A88587:236
A modest and clear vindication of the serious representation, and late vindication of the…
A modest and clear vindication of the serious representation, and late vindication of the ministers of London, from the scandalous aspersions of John Price, in a pamphlet of his, entitled, Clerico-classicum or, The clergies alarm to a third war. Wherein his king-killing doctrine is confuted. The authors by him alleged, as defending it, cleared. The ministers of London vindicated. The follies, and falsities of John Price discovered. The protestation, vow, and the Covenant explained. / By a friend to a regulated monarchy, a free Parliament, an obedient army, and a godly ministry; but an enemy to tyranny, malignity, anarchy and heresy.A modest and clear vindication of the serious representation, and late vindication of the ministers of London, from the scandalous aspersions of John Price, in a pamphlet of his, entituled, Clerico-classicum or, The clergies alarum to a third war. Wherein his king-killing doctrine is confuted. The authors by him alledged, as defending it, cleared. The ministers of London vindicated. The follies, and falsities of Iohn Price discovered. The protestation, vow, and the Covenant explained. / By a friend to a regulated monarchy, a free Parliament, an obedient army, and a godly ministry; but an enemy to tyranny, malignity, anarchy and heresie.
London: printed for Stephen Bowtell, 1649
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. You think that you have a shift that will help you out, by saying, that successes with their circumstances, as praying, and solemn appealing unto God vindicates the mind of God. To this evasion of yours, I shall say but this, Success may not always fall to that side (though just) which doth pray and appeal to God, but on that side which is unjust, and doth neither. As is clear in the case of the men of Judah, 1they sought unto God, and asked Counsel of God before they would fight with the children of Benjamin, yet for all that they lost in two battles 40000 men; yet their cause was good, their prayers and appeals to heaven were solemn and serious.
3. You think that you have a shift that will help you out, by saying, that successes with their circumstances, as praying, and solemn appealing unto God vindicates the mind of God. To this evasion of yours, I shal say but this, Successe may not alwaies fal to that side (though just) which doth pray and appeal to God, but on that side which is unjust, and doth neither. As is clear in the case of the men of Judah, 1they sought unto God, and askt Counsell of God before they would fight with the children of Benjamin, yet for all that they lost in two battails 40000 men; yet their cause was good, their prayers and appeals to heaven were solemn and serious.
4. Consider God may give the Army successes not out of any love or approbation of their ways; but out of love to his own name and people, whose work for some time they were employed about. Cyrus was successful against the Chaldeans; these successes were given him not for his own sake, but for the sakes of the children of Israel; God may use the Army as a battle axe, to break the enemies of his Church in pieces, and yet neither love their persons, nor own many of their actions, but break them in the end. Dionysius did ill to say, because he had a prosperous voyage at sea, that therefore the Gods did favour Sacrilege; God neither favours nor loves Rebellion, though they may prosper that are guilty of it. If you do build so much on successes, yet make not present but final success the ground of your confidence; if the Army persist to justify their sinful actings, mark what will become of them in the latter end. He conclude this with the wish of the Poets.