A SERMON Preach'd in the Cathedral and Metropolitical CHURCH OF St. Peter in York On Friday the Fifth of November 1697. Being the ANNIVERSARY-DAY of THANKSGIVING for that Great Deliverance from the Gunpowder-Treason And also the Day of His Majesty's Happy Landing in England With a POSTSCRIPT and Two LETTERS which clearly discover the Roman Designs against the English Church and Nation By GEORGE HALLEY A. M. and Prebendary of Ripon London Printed for and Sold by Tho. Baxter Bookseller in Peter-Gate York 1698. TO THE Most Reverend Father in GOD JOHN By Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of York His GRACE Primate of England and Metropolitan MY LORD WHEN I first compos'd this Discourse I had not the least Thought of sending it abroad into the World But partly thro' the Importunity of such as gave it a patient and favourable Audience and partly thro' the Reflections of some who without cause are Enemies to our Great and Triumphant Prince and partly thro' the Incredulity of others touching a Principal and Necessary Branch of true Repentance Restitution as also thro' the Hopes of its proving in some measure a happy Instrument to bring back into the Fold such Sheep as are gone astray I have adventured its Publication And now My Lord this humbly begs the Honour of Your Grace's Patronage and implores the Favour not to interpret the prefixing of Your Great Name to so mean and defective a Piece as great Boldness and Presumption but to accept it as a Specimen of Gratitude and Sincere Affection for all Your Kindnesses unworthily conferr'd upon me I am My Lord incapable of making Your Grace any other Return than this Publick Acknowledgement of them with Fervent Prayer to the Great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls to protect You and Yours and to continue so Great a Blessing as Your Grace is amongst us I am sure all the Flock committed to Your Pastoral Care have the Highest Obligations to render unto Almighty God and His most Excellent Majesty their hearty Thanks as well as gratefully to commemorate the late most Pious and Incomparable Queen for sending so burning a Light so bright and shining a Luminary amongst them In what an Ocean of Peace and Tranquility doth the Great Ship Your Large Diocess now Swim of which God and the King have constituted You the Supreme Commander You not only Direct and Govern but You pull at the Ropes and Sails with as much Vigour as any Common Mariner that Sails therein So Great is Your Lordship's Talent so Indefatigable is Your Industry in Preaching that Your Grace might justly with the late Lord Archbishop of Armagh make this the Motto of Your Archiepiscopal Seal Woe is unto me if I Preach not the Gospel That a Prelate so singularly Eminent for Great Parts and Abilities for Piety and Vertue Care and Diligence Meekness and Humility for Love and Charity may long Preside over and Adorn the Church of God is the Affectionate Desire and Ardent Prayer of My LORD Your Grace's most obliged Dutiful and Grateful Servant GEORGE HALLEY 2 COR. I. 10. Who delivered us from so great a Death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us THE Conjunction of Mercies which the Almighty so eminently and peculiarly wrought on this Day for our Church and Nation makes this Day an High Day a very great and glorious Festival A Day which upon a double Account ought to be had in everlasting Remembrance Not only for the Providential Discovery of the Snares of Death laid this Day for our Ancestors but for the late happy and astonishing Deliverance of us their Posterity from the imminent Danger of Popery and Arbitrary Power The impure Streams of Idolatry and Superstition had gone even over our Souls the proud and insulting Waves the Romanists had triumph'd over us for they began to rage horribly and swell they gnash'd upon us with their Teeth when their small Stock of Arguments was spent and by this time of Day we should have found their Teeth Spears and Arrows and their Tongue a sharp Sword the Romanists I say had triumph'd over us had not God sent us on this blessed Day a Deliverer to rescue us from Popish Tyranny when we were so near sinking under it Great Reason therefore have we to say with St. Paul God deliver'd us from so great a Death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet also deliver us In which Words consider we I. The great Death from which the Holy Apostle was delivered by God II. I will endeavour to shew you that God in this as well as in the Apostolical Age doth still deliver from Death III. What Method we must of absolute Necessity take to indear the Lord our God to oblige him still to protect and deliver us from Death Who deliver'd us from so great a Death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet also deliver us But first In the first Place consider we the great Death from which the Holy Apostle was delivered by God By Death may be understood Troubles and Afflictions extream or uttermost Dangers Troubles and Afflictions in a Superlative in the highest