the only Ambition of Pious Princes to be like the most Holy They know themselves to be but Men and that it is their Interest to be under the protection of Heaven which is never wanting to them The Lord delivered me saith King David Ps 18.19 â—â— because he delighted in me the Lord rewarded me according to my Righteousness according to the cleanness of my Hands hath he recompensed me 2. There is a particular providence which guards the persons of good Princes because they are publick Blessings to the World This World cannot subsist without the Benefit of Government The Life of all Societies is their Order and Subordination to Lawful Rule The best part of Mankind would soon be swallowed up by the worser part were it not for the restraint of Humane Laws which have a greater Influence upon them than the Laws of God and the surviving part would afterwards destroy each other by mutual depredations did not the Laws set Bounds to the Brutal Appetites of unreasonable Men. The enjoyment of Liberty and Property under the favourable Influences of good Rulers is one of the most valuable of Temporal Blessings It is an unaccountable Stupidity in a sort of People among us to prefer the Garlick and Onions of Egypt before the Showers of Manna that fall about our Tents to prefer French Slavery which is worse than Turkish before English Liberty to prefer the Common Enemy of Europe before the Generous Assertor of it's just Rights Would you think it that any Persons that wear the name of Protestants should reckon themselves aggrieved under the best of Protestant Princes and seek their relief from the worst of Popish Princes Good God! what a Spirit of Infatuation has possessed these Men They are to be pittied as Men besides themselves and pray'd for that God would open their Eyes to see the things of their peace before they be hid from them They are homines ad servitutem nati born to enslave themselves and Posterity But thanks be to God they are but a small part of the English Nation and generally the worser part of English Protestants I hope we are sensible what Blessings we enjoy under the present Government and what duties we owe unto it in our several Stations Good Princes are as useful in their kind as the Sun in the Firmament 2 Sam. 23.3 4. He that rules in the fear of God is as the Light of the Morning when the Sun riseth even a morning without Clouds Princes are the pillars of the Earth upon which it stands 2 Sam. 2.8 The Pillars of the Earth are the Lords and he hath set the World upon them When one of these Pillars falls the whole frame of the Building is shaken and in danger of being overturned the Earth Ps 75.3 and all the Inhabitants thereof are dissolved as the Royal Prophet speaks Vertuous Princes are like the Pillars in Solomon's Temple whereof the one was called Jachin i. e. he will establish the other Boaz that is in him is Strength their strength is in God and it is he that Establisheth them In another place they are called the Shields of the Earth The Shields of the Earth belong unto God Ps 47.8 Shields are for defence all Princes ought to be so good Princes are so Now these belong unto God he has a Propriety in them and they depend upon him He makes them Shields unto us and he is a Shield unto them He shields our very Shields Our Lives are bound up in the Life of our King Lam. 4.20 He is the Breath of our Nostrils and under his Shadow we shall live among the Heathen Precious in the Sight of the Lord is the Life of all his Saints Ps 116.15 how much more precious is that inestimable Life in which are involved so many Thousands of useful Lives What was said of David may be truly affirmed of our renowned King William Thou art worth ten thousand of us Let us improve this Truth 1. For Thankfulness God hath wonderfully preserved the Person of our Gracious King from the barbarous contrivances of ungodly Men. Ps 21.11 They imagined a mischievous device Ps 64.26 whch they are not able to perform God hid him from the secret Counsel of the Wicked from the Insurrection of the workers of Iniquity They search out Iniquities Iuvestigarunt vias nobis nocendi Grot. in loc that is they set all their wits at work to find out the methods of destruction They accomplished a diligent search Their Counsels were brought to a great maturity and perfection none but he in whose Hands are all the ways of Men could have prevented the execution of them Prov. 19.21 Many are the devices of Man's Heart but the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand How weak and ineffectual are the endeavours of Politic Men to obstruct it they consider not Prov. 21.30 that there is no wisdom nor understanding nor Counsel against the Lord. When the Lord comes to save his People he doth it in such a manner as that he alone may be exalted in that day The Work is done not by might Zach. 4.6 or by Power but by his Spirit that we may cry Grace Grace unto it The Spirit of the Lord hath the Hearts and Thoughts of all Men in his Power and turns them as Rivers of Water He searcheth the deep things of Man unlocks the most retired apartments of the Soul and brings to light the