign!
BEſides that your tryalls have taught you Moderation, together with magnanimity; your Majeſty learned both of …im, that not only lived in both, but (oh horrour!) dyed for them. So that now your Moderation (as well as your Magnanimity) is become not only your erudition, and your Religion, but even your nature alſo. VVitneſs thoſe your Gracious Letters, and Proclamations; the perfect model of a mind that is truly moderated with all graces and vertues: and ſo the abler to moderate others, VVhichWhich made me the more affraid of this preſumption, of caſting in this my ſmall Dropp, into that immenſe Sea of yours: (albeit it were towards the quenching of our inteſtine conflagrations) and of lighting ſo dimme a Candle, before ſo bright and glorious a Sun. But (Great Sir!) I remember, I ſaw (on your bleſſed Birth day) a Starre at noon-day, look out with constant luſtre, though before, and near the then ſhineing Sun. Our Nativity-ſpellers (who were not a little guilty in promoting the men of our portentous ſhame and miſery, to be what they were, and do what they did; through their deluſions meeting with thoſe of their own) durſt never meddle with this famous natalitiall Star; not ſo much as once to peepe at it. They know well I (for my part) am no Aſtrologer to Prognoſticate. Yet can I (with ſobriety I hope) affirme from a more ſure word of propheſy, it was a Light that ſhined, though in a dark place, to their Art; but in a light place, to your, and our hopefull Expectation (and we did well to attend it) till the day of Your, and Your Kingdomes happyneſſe, ſhould dawne; and that great day-Starre, both by His Graces and Comforts ariſe in Your heart. This day-Starre did ſignifie to our hopes; That although the morneing of Your life might be ſomewhat (alas too much) benighted with afflictions: yet the noon-day of your felicity (and the Lord God promote it to be a perfect day) ſhould ſhine cleare. That you are choſen as a Starre, to ſhine before the Sunne of Righteouſneſs. That He that had his extraordinary Starre at His birth, was pleaſed to vouchſafe you yours alſo; that was borne to be his Vicegerent here on Earth. To the end the wiſe-men of our Kingdomes might be guided in the right way, to come and honour you. And withall, that we the leſſer Starrs might not be over dampt, in our preſumeing to approach the glorious Sun of your Majeſtie. Whereupon (moſt Excellent Moderatour, both of Church, and State!) I am bold to crave acceſſe in preſenting you with a ſlender ſpeculation of that, whereof you are known the eminent Practitioner. Bold again, to ſay; It is ſufficiently known to your ſelf; what the Immoderation of zeale, Malecontentedneſſe, Ambition, Covetouſneſse, Fraud, and Force, hath both machinated and perpetrated, to the diſtraction (well nigh the destruction) both of Church and State. But bleſſed be the great God of Heaven and Earth! who hath made good unto us that old maxime: no immoderate thing is diuturnall. And this (we truſt) you will make, and find as good: Nothing is to be firmely founded, or eſtabliſhed in either of them, but upon Moderation alone. Theres no doubt therefore, but your Sacred Majeſty will be piouſly, and prudently active, and ordering in it. All the fear is, leaſt we our ſelves might fayle in the paſſive, or obſerving part thereof. God grant therefore, we may make it our maxime alſo. Nothing can be eaſy, ſweet, and ſafe to us (in our lives, Religion, Conſciences, Lawes, Liberties, Proprieties) without it. Without it, we can never agree in the exerciſe of our Duties, either to God, or Man. Without it, we ſhall be tedious to our ſelves, and troubleſome to one another. Without it, we ſhall but wrangle, or wanton away our hopefull peace and proſperity againe: though that hydeous outrage, with the grievous oppreſſion, and more then Mooriſh Slavery, that enſued thereupon, be not as yet ſufficiently (nor ever can be) abhorred, and bewayled. For this cauſe I have attempted (as I was able) to make known this vertuous Moderation in the Truth, and Fruits of it: that men might ſo learne, and labour after their own happyneſſe. Having mine in this, to be made known (among others) to be one endeavoring (by Gods grace) ſtill, as heretofore, to moderate my ſelf, as becometh
Your Majeſties Loyal Subject JOHN GAULE.