Contemplations upon these times, or The Parliament explained to Wales. Digested into three parts. I. Containing, a brief, faithfull, and pithy history of the Parliament, ... II. Cleer resolutions of such doubts, as his countrymen of Wales are not so well satisfied in, as could be wished: which are reduced to these 3 points, touching the [brace] King. Covenant. Common-Prayer-Book. III. A closer application unto the state of Wales, ... / Written by a gentleman, a cordiall well-wisher of his countries happinesse.

PART. III. Containing an Application to WALES.

IN brief (Country-man) I must tell you, we are deceived, and do not know our own condition: We will needs be accounted good Protestants, when, alas, how can that be, when we want the means to become so? To say, a perfunctory read∣ing of the Common-Prayer can make us so, is to say it can do miracles. A wretched Sermon now and then, and that either by an ignorant, or scandalous Minister, or both; alas, what can it do? it being commonly too such stuffe, you know not whether it savours stronger of the Ale, or the Pocket; Half an houre's showre in a great draught, will little availe the chapped earth. I must tell you, abating Gentry and a few others, that by the benefit of education may be otherwise; generally (I dare boldly say) we can be but Papists, or worse, in Wales. I need not remem∣ber thee of that swarm of blinde, superstitious Cere∣monies that are among us, passing under the name of old harmles customs▪ Their frequent calling upon Saints in their Prayers and Blessings; their Peregrinations to Wells and Chappels. Mistake me not, that I delight

to discover the blemishes of my Country; it argues good will, to tell ones malady before a Physitian. Not I first, but our own learned Countryman, Dr. Powel, doth in his Books bewaile us for these mise∣ries, as c. 2. annot. in itin. Giral. Camb. And the reasons of all you shall hear in his own words, Haec omnia ig∣norantia & Evangelicae praedicationis inopia contingunt. and a little after, Quicquid in hac re peccatum sit, illud totum Pastorum paucitati ascribendum est, ad quorum sustentationem satis ampla stipendia, & redditus Ecclesiastici in Cambria, omnia opima Sacerdotia in generosorum manibus, aut ab illis possidentur, qui non in Cambria, sed in aliis quidem partibus vitam degunt; hi ne{que} animas, ne{que} corpora pascunt, modo ipsi lanam habeant. And thus copiously and sadly bemoaning our state, concludes, Deus tempore opportune ecclesiae suae melius providebit. And surely, if ever, now this Tempus opportunum is come upon us, Let us lay hold upon the lock, and blesse God for it: doubtlesse if we be not wanting unto our selves, the Lord is in hand to do great things for us. It were worth our labour, seriously to observe the gracious accesses of God made towards us in very late favours.

1. He hath been gracious to us in the course of this war: We were not such friends to the Parlia∣ment, as to have so good dealing and Quarter as we have had, we deserved harsher means, and rougher hands to reduce us, then we had: But praised be his mercy, not strangers, but those of our own bowels we only knew from; and when we deserved a whip∣ping, He gives the rod to our friends hands.

2. But this is not all; if we mark, we may see his

greatest favour, his Gospel comming among us: the Bible, before only known in the Church-Volume, hath by the meanes of worthy Sir Tho. Middleton been translated to the vulgar Volume: In some places of Wales the Gospel doth already kindle; and that (which our Countries can never too gratefully ac∣knowledge) by the worthy and godly en∣deavour of Mr. Cradock; and especially (which is worth our notice) it begins to shine in a place heretofore noted for un∣towardnes, called Llangerick in Mongomery∣shire, a place formerly but of very sorry fame, but now pointed at as the Puritans & Roundheads of Wales; and all this through the godly pains of some perse∣cuted Ministers, resorting thither through manifold discouragements and dangers.

3. Divers good Books have lately been translated into our language; and our learned, Dr. Davies com∣piled that monument of his learning, & love to his Country, his elaborate Dictionary, whereby not only we our selves, but even strangers may become per∣fect in our tongue.

4. Neither must we let it passe without our great∣est admiration, how the Lord hath so marvellously preserved our Tongue; at which Mr. Cambden him∣self (though otherwise not much acknovvledged our friend breaks into highest admiration, that it should survive after so many Conquests of Us, and attempts to extinguish it. In hac linguarum conside∣ratione non possumus non maximè admirari, & praedi∣care divinam summi Creatoris benignitatem in nostros

tannos, &c. linguam suam tectam hactenus conservarint. Hence Dr. Davies inferres, That God would not through so many turmoiles and conquests, so won∣derfully preserve a Tongue to these last times, Nisi eadem Nomen suum invocari, suaque magnalia praedicari decrevisset; Without it be especially marked out & appointed for the setting forth of his glory, and the preaching of his Word.

Who knowes then, but we may recover our ancient Blessing, and become as famous for Christi∣anity at the last, as we were at first? Apud illos (says Dr. Powel) vigebat Veritatis praedicatio, vivificatrix Fides, & purus Dei cultus, qualis ab ipsis Apostolis man∣dato divino Christianorum ecclesiis traditus erat. The preaching of the Gospel, sincere Doctrine, lively Faith, and the pure worship of God, did at first flou∣rish amongst us: And when it came to be corrupted by superstition, we had the glory (what we could) to maintain the Primitive worship, against the Superstitions and fopperies which Augustine the Monk would obtrude upon us; and afterward procured the sword of Ethelfrid King of Northumberland to make a way for them, when no lesse then eleven hun∣dred poor Monks of Bangor were slain, (or as Mr. Fox, rather were martyred.) I hope we are not wholly degenerated from our an∣cient Progenitors, but that we still retain something of their Noble and Christian genius. That dark cloud of Superstition which came from Rome, and then darkned their light, is still to this day un∣dispelled,

and hinders us from the Primitive light of the Gospel. As it is recorded to their honour, to have laboured to keep the light when they had it, let it be also our credit and honour now, upon so blessed an opportunity, strive and labour to procure it, when we may have it. We are noted to be a people not of the worst natures, and truly not much unlike the cha∣racter our Country-man Giraldus long ago gave of us; Sicut malis, nusquam pejores, sic bonis, meliores non ••eperies; If bad, none can hardly be worse, and if good, none better. But this is not all, but Dr. Powel observes, We are a people by a singular disposition and benefit of nature, apt both to heare and learn good things, & ad obediendum paratissimus, and most ready to practise. And then who will not confesse, but that it is a thousand pitties such should not have the knowledge of the Gospel, and the means of grace abundantly amongst them! And blessed be the Lord, we never had more hopes, and fairer means offering themselves, than now.

