the Rebellion and Murther In his time says he under Apolog. Nar. p. 140. a complaint of Slavery we lived like Freemen I do utterly declare the Proceedings against him as contrary to Faith Example Duty and Oaths he granted more than any King ever did to any Parliament or more than any Parliament ever demanded of any King and more than the fatal Long Parliament could in the Beginning hope or wish I do not so much as in Thought P. 139. reflect on the Honour of His late Majesty whose Memory shall remain Sacred and Glorious while that of His Enemies shall rot and stink SEVERAL others who bore Arms against the King at that time had the like Remorse and Sentiments and shewed it openly even while Nol was in his Altitudes and drove Army Parliament and all before him M. R. Huntington Coll. George Coll. E. Crooke Iconoclastes pref p. 8. of Higham Coll. Mat. Tomlinson were some of them So true was it that Milton the most Inveterate of the King's Enemies observed that those who hated him and fought against him with displayed Banners in the Field afterwards applauded and extolled him as a Prince the Wisest and most Religious that ever lived BUT besides the Sword Men who became convinced and dropp'd their Weapons many of His busiest Enemies the great Incendiaries in the Parliament Pulpit or Press had the same Conviction when the Heat of their Jealousy and Rage was abated and they had time to consider or opportunity to converse with him Then they became convinced and admired him more than the Q of Sheba did Solomon for she came to see a Man famous for Wisdom and found him to exceed her Expectation But these a Man Infamous for Folly and Wickedness and found him so much the contrary that they cried out Ecce plus quam Solomon Mr. Long ag Walker p. 48. Dr. Hollings Jan. 30th 93. Thus Mr. Vines after the Dispute at Newport cri'd out Lo a second Solomon A. Henderson after that at New Castle was so charm'd with the King's Learning Wisdom c. that he became severely penitent for what he had acted many Years against him retired to Scotland * Whitlock Mem. p. 123. Saunderson Hist p. 921. Perinchiff Hist K. Char. p. 39. Heath Chr. p. 115. Ravilak Red. p. 4. Athen. Oxon. vol. 2. p. 520. 436 205. and there died of Grief leaving such a Character of Him as his greatest Friends have not exceeded Sir Tho. Herbert and Mr. Harrington put into the King's Bed-chamber upon the removal of his Loyal Servants by the Army became Converts and boldly vindicated Him against the Calumnies of His Enemies and declared him a most Wise and Excellent King So did Speaker Lental W. Prinn Mr. Corbet c. Hist Indep vol. 2. p. 109. 138 201. He was the most sanctified virtuous and knowing Prince in the World had learnt the whole Method of Human Perfection said C. Walker 1650. who was a Covenanter a Member of the L. Parliament and had as himself boasts faithfully served them from the beginning with great Pain Hazard vast expence of Health and Money Gratis and in pure Love of the good old Cause and Hatred of the King's Will 1647. The famous Mr. A. Marvel during Cromwel's Usurpation was his Under Secretary to Milton a great Admirer of both And altho' after the Restauration he became the great Idol of the publicans a Lampooner of the Court and Friend to its Enemies yet on all Occasions he met with in his reflective and satyrical Writings to mention the R. Martyr he speaks of him with Applause When the War broke out quoth he Hell broke loose Hist Judep vol. 2. p. 109. 138 201. the L. P. ought and might have trusted the King with Rehearsal Transprosed part 1. p. 302. Part 2. p. 349. the whole Matter about which they quarrelled he was of so accurate and piercing a Judgment the best Prince that ever wielded the Scepter of these Kingdoms very pious and religious of exquisite Vnderstanding Further Instr to Painter 1670. Holy Charles was like Marcus Aurelius THERE cannot be a truer or better Character given of this most excellent Prince than in a Hist K. Char. 1649. Libel written 1649. by W. Lilly on purpose to defame Him and renown his Murtherers but it 's too long for this Preface Most of those who embrued their Hands in his Blood recanted confess'd their Guilt in shedding the Innocent Blood of a Sacred King of ever blessed Memory with Tears abhorr'd the Fact and themselves for committing it and like Joseph's Brethren accused one another at the Bar for what they had done together on the Bench as may be seen in Authentick Reports of their Tryals though a late scandalous Libeller hath the Impudence to affirm That those who condemned King Charles to Death were steadfast to the T. O. first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 73 last few of them having so little Grace to repent of what they had done but what he Swears and what he Writes are alike with him usually the breadth of Heaven wide from Truth For though Rebellion be like the Sin of Witchcraft seldom or never repented of yet 23 that is almost