The Mercies Which the Lord Hath Wrought for England, Title page – Dedication
Miranda, Stupenda. OR, THE WONDERFVLL and aſtoniſhing Mercies which the LORD hath wrought for ENGLAND, in ſubduing and captivating the pride, power and policy of his enemies. PRESENTED IN A SERMON PREACHED July 21. 1646. Before the honorable Houſe of COMMONS in Margarets Church Weſtm. being the day appointed for Thankſgiving for the Surrender of OXFORD. By HENRY WILKINSON, B. D. Paſtor of Dunstans in the Eaſt, London, and one of the Aſſembly of Divines.
EXOD. 15. 11. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods! who is like unto thee, glorious in holineſſe, fearfull in praiſes, doing wonders!
LONDON: Printed by T. B. for Christopher Meredith and Samuel Gellibrand in Pauls Church-yard, 1646.
TO THE HONOURABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
IT is impoſſible to travell in a great Road, or take his journey to a great Emporium, but he muſt needs meet with paſſengers in his way; and therefore if I have fallen in with the conceptions of others, I ſuppoſe I ſhall be no more blamed then they, who writing of poverty or griefe, or death, have made uſe of Seneca or Plutarch. or they that have handled Politiques, have conſulted with Ariſtotles maximes, or have borrowed of Thucidides, and Tacitus, and Polybius, and Philip de Comines, and Lipſius & Guicciardine who have ſcattered excellent notions concerning that ſubject; only herein I muſt crave pardon, that treating on the ſame argument which others have handled, there is wanting that skill and excellency in the handling of it: It was the unhappineſſe of Silius Italicus to come after Virgil, and handle the ſame thing; and ſo alſo of Grotius to treat of the ſame matter with Tacitus, and of Paulus Jovius to be engaged in the ſubject with Titus Livius: Yet certainly it is ſo with the choyceſt works of the beſt Divines, we may ſubſcribe them as I find at the end of divers famous Authors, plurima deſunt & multa deſiderantur; and many have been as happy in their ſupplements and additionals, and conjectanea, as the Authors thēſelves in the main ſubject. You were pleaſed to call me to preach upon the occaſion of the rendition of Oxford, and alſo you have comanded me to print the Sermon: had I all the learning of a Ʋniverſity, I could as willingly have laid it out in the behalfe of that place, and upon this ſubject which I have ſpent my thoughts upon as any other whatſoever. I have made bold to propound ſome things to your conſideration concerning Oxford, in order to the reformation of it; which though perhaps they may ſeem to be but contemptible and poore, and ſuch as are never like to riſe to any glorious perfection; yet it is certaine, that he that will build very high, muſt dig low for his foundation; and let not any one despiſe the day of ſmall things, for we know there is no River navigable in the Fountaine, nor any Country where the Sunne ſhines hot at the peeping of the day: Perhaps ſome things may ſeeme ſtrange, but let not any one condemne me for this, becauſe it is a caſe which never was before you till now, and therefore we muſt not condemne that for ill which is only extraordinary; this were to doe as that Norwegian, who when he ſaw red Roſes firſt, he durſt not handle them for feare of burning his fingers. There be ſome will tell you, there is no ſuch need of a reformation of the Ʋniverſity, and invent praiſes for it; but I look upon ſuch as they that are very partiall, as he was that made the Preface to the Ʋniverſity Statutes, who ſpeaking of Queen Maries dayes, hath his opranda temporum faelicitas for them; or elſe A Book intituled, Eſſays of certaine Paradoxes.perhaps they have a mind to exerciſe their wits, as he did which invented prayſes for Buſyris, and made an Apologetique for Nero, and Encomiums or Richard the third aJoh. Donne his Juvenilia.and Julian the Apostate; or elſe perhaps they have a mind to imitate ſome whoſe crimes are vertues with them, and paradoxes truths, who maintaine the moſt abſurd things, and inconſistent with truth and piety, onelyonly as a specimen of their wit, to ſhew how they can put a kind of lustre and beauty on a monster. However ſome may Vid. Reformed Prince.think meanly of this deſigne of yours for the reformation of Oxford; yet I think I may truly ſay of this what Balzac did of a great enterprize of the French King, that the modesty of an oratory ſtile doth not beſeem an action ſo ſtrange: Poets only have right to that, it appertains to their heroique language; it is worthy of the enthuſiaſme of their pompous and figurative deſcriptions; ſure I am, there is ſcarce any thing more worthy all the contributions which a Parliament can afford, then the ſetling of the Ʋniverſity upon the baſis of learning and Religion. You have an opportunity of laying a foundation, and of building too, which ſhall be beyond the reach of envy, againſt which the gates of hell ſhall not prevaile; but it ſhall be matter of wonder and rejoycing to ſucceeding generations, who ſhall with triumphant acclamations cry grace, grace, unto it: The Lord that hath called you to work for him, afford you the aſſiſtance of his moſt glorious power, the direction of his infinite wiſedome, and crowne you with incomparable ſucceſſe here, and give you an immarceſſible crowne of glory hereafter. So prayeth he who counts it his happineſſe to be
Your humble Servant HENRY WILKINSON.