hidden things of darkness None would engage in so barbarous a design against his his Majesty's Sacred Person but such as had cast off all fear of God had extinguished all principles of Vertue and Humanity and were desperately resolved to accomplish their Intentions But behold an instance of the Dominion of God over the Thoughts of Men he unravels their hellish Counsels inspires new Thoughts into some of the Conspirators and makes them the instruments of a happy Discovery in the very juncture of time when all their Measures were concerted and the Hellish Assassines were ready to perform their Enterprize We may say with David Ps 20.6 and 21 1. Now know I that the Lord saveth his Anointed The King shall joy in thy strength O Lord and in thy Salvation how greatly shall he rejoice O the depth of the Riches of Divine Wisdom and Goodness how unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out The Squadron intended last Winter to join Sir George Rook at Cadiz could not sail for want of Wind. God foresaw what need we should have of them at home to guard our Coasts against the French who might easily have landed upon us and doubtless would have improved their advantage had that Squadron been out of the way Our Deliverance should the rather excite our Thankfulneses because 1. It was unexpected We were upon the brink of Ruin and knew it not An invisible Cloud was ready to discharge it self upon us in Fire and Brimstone and an
Salvation Improved IN A SERMON Upon the 16th of April 1696. Being the Day of SOLEMN THANKSGIVING For the Preservation of His Majesty's SACRED PERSON from Barbarous Assassination and of this Kingdom from French INVASION Preached at Oswestry by J. O. Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for I. Salusbury at the Rising Sun in Cornhil 1696. SALVATION Improved In a Sermon on the 16th of APRIL 1696. Being the Day of Solemn THANKSGIVING c. Psalm 144.10 It is He that giveth Salvation unto Kings who Delivereth David his Servant from the hurtful Sword THESE Words Recommend unto us Two Remarkable Instances of Divine Providence First Toward Kings in general It is He i. e. The Lord That giveth Salvation unto Kings Secondly Towards David in particular Who Delivereth David his Servant from the Hurtful Sword David the Man after God's own heart had many Enemies neither his Piety towards God nor his Successes against the Common Adversaries of Israel could secure him from the Plots and Conspiraces of Evil Men among whom his own Father-in-Law King Saul made the first Figure But God delivered him from the hurtful Sword of Saul and other Enemies No Weapon form'd against him Prospered He wore a Protection against all the Attempts of Ungodly Persons by vertue of his Relation to God to whose Service he had Devoted himself and under whose Umbrage he found Shelter He was a Servant of God which contributed more to his Safety than his being King of Israel The Sense of the words may be summed up into this Proposition There is a Particular Providence that concerns its self in the Preservation of Kings and Princes especially of such as are Good Royal Persons are Guarded and Attended by a Numerous Train of Armed Men but their Salvation consisteth not in these an Arm of Flesh is no Defence without God Strong Guards have been the Ruin as well as the Support of Princes as they are more exposed than other Men so are they framed of the same mould with others they are as susceptible of Hostile Impressions as others being Vessels of the same Clay with other Mortals and easily crush'd and broken The Almighty King will make them acknowledge sooner or later That it is he that makes their Mountain Strong Psal 30.7 and if he hide his Face they are Troubled There is a Providence to which all things owe their Conservation the same power which produced this Vast World and its Innumerable Inhabitants Neh. 9.6 Matt. 10.29 Upholds and Preserves them all A Sparrow falls not on the ground without our Heavenly Father How much more doth the Divine Providence concern it self about Man The Darling of Heaven The Chief of God's Works The Object of Redeeming Love For whose Salvation the Son of God Assumed Flesh God stiles himself Job 7.20 The Preserver of Mankind It is his Prerogative and our Priviledge He is the Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4.10 especially of those that Believe They are his by Covenant and he hath engaged all his Glorious Attributes for their Defence and Salvation He hath Promised to be with them in all Extreamities and never to leave nor forsake them The Lord preserveth the Faithful Psal 31 23. saith the Royal Prophet and in another place Psal 97.10 He preserveth the Souls of his Saints he Delivereth them out of the hand of the Wicked The same is acknowledged by Hannah in her Eucharistick Song 1 Sam. 2.9 He will keep the Feet of his Saints that is He will order their Steps and Establish their Ways or as the Wise Man expresses it He preserveth the way of his Saints Prov. 2.8 If there be such a Watchful Providence over Good Men how much more over Good Princes They have an interest not only in that Providence which respects