A tossed ship making to safe harbour, or, A word in season to a…A tossed ship making to safe harbor, or, A word in season to a…

Right honourable, among those who have excelled in this publicness of spirit in our days. And have sought God and the good of these bleeding kingdoms, in separation, nay in opposition to themselves; we find your Honour in the front, uncorruptedly upright—And it is but a manifest of your ancient spirit in former times, when not many durst; and few would appear, to own religion under contempt, we have had bad days before, then days of sin, now days of trouble; and these days of trouble, they are but the births of those days of sin. Then you were a patron to the good, now a patriot to the whole. In the former you were a shelter in these a Saviour; before a succour to religion, now an assertor of it. In which work, your honour hath had a part burdensome enough, but suitable to the greatness of your ⟨image 3⟩spirit, fitted to encounter with difficulties: you have lain at the breaches; seen the wonders of God in the deep, been the terror of the sea, the comfort of the land: and we have therefore been so secure at land, because our hearts have securely reposed in you at sea: Your work is great, but your rewards are glorious; the hardest services shall have the best rewards: nay, is there not something of a reward in this? that God will own us, that God will honour us to work for him. My Lord I know your head and hands are full, yet give me leave in this press of employments, to present to your honour the state of our Church under the notion of A tossed ship upon a stormy sea making to safe harbour: under that notion these poor thoughts may find access to you, and come under your honours protection. The Ship is the Church of God, the Sea the world, the the contrary winds, men of contrary spirits, the storm, our present troubles, the lading precious, religion, property, liberty, and what ever is dear; the passengers, our selves, the harbour which we make towards, is nothing but peace with reformation. The winds have been and do continue high, the sea stormy, our dangers great, and we have been forced to cast much of our lading overboard ⟨image 4⟩to preserve the rest, and save the ship. In these our straits many distrusting the safety of the ship, have let down a Cockboat, and sought to shift for themselves; Some sinfully, all shamefully;

Right honourable, among those who have excelled in this publicknesse of spirit in our dayes. And have sought God and the good of these bleeding kingdomes, in separation, nay in opposition to themselves; we finde your Honour in the front, uncorruptedly upright—And it is but a manifest of your ancient spirit in former times, when not many durst; and few would appeare, to own religon under contempt, we have had bad dayes before, then dayes of sin, now dayes of trouble; and these dayes of trouble, they are but the births of those dayes of sin. Then you were a patron to the good, now a patriot to the whole. In the former you were a shelter in these a Saviour; before a succour to religion, now an assertor of it. In which worke, your honour hath had a part burthensome enough, but suitable to the greatnesse of your