The palace of justice: opened and set to veiw [sic], 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 several garisons, of the city of Exeter. Barnstable. Michaels Mount in Cornwall Ruthen Castle. Ilford-Combe. Aberystwyth in Wales. [double brace] Dunster Castle. Titbury Castle. Woodstock Mannor. Castle of Bridgnorth. Banbury Castle. Newarke. / By Sam. Torshel.

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 Se∣cond Book, De Republica, cap. 29. Si rerum vicissitudinem Contemplemur, com∣periemas multa accidere ex fato ita ur∣gente, ut iis obviam ire nemo possit, quamvis in promptu re∣media 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 humana∣rum 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 re∣bus non multum laborandum esse, sed qua fortuna impellit, co

se ferri permittendum. Haec opinio majori persuasione his no∣stris temporibus, propter rerum multiplicem conversionem, re∣cepta est: quod nunquam non visae sint, quotidieque videan∣tur mutationes, extra omnem humanam, quae possit capi, con∣jecturam. Hoc ego nonnunquam animo cum cogitassem, ali∣qua ex parte co inclinaveram sententiae. Sed ne arbitrium nostrum extinguatur, eam opinionem sequor, ut alteram no∣strarum 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, convellit∣què domos; hinc terrae multum abripiens, alio idem illud re∣gerit, omnia item prae se agit, omnia ejus conspectum fugi∣tant, 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 cana∣libus destuat, aut impetu. represso, tam effuse pernicioseque non feratur. Idem accidit de fortuna, quae vim suam exe∣rit, ubi nulla adest ad resistendum instructa virtus: eò suos impetus convertit, ubi nullos aggeres, nulla impedimenta, qui∣bus 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 be∣comes one that is in profession a Christian. And there are others who speak of the alterations and period's of King∣doms, 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 connex∣ion of second Causes. And there are some men, (whatso∣ever their faith be in this,) that yet are busie enough, to work by this advantage, upon weak and jealous apprehensi∣ons, 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 af∣fection, 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 sup∣presse 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 maje∣sty; 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 al∣so 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 Judge∣ment 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 ser∣vants, 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 po∣sterity.

I might speak something of these present joy•••••••••• of things, in a conjecturall and prudentiall way, I am a Pro∣testant 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, ei∣ther 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.