THE LAST ADVICE OF WILLIAM LAVD, late Arch-Bishop, to his episcopal Brethren; and especially to Bishop WREN, who still remaines Prisoner in the Tower.  
Which was found in the said Arch-Bishops study since his death among his other Writings, and now set forth to public view.  
 
LONDON, Printed for J. B. 1645. Feb: 11th 1644   

THE LAST ADVICE OF WILLIAM LAVD late Archbishop, to his episcopal Brethren of that Lordly hierarchy.  
WHAT'S that strikes sadness in a sinful heart, but fear of temporal death? and that after death comes Iudgement, makes the Genius faint, which sometimes was so active in doing mischief, though now dejected, that once aspired to bedeck its Temples with Romes triple crown, sailing on with golden thoughts, but heres that causes it hang on a trembling leaf; for that the life thereof attends the Laws decreeing: so upon one gentle gale, through which all the vitals pass from life to death, for fou●e intents against the Reformed Churches, for which thou hast long time groaned under the intolerable pressure of three kingdoms hate, stil expatiating thyself like a big-swolne cloud of infection, to obscure the glorious light, and poison the wholesome air with pestilent doctrine, keeping the people in gross ignorance by thy superstitious Romish Ceremonies, making divisions for thy own security, and for keeping up of that Hierarchy, whereof thou wert the head( but now disclaims) from public reproach, thou hast not failed, by acting thy close and cunning contrivances, to ruinated almost three Kingdoms, though thereby thou mayst well question what will become of thee here; and hereafter, when all thy Cabinet councils shal be discovered to al the world who hast made a prey of King & subject: relling the King his power was boundless, to make, device, & alter the Law, when he or they pleased: That it was a Prerogative in the Crown, and the fairest flower in it: therefore he must make use thereof, by keeping his subjects in awe. This was thy masterpiece, whereby thou wroughtest and broughtest the too long absence of that our Sun, and hadst brought on them eternal and horrid darkness, had not Divine Providence raised up and placed so many bright and fixed stars in Westminster, through whose sweet influence the whole Land hath received Light & Life. Wherefore its impossible for thee to meet with any consolation but a devouring Sword, which is drawn forth and lifted up against all that seek their Countreyes destruction. I fear Heaven and Earth have combined against us all, I cannot so much as think there is any balm left to cure our ulcerous leprosy, nor dream of any favour from this kingdom( which we have so long laboured to bring to destruction) but as we have justly deserved, to receive Sentence of Death from this faithful, lawful, and awful Parliament. I thought once I could have escaped the Thunderbolts of Divine Vengeance, and lifted myself up above the reach of the numerous multitude, so long as I was covered with my Princes wings, and warmed with the beams of his favour: but now Nature and Grace, Time and Fortune, have taken a course to bring me to destruction. Therefore I desire all Officers of Church and State to be warned by my fall, especially you Brother Wren, who will be the next, by all expectation, that must follow me: Know all of you, a day will come to call every man to a strict account( those especially of my own Coat) who withstood Reformation, and defiled their Mother, Christs unspotted Church, so grievously and grossly as wee: Submit yourselves therefore to this High and Honourable Court, aclowledge you have exercised and upheld a Tyrannica l power over the souls and Consciences of the People, labour to make your peace with them here, that you may account the better hereafter; led a Christian life, the doing whereof is more then angelical: For that the Angels being now placed in their glory, neither have temptations to resist, nor can do any work( as wee might or may) to augment their glory. Brethren, it is the last time I shall advice you; wee have sundry examples of our fore-fathers, in whom such simplicity and sincerity is reported to have been, that they have studied nothing else but the Godly mans duty, and laboured the performance thereof. What will become then of us, who have lived so licentiously, by consenting to every motion that comes with pleasure; yet knowing, that every such consent of heart is as much in substance as the act, and makes the soul guilty of eternal death? It is to be admired, how circumspectly our forefathers ( in my place) have been in their carriage, and how little wee have followed their good example. job that just man had less cause to fear then we: yet he saith, I did fear all my doings: and the Kingly Prophet was so careful, that he day and night preached every corner of his heart. What a diligent examination of conscience was this in