As when we see stone, timber, and other materials gathered together to a place, we presently conclude that there is some building in hand; So (by what you have read) me thinks how the Lord doth no lesse then seem to provide meanes, and as it were, materials to reare up his Gospel among us: And as the Blinde man in the Gospel is said to behold men walking as trees; some such obscure sight (me thinks) we may already have of the Gospel's silent approach and motion towards us. And as at the famine of Samaria, Eliah said to Ahab, There is a sound of a∣bundance of rain; So after this great famine of the

VVord, (blessed be God) we do now at last (me thinks) as it were, ken a little Cloud rising like a mans hand, and that ere-while the Heavens will grow black with clouds and wind, and we shall have a great rain, and the Lord of the harvest will give a plentifull in∣crease. Doubtlesse if we be not wanting to our selves through our wilfulnesse and ingratitude, God hath some great favours in store for us. I cannot but think what that famous VVickliffian, our Country-man, wrote near 300 years ago; That the Britons, amongst other Nations, have been as it were by the speciall ele∣ction of God, called and converted to the Christian faith, and further addeth, That it is very likely they will be imployed to overthrow Antichrist.

Then (Country-man) let us humbly look up, and wait upon God, and devote our selves in our affe∣ction & spirits to him, and his choise Ministers among us, the Parliament; Doubtlesse we are deep enough in their thoughts, and that they mind our happinesse more then we do our selves; the only compendious way to make us happy, is to have the Gospel come among us, it hath a notable vertue with it, it will presently purge Church and State; And with humble submission to their wisdome be it spoken, that the only way to introduce the Gospel among us, is the pitching upon a course and meanes▪ to advance the Ministery: which cannot be better, then by founding some so∣lemn places in Wales for the profession of the more necessary kind of Arts and good Literature, (all which may be without the least injury or disparage∣ment to the Vniversities) Such a course would prove a notable encouragement to our Countries, so that

I dare say, three for one would mind Schooling for their children, than there hath or doth, being dis∣couraged by the charge and distance of, the Uni∣versities; and without doubt, through the blessing of God, few yeares would afford us a goodly num∣ber fit to serve at the Altar. It could never have been said truer, then of us in VVales, The Harvest truly is great, but the Labourers are few. We can nothing but pray the Lord of the harvest, that he would incline and direct the heart of the Parliament, that He through them would send forth Labourers unto the harvest. Such an act as this, would be an honour to our Age; and those that are yet unborne, and like little Levies as yet lie hid in the loyns of their grand∣fathers, will have their mouths filled with blessings for so Christian and noble a work; when they shall consider, that when their bodies were not borne, the blest Parliament was then caring for their soules. For something of this nature, or lesse, we know what an Elogie was given of the Centurion to our blessed Saviour; He is worthy for whom thou shouldest do this, for he loveth our Nation, and hath built us a Syna∣gogue.

Well (good Country-man, or any other Reader) I will now part with thee: If any passage hath of∣fended thee, I must tell thee, I intended only well, and at the most would do but as he that slew the Serpent, not touching the body of the Child twined up in the folds. And if thou hast mistaken the Parliament, smite thy breast, and ask God forgivenesse for it, for I hope by this time thou perceivest it is some∣thing more, then once thou thoughtest it was.

Good luck have thou with thine Honour; Ride on be∣cause of the VVord of Truth, of Meeknesse, and of righte∣ousnesse, and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Psal. 45. 4.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Notes

• In many places not a Sermon scarce once a yeare.
• Want of Preaching
• Impropri∣ation.
• And now again, I hear, Mr. Cradock is procu∣ring the New Testament to be printed in Welsh in a little Volume, whereby it may grow more portable & com∣mon, which may be of much use in short time to introduce the know¦ledge of the Gospel a∣mong us.
• Mr. Powel. Mr. Roberts
• Britanni, Romanis & Saxonibus devicti & triumphati fuerint, eum etiam latis legibus abo∣lere studu∣erint Nor∣manni.
• Ib. in Brit.
• Nec sane ullo modo credendum, linguam vo∣luisse post tot gentium cla∣des & impe∣rii mutati¦ones, conser∣vatam in haec us{que} ul∣tima tem∣pora.
• In prafat. Gram.
• l. 2. c. 1. annot. in Giral.
• —Im••rudenter & aequo Durius, ad ritum Romae voluisse Britannos, Cogere—aiebant,—modo salva maneret Lex divina, sides, Christi doctrina, Senatus, Quam primus tulit ore suo, quia ita lita ab ipso Christi erat humanae doctore, & lumine vitae.
• Mantuan in Fast.
• Vol. 1. p. 154
• In descr. Camb. c. 18
• Populus ipse praestantis cujusdam naturae be∣neficio sem∣per ad audi∣endum promptus & ad discen∣dum aptus. Annot. in Giral. c. 2.
• ver. 44, 45.
• Walt. Brute in Act. & Mon.
• V. 1. p. 627