Good Men in Common but in a more distinguishing one which is proper to themseves It is Recorded as the peculiar favour of Heaven to King David That the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went Isa 8.6 'T is True If Princes forsake God he also will forsake them and leave them destitute of desired help when Distress and Anguish cometh upon them Thus King Saul having abandon'd himself to Vile and Unmanly Passions was first given up to himself and afterwards into the hands of his Enemies when the Spirit of God had once left him 1 Sam. 16.14 it was not long until the Divine Protection also departed from him 1 Sam. 28.15 If Princes set themselves against God he 'll set his Face against them and who can Deliver out of his hand Who cuts off the spirit of Princes and is Terrible to the Kings of the Earth Psal 76.12 But Good Princes are the Special Care of Heaven God is with them his Eyes are upon them for good his Angels Encamp round about them they are as a signet upon his Right Hand Isa 22.23 which none can pluck thence He fastens them as a nail in a sure place and makes them a Glorious Throne to their Fathers House There is a particular Providence over them First In preventing Secret Conspiraces Secondly In Covering them from Open and Publick Dangers First In Preventing Secret Conspiracies Though the Plots of Cunning Enemies be laid as deep as Hell and cover'd with Infernal Darkness yet that All-seeing Eye before which Hell is Naked and Destruction hath no Covering Penetrates into them and exposes them to publick View Little did Moses and his Israelites suspect the Secret Intreagues of Balac and the Princes of Moah who were forming a Plot against them under the conduct of Balaam a false prophet but the Vigilant Providence which ever espouses the cause of Innocency and Truth rebukes the madness of the Prophet diverts his vile Inclinations and converts his intended Imprecations into Real Blessings There was a more Dangerous Plot against our Great Deliverer and our Protestant Israel the Method was To Assassinate his Royal Person to destroy his Friends to Involve these Nations in Blood and Misery to Overturn the Foundations of our Religion Laws and Liberties and enslave us to the worst of Tyrants the French King and to a forward Instrument of his Cruelties the Abdicated King James who was ready to Invade us with a French Power and to return like the Vnclean Spirit in the Gospel with seven other Spirits more wicked than himself to repossess his deserted Throne whereby our last state would have been seven times worse than our first All this was managed with the greatest Secrecy until things were come to such a ripeness that there wanted nothing but the Execution of an infallible design as they called it but blessed be God it proved equally infallible with the Romish Church whose distinguishing Character is to extirpate the best of Christians under the odious name of Hereticks Things were arrived to this perfection and no visible hand at work to prevent the Fatal Stroke we were in a deep security as Sheep devoted to the slaughter
discharges its Fury against a Tree where the King had been a few Minutes before At the Siege of Namur some fall at his Right-hand some at his Left while himself stands as an impregnable Monument of Divine Power and Goodness The Lord hath delivered him in six Troubles Job 5.19 yea in seven no evil hath touched him Eliphaz reckons it among the Priviledges of a good Man Job 5.23 that he shall be in League with the stones of the field that is he shall be preserved from every hurtful thing Stones in those ancient times were used in Wars and did as much execution then as Bullets now Judg. 20.16 and 9.53 * 1 Sam 17.49 Joseph de bill Judaic 111.9 Josephus in his description of the Siege of Jotapata by Vespasian saith that the Stones that the Romans shot out of their Catapultae and great Machines destroyed whole Ranks of Soldiers together and that the Head of one of his Men for he was Governour of the place was struck off with a great stone and was carried three Furlongs distance with the violence of it He adds that a Big-bellied Woman was shot in the Belly and the shattered Infant driven half a Furlong with the force of another Stone Thou shalt be in League with the stones of the Field is as much as if he had said No Weapon sormed against thee shall prosper one Species of Warlike Instruments being put for all the rest King William may be said to be in League with Guns and Pistols Ps 91.12 with Swords and Pikes he dashes not his foot against a Stone but walks securely amidst the greatest and seemingly insuperable dangers All this is owing to the Protection of Heaven which attends all his Noble and Hazardous Undertakings He is raised by a singular Providence to be a Deliverer of oppressed Nations and eminently shares in the Blessings he derives upon others by the distinguishing Deliverances which the Divine Favour hath wrought for him The King trusteth in the Lord Ps 21.7 and through the Mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved I shall give two Reasons for the Confirmation of the Truth before