Protestant Countrey a Nation which hath been blest with the greatest Advantages for the increase of Divine Knowledge and the improvement of good Practice and which has been laid under the strongest Obligations by Divine Providence from one Generation to another how many are there notwithstanding all this who not only discover a manifest Neglect of God and of Religion but presume openly to bid defiance to the Almighty to dare the Power of Heaven against themselves by their horrid Blasphemies their impious Oaths and Imprecations who set at nought every thing which is Serious and Sacred who having first declar'd their contempt of Reveal'd Religion by professing Infidelity go on to testifie their disregard to that which is Natural also by a Practice directly contrary to all the Rules of Virtue and Morality Whosoever is toucht with an inward and serious sense of Almighty God cannot but be deeply affected with the Thoughts of these things To reform this Scandal of the Age is undoubtedly the Business and will be the Glory and the Interest of those whom God hath entrusted with the Power of the Sword For whilst they controul these Enemies of Almighty God they subdue the very worst and most dangerous Enemies of themselves and the Kingdom 2. Let us also fear the King which is the rather to be urg'd both as the proper Argument of the Day and because there are apparently two sorts of Men amongst us who contradict this good Advice Some there have been of late who from fond and mistaken Notions of Loyalty have prov'd very mischievously Disloyal to the present Government of whom I shall only say thus much That 't is a plain instance how far Prejudice and Passion may mislead Men even to the rendering them insensible of their Duty and their Interest at once to the making them guilty of great Disingenuity and Ingratitude both to God and the Instruments of his Providence uneasie on account of Blessings and dissatisfied with the only visible Means which was left for our Deliverance But I hope a little more time will wear out the remainders of these Prejudices at least out of the Minds of those who are endued with Honesty and good Meaning There are a second Sort who I fear still retain the dangerous Principles upon which the Fact of this Day was perpetrated who one would think might have long since been brought to a better Mind not only by observing the impracticableness of all their foolish Schemes of Government but especially by considering the Miseries that attended this Nation for so many Years together whilst they were attempting to set up what they still appear so unaccountably fond of Let us testifie our utter dislike to these and all other disloyal Principles and Practices by being true to that excellent Form of Government which is peculiar to our Nation by yielding a chearful Obedience and Submission to our Superiors by laying aside all our Prejudices and Factions and thereby rendring the Management of the Government easie to those who have the Charge of it in a word by reviving a Generous and Publick Spirit among us which is so apparently and scandalously wanting at this time that we may take up the Apostles Complaint Phil. 2.21 All men seek their own things not the things of God of their King and their Countrey Let us not go on to provoke God who hath given us one Opportunity more of being an happy People lest he say to us as he did once to the Israelites after their proving incorrigible under many Trials and Deliverances Judges 10.10 c. Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites c. yet ye have forsaken me Wherefore I will deliver you no more Go and cry unto the Gods which ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your Tribulation Let us rather hearken to the Voice of Wisdom speaking to us as to Children My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Now to that great God by whom Kings reign and Princes decree Justice to that Supream Lord who Governs the World with Wisdom and often prevents those Disorders which the Sins and Follies of Men expose them to to him who makes Men to be of one Mind in an House and in a Kingdom to God even our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ with the Eternal Spirit be all Praise and Glory now and for ever Amen FINIS Books Printed for Matt. Wottom at the Three Daggers in Fleet-street A Demonstration of the Messias in which the Truth of the Christian Religion is Defended especially against the Jews containing all that was Preached at the Lecture of the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq By the Right Reverend Father in God Richard Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells His Sermons Preached on several Occasions 8o. A Guide to the Devout Christian in Three Parts containing Prayers for particular Persons for Families and a Discourse of the Sacrament The Christian's-Pattern in Four Books written originally in Latin by Thomas à Kempis To which are added Prayers and Meditations for Sick Persons By George Stanhope D.D. Chaplain in Ordinary to HIs Majesty in Octavo with Cuts Sold for 5 s. The same Book printed in a Smaller letter Price 2 s. The Occasional Paper No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. The Heinousness of Injustice A Sermon Preached before Mr. Justice Turton at the Assizes held at Lincoln 1698. By Laurence Echard Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Lincoln A Sormon preached at St. Paul's Church the 2d of January last being the First for this Year of the Lecture appointed by the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq By Samuel Bradford Rector of St. Mary le Bow
