no other rule to walk by but their interest their pleasure profit and honour Now what good Subjects these are like to prove I leave to all wise and sober persons to consider He that only for his interest will be Loyal when it is his interest and advantage will be a Rebel He that defies and blasphemes his God can he honour and respect his Prince Can he that is guilty of Dei-cidium be offended with Regis cidium especially when it shall be for his present secular advantage Animus meminisse horret And on the other hand when I recollect the numerous Troops of Phanaticks and disaffected of all sorts where a man may sooner find according to Samsons Riddle hony in a rotten carcase than Loyalty to their Prince further than what tends to advance the interest of their several parties for according to the Standard of the Covenant they will be true and faithful to their Prince but with this limitation and restriction In defence of the Protestant Religion and the Liberties of the Subject So that whenever they are disposed to entertain fears and jealousies of their lawful Soveraign and cry out Popery and Tyranny and take the confidence to say their Prince favours Papists and intends to introduce an Arbitrary Government as that party falsly and wickedly suggested against Charles the First of blessed memory then alas all their Loyalty passeth away as the morning dew Where shall I after this search find good and loyal Subjects that will stick to their Prince in time of need Even all the good and sound Protestants of the Church of England even so many and no more good Christians may be reckoned true and loyal Subjects For he that is a true Son of the Church of England a true Protestant will say be my Prince what he will if God so please to permit it so long as he is my lawful Soveraign I dare not perjure my self and forsake my Allegiance I must be just and loyal Matth. 22.21 Rom. 13.2 I must give Caesar his due I must sacrifice my life at his command in his defence I must not I dare not resist in any case for they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Et mori non metuo sed damnari metuo If a Prince hath a just and undoubted legal Title to a Crown by the Laws of God and Nature and the Fundamental Constitutions of the Kingdom I would willingly know by what Law he can be deprived thereof For can any power on Earth nullifie or make void the Laws of God and make that just which God Almighty the great Law-giver hath made unjust Is it not one of the maxims of our Laws of England That where contrary Laws come in question mans Laws must give place to Gods Laws And further how far our Oaths of Allegiance bind us to our Prince and his Heirs and lawful Successors we are to be informed thereof by our Prince and present Governor and his Council For as the excellent Grotius speaks concerning the force and obligation of an Oath whereby Subjects are obliged to the Magistrates I conceive saith he the Interpretation belongs to States-men and Lawyers not to Divines This is unquestionably true we must not do or consent to any sinful act to save our selves from the greatest sufferings and I would have any one to shew me any piece of Christianity to justifie me in doing otherwise If I were sure that the next lawful and undoubted Heir to my present Prince and Governour were of another Religion differing from mine and knew certainly that he would persecute me nay burn me for an Heretick I am bound in Conscience nevertheless and must of necessity own and be faithful to his interest and just right for to be disloyal unjust to perjure my self knowingly and with deliberation would be assured damnation to me But to run the utmost hazard to keep a good Conscience and to suffer Persecution to lose my life for the best Religion in the world for such mine must be to me would be the greatest comfort happiness and glory that I am capable of in this life May I now also wish all health and happiness to that great and populous City of London of which I am an unworthy Member and may I humbly represent these few things to her worthy Citizens their serious consideration That they would not be forgetful of those late heavy Divine Visitations the dreadful Pestilence and more especially that horrid Conflagration in which whatever hands of men were instrumental doubtless there was much of Gods hand For that hand needs must be directed by more than an ordinary Providence that shall with a pair of Dice throw Siz-Cinque a hundred times together May I also present before them that nunquam prospere succedunt res humanae ubi negliguntur Divinae As also what a Heathen observed Sic prophanatis sacris Peritura Troja perdidit primum Deos. They lost their Gods before they lost their City Troy And if Heathens esteemed it an Infamy not to be pious what a shame will it be if Christians think not so also Next therefore to their piety towards God may I recommend that which is inseparable to it Loyalty to their Prince as also the preservation of the