Summons or Challenge to the whole world to behold or consider the mighty Acts of Gods particular Providence in behalf of his Church Come and behold the Works of the Lord what Desolatâ—ons he hath made in the Earth ver 8. In the days of David God smote down before his Anointed all the Enemies of Israel round about them Which being done towards or in the days of Solomon he crowned the foregoing Victories and Deliverances with a deep Peace ver 9. He maketh Wars to cease unto the ends of the Earth he breaketh the Bow and knappeth the Spear asunder and burneth the Chariot in the fire But such deep Peace as I conceive not yet in perfect being at the penning of this Psalm which I say by the whole tenor of it manifestly bespeaks it self to have been writ in tottering or turbulent times only to assure the faithful that it was at hand and infallibly future the holy Psalmist sings it as already accomplisht an usual Scheme with the Prophets Mean while to still and aw all sorts he yet again in his wonderful Character of Speech and like the greatest Artist brings in God himself controling the Inhabitants of the Earth in the Text Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth Words indifferently applicable either to the Turbulent and Enemies of the Church and of Davids Kingdom as if he had said Desist from your fruitless Combinations and malicious Contrivances Know that I am God or to the faithful and firm Adherents of David who inclining to diffidence and fears of the worst might be in impatient hurries and uncertain Counsels And if thus taken the Sense is Be still quiet your selves patiently in Humility Faith and Sobriety await the issue Know that I am God and in my good time I will both glorifie my self and settle you To which as in a full Chorus the Faith of the Church answers The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Selah That is most probably as before said a Note for the highest Musick Because I cannot presume any number of our Kings or Churches Enemies here present and besides for that it is an ungrateful thing on this good day to take the words in their worst acceptation I shall chiefly insist on them as directed to the Church and to faithful and loyal Subjects And to them First they prescribe a Duty very seasonable prudent and Christian in apprehensions of uncertain or in uncertain or unsettled affairs namely an holy Quiet of mind Be still Secondly they inforce this Duty and that by three Principles or main points of Religious Doctrine The first of which is the general and sovereign Power of God insinuated in those words Know that I am God I made I rule the World The second his particular Superintendency and directing all affairs to his own Glory in the next words I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted on the Earth The third his Constancy and eternal Fidelity to his Church acknowledged and depended upon by them The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is oâ— Refuge I begin with the Duty injoyned an holy Quiet Be still That there is nothinâ— in this world firm or stable that as pooâ— men die from their Cottages and greateâ— persons from their Houses which theâ— have called by their own Names so eveâ— Princes from the Throne alas I neeâ— not insist Only when these last leave thâ— Stage as it is in great Buildings wheâ— Pillars fall there is at least a dreadfuâ— Concussion of the whole Fabrick so in Frame of State when a King dies especially a Great one a Gracious one a Beloved one howevever most happily as well as speedily and most seasonably succeeded I cannot but believe and I hope it will be esteemed no fault to profess plainly that I do believe the Loyallest hearts amongst us all really tremble not that we distrust God or our Prince but we fear the Malice of the Enemy Wherefore being we must acknowledge the publick Amusement not to say Consternation not yet to be quite over it cannot be amiss to press what the Text in such shaking junctures injoyns which I have named an holy Quiet and I dare say it will contribute much to the Ease of all their Hearts who will practice it Now such Quiet will consist 1. In Paâ—ience excluding all Repining all Comâ—laints and Murmuring 2. In Faith â—nd humble Deference to God excluding â—ll Despondency and Pusillanimity 3. In â—obriety Peaceableness and observance of Orâ—er excluding Temerity Faction and â—rivy Combinations upon any pretences â—f publick Jealousies and Dangers Permit I beseech you a word on each very â—riefly and I hope very modestly And first as to the Quiet of Patience which I say excludes all Repining all Murmuring all fruitless accusing of things and persons Our Loss is indeed very great and very fresh it being not yet forty hours since I think I may say most of us had intelligence of it But blessed be the same Hand that takes and together gives Heaviness may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning Let us therefore on this occasion not fall into that iniquity of Impatience taxed by the Heathen Moralist Iniquiores esse erga relicta ereptorâ—m desiderio to be unjust estimators of what God has left us through too impatient a sense of what he has taken away Meekly to accept the deserved punishment of our Sins is certainly as moderate a degree of Patience as any in reason can pay Whereas then we have lost a most Gracious King must we not confess our selves to have deserved it by the abuse of that Ease Peace Liberty and Plenty