all those execrable Regicides who by a Mockery of Justice perpetrated that cruel Villany were sometimes by the Power of Truth and Conscience forced in the midst of or soon after all their Railing at this Martyr'd King to cry out as Satan did to our Saviour I know Thee thou art the Son of God! And declare Voice from Heaven to the Com. Wealth 1651. openly to the World as A. Evans soon after the Murther that He was a Prince Able Wise Faithful of an undefiled good Spirit perfect in all things Justified of God and Men and by His own Enemies THUS much for the Evidence given in behalf of the R. M. by many of his Adversaries and Murtherers There are a loud of Witnesses beside who tho' his Friends cannot be thought Partial in his Favour some of them being Men of Honour who well knew Him Testified for him when he was Dead and they Dying by the same Hand that bereft him 't was no Time or Subject for Flattery or Falshood I will therefore produce a couple of them to clench the whole and perfume the Court after that filthy pack who have appeared in this Cause and then adjourn THAT Loyal Martyr and Noble Patriot the Lord Capel was Famous even among his Enemies for Piety Integrity Wisdom and Heroic Vertue when he came to Die for his Fidelity to this Excellent Prince he gave Him this Eulogy with his last Breath I have considered the Images of all the Greatest Speech on the Scaffold and most Virtuous Princes which have been in the World and cannot find one more sufficient than K. Charles AND Duke Hamilton who Died with him for Hamilton's Memoirs p. 398. the same Cause took God to witness at his last moments that he knew the
Canon Gilbert ' s SERMON Preached at St. Andrew ' s Plymouth January 30th 1698 9. A SERMON Preached at St. Andrew ' s Plymouth January 30th 1698 9. By JOHN GILBERT M. A. Vicar there and Canon of Exeter With a PREFACE DEFENDING King Charles the Martyr And the Observation of His Day against the Libels and Practice of such who are Enemies to both LONDON Printed by Sam. Darker for Tho. Bennet at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1699. THE Publisher to the Reader In Defence of KING CHARLES THE MARTYR And the Observation of His Day THE Importunity of Friends and the Reflection made by others on this Sermon gave the Reverend Preacher just Cause to permit its Publication that he might Gratify the Desires of the one and Confute the wrong Surmises of the other DISCOURSES of this Nature never were more seasonable and needful than now while many with such Freedom to call it no worse calumniate the good Name and trample on the Ashes of that Glorious Sufferer the Martyr of the Day whose pious Memory and Righteousness are by the Command and Example of the highest Authority in England Yearly Commemorated and Recognized to God and the World NO Men pretend greater Regard and Deference to the Authority and Judgment of Parliaments than many of those who in the Case of K. Charles contradict and give them the Lye If they Determine or Enact agreeable to the Humor and Interest of those Partial Men they magnify the Judgment of our Representatives to a Pitch near Infallibility and make their Power boundless But if many successive Parliaments Declare or Decree contrary to their Opinions or Principles or opposite to their Humors and Inclinations or Credit no Men less regard submit or conform to it than they OF this the R. Martyr's Case is a Notorious Instance for he tho' declared in many Acts of divers Parliaments A Righteous Just Innocent Prinse and as such Yearly Commemorated by their solemn Lamentation on His Day and ordering publick Thanks to the Preachers and printing the Sermons then delivered before them which ought to sway the Judgments of those Men or at least to stop their Mouths But maugre all that they spare not to Reproach his Memory and Brand his Name with the Odious Characters of Bloody Tyrant Perjured Popish Pseudo-Martyr and a Spoyler of the English Government And do this not in private Corners but publick Coffee-houses not only in Cabals and Clubs such as the Rhiming Conventicle of the Protestant Joyner and the Calves-head Meeting of Factious Atheists every 30th of January but in Swarms of Libels openly sold in Westminster-Hall and Cry'd by the Hawkers at the King's Palace Gate in the Face of the Supream Authority and Highest Judicature of the Nation who have so often and do so frequently declare and protest against the Falshood and Scandals which those Venomous Libels impudently Disperse to Reproach His Majesty's most Innocent and Illustrious Progenitor AT the same time the same Men with matchless Boldness do as Openly and in Print Extol Ludlow's Mem. Oats Icon. 1. Op Reform Pref. to Milton's Letters vind of O. C. vind L. Parl. and Applaud as Protestant Heroes English Patriots Men full of Grace the Knowledg of God and true Religion Men of Honour Prudence c. Those execrable Traytors and proscribed Regicides who in divers Statutes stand