there was enough discovered to prevent the mischief we still enjoy our Religion we still see our Prince and rejoyce under the benigne influences of his Government hitherto God hath saved his Anointed from a Popish I pray God still defend him from a Fanatick Plot. A Fanatick a true Protestant Plot surely that is impossible there can be no danger from that corner this is only a scandal cast upon innocent and peaceable men Truly this has been so often said and with so much confidence that we had like not to have believed it possible till it had been too late It was sufficient to prove any man to be a Papist who durst own it possible for such good men to Rebel or Plot against the King and Government and yet it was very hard not to think that possible to be done which had been done once already and that so lately as not to be forgot though it was pardoned an Act of Oblivion could not wipe it out of mens memories especially when they saw the same things begin to be acted over again with the same Religious pretences I am apt to think we had been more secure from the Popish Plot than for ought I know we may yet be had not these men abused peoples fears and dangers of Popery to the disturbance of the Government and to the carrying on their Antimonarchical and Fanatick designs We remember how soon the Popish Plot was turned into a great noise and cry against the Church of England and no way was thought so fit to keep out Popery as to pull down the Church and thus the poor Church of England which had escaped the rage and fury of Rome had like to have been sacrificed to a true Protestant zeal which no doubt had given a fatal blow to Popery Hoc Ithacus velit magni mercentur Atridae How things proceeded after this to the disturbance of the publick peace and the interruption of the ordinary course of Justice you all know as well as I and wise men quickly saw and honest men could not forbear warning the people whither these things tended and they met with a good reward for it they were all Papists in Masquerade and especially the Loyal Clergy were loaded with all the contempt and ignominy which an inraged and envenomed zeal and some witless scriblers could cast on them Whole vollies of Pamphlets flew about to poyson the people with lewd and Seditious Principles but to talk or write or preach about Obedience to Government or patient suffering for a good cause was to betray the Protestant Interest and to invite a Popish Successour to cut our Throats and what all this ends in thanks be to God we now see and I hope time enough to prevent it I do not pretend to tell you any thing which you do not all know Time and the care of our Governours and the guilty Consciences of Rebels and the good providence of God I hope will make further Discoveries and bring these secret works of darkness into open view but we know enough to praise God for his great deliverance which he hath given his King we know enough to admire and adore that infinite wisdom who by the most seemingly casual and contingent events can so easily disappoint and defeat the designs of wicked and bloody men Who ever suspected that the fire at Newmarket was sent by God for the preservation of our King and his Royal Brother for the preservation of these Kingdoms of our Liberties and Religion Wonderful are thy works O Lord and thy ways past finding out This short account I have given you is an excellent Comment upon my Text a case very parallel to Davids The deliverances of our Prince are no way inferiour to that mercy God shewed to David when he delivered him from the Lyon and the Bear from the uncircumcised Philistin from a persecuting Saul from a Rebellious Absolom from a Treacherous Achitophel from the strivings of the people Great deliverance sheweth he to his King and sheweth mercy to his Anointed 2. And thus I proceed to make some practical Remarks and Observations on this which was the thing I principally designed And they are these 1. What a vain and fruitless attempt it is to Plot against the Life and Crown and Dignity of our Prince when God undertakes the defence and protection of him Setting aside the wickedness and impiety of it it is a foolish and dangerous design Whoever considers only the probable events of humane actions will be easily convinc't how unlikely it is that such Plots should take effect To miss the very critical mâ—nute spoils all the design and yet after all the skill and contrivance they can use there are ten thousand casualties to disappoint them Such designs cannot be acted alone but require numerous confederates and what security can there be that no one man in such a number shall betray the Secret Some possibly may be toucht with remorse and horror of Conscience may be frighted with the very thoughts of that Villany which they designed to act and then they need no body to betray them but themselves for no man can long together conceal the fire which burns in his own breast Other men may get into the company and acquaint themselves with all their Intrigues and act so cunning a part as to be mistaken for confiding persons may appear most zealous and most forward in the business and all this while betray their Counsels and put an effectual stop to them when they are ripe for execution and it is impossible for the cunningest men to prevent this who have not a Casement into mens Breasts Other men who enter into the Confederacy to make their Fortunes may happen to consider that it is much the safest and most effectual way to do this by discovering the Plot than by acting it The power of Wine sometimes unlocks a Secret and saves a Kingdom some unexpected Quarrels and Animosities among the Conspirators a mutual jealousie of each others greatness a hasty dispute about dividing the Riches and Honours and Power of the Nation before they have it may tempt them to hang one another and leave the Spoil which they had already devoured in their hopes and expectations to the right owners A desire to rescue some friend out of the common ruin may save a Kingdom Walls and Hedges have Ears and the very Birds of the Air may tell the matter Their Cabals may be observed and suspected and their affectation of Secrecy may betray them Their guilt is often seen in their looks and creates jealousies and suspicions of some secret design and an unlucky word which he meant nothing by who spoke it may make them think themselves discovered and this is a ready way to make them discover themselves The Heart of the stoutest Rebel may fail him when he comes to give the fatal blow or he may miss of his aim or his Gun may not go off or he may distrust his own escape