that we enjoyed under him and yet were not contented The consideration hereof must surely restrainus 1. From all repining at Gods hand and charging him with Severity There may be a further End in this Providence than we are aware of Perhaps God does but design to commend and set off his future Mercies by the present Stroke We have seen many a glorious fair Day after a cloudy Morning Seeing then we know not what God will bring forth let us take care that we provoke him not to what it may be he does not yet intend However 't is as little Justice as can be not to complain of him till we have real Reason And 2. The same consideration too should keep us so far within the bounds of Patience as not to repine against or accuse men Be still also in this regard There is so much wickedness of late in the world and possibly some men know so much villany by themselves as makes them suspect very bad things of others And it is too easie a step with many in the world first â—o suspect men and then to charge them â—ith what themselves have suspected of â—hem In the name of God let us be careâ—ul herein and let no Grief transport
which I proposed to my self as conceiving them necessary to be inculcated in the present juncture namely to evince the dreadful sinfulness of Suicide or killing a mans self as Sin as it would seem by some mens private Discourses as well as Practices now coming apace in fashion and of Duelling which has been too long in fashion as also to state what may be done in case of self-defence and on what grounds Violence in such behalf may be justified with some other touches possibly on cognate Points which I trust are not unseasonable But on these occasions the Reader will take notice there are two or three small Additions made to what was delivered in the Pulpit which Additions â— have carefully marked by enclosing them in right-angled Parentheses thus I have that great person Bishop Saunderson as a precedent in this practice and therefore hope I shall herein be more favourably censured This Sermon was only preached at the place and time specified THE CHRISTIAN Law of the Sword Both as to its Publick and Private Use Briefly stated in a Sermon preach'd at Christchurch Cork c. Octob. xxiii 1685. The TEXT Matth. xxvi 52. Put up thy Sword into its place for all they that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword TO the end we may more perfectly comprehend the true occasion and full import of these words it will be expedient to look back to the forty seventh verse where we find our Lord betrayed into the hands of an armed Rabble a great multitude with Swords and Staves they are there called After the Traytors Ceremonies and the Solemnities of the Treason were over St. Peter the best spirited or most metall'd person amongst all our Lords Followers sensible of his Masters danger having a Sword drew it and strook a Servant of the High Priests and cut off his Ear ver 51. As to the hurt done to the person wounded our Lord forthwith miraculously cured that But as to Good St. Peters Officiousness for so it is to be named rather than Service that received no other entertainment but check and chiding and that in three verses together of which the Text is the first Then Jesus said unto him put up thy Sword into its place for all they that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword Which words need a little Explanation at least for restraining two phrases in them else they will scarce be admitted as universally true For neither can it be said that all who in any sense take the Sword are thereby guilty of Sin nor even that all who sinfully take the Sword do as to the event actually perish by the Sword As to the Check here given to St. Peter Put up thy Sword into its place I may suppose that plain enough especially seeing another Evangelist hath reported it Put up thy Sword into its Sheath That truly I mean the Sheath is the only due place of a Sword when it is by Peters or indeed by any Clergy-mans side Let it I say be kept in the Scabbard if a Clergy-man wear it or rather let him not wear it at all as mindful that his Coat is a more-legal Defensative to him than his Weapon Si Clericus Arma ferens verberetur non incidit in Canonem verberans vid. Gloss ad Causam 17. Quest 4. Cap. Quisquis inventus fuerit But this by the by The Reason given of this Check is much more dubious For they that take the Sword c. and who are they that take the Sword in our Lords sense or in the way here reprehended Some have answered they who take it ut interficiant with an intent to kill but that 's too large For both Magistrate and Civil Officers as well as Military men take it with this intent yet without sin Gratians answer in the Canon Law is much better and indeed very full and clear Ille Gladium accipit qui nullâ superiori ac legitimâ Potestate jubente vel concedente in sanguinem alicujus armatur Caus 23. Qu. 4. Ille Gladium He takes the Sword says he who is armed against the Life of any one without the Command or Commission of a superiour lawful Power So that there is a wide difference betwixt accipere Gladium suscipere taking the Sword and receiving or undertaking it The supreme Magistrate and those commissionated by him receive or undertake the Sword the Magistrate from God who has committed it to him by putting him in the place he holds the Civil Officer and Souldier from the Magistrate who has commissionated both But they take the Sword who