us to wit That there is a particular Providence which guards the Persons of Princes especially good Princes 1. The first reason is taken from their near relation unto God Princes are Terrestrial Gods they partake in some measure of the Divine perfections are illustrated with some Beams of the excellent Glory their persons are Sacred and have visible Characters of Majesty upon them Dominion over Creatures of an inferiour rank Gen. 1.27.28 is part of God's Image upon Man Dominion over Men is a more excellent resemblance of God the supreme Rector of the World For this reason Princes are called Gods Ps 82.6 I said ye are Gods by office not by nature They are Men by Nature as it is in the following words v. 7. Ye shall dye like Men But by Office they are Gods God puts his Name upon them Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut notant Hebraei sive de Deo sumatur sive de hominibus sive de Angelis judiciariam potestatem sufficat Grot. in Exod vid Schinler and invests them with power and Authority for the Administration of Justice the protection and encouragement of those that do well and for the punishment and terror of Evil Doers They are honourable Ministers of the Eternal King deputed by him and entrusted with the Government of this Lower World Hence Subjects are required to Honour them next unto God to obey them in the Lord Fear God Honour the King And in another place Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor Curse the Ruler of thy People Sometimes we Translate the Word Elohim Judges as in Exod. 21.6 Then his Master shall bring him unto the Judges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the Gods 2 Chron. 19.6 so called because they judge not for Man but for the Lord. Earthly Princes think themselves obliged to support and defend their Officers of State Turg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coram judices how much more doth the King of Glory exert a particular Concern for his Vicegerents upon Earth They are Gods not absolute and independent Persons It is the Prerogative of the Eternal to be Absolute and Unlimited Dan. 5.23 Rulers over Men are Subjects to God in whose Hand their Breath is and whose are are all their Ways Ps 18. King David reckons it his highest Honour to be the Servant of the Lord. God's Government in the World is Absolute his Will is Sovereign and the only measure of all good and evil and it must needs be so for he is infinitely Wise essentially and immutably Good His excellent Wisdom secures him from all possibility of erring or mistaking his transcendent Goodness from all possibility of abusing his Power to the hurt of any But this cannot be said of any created Being much less of Man who is miserably degenerated from his Original Purity and Perfection The wisest of Men know but in part the best of Men are imperfectly good It was Man's first Apostacy from God to covet to be as Gods supreme and absolute By aspiring too high and invading the Prerogatives of his Maker he fell below himself and became like the Beasts that perish Ps 49.20 The most absolute of Princes are the most brutish of Men they Tyrannize over their emasculated Subjects and with an Appetite worse than brutish devour those of their own kind None aspires more to Absoluteness than the Prince of the power of the Air who boldly usurps the Divine Properties assumes the incommunicable Attributes of the Infinite Being and exerciseth a Tyrannical Dominion over a great part of the sinful World to the ruin and destruction of Mankind He is therefore called Apollyon Rev. 9.11 or the Destroyer They that assume the same Power imploy it for the same Ends and entitle themselves to the same Name only they have this disadvantage of him that they are not Immortal as he is these Infernal Gods shall dye like Men and they rarely dye the common Death of other Men. They forfeit the divine Protection and perish in their own Iniquity Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am God Ezek. 8 2◠but thou shalt be a Man and no God in the Hand of him that slayeth thee But good Princes account it their greatest Happiness to resemble the Divine Goodness to make the Established Laws the Rule of Government and to direct all their Actions to the publick Good They have no Interest of their own distinct from their Subjects they are Fathers of their Country and naturally care for it they are Heads of the Political Body and derive Life and Vigour to all the Members of it except it be some gangren'd parts which should be cut off lest the whole be infected and endangered by them While proud Tyrants affect to be like the most High it 's
