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A61424 A caveat against flattery, and profanation of sacred things to secular ends upon sight of the order of the convention for the thanksgiving, and consideration of the misgovernment and misfortunes of the last race of kings of this nation. Stephens, Edward, d. 1706. 1689 (1689) Wing S5424; ESTC R184625 23,049 37

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And they who cannot discern this in that Family alone may for their confirmation take also into consideration the Occurrences of a contemporary Family in our Neighbour County France that of Valois from Hen. 2. to its Extirpation and compare with these two the long and happy Reign of Q Elizabeth against which the Gates of Hell could not prevail And if with all these we consider also the Actions and Catastrophe of Hen. 4. of France and the monstrous Wickedness and Barbarous Cruelties of the present King it will not be hard to make a Moral Prediction of the like fate attending this Family of Bourbon also This it is very probable if we consider the Original and Progress pari passu all along of both Sin and Punishment was the Provoking Sin and Root of Bitterness which by Divine Judgment hath exposed them to the strong Delusions which have been the more immediate and apparent Causes of all their Miscarriages and Unhappiness And though it may be hoped Men are now near as well cured of Popery as the Jews of Idolatry yet may this Observation afford us a very necessary Admonition at this time if we be not like the Horse and Mule For certainly that Soul which in these occurrances of this Royal Family within the Period before mentioned cannot discern a continued course of Providence powerfully operateing therein is deeply immersed in Sensuality and very Brutish It is therefore very reasonable that at this time we do seriously consider the Course of Gods Providence and Judgments upon that Family that it was not any Favour to Popery otherwise than as that is an Abuse and Opposition of the true Religion that was the Sin of that Family nor was it that alone but that and other Abuses by Prophanation and Connivance That the Prince is descended from that Family from which he may derive a load of Guilt upon himself by participation in any of those sins by forgetfulness of God and by neglect of those Duties which this late extraordinary Providence calls him unto That the present State of the Nation is a most vitious and degenerate State and that so extraordinary Deliverance when greater Judgments might reasonably have been expected obligeth to great Seriousness affectionate Sense of the special Providence of God in it and effectual Reformation for great and undeserved Mercies do not less oblige either in force or extent than the most severe Judgments And to consider that the same Providence of God which effected all this can easily and certainly will turn all again into Confusion and a greater Judgment if we do not wisely indeavour to concur with it and answer his ends He can take away the Prince and incline the Princess to recall the King he can by impeding or crossing our Preparations for Ireland or an unexpected defeat of part of them discourage the rest and incourage the Irish he can raise up a desperate Party at home and from a cloud of an hand breadth make them cover the Land he can send a Spirit of Division amongst us and Confound our Counsels of Infatuation as he did amongst the Papists to resolve with great imaginary Wisdom and Subtilty upon the direct and most effectual means of our Ruine and Destruction And by these and many other unconceiveable ways and means can he easily and quickly turn all our Transport into Mourning and Confusion This I say he can do and we may provoke him to do it in part or in whole if we like Dogs greedily catch up the Bone and regard not the Masters hand that threw it but continue in that brutish Stupidity which hath so much prevailed in this Nation And it may be considered whether we have not already provoked him to let us struggle with some Difficulties which might easily have been prevented The so easie Compliance or Inadvertence in passing the Order in the Form aforesaid was plainly a Fault and such as I cannot think it consistent with true Piety and due sence of the Majesty and Honour of God for any Mortal to offer to excuse it and certainly nothing could be a more proper Correction of such an Easiness or Inadvertence than to permit the same persons in their Debates to run themselves into such Difficulties with loss of time as might as easily have been avoided as the Order have been amended We have been so long imposed upon with Words that like Children we are easily allured and carried with some and frighted with others without any reason This being perceived an Expedient was sought but such an one chosen as made all the Question whereas I doubt not that the matter might have been proposed at first in such commodious terms and expressions and so enforced with Reasons and Demonstrations as that it would have passed as easily as another Vote did at that time and with no inconsiderable advantage And if this be so why might there not be some secret energy of Providence or Subtraction of a more favourable Direction in it This may be too nice a Speculation for this Generation But this I know that the very thoughts of men are not so much in their own power as they imagine but are subject to the Power not only of God but of much inferiour Spirits by his permission and he is no great Philosopher who doth not perceive it nor very knowing Christian who doth not believe it And were it understood how intimately and effectually his Providence doth interpose in all things perhaps there would not be much doubt of what I say But they that understand these things may make their use of them Of the other more immediate and more apparent Causes there is one that is Prophanation of Religion which hath a double Efficacy Moral and Natural Moral as a sin provoking Gods Displeasure and Judgments and so is comprehended in what I have said before Natural in respect of its Contagious and Spreading Nature and of the mischievous Effects and Consequences of it All evil Examples especially of persons of great Place and among people disposed to receive Impressions from them are very Infectious but none more than Irreligion and Prophaneness partly thro' the Sensuality of men in the Corrupt State of Nature which is easily affected with Objects of Sence and therefore apt for them to neglect and contemn things of a more refined and Spiritual Nature and partly through the Impressions and Efficacy of the envious Apostate Spirits who of all things are most gratified with it and most active to promote it and for this cause there is the more reason to check and suppress the very first and least appearances of it for a little Leven leveneth the whole Lump but yet more if we consider also the pernicious Effects and Consequences of it even of a natural growth and production For it is plainly a direct Introduction to Irreligion and thereby an Inlet to all manner of Disorder in Persons Families and States as may plainly be perceived by this Consideration True Religion in man