himself and his own Laws How great the judgment of these blasphemers and Rebels against the Lord and the King shall be I cannot determine because it is unspeakable St. Peter saith If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear i 1 Pet. 4.18 Where then say I shall these appear That fall so far short of Nominal Loyalists that in Statu quo in the condition they are in fall far short of Heaven The nominal Loyalist hath something in him that is good more than his Essence or being his profession is good if his life were answerable but the profession of these is as Diametrically opposite to Religion as their Loyalty which consisteth only in Rebellion Moreover the nominal Loyalist though he pay his Tribute and Taxes c. only out of a servile fear yet by his outward conformity and obedience he declares himself to be a member within the Pale of the Church where he hath the means which God hath ordained to make him if he be not wanting to himself a True Christian and a True Loyalist in time And not only so but he also helps to preserve the publick peace and safety of the Nation whereby he peaceably enjoys many temporal blessings or at least keeps himself secure from temporal punishments as Ahab averted the temporal wrath of God by outwardly humbling himself k 1 Kings 21.29 But these Rebellious wretches are good for nothing they are no better than the very Heathens and Publicans l Mat 18.17 they are good neither for their Souls nor for their bodies they are Sots as well as sinners not only spiritual fools but natural and inconsiderate fools in the deepest Grain they not only excommunicate themselves from the ordinary means of True Loyalty and salvation and break peace and unity both in Church and State by their divisions but they also disturbe even their own quiet in this life by bringing punishments upon themselves by and for their Rebellion And how much are those Publicans and Tax-gatherers to blame too that make no more Conscience to empty the Kings Exchequer that they may fill their own Coffers or some ways or other build up themselves out of the ruins of the Kings Tribute than these Holy-cheats do to pay it Touch not mine Anointed m 1 Chron 16.22 is a prohibition to hurt the King not only in his Body but in his Estate too It is theft to steal the goods of any but to cheat and rob the King of his Tribute c. is a sin no less than Sacriledge For Tribute c. belongs to the King not as he is a person Civil but Sacred Anointed with Holy Oyl to be Gods Minister and Vicegerent n Rom. 13.4 5 6. And therefore to rob Gods Clergy of Tythes c. is also the cursed sin of Sacriledge because the High Priest the Representative of them all Rom. 11.16 was also Gods Anointed Anointed with Holy Oyl to his Sacred Function as well as the King Zech. 4.14 These are the two anointed ones or Sons of Oyl which stand by the Lord of the whole Earth This Targum expounds of Joshua and Zorobabel who were anointed the one for the Princely Government the other for the Priest-hood with the self-same Oyl o Numb 35.25 and accordingly God himself with relation to the days of Christ doth call this sort of theft Sacriledge Will a man rob God saith he yet he have robbed me but yet ye say wherein have we robbed thee 't is answered in Tythes and offerings Ye are cursed with a curse that is surely and greatly cursed for ye have robbed me even this whole Nation Mal. 3.8 9. 1 Cor. 9.14 'T is Sacriledge then the cursed and damnable sin of Sacriledge to rob God in the Ministers of his holy word and Sacraments But how much rather to rob God in the King his Minister and Vicegerent Surely if nearness of relation will make any distinction as touch not mine anointed goeth before do my Prophets no harm p 1 Chron. 16.22 it must needs be the greatest Sacriledge of all next to the robbing God in himself of his immediate Rents and dues of prayer and thanksgiving Render therefore to all their dues especially to God and Caesar Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour Rom. 13.7 But 3. and Lastly The falsehood and deceipt of the Solemn League and Covenant discovered as the true Loyalist is obedient to his King in paying of him Tribute and Taxes c. so also in all his other Laws and Ordinances he still considers that his King is appointed by God to be his Minister and Vicegerent for the External government of his Church and therefore out of love and fear to God and obedience to his Laws in serving of whom the people have only perfect liberty q James 1.19 2.12 2 Cor. 3.17 Rom. 8.21 he most freely sweareth fealty to him to be true to him and obedient And accordingly he rejoyceth when the Oath of Allegiance is imposed upon him and the whole Nation because it is for confirmation of Loyalty and subjection that thereby there may be an end of all strife and all