Solomons Choice, Title page – Dedication
SOLOMONS CHOICE: OR, A Preſident for KINGS and PRINCES, and all that are in Authority,
Preſented in a SERMON before the Honourable Houſe of COMMONS at Margarets Weſtminſter, at their publique Faſt, Septemb. 25. 1644.
By Lazarus Seaman, Paſtor of the Church of Chriſt at Alhallowes-Breadſtreet-London. One of the Aſſembly of Divines.
Wiſdome is better then weapons of warre, Eccleſ. 9. 18.
Scornfull men bring a City into a ſnare, but wiſe men turne away wrath, Prov. 29. 8.
Be wiſe now therefore O ye Kings, be inſtructed ye Judges of the Earth, Pſal. 2. 10.
LONDON, Printed by E. G. for J. Rothwell, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the ſigne of the Sun, in Pauls Church-yard. 1644.
TO THE HONOURABLE THE Houſe of COMMONS in Parliament Aſſembled at Weſtminſter.
Honourable, and Renowned Worthies,
THe ſubject which I have treated on was well worthy of your eares: but very unſeemly for my tongue. Yet becauſe WISDOME which is THE EXCELLENCY OF KNOWLEDG is ſo exceeding neceſſary to make poore England once more happy, therefore I have endeavoured to quicken your deſires and prayers for the attaining of a full meaſure, that the want of all other rankes may be ſupplied out of your abundance. We have amongst us the worſt of evils, A CIVILL WARRE. A KINGDOME DIVIDED AGAINST IT SEEFE. The Nations round about us might juſtly apply St. Pauls reproofe of the Corinthians unto us with a very little alteration *. And how can we chooſe but apply Cor. 6. 5, 9.it unto our ſelves? It may be ſaid of England now as * one ſometime ſaid of France, THAT THERE IS MORE … de Cleg…is de lapſu …eparatione …. cap. 10.RIGHTEOUSNESSE IN HELL, THEN IN THIS KINGDOME. For there norighteous man is afflicted, nor any wicked man puniſhed unrighteouſly: but here good and evill men are all involved in common miſeries, and ſuffer either on the one ſide, or on the other, and too often by both. I ſpeake not this either to blame Gods righteous judgements, or your neceſſary defence of your ſelves, and endeavours to ſuppreſſe the Forces raiſed againſt you; but to repreſent the moſt miſerable condition of this diſtreſſed, and almoſt-utterly-deſtroyed Kingdome. As touching outward meanes to redreſſe theſe grievances, our hopes are in your wiſdome, WHO ARE MEN THAT HAVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DOE *. And ſuppoſe Chro. 12. 3….the Lord ſhould be ſo gracious unto us, that we might have juſt occaſion to beate our Swords into Plowſhares, and our Speares into Pruning-hookes *, which is the unfained … 4. 3.deſire of all the well-affected; there is a further taske to try your wiſdome. For what is it that is expected from you as choſen inſtruments under God for his ſpeciall ſervice in theſe daies? Surely no leſſe, (if I may uſe that Scripture phraſe proverbially, as ſome interpret it) * then a new …on the …ation.Heavens, and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteouſneſſe. That is, A REFORMED CHURCH, A REFORMED COMMON-WEALTH. For the one, we have had the name a long time, (as Sardis had a name to live, and was dead.) And for the thing, we had it in part, now we would have it intirely, and without mixture. The other, viz. the Common-wealth muſt be ſuteable to the former. It's a charge laid upon thoſe Worthies who laboured for reformation * By Dr. Jackſon.in the daies of QUEENE ELIZABETH OF BIESSED MEMORY, and after, as if they had wink'd at the corruptions of the State which were knowne and certaine, and pretended to ſingular holineſſe in the buſineſſe of Religion as it is ſtrictly conſidered. It ought therefore to be the leſſe offenſive if the Watchmen of this preſent generation do ſound their Trumpets louder than heretofore, and cry out in good earneſt for A REALL REFORMATION, *The ſubſtanc… of the Covenant.as among themſelves, and in things Eccleſiaſticall, ſo in your ſelves likewiſe, and in all affaires and buſineſſes whatſoever. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. It will not be taken at our hands that our goodneſſe be like the morning dew, or that we ſhould be like Ephraim, a Cake halfe baked. God requires more. He promiſes grace for more. The Word, and the Rod, in both which God ſtretches out his hand and ſays, Behold me, behold me, muſt teach us to perfect holineſſe in the feare of God. The NOBLES OF BOHEMIA in the preface before the confeſſion of their Faith rehearſe ſome propheticall paſſages of their Miniſters; and particularly, the words of JOHN Hus, to this effect: *Corpus & S tagma Confeſſnum, part 2 p. 224.We (ſpeaking of himſelfe, and other teachers of that age) as yet goe but about the ſurface of the buſineſſe, and ſee as it were through Latices, or a Cloud, not piercing to the inward parts: but a people ſhall ſucceed which ſhall dive into the bottome of the buſineſſe, and build on the ſolid foundation. Yet this muſt be done by little and little. And it ſhall be effected with great preſſure and affliction, and with exceeding difficulty. All this is very conſo… to Scripture and experience, and therefore the more to be heeded. Reformation muſt proceed from one degree to another, TILL THE LAMBES WIFE HAVE MADE HER SELFE READY, &c. *Rev. 19. 7.And untill thoſe other prophecies be accompliſhed which I ſhall but point you to peruſe, and that becauſe they concerne both States. Iſatah 1. 25, 26, 27. Revel. 11. 15.