God namely That He will certainly call us to an Account and distribute Rewards or Punishments to us according to our Demeanour Solomon hath taken in all that can be said upon this Subject in the close of his Ecclesiastes Eccles 12.13 14. Let us hear says he the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole of man his whole Business and his Felicity For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil 2. Having thus consider'd the First Direction of the Text I proceed to the next viz. To shew what Solomon intends by fearing the King and what Obligations we are under to comply with it The fear of God is our first great Duty that which obligeth us as Men and will dispose us to a compliance with whatever Duties can be incumbent on us under any Relations or Circumstances whatsoever Now next to that of our being Reasonable Creatures we are to be considered as Members of Society Societies are either Natural or Political By Natural I mean those of particular Families and he that truly fears God will best discharge the Duties of each of the Relations proper to that kind of Society But besides these there are larger Societies of Men those I mean which are Civil or Political to which my Text hath a particular reference When Families increas'd Men found it necessary to form themselves into these larger Bodies wherein some were to govern and others to obey according to such Laws as were agreed upon in the forming of these Societies And according to the Advice of Solomon the Civil Government under which we are plac'd is to be regarded next to Almighty God the Supreme Lord and Governor of all Fear thou the Lord and the King He names the King both because that implies the Form of Government under which the Jews at that time and most of the Eastern Nations liv'd as also because Monarchy has been ever by the wifest of Men justly esteem'd the most natural and perfect Form of Government especially where regulated by wise and wholsome Laws However this Rule must be acknowledg'd to be of general Use under every Form of Government the reason being the same in all places as will appear when we come to consider it So that to fear the King is to have a great regard to the Government we live under to yield a ready Obedience to all its wholsome Laws and Customs never willingly to deviate from either unless the Commandments of God and the Laws or Customs of Men should interfere and if at any time we should fall into such unhappy circumstances in that case either peaceably to withdraw from the Society and remove to some other where we may enjoy both a good Conscience and our Liberty together or if that may not be then quietly and patiently to submit to such Penalties as by the Laws of our Country may be inflicted upon us For it can never be reasonable that a particular Man or any small and inconsiderable part of a Society of Men should disturb the Peace of the whole Body upon account of their own private Sentiments Moreover the fear of the King implies in it a great Respect and Reverence to the Persons of our Governors on account of the Character they bear and the Authority they exercise that we never entertain any unreasonable Jealousies concerning them much less propagate our own Surmises that we never in the least detract from our Superiors by open Defamation Eccl. 10.20 or sly Suggestion Curse not the King says Solomon no not in thy thought much less may we revile the Gods Exod. 22.28 or speak evil of the Ruler of our people and least of all may we offer any Indignity to our Governors or do them any Injury by an Overt Act. On the contrary we are strictly oblig'd to demean our selves towards them with all humble and dutiful Respect as much as in us lies to keep up their Reputation and Honour with others as far as ever 't is possible to entertain and cherish good Thoughts of them always to put the fairest and most candid Interpretation upon their Actions and to believe that they may very often have good reasons for doing what we cannot give an account of I might add That we are likewise oblig'd without grudging to contribute our share towards maintaining the Charges of the Government Rom. 13.7 rendring as the Apostle expresseth it to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour All these Duties to our Governors are in themselves very plain and easie to be understood and the Reason of them also is as evident For 1. Government is the Ordinance of God He is the Supreme Lord of all Psal 95. â— a great King above all Gods and the Rulers of the Earth are his Deputies and Vicegerents appointed by him to keep the World in good Order Of this we are admonish'd throughout the Inspired Writings St. Peter exhorts to this purpose 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well For so is the will of God And St. Paul in like manner and upon the same Reasons Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher Powers For there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resists the Power resists the Ordinance of God And a little after Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake For they are God's Ministers Neither is this the Voice of Scripture only but also of Reason 'T is plain from the frame and constitution of Mankind that they are made sit for Society and that there can be no Society amongst Men without Government and no Government without some to rule and others to obey So that God by the frame in which he hath made us and the circumstances he hath placed us in hath directed us to enter into Society and in order thereunto to set up and maintain Government And for God to have made it reasonable and fit for us thus to do is in other words for him to have given us a Law that we should do it for the Law of Nature and Reason which is the Law of God is nothing else but that which is fit for us with respect to our Nature and our Circumstances And in this sence without all question Government is the Ordinance of God and Governors are Ordained by him 2. Our Duty in this case will farther appear from considering that Government and consequently Obedience to it is evidently for the good of Mankind in general And in truth this is the Foundation of Government