both in Church and State may enjoy Peace the more securely r Heb. 6.16 17 In which respect saith Solomon I counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God Å¿ Ecclesiastes 8.2 The True Loyalist though he would obey his Kings Commandment either actively or passively without an Oath his Conscience being bound before by the Law of God yet because God wills such an Oath for confirmaon of the lawless in outward obedience with the just and Loyal t 1 Tim. 1.9 he the more willingly takes and keeps it that so there may be an end of all strife for certainly he must be a notorious Rebel indeed that will not keep his Kings commandment in regard of his Oath if he had no other obligation for an Oath if it be only in such things which are not contrary to the will of God is so Sacred and obliging a thing that it bringeth the wrath and vengeance of God upon him that breaketh it u Joshua 9.20 Numb 5.21 and therefore saith Solomon it is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy to wit who taketh an holy Oath upon him and after vows to make enquiry w Pro. 20.25 to wit whether his Oath or Vow be any ways prejudicial to his Body or Estate or not x Ps 15.4 For which cause when Joshua and the Princes of the Congregation had made a Peace with the Gibeonites upon Oath they durst not break it though it were so disadvantagious that the Israelites murmured against them and their enemies had obtained the League by guile and craft y Joshua 9. and when King Saul in a battel against the Philistines had adjured the Israelites not to
the King his due of fear and honour under a pretence of fearing him lest your portion at length be the same with the Hypocrites i Mat 24.51 Job 8.13 But as you have been taught by St. John in the beginning concerning the love of God and our brother forget not to fulfil this Royal and Loyal commandment in the Text that he who feareth God fear and honour the King also k 1 Joh. 4.21 For as they that despise God shall be lightly esteemed so he will honour them that honour him l 1 Sam. 2.30 2. Those are here condemned also that would forsooth be counted great Loyalists and yet are notorious Rebels against the Lord himself the King of Kings That pretend to be highly for the King great honourers of his Majesty and yet plainly shew by as highly debaucht lives and examples that they have no fear of God before their eyes m Ps 36.1 Rom. 3.18 Gen. 20.11 They never boast of their Loyalty more than when they are elevated into so many petty Kings in their esteem or rather are really the greatest Lords and Masters of mis-rule They never pretend more strongly to be for the King than when they are most mighty to drink Wine and men of the greatest strength to mingle strong drink n Isa 5. If a sober man chance to come into the company of these Ranters and Ruffins they will straight censure him for a Round-head and if he refuse to drink the Kings health so deep and so often as they would have him they will as readily cry out God damn them he is a Fanatick though they see he doth not refuse it in a sober way as the Kings health because he honours the King but only as a cup of excess because he also fears the Lord. These are those of whom St. Peter speaks who hold it not sufficient that they have heretofore wrought the will of man when they were Gentiles but still walk in lasciviousness lusts excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings c. wherein they think it strange that you who accomplish the end of Christs sufferings in walking according to the will of God should be such enemies to your own present enjoyments as not to run with them to the same excess of Riot and therefore speak evil of you o 1 Pet. 4.1 2 3 4. Where then is their great Loyalty which they so much boast of You see what goodly Loyalists they are they have only the name of the Loyalists and that 's all they want all the ingredients of a Christian which as you have heard constitute the being of a True Loyalist The fear of the Lord and the King always go together in the True Loyalist as well as the True Godlilist It is vain for men to pretend to fear God without honouring the King and it is as vain too to pretend to honour the King without fearing God The Loyalty of these proud Huffers and Hectors consists only in Hypocrisie That by the pretence thereof they may either the better gain or the more securely hold some maintenance that they have by the Kings benefit Or rather they pretend Loyalty as the Hypocrite pretends the name of Christ p Mat. 7.22 and the Fanatick his Conscience that it may be a rise for their sins and a vail for their impieties And no marvel for it is impossible we see that their Loyalty should consist in reality any more than the Godliness of those that stile themselves the Godly party The very Heathens though some