Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A67238
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A sermon preach'd in the Collegiate-Church of Ripon, on Sunday the 22d of September, 1695 being the day appointed for a publick thanksgiving for the reduction of the town and castle of Namur ... / by Christopher Wyvill ...
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Wyvill, Christopher, 1651?-1711.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing W3788; ESTC R34105
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13,390
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27
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THE Dean of Ripon's Thanksgiving-Sermon UPON THE Taking of NAMUR A SERMON Preach'd in the Collegiate-Church of Ripon ON Sunday the 22 d of September 1695. Being the Day appointed for A Publick Thanksgiving FOR THE Reduction of the Town and Castle of Namur And the Preservation of his Majesties Person By Christopher Wyvill D. D. And Dean of Ripon Publish'd at the Request of some Friends LONDON Printed by Tho. Warren for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1695. TO THE Right Worshipful THE Mayor Recorder and Aldermen And other The Inhabitants of the Town of RIPON Gentlemen THE reason of this Sermon 's appearing in Print so long after the day on which you heard it Preach'd was my unwillingness to publish it till I was prevail'd with to do it by some who thought it might be serviceable to the Present Government and if it can obtain that end I think it comes not out too late And I Dedicate it to you as an Acknowledgment of the many great Civilities and Respects which I have had from you who am Gentlemen Your most Obliged and Faithful Servant Christ. Wyvill A SERMON Preach'd in the Collegiate-Church of Ripon 2 Sam. iii. I. Now there was long War between the House of Saul and the House of David but David waxed stronger and stronger and the House of Saul waxed weaker and weaker THese words do give us a short account of a long War betwixt two great Families and the different event it had in reference to each of them tending to the exaltation of the one and the depression of the other David a Man after God's own Heart was by God's express Declaration sufficiently made known to all the People appointed to be King after the Death of Saul over all the Tribes of Israel and accordingly upon Saul's Death he was forthwith Anointed into the Regal Office at Hebron and acknowledged as King by the Tribe of Judah but the other Tribes who did sometimes bear the name of Israel in distinction from that of Judah even before the division of the Kingdom in the days of Jereboam I say the other Tribes followed Ishbosheth the Son of Saul whom Abner the Son of Ner had set up in opposition to David notwithstanding that he could not but know he derived his Title to the Crown from the immediate nomination of God himself upon which there began a civil War betwixt the House of David and the House of Saul But God was pleased so far to assert the cause of David as to grant him Success over his Enemies for David as the Text tells us waxed stronger and stronger but the House of Saul waxed weaker and weaker How far we may judge of the righteousness of a Cause by the Success it hath I shall take upon me to determine Certain it is that good Success is not always an Argument of a good Cause How often have we known wicked Attempts and the most horrid Villainies to thrive and prosper whilst Just and righteous Undertakings have met with great Miscarriages and have had improsperous Events but when the Cause is apparently Just and Right and then good Success attends it we cannot but acknowledge that the hand of God is concern'd in it we cannot but discern his Favour to it and his Approbation of it and yet from hence we must not conclude either that God disallows of a good Cause when he permits it to suffer or that he approves of a wrong Cause when he grants it good Success For as to the first Case be the Cause of a People never so just and right on which they are engaged in War yet he may permit them to suffer for their manifold Sins and Offences and as to the other Case he sometimes grants Prosperity to men engaged in a wrong cause on purpose to make them the Instruments of his just Wrath in executing his Judgments on a sinful People But now the Cause of David was undeniably just and right for he sate on the Throne by God's own express Appointment and God so far prosper'd his Arms as that he waxed stronger and stronger whilst his Enemies waxed weaker and weaker I shall not make a parallel betwixt the War in my Text and the War in which we of this Nation are engaged for the Parallel will not hold good in every particular for the War in which we are engaged is not God be praised a Civil War not a War betwixt two Families or two Houses within the same Land or Dominion but betwixt two distinct and independent Kingdoms betwixt Us and France betwixt the Defender of the Faith join'd in Confederacy with other Christian Princes and States of Europe on one side and the Most Christian King join'd with the Great Turk on the other The Parallel therefore not exactly holding true I shall wave it nor shall I any farther take notice of the story in my Text than as it affords occasion to speak upon these four heads of Discourse I. Concerning the lawfulness of War in general II. Concerning the War in which we of this Nation are now engaged III. Concerning the Success we have had which gives occasion to this days Thanksgiving IV. And lastly Concerning the effect which that Success should in reason have upon us Of these I shall speak in their order through God's Blessing with as much plainness and brevity as I can I. I shall speak concerning the lawfulness of War in general Now it must be confess'd that it is a great unhappiness for any People to be engaged in War for the Miseries attending it are great and the event of it uncertain and whether side soever gets the better yet much blood may be spilt many a brave Man may lose his Life in the quarrel much of the Nations Treasure may be exhausted many unforeseen Losses and Calamities may be the issue of the Victory But yet it is as certain that War is sometimes unavoidably necessary in many cases and upon certain occasions it may be very lawful and not repugnant to the profession of Christianity We cannot indeed with truth admit of that Principle which some of late Years have so greedily imbibed and spread abroad viz. That the state of Nature is a state of War as if Men were naturally Enemies unto Men or as if one Man were become by nature a kind of a Wolf or a Tyger to another Man For Man by original Creation was made a sociable Creature and all Mankind by nature are inclin'd to Peace Unity and Concord and mutual Love and Kindness one with another Some Men indeed may have by evil custom so far debauched and corrupted their nature as that they may have contracted an habit of doing wrong and injury to others and perhaps take some delight in quarrellings and fightings but to say or believe that a disposition to such evil practices is originally implanted in humane nature is not only to disparage and vilifie the noblest piece of God's Creation but to do despite