Branded for horrid Murtherers Parricides Miscreants Sons of Belial neither true Subjects nor true Protestants but Authors of the greatest Reproach and Infamy it was possible for the greatest Enemies of God and the King to bring on the Protestant Religion and the Nation THE Preface to a Sermon will not afford room to say all I can to confute these Men to shew the Wickedness of their Principles the Falseness and Injustice of their Reproaches and the Innocence of K. Charles But I have prepared and will shortly publish full and unquestionable Proof of them all FOR upon a full and impartial Survey of all that hath been Written on both sides of the Controversy between the R. M. and his Enemies I find though they had the Advantage by their Success to be thought the Right Cause yet they wanted that Strength of Law and Reason which they had in Arms and Legions And in this Judgment I am confirm'd by the Concurrence of all the many Parliaments we have had ever since that Tragical Dispute every of them having judged for the King and condemn'd his Enemies declared Him in the Right and they in the Wrong And beside the Determination of those most competent Judges we have the Evidence of very many Men who Acted with the greatest Zeal and Violence against Him and were literally His Mortal Enemies who being afterward convinced of their Error publickly Recanted declared their Repentance and Remorse gave Testimony to His Innocence and the Righteousness of his Cause and from Inveterate Adversaries became Advocates and Compurgators NOW were there no other Evidence or Argument as there are abundance to prove the Innocence of this Holy King these Two were enough viz. The constant and agreeing Judgment and Declarations of many Parliaments and the Testimony of many of His greatest Foes These render all other Pleas needless and supersede as well as surmount all other Proof whatsoever either from Judgment or Evidence or both FOR the Parliament i. e. and the King and Coke Jurisd of Courts c. 1. Idem Instit page 109. three Estates of the Realm assembled being by none more than the Royal M. Enemies accounted the most absolute and supream Judges of right and wrong and the Evidence of an Enemy reputed the most credible in a Man's behalf and both these full and clear in the Vindication of King Charles The Controverfy must End here unless they will deny what all grant to be true and themselves with great Ardour and Zeal have often asserted By this Law and by this Testimony we will therefore be Tried and Judged and let those that will not be convinced by them be accounted as the Scripture saith Men that have no truth in them MY Work then in this short Defence and Pleading for K. Charles is to prove 1st the Validity and Competency of their Judgments or the power and rights of Parliaments to judge fully and finally in all matters of right or wrong 2dly That they have given or declared for the King And lastly that many of his greatest and most malicious Foes by the Invincible power and force of Truth or Conscience have done the same So that his very Enemies being Judges and Witnesses King Charles appears Just and Innocent THE power and right of Parliaments to judge and make final determination in the matter before us appears by their own Declaratory Statutes The nature and practice of all late Parliaments and by consent and testimony of the King's Enemies THE transcendent power of Parliaments to judge finally in all Cases of which they take cognizance is evident among many of their own Declarations One especially
wherein the R. M. is said to be the best of Kings a strict Observer of Justice Honour and Truth a Prince that had done no harm nor committed any fault of perfect Innocence an upright Man one that feared God and eschewed Evil like Josiah a Saint that did that which was right in the sight of the Lord the Best of Men the Best of Kings the most excellent Example of Virtue and Piety that ever the World produced as Dr. Lancaster Dr. Langford and Mr. Blackall have done the last three Anniversaries we cannot but see it is still their Judgment and Opinion of K. Charles And admire at the Impudence and Falshood of those many Libels daily published to tell the Nation That so many Parliaments have vouched a pernicious Lie allow'd and confirm'd by publick Sanction such a Character of an odious Tyrant as the best of Princes have not deserved And now I would ask all sober Men of Sense to which of these ought we to adhere and submit our Judgments and Belief of this injured Monarch Where shall we find the Truth Who is most likely to be in the right the Law or the Libels Parliament or Pamphlets Surely all unprejudiced Men will believe the former before Cook Milton Goodwin Ludlow Jones Oates and all the rest of these scandalous Traytors who so falsly and impudently gain-say them and accuse Him whom they have acquitted and declared Not Guilty HAVING thus clear'd up the Royal Martyr's Innocence by the