of them I mean the wiser sort seemed to be very Loyal and true to their King yet their Loyalty cannot be said to be absolutely true and firm any more than their Religion How much less then may we term the Loyalty of these swearing swaggerers true and firm when as they profess themselves to be Christians yea and Protestants too and yet live more diametrically opposite to the Doctrine of Christs Gospel than the very worst of the Gentiles Is it likely think you that they should be such great friends to their King as they would make you believe who are such grand enemies to the Cross of Christ q Phil. 3.18 No certainly they are as arrant enemies to their King as any he hath And that both in Prosperity and in Adversity 1. In prosperity when the King sits most peaceably upon his Throne and they themselves are in the very height of their mirth and jollity even then they become his enemies by provoking sharpning and augmenting his adversaries against him through their evil examples What do they but draw a Sword for Fanaticks to fight with against his Majesty by bringing a scandal upon Loyalty through their debauchery and prophaneness Christopher Love in his Rebellious Sermon in the year 1644. made this his only objection to withstand the Treaty of Peace made by our Martyred Soveraign at Vxbridge Yea as meer formalists by living contrary to the doctrine they profess they bring a scandal upon Religion whereby the Conversion of the Churches enemies is impeded So these prophane Loyalists by living contrary to the Loyalty they profess do even now adays not only harden Fanaticks in their error and make them the more to glory in their shame but also give them occasion childishly and tauntingly to object that they dare not turn Loyalists for fear of prophaneness And not only so but others too as they are drawn into Fanaticism by a form of Godliness So they drive them from Loyalty by laying a stumbling block before their weaker brethren r Rom. 14.13 2. In adversity the Tryal of True Loyalty and friendship as they do their King much injury in the Tavern So they do him as little service in the Field for as soon as they see his power the foundation of their Loyalty to be once removed or likely to be so by his enemies then for all their former bravado's instead of assisting him and sacrificing their dearest interests for his life and preservation as King Davids True and worthy Loyalists did for his Å¿ 2 Sam. 18. 21. 1 Chron. 11. they will either most Traiterously Barbarously and inhumanely take part with his enemies and insult upon him like the Frogs upon the block in Aesop's Fables or else in his greatest need most dastardly forsake him This was too evidently seen in our late times of Rebellion against our Martyred Soveraign when some even of his own sworn servants and familiar friends too of a seemingly sober deportment in whom he trusted did like Judas against our Saviour t Joh. 13.18 Ps 41.9 most traiterously lift up their heels against him Neither was his Son our now Most Gracious Lord and King served much better at Worcester fight by such friendly gulls and Loyal-cheats when for all their former great pretences to Loyalty out of a slavish fear of Cruel Usurpers and Oppressers they most Cowardly sneak't in a corner and forc't his Majesty for want of assistance to fight with
a handful as it were and some of them disloyal too against a multitude 1. Therefore O ye Prophane and ungodly Loyalists though God forbid any such sad times should come again to try your Loyalty in yet it is behoofeful that you as well as those that call themselves the Godly Party purge out all your sins by a true timely and unfeigned repentance and holy resolutions of better obedience that your Hypocrisie and deception may also vanish as well as theirs Mat. 12.41 42. Unless you mean to have the very Gentiles rise in judgment against you for being under the light of Nature better Loyalists than you under the glorious light of the Gospel For all men are obliged even by Nature it self to venture their dearest blood for the safety of their King Our Saviour himself who came to fufil the Law of Moses and perfect the Law of Nature u Mat. 5.17 hath confirmed it for a never dying Maxim If my Kingdom saith he were of this World then would my Servants fight c. John 18.36 And no marvel that it should be thus for the King as he is Gods Vicegerent and our Supreme head and Governour is as the men of Israel said of King David worth ten thousand of us w 2 Sam. 18.3 yea more than us all the very light of the Nation x 2 Sam. 21.17 This proves that the King is Major Vniversis contrary to that false Childish Fanatical and Antimonarchical distinction that he is Major Singulis Minor Vniversis Be ye then as Loyal in your resolutions as you are in your professions and as careful