of maliciousness And if we ever desire to see the peace and prosperity of our Sion is it not high time to unite in Religion which is the onely thing that can bless us with a firm and lasting peace All our late troubles have been owing to the differences of Religion and while the cause of dissentions remains though there may be some expedients at present found out to palliate the distemper yet nothing can remove it All men seem to be very sensible of this and very desirous of an Union but the question is how or in what we shall Unite Shall we unite in Popery God forbid the salvation of our Souls is somewhat dearer to us than temporal peace and that we believe to be exposed to infinite hazard in the Communion of so corrupt a Church A firm and universal Agreement indeed in any thing will secure the publick peace but we must not make our Religion so wholly subordinate to temporal ends If we can save our Souls and secure the publick peace together such a Religion ought to be chosen upon a double account but if both these interests cannot be united we must take care to save our Souls and trust the Providence of God with our other concernments Shall we then unite with the different Sects and Parties of Christians which are among us This is to unite without Union It is to unite indeed against something but to unite in nothing The several parties of Dissenters who separate from the Church of England differ as much from each other as they do from us They may unite and combine together in pulling down but they can never unite in setting up any thing they can unite in Tumults and publick Disturbances but they can never unite in Peace When they had pulled down the Church of England they could set up nothing in its room but a prodigious encrease of Heresies and Schisms There is nothing then to unite in but the Church of England as by Law established which will both secure the interests of our Souls and the publick peace And why should we not unite in this Church which is the Glory and the Bulwark of the Reformation the envy and the terror of Rome Whose Fathers and first Reformers were Martyrs against Popery and who her self has been a Martyr for Loyalty Those infinite dangers we are surrounded with on all hands methinks should strongly encline all honest men impartially to examine the reasons of their Separation and I am confident not onely what has been formerly written in the Defence of this Church but what has been lately offered for the satisfaction of Dissenters would open the Eyes of all sincere men to see their mistakes if they would but calmly without prejudice or passion read and consider it It is demonstrable we can unite no where else and is it a desirable state to be perpetually strugling and contending with intestine Commotions to be hating reviling undermining each other For Gods sake beloved Christians let us at last consider the things which make for peace and those things whereby we may edifie each other And in order to do this I observe further 3. How dangerous a rash boisterous intemperate Zeal is though it be for the best things and against the worst Whatever private discontents revengeful or ambitious designs might secretly act some great men who know how to practise upon the zeal and the ignorance of the people yet nothing is more evident than that the first visible occasion of these new Troubles and Conspiracies which have endangered the Life of our King and the Ruine of his Government was laid in a mighty zeal against Popery and for the preservation of the Protestant Religion The Popish Plot was the first Scene in this new Tragedy Those bloody designs raised the fears the jealousies the indignation of men and a love to their Prince and to their Religion kindled and blew up their Zeal into such a violent flame as threatned an universal desolation and became more formidable than the danger it intended to remove A great and passionate Zeal like a distempered love blinds mens eyes and makes them mistake both their Enemies and their Friends It fills their head with endless jealousies and fears and makes them start and run away from their own shadow Such a boisterous Zeal is the Frenzy and Calenture of Religion which makes men uncapable of all sober Counsel and prudent Resolves and precipitates them into the most wild extravagant and irreligious attempts There is nothing more pernicious than Zeal when it gets a head and bears down all the considerations of Reason and Religion before it When men are conscious to themselves that they are engaged in a good Cause and have honest designs it makes them more bold and venturous for though few men dare own it yet the actions of too many sufficiently proclaim that they think they may strain a point and dispense with strict duty when it is to serve a good Cause when the honour of God and the interest of Religion is concerned such a zeal does violently push men forward but it does not steer well nor observe its Compass and thus it is too often seen that men who begin with a zeal for Religion insensibly slip into State-Factions and are engaged vastly beyond what they first designed and engaged so far that they cannot retreat with safety or honour but must either Conquer or be Conquered Let us then above all things have a care of our Zeal that we may not mistake an earthly fire which burns and consumes for that divine and harmless flame which is kindled at Gods Altar A true Zeal for Religion is nothing more nor less than such a hearty love for it as makes us very diligent in the practise of it our selves and contented if God sees it fit to lay down our lives for it and very industrious to promote the knowledge and practise of Religion in the world by all lawful and prudent means A true Christian Zeal will not suffer us to transgress the strict bounds of our duty to God or of our duty to Men especially to Kings and Princes whatever flattering prospect of advantage it may give To lie to forswear our selves to hate and revile each other to Reproach and Libel Governours in Church and State to stir up or countenance with the least thought any Plots Seditions or Rebellions against the King is not a Zeal for God nor for Religion for this wisdom is not from above but is earthly sensual and devilish for where strife and contention is there is confusion and every evil work 4. Let our past experience therefore teach us to watch over the least stirrings and first appearances of a seditious and factious Spirit either in our selves or others however it may be disguised with a pretence of Religion Faction like other Vices has but very small beginnings but when those beginnings are indulged it soon improves and gests strength Omne in proecipiti vitium stetit
