IN the due consideration of the mortalitie and plague, wherewith God at this time hath grieuously visited vs, two principall things are to be looked into: First, what may be the cause of this infectious disease: then what cure, or remedy may be prouided to remoue, stay, or mitigate the spreading and the increase thereof. The Philosopher and Physitian doe alledge such naturall causes as these: the infection of the ayre, the corruption of the bloud, and humors in the body of man: the contagion which the sound party may receiue from persons, or places already infected: and all these are true in their kinde. But ouer and aboue these causes alledged, the graue and weighty authority of the Word of God must informe vs of another cause, a cause not naturall, but supernaturall: namely, the wrath of God prouoked and incensed by the sins of any Nation or people, hath often brought in the pestilence, as the sword and scourge of God to destroy them, or chasten them for their sinnes. The people of Israel murmured against God in the wildernesse, and not regarding his louing care and prouidence ouer them, (who fed them miraculously with water out of the Rocke, and with Manna from Heauen) waxed wanton in their desires, and required flesh also for their lust, which, though they obtained, yet notwithstanding, while the meat was in their mouthes, the plague of God fell vpon them, and slew the wealthiest of them,Numb. 11. Psal. 78.30. and smote downe the chosen men that were in Israel, as you may reade. Againe, the multitude of the people of Israel taking part with those factious and seditious conspirators, Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, murmured against Moses and Aaron, and grudged against that their authority of Magistracie and Priesthood wherein God himselfe had established them: wherefore a plague came vpon them, and there died 14700. Againe,Numb. 25. the same people of Israel committed whoredome with the daughters of Moab, which called them also to the sacrifice of their gods; wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and their died in that plague 24000. Againe,2 Sam. 24. 1 Chro. 21.1 in the dayes of King David the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and Satan moued David to number Israel and Iuda: and the Lord sent a pestilence, and there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70000. The Apostle S. Paul also, signifieth in his Epistle to the Corinthians,1 Cor. 11. that for their profanation and abusing the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper, many of them were sick and weake, and many died. Lastly, of all sinne the same Apostle saith,Ephe. 5. that for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience. So that from these examples wee see, that sinne moueth the Lord to wrath, and the wrath of the Lord sendeth the plague, mortality, diseases, and death among men.

Which being so euident a truth, confirmed by so many examples out of the holy Scriptures, it must be confessed and acknowledged that the same cause hath procured the same punishment with vs: and that in these daies, these euill daies of ours, our transgressions in number more, and in degree more hainous than those of Israel, haue filled full the measure of iniquity, and caused God to fill full the cup of his wrath, and giuen vs this deadly wine to drinke. The people of Israel required meat for their lust,Numb. 11. Psal. 78. and the people of England nourish their lust for their meat, giuing ouer themselues to surfeiting and drunkennesse, and as those that make their belly their God, and their glory their shame, are become a by-word vnto neighbour Nations for gluttony, and belly-cheare. The people of Israel murmured and rebelled against Moses and Aaron, Numb. 16. their leaders: and there haue beene also among vs in England not onely such as haue despised gouernment, and spoken euill of those that are in authority:2 Tim. 3.4. but such also as S. Paul prophesied of, that there should come in the latter dayes traytors, heady, high minded, murmurers, malecontents, fault-finders, as S. Jude calleth them:Jude 8. The people of Israel committed whoredome with the daughters of Moab: and there are many of the daughters of England like those daughters of Moab, Num. 25. and too many like vnto Zimri, whose fornications are notorious in the sight of the world, not caring to conceale their abominations; and therefore no marvaile, if GOD himselfe stand forth to plague the land for them. Adde vnto these, that haply with David, 2 Sam. 24. wee haue lifted vp our hearts in the multitude of our people, and magnified our selues, that wee are a mighty and populous Nation, ascribing vnto our selues, and our owne strength, the honour and victory ouer our enemies, which God with his owne right arme hath gotten vnto himselfe for his glory. Adde moreouer, that swearing, outragious oathes, and cursed speakings are to bee heard out of the mouthes of all estates, yea, euen of very children in our streets, whereby the Name of God is very grieuously prophaned. Adde also that our trades and traffique is become the practice of deceit and theft, while wee make our gaine by lying, forswearing, false measure, false weights, and false lights, which are an abomination vnto the Lord. And therefore no marueile if that flying booke of the curse of God against the swearer,Zach. 4.5. and the thiefe, haue entred into our houses, and taken holde of the stone, and timber thereof. Besides all these, the Lords day is not kept holy, but polluted: the Word of God, and the ministery thereof is not reuerenced, but despised: his holy Sacraments are either neglected, or abused: generally the Name of God is euill spoken of among the aduersaries of the truth through vs, and our dissolute and licentious conuersation: and therefore the cause is apparent why the plague is broken in amongst vs: God hauing threatned vs in his Word as the people of Israel, that because wee will not obey the voyce of the Lord our God to doe all his Commandements, and his Ordinances which hee commands vs, hee will smite vs with a consumption, and with a feuer, and with a burning ague, and shall cause the pestilence to cleaue vnto vs vntill hee hath consumed vs from the land. And thus much of the cause of the pestilence.