of your Kings preservation as Abishai and the men of Israel were of King David's y 2 Sam. 21.17 Lest for your neglect of a duty of so high a concern the greatness of your Talent bring upon you a greater Curse than that of Meroz Luke 12.48 Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord Curse ye bitterly the inhabâ—â—â—nts thereof Because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the Mighty Judges 5.23 2. Though no pretence at last shall excuse any Gainsaying and Rebellious people z Rom. 10.21 but all that despise dominion and speak evil of Dignities must without discrimination perish in the Gainsaying of Core a Jud. 8. to the 22. yet be ye wary how ye offer any occasion to your weaker brethren to be Revolters from their Loyalty or obstinate in their Fanaticism by mixing your Loyalty with prophaneness lest you aggravate your Torments in Hell by making your selves guilty of their sin and punishment as well as your own You have seen in or from our late times of Rebellion what confusion and destruction our Old prophane Loyalists brought upon their King and Country by shaming so good a Cause which they owned How they filled our Land like Rama with mourning by their Cursing and Cursed Oaths b Jer. 23.10 Mat. 2.18 even bitter mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon c Zech. 12.11 Mal. 3.5 Ecclesiasticus 23.11 And finally what Aegyptian Bondage and darkness they enwrapped the whole Nation in both Church and State by moving Fanaticks as was pretended with their drunkenness and debauchery to extinguish the light of England In a word therefore take ye warning in time and follow their pernicious examples no more lest you find death in your Pots indeed d 2 Kings 4.40 the death of your Souls to all eternity e 1 Cor. 6.9 10. But manifest your Allegiance by adorning your Loyalty with holy lives answerable to your professions Tit. 2.10 that thereby you may both remove all objections and colours of Rebellion from any that watch for matter of advantage and exception against you and offer them as great an occasion to imbrace True Loyalty if they will accept it as they have from all True Loyalists if they were not wilfully blind and obstinate that so the more hearts being united to the Lord and the King we may get the more strength to resist our Enemies and the more securely enjoy Peace amongst our selves both in Church and State Now 2. As the True Loyalist when he is in the place of a True Conformist honours God not only with reverence but with his substance f Prov. 3.9 Mic. 4.13 so the True Conformist when he is in the place of a True Loyalist honours his King not only with due respect and esteem but also with maintenance The same man in one respect renders unto God the things which be Gods and in the other he renders unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's g Luk. 20.25 Prayer and thanksgiving he pays to God as his immediate Rents and dues Tythes and offerings mediately in his Stewards and Ministers But Tribute or Taxes c. he renders unto his King or Caesar in a more special manner as he is Gods Minister and Vicegerent and next under him his supreme Head and Governour Therefore it is very remarkable that our blessed Saviour who pay'd Tribute himself which his pretended Vicar refuses to do to shew the great necessity of this duty Dr. Boys upon the dominical Epistles and Gospels p. 163. never did any miracle about honour or money except this one of giving Tribute unto Caesar Mat. 17.27 The consideration of this moves the True Loyalist to pay his Tribute and Taxes c. to his King freely and voluntarily out of love and fear to God and his Commandments Whereas the Nominal Loyalist though he also pays Tribute and Taxes c. to his King as well as the True yet he pays them unwillingly and by constraint out of fear of the Kings authority and the Penal Laws of the Land But the True Loyalist I say considers that his King is Gods Minister and Vicegerent appointed by him for the good of his Church both as a rewarder for the praise of them that do well and as a revenger to execute his wrath upon them that do evil And therefore as the Apostle hath taught him h Rom. 13.3 4 5 6. he pays his Tribute and Taxes c. with all subjection not only for Wrath but also for Conscience-sake By this you may perceive that though the True Loyalist and the nominal agree in this that both of them pay Tribute and Taxes c. to their King yet in the mode and ends of their paying they differ as much as a servile fear and a filial yea a Humane fear and a Divine the fear of God and the fear of man How much then are Quakers and such Godly gulls to blame who thinking they do God good service in resisting the higher Powers chuse rather to suffer imprisonment or any affliction in the World than to pay any Tribute or Taxes c. at all And glory in it too and plead Conscience for the same as if God the jealousie of whose honour burneth like fire was the Author of Rebellion against
