English Puritan & Reformed

Englands Remembrancer

John Vicars (1579 or 80-1652) · 1,237 words · 5 min

The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/B06423.0001.001

Project Note

This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.

The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.

This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.

Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.

However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.

This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.

Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org

ENGLANDS REMEMBRANCER, OR, A thankful acknowledgement of Parliamentary Mercies to our English-Nation. Wherein is contained a brief enumeration of all, or the most of GOD'S free favors and choice Blessings multiplied on us since this Parliament First began.

[illustration]
This book of the law sh • 〈◊〉 not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day & night y ^t thou mayst of serve to do a according to 〈◊〉 y ^t is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous &c: Jos: • : 8
Give the King thy Iudgments, O Lord & thy righteousness unto of Kings son so shall, he judge thy people thru equity & thy poor thru Judgment: psal: 72: 1.
My heart is toward the governors of Israel who offered themselves willingly Judges: 5: 9:
Slacke not thy hand from thy servants, come up to us quickly and sa • e • s, and help us: for all the Kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. Josh: 10.6.
Happy art thou O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people saved by the lord and who is the sword of thy Excellencie and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee: Deut: 33 and 29
• hon the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly because with a cheerful heart they offered willingly unto the Lord, And the King also rejoiced with great joy : 1: Chron: 29: 9.

         C
        
        Omehither, each true Christian heart and see;
       
        But, bring a joyful, thankful heart with thee.
       
        Come see (I say) to God's eternal praise,
       
        His miracles of mercies in thy days.
        
        How, though two former Parliaments were broke,
        
        A third is called, hopeful to strike the stroke
       
        Of blessed reformation; to which end,
       
        See how the Lord the people's hearts did bend
        
        To choose renowned worthies there to sit,
       
        Maugre the adverse plot tohave hindered it.
       
        How God stir'd-up our
        
         Scottish
        
        Brethren brave,
        
        As friends, not foes, justice, (with us) to crave.
       
        In which mean time, how by Heavens providence,
        
        Soldiers ith' Country, with strange violence
       
        T
        
         〈…〉
        
        Reformers, hating the Popish-party
        
        And Pontificians with despite most hearty.
       
        Crossing Papists and the Prelates plots,
        
        To force fierce wars betwixt us and the
        
         Scots,
        
        To three great Kingdoms certain Desolation,
        
        All crossed by a blest Pacification:
       
        Scatt'ring and batt'ring(that time)Spain's great Fleet,
        
        By honest
        
         Holland,
        
        who, their pride did meet.
       
        How God begins toavenge th'unpater'nd ruth,
        
        Of that pair-royal-Witnesses of Truth,
       
        And all the suffering Worthies of the same,
        
         •
        
        them to comfort, credit, fame.
       
        How God hath shot those impious Canoniers
        
        By cursed Canons to deep shame and fears,
       
        Of fatal, final fall, even by an Oath,
        
        Whereby they hoped to go full Popish growth.
       
        How Heaven discovered hath a rotten-Sort
        
        Of scandalous
        
         Baals-Priests
        
        of foul report;
       
        And open set a Door of restauration
        
        For faithful Pastors happy re-plantation.
       
        How, by their own plots, God hath strangely wrought
        
        Papists and Prelates to decline to naught.
       
        How by the very blood of blood of traitorous foes
        
        The Lord begins the wounds to heal and close
       
        Of Church and State, and, for this purpose, hath
        
        Kindled the fire of Supplicating Faith
       
        And fervent Zeal in private humiliation,
       
        Such, as the like was nere seen in this Nation;
       
        And with transcendent sweet returns re-paid
        
        Our prayers into our bosoms with blest aid.
       
        How the Lord hath, the Spirit of Unity.
       
        Shed on Both Houses, Courage and Constancy;
        
        O, how their indefatigable pains
       
        Our happy Hopes in Church and State maintains!
       
        To see both Prince and People blessedly
       
        Conjoyned in a sugared Symphony
        
        To fit and consult with full content,
       
        Till they themselves dissolve this Parliament.
       
        And after it to sit triennially
        
        To Church and States future felicity.
       
        To see Ship-money, Patents damned down,
        
        And good men set in seats of high renown.
        
