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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50547	A sermon preached at the assises for the county of Surrey, held in the burrough of Southwark, March 23, 1681/2 by Richard Meggott ...	Meggott, Richard, d. 1692.	1682 (1682)	Wing M1626; ESTC R16983	11,501	40

Adam happy And it being such a Law as not only taketh care of the eternal happiness of their Souls in the other World but preserveth so carefully the Persons the Estates the Credit the Families of men from all that should prejudice them even in this none but must conclude it deserveth the high Elogium here bestowed upon it and is indeed a Perfect Law of Liberty I shall therefore now conclude with this natural Inference from the whole That Religion is the strongest and best support of Civil Government Where is where can there be any just and wholsome Law of man that is not at least virtually comprehended in this perfect Law of God The Malmsbury Philosopher need not have been so fond of the Whimsie as to have put it into more than one of his Writings That it is fit there should be as many Statute Books Printed as Bibles and that they should be read in the Churches as Moses was in the Synagogue every Sabbath day The divine Statutes faithfully and solidly explained will save the labour of so very unseasonable a Publication For besides a higher they serve this purpose also and in whatsoever tendeth to the peace and order the preservation and prosperity of human Society speak the same things with them Not in particular that is not to be expected If every thing of that kind among all Nations should be expresly set down in holy Scripture to use St Johns Language I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books that should be Written but in the general they do injoyning the Principles upon which they are founded and for the several instances remitting every one to the Laws of their own Country commanding us to be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake So that if men were but good Christians they would be good Subjects good Officers good Neighbours good in every station that God shall place them in And when these are the benefits and happy fruits of it let it not be thought affected or immodest if here I break forth into the Psalmists Apostrophe Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth And affirm it is not only the duty but even the interest of the higher powers to uphold and give it countenance There is nothing so facilitateth the Magistrates Office and prepareth the way for his Authority this maketh men to be a Law to themselves and obey humane ordinances not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake It cannot be denyed but that the pretences of this excellent Religion have wrought no small confusions on the Earth but I hope the Religion it self shall not be prejudiced because of this any more than you will suffer the lawfull Mony of England to be Cryed down or Clipped because there is some that is counterfeit The Hypocritical pretences of it are not more mischievous to a State but sound and pure Religion is as beneficial And such is that professed in this Established Church of ours A Church that doth not slight Second Table Duties as Legal Preaching or Heathenish Morality but teacheth its members to have always Consciences void of offence as towards God so towards men A Church that doth not place the Sprit of the Gospel in praying extempore and inveighing against ceremonies but in love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness A Church that doth not flatter men as Saints and godly for professing themselves of her way but testifyeth that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness A Church that doth not jugle in the Doctrine of obedience to Magistrates reserving fly distinctions for deserting or resisting them but so Loyal that upon that very score you know it was once ruined and is at this day maligned and heaved at by as many as are given to change And what can tend more to the quiet and welfare the settlement and benefit of a People than such honest and sober pious and prudent principles Now when the Church is so assistant to the Tranquility of the State for a recompence in the same I speak as unto wise men let the State be as assistant to the tranquility of the Church When the Religion is such a faithful support to the Civil Government let the Civil Government be as faithful a support to the Religion So as God ordained of old The people shall be lead like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron and all of all conditions happy in the wholsome Laws of the land and the perfect Law of Liberty FINIS

first made us In the State of Innocency there was a Law then Adam had three Precepts given him in Paradise to till the Ground to cleave to his Wife and not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge Noah the Tradition is had Seven The Learned conclude the Council had an Eye to them in their Determination at Hierusalem Acts 15.20 Abraham it is said had Ten of which the great one was Circumcision Moses if the Jewish Doctros have reckoned right had Six hundred and thirteen Judicial Ceremonial and Moral Yea the seemingly neglected Heathen who had none in Scriptis they had a Law too the Apostle telleth us they shewed the work of a Law that was written in their hearts Rom. 2.15 And can any imagine that he who was always from the beginning thus under Tutors and Governours should now under the best and purest dispensation be let loose and unbridled Where there is the same nature can it be supposed there will not be the same need PLACE = marg