draw Rebels to Loyalty and to encourage True Loyalists therein for it is taken ab utili from the great good that flows from the Ministry of the King to the bodies and souls of them that are obedient and do good he is the Minister of God to thee for good k Rom. 13.3 4. be thy Prince good or bad there is no exception in this respect he is still the Minister of God to thee for good Si honus August Serm. 6. de verbis Dom. secundum Mat. nutritor est tuns saith St. Austin si malus tentator tuus est if thy Prince be wicked and Tyrannous he is thy temper to exercise thy patience whereby he becomes the cause of thy eternal good by thy temporal evil But if he be good and Religious a true defender of the Faith he is thy Nurse yea a nursing Father to the whole Church whereby he becomes the Minister of God to thee for thy greater good both Temporal and Eternal 1. For thy praise do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same l Rom. 13.3 Governours are sent by the King not only for the punishment of evil doers but for the praise of them that do well m 1 Pet. 2.14 Yea if thou beest good and obedient thy King by the influence of his good Government will not only promote his own honour n 1 Sam. 2.30 but will be the Minister of God to thee for thy praise in all fear thou the Lord and the King and thou shalt have no need to praise thy self the lips of others even strangers shall give thee praise enough o Psa 15.4 Pro. 27.2 Yea thy very enemies shall be at peace with thee p Pro. 16.7 2. For thy profit both in Church and State 1. In the State to protect thy body and estate from the rage of enemies and adversaries both within and without the Common-Wealth that thou mayest enjoy thy Meum and Tuum with the more peace and security 2. In the Church to defend thy Faith in its integrity both by the assistance of godly Preachers and learned Antagonists in the cause of Christ and by a strong fence of right Order and Discipline that thou having no letts nor hinderances in thy Religion mayest not only have temporal happiness but also eternal Therefore St. Paul exhorts us very earnestly to make supplications Prayers intercessions and giving of thanks not only for all men in general but for Kings in a special manner and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good saith he and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour Who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth q 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3 4. To wit by the means of wise and Religious Princes such as was Constantine the Great that great Favourer of Religion and Defender of the Faith No Salvation out of Christ Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth r Psa 2.10 Consider that as you have your power not from your selves or from your Subjects but from God so not for your selves to satisfie your own lusts carnal ends and interest but also for God to rule his people nurse his Church and contain it in order This is the end for which all Kings are ordained the care of the Church is their great Depositum the very burden of their charge Å¿ Isa 44.28 49.23 But alas all have not obeyed the Gospel of Christ t Rom. 10.16 The Turks and Jews do yet stand out and the fulness of the Gentiles is not yet come in u Rom. 11.25 though no people are found so Barbarous but they will have some form of Religion or other to acknowledge a God by as all India East and West sheweth Yet many Kings of the Earth and Heathen Rulers are so far from embracing Christ and his Gospel that they still set themselves and take Counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed saying Let us break their Bands asunder and cast away their Cords from us w Psa 2.2 3. Ecclesiastical History will inform you that almost all ages of the Church have felt the rage of their persecution x Acts 4. But let them go on they are left without excuse all have heard the glad tidings of Salvation the sound of the Gospel hath gone out into all the Earth and the words of it unto the ends of the World y Acts 2. Rom. 10.18 Psal 19.4 Neither let them dream that Salvation can be had in any thing out of Christ and his Gospel They indeed seeing through the glass of their punishments the cursed nature of Original sin to be ebullient in their members do with much Zeal and Devotion worship God ignorantly in some Idol or other z Acts 17.23 thinking by their childish Idolatry and vain Incense and Oblations either to expiate their sin and the sad effects thereof or to win Gods favour unto them a 1 Kings 18. But alas they are so far from doing of that that robbing God of his due honour by their Idol-worship they