of their own rash or headstrong Will usurp it to themselves be it on pretence soever Now such saith our Saviour shall perish by the Sword But is this true Have all Murderers or Rebels since our Lords saying these words gone out of the world by violent Deaths Or have not some most notorious principal ones even in our own memory dyed in their beds they have so indeed but our Lord reports here matter of Law not of History or Prophesiâ— As to the Event it is not true that all wâ—â— take the Sword perish by the Sword but as to the Sentence of the Law and demerit of the Sin there can be nothing of more constant and perpetual truth than that all such are guilty of Murder and incur the Penalty or really forfeit Life The Law in this case seems in a manner of the same date with mankind For in the Old world when Cain had murder'd his Brother Abel It shall come to pass saith he that every one that findeth me shall slay me This Fear or Expectation of his could arise from nothing else but the demerit of his Sin by reason of some Law either innate or even then promulgate for the punishing Murder with death But upon the reinstating mankind upon earth after the Floud it was immediately in terminis or expresly publisht Genes ix 6. Whoso sheddeth mans Bloud by Man shall his Bloud be shed It is by Moses's Law reinforced Life for Life Exod. xxi 23. And for ought I can see the Execution under it was as quick as the Law for amongst the Jews at Common Law if I may so speak in their State the person or persons next akin were the Avengers of Bloud and they slew the Murderer as soon as they could meet him nor do I find any Tryal in case of Murder amongst the Jews till the Cities of Refuge were set up and even then in case of manifest and plain Murder the Tryal did not lie but as before said the Avenger of Bloud was to slay the Murderer as soon as he met him Numb xxxv 15 16 c. Thus was the Law in this matter before our Lords time and he in the Text rather gives it an Evangelical Sanction than mitigates it So that as to the merit of the Crime by legal Sentence there can be no Question And I may truly add that there is no case wherein God more frequently
SIX SERMONS PREACHED in IRELAND IN Difficult TIMES I. A Temper for Loyal Joy and Grief on Psal 46. ver 10 11. II. The Reasons and Necessity of Loyal Devotion on 1 Tim. 2. ver 1 2. III. The Way to Peace and Publick Safety on 1 Pet. 3. ver 2 IV. Religion and Loyalty inseperable on 1 Pet. 2. ver 17. V. Rex Regius on Eccles 10. ver â—7 VI. The Christian Law of the Sword on St. Matth. 16. ver 52. By EDWARD Lord Bishop of Cork and Ross LONDON Printed for William Whitwood at the Crown in Little-Britain 1695. Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber TO His Grace MICHAEL Lord Arch-Bishop of Ardmagh and Primate of all Ireland one of the Lords Justices and Lord High Chancellor of the same c. May it please Your Grace WHen I preached the following Sermons I had no thoughts of Printing them Having now on some Reasons resolved to print them there is such a Congruity of Debt arises upon them from the Consideration of Your Graces Station and their Subject matter that were there no Obligation upon their Author they ought upon their own sole account to be addrest to no other within this Kingdom but Your Graces sacred Patronage They assert His Majesties Rights and his Subjects Duties And Your Grace here sustains and represents His Majesties Person in all the most ample capacities a Subject can do in Church in State and in the highest ordinary Judicature But My Lord I have besides this Debt on Them many Debts on my Self I can never forget the Entertainment Your Grace was pleased to give me at my first Arrival in this Kingdome neer fourteen Years ago when a perfect Stranger therein together with the sweet but effectual Interpositions of that Authority which then preserved me from Ruine And what is much greater the Constancy of Your Graces Favour ever since These things all live imprinted upon my very Soul and as they daily draw forth my most ardent Prayers to God for Your Graces present and future Felicities so as long as I am capable of Gratitude they shall be matter of my publick Gratitude and Acknowledgments As one instance whereof I beseech Your Grace to accept this present Recognition And here I could willingly have closed this Dedication but I must now beseech your Grace to become my Patron in another sense How of late I have been represented is more known than I could wish it were for the Representers sake How I deserved it no one better knows than Your Grace before whom I had the Honour to preach that so much scandalized Sermon on the first Sunday after Your Graces third Reception of the Sword In which Sermon if there had been any thing wherein I had made the least disloyal Glance I should not doubtless have carried it away without Animadversion both from Your Grace and Your Graces no less Loyal than Heroical and Honourable Collegue But I humbly conceive that as there was no Cause then administred to any ill Censure so it would have been no more proper for me then and in that Audience to have preach'd a Sermon solely pressing Loyalty and Allegiance than if a man should have come up amongst the Hundred and twenty assembled together at Jerusalem fresh after our Saviours Ascension and have set himself to perswade them to constancy in the Belief of their Lords Resurrection when they were all of them inspirited with zeal to die for it I chose therefore to perform the Office of preaching Loyalty and Allegiance in places and times which more required it and at that time and place I spoke what I thought might be of more universal Edification and Agreeableness I herewith present some of the Vouchers which I have of my Fidelity to His Majesty And I humbly pray and hope that if Your Grace should judge I ever needed or should need Testimonials of my Loyalty Your Grace would vouchsafe to represent these where and as occasion may serve God in his Mercy to the poor Church of Ireland long preserve Your Grace her happy Angel and a Refuge to My Lord Your Graces most Dutiful Servant E. Cork Rosse Cork Dec. 19. 