Rom. 3.31 Do we make void the law through faith It is St. Paul's question upon this occasion Some were scattering that loose and pestilent notion then but he replyeth to it with all detestation God forbid Yea saith he we establish the Law So far was the Christian faith from that from making of it void that it added new strength to it It is granted our blessed Lord made an alteration in the Law at his coming but it was only of what was Ritual and Political that being Topical and Temporary he thought fit to abrogate but all that was Natural and Moral as Oecumenical and Eternal he authoritatively vindicated and refined In the first Sermon that he Preached he instructed the World in this informing them that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it So that still we have a Law to walk by and if it be asked what kind of Law it is the next particular giveth account of it where it is declared A perfect Law Laws will always be according to the persons that make them Tyrants will make cruel Laws Rash men will make dangerous Laws Good men will make equal Laws Wise men will make necessary Laws Now this being the Law of Christ the wisdom of the Father in whom all fulness dwelleth cannot but be perfect and lacking nothing so it is an exact summary of virtue and duty an adequate instrument to keep mankind within his proper limits That this may be the better evidenced as the scantling of time will suffer we will take a particular view of it and consider it First Intrinsically with reference to the matter that is contained in it Secondly Extensively with reference to Persons that are concerned in it Thirdly Comparatively with reference to any other Laws that may come in as Rivals in competition with it and see whether upon every of these accounts it be not above all exception First let us consider it Intrinsically with reference to the matter that is contained in it Where is there a body of Laws besides that time and experience hath not found defects in None of them but have their casus omissi and cunning men upon occasion can be wicked and mischievous in despight of them The Golden heads of a Kingdom contrive them and when they have done sometimes the very Petty-toes find ways to elude them The politick Sinner getteth priviledged places for his iniquity to lodg in where none of these can reach him But where can we fly from this Law 's presence It s going forth is from the Heavens and its Circuit to the ends of the Earth and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof It needeth not the Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor the Romanists Traditions nor the Euthusiasts new Revelations to eeke it out all that we owe either to God or man is sufficiently comprehended in it nor can we turn either to the right hand or the left but this layeth hold of us Human Laws can scarcemake clean as they should the outside of the Cup and the Platter Here are many dirty things the best of them make no provision for But however this is all rhat they pretend to the inward part may be full of raevning and wickedness for all that they can do though that be brimfull of deadly Poison if it spill not in some overt acts these can take no notice of it But this taketh in the whole man it cleanseth from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart To all which must be added that every of the things ordained by it are to be accounted for in such a manner as no kind of artifices can avail the offender No bespattering the Evidence for our own Consciences shall accuse us No stifling of Proofs for there is nothing secret that shall not be made manifest No packing of Juries for the Saints shall Judge the World No Bills with Ignoramus for the Books shall be opened No favouring of Parties for every one shall receive according to what he hath done No misrepresenting the Tryals as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and clear when thou art Judged So perfect is this Law considered Intrinsically with reference to the matter that is contained in it Look upon it Secondly Extensively with reference to the Persons that are concerned in it and you will find it perfect here too The Net is suited to the waters it is cast into and there is nothing can swim either by or through it This Law speaketh the Psalmists Language Psal 49.1 2. Hear this all ye people give ear all ye inhabitants of the World both low and high rich and poor together Impartial as Death it self aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas regúmque turres It commandeth the Master as well as the Servant and is not more favourable to a Jezabel than to her Hand-maid It chargeth the Magistrate as home as the Subject and speaketh to the honourable as to the base for there is no respect of Persons It doth not condemn intemperance in the Labourer but allow it in the wealthier Landlord forbid uncleanness in the Cottager but connive at it in the Modish Courtier threaten Atheistical profaneness in common People but applaud it for Wit in men of Titles punish spoiling of others in needy Subjects but adjudge it conquest and glory in ambitious Princes No as there are none so mean as to be overlooked by it so there are none so great as to be humoured by it 'T is a Law can give an answer to Solomon's Problem it will say even to the King what dost thou Yea it not only reacheth to all degrees of men but to all the individuals of every Nation People and Language under the Cope of Heaven whereas all other Laws are confined to their particular Countries and Kingdoms and have no place in others this equally obligeth all Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the dwellers