so much the more provoke him to anger against them b Jer. 11.17 It is as vain a thing for them to imagin that they cane be saved by the works of their own hands as to conceit that they were made by them or are preserved common reason teaching them if their understanding were not darkned c Ephes 4.18 That the former is as impossible to be done as the latter without the Omnipotent hand of a Deity for Gods infinite justice being wounded by sin deliverance from it is a new Creation and a Resurrection from Death and Damnation to life again and therefore cannot possibly be effected by any thing but by Christ God as well as man and man too as well as God for both those Natures Divine and Humane must necessarily be in the person of him who is our Redeemer or else a peace could never have been concluded between God and man If he had not been God he could not have satisfied the infinite justice of God by fulfilling all righteousness for man d Mat. 3.15 which man as man by reason of his finiteness and imperfect holiness could never do for himself And if he had not been man the satisfaction could not have been made in the same nature which sinned without which the satisfaction had been null for want of mutuality You see then that Salvation from the Wrath of God cannot possibly be obtained by any vain and Anger-provoking worship which you perform but only by Christ and his Mediatorship God dwelling in our flesh perfect God and perfect man And therefore the Word of God than which there is nothing so rational doth impute our Salvation only to Christ neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name
Numb 33.55 Josh 23.13 Judg. 2.3 Finally to make us savour our peace with perpetual delight and complacency that as the peace which we now enjoy was at first ingratiated * Desiderata diù magis placeâ—t unto us by a long desire so it may still continue in the same perfection by having such examples among us to remind us of our former bondage and tribulation Well then since we have such a perfect peace and order in all things both in Church and State that I may say with a safe conscience that our condition as far as I can possibly under stand is more happy than any Nations under the Sun let us be wise and keep our selves well while we are well if we know when we are well in the fear of the Lord and the King and no more disturb our own quiet by meddling with them that are given to change In which words we must observe this difference that it is one thing to change and another thing to be given to change the first denotes only a single act and if it proceed no farther it is most commonly a remarkable sign of a mutation from the worse to the better our Lord himself who changes not y Mal. 3.6 did thus change the Law into the Gospel legal Types and shadows into good things to come z Heb. 10.1 And with the Law he also changed the customs which Moses delivered into the customs of the Gentiles a 2. Cor. 17. Rev. 21.5 as for example he not only changed the Judaical custom of falling down to worship into ours of bowing but to shew the sublimity of the Gospel above the Law the earthliness of the one and the heavenliness of the other b Gal. 4.9 Col. 2.14 He also changed their custom of discalceation or putting off the Shooes or Sandals in token of reverence when they went to the house of God c Ec lesiastes 5.1 Exod. 3.5 Acts 7.33 into ours of putting off the Hat or uncovering the head in token of honour to Christ our Head d 1 Cor. 11.3 4. For these words which are too often mistaken by the weak do clearly express Christs will in this change though St. Paul did then only begin to effect it as all Reformations are wrought by degrees for there was no such custom as this of uncovering the head established as yet among the Corinthians nor in any of the Churches of God e Ver. 16. the only custom then extant to pay reverence by to God in his Sanctuary and Ordinances was that of discalceation among the Jews from whom the Corinthians they being then in St. Pauls absence frequently among them to supplant the new founded truth had without all doubt learned this custom to put off their Shooes whilst their heads at the same time were covered in their holy Assemblies Wherefore St. Paul to make way for a thorough Reformation as before he had commended them for keeping Christs Ordinances as he delivered them f Ver. 2. so now having reproved them for dishonouring of Christ their Head in being covered c. in their holy Assemblies lest he should marr all again by his severity doth endeavour to remove from them all matter of contention by leaving them to their own choice of these customs Whether they would give God reverence by the custom of uncovering the head which was to take place or whether by the custom of discalceation or putting off the Shooes which