a King? surely he had no such Clergy about him, as we have been to our King, who persuaded him it was impossible for his Crown to stand firm on his royal He●d without the assistance of the mitre, and entangled him in a pernicious league and covenant against his faithful subiects: for which we must render a double account, both here and hereafter. For myself, I am now become an example to you, to receive execution of the just censure of the High Court of Parliament, which is but a type( I fear) of that we must receive hereafter. For since I have not been able to give a good account of my stewardship here, I shal bee less able to do it before the great judge of all. For considering the strict account every man must give and how rigorous a Master we must come before how stern, how exquisite in his accounts how able to punish guilty men and how he hath dealt by others in the like matters, makes me dread to appear. he hath proclaimed a Law for our behaviour towards him in our several services. He gave Adam the same command at the Creation, and imprinted it in the heart of each man before it was written or published on Mount Sinai, which was with great majesty, to the great astonishment even of the hearers themselves; showing that the exaction of this Law at the last Day must needs be terrible: This may be one forcible reason to move you to look back, for you have longer time then I. Had I ever thought to have been made exemplary, I would have been better prepared; but now, you having me for your President, consider the sharp execution inflicted on the offenders of this Law before it was written, and since, and you will find great cause of fear: witness Adams punishment, and many millions more, for his one fault; the drowning of the World the burning of sodom and Gomorrah, and many others, whom he had more cause to tolerate then wee. O that I had thought hereof when I was in my meanest condition, then had I never sought to crucify harmless Truth as I( with your assistance) have done, nor drunk with open throat the intoxicated Cup of cursed Preferment. Consider likewise our Saviours behaviour in this matter; he came to redeem and pardon us in much mercy and mildness, but in this point of taking our accounts he useth neither, but all austerity, not in words only, but in examples and parables; for in one he damneth that servant to Hell onely because he augmented not his Talent, and all those( without exception) that shal work iniquity. What have we been, but workers of iniquity, by stifling the rays of Majesty with impure smoke? We tainted Judgement, and poisoned the Kings heart, insomuch that we are now plunged into the gulf of misery. 
Here he disclaimeth the hierarchy with great penitency.  Now the Sun's come forth in Majesty, like a valiant Champion to discover the mystery of iniquity, and to chase abhorred darkness from off the earth, to the shane of all the Lordly Dignities that reigned over the Church. We now groan under the heavy censure of three kingdoms, for our tyranny & oppression, wherewith we so cruelly bruised the powers of the earth. For my part, might I live another Age without offence to God, the world should see, I would cast myself into the bosom of that Truth which I have so much wounded; and endeavour to leave a good example behind to all Court-Parasites; for it is that which( at this day) concerns me as the life of my soul: but this I should have done while it was called to day; and not have let it slip to my last glass of time. I can do nothing now, time is past, save onely to forewarn you, Brother, who have some time, to make good use thereof, for it hasteneth away. Consider what a Master you have to reckon withall, and that he will call you to a severe account of your Talent: look on my example; know there is one above that sees how you( Brother Williams and fern) lay impositions on the conscience of your Prince, by preaching so much earthly Prerogative royal Doctrine, never thinking on the Prerogative royal of Heaven: Know there is a Summons given out, for your accounts to be brought before the Judge of all, and there are two Judgements appointed after death: the one is particular, whereby each man at his departure from this world receives sentence either of punishment or reward; which we see in Lazarus and Dives, the one was called to punishment, the other to rest: the other is general, which shall be of all men at the end of the world where a final sentence shall be pronounced on all, never altering their estate, by easing the pain of the one, or ending the glory of the other. O that you would with Austine say, you have considered the particulars of the great severity and fear, in the souls passage from the body to Gods tribunal, under the custody of good and bad Angels: O the fear she hath of them, the terror of Gods presence, and the strict examination she must abide: it