Englands Preservation, Part 3
2. Now follow the Intimations and directions which I humbly preſent unto you.
1. B Breake them up: If ever you will quit your owne ſoules, and the truſt repoſed in you, and 4. Directions about the breaking up of ill groundsthe whole land of Judgments ſpiritual and corporall, If ever you deſire to gaine ground in your publike intentions for good, for the Lords ſake breake up theſe Fallow grounds.
2. But then in the next place, goe very deepe with your Plow, or elſe you will never breake up theſe grounds: the deeper the better; As all good is moſt ſtrengthened, ſo all evill is moſt cruſhed in its cauſes: Take heed of ſhadow-worke, and ſurface-plowing: Gods eyes are upon you, and ſo are the eyes of judicious men, which can diſtinguiſh twixt ſcraping and breaking, our miſery will be but finely laid aſleepe a while if your plow goes not deepe.
Doth a little cringing move you? ô then, let groſſe Idolatry heate and burne your ſoules! Doth boldneſſe in a queſtioned Miniſter diſpleaſe you? ô then let his groſſe wickedneſſe ſtirre you utterly to disburden poore peoples ſoules of him: ô let ſad complaints have quicke and full redreſſes!
3. And goe over the Fallow grounds which you have broken, goe them over againe; Yea, and againe: Fallow grounds muſt be often broken up with the Plow. Even the actions of the moſt judicious receave more ripeneſſe by review: by often doing wee grow into a better acquaintance with what is to be done: our firſt doings are rather trialls and enterpriſes, the ſecond doings ever prove the beſt worke: beſides that, our affections alſo are oftimes too quicke for our eyes, the deſires of doing ſome good may outrunne the due ſearch of much evill: Adde yet further, That ingrained diſeaſes are not eaſily ſtirred, much leſſe deſtroyed by one potion; evills long in gathering, and much baked into and ſetled in a State or Church, are not ſo ſuddenly cured as vulgar people in their haſte imagine: ſhall I ſpeake one thing more; There is as much Art almoſt as ſinne, as much guilt, as Guiltineſſe: The Lawes are ingenuous, but offendors are fraudulent and ſubtile: Sirs! you deale with bold offenders, and with cunning offenders too, which (if you looke not the better to it) will quite delude and fruſtrate all your Religious and pious intentions.
Shall I tell you what I know, and what the Countrey ſighes and ſheds Teares at, that notwithſtanding your Religious pittie to their ſoules, yet their ſoules are as much abuſed as ever: They have complained of ſome ill Miniſters, you hearken unto them; but in the meane time, the Miniſter exchangeth his living with another (perhaps) a far of, unknowne to the people, againſt whom there can bee (for the preſent) No legall exception, and thus they periſh ſtill for want of bread:
Therefore Worthy Sirs! Out with your plow againe, you are by all theſe after-workes much more directed how to mannage and carry on your worke.
4. Laſtly, Bee as earneſt and active as poſſibly you can to ſend Labourers into the Field, I meane, 4.to plant all the Land with an heart-breaking miniſtery: All will come to nothing unleſſe this bee done: Pluralities are Voted downe, but what good will that bee, when all comes but to this, before that Order, one bad man had two good livings, and now two bad men have each of them one too good for them both: I will ſay no more unto you; but be ſerious and couragious in this worke in ſetling of a good Miniſtery, with which joyne alſo an anſwerable Magiſtracie: This to doe, is your duty, this is your honour, this will bee our ſafety and happineſſe, This will bee Your great reward in Heaven.
Goe on thus in this breaking-worke, and proſper: There is no man ever did any thing for God and loſt by it, or to his Church, but gained by it: If you will goe on with an humble and unwearied zeale, it ſhall ſhortly be ſaid of this Parliament, Theſe were Scotlands Vmpire, Irelands guard and revenge, Englands preſervation, The Churches ſafety, and religions glory:
And ſo I paſſe from the Plow to the ſeed, from the plowing up of Fallow-grounds, to the ſowing of them being broken up, expreſſed with its caution in the Text.
And ſow not among thornes, &c.