1685. THE Titles Texts Occasions Of the Several SERMONS I. A Temper for Loyal Ioy and Grief Text. Psalm xlvii 10 11. preached on Sunday Feb. 15. 1684. being the day of proclaiming His present Majesty and the second day after we had tidings of the Death of His late Majesty Charles the Second of blessed Memory II. The Reasons and Neéd of Loyal Devotion Text 1 Tim. ii 1. preached on St. Georges day April 23. 1685. being the day of the Coronation of His present Majesty III. The Way to Peace and publick Safety Text 1 Pet. iii. 11. preached in the Heat of Argiles and Monmouths Rebellion IV. True Religion Loyalty inseparable Text 1 Pet. ii 17. preached in the Heat of Monmouths Rebellion V. REX REGIVS Text Eccles x. 17. preached Oct. 14. 1685. being celebrated at Cork as His Majestys Birth-day VI. The Christian Law of the Sword Text Matth. xxvi 52. preached Octob. 23. 1685. being by Statute an Anniversary day of Thanksgiving in Ireland THE PREFACE TOuching these Sermons which I here publish Two things there are an account whereof I thought convenient to preface to them The Occasion of publishing them and their Frame or Nature where if I digress a little touching some ways of Preaching more usual than profitable I hope my design of doing thereby a publick good may plead my Excuse They were preached with a very single Eye or sincere Intention of conscientious performing my Duty and approving my self to God in my station by doing what lay in me at a time of exigence to confirm the wavering to animate the diffident to contain excite and advance all in their Loyalty and firm Adhesion to His Gracious Majesty our present alone rightful liege Lord and Sovereign And this End having been God be blessed happily attained and perhaps would have been by other means without these Sermons at least I am not so vain as to think otherwise there was therefore for this purpose no need of their publication nor had they for me ever been more heard of much less publickly seen but that the present Humours and Menage of some make it necessary for Churchmen not only to do their Duty but to let the world know they do it and that they are and will be honest And though I am well assured these Discourses will not only in such times as they were preached in but ever be serviceable to the Royal Interest and very beneficial to the Soul health of as many Subjects as will reaâ— them yet I will ingenuously confess thâ— conceit I had of the efficacy of them to these ends was not so great as would have prevailed with me at present to have publish'd them but that I thought it needful some people should hear of both Ears at what rate we poor Irish Protestanâ— Bishops in the Country preach It happened that
expression to confute those Doctrines or prove them to be none of the genuine Christianity Now certainly a man may endeavour to disprove a â—hing which he does not at all think of perswading men the Government has a design to impose upon them At this rate I might have been as justly taxt of possessing the people the Government had a design of bringing in and imposing Infidelity or Irreligion because I said what I could pertinently to overthrow both Infidelity and Irreligion So that had the time taken been so far right as that it would have grounded any suspicion of me yet had this Imputation been otherwise in it self most unjust and unreasonable But what shews the Gentlemans Disingenuity to the height and renders his Misrepresentations of me and my Sermon most inexcusable is that in this very Sermon which he loads with so unjust Aspersions I having occasion to produce that Text Prov. 16. 10. where Solomon tells us A Divine Sentence is in the Lips of the King his Mouth transgresseth not in Judgment asserted and maintained there though as my Discourse would suffer me only in transitu the Kings Supremacy and the Doctrine of Non-resistance it self affirming that No persons of our Church ever thought of an Appeal from a Royal Decree or in any case of Resistance to the Royal Authority Whether this Doctrine in its own nature were doubtless no Disservice to such as Monmouth nor any good Service to His Majesty let the world judge Having thus far vindicated and avowed what indeed was not preached in the times of Argiles or Monmouths Rebellion nor as God knows when either could be so much as thought of by me who meddle not with nor have insight into or foresight of Affairs of State may it be on this occasion lawful for me to let the world know what and how where and how instantly I did then preach where also and how I spent my time in the very heat of both those Rebellions I was not therefore neither all nor any of that time not within an hundred miles of my Charge idling away good hours hunting after Preferments fawning and