Degree He was press'd out of Measure above Strength insomuch that he had almost black and desponding Thoughts he despair'd even of Life If he had not found more than ordinary Assistances of the good Spirit of God he had certainly sunk under them This is the doleful Account which he himself gives us at the Eighth Verse with the place too where those Troubles came upon him namely Asia What the Troubles were which he met with in Asia we are informed by St. Luke in the 19th of the Acts and the 23d Verse where we read of a Riot or unlawful Assembly a great Stir raised by one Demetrius a Silver-smith and the Workmen of like Occupation about the Doctrine of the Gospel because St. Paul had preach'd against the Images which they made and worshipp'd as confounded be all they that worship carved Images and that delight in vain Gods worship him all ye Gods because he had persuaded much People that they be no Gods which are made with Hands they came upon him in a furious and tumultuary Manner Further In the first Epistle to the Corinthians 15.32 we read if after the manner of men I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the dead rise not Some interpret those Words of his Conflict with the same Demetrius and the Silver-Smiths who were like Beasts in their Conditions and Manners Others are of Opinion that he really was exposed in the Theatre to furious Beasts tho' peradventure he was only so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Purpose of Men the Magistrates had sentenced and condemned him to that Death but Divine Providence interpos'd and rescued him from the Execution of the Sentence Thus probably these Words of my Text relate to his Sufferings at Ephesus when God delivered him from so great a Death Further In the
with a dispensing Power Thus our Religion our Laws our Liberties all that is near and dear to us would have been destroy'd had not God deliver'd them from so great a Death by sending us the best of Princes who this Day set his Foot on the British Shore It was he alone whom God made the happy Instrument of our Preservation it was he who stop'd our furious Enemies in their Career who prevented their base Designs by a sudden and an unexpected Change of the Scene by such an astonishing Revolution of Affairs as no Age peradventure can parallel A most happy Revolution whatsoever our Male-contents think of it Alass when once the Minds of Men are darkned with Ambition Pride Revenge Hatred Malice and Envy let Acts of Providence be never so illustriously visible they will not see them such Darkness is thick to Admiration how great is that Darkness It was I say a most happy Revolution Tho' it is true indeed the Consequence of it hath been a vast Expence of Blood and Treasure but still we have the least Reason to murmur or complain This Blood hath not been spil'd this terrible War hath not rag'd in our own but in a Foreign Land all the Havock which hath been made all the Devastations by Fire and Sword were not here but in other Countries Taxes and Impositions indeed we have not been freed from but what then our Yoke hath been easy and our Burden light and if Judgment may be form'd according to the Sumptuous way of living according to the little Abatement there hath been ever since the War commenc'd either of Diet splendid Attire or other expensive Diversions all the Charge we have been at is comparatively as nothing It is a Question whether greater Injury hath been done to the Publick whether the Nation in general hath suffer'd more by impairing the Coin than by the War the Prevention of which great Mischief for the future is such a glorious Act as ought never to be forgotten To have call'd in our base Money at a time when we slept upon the downy Bed of Peace would have been a matter of far less Difficulty but to regulate the Coin when we were engag'd in a bloody and expensive War this Act no Age peradventure can parallel It is a Question I say whether the Nation in general hath suffer'd more by impairing the Coin than by the War I heartily wish that such as have thus been guilty of plunging the Nation into calamitous Circumstances may be deeply touch'd and affected with the Consideration of it that they may Repent of the great Wrong and universal Robbery which they have committed and demonstrate the Sincerity of their Repentance by giving the Wealth they have gotten by Injury Fraud and Deceit to Charitable Vses If they do not the time will come when they will wish they had not enriched themselves by others Poverty that they had mov'd in a low Sphere and been contented with a mean Condition that they had cast themselves naked into the Arms of Divine Providence and known nothing of Temporal Affluence and Prosperity Oh! What is a Man advantaged if he gain the whole World and lose himself or be a cast-away Luke 9.25 Oh! what shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul Mat. 16.26 I am sure Thieves and such are the greatest Thieves as either impair'd or by furnishing were instrumental to the impairing of our