torments me to think I considered it not before, it being that which I by God was called to, to search into these mysteries, and yet never weighed them till now. What a sad condition am I now coming into, after I have satisfied the world with my poor life; yet this is but the first Judgement of two that I must receive, having left this world. The reason why God will have a second Judgement is, for that the bodies of many rising from their graves, might be partakers of the eternal punishment or glory of the soul, as it hath been copartner with the same in virtue or 'vice in this life: secondly, that as Christ was reproached here publicly, so he might show his Power & majesty publicly, in sight of all creatures: thirdly, that the godly and wicked might receive their reward openly, to the confusion of the one, and glory of the other: fourthly, for that wicked men when they die, commonly carry not with them al their demerits, but leave behind them evil example & their household corrupted by them, or their doctrines. Al which following after their death, they cannot so conveniently receive judgement for the same presently. Therefore as you love the life of your souls, consider what a sad condition we the Prelates are in: especially myself, having no more time to repent: How many 1000. are gone before, and I shal leave behind, that will cry out for vengeance, and be tormented themselves for that they lead their lives answerable to our corrupted doctrines? Wherefore at the request of your dying Brother, repent, that your example may work amendment in those who yet live, whom we have corrupted, that we may have the less to answer for: For according to our offences, shal be our torments: It is prelatical dignity that hath brought us al to ruin here, and I fear so wounded our souls, as we shal hardly ever have Ioy hereafter, but multitude of torments. For as the evil fals out hereafter, by reason of our wickedness, so shal our torments be increased: Tis Austins own rule, and I speak it with grief, wishing that my hearty sorrow could but convert one soul at this my last ho●re, that I might but in part glory for any good that may come to any by my Last Testament here. For there will not be an end of all our doings, till the last dreadful day, where it shal be evidently seen, what every man shall have in the justice and mercy of God, who will bring to Iudgement al things, and al men: It must needs therefore be a terrible day to the wicked, for the distresses( even of whole n●tions shal be great) al the Tribes of the earth shal mourn, all shal be presented, even the closest actions, & most secret cabinet councils of those of our own Tribe, it shal be al preached on the house top. Our very righteousness( if we ever had any) shalbe judged. Good men shal stand with boldness against their Tormentors here, when the wicked shal be confounded, and thrust into Hell. Have we not cause then to prepare for this great day? how many circumstances of fear and horror, it shall be at midnight, when men usually sleep, what hideous noise of Trumpets, sound of Waters, motions of all the Elements, Stars falling, the Elements rent in sunder, and all the world on a flamme, Graves opening, and yielding up all their dead, both Kings and peasants, to stand naked in view of all creatures, compelled to give account of 1000. matters, which they would have disdained to have been  told of here. O that I could now say I had a good conscience, what an unspeakable treasure it would be to me at this time. Wealth nought avails, for this judge will not be corrupted with money: No intercession will then prevail: the Angels themselves, though they shall have the honour to manacle the King, and bind the Princes of the earth, shall not intercede for us: whose help shall we then crave? Methinks I hear all things about me to cry for vengeance already against you all. They all yield me cause of terror, but no comfort. O take warning by my horror, even now I am giving the word for lifes farewell. I see, as it were, my great judge above me mightily oftended with me, Hell open beneath me, the cruel Furnace ready boiling to receive me. On my right hand my sins accusing me: on my left, the Devil ready to execute Gods sentence on me, within my conscience gnawing, without all damned souls bewailing, what shall I do to go back is impossible, to go forward is intolerable. O that I might but live one day longer to describe the horror of an evil conscience. How four do al my worldly pleasures past seem to me at this hour, their very memory will be doleful at the great day. wherefore I desire al men to make this use of my Last Testament, not to give themselves over to al manner of licentiousness, as wee have done: Lest this great day or●take them.  
So now to life adieu,  
All worldly joys farewell,  
For now I die the death,  
Lord keep my soul from Hell.   
FINIS.