inculcated Verdict and solemn Judgment of the highest Judicature and supream Court of England which is the Sense and Judgment of the whole Kingdom it may seem needless to produce any thing else in His behalf BUT in regard many of His Enemies became convinced of His Justice and Innocency and made open confession thereof I will produce a few of them to Evidence the Truth and Justice of that Judgment our Parliament have given of this Wrong'd INNOCENT O. Cromwel who was the chiefest in Arms Council and Judgment against Him shall be the first I will produce for Him it may seem incredible that he should ever think or speak favourably of the R. M. whose Life and Throne he took from Him But we are assur'd by divers of his own Party that he not only declared his Sense of the King's Goodness and the Wrong done Him but engaged to Rescue Him out of His Enemies Hands and settle Him on His Throne Sir W. Waller's Apologetical Narrative Sir Tho. Herbert's Threnod Car. Major Huntington's Address to the Parliament See also M. Hunt Letter to Sir W. Dugdal Aug 1648 Col. George's Account of the Army's Proceedings All report the Courtship Cromwel and Ireton made to the King while he was their Prisoner 1647 and that they often confess'd him to be the best of Kings His Cause Rightful and page 270. His Enemies in the Wrong Ludlow also in his Memoirs saith Cromwel a little before His Murther promised to do all he could to Serve and Save Him And there is lately publish'd by R. Baldwin John Darby c. Memoirs of Sir John Barkley which tells us That Cromwel while the King was his Prisoner told him weeping that he had been abus'd by a wrong Opinion of the King who he now thought the most upright and the most consciencious Man in the three Kingdoms THE Conversion of this infamous Traytor may seem but a Copy of his Countenance a Feign to gain his Point and delude the King But the Crocodile said as much after he had murthered Him and got into his Throne as we are told by the Author of a Paraphrase on the King's Speech printed 1648. Cromwel saith he confess'd the Martyr'd P. 19. King was a Man of most excellent Parts great Piety as a Christian exceeding Honesty as a Man supream Wisdom as a King and of Knowledge as a Commander exceeding all his Generals but being the Son of King James 't was needful that he died Mr. P. Sterry the Sunday after Cromwel's Death 18 New Q. Print 1659. said in his Sermon at the Chappel Royal That as sure as the Word of God was in his Hand the late Protector was at the right Hand of God intercedeing for this Nation If those People think him such a deified Saint they cannot refuse credit to what he confesseth especially of an Enemy IRETON declared himself so much a Convert to Loyalty and sensible of the King's Righteousness and the Justice of his Cause that he declared as Mr. Huntington relates ut supra that if he had but six Men to joyn him he would Fight for it that he would purge and purge the House 'till all his Enemies were outed COOK the infamous Sollicitor at the High Court of Justice who Impeach'd the King used him Rudely and afterward writ a Vindication of Reg. Tryals p. 116. 134. that horrid Villany did both before and after the Murther as was proved and confessed at his Tryal declare That he believed King Charles to be as Wise and Gracious a Prince as any was in the whole World but he must die and Monarchy with him And in that scandalous Fardle of Treason he writ to defend that hellish Fact He confess'd That the Appeal p. 35. King was a great Student had more Learning and Dexterity in State Affairs undoubtedly than all the Kings in Christendom and for Parts had they been sanctified i. e. Infatuated by Enthusiasm a second Solomon H. MARTIN who commanded a Regiment C. Walker Hist Ind. vol 1. p. 171. of Horse in the Service of the L. P. and as one of the Party writes a Regiment of Whores in his own sat a Judge at the Tryal and Sentence of K. Charles and published a Vindication thereof yet afterward he declared in the H. of Commons upon H. M. Polit. and Oecon. Letters a Motion for making Cromwel King That if a King were necessary it had been better keep the last being the fittest for it of any Gentleman in England and C. Walker ubi supra p. 149. Tryal p. 249. that there was no fault in the Person but the Office and at his Tryal confessed his Trason and Repentance SURELY such true Protestant Patriots such Babes of Grace such Bulwarks of the Reformed Religion and Rights of the People as these Bloody Parricides were by some accounted would not have said this of one they thought a Tyrant or a Papist so that they were such Judges as Pontius Pilat who condemned to the Cross a King in whom he confess'd he found no Fault SIR W. Waller was a Member of the L. P. and one of their Generals a great Scholar and a great Soldier but after he had by his Sword in the Field and his Voice in the House of Commons opposed the Royal Cause and Party 'till their Overthrow and the King's Captivity at Holdenby then he became a penitent Convert and writ an Account of the Transactions of those Times wherein he Justifies and Applauds the King and abhors