Now let vs examine and see what hope of helpe, what cure or remedy remaineth vnto vs in this visitation. The remedy is to be sorted out answerable to the cause of the disease: so that if Gods anger against sinne hath caused this mortality amongst vs (as heretofore hath beene shewed amongst other people) if wee shall remooue our sinnes out of the sight of God, his wrath shall cease, and with his wrath our punishment. For the applying of this soueraigne balme vnto our present sore, there is by publike order prescribed, that Fasting and Prayer, the true signes and tokens of our vnfained repentance, and conuersion vnto God, should be exercised in all Congregations: especially in and about London, that all degrees and estates of people might thereby be admonished to humble themselues vnder the mighty hand of God, to acknowledge their sinnes, and by their humiliation and detestation of their former wicked life, to testifie vnto the world, that they desire nothing more than to bee reconciled againe to their good and gracious God, that he may cause his indignation to cease, and turne away this his fearefull chastisement from among vs. And as fasting and prayer are meanes spirituall, appointed in the Word of God, and alwayes practised in the Church of God at such times as hee afflicteth his people with any contagious diseases or plagues for sinne: So are there also other naturall and ordinary meanes not to bee neglected, but to be receiued and vsed against the naturall causes of this infection. For though it bee true that all things are guided by Gods prouidence: and that hee doth what hee will doe in heauen and in earth; yet hee effecteth and bringeth his will to passe by order and by meanes that himselfe hath determined. The eyes of all things looke vp vnto the Lord, and trusting in him hee giueth them their meat in due season: but yet the Lord will have all men to labour, and eate the labours of their hands, for the maintenance of their life. It is the Lord that bringeth back againe from the gates of death, and restoreth men that were sick to their former health: and yet hath hee ordained the Physitian, and created many medicinable and comfortable things to procure and preserue the health of man, and hath commanded vs to vse them. Men must plant and water, though it be onely God that giueth the increase. If the husbandmen should giue ouer their tillage, and pretend that they meant to depend vpon Gods prouidence, looking either to be fed from heauen, or that the earth should of her owne accord bring foorth vnto them graine and corne, and all necessary fruits for their reliefe: were it not in respect of themselues extreame madnesse, and towards God a most wicked temptation? It cannot be denied, but that this grieuous sicknesse which now reigneth amongst vs, both is and shall be gouerned by GODS prouidence: But yet such as truely feare GOD, and are truely instructed out of his Word, will submit themselues vnto his heauenly prouidence in such sort as hee hath appointed them. When good King Ezechiah was sicke of this disease of the plague, as Diuines doe deliuer, hee prayed and wept, and vsed those meanes meete to pacifie the anger of God. And when God had determined that hee should not die of that sicknesse: though he could no doubt have healed him without meanes, by his word onely, yet hee directeth his Prophet to signifie unto him the medicinable meanes of his help; namely, that he should apply a plaister of figges to his sore, to ripen and heale it. So that we see, first prayer to God, and then the vse of other necessary and profitable meanes must not be neglected.

Now if any man should object or say: this visitation commeth of God, and I know not whether I may pray against it, hee bewrayeth greatly his ignorance in the Scriptures of God. For in everie visitation of this, or anie other plague there mentioned, you shall finde that the holy men of God still laboured by prayer and supplication unto God, to remove the same from themselves and their people.Num. 16. Moyses is said to have stood in the gappe, to turne away the wrath of God;Psal. 106. and Aaron ranne with his golden Censer, to stand betweene the living and the dead; and Phinees the Priest stood up and prayed, and the plague ceased;2 Sam. 24. David seeing the Angel ready to destroy Ierusalem, built an Altar, offered sacrifice, and brake forth into that his most ardent and earnest supplication for the people.