tied as it were to the Horns of the Altar and ready to be Sacrificed But the Great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls the Prince of the Kings of the Earth looked down from Heaven troubled the Hosts of these Egyptians and took off their Chariot-Wheels as they were driving on with the greatest Fury and assurance of Success Ps 2.4 He that sitteth in the Heavens did laugh the Lord had them in derision He Divided their Tongues Infatuated their Counsels and made the sworn Instruments of the Kings Destruction the happy means of preventing it He sent a spirit of Jealousie among them which occasioned the discovery of their execrable Intentions Ps 110.2 Thus Christ rules in the midst of his Enemies and over-rules their Hellish Policies to his own Praise Job 5.12 13 14 15. He disappointeth the Devices of the Crafty so that their Hands cannot perform their Enterprize He takes the Wise in their own Craftiness and the Counsel of the Froward it carried headlong When Balak practiced against Israel and took Balaam for his Counsellor neither the one or the other thought of the French Method of hiring a company of Desperadoes to Assassinate Moses who was a King in Jeshurun and so prepare a way for an easie and inglorious Victory over Israel No that Heathen Prince judged it the best policy to engage his Gods on his side and to expose Israel to a Prophetick Curse The World then was too innocent to entertain such devilish projects Royal Minds scorn such mean Arts of subduing their Adversaries The Assassinating Invention owes its Original to latter and more Brutish Ages the name and thing are derived from the barbarous Saracens among whom there is a Bloody Sect called Assassini living under a Senior or Ruler whom they honour as a Prophet by whom they are sent forth to murther such Princes as favour them not promising themselves the reward of Immortality by him in all things though with the loss of their Lives They are Mahometans by profession and one would be apt to think no other but a Mahometan were capable of such Villany Our Noble King Edward the first when he was at Acon was dangerously wounded by an Assassine and had undoubtedly died of the Wound which the Saracen had given him with a poisoned Knife had not Queen Eleanor of immortal memory sucked out the poison with her Tongue when no Medicine could extract it She licked his rankling Wounds whereby they perfectly closed and yet her self received no harm The Spirit of this Barbarous Sect is since enter'd into the Jesuits and other Popish Orders who have by their Writings and Actions proved themselves the genuine Off-spring of the Mahom tan Assassines Henry the 3d. of France and his Successor Henry the 4th a great Prince both fell by base assassinating One would think the present French King whose Grandfather was stabbed by Ravaillac should above all Men abhor Assassinations especially towards a Prince who exposes his Person to the utmost hazards of Battle but we have have strong Presamptions that the design upon King William's Life was carried on with his Knowledge and Approbation nor could the late King be ignorant of it or less innocent than his mighty Guardian For the Success of the intended Invasion depended upon the taking away of the Kings Life The Army at Calais under the Conduct of Monsieur Bouflers and K. J. waited only for the welcome news of the King's Death to give Life to all their motions The discovery of the Plot broke all their measures and spoil'd the infallible design The French King's Ambassadours at the Courts of Sweden and Portugal and in some other Courts of Europe gave sufficient hints of their knowledge of it Besides Grandval who was Executed in August 1692. in Flanders for being in Conspiracy to assassinate King William confessed that he was put on by Monsieur Barbesieux the French King's Secretary who promised he should be made a Count and by the late K. J. of whom he had Audience in Presence of his Queen and was assured by him he should never want provided he did his work effectually They who have been concerned in a design against the King's Life may be justly suspected to have a hand in the late Conspiracy which was undertaken in favour of them both and who were like to be the Principal if not only gainers by it 2. There is a particular Providence over Princes in covering them from open and publick dangers King David often recognizeth the divine Goodness in delivering him from his strong Enemies even when they were too strong for him They compassed him about like Bees Ps 18.17 and 118 12. and were quenched as the fire of Thorns When he was surrounded with the snares of Death God made a way of escape for him When good King Jehoshaphat was inclosed by the Syrian Army 2 Chro. 18.31 he cried out unto God and he helped him and moved them to depart from him King Richard the first who was hunting carelessly near Joppa with a few of his Nobles about him was surprized by a company of Turks who lay in Ambushment for him and had inevitably fallen into their Hands had not one of the Company walsh hypod neustr p. 454. William de Pratellis cried out in the Turkish Language That he was the King which the Turks believing carried him away in Triumph and neglected the rest whereby King Richard had his opportunity of escaping their Hands and returned safe to his own All Histories are full of Instances of a particular vigilancy of Providence over Princes but no Age hath afforded more pregnant ones than those that concern the Person of our Illustrious King William A Narrative of all the remarkable deliverances of his Life would fill up a just Volumn None can be