A sermon against murder

TO The Persons both of secular Quality, and of solid Piety, in the beliefe and Practice of Gods true Religion in his Church truly Reformed, Sir HUMPHREY TRACY, Baronet. and his excellent Lady.

Right Worshipfull,

LEt it, I beseech you, be esteemed no fault, that I do, what God has done, Joyn you together; that I do it in this Dedication, I have much of reason for it; This was the last Sermon preacht in your Church, before I finally understood, that after all the endeavours of you both, and my own frequent atteudance upon others, I may not ob∣tain Countrey leave to be a constant preacher there: and what should I after doe, but make my publick acknowledgments to you both, for your hearty and costly endeavours? and let my hinderers know that though they have pre∣judic't

me, in my best desires, of serving those whom I much desir'd to serve, because of their mutual desires that I should do it, in my great hopes, of making Gods service to prosper un∣der such Religious Patronage, whose present lives would not only be notes upon my Sermons, but better Sermons then mine; and notes to me, out of which to make Sermons; that though I might take it unkindely, that a Protestant of England is deny'd (I know not why) by his fellow Protestants, a Son of the Church, by Sons of the same Church (for sure neither they nor I are Romanists:) yet I do not, both because they ahve testify'd to your worship, under their hands, that they have no exception against me, unlesse a suspicion that I differ in judgement, (and yet I know not theirs, nor they mine; or, if I do, have we not leave to differ? they from me, and I from them:) and because they so kindly deny me, as if the Emolument were too small for me; and yet is any thing small, which is most intensely aim'd at? qui sic Amas (I am Gall'd, and pincht, and must wince and speak) Quomodo Osurus es?

Next to my confessions to both your wor∣ships, and Acquittances to them all, and

Gratitude to the great civility of one of them, I have more reasons why I print on this sub∣ject.

First, to desire all, to joy with me, that Authority does (not only do it, but publish, and professe to do it,) loath murther, and detest Po∣pery; O, may it ever abound, with more and more Clemency at home and abroad, and shut out Romanisme by the certain Rule of Orderly reformation!

Secondly, to intreat all my ministerial bre∣thren, to joyn their forces of Tongue and pen, and prayer, against the Common enemy to all the Reformed Churches; that we would not make way for them Dissidiis nostris Vires su∣as augendi; that we would be wisely suspeci∣ous, that the present many-headed differences amongst us, are contrived, and rais'd, and fomented, by the Adversarie of us all, to o∣pen many Gates, at which the one Head with three Crowns upon it, to enter; this Authori∣ty has taught us to fear, requiring us cha∣ritably to do for them that suffer, and Mag∣nanimously to suffer with them when God calls us to it; our own sins, and the old arts

and Ambushes, and frauds of Rome may teach us this fear; if that Authority would give me leave to beseech, that differences at home, might be reconcil'd by the Standing Rule (at least, in this way of necessity and dread) the Church of England would yet produce abler men against all her enemies, then she (I am almost afraid to call her whore) who has made us enemies against our selves can produce a∣gainst us: a strong and Chosen man, when his augry and merry Passions were over, when he had somewhat more to doe with the Holy Ghost, seem'd to remember the end of another Verse, that of Ovid: — Virtus, & in hoste, Probatur, when we acknowledg'd oue to be a very learned man, who I am confident, would bend all his force against Rome (I, and batter her too) did he not believe it conscientiously necessary, to set himselfe in the Gap, against some fallings out at home: And when, with all humble mrdesty, I have beseech Authori∣tie, I may take leave to beseech my own bre∣thren one, in the Faith which was once de∣liver'd, sadly to consider what the meaning of some new lights are; light should be so cleare

as to declare it self; but some are still in dark∣ness and Ignorance; they cannot tell what is the ground; and fountain, and first fire that kindles these lights; only they are wary e∣nough to suspect, that it is some Purgatory∣fire has done it; may it not be a Notion obtru∣ded from subtil Rome? and unawares swal∣low'd in the simplicity of some mens hearts? who when they are a while, injur'd in the matter of this expression, and believe it to be the word of God in their Conscience, may at length, be brought to interpret it by Tradi∣tion (that must not appear, too soon, and im∣maturely, in it's own face) which some call the unwritten word of God? and yet Scrip∣ture, and the word of God are, in Scripture, which is Gods word synonima, significative of the same thing, and convertible; and then the unwritten word of some, what is it but a Romish Bull, the unwritten Scripture?

Thirdly, that my suspecters may know, he whom they lay aside loves the Errours of Rome as little as they do, (not Popishly affe∣cted at all) and would himself bring straw, if their better abilities were at leasure, to hew

out stone, to make a wall against her.

I must conclude, more particularly to both your worships, with my humble requests to you, to pardon my misery, that I must not en∣joy my own liberty, in serving you: and with my heartie prayers to God for you, that you may so exceptablie serve him here, as to Reign with him in Heaven.

Though not at Stanway, Your most Faithful Servant, every where else, WILLIAM TOWERS.