Againe, because in this great mortality of ours, wee finde by experience, that not so much any generall corruption of the aire, nor any distemperature in the blood, or humours of mens bodies have beene the causes of the spreading and continuing of this infection, as the contagion that the disease it selfe hath bred, and which one man receiveth from another, the sound from those that are sicke: Therefore also men are to learne, that one chiefe and ordinarie meane of their preservation in this dangerous time is, the avoyding of the contagion that commeth by mingling disorderly the sound and the sicke together. And if there bee any that being yet sound, doe thinke they are not bound in conscience to shunne and avoide the persons and places that are infected, except it bee in case of necessity: or if those that are diseased, or doe keepe in houses where the disease is knowne to bee, shall thinke much that they are shut up, and restrained from comming abroad, or frequenting the common and publique assemblies of those that are cleare, having in the meane time such things as are necessary for their sustentation; they must bee content to heare out of the word of God their errour therein and ignorance. The disease of the leprosie was infectious as is the pestilence, and whensoever any were smitten with that disease, it was not surely without the will or providence of God: and yet we may safely learn even of God himselfe, without any prejudice to his good providence, how we ought in that and other kinde of infectious maladies to demeane our selves for the avoyding of the damage therof. The Leper (saith the Lord in the 13. Chapter of Leviticus,) in whom the plague is, shall have his cloathes rent, and his head bare, and shall put a covering upon his lips, and shall cry, I am uncleane, I am uncleane. And as long as this disease shall be upon him, hee shall dwell alone; without the campe shall his habitation bee. The renting of his clothes here mentioned, was a signe of his mourning and lamentation for that affliction; he dwelt alone for feare of infecting others; and if at any time he went abroad to take the aire, his lippes were covered, that his breath might not infect such as came neere him: And besides he was to give warning, that all men might the more carefully avoyde him, by crying out unto them, I am uncleane, I am uncleane.

Furthermore, it was ordered by the Lord, that the clothes that were infected should bee burnt, the houses purged, and in some cases of more danger of infection, pulled down and utterly defaced: In which respect there was a generall commandement given to the people, That they should take heed of the plague of the Leprosie. All these, and divers other rules and cautions prescribed by God himselfe, were chiefly grounded upon this, That the disease of the Leprosie was infectious. Whereby wee are to learne, that forasmuch as the disease of the plague is farre more infectious, contagious, and dangerous than that was of the Leprosie, we should bee so much the more carefull to avoide it: and such as are infected, more charitably minded, and religiously humbled under the hand of God, than disobeying all authoritie, to thrust themselves into the companie of others, whereby the mortalitie daily so increaseth. And if any man should thinke that the disease of the plague were not contagious and infectious, so grosse a conceit is rather to bee pittied, than confuted, being contrarie to the common and lamentable experience of these times, and contrarie to the judgement of all learned and wise men in all ages. If therefore wee desire that Almighty God should withdraw his heavie hand from us, and deliver us from this affliction, it is not sufficient for us by fasting and prayer to humble our selves unto his divine Majestie, except wee joyne therewith our best endeavours and diligence, by using such other meanes as God hath appointed for the staying of it. Otherwise, if wee despise all good meanes: if wee neither regard to keepe our selves in a good estate of our bodily health, by the counsell of the learned Physician: if wee make a mocke of all preservatives of Art: if wee neglect all evill and infectious savours, and refuse the benefit of the purer ayre: if wee runne desperately and disorderly into all places, and amongst all persons, and pretend our faith and trust in Gods providence, saying, If hee will save mee, hee will save mee: and if I dye, I dye. This is not faith in God, but a grosse, ignorant, and foole-hardie presidence and presumption, little different from that subtill temptation of Sathan to our Saviour Christ, to throw himselfe headlong from the top of the pinacle, in hope that God would send his Angels to hold him up: which were a wanton and dangerous tempting of God: or else with Saint Peter, to lead himselfe into temptation, and by desiring to walke on the water, to bring his life into a needlesse and unnecessarie hazzard and perill, without any warrant of an ordinarie calling, or any comfort of a good conscience therein.

Moreover, if men at any time will prepare themselves to death, then should they especially when they are in the greatest danger, as they are who are already infected, or doe without urgent cause resort unto them. Now in preparing our selves to leave this world, what one thing almost is more necessarie than a charitable heart towards all men, which they cannot have by any possible meanes, who either knowing themselves to be infected, doe keepe companie with such as are cleere; or that being whole, doe enter without any necessitie into places infected, and afterwards resort into all companies, as if they were sure that neither they themselves, nor their clothes were tainted. When King Azariah became a leper, because he knew the danger of his disease, and found by the Law of God the restraint of those that were so diseased, though a King, yet was hee content to dwell in an house apart all the dayes of his life, and Jothan his sonne governed in his stead. This his obedience must needs condemne their disordered licentiousnesse, who though the meanest among the people, yet being infected, thinke scorne to keepe their houses, though but for a short time; and breake abroad they will whatsoever come of it, no authoritie, orders, lawes, or proclamations can restraine them: and others there are as wilfull to associate and mingle themselves with them. Wherein, how cruell the one sort are against themselves, in hazzarding their owne lives, & theirs that depend on them; how uncharitable the other sort are towards their brethren, by deriving their infection into them; and how injurious both sorts are to the State and Commonwealth wherein they live, by prolonging & spreading the danger, which otherwise by their better government might be sooner supprest, all wise men of sound judgement are very sorry either to see, or heare it.