's being God's Ordinance that it is for the good of Men. For God hath appointed nothing as a general Law to all Mankind but what is really conducive to their good It is as I before observ'd impossible that Society should be maintain'd without Government There must be some common Wisdom to direct and give Laws and in this disorderly World in which we live some Publick Authority and Force to see those Laws executed We see how difficult it is to keep Mankind in any tolerable Order notwithstanding the many good Laws which are made and executed to that end What a State then do we imagine the World would be in if every Man were let loose to act according to his Appetites and Passions which must necessarily be unless there were Rewards and Punishments appointed by Law-makers and distributed by a standing and settled Authority So that whosoever goes about to resist or weaken the Government he lives under does what in him lies to dissolve the Society and thereby to reduce things to a state of Anarchy and Confusion 3. I might add That Obedience and Submission to Governors are also the Interest of every particular Man as well as of the Society in general and that he who weakens the Publick Authority and thereby injures the Society will sooner or later feel the mischievous consequences of it himself as he is a Part of the Whole Besides that for a Man to oppose Authority is to expose himself to the just Displeasure of those who in all probability will be too hard for him Wilt thou not be afraid of the Power Rom. 13.3 says the Apostle Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same For he is the Minister of God to thee for good But if thou do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain for he is the Minister of God in that case also a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil Before I proceed to the last Direction in the Text I beg leave to make a short Remark or two from the manner of Solomon's expressing himself upon this Subject 1. It is observable That he hath join'd fearing the Lord and the King Religion towards God and Loyalty towards our Governors are both of them excellent things and 't is great pity they should ever be parted But there are too many that pretend to the one whilst they are very defective as to the other Some there are on the one hand that are great Pretenders to Religion or the fear of God who yet too openly betray their disregard to their Earthly Superiors by their forwardness to be always suspecting and insinuating ill things of those in Authority by their taking a great freedom to censure every thing they don't see a reason for by their readiness to be factious seditious and mutinous upon every slight and frivilous pretence There are some on the other hand that profess a very high regard for their Governors but have at the same time no manner of Reverence for Almighty God and his Precepts They seem to be of the Opinion That God will accept of their being good Subjects to the Government they live under instead of all other Duties which he hath enjoin'd them and that their steady Loyalty shall make expiation for their Impiety their Intemperance and their Lewdness But let no man deceive himself Mat. 22.21 we are to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things which are God's We are to fear the Lord and the King And what God hath thus join'd together let no man presume to put asunder I wish I could not still name a third sort who in this Age have made themselves too numerous and too conspicuous to be overlook'd I mean such as fear neither the Lord nor the King a Generation of bold Sinners these who having first cast off all regard for the God of Heaven can after that very freely and without the least scruple express their contempt of all his Vicegerents on Earth I cannot describe them better than in the words of the Apostle Men that deny the Lord who bought them 2 Pet. 2.1 10. that walk after the flesh in the lusts of uncleanness and despise Government presumptuous are they self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities concerning whom the same Inspired Writer pronounces That their judgment lingereth not Ver. 3. and their damnation doth not slumber 2. 'T is farther observable That the fear of the Lord is by Solomon plac'd the first of the two by which is intimated That no Man can truly fear the King as he ought to do unless he fear God in the first place The fear of God or an hearty sense of Religion is after all the only Principle that can make us throughly good and faithful Subjects to Princes That Man only who acts from Principles of Conscience can be safely trusted and rely'd upon all other Principles being defective and uncertain 3. I now proceed to the last Direction in my Text Meddle not with them that are given to change By which is to be understood Men of a fickle and unconstant Temper such as have no steady Principles to act upon but are ever dissatisfy'd with what is present and fond of something new and when they once have what they seem'd eagerly to wish are yet as far from being easie as before the fault not lying as they foolishly imagine in the state of things without them but in their own variable and uncertain Minds And this may refer either to Religion or the Civil Government For the latter Clause in the Text looks back upon both the former Meddle not with them that are given to change either with respect to the fear of the Lord or the fear of the King such as lightly and without cause affect changes either in Religious or Civil Matters Lightly I say and without cause for it is not to be imagin'd that Solomon condemns changing for the better where there are solid Grounds and weighty Reasons for doing it 'T is possible for a Man to be educated in a false Religion nay for such a Religion to be establish'd by the Laws of a Country and then upon the offers of good Reason to change is so far from being a fault that not to do it must be the effect of Obstinacy or strong Prejudice A Government may be so ill managed or otherwise reduc'd to such streights that it may be impossible to secure the Society without admitting some variations from the ordinary Rules and Methods of Proceeding and then the reason of things as much warrants a variation from those ordinary Rules and Methods as at other times it obliges to a strict adherence to them But then a change is criminal when 't is without sufficient Reason and when the attempting it threatens apparent and imminent Danger to the Society and those Men act cross to the Direction of the Text who affect or