more conversant with dangers none more secure in the midst of them He walks without fear in the Valley of the Shadow of Death he passes untouched through the midst of the Enemy's Fire guarded by invisible Powers as the three young Men in the Fiery Furnace he advanceth with an Heroick Courage before the Mouths of roaring Canons those Artificial Vulcano's that vomit out Fire and Smoak and flying Globes the irresistible Messengers of a terrible and present death His trust is in the name of the Lord which is a strong Tower a Shield of defence and a sure Refuge which no adverse Power is able to penetrate He believes that every Bullet has its Commission 2 Kings 22 3â— and is directed by unerring Providence This is not to ascribe events to a Turkish Fate as his Enemies have invidiously and basely traduced him but an entire dependance upon the Divine Will to whose Conduct the most fortuitous Events ought to be ascribed How wonderfully has God preserved him at the Boyn A Canon-Ball gently salutes him to give him a sensible Impress of his mortal state and of his immortal Obligations to his Almighty Preserver In Flanders another Canon-Bullet
many Heathens will rise up in Judgment with and Condemn a Drunken Unclean and Hypocritical Generation Who can express the Abominations of our Land What Oaths what Blasphemies what Immoralities abound among us How boldly do guilty Wretches challenge the most Righteous Judge to damn them Alas his Holy Law hath Condemned you already and art thou Impatient of a short Reprieve Some professed Protestants lead such Lives as if they were listed under the Prince of Darkness to fight against Heaven God expects that so signal a Mercy as we enjoy this day should melt our Hearts and effectually oblige us to a Reformed Course No sooner were the People come out of Egyptian Bondage Exod 15. â—â— but they were call'd to renew their Covenant with God Let us say with Ezra Seeing that thou our God hast given us such Deliverance as this Should we again break thy Commandments Wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst Consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping Hapy are the People whom God delivers at once from their Distresses and from their Sins the procuring Causes of them It is a poor Victory to subdue our Enemies and continue Slaves to our own Lusts A Servant of Sin is the vilest Slave in nature The rational Powers which should command are subject to Brutish Passions which entangle the Sinner in the snare of the Devil who leads him Captive at his Will Look unto your Eternal Deliverer the Lord Jesus Christ if he makes us free we are free indeed Set upon the subduing of your Sins and you have overcome your most dangerous Enemies The Lusts of the Flesh war against the Soul they are dangerous Enemies to its Purity Peace and Everlasting Happiness Jam. 4.1 Whence come VVars and Fightings among you saith the Apostle come they not hence even of your Lusts that war in your Members Mortifie these in your selves and you shall have Peace within Pray that God would mortifie them in others that the blessing of Peace may be restor'd to the oppressed Nations who are made a Sacrifice to the boundless Ambition and bloody Rage of defigning Men. Be importunate at the Throne of Grace for the Life of our Great and Good King William for a Blessing upon his Councils and for the success of his Arms against his ours and God's Enemies Let us serve the Lord with a willing Mind that we be not made to serve our Enemies against our Wills The Lord threatens Israel that they shall be Servants to the King of Egypt that they may know his Service and the Service of the Kingdoms of the Countries Such as are weary of the easie Yoke of Christ may have their Necks gall'd with the Iron Yoke of Antichrist Is it the Lord that giveth Salvation unto Kings Let 's contribute our best endeavours to support the present Government God usually saveth Kings and Kingdoms by the Agency of Second Causes It s rarely if ever he Saves a People against their Wills His Majesty never declines emergent Dangers but exposes his Sacred Person upon all occasions for our Defence and shall we decline the duty we owe him upon any Prospects of hazard Let 's chearfully pay our Taxes as heavy as they seem to be they are absolutely necessary for the carrying on a just War in defence of our Religion and Liberties which ought to be dearer to us than our Estates than our Lives Let 's unanimously join with our Reprosentatives in Parliament in defence of his Majesty's Person and Government Let 's unanimously joyn with the rest of our Fellow Subjects who give fresh assurances of their Loyalty and firm adherence to the Government in this difficult time Let 's joyn with the Great Body of true-hearted Protestants through all his Majesty's Dominions Our Union is our Strength Nothing can ruin us but our Divisions The Experience of most Ages hath evidenced the Truth of that Maxim A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand The divisions of the old Britains subjected them at first to the Roman Yoke Dum singul pugnant In Agr. co vit 12. omnes vincuntur saith