Father Peters's farewell-sermon published by the pope's special command.

Father PETERS's Farewell-Sermon.

Published by the POPE's Special Command.

First Epistle of the POPE to the JESƲITS, Chap. 84. Ver. 88. Sweet Meat must have sowre Sawce.

MY Text is short, but it is very agreeable to my time; and I could easily dispence with the shortness of it, if the former Sweetness of our days were somewhat longer.

The Times I see vary, as the Planets do in their ordinary Motions; and there is a time for all things, a time to Win, and a time to Lose; a time to Speak, and a time to be Silent; a time to contrive and act Mischief, and a time to be called to an Account for those Transactions; and lastly, a time of Sweetness, and a time of Sowrness, which brings me to the Words of my Text,

Sweet Meat must have sowre Sawce.

My Text is Compounded of two Ingrediences, Sweetness and Sowreness; and therefore I shall divide it into Two Parts. In my First Part, which I shall insist upon, is Sweet Meat; and in my Second Part, the Sowre Sawce.

SWeetness indeed is a great Cordial for dejected Spirits, but Superfluity of it many times proves Nauseous; I can speak by Experience, and I hope none that hears me can plead Ignorance, but that we have all freely Enjoyed that Sweetness in a great measure, which I may modestly say we have no ways deserved; we have been too fiery and over-zealous in many Points, and have turn'd that into a Corrosive, which should have been an healing Medicine.

Ben Johnson, that Famous Poet of his time, has in his Play of Cataline's Conspiracy, Act the First, Scene the Second, this Speech, which he orders Cataline to break forth in:

It is decreed, nor shall thy Fate O Rome resist my Vow; though Hills were set on Hills, and Seas met Seas to guard thee, I would through. I plough up Rocks steep, as the Alps in dust, and lave the Tythene Waters into Clouds, but I would reach thy Head, thy Head, proud Cay. The Ills that I have done cannot be safe, but by attempting greater; and I feel a spirit within me that chides my sluggish hands, and says they have been innocent too long, &c.

Now I have strove as much as in me lay, to be as Inveterate against the Church of England, as ever he and his Faction was against Rome, and have some of my own proud thoughts by me in Manuscript, amongst my loose Pa∣pers, which I did design, had the Times been Sweeter, to have had my old Friend H H. (if he had not boiled the Pease he wore in his Shoes) to have printed them: I shall only give you a little Relish of them.

It is decreed, nor shall thy Fate, O England's Church, resist my Vow: Though Churches nu∣merous are, and Parishes increase with Hereticks, my Malice shall not cease. I'll plough with Mischief's Heifer, and will contrive to force the Test and Penal Laws way, that I may reach thy Head, thy Head, Stiff Church. Then entring into a damnable Contemplation with my self, I proceeded.

The horrid Act I have committed cannot be safe, but by attempting greater; the Seven great Pillars of the Church must down, and near unto the Lyon's Den they must be hurried: For I feel a devilish Spirit within me that chides my sluggish hards, and says, they have been innocent too long, &c.

But now I find my dear Auditors, I went not a little, like the Cobler, be∣yond my Last, but a great deal thô the Stratagem was like the Devil's bait, sweet at the Beginning, yet it proved crabbed and knotty in the End; but, howsoever, many times the proof of the Pudding is in the Eating, which brings me now to the words of my Text, Sweet Meat must have sowre Sawce; and so I shall conclude my First Part.

Now for the Second Part of my Discourse, and the latter part of my Text, which is, namely, Sowre Sawce.

SOwre indeed are the Times, and like, for ought I see, to be sowrer, espe∣cially for those of our Superstitious Church, as the ungodly Hereticks of the Church of England nominates us. Black Clouds are gathered together, and our Sun is set here on this side the Water. Sharp is the Wind and cold is the Air on this side Purgatory: But this is our comfort still, that the Re∣gions are warm of; our Father Lucifer, where I make no question but some of us that have merited may descend, after we have undergone the Persecution of hanging Geometrically in a Perpendicular Line, by ascending the Ladder Passant, the better to come at the Rope Pendant: For Sweet Meat must have sowre Sawce.

Sowre and Sharp things many times are very necessary in several Diseases, and several Causes, and are used as proper Remedies, as for example, Vine∣gar will stanch Bleeding, Salt and Soape takes away a Burning or Scald, Le∣monds fetches spots of Ink out of Linnen, and Orenges Physitians do prescribe is extraordinary good for the Scurvy; and Hang a Dog upon a Crab-Tree and he will never love Verjuice afterwards; So that we may plainly see by De∣monstration, that Sharp and Sowre things are very good remedies, if proper∣ly applyed.

Now Orenges indeed is as proper a Sawce as we can have to our sweet Meat, for indeed, if I mistake not I think I am my self of an Essex Breed, which is a very plentiful Country for Calves, and we all know, that the properest Sawce for Veal is Orenges; but they are not at all agreeable to our Palates, especial∣ly your Bermudas Orenges, for they are very large, and have a Sound too much of the Belgick Lyon in them. And now the Belgick Lyon begins to Roar, which is a very great Prognostication of foul weather, and the Roman Eagle lets fall her Wings, now she is hindred of her Prey, therefore let us be∣take our selves to our heels, and add wings to our Spirits, that we may be ready to fly away from this Heretical crew of sowre Obstacles. He that will deceive a Fox must rise betimes, and Foxes when they are a sleep have no∣thing fall into their mouths; but let us make the best use of those sowre times as we can, and all patiently content our selves with that wholsome saying of the Fox, When we cannot reach the Grapes, we must say they are not ripe.

And now, for a Word or two of Application; Let us be sweet outwardly, but sowre in∣wardly: Let the old Leven of Malice still and for ever remain in us, that at last we may bring it forth in the whole Lump: Let us despise their Heretical Persecutions, and if we are once catch'd, die as innocently as our Predecessors have seemingly done before us, without knowing any thing at all of the matter of which we are accused; but denying all things, for the great meritorious Works sake: But lastly, let us all desire, since Orenges are the properest Sawce for our scurvy Distemper, that we may expire our last Breath upon that Tree on which they grow, and not on that old Paddington Tree at Hide-park Corner.

FINIS.