Mans Delinquency Attended, License – Dedication
Die Veneris 26. Novembris 1646.
IT is this day ordered by the LORDS in Parliament aſſembled, That this Houſe gives thanks to Mr. Price, one of the Aſſembly of Divines, for his great pains taken in his Sermon preached on the laſt Faſt day before the Lords of Parliament, in the Abby Church Weſtminſter: And he is hereby deſired to print and publiſh the ſame; which is to be printed onelyonly by authority under his own hand.
John Brown Cleric. Parliament.
I appoint Richard Whitaker to print this Sermon.
William Price.
Mans Delinquencie Attended by DIVINE JVSTICE Intermixt with MERCY.
Diſplay'd in a Sermon to the Right Honourable the Houſe of LORDS Aſſembled in Parliament, in the Abby Church at Weſtminſter, Novemb. 25. 1646. being the ſolemn day of their monethly Faſt.
By William Price, B.D. Paſtor of Waltam-Abby; and one of the Aſſembly of Divines.
Non erubeſcat poenitentiam agere, qui non erubuit poenitenda committere. Aug.
Let not him bluſh to repent, who hath not bluſhed to commit that that is to be repented of.
LONDON, Printed by R. R. for Richard Whitaker, at the ſigne of the Kings Arms in S. Pauls Church-yard. 1646.
To the Right Honourable the Houſe of PEERS aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
Right Honourable,
IT was enough to impoſe that piece of penance on your ſelves, to give this unpoliſhed Sermon the hearing; but it is much you ſhould put your eyes to further expence of patience. But ſince you are pleaſed to deſire (which to me is a command) my hand againſt my ſelf, by teſtifying my weakneſſes in the expoſing this mean diſcourſe to publick view, I obey. But then give him, whom you have ſo far emboldned, leave to minde you, that the Sermons your Lordſhips have heard, or ſhould have heard, are to be reckoned in the inventorie of your receipts from your God. Au…iſtis, laudaſtis, verba recepiſtis verba reddidiſtis; Deo gratias, at haec folia ſunt, modo fi…ctus quae…i…ur. Aug.To hear, and to read, is but to carry in; you are alſo to bring forth; not only the leaves, or the …oſſomes of good words, or reſolutions; … fruit: Thoſe of your ſphear enter the liſts of compariſon with vines and olives, Jud. 9 8, 9, 10.the choiſeſt of trees in Jothams parable: and if a vine be fruitleſſe, Ezek. 15.23.it is worthleſſe, and wil not yeeld a pin to hang an hat on. You are fixed in an higher orb, and attract all eyes unto you: You, as a ſnail, or the … in the ſea, leave a ſhining track …: Your example hath a potent … that ſtand on the lower grou…; … multiplie imitaters, as one … a ſtone in the water, Non qua …, ſed qua itur. Sen.begets an hundred. Inferiors love to go the way Superiors uſe to go, rather then the way they ſhovld go; and care not much though they periſh, ſo it be on ſuch credit. Beſides, the greatneſſe of the perſonage greaters the guilt; Omne animi vitium tanto conſpectins. Juv.the height of the exalted heightens their ſin. As wee ſay in Arithmetick, …, in the firſt and loweſt place is but one, in the ſecond place 10, in the third 100; and ſo higher, and higher. And as the whiteſt ivory makes the blackeſt coal; the moſt generous wine the ſharpeſt vinegar; as the ſhrewdeſt tempeſts come often out of the warmeſt corners, ſo the greateſt injuſtice, and moſt unworthy demeanor wee fear from Nobility and potency degenerated. Governours actions are like Jeremie's figs, or Origen's Works; if bad, very bad. Greatneſſe diſ-joyn'd from Goodneſſe is rather a ſwelling excreſcence, then a true, reall magnitude: You are to give account at the great Audit-day, not onelyonly as Chriſtians; but as Nobles, as Judges, as Senators, as Magiſtrates. 'Twere good you contemplated with an holy emulation the preſidents of untainted Religion, unſwayed integrity, incorrupt juſtice, inconquerable patience, facile moderation, ſurpaſſing temperance, that the ſacred Scripture and other Stories are ſertile in.