should over-spread the Earth Or secondly That we are still to expect the accomplishment of it that it still remains to be fullfill'd as do also some others which concern the state of Christ's Church upon Earth and therefore considering the present state of the World we cannot from that Prophecy rationally conclude that War is absolutely unlawful To this we may also add that if our Blessed Lord had ever design'd to make Warfare Criminal and to forbid it wholly to his Disciples and Followers we may be sure that he would some where or other have given us a plain Declaration of his Mind in the case and have forbidden it us in plain and express and intelligible words which being he hath no where done we cannor but think them very rash and their Censure highly culpable who condemn the use of Arms amongst Christian or that from our Saviours Command to St. Peter to put up his Sword which he did no purpose to give a check to private revenge do infer that it was his Mind that none who prosess his Gospel should upon any account be engaged in War Wherefore to conclude this point as it may be lawful for private Persons to go to Law and to appeal to the chief Magistrate and the Courts of Justice which is commonly the last and the only way of deciding the Controversies that may arise betwixt one Man and another so it may be lawful for one Nation to go to War with another and to appeal to the Sword when the differences betwixt them cannot otherwise be determined And the lawfullness of levying War and of being engaged in it upon accounts that are just and weighty and when there is the Authority of the chief Magistrate for it hath been agreed upon in all Ages and by all Religions if we think otherwise we shall condemn the actions of those ancient and noble Worthies who are mention'd with honour in the 11th Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews and recorded to Posterity for their Warlike and Heroick Deeds who through Faith subdued Kingdoms escaped the edge of the Sword out of weakness became strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens In a word if we either say or think that the use of Arms and the military employment is absolutely inconsistent with the profession of the Gospel what is it but to expose the Lives and Fortunes of Christians as a prey to the rage and fury of the Enemies of the Christian Church and Faith And thus having considered the lawfulness of War in general II. I come now in the second place to speak somewhat concerning the War which we of this Nation are now engaged in concerning which I have this to say that it is as Just and as lawful a War as ever any People were concern'd to manage if we consider either the Enemies against whom or the causes for which we fight First As for our Enemies they are such as are the most inveterate and implacable Enemies of our Peace and Religion who at first began the War upon us who invaded his Majesties Kingdom of Ireland and made sad havock there and would still have done more had they not by the Blessing of God upon our Arms been beaten off who have often threatned England with an Invasion who are perfect haters of our Church and Nation and upon all occasions do seek our ruine and destruction We are engaged against a Prince the Ruler of those our Enemies who is become a Scourge and a terrour to all that are round about him who hath made his Will a Law who persecutes Christians whilst he is in League with the Mahometans who hath made War upon his Neighbours without cause and enlarged his Dominions without right and seeks after an Universal Monarchy to bring all Europe into Slavery who carries Tyranny and Oppression Injustice and Cruelty Fire and Desolation wheresoever he conquers Which things when we seriously consider we cannot but stand amaz'd at those amongst our selves who either wish in their hearts or dare speak with their mouths that they would have those our Enemies to get the better of us who can rejoice and exult at any little advantage they hear the Enemy hath gain'd and would willingly have it believed to be greater than it is and do magnifie it to excess on purpose to discourage the Nation and endeavour to make a Mountain of a Molehill What could these persons gain supposing that our Enemies should really become Victors and Conquerors over us What if for our great Sins and Provocations against Heaven God should permit our Enemies to come within our own Bowels and with Fire and Sword to rage here as they have done in other places and to make an entire Conquest of our Land Could these Persons who are so great Well-wishers to 'em expect to be exempted from the common Calamity Could they think to escape that ruine which they wish to their own Fellow-Subjects or be excused from that Dragâ—â—â—ing which makes no distinction of Persons Could they be glad to see the Land of their Nativity turn'd into an Aceldama of Blood or rejoice to have the English Nation become Tributary to France But Blessed be God that there is now as little ground for our fearing of this as they have to hope that their unnatural wishes or desires may take effect However this shews us what great reason we have to be united against those our Enemies and both to pray and to endeavour all we can that they may never prevail against us nor triumph in the ruine of us and our Posterity II. As for the causes for which we sight they are as just and as honourable as can be for we fight not for trifles for small or inconsiderable things but for things of the greatest moment and concern for our Lives and Liberties for the defence of our just Rights our Laws and Privileges for the preservation of our Religion against the most violent attempts for its Subversion in a word for the Vindication of the common liberties of Mankind invaded and trampled on by Tyranny and Oppression And these are certainly as justifiable causes of a War as ever any Nation had or can have From the consideration of which give me leave I beseech you to make these few Inferences 1 That we are from hence obliged freely and willingly chearfully and contentedly without murmuring and complaining to contribute and pay whatsoever the Wisdom of the Great Council of the Nation shall think fit to lay upon us as a Tax for the carrying on of this War with Vigour till God by his Providence shall see fit to put an happy end to it This methinks is as little as we can do who fit at home and enjoy the great Blessing of Peace whilst others our Fellow-Subjects are hazarding their Lives abroad in fighting for us and surely we may be very well pleased and contented if by parting with our Money we can keep the War at a distance from us