scraping studying little Cavils at the Doctrines of my Mother Church to ingratiate my self with her Adversaries nor calumniating my Brethren but upon Week-days I was at home daily either in my Closet Chappel or the Cathedral Church of my Diocess or in all successively praying for the Success of his Majestys Arms and on Sundays besides the Office of Prayer I was without â—â—termission of one imployed either in the â—athedral or in other more populous Conâ—regations in the neighbouring City or in â—e several populous Towns of my Dioâ—ess riding up and down from place to â—lace as I thought my presence or preachâ—g as I thought my Doctrine my Exâ—ortation my Example or my Interest â—ight do good and serve my King In a â—ord I did what in me lay to keep the Countrey Loyal I left no stone unmoved whereby I thought I might strengthen or assist the Kings Cause as my whole Diocess will witness Here are some of my Sermons diverse of them as mentioned â—reached more than once but here are not half For I have not such an opinion of my self or of what I do as to load the Press or glut the World with my Labours yet if I had in the first nine months of our present Sovereigns Reign come up into the Pulpit as my good Friend phrases it no oftner in His Majesties behalf than by the following Papers it appears I did I had in that space nine times in the largest Congregations of the Countrey appeared for him But I might have above doubled the number For of five Sermons preached within that time at Bandon here are but two of two at Kinsale here is but one of more than I wilâ— speak of lest I should be deemed ostentatious at Cork the place of my more constant residence here are comparatively very few I pray God they who have styled me disserviceable to His Majesty may themselves be more serviceable Further After all this I may with the greatest truth avow these not to be my first endeavours of any sort to serve our present most Gracious Sovereign When in some of the late Parliaments the Jehu's of of the Faction drove on furiously and nothing would serve them but a Bill of Exclusion the English Bishops who there with many of the renowned Nobility and Gentry loyally stemm'd the torrent in its proudest strength and were by the Faction styled Papists for their pains had amongst others of more ability and interest elsewhere an unworthy Brother in this City who defended their Votes and His present Majesty in the same person a poor Servant who asserted his undoubted Rights and most just Title both from the Pulpit and the Press Nor only so but in ordinary publick Meetings of the Gentry or in common Conversation with others if at that time I chanced to perceive any who through meer Error of Judgment or want of due â—nformation seemed to approve of the Exclusion-design what Diligence and Zeal â— used to convince such persons of the Iniquity and scandalous Injustice of the thing there are many can testifie and the Effect of such Discourses I will not speak of So far have I ever been from disserving His present Majesty God of his mercy in Christ Jesus forgive me all my other Sins of Omission as to the witting neglect of any Act or Office by which I could serve His Majesty I can upon the strictest examination of Conscience sacredly profess I cannot deprehend in my self any one the least instance But it is perhaps the sense of more judicious persons than my self that in the business of Loyalty some men at present have taken very wrong measures We of the Church of England avow and protest we will be Loyal should we be put in never such circumstances yea even in the worst circumstances wherein any Adversaries we have could wish us It is and ever has been our Doctrine it is and ever has been our Practice to be Loyal absolutely and without exception And we can challenge the world to shew any instance of us to the contrary Wherefore we are amazed to hear our selves charged oâ— Disloyalty for being firm in the Religioâ— of that Church which much more faithfuâ—ly asserts the Rights of the Sovereign anâ— more inviolably in all her members payâ— them than any Church on Earth Anâ— we appeal in this case from the incompetent Judgment of our partial Fellow-Subjects to the Sentence of our Just and together most Wise and Gracious Sovereign I know said he in his Royal Declaration oâ— his Mind to his Privy Council the Principles of the Church of England are for Monarchy and the Members of it have sheweâ— themselves Good and Loyal Subjects Now should all the world go about to perswadâ— us that these words were only Complement we must beg the Excuse of such unadvised multitudes we are no less confident of the Sincerity and
