It is strange, tiiat the appendix to a sermon preached, as sonu> think, in the very consummation of licence and misrule, should be an earnest and able pleading for toleration, in a tone of calmness and moderation rare at any time in contro- versy, and especially rare in the controversies of that stormy age.
The entire body of the Independents have been blamed for consenting to the death of C"hai-les I., because Owen, the ciiief ornanunt of their denomination, was called, in such critical and delicate circumstances, to preach iiefore the House of Commons. Mr Orme successfully disproves the justice of the charge. Whatever offence Owen may thus have committed, to visit it upon the religious body with which he generally acted, is in accordance neither with the principles of justice nor the facts of history. — Ed.
Die Mercurii, 31 Janvarii 1648. Orderkd by the Commons assembled in Parliament, That Mr Allen do give the thanks of this House to Mr Owen for the great pains he took in his sermon I)reaclied before the House this day at Margaret's, "Westminster; and that he be desired to print his sermon at large; wherein he is to have the like privilege of printing it as others in the like kind usually have had.
Hen. Scobell, Cler. Pari. Dom. Com.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE COMMONS OF ENGLAND,
ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT.
Sirs, It hath always suited the Avisdom of God to do great things in difficult seasons. He sets up walls in troublous times, Dan. ix. 25. His builders must hold swords and spears, as well as instruments of labour, Neh. iv. 16. Yea, while sin con- tinueth in its course here (which began in heaven, and, having contemporized with the earth, shall live for ever in hell), great works for God will cause great troubles amongst men. The holy, harmless Reconciler of heaven and earth bids us expect the sword to attend his undertakings for and way of making peace. Matt. x. 34. All the waves in the world arise to their height and roaring from the confronting of the breath of God's Spirit and the vapours of men's corruptions. Hence seasons receive their degrees of difficulty according to the greatness and weight of the works which in them God will accomplish. To their worth and excellency is man's opposition proportioned. Tliis the instruments of his glory m this genera- tion shall continually find true, to their present trouble and future comfort.
As the days approacli for the delivery of the decree, to the shaking of heaven and earth,' and all the powers of the world, to make way for the estabUshment of that kingdom which shall not be given to another people (the great expectation of the saints of the Most High before the consummation of all); so tumults, troubles, vexations, and disquietness, must certainly grow and increase among the sons of men.
A dead woman (says the proverb) will not be carried out of her house under four men. Much less will living men of wisdom and power be easily and quietly dispossessed of that share and interest in the things of Christ which long-continued usurpation hath deluded them into an imagination of being their own inheritance. This, then, being shortly to be effected, and the scale being ready to turn against the man of sin, notwithstanding his balancing it, in opposition to the witness of Jesus, with the weight and poise of earthly power ; no wonder if heaven, earth, sea, and dry land, be shaken, in their giving place to the things that cannot be moved. God Almighty having called you forth, right honourable, at his entrance to the rolling up of the nation's heavens like a scroll,- to serve him in your genera- tion in the high places of Armageddon,' you shall be sure not to want experience of that opposition which is raised against the great work of the Lord, which generally swells most against the visible instruments thereof.
And would to God you had only the devoted sons of Babel to contend withal,—
1 Heb xii. 26, 27; Dan. vii. 27. " Ego nisi tumultus istos viderem, verbum Dei in raundo non esse dicerein." — Luth.
* Isa. xxxiv. 4, 5. 3 Kev. xvi. 16.
VOL, VIII. 9
130 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
that the men of this shaking earth were your only antagonists, — that the mahgnity of the dragon's tail had had no influence on the stars of heaven, to prevail with them to fight in their courses against you ! ' But " jacta est alea," — the pro\ndence of God must he served, according to the discovery made of his own unchangeable will, and not the mutable interests and passions of the sons of men. For verily " the Lord of hosts hath purposed to pollute the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth," Isa. xxiii. 9.
The contradictions of sinners against all that walk in the paths of righteousness and peace, with the supportment which their sj^irits may receive (as being pro- mised) who pursue tliose ways, notwithstanding those contradictions, are in part discovered in the ensuing sermon. The foundation of that whole transaction of things which is therein held out, in reference to the present disjiensations of Pro- vidence,— being nothing but an entrance into the um'avelling of the whole web of iniquity, interwoven of civil and ecclesiastical tyranny, in opposition to the king- dom of the Lord Jesus, — I chose not to mention. Neither shall 1 at present add any thing thereabout, but only my desire that it may be eyed as the granted basis of the following discourse. Only, by your very favourable acceptation of the making out those thoughts, — which were the hasty conception, and, like Jonah's gourd, the child of a night or two (which, with prayer for a rooting in the hearts of them to whom they were delivered, had certainly withered in their own leaves, had they not received warmth and moisture from your commands in general, and the particular desires of many of you, to give them a life of a few days longer), — I am encouraged to the annexing of a few lines, as a free-will offering to attend the following product of obedience.