The Palace of Justice, Title page – Dedication
The Palace OF JUSTICE OPENED AND SET TO VEIW, IN A SERMON At Margarets Weſtminſter before the Honorable Houſe of COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT, upon the 12th of May, 1646. Being the day of their Solemn Thankſgiving, for Regaining and taking in the ſeverall Gariſons, of
The City of Exeter.
Barnſtable.
Michaels Mount in Cornwall
Ruthen Caſtle.
Ilford-Combe.
Aberyſtwyth in Wales.
Dunſter Caſtle.
Titbury Caſtle.
Woodſtock Mannor.
Caſtle of Bridgnorth.
Banbury Caſtle.
Newarke.
By SAM. TORSHEL.
Prov. 14.13. Righteouſneſſe exalteth a Nation.
LONDON, Printed by T.R. and E.M. for John Bellamy at the three golden Lions in Cornhill. 1646.
TO THE HONORABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
AS moſt men have cenſured the Florentine, to be Not honeſt, So I could hardly allow him (So much as in the vulgar notion) the name of A Chriſtian, when I met with theſe paſſages in …m. One, in his Second Book, De Republica, cap. 29. Si rerum viciſſitudinem Contemplemur, comperiemas multa accidere ex fato ita urgente, ut iis obviam ire nemo poſſit, quamvis in promptu remedia fuerint. Another to the ſame purpoſe, in his Book De principe, cap. 25. Haud illud mihi obſcurum eſt, ejus Sententia complures eſſe, ac olim fuiſſe, itae rerum humanarum procurationem à fortuna omnino, ab ipſoque dec teneri, ut ab hominum prudentia nulla ratione corrigi queat: immo nullo poſſe occurri remedia. Ob id exiſtimeri poſſet, in iis rebus non multum laborandum eſſe, ſed qua fortuna impellit, co ſe ferri permittendum. Haec opinio majori perſuaſione his noſtris temporibus, propter rerum multiplicem converſionem, recepta eſt: quod nunquam non viſae ſint, quotidieque videantur mutationes, extra omnem humanam, quae poſſit capi, conjecturam. Hoc ego nonnunquam animo cum cogitaſſem, aliqua ex parte co inclinaveram ſententiae. Sed ne arbitrium noſtrum extinguatur, eam opinionem ſequor, ut alteram noſtrarum rerum partem fortunae arbitratu judicem procurari, alteram vel paulo minus adminiſtrandam relinqui. Fortunam enim montano flumini omnia proſternenti comparare ſoleo, quod cum praeceps fertur, inagros effunditur, arbores ſternit, convellitquè domos; hinc terrae multum abripiens, alio idem illud regerit, omnia item prae ſe agit, omnia ejus conſpectum fugitant, omnia illius furori cedunt, ſublata omni, qua poſſit ratione reprimi: nihilominus cum tali feratur ingenio, nihil impedit, quo minus homines pacatioribus temporibus poſſint objicibus, aggeribuſque proſpicere, ut iterum exundans canalibus deſtuat, aut impetu. repreſſo, tam effuſe pernicioſeque non feratur. Idem accidit de fortuna, quae vim ſuam exerit, ubi nulla adeſt ad reſiſtendum inſtructa virtus: eò ſuos impetus convertit, ubi nullos aggeres, nulla impedimenta, quibus ſibi obviam iri poſſit, novit eſſe extructa. He afterwards propounds the troubles of Italy a little before, and about his time, as an inſtance of this diſcourſe, in which he gives more to Fate; and yet to Divine ordination, leſſe; then becomes one that is in profeſſion a Chriſtian. And there are others who ſpeak of the alterations and period's of Kingdoms, as if they did beleeve a Mathematicall or Chaldaick neceſſity, or a Stoick-fate, both of which do ſubject even God himſelf, one to the Starres, the other to the connexion of ſecond Cauſes. And there are ſome men, (whatſoever their faith be in this,) that yet are buſie enough, to work by this advantage, upon weak and jealous apprehenſions, which are ſufficient to give countenance in the world to pretended and artificiall propheſies, which have their greateſt authority from ſuperſtitious fear. Guicciardin gives us a notable inſtance of this. There were ſome that had given out many Prognoſtications which were purpoſely made in favour of Charles the Emperour, and in prejudice of the French King and Nation. Theſe wrought ſo farre upon the Marqueſſe of Saluzze, that notwithſtanding his deep ingagements to Francis the firſt, and contrary to his own greateſt intereſſe, yea and to his proper inclination and affection, he fell off from his Maſter to the Emperour, after he had ſhewed his affrightment to his private freinds to whom he had complained of the inevitable Miſeries which the Fates had prepared againſt France. But we have a clear rule in Scripture by which to order our ſelves, and ſuppreſſe our weak fears. There we learn, that all things are indeed under a Sentence, which carries, not a neceſſity of coaction, but of Infallibility. We ſubſcribe to that of David, 1 Chron. 29.11. Thine O Lord is the greatneſſe, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majeſty; for all that is in the heaven, and in the earth is thine: thine is the Kingdome, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reighneſt over all, and in thine hand is power, and might, and in thine hand it is to make great. We finde there alſo the courſe that this great and abſolute Soveraigne taketh, and conſtantly keepeth in the advancing and ruining of Kingdoms, which is that which Jeremiah tells the King and Princes of Judah of; cap. 22.2.3, 4, &c. Hear the word of the Lord, O King of Judah, that ſitteſt upon the Throne of David, thou and thy ſervants, and thy people that enter in by theſe gates. Thus ſaith the Lord, execute yee Judgement and Righteouſneſſe, and deliver the ſpoiled out of the hand of the oppreſſor, and do no wrong, do no violence to the ſtranger, the fatherleſſe, nor the widow, neither ſhed innocent bloud in this place. For if you do this thing indeed, then ſhall there enter by the gates of this houſe, Kings ſitting upon the Throne of David, riding in Charets, and on horſes, he, and his ſervants, and his people. But if yee will not hear theſe words, I ſwear by my ſelf, ſaith the Lord, that this houſe ſhall become a deſolation.
According to the tenour of theſe words, I have preached righteouſneſſe unto you, that you may be eſtabliſhed, and that all your late Victories may bee confirmed unto your poſterity. I might ſpeak ſomething of theſe preſent joy… of things, in a conjecturall and prudentiall way, I am a Proteſtant in the principles that diſtinguiſh both from Romaniſus and Schiſm, and in my Intereſſe I am a very Engliſhman. Be juſt in all things, and yee ſhall not need to fear, either Starres, or Prophecies, or men. Let me ſpeak as a Divine, in the words of the ſon of Oded, Hear yee me in this, The Lord is with you, while yee be with him, But if yee forſake him, he will forſake you.
Your faithfull, and moſt humble ſervant SAM. TORSHEL.