King to have as eminent Virtues and few Vices as any Man that He was an excellent Protestant free from intending Tyranny or Arbitrary Government WHAT a multitude of such Characters are there extant from the Tongues and Pens of Great and Good Men who would not Flatter could not be Deceived knowing what they said to be true In what Rapture and Extasie have His Praises been celebrated and the highest Eulogies given of this incomparable King in the most solemn and greatest Assembly of the Nation for its Number and Quality I mean our Parliaments who every Year as I have already observed approve and publish the Praises and Celebrations of this King's Innocence Righteousness Wisdom and great Vertues AND now I appeal to all Rational Men which is of most Credit in such a case The Evidence of Mortal Enemies undeceived and penitent the Judgment of the highest Judicature the Verdict of an English General Council the Declaration of our Oracles and the Dying Testimony of Men of Honour Integrity and a publick Spirit Or the Slanders of such Scandalous Witnesses as are already Convict of Perjury and proved non probus the Calumnies of such proscribed Traitors as Ludlow or the Lyes Reproaches popular Defamations Falshoods of Grub street and Factious Cabals which have neither Foundation or Proof and the Divulgers of which are ashamed to be known Judge like English Men and speak your minds I must end here and reserve the abundance more I have to say on this Head for another Occasion after a few Words to such as are made believe King Charles was not Author of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to those who Neglect or Oppose the Observation of His Day THE former I refer to the Second Edition of that Excellent Defence lately made of His Right to that Seraphick Book by Mr. Wagstaff and is Sold by H. Hindmarsh in Cornhill Where all Objections are obviated and its being Genuine proved by irrefragable Arguments and unquestionable Evidence The same is done by the Author of the Princely Pellican Restitution to the R. Author Mr. Long 's Answer to Dr. Walker And in several Tracts lately written by Dr. Hollingworth and many others TO those who are so barbarous as to Affront God and the Law in making this Day a Festival A. D. 1694. came out a Libel writ by J. G. on purpose to dissuade the People of England from obeying a Law of their Country viz. Statute 3. 2. Car. 12. if they are English Subjects I will only urge the Command of a Statute Law the Practice of the King and three Estates and the Generality of the Nation and beg of them to consider if not in Conformity and Obedience to the Law and Good Manners to the King Lords and Commons for many Dissent from and grow Regardless of all those yet for the Reasons pathetically urged by the Reverend Preacher of this Sermon they at least forbear to Affront and Pervert the solemn Anniversary Celebration of the Day on which for our Sins the R. Martyr went to Heaven and pray with that Church in and for which He Died That His Memory may be ever blessed among us that we may follow the Example of His Courage Constancy Meekness great Patience and Charity And that this our Land may be freed from the Vengeance of His Righteous Blood and Gods Mercy glorified in the Forgiveness of our Sins Amen Yet mighty God! Yet yet we Humbly crave This Floating Isle from Shipwreck save And tho' to wash that Blood which doth it stain It well deserves to sink into the Main Mr. Cowley Yet for the Royal Martyr's Prayer The Royal Martyr Prays we know This guilty perishing Vessel spare Hear but His Soul above And not His Blood below Ita Canit James Yonge A SERMON Preached at St. Andrew ' s Plymouth On the 30th of January 1698 9. 2 SAM xxi Chap. part of the first Ver. And the Lord answered It is for Saul and for his Bloody House because he slew the Gibeonites IN the former part of this Verse we find there was a Famine in the Days of David Three Years Year after Year and DAVID enquired of the LORD In the Reign of David though a Man after God's own heart an heavy Judgment a Famine for Three Years was inflicted on God's ancient People And the Famine having continued so long a time David might reasonably imagine there was more than a natural Cause and that God for some reason not known to him might inflict the heavy Judgment upon him and his People And therefore being careful of their Welfare he enquired of the Lord that is by the High-Priest with the Vrim and Thummim by whom God upon extraordinary Occasions did give answer to such enquiries And the Answer to this we have in the Text. And the Lord answered It is for Saul and his bloody House because he slew the Gibeonites Now we may find in the following Verse who thefe Gibeonites were and why Soul slew them The Gibeonites were not