as yet was not laid aside he left them to their own freedom he had rather indeed that they would have accepted of the former yet as the case now stood he did not much matter whether so long as God as yet had his due honour in either And for the same reason too he took Timothy and Circumcised him because of the Jews g Acts 16.3 And so also though he was free from all men yet the Church being but yet in its Infancy he became servant to all both Jew and Gentile that he might gain the more unto Christ h 1 Cor. 9.19 to ver 24. But now the Church is setled and grown to a perfect man we must stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and not be entangled again with the yoke of Bondage We must no more use the Judaical custom of discalceation and cover our heads in Gods house and Ordinances nor any more be Circumcised if we do behold as the same Apostle hath also taught us Christ shall profit us nothing i Gal 5.1 2. For so we shall be debtors to the whole Law k Vers 3. and consequently concluded under its Curse eternal wrath l Gal. 3.10 This change therefore was good superlatively good to those that have interest therein m 2 Cor. 3.6 God is to be ever blessed in that the Priesthood being changed there was made of necessity a change also of the Law Heb. 7.12 And 2. Time was too when we changed the Romish Religion into ours according to the Primitive rule of Reformation n Mat. 19.8 because they had first changed it from the unerring rule of Gods word Therefore there was a necessity of this change also lest otherwise by not coming out of her we partake of her sins and receive of her Plagues Rev. 18.4 But the second to be given to change is always a true sign of a mutation from the better to the worse Neither doth it at any time denote a single act only but always an evil habit or disposition of mind it is a product of the natural man which is always greedy of novelties And such were our Changers they were taken with novelties as our martyred Soveraign * ΕΙΚΩΠΒ ΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ again most wittily observeth like Children with babies very much but not very long they were possessed with the evil spirit of Fanaticism and therefore must needs be restless in their condition as a man distempered with a Fever is always desirous to change his place though it be never so soft and easie till by his tumbling and tossing he hath made it hard indeed So Fanaticks are never satisfied with their condition let the times be never so good till they have made them as bad as may be with their changing We have lately seen that they did as much injury both in Church and State by their frantick zeal and curiosity as an Ape in a Glass shop move and remove till they had marr'd all And how often too since our last blessed Reformation have our old Fanaticks or their spawn troubled Authority to suppress their Conventicles from rising and seeking a change Most wisely therefore hath Solomon given us this seasonable Caution to meddle not with them that are given to change viz. not only though chiefly to meddle not or have any hand at all with them in their changing but also to that end to have as little society * Evil communication you know corrupteth good manners have a care
of Kings I know indeed that the major part of men in the World are more apt to follow them in bad examples than in good because they are not of God but of the world which lieth in wickedness n 1 Joh. 5.19 But I could heartily wish if it were Gods good pleasure that even the whole world would imitate our King in this pious example and accordingly those that are of his Dominions shew their subjection to him as he therein shews his subjection to the Lord. Not but the mode of paying reverence to God is indifferent according to the various States customs and manners of Nations before it be ordained in the Church as it would be indifferent whether we pay revevence to God by putting off the Glove c. if there were any such custom or whether by putting off the shoes as the Jews or whether by putting off the Hat as we Christians It is free for every Nation to do what they think fit in such cases so long as they keep to Gods general rule of order and decency o 1 Cor. 14.40 which binds now to uncover the head and is therefore ordained but as for the reverence it self it never was indifferent but is always necessary to be expressed by some Rite or other as being that without which Gods honour cannot subsist which as his word is more durable than Heaven or Earth p Mat. 24.35 Quorsum vero haec from whence then is this disobedience and prophaneness of theirs You may quickly guess it that it is either because they read not the word of God at all or if they read it read it but cursorily in a canting tone out of vain glory Or suppose some think themselves