Tacitus While they were quarrelling among themselves Caesar comes and decides the Controversie by a Conquest of all The Dissentions of Androgeus and Cassivellan rulned the Kingdom The discontents and Animosities of the Jews rendred them an easie Prey to Antiochus Epiphanes who miserably persecuted them caused the daily Sacrifice to cease set up the abomination of Desolation in the Holy Temple Joseph de bel Jud. lib. cap. 1. Antiq. XII 6. and ruin'd all the Country by an unparallel'd Cruelty The Sons of Tobias to be reveng'd of Onias the Priest who had banish'd them out of the City invite over Antiochus as some do now the French King who being glad of the occasion invaded the Country with a great Army destroy'd all before him interdicted the Profession of the true Religion Jos de bell Jud. VI. 11. and set up Heathenish Idolatry The discords of Aristobulus and Hircanus brought Pompey to Jerusalem by whom they were made a Roman Province Palestine was lost to the Turks by the unhappy divisions of the Christians who had been possessed of it about an hundred Years after they had recover'd it at a prodigious expence of Blood and Treasure Upon the Death of Baldwin the Fifth whom his Mother poyson'd to advance Guy her second Husband to the Throne they fell at variance and were ready to turn their Swords upon each other of which Saladin the Egyptian Sultan taking the advantage won many Cities in a Bloody Battle overthrew the Christians Turk Hist cap. 2. took Prisoners the King most of his Nobles and the great Master of the Templars which broke the Strength of the Christians in Syria and after fourteen days he took Jerusalem If we look into our own Histories what woful Tragedies have our own Divisions been productive of The discords of the English brought in the Normans and subjected this Nation to the Sword of a Forreign Conqueror Upon the Death of Edward the Confessor the Nation was divided about his Successor some were for Edgar Atheling the rightful Heir others for Harold Earl Goodwin's Son others for William Duke of Normandy to whom King Edward had promised the English Crown At length Harold possessed himself of the Crown but enjoyed it not long The Norman Duke invaded England being attended with the Pope's Benediction and the good Wishes of the Clergy who then depended on him and were disaffected to King Harold for the Wrongs done unto Robert Archbishop of Canterbury by him and his Father Harold was slain in a Bloody Battle in which above sixty Thousand English fell The Conqueror advances to London was Crown'd by the Archbishop of York the Clergy and People swear to him and he to them But he was no sooner established in the Throne but he enslaved the English gave their Estates to his Normans extirpated the ancient Nobility and so grievously oppressed the Commons that many of them forsook their Houses and lived in the Woods by Theft and Robery preferring the naked name of Freedom before their Inheritances under the miserable Tyranny of their Conquerors vid. Matth. West minst ap 433 ad sin lib. 1. and init 2. lib Others truckled under their new Masters endured the heavy Yoke and durst not complain lest it should be made yet heaver He seized the chiefest Offices of Honour and Profit into his own hands and gave them to Strangers he receiving Hostages of those that were Potent and sent them to Normandy he dis-arm'd all the Natives of the Land he forbad all Night Meetings and obliged the English to cover their Fire at eight a Clock at Night at the ringing of a Bell which is yet call'd Couvre lefeu he sent the Nobility to his Wars beyond the Seas he obliged the Commonalty to turn Soldiers and by them he fought his sharpest Battles in Normandy and France he impoverish'd the Laity by oppressive Taxes and Forfeitures he robb'd the Clergy of their richest Plate and Ornaments he published his Laws in French and took advantage of Peoples Ignorance of them he amass'd into his own Exchequer the Treasures of this Realm ruin'd whole Villages and Towns several Churches and Chappels to make a Forest of seized into his Hands all the Chases and Forests of this Kingdom Thus God brought low the English Nation by their own divisions and fondness of a French Prince Can we expect better Treatment from the present French King than our Ancestors did from the Norman Bastard Will not his little Finger be heavier than the other's Loins King Lewis is a professed Enemy to our Holy Religion and glories in the unchristian and barbarous Methods by which he has perverted or ruined near two Millions of his Protestant Subjects and can English Protestants promise themselves Protection from such a Prince Will he be more favourable to Strangers and Enemies than to his Native Subjects who were his fast friends and by whose Loyal Arms he was established in his Throne Is he like to assert the liberties of Englishmen who has left none to his own Frenchmen It 's obvious to all Men of Common Sense that the late King cannot return but by a French Power which will prove destructive to our Religion Laws and Liherties none therefore but an Enemy to all these can wish his Restauration FINIS