order and good Government of their City under that prudent and worthy Person that now Governs them in all which undoubtedly consists their safety splendor prosperity And that as they are very vigilant to prevent Firing their Houses so more especially that they would have a care of such wicked persons as by false rumors of firing of Houses and the like drive on it is much to be feared a design to fill the peoples minds with fears and discontent thereby to inflame them into Sedition and Rebellion which if it should ever take effect might prove the dreadfulest and most fatal fire that ever befel that City I make no doubt of the care therefore of all those that are concerned in her preservation as to prevent burning of their Houses so more especially of such misguided Zealots that disdain such pedling wickedness of setting single Houses on fire but are most intently bent to the firing of whole Kingdoms and that with the greatest vigour and industry possible as the cause of God and advancement of his honour and of the Kingdom and Scepter of his Son Jesus Christ to bind their King in Chains and Nobles in Fetters of Iron and dare be so ridiculously impudent to keep Fasts and then beg of God to prosper the transgression of his Laws And alas how many thousands of these Fire-balls are to be found both in City and Country and very little consideration had of the danger of them although by the experience of the whole world they have been ever found fatal to the Citys and Countrys where they have prospered and prevailed And therefore it hath been said truly That some mens Prophaness and Debaucheries may be with less danger tolerated by the Magistrate than some mens
The Way of Peace OR A DISCOURSE OF THE Dangerous Principles and Practices OF SOME PRETENDED PROTESTANTS Tendered to the Consideration of all sober and ingenious Persons BEING Certain Brief Collections Out of the late Writings of several Learned Protestant Authors With divers Additions perswasive to PEACE By the Author a Protestant of the Church of England Nec mendacii utilitas est diuturna nec veritatis damnum diu nocet LONDON Printed for Henry Brome at the West End of S. Paul's 1680. A Letter of the Authors to a Gentleman in London upon occasion of his sending unto him the following Discourse SIR THE ardent affections I bear to my Religion Prince and Country have importuned me in order to Publick Peace to present the inclosed Papers to your judicious view hoping your Candor and Ingenuity will so far prevail with you as not to reject this bold address from an unknown hand I leave them freely to your perusal and correction also and if you correct them as it is said Philoxenus in Plutarch did the Book that was sent him to amend with one great great blot from the beginning to the end I shall not be offended with you for probably they may deserve it But if you shall think them or any part of them may be useful for the publick good to commit them to the Press or if not to the Fire I see or hear of daily what mean and unworthy yea seditious and wicked Pamphlets come abroad to abuse the Government to corrupt and debauch the Nation and increase those flames we ought all studiously to indeavour to quench I hope if mine shall happen to see the light although very mean and unworthy Country-like will not be hurtful to any and will give offence to none but such as are certainly bad I hope I may with modesty say thus much of the main substance and matter of the Discourse If it were as it is nothing but solid Truth impressed upon all our hearts in this Nation it would certainly not only make his Sacred Majesties Government more easie and portable to him but this Church and Nation happy I hope Sir you will pardon Feb. the 4th 1679. Your very humble Servant The way of PEACE OR A DISCOURSE OF THE Dangerous Principles and Practices OF SOME Pretended Protestants c. THere is nothing casts so indeleble a blemish upon Religion as a late worthy Author hath it as when the Professors of it are turbulent impersuadable ungovernable when that which should strengthen the hands of the Magistrate shall weaken them when that which should ease his care and save the labour of his animadversions shall it self awaken and raise his jealousie when that which should enact his Laws in the very Consciences of men shall pretend to abrogate or dispense with them when men shall smite the two Tables one against the other An inquiry into the cause of the present separation from the Church of England Printed 1674. and put other limitations and conditions upon Princes than God hath Wheresoever this is done That Prince or Magistrate need be a very devout man indeed that casts a benigne aspect upon that profession which hath so malignant an influence upon his Government And all considering men will with great reason doubt whether that Religion be of God that gives such trouble to his Vicegerent and whether that will carry men to Heaven hereafter that makes Tumults Confusions and a Hell