as learned as the Jesuits themselves yet that will but aggravate their torments in Hell q Luk. 12.48 and so much the more manifest their blindness and want of faith For surely had they the eye of Faith to behold God in his Temple who is invisible they could not chuse but reverence and honour so great a Majesty and if their great knowledge in the Scriptures which they pretend to were sanctified unto them then they would never perswade their seduced proselytes to believe that that is Gods service wherein he is the most dishonoured and that that is true Religion which consisteth in the contradiction of his Laws and Ordinances For what saith St. James If any man among you seem to be Religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart that is speaketh against his own knowledge and Conscience this mans Religion is vain But pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father saith he is this not to make any especially your Queen a Widow and her Heirs Fatherless but to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the World James 1.26 27. Religion doth not license men to speak and do what they list it hath its name à religando from binding quòd hoc vinculo Deo religati sumus saith Lactan. Because by it as by a bond we are bound to God Whereby all our members are bound to their good behaviour Our hands from being stretched forth against the Lords anointed r 2 Sam. 1.14 our tongues from despising or speaking evil against him the Spirit of God puts the brand of the Sons of Belial upon them that presume to do it ſ 1 Sam. 10.27 either by reproaching his footsteeps or proceedings t Ps 89.51 or by controuling him in any of his ways or actions who may say to a King saith Solomon what dost thou u Ecclesiastes 8.4 And is it fit saith Job to say to a King thou art wicked And to Princes ye are ungodly w Job 34.18 and what should I say more our very hearts are bound by our Religion from cursing or wishing evil to the Lords Vicegerent Curse not the King saith Solomon no not in thy thought or Conscience x Ecclesiastes 10.20 Yet the Prophet Isaiah speaketh of a desperate generation of men that Curse their King their God and look upward y Isaiah 8.21 Of whom the Prophet speaketh this I dare not positively affirm But this I may safely say the words agree so exactly with these that stile themselves the Godly Party as if they were the very men pointed at in this Prophecy for who have been more infamous than they for Cursing their King and their God and for looking upwards withal to cover their wickedness with the vail of Hypocrisie They are not only that proud and supercilious generation which Solomon speaks of that have lofty eyes and eye-lids lifted up z Prov. 30.13 But also that Rebellious Generation which he speaks of too that curseth both their Natural Father and the King the Father of their Country and doth not bless their Mother nor their Queen a ver 11. Yea and finally that Hypocritical generation which follows next that are pure in their own eyes from whence they are called Puritans and yet are not washed from their filthiness b ver 12. But O ye Puritans be not righteous over-much neither make your selves over-wise why should you destroy your selves c Ecclesiastes 7.16 I know a man cannot be too Righteous or too wise so long as he lives according to the rule of Gods word but Omne nimium vertitur in vitium every extream degenerates into a vice if a man shoots at rovers in his Religion too much on the one hand by prophaneness or too much on the other by superstition he will never hit the mark Much less if he be pure only in his own eyes and make himself over Righteous and over wise out of spiritual pride and vain glory or on purpose to advance his own ends by deception For so he will demonstrate himself to be a perfect Emissary of Satan who when he intends to deceive the most appears not as a Devil but as an Angel of light d 2 Cor. 11.13 14. In a word therefore Let him that thinketh he standeth or in more fulness of sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that seems to himself to stand take heed lest he fall e 1 Cor. 10.12 and you that have a name that you are alive and yet are dead as having been formerly seduced by their seeming sanctity and yet are still infected with the leven of their Phanaticism let me advise you once again before it be too late that ye purge it out by a true and timely repentance And that ye be watchful for the future to strengthen those good and Loyal principles which yet remain and are ready to die that your works may be found perfect before God f Rev. 3.1 2. Have a care that you do not with-hold from God his due of reverence lest he destroy you for defiling his Holy Temple g 1 Cor. 3.17 much rather beware that you do not mock him h Gal. 6.7 by with-holding from