Coin unless they repent of their Wickedness and make Restitution if there be a Capacity for it can never enter into the Kingdom of God 1. Cor. 6.10 But blessed be God the Tables of the Money Changers are now overturn'd this great and dangerous Distemper which the Nation hath long labour'd under is now healed this base Art as well as the terrible War hath had its happy Period and Conclusion and if we would but put away from us all Bitterness and Wrath Anger and Clamour Malice and Envy and live in Christian Love and Charity if we would but endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace what could hinder us from being the happiest People upon the Face of the Earth What complaining could then be in our Streets Trade which is the Life and Soul of this Nation will now flourish our Money hath recover'd its ancient Weight and Fineness it hath now the greatest Beauty and Comliness and tho' we have been at a vast Expence of Blood and Treasure yet the Happiness we have gotten thereby will infinitely over-ballance and preponderate all our Harm and Loss we have purchased therewith a Jewel of a Transcendent value of the greatest Price an Honourable and I hope a durable and lasting Peace God hath made the War to cease it is he who is the Author of all our Deliverances it is he who maketh Wars to cease in all the World who breaketh the Bow and knappeth the Spear in sunder and burneth the Chariots in the Fire God I say hath made the War to cease thro' the Noble Conduct and Heroick Valour of our Great King God hath given unto us the Blessings of Peace God Land him safe again on our joyful Shore let him return with the greatest Glory and Triumph with the loudest Shouts and Acclamations God Almighty give him always the Hearts of his Parliament and the Affections of his People O Young Men and Maidens Old Men and Children cry God Save King William for he it is by whom God hath deliver'd us from Death from innumerable Dangers and doth deliver In whom we trust that he will yet also deliver us And this brings me to the Third and the Last thing Namely What Method we must of absolute necessity take to endear the Lord our God to oblige him still to protect and deliver us from Death And here if ever we hope to endear the God of Heaven to us to oblige him to protect and deliver us from Death this is the Method which we must of absolute necessity take We must lead an holy and exemplary Life we must endeavour as much as in us lies to be Pure and Holy in all manner of Conversation Do we pretend to trust in the Lord our God Alas without Holiness we trust in vain unless we purify our selves we can have no sure and certain Hope no rational Assurance of the Divine Protection No People under Heaven have more liberally tasted of the Favour and loving Kindness of the Lord than we No People in the World have stronger Obligations to Piety and Vertue than we What is it that the Lord could have done for this our Nation and he hath not done it God hath given us the best Religion the best Government the best Laws and the best of Princes and by him the best of Blessings Peace How many Deliverances from Death have we had The Time and your Patience would fail me to give you a particular Enumeration of them they are more in Number than I am now able to express How often hath the Lord
been pleas'd to deliver our Glorious Prince from Death and in him us for if this our Light our Lamp had been quench'd in Battel What a Day of Darkness and Gloominess what a Day of Clouds and thick Darkness would there have been He may very justly be call'd the Light of our Israel for the Splendor and Greatness the Beauty and Glory the Conduct and Direction the Comfort and Safety the Welfare and Happiness of us his People flow from and depend upon him How often I say hath the Lord been pleas'd to deliver him from Death From Perils in the Field from Perils in the Sea from Perils by his own Subjects from a treacherous and bloody an horrid and barbarous Assassination And God will still deliver him and us if we be but obedient and conformable to his Divine Laws But if we will not be obedient if these manifold Favours and Mercies of the Lord will not influence and persuade us to Purity of Life and Holiness of Conversation how fatal will the Consequence be What can we look for but Ruine and Destruction Oh! We shall be consumed both we and our King We may assure our selves that all Engines are now at work to disturb our Repose our Peace and Tranquility Oh! that all such as move in sublime and honorary Orbs would have a vigilant Eye upon all the Enemies of our Constitution Oh! that all Magistrates would unanimously resolve to watch and study to preserve the People committed to their respective Charges in Peace and Godliness We may assure our selves there will be Hellish Plots and damnable Contrivances so long as there is either a Devil or a Jesuit in the World The Romanists will always bear us the same implacable Hatred we shall find them of the same diabolical Temper and malicious Disposition