of the Children of Israel but a remnant of the Amorites and Saul sought to slay them in his Zeal to the Children of Israel and Judah For a further understanding of this Matter we must have recourse to the 9th Chapter of the Book of Joshua where we find that this People when they had heard that Joshua and the Israelites had destroyed Jericho and Ai they sent Ambassadors pretending they came from a far Country saying They heard of the Fame of God and all that He did in Aegypt and to all the Kings of the Amorites and therefore they desired to make a League with them And that they might the better delude them they put on old Garments and brought Provision that was dry and mouldy saying These things became so by their long Journey By this Craft and Dissimulation they obtained a League confirmed by the Oath of the Princes of Israel But there was great murmuring when the People understood how they were outwitted by these Gibeonites and deceived by their Craft and Dissimulation for they belonged to a City of the Amorites who by God's Command were to be destroyed with the rest of the Canaanites And though they pretended they came a long Journey lived not three Days Journey from them But to quiet the People Joshua and the Princes appointed them to be Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water but spared their Lives because they had Sworn unto them by the Name of the Lord God of Israel And in this mean and survile condition they continued till the Days of Saul who slew them for which in the Days of David long after this Act of bloody Cruelty was committed God punished that People with a Famine which continued Three Years Now there is one Thing needs Explication before I come to those Observations which I design to be the main Subjuct of my Discourse at this time These Gibeonites being Amorites how could Saul offend in Killing them since by God's express Command they were to
to shew 1st What cause we have yet to fear the Judgments of God to avenge the innocent Blood of our late SOVERAIGN who was upon this Day Barbarously Murthered And 2d What Course we should take to prevent the Execution of such Judgments 1st To shew what cause we have yet to fear the Judgments of God to Avenge the innocent Blood of our late SOVERAIGN who was Barbarously Murthered on this Day I suppose I need not spend time to prove to you who are before me that the Executing of our late SOVERAIGN was not an Act of Justice but of Inhumane and Barbarous Cruelty If we are not convinced of this it is vile Hipocrisy to assemble upon this occasion The Act of Parliament by which this Day is set apart and enjoined for Humiliation and Prayer declareth the putting our late SOVERAIGN to Death to be An Horrid Impious Execrable 2 Car. 12. Murther and unparalell'd Treason committed by a party of Wretched Men desperately Wicked and hardened in Impiety who were neither true Protestants nor true Subjects but Miscreants whose Fanatick Rage gave the Protestant Religion the greatest VVound and Reproach and the People of England the most insupportable Shame and Infamy it was possible for the Enemies of GOD and the KING to bring upon them And in the Prayers which we Offer up to God this Day the Vertues of this Murther'd Prince His Courage and Constancy His Patience and Charity are commemorated His Innocency is asserted His Cause is justify'd in that His Death is stiled a Martyrdom by which we may know how to judge of that which is called the good Old Cause Old indeed as that of Lucifer but no better though more prosperous We certainly who offer up such Prayers as those if we have one grain of sincerity must be well satisfied that the Blood of this Day was Innocent and therefore may justly provoke God when he maketh Inquisition for Blood to punish our Sinful Land wherein this was shed Taking it then for granted that the Arraigning Condemning and Executing King Charles the First of Blessed Memory was an Act of Barbarous Injustice and Cruelty I proceed to shew what reason we have to fear God may deal with us as he did with David and the People of Israel for Saul's Murthering the Gibeonites If we compare the Person Murthered on this Day with those mentioned in the Text we shall find his Quality to be such that it will aggravate the Shedding of his Blood above that which was punished with a Three Years Famine Our late Murthered Soveraign had the Piety of David without his Sins No Vriah fell by his Cruelty no Bethsheba was defiled by his Lust And if David was worth Ten Thousand Israelites as they all declared 2 Sam. 18. 