When you read that Manlius Torquatus took off his own ſonnes head for irregular running afore a command, though his intents were fair, and his deſigne ſucceſſefull; think with your ſelves, that it is not fit to ſuffer your Deputies to be occentrick, arbitrary, unlimited in their proceedings, where no Order or Ordinance of yours enables them. When you read that Quintus Cincenius was taken from the plough, and made Dictator of Rome; and when hee had done his Countrey the utmoſt ſervice hee conceived hee could arrive to, hee returned to his former meanneſſe; it will quench ſoaring ambition in you. When you finde in Story, that Lucius Valerius, a Roman Conſul, and ſo dying, having long the cuſtody of the Treaſury of Rome, was yet ſo poor at his death, that the Common-wealth was fain to defray the charges of his Funerall; you will, Exod. 18.21.like Jethro's Juſticers, hate that ignoble dry drunkenneſſe, covetouſneſs. When you meet it ſtoried of Fabritius, and teſtified by his enemy, that the Sun could ſooner be juſtled out of his Orbe, then he out of the Orbe of Juſtice; you cannot but be diſpaſſionate, unprepoſteſt, unprejudiced Judges. Inſtice is painted with ſcales in her hand, not to weigh gold, but right. When a woman kneeld to Francis I of France for Juſtice; Stand up (ſaid he) woman, Juſtice I owe thee; if thou beg any thing, ask merciemercy. When you read that Alphonſus King of Arragon read over the Bible with Commentaries fourteen times, you will ſtudy the Scripture more. Oh let not purblind Heathens, that had no better conduct then the glowwormes twilight of divine Nature, and unrenewed Reaſon; Let not blindfolded Papiſts caſt you behind them, and riſe in judgement againſt you. God expects you ſhould outvie and outdoe the moſt advanced Moraliſts: Your helps Heavenward are more and mightier then theirs, your light cleerer, your obligations to God more, and greater: God hath honoured you above others, who are but of the ſame mold with others, as the duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page ground of the Rainbow is but a common exhalation, onelyonly the Sun it is that gilds and enamells it with ſuch various colours. …dete quod in … eſt hanc …oriam ad illum ferre, a quo eſt, … vul…is e… …rdere, aut certe …rdi ab ea. Ber. …. p. 207 …minium non …cipere, ſed da…e dignitati. …uſtin. l. 6.Study as much as in you lies, to returne honour to him from whom you had your honour, if you would not loſe your honour, or at leaſt be loſt by it. Epaminondas ſo carried his honour, that he ſeemed rather to contribute luſtre to, then to borrow it from his honour. It will be worthy you to be a dignity to your dignity: An undeſerving Perſon honoured, is but as a dwarfe, ſet him on Oſſa or Olympuc, he is but a dwarfe ſtill; A worthy perſon honoured is a Coloſſus, great, though in the bottome of a pit. Your honour it a Talent with which God betruſts you, which if you embaſe, he that gave it can recall it. Dignity, like oyle is airy, and ſlippery. Henry the 4. the Emperour, who fought two and fifty pitcht battells, was compelled by poverrie to Petition for a Prebends place at Spyre to maintain him in his old age. And Comminez ſaith, that he ſaw the Duke of Exceſter, who married King Edward the fourths ſiſter, begging bare-foot in the Low-Countries: But I forget my ſelf; and ſhould crave pardon, and Apologize for the length both of my Sermon and Dedication, but that would but make me the longer. May you live and die full of Honour: May you be Inſtruments of Gods Glory here, and Veſſells of eternall glory hereafter, is, and ſhall be the Prayer of
Your Lordſhips moſt humbly levoted ſervant in the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, WILLIAM PRICE.