What shall I say of the Book of Sports, and other profanations of the Lords day? This licentiousness was most acceptable to the greatest part, and they eloved to have it so. Doth not the great famine of the Word, almost every where in the Kingdom, except in this City, make the Land mourn on the Sabbath, and say, fI do remember my faults this day? Yea doth not the Land now enjoy her Sabbaths, while men are constrained not only to cease from sports on that day, but from labouring the ground, and from other works of their calling upon other days? What should I speak of the lusts and uncleanness, gluttony and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, prodigality and lavishness, excess of riot, masking and balling and sporting, when Germany and the Palatinate, and other places were wallowing in blood, yea when there was so much sin and wrath upon this same Kingdom? Will not you say now, that for this the Lord God hath caused gyour sun to go down at noon, and hath turned your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation? Or what should I say of the oppressions, injustice, cousinage in trading and in Merchandise, which your selves know better then I can do, how much they have abounded in the Kingdom? Doth not God now punish the secret injustice of his people, by the open injustice of their enemies? Do ye not remember that mischief was framed by a Law? and now when your enemies execute mischief against Law, will you not say, Righteous art thou O Lord, and just are thy judgements? One thing I may not forget, and that is, that the Lord is punishing blood with blood, the blood of the oppressed, the blood of the persecuted, the blood of those who have dyed in Prisons, or in strange Countries, suffering for righteousness sake. hHe that departed from evil did even make himself a prey. There was not so much as one drop of blood spilt upon the Pillory, for the testimony of the Truth, 5but it crieth to Heaven; for precious is the blood of the Saints. Doth not all the blood shed in Queen Mary's days cry? And doth not the blood of the Palatinate and of Rochelle cry? And doth not the blood of souls cry? which is the loudest cry of all. God said to Cain, kThe voice of thy Brothers blood crieth unto me ⟨p. 20⟩from the ground, the Hebrew hath it, thy brothers bloods;
What shall I say of the Book of Sports, and other prophanations of the Lords day? This licentiousnesse was most acceptable to the greatest part, and they eloved to have it so. Doth not the great famine of the Word, almost every where in the Kingdom, except in this City, make the Land mourn on the Sabbath, and say, fI do remember my faults this day? Yea doth not the Land now enioy her Sabbaths, while men are constrained not only to cease from sports on that day, but from labouring the ground, and from other works of their calling upon other dayes? What should I speak of the lusts and uncleannesse, gluttony and drunkennesse, chambering and wantonnesse, prodigality and lavishnesse, excesse of riot, masking and balling and sporting, when Germany and the Palatinate, and other places were wallowing in blood, yea when there was so much sinne and wrath upon this same Kingdome? Will not you say now, that for this the Lord God hath caused gyour sun to go down at noon, and hath turned your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation? Or what should I say of the oppressions, injustice, cousinage in trading and in Merchandise, which your selves know better then I can do, how much they have abounded in the Kingdome? Doth not God now punish the secret injustice of his people, by the open iniustice of their enemies? Doe ye not remember that mischiefe was framed by a Law? and now when your enemies execute mischief against Law, will you not say, Righteous art thou O Lord, and iust are thy iudgements? One thing I may not forget, and that is, that the Lord is punishing blood with blood, the blood of the oppressed, the blood of the persecuted, the blood of those who have dyed in Prisons, or in strange Countries, suffering for righteousnesse sake. hHe that departed from evill did even make himselfe a prey. There was not so much as one drop of blood spilt upon the Pillory, for the testimony of the Truth, 5but it cryeth to Heaven; for precious is the blood of the Saints. Doth not all the blood shed in Queen Maries dayes cry? And doth not the blood of the Palatinate and of Rochel cry? And doth not the blood of soules cry? which is the loudest cry of all. God said to Cain, kThe voyce of thy Brothers blood cryeth unto me ⟨p. 20⟩
- eJer. 5. 31.Ier. 5. 31.
- fGen. 41. 9.
- gAm•s 8. 9. 10.
- hIsai. 59. 15.
- 5i Psal. 7•. 14.
- kCen. 4. 10.