        To see Non-Resident justly disgraced,
        
        To see our lazy Pluralists displac'd;
        
        And godly Lecturers by their flock elected,
        
        And droanish Deans and Prebends disrespected
        
        And voted-down in Parliament. To see,
        
         Oxford
        
        and
        
         Cambridge
        
        hopeful purged to be.
       
        To see God's Sabbaths more sincerely kept,
        
        Of Carryers, Fruit'rers, Taverns soil well swept;
        
        And Presses open wide to vindicate
       
        The Sabbaths precious honor, which, of late,
        
        By impious Prelates, Pontificks profane
       
        Had (by vain sports) received a deep-died stain.
       
        To see to th'Sacrament, none (now) admitted
        
        But such as piously are thereto fitted,
       
        To see the Surplice and such Romish trash
        
        From Parliament receive a deadly gash,
       
        Whereby no Popish gestures, vestures are
       
        Impos'd 'gainst Conscience on God's Saints to wear.
       
        And no man forced (now) at Church to stay
        
        Where is no preaching to promote God's day.
       
        To see God's Out-casts called home again
        
        And sons of
        
         Belial
        
        feel just shame and pain.
       
        No High-Commission, Sp'ritual-Court to see,
        
        Whereby God's people's hearts from fears are free,
       
        Of their unjust Commands, lawless taxations
       
        And all Church-wardens cleared from vile vexations,
        
        To see our Seas and Cinque-Ports fortify'd;
        
        That we may und'r our Vines securely 'bide.
       
        But, specially to see, with exultation
       
        From Both the Houses a blest Protestation,
        
        Together, all true English-hearts to tie,
       
        In a blest league,
        
         Rome's
        
        Strumpet to defy,
        
        All Popish Innovations to disdain,
       
        Christ's Truth toth' death constantly to maintain.
       
        O, who cannot these Halcyon-days admire,
       
        And with enflamed Zeal be set on fire,
       
        To sound the praises of our bounteous Lord
       
        Who these heart-cheering comforts doth afford
       
        Unto a Nation, in th'esteem of most,
       
        For Sin, forsaken, perishing and lost.
       
        But, now, much like a Ship by swelling-ways
        
        Tost to and fro, gaping to be the graves
        
        Of all its heartesse Mariners, but yet
       
        A sudden calm and fair winds favoring it,
       
        'It is brought in saf'ty to a harbor fair
       
        Where all arrive, where all preserved are:
       
        So, O, even so, thy God in mercy free,
       
        O
        
         England, England,
        
        thus preserved thee!
        
        Hopelesse and helpless: Lay this then to heart,
       
        Rouse up thy Soul, perform thy praising part.
       
        O great King CHARLES, cheer-up thy soul, like Wise,
        
        Ponder these ponderous things, arise, arise,
       
        High time to put-on refolutions rare,
       
        To honor God, who with such honors fair
        
        Hath blessed thee and thy three Kingdoms, now,
       
        A thorough Reformation in them vow.
        
        Remember also and Commiserate
       
        Thy royal Sister's poor
        
         Palatinate,
        
        Sad
        
         Germanies
        
        long lamentable woes;
        
         Rochell,
        
        like
        
         Rachel
        
        in her childless throws.
        
        Thy near allied
        
         Denmark
        
        in distress,
        
         Holland
        
        thine honest, ancient friend no less.
        
        Who All, with Us, and on Us, look for aid,
       
        From thee, great Prince, who long have been ore-laid
       
        With
        
         Romish
        
        rage and
        
         Spanish
        
        cruelty,
        
        Still groaning, grieving, by their tyranny,
       
        To forward which most blessed work, behold,
        
        Thy prudent Peers resolved with courage bold,
        
        Thy pious Prophets with their prayers addrest,
        
        Thy people all with hearts and purses pressed,
        
        To give thee all their aide, to spend their blood,
       
        To hasten-on this work so great, so good.
       
        And, O our God, let thy good Spirit strike-in,
        
        To make the work complete, to pull-down sin,
       
        To set-up Christ in his pure, powerful throne
       
        To rule and reign in all our hearts, Alone.
       
        So shall we All, all our remaining days
       
        To thee our God eternal trophies raise
       
        Of all obliged praises infinite,
       
        Who, thus, to do us good, dost take delight.

FINIS.

JOHN VICARS.

London, Printed for Thomas Underhill, and are to be sold at the Bible in Wood-street, M. DC, XLI.