Wherefore, considering all that hath beene spoken tendeth to this end, To shew that our sinnes have caused this fearefull Visitation to breake forth against us; and that the remedie left unto us for our hope of helpe herein, is our speedie repentance, with prayer and fasting, together also with the good use of ordinarie meanes, and the warie and carefull carriage of our selves out of the danger of contagion: let us bee truely wise, and demeane our selves in this time of our triall, as those that make good use of Gods corrections: let us neither murmure nor grudge against the will of God, nor take impatiently what our sinnes have deserved, and God in his fatherly care hath inflicted upon us for our amendment: let us not now adde sinne unto sinne, but forasmuch as the desperate securitie of those that seeme neither to feare, nor to flye from this infection, is but a tempting and provoking of the judgement of God: seeing it may bee an hinderance unto the fruit of the prayers, and fasting of the Church, which, be they never so strict and zealous, shall hardly procure a release of this burden of God, if wilfull and intemperate spirits will not bee kept in order: seeing such their unruly licentiousnesse extendeth it selfe to the breach of all charity, & bringeth upon their owne heads no lesse than the guilt of wilfull murder, both of themselves, their children, their families, and neighbours, which hatefull cruelty against their own kinde, Turks and Infidels would abhorre: seeing it procureth also a publike and manifest detriment to the State, and places where they dwell, by hindering their trafficke, and impoverishing their neighbours in their trades and occupations: let men at the last be warned, and if there be any feare of God, any obedience to his word, any conscience of the Magistrates authoritie, any fruits of our faith and Christian profession, whose badge and cognizance is mutuall love and charitie, to further and procure the common good of all: let us not goe forward to tempt God, to continue so cruell to our selves, and so harmefull to others: let us be more humble in the day of our affliction, submitting our selves to those good and wholsome orders, and decrees already published, for preventing the further infection of this our calamitie, and making account of all good meanes, and medicinable helpe, made knowne unto us for our better preservation; lest we may seeme to mocke God by prayer and fasting; to begge a mitigation of this his irefull chastisement, and yet we frame our actions contrarie and opposite to the successe we pray for.

And among all other things yet spoken of, let this one advice be added, without offence unto any: That though it be a Christian and laudable custome, to accompanie the bodies of the dead unto the grave, and commend them in decent maner unto their rest: yet, seeing the end of such assemblies as are then gathered together is, by the use of Prayer, and the Word preached rather to give comfort unto the living, than any benefit unto the dead; let men be advised, perswaded, and content, that their dead should bee buried with no more companie than is needfull for the interring and laying them up in the earth, because the gathering together of friends and neighbours in so common a contagion, cannot be without present danger, and hazzard of their health and lives: and it is verily thought that infection by this meanes of meeting hath ensued unto many.

The conclusion of all is this, That though there cannot be too much care taken for the preserving of those that are yet sound, and for the secluding and separating of those that are sicke: yet must this warning bee therewith given, That the infected housholds may not be so shut up, as that they be also shut out from all succour and reliefe of necessarie maintenance, very many of those families which have beene, and are yet visited, being of the poorer sort. To whose affliction if you shall adde affliction, and suffer them to want means of ordinarie sustentation, alas, what shall become of them, seeing necessity knoweth no law, and want and hunger breake stone walls? In which case of need they will break forth for the succour of their lives, though with never so much danger to themselves or others. Wherefore it shall well beseeme those that are rich and able, to shew their fellow-feeling of their brethrens necessitie; it shall well become the miserie of the time, for men to bee fruitfull in good works, whereby their Christian duety may bee testified unto God and men. And it shall well agree also with the exercise of Fasting and Prayer now in hand, that in everie assembly gathered together to that end, there be a collection made of the benevolence of the people, to bee faithfully and truely distributed by those that are put in trust, unto the poore shut up, and visited with this affliction. So shall your Praiers, Fasting, and Almes-deeds, as the incense and odours of the faithfull, qualifie the stench and corruption of our sinnes, and as sacrifices wherewith God is well pleased, being made acceptable in that sweet smelling savour of our Saviour Christ his intercession, shall mitigate the wrath of God, and turne away this his indignation from us, restoring us againe to his wonted favour, and our former health and safety: Which grace God the Father of all mercy and consolation grant unto us, even for his dearely beloved Son Christ Iesus his sake, our onely Lord and Saviour. Amen.