being also we cannot believe he will be true to himself we ought to conclude he will gain Glory to himself even by those very things by which we may foolishly imagine he forfeits or hazards his Glory Wherefore if we will not be most unreasonable we must be patient Again this Consideration also enforces particularly the Quiet of Faith If the Almighty and the Alwise has resolved that he will be exalted amongst the Heathen and in all the Earth too you may easily be confident he will be so A little Faith one should think should suffice men to believe God will be true to his own concerns that is to his Glory Truth and Church And lastly This no less enforces the Quiet of Sobriety For what greater madness can there be conceived when we prosess to believe God thus resolved and intent on his business and to have put all things into the wisest and best order than for us to interpose and disturb this Order And yet every man does disturb that Order who makes a step out of his Calling that is out of the Order Place and Degree God has put him into Wherefore seeing God not only governs the World in general but particularly directs all to the exalting of his own Glory if the Glory of God be dear to us as we profess it is and if we believe that God is God let us be quiet with a Quiet both of Patience Faith and Sobriety The third and last Argument in the Text perswading still the same Duty is Gods Presence Patronage and everlasting Constancy to his Church celebrated here by the Psalmist in the name of the Church for in the last verse he brings in the Church speaking thus The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge And it it is observable this is the great Chorus in this most glorious and lofty Anthem It in a sort began the Psalm God is our Refuge ver 1. but word for word we have in ver 7. and it closes all in the Text. Indeed the Consideration of Gods Presence with and Protection of his Church cannot be to much thought of nor too often sung by the Faithful The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Oh! how sweet is it both to Ear and Heart He is with us not only as God but as the Lord of Hosts And should Hosts fail he is with us as a Refuge too and as may be supplyed from another place as our Portion and exceeding great Reward When poor Croesus not long before as much a prodigy of Wealth as then of Misery was led captive in Chains at the Command of his Conqueror Cyrus into whose hands he had fallen by the Fraud of Apollo otherwise to be called the Devil of Delphos whom alone above all their Deities he had honoured with Gifts he requested of his Conquerour one small Boon before his Execution which he instantly expected namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sending those Chains then as a Present he might ask that Grecian God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether it were his Vsage to put Cheats upon Benefactors his Worshippers This was a Reproach indeed most justly due to the Father of Lyes But the Worshippers of the God of the God of Jacob can never lay such Imputation upon him Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them They cryed unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded For thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the Praises of Israel Psal 3 4 5. And he the same God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Wherefore let this Consideration also induce such Stillness and holy Quiet as has now several times been prest Particularly again this Consideration also most reasonably may induce the Quiet of Patience For whose Will ought we to pay more absolute Deference to than to the Will of our most faithful Protector our sure Refuge and eternal Portion The Quiet of Faith For who fitter to be relyed upon than he who never deceived a cordial Confident And the Quiet of Sobriety For if by exceeding our Calling or going out of our place we come into misery it is not so much God that has brought it upon us as we that have run our selves into it We might have been safe if we had kept within the Boundaries God set us I have now done with my Text at least in the Acceptation or Reference I chose to take it in I know not what remains except any should expect that I should touch upon it in that other Reference I said it might admit namely as applicable to the Enemies of the Church For to them also God may be conceived with great reason here to speak Be you still and know that I am God And there are not a few were they within hearing that have need of thi◠Lesson such I mean who have long hoped for and otherwise as well as in their mad Carouses prayed for the Confusion of our Church and Religion that is I may say it without the least Arrogancy or Prevarication the most loyal Church and Religion in the World that I mean by Law establisht God forgive them and in these hopes God deceive them In the mean while let them know the Lord is God And as we have made it our business to consider and study our Duty so by Gods Grace we will perform it We will be still that is patient and hopeful sober and loyal and we do not doubt but the Lord of Hosts will be with us and the God of Jacob will be still our Refuge We can with the assurance of good Conscience take up the words of that holy King Ahijah animating himself and his People in a more difficult condition than God be blessed ours is or we hope is like to be 2 Chr. xiii 10. As for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him We have retained and do retain his Faith and Worship pure as once delivered to the Saints We have endeavoured and in humble sincerity we can say we do endeavour to perform the Conditions of his promised Presence and Protection and so long we depend upon his Promises Nor do we list to reflect upon our Adversaries Practices though we could Further besides our Gods Promises we have our Kings Promises too for the support of our Minds and some men must pardon us if we give a thousand times more credit to His Majesties Royal Word than to their airy Hopes or ventose Bravadoes We do not believe His Majesty will esteem their vain Insultings over their fellow Subjects any part of Loyalty or Service to him His Majesty has God be blessed amongst his very Enemies the character of a wise Prince and of a magnanimous Prince and there is nothing farther off from such Temper than to approve Insolencies Wherefore let as many of the Adversaries of our Church of all sorts as hear me this day take the Text as