If the queſtion be, When ſhall theſe things be? It muſt needs be anſwered in part with the words of Chriſt, It is not for you to know the times and ſeaſons which the Father hath put in his owne power *Acts 1. 7.. And yet it muſt alſo be added, that the time for us to endeavour it is now, even while it is called to day.
For our parts who are Miniſters, we know it, and rejoyce in it. Chriſt muſt increaſe, we muſt decreaſe, untill the time come, That the Moone ſhall be confounded, and the Sunne aſhamed, when the Lord of Hoſts ſhall reigne in Mount Sion, and in Jeruſalem, and before his ancients gloriouſly *See Calvin on Iſaiah 24. 23..
As for you that are Magiſtrates, and now ſitting in the Supreame judicatory of this Kingdome, I beſeech you to conſider what is expected of you, and from you. Shall tyranny, bribery, oppreſſion, partiality, covetouſneſſe eſcape unpuniſhed, or remaine unreformed any where? Will God humble Monarchy, and deſtroy arbitrary government every where, (as certainely he will) and let inferiour Magiſtrates degenerate into the ſame ſinnes? Muſt ſcandalous Miniſters be caſt out as unſavoury Salt unto the dung-hill, and ſhall ſcandalous people live as if they were Lawleſſe?
All this is but to praiſe, *Qui monet ut faciat, &c.encourage, and ſtrengthen you in your holy purpoſes and reſolutions, notwithſtanding the difficulty of the worke in hand, and the mighty mountaines of oppoſition which are raiſed in the way. What remaines, but that you be reall, reſolute, and exemplary in the worke of reformation. For thus ſaith the Lord. If ye throughly amend your waies and your doings, if ye throughly execute judgement betweene a man and his neighbour—. Then will I cauſe you to dwell in this place, in the Land that I gave to your fathers, for ever, and ever *Jer. 7. 5, …7.. The Lord furniſh you with all the fruits of his Spirit, whereby you may be enabled hereunto.
I ſhall not preſume, (that be farre from me) to direct your wiſdomes in any part of the great worke which is before you. OnelyOnly touching the meanes of attaining that wiſdome which I have ſpoken of, I beſeech you conſider thoſe words of David *Pſal. 119. 99, 100.. I have more underſtanding then all my Teachers, for thy teſtimonies are my meditation. I underſtood more then my Ancients, becauſe I kept thy precepts. I know your buſineſſe is great, and your ſpare houres but a few. You cannot read much, nor it may be pray long. Yet even in the Campe Alexander would finde time to read Homer, *Quintus Curtius.and from him he might ſoone learne how to husband time. *foreign. H…. …. ….The bookes of Samuel, the Kings, and Chronicles are proper for you, and a key to the Prophets. There are many prayers with you and for you, but your owne humility and fervency in private will afford you moſt comfort. And that your practicall wiſdome, according to the rule of Scripture may be ſeene and read of all men in all your proceedings, and a bleſſing from Heaven upon them, is and ſhall ever be the prayer of him who is
Humbly and affectionately devoted to your ſervice in Chriſt Jeſus. LAZARUS SEAMAN.