Now who can confound their Devices Who can deliver us from their Machinations but God and nothing can challenge or oblige him to do so but Piety and Vertue Alas if we do wickedly if we do not leave off our Ingratitude and Impiety our unreasonable Murmurings and Repinings if we still provoke him by Sins and Transgressions what terrible Effects will not these Things produce Oh! we shall be consumed both we and our King For search the lively Oracles of God the holy Scriptures and you will find there that God hath all along darted the Rays of Prosperity hath showr'd down all imaginable Blessings upon such Nations as feared him and wrought Righteousness and on the contrary God hath pour'd down the fiercest Instances of his Anger and heavy Displeasure upon such Kingdoms as trampled upon his Laws as affronted him by Wickedness and Impiety this hath been the constant Course of Divine Providence and in all probability will be so to the end of the World That was good and wholesome Advice which Achior gave Holofernes concerning the Jews Judith 5.21 22. My Lord and Governour If there be any Error in this People and they sin against their God this shall be their Ruine but if there be no Iniquity in their Nation let my Lord now pass by lest their Lord defend them and we become a Reproach before all the world And this salutary Advice we find confirm'd by Judith her self in the 11th Chapter and the 9th and 10th Verse As concerning the Matter which Achior spoke in thy Councel we have heard of it O Lord and Governour reject not his Word but lay it up in thine Heart for it is true our Nation shall not be punish'd neither can the Sword prevail against them except they sin against their God And indeed consider how God dealt with his own peculiar People the Children of Israel When they walk'd in his Statutes and kept his Commandments how transcendently great then was their Affluence and Prosperity the inestimable Blessing of Peace was then within their Walls and Plenteousness within their Palaces Quietness and Ease Unity and Love all imaginable Happiness they enjoy'd at home and the Almighty made them victorious and triumphant abroad they rejoyc'd under the Shadow of his Wings But when they became corrupt and abominable in their Doings when there was a general Declension from the Faith and Practice of True Religion then they ceas'd to be a happy and a prosperous People they were then led into Captivity their Enemies then oppressed them and had them in Subjection put upon their Necks the Chains of Bondage and intolerable Slavery Now these things happen'd unto them for Ensamples these things are written for our Learning and Admonition If we constantly walk before God in Holiness and Righteousness we shall then enjoy Happiness and Tranquility Peace and Plenteousness But if we apostatize from God and Goodness he will then have a Controversie with us Fire and Famine Sword and Pestilence his Judgments will then rage amongst us For if God spar'd not the natural Branches how can we expect he will spare us If we continue not in his Goodness that is if we stand not fast if we persevere not in the Faith in such a Faith as worketh by Love as lives and acts by Charity as is productive of all noble and vertuous Actions thus St. Paul argueth Rom. 11.21 22. It is infallibly true that Wickedness and Vice draws down God's Wrath and Vengeance upon any People that Looseness of Life and Corruption of Manners brings the most flourishing People to Ruine and Decay Oh! then let the Consideration of this important Truth oblige and enforce us to live up to the Precepts and Institutions of our excellent Religion God then will be our constant Friend and Benefactor God then will stablish the wonderful Things He hath been graciously pleas'd to work for us God then will continue to deliver our Sovereign Lord the King and us his People from Death from all the impious Plots and Conspiracies of his and our Enemies both at home and abroad God then will bless him and us with Temporal Peace and Happiness in this World and with eternal Peace and Happiness in the World to come Which God of his infinite Mercy grant for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be ascrib'd as is most due all Honour Glory Praise Thanksgiving Might Majesty and Dominion from henceforth and for evermore Amen THE POSTSCRIPT IN part of the fore-going Discourse I have slightly touch'd upon the unhappy Schisms and much to be lamented Divisions which now furiously rage amongst us and have shewed you the Spring from whence they flow namely the Jesuits and other Emissaries of the Church of Rome It is that Church which hath ever since our Blessed Reformation industriously sown the Seeds of Contention amongst us and it is much to be feared She hath now more than ever a pleasing Prospect of a plentiful Harvest It was that Church which was the Source and Origin of all the late Troubles and Confusions and She still endeavours with the same implacable Malice to set us at Variance and Strife amongst our selves This