3. the Martyr of this Day was more worth then all the Gibeonites and therefore we may fear his innocent Blood may pull down more than a Three Years Famine If with the generality of Interpreters we look upon the Murther of the Gibeonites as more Hainous because of the Perjury conjoyned with it by the Violation of that Oath which was taken for their Preservation hath not the Murther of this Day the same Aggravation but in a higher Degree That was an Oath taken by Joshua and the Princes of Israel some Hundred Years before Saul's time But the Authors of this Day 's Murther had Personally taken the Legal Oath of Alegiance and that Illegal one of the Covenant and were obliged by both to preserve the Life of this excellent Prince and his Honour too And if we proceed to compare our Case with those before-mentioned in which you heard God inflicts Judgments for the Blood and Violence of a preceding Generation we may see farther Cause to fear that when God maketh Inquisition for Blood that of this Day may be remembred Did not David as you hear befored mind the killing of the Gibeonites nor the Hardships those were under who did survive that Cruelty Is it not plain the Two last Kings tho' somthing was done to avenge their Father's Blood had little Regard to the Service and Sufferings of his Friends For many of those found more Favour who ventured their Lives and Fortunes to bring the King to the Block then those who Hazarded both to keep him from it Were the Jews Punished for Crucifying our Saviour Forty Years after because they owned and justified that bloody Fact And were the Scribes and Pharisees threatned to be punished for the Blood of Abel and Zacharias because they were acted by the same Temper and Principles by which those unjust and cruel Actions were committed It is plain our Case carrieth great Resemblance to these For are there not Books openly Printed and Sold in which the Murther of this Day is Justified Do we not in Conversation often hear the Righteous Cause of our late Murthered Soveraign Arraigned and Condemned and his sacred Memory Blasphemed And by this it is plain there are many amongst us who want nothing but Age to have appeared in the Court in which the late King was Condemned or on the Scaffold on which he was Executed And doth not that Hatred of Monarchy and Zeal for another Species of Government the Principles by which our late Soveraign was brought to the Block encrease amongst us These are Matters too Evident to be denied though it is very strange it should be so under the Government of a Crowned Head the Grandson of our Royal Martyr who hath the same Blood running in his Veins which was this Day shed And thus having shewed that we have Cause to fear there may be more Judgments in Store to avenge the Royal and Innocent Blood this Day shed I proceed in the 2d Place to consider what Course we should take to prevent the Execution of these Judgments And what more effectual way can be thought on than what the Authority and Wisdom of the Nation hath appointed The Observation I mean of this Day for Humiliation and Prayer To implore the Mercy of God that the Guilt of that Sacred and Innocent Blood may not be Visited on us or our Posterity as the Statute sensibly express'd it Were not too many so Cross-grain'd as to turn this Fast into a Feast Were not those who appoint so many Fasts for the private Concerns of a Conventicle so Froward as to Despise this which is Commanded by Authority for a General and Publick Good Did we all Assemble this Day to Humble our selves before God for our Sins to declare our Abhorrence for the Murther of this Day and to Deprecate the Vengeance it may provoke GOD to Inflict Did we to such an Observation of this Day add a sincere Reformation of our Lives endeavouring to live Peaceably and quietly in all Godliness and Honesty then we might turn our Fears of Divine Vengeance into Hopes of Enjoying many Years of Peace and Prosperity under His present Majesty whom GOD hath set over us Which God of his infinite Mercy grant through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS BOOKS Printed for and Sold by Charles Yeo John Pearce and Philip Bishop BOOKSELLERS in EXON SElect Hymns each fitted to two Tunes to be Sung in Churches The Beauty of Holiness Or a short Defence and Vindication of the pious Decency Regularity and Order of Reading the Communion-Service at the Communion-Table offered to a dissatisfied Neighbour from his Minister A Form of Prayer for Married Persons for the most part taken out of the Liturgy A Practical Treatise concerning Evil Thoughts wherein are some Things more especially useful for Melancholy Persons By William Chilcot M. A. Mr. Blount's Oracles of Reason Examined and Answered in Nine Sections In which his many Heterodox Opinions are Refuted the Holy Scriptures and Revealed Religion are Asserted against Deism and Atheism By Josiah King M. A. and Chaplain to the Right Honourable James Earl of Anglesey A Sermon preach'd in the Parish Church of Bovey Tracy on Easter Day 1698. By Francis Stooke M. A. A Sermon preach'd in St. Saviour's Church in Dartmouth July 24th 1698. Together with some Reflections on the Opinion of those who affirm That the only Difference between the Church and the Meeting-House is that of a few Ceremonies In a Letter to a Friend By Humfry Smith M. A.