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perate evils of the world. Now what the true Church of Chrift is, and wherein its Peace and Unity lies, is here in fome measure declared, for the good of the Faithful every where, and particularly for your good; left you being glorious inftruments in the hand of God, for one work, fhould miscarry in another. And this 1 have done, through God, not because I was worthy to do it, but because it was worthy to be done. to be done. For why fhould the Church any longer be ignorant of the things that belong unto its peace? and why should the Members of it, any longer lie as fcattered bones, dry and dead, and not gathered up into the unity of a living body? and who could longer indure, to fee unskilfull Phyficians, under pretence of healing the Church, wound it ftill deeper; and under pretence of procuring its peace, burry it into endless diffentions and divifions? In this cafe of neceffity, I could not but speak, both out of Duty and Love, and I hope none of you will defpife to hear, who confider, that God, when he lays afide the wife and prudent, chooses Babes and Sucklings, to perfect his. praife, out of their mouths; that fo he himself, may be the more glorified and admired, in his weak and mean Inftruments. Now let his praise be above the Earth, and the Heavens; and let him give you the honour that all his Saints have; and this is his hearty defire, who humby writes himself,

Your Servant in the Gospel,

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176

TO HIS

EXCELLENCY

THE

Lord General FAIRFAX,

And the Honourable

Lieutenant General CROMWEL,

T

Together with the
Councel of WAR.

HE prefence of the Lord having turned your Course backward like Jordan, from what it was a year ago; and all former inchantments and divinations used against you, being diffolved, through the renewing of the fame prefence of God with you, after a manifeft withdrawing of it; and You through a blessed neceffity, being now doing that work of God, which once you had little minde to, viz. The Procuring the Peace of the Kingdom, by fubduing the great enemies of peace, and removing all the enmity against peace,that was in-wrapped in our very Laws, and degenerated Conftitution of the Kingdom; I thought good, whilft you are thus bufie about the peace of the Kingdom, which is a peace without you, to put you in mind of the true peace of the true Church, which is a peace within you, and an eternal peace, as the former is but a temporal; for what advantage will it be for you, to have

peace

peace among men, and to want Peace with God? to do the work of God in the world, and to be destitute of the work of God in your own hearts? to destroy the enemies to worldly peace, and yet to maintain in your own hearts the corruptions of unrenewed nature, which are the enemies of heavenly peace? Take heed therefore, that your prefent employments, do not fo over-ingage you in this world, that you neglect the world to come: take heed, left by feeking your felves, you have your reward here: but do the work of God, for God; and whilft you act for God, live in him, and let him be your reward, and not the creature.

And now here in this Difcourfe, fhall you fee a better peace and Agreement, than you are striving for, (though your work also be excellent and glorious) even fuch a peace and Agreement, of which Chrift himself, is the immediate Author and prince, and which he communicates, not to the world, but to them he chooses out of the world, even the peace of God in Jefus Chrift, by the Spirit, which hath its foundation in Chrift; and its influence into each Communion of Saints, all the world over: And this peace can no more be brought about by your Sword, than by the Magiftrates Scepter; and therefore take heed, left you now, having power in your hands, to another purpose, fhould fo far forget your felves, as to do that your felves, which you have condemned in others. Therefore fuffer the word only, to be both Scepter and Sword in the Kingdom of God, and let the true Church remain free, in the Freedom which Chrift hath confer'd upon it; or elfe, the Lord, whose own the Church is, will as certainly, in his due time, take the fword out of your hands, as he hath done the Scepter out of the Magiftrate's, and throw you, into one deftruction with him. But I am perfwaded better things of you, though I

thus

thus fpeak, and even fuch things, as are fuitable to the light of the Gospel, and to the vertues, and graces of Chrift and his Spirit, which have been hitherto(and I hope,will yet still be)very manifeft,not only in Tou Honourable Ones, who have the chief Conduct, but alfo in very many of the Councel and Army befides. And upon fuch a gathering together of Gods people, and Saints, (let the world (if it pleafe) ftill laugh at that word) who can but think, he hath fome choice and fingular work in hand for his own glory? The Lord God Almighty hath already done great and wonderful works by you, and is yet doing greater, if you will continue to believe and obey; and in all these things he only is to be exalted, and not You. For hath not that Day of the Lord of Hoft dawned? yea the morning of it is already gone forth, which is upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he is to be brought low, and the Lord alone is and must be exalted, in this day.

Now the Lord caufe you to dwell and continue in that Church, which is the body of Christ, and habitation of God, and give you peace with those that are reconciled to God by Chrift, and to one another in Chrift, by the Spirit; in which union and communion, I remain.

Your affured Servant,

W. D.

то

TO THE

READER.

Christian Reader,

UCH are the noises of waters, and thundrings, and earthquakes among us; and fo great and continued are our shakings and confulions, through hatred and love, hopes and fears, joys and forrows, triumphs and indignations, that there is no filence in heaven, for fo much as half an hour. Wherefore, though I discourse here, touching fo fweet and glorious a thing as Peace, and do declare from the very word (or elfe I had faid nothing) wherein the true peace of the true Church confifts; and also, how the faithful, and Churches, may preserve that peace, in their Communion with one another, which they have, in the Son, and in the Father: yet mens heads and hearts are now fo full, that it is to be doubted, but few will regard it. Notwithstanding, confidering that there is among us, an election of grace, and a flock of Chrift, who both know, and will hear his voyce at any time; I thought good to speak this in their behalf, for whofe profit all the creatures of God were made in the world, and all the gifts of Chrift are given in the Church, And though I am very confcious, of my rudeness of fpeech, in this Difcourfe, as alfo of my weakness and infirmity in many things, having not yet attained to a perfect man, and to the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift; and fo dare not fay, that every jot and tittle here, is of the pure river of water of life, without any humane mixture; yet they that are fpiritual, and able to judge, will own all in it, that is of the word and spirit of truth, and

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