upon Earth The more raised and elevated any Religion pretends to be the more it professeth a contempt of the World the more it speaks of Patience Contentation Humility and the more it glories in the hopes of another world still the more horribly absurd and contradictious will it be that they that profess it should give countenance to disobedience and disturbance of Government Tertullian gives ample testimony Apol. c. 37. We want saith he neither numbers nor Leaders nor spirit to enable us for any attempt but that we have learned to suffer ill and not to do it to obey and submit not to contend with our Rulers And Ammianus Marcellinus a Pagan Soldier in Julians Army gives this short description of the Christian Religion Aut hoc non est evangelium aut no non sumus Christiani Nil nisi justum suader lene It s faith is compounded of nothing but mildness and innocency it makes men just and honest it fills mens hearts with vertuous principles it teacheth men not to be troublers of the world but to go quietly and inoffensively through it with as little noise and provocation as is possible and so to arrive at eternal rest and peace in Heaven And as this is the known glory of Christianity in general so it was peculiarly of the English Reformation it was established orderly by Law and did not force its way by popular Tumult and its pity it 's glory afterwards should be stained by the insolence and impatience of those that pretend to it It 's a great blot in the Writings of Mr. Calvin that after he had discoursed rarely well of the power of Princes and the duty of Subjects he undoes all again with an unhappy exception in these words De privatis hominibus semper loquor a passage of that ill aspect upon Government that it is suspected by some and not altogether without cause that most of the Confusions of Kingdoms which have happened since and especially the troubles of these Nations have received encouragement if not taken rise from thence But whether that be so or no it is certain that it hath furnisht the Papists with a recrimination upon the Protestant Doctrine If it can be objected against us that our Churches are always infested with divisions and the States under which we live imbroiled in troubles we have reason to be concerned for it cannot be but either the seed must be very bad that brings forth such fruits or the soyl very corrupt that makes good seed so degenerate and whethersoever of these two things be concluded on as it is certain one must and both may we ill consult either for our selves or our profession that by our Divisions Disputes Turbuleneies and Disobediences make the aforesaid Dilemma inevitable And all the wit and courage we shew in defending our private opinions and maintaining our several parties when the common cause and interest is by this means rendered odious and contemptible is but like the foolish solicitude of him that shall be adorning his private Cabin when the Ship is sinking If neither the consideration of the sin of Schism nor the dishonour to our Religion by our divisions will prevail to unite us yet perhaps the apprehension of danger may It was observed of old that the Conquest of this Island by the Romans was facilitated by the intestine divisions of the Inhabitants Dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur And we have too great cause to fear the Religious interests of this Nation now may be endangered upon the same point
worst which I think our own experience hath not long since taught us in Characters of blood For if a General Council may err can a Parliament be infallible And what hath happened to that excellent Constitution may it not happen again But here by the by it may be observed That it is not so much a Parliament ☞ is desired by some among us as such a Parliament as might serve their designs for those very persons some of them that not long since were altogether for dissolving of Parliaments viz. that blessed healing Parliament first called after his Majesties Restoration are now the principal sticklers for a Parliament In the next place if the decay of our Trade be an offence to us may it not be justly thought that our own fears our own distractions are the greatest cause thereof And then do we deserve to be pityed that suffer when we may cure our own maladies Let us confide and acquiesce in the wise conduct of our excellent Prince and his wise Council and be satisfied and our Trade will return What shall I say We in this Nation are a mass of Confusion how miserably divided in our minds unanimous in nothing but in murmuring and complaining Yet God who is truth it self is one and unity certainly is the fruit and consequent of verity Now what a strong Argument do we furnish our Adversaries the Romanists with against us when they shall argue and say unto us Where is that verity you so much boast of when there is no unity but discord strife and enmity among you And as St. James speaks If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly Jam. 14.15 sensual devillish What should I say What mortal can please us What mortal Prince is able to govern us How readily disposed and bent are many among us if it were possible to be pulling down as formerly what is established by Law And yet alas If ever God should suffer such a great and fearful judgment again to fall upon us and that we should be able to lay all things wast as heretofore will we not as heretofore be like the Builders of Babel Confounded although not in our language yet in our different ends and designs and never be able to agree what to establish I may further add How is it possible for God Almighty himself to please that people of whom some will have fair weather and some foul at one and the same time and place Is it not just thus with us What one faction or party would have the other nauseats and loaths And what can our gracious Soveraign do with us and yet what showers of murmurings clamours bitter invectives and reproaches have our Governors suffered patiently But let us consider God is not in the storms earth-quakes and flames of murmuring and rebellious Subjects but in the small still voice of humility and obedience All Murmurers and Rebels are and ever were the Children of Pride and we know God resisteth the proud but vouchsafeth his grace and blessing only to the humble How contrary are these things to our Allegiance to our Soveraign Lord Our Law saith Ligeantia est vinculum fidei ligeantia est legis essentia It is the bond of our faithfulness the very essence of the Law And again Ligeantia Domino Regi debita est Lex It is the Law due to our Soveraign Lord the King And it is worthy our observation what hath usually been the dismal effects of Rebellion and defection from a lawful Prince In that great defection of the ten Tribes from the House of David God did not vouchsafe them after it so much as one good King to govern them they were all stark naught and at last were carried away Captive and totally destroyed there remaining no memory of them at this day Yea to omit other instances hath not our own late experience also taught us the same after our wicked Rebellion against our lawful Prince and imbrewing our hands in his Innocent blood How did God Plague us by our own divisions and confusions and raised up a cruel Tyrant Cromwel to rule over us with a rod of Iron and at once to cut the throat of our Religion Laws and Liberties and made our very Nobles to stoop and lackquay ☞ after his Major Generals and reduced us all into a perfect condition of slavery And can we forget this sad Calamity we so lately suffered How hath he whose Person and Authority ought to have been Sacred among us suffered from his Subjects not to be mentioned without abhorrence Those that are unfit to govern yet will not be governed So that I may say what hath been spared to his Sacred Majesty but his Cown what bold daring Petitions of late promoted and some presented to his Royal Hand contrary to his express Royal will and pleasure which have signified no more but to let him know that the Petitioners were dissatisfied in his Majesties Wisdom and Fidelity that they better knew how to direct and guide State-affairs than himself Have we not by our unworthy carriage towards him as heretofore towards his Royal Father given credit to that bitter Invective against our Nation that Rex Angliae est Rex daemonum Are we not ashamed at these things to be thus increasing our Princes burden of Government vexing and torturing his Royal heart How monstrously absurd are we herein We all pretend to be very tender of his Majesty to be mightily concerned for his safety and cry out Vivat Rex let the King live and seem to be much incensed against the Papists because in their late Plot they designed his destruction and yet we are increasing the burden he undergoes by our discontents murmurings and complainings our untractable ungovernable tempers as if we had a mind to take the work and design of the Papists out of their hands for can these horrid actions be the way to prolong his days But it is my hopes and I think I have reason to induce me to believe that the late shakings of the Royal Oak will cause it to take deeper root and thereby stand the stronger When I consider the state of things and persons among us at present I am ready to be filled with horrour and cannot but deeply resent his Sacred Majesties condition the only support of my hopes is him by whom Kings Reign When I consider the innumerable train of Atheists not only those in practice but the bold daring professed Atheistical spirits the smoak of the bottomless pit the reproach of human nature Who dare be so wickedly absurd as to contradict the universal sense of all man-kind from the beginning of the world until this day and say they were all fools but themselves who daily make it their sport and pastime to drol and jest at all Religion blaspheme and defie that God by whom they subsist and Idolize and adore only themselves who own