when men once espouse a Party like those who are a running down hill they cannot stop when they please Discontents and Jealousies are easily fomented when we have once given admission to them and the busie Factors and Agents for Sedition when they find us never so little disposed and prepared to receive the impression use their utmost art and skill all the methods of insinuation and address to make us Proselytes I doubt not but many men have died Rebels and suffered as Traitors who at first did as much abhor the thoughts of Treason and Rebellion as any of us can Thus I doubt not but it was in our late Troubles and thus I believe it is at this day Let such examples as these make us wary how we begin to entertain or to whisper our Discontents and Fears how we begin to listen to suspicions of our Prince or of his Government and to hear with pleasure any scandalous stories or reflexions on either those who can with content and pleasure hear their Prince and his Government reviled will soon think him not fit to be their King And the great danger of such beginnings is that we are not apt to observe them in our selves or others when Religion is concerned in the quarrel We think it all Zeal pure zeal and cannot suspect our selves or others to be in any danger of turning Rebels But whatever is in its own nature a degree and tendency towards Rebellion is so where ever and in whomsoever it is found and there is always more danger that the beginnings of Vice should corrupt the best temper of Mind than any hope that a sound and Religious disposition should correct the malign influences of such a Vice Some mens Religion does as much incline them to Faction as secular interest does other men and there is no such dangerous Faction as that which is bred and nourished by the Corruptions of Religion The Jewish Zealots and the Christian Enthusiasts of all sorts are too plain an example of it And therefore when men who make great pretences to Religion begin to talk or act Factiously a fair opportunity is as like to make them Rebels as any other men Thus we often see it is and this is a sufficient reason to suspect all such beginnings either in our selves or others whatever glorious pretences we may have Let this at last teach us to learn from experience One would wonder that there should be any occasion for such an Observation as this for those who have not understanding nor reach enough to foresee the issues and events of things yet when they have once seen what the events of such actions have been when they see the same things acted over again they expect to see the same effects Thus indeed it usually is thus it ought to be if men ever intend to grow wise and happy and yet our late observations will tell us that it is not always thus For if it had the same Game would never have been played over twice by many of the same men in the same Age and by the same Arts and Methods and yet the people deluded and the world bore in hand that they designed nothing less than to play the same Game again We saw all the Zeal and all the Intrigues of 40. and 41. return again and yet it was an unpardonable crime for any man to say so or for any man to look as if he thought so The cry against Popery was renewed but indeed with a great deal more reason than they formerly had for we were in eminent danger of Popery which is the onely difference between those times and ours but then our real fears and dangers of Popery were presently abused to Factious designs and made a property of to serve some more secret Intrigues The old cry was against Popish Bishops and a Popish Liturgy and Popish Ceremonies and in a word against the Popish Church of England but one would have thought it impossible that ever the Church should at this time have been charged with Popery when the Popish Plot was principally intended against the Church of England and our King as the Supream Governour and Defender of it and yet this was done too and the King and the Church had like to have been brought into the Plot against themselves We heard new stories told of the growth of Popery and Arbitrary Government when thanks be to God we saw nor felt no such thing This was the main subject of those infinite numbers of Pamphlets that flew about the Bishops and Clergy were sure never to escape besides those many oblique and scurrilous reflections which were made upon the King and his Government and it is hard to name any step which was formerly taken to ruine Church and State which these men could possibly take and did not And yet few men would see whither all this tended though no men were thought fit for any publick Trust or Office but those who were eminent for their disaffection to Church or State I hope your eyes are opened now to see what all this meant and methinks it is but a reasonable request to you that if ever we should be so unhappy as to see these things acted over again you would not need being put in mind what the natural tendencies and consequents are which is the onely reason why I mention them now We had like to have paid very dear for disbelieving our own eyes and senses and former experience it is certainly a cheaper and safer way to learn by former experiences than by new ones 6. Let us now learn how dangerous a thing it is to interrupt the ordinary Course and Methods of Justice let the pretence be what it will Justice is the only support and security of Humane Societies and a stop or a breach here is as fatal and dangerous as a failure in the foundation or the main pillars which support the building When men are rescued from the hands of Justice against the most clear and notorious Evidence upon a meer presumption of their innocence and a good opinion of them What security can there be to the Government when let men do what they will if they can get and maintain a reputation of Zealous Patriots for their Country and Religion they are out of the reach of Justice Had not the good Providence of God interposed this very thing might have cost our King his Life and his Crown and involved this miserable Nation in a bloody War This Plot might possibly have been discovered sooner before it was so ripe for execution had Justice had its due course which I think it becomes all Persons who are concerned in it seriously to consider with such guilt and confusion as it deserves 7. I observe that in times of publick danger when we have Enemies on both sides it concerns us to keep a watchful eye upon both extreams It is indeed a very hard thing to do this but it is impossible we should be safe