save not only their Lives but their Estates they will and do pray for the King yet do it not either out of good Affection or Conscience of their Christian Duty Wherefore give me leave here besides the meer Evidence of the Text to add some other that the Duty we hence learn may appear to be of no such indifferent or inferiour rank as that men may omit or forbear it with a Salvo to their Integrity and good Conscience And though I know my Audience too well to judge them of this kind yet will not this be an unprofitable labour for certainly none of us can have too deep or quick a sense of any point of our Christian Duty Now in the entrance on this Evidence I will say in general we have all the Obligation to this Duty that we can have to any Duty in the World Besides the Obligation from human Laws which I will not yet touch on we have all obligation I can conceive possible 1. From Scripture and our common Christianity And 2. From Reason and Prudence And 3. From Equity and good Nature From Scripture or common Christianity The sum of the Obligations we can have thence can well amount no higher than express Commands and them urged with the greatest instance and constant Practice or Example As to Command Nothing can be as already said more express nothing more emphatical than the Text of which one thing remains that I have not yet noted namely how the Apostle in the progress of his Discourse presses this Practice with sundry Arguments and the greatest earnestness That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty ver 2. Here he presses it from the Fruits of this Practice This good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour ver 3. Here from the Will of God who would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth ver 4. Here from the Divine Nature or Philanthropy and Goodness of God which we ought to imitate and ver 8. he concludes the Subject I will therefore that men pray every where namely in the kinds and ways before directed Again I say nothing can easily be more emphatical But we may look much further back Eccles. x. 20. Curse not the King no not in thine heart If negative Precepts as Divines tell us include the opposite affirmative this will be a Command to pray for Kings in our Souls as well as in our words and in secret as well as in our Churches However 't is well worthy our notice what sense the Jewish Doctors had of this Precept who tell us generally that throughout their whole Law Thoughts are no were forbidden nor can Sin be committed by them meerly except in the present case and in that other of worshipping false Gods And pursuant hereto which is very wonderful was their general practice yea even towards the Heathen Emperors When they chose all of the rather to dye than place Caius's Statue in their Temple they at the same time professed that they daily offered Sacrifice to the true God in their Temple for him Joseph de Bello Judaic lib. 2. c. 9. On such Practice now a long time received in the Jewish Church before Christ was it that the Apostles here so earnestly gives this in charge to Timothy We have seen thus the Christian Law oâ— Command and the ancient occasion therâ—of Now as to Christian Example There can be no doubt but that the Apostles Practice was agreeable to their own Doctrine And as for the succeeding ages of the Christian Church one passage of Chrysostom has been produced already and to wave that multitude of other Testimonies and some of the very Forms of Prayer which might be produced in this case we will content our selves with that known and most full one of undoubted authority in Tertullian who wrote about 200 years after Christ Thither that is to Heaven saith he we Christians looking up with hands or arms stretched open because innocent with heads and faces uncovered because we blush not without any instigator because from our hearts we pray for all Emperors beseeching to them a long Life a secure Reign a safe Family valiant Armies a faithful Senate a loyal Commonalty and a peaceable World and whatsoever are the wishes of men or of the Cesars themselves This was he able then most truly to plead in apology for Christianity and at that time and for above an hundred years after such a thing as a Christian King was not known When the Emperors became Christian you cannot but conclude it was much more so In sum then as to Obligation from Scripture and the common Chistianity if either express or importunate Command or constant Practice of the Christian Church which is the sum of what Obligations we can have thence will make it an indispensible Duty to pray for Kings we have both Now as to Obligations from Reason and Prudence perhaps that of our own Interest the Benefit which hence amounts to the publick and so to all private persons of whom the publick body is made up may be looked upon as the most effectual reason or best prudential ground assignable Interest commonly fails not to more let it then prevail here Let it therefore be considered 1. Kings and Governours are the Safeguard of the People the great Security of the publick Weal The Scripture expresly calls the Rulers of a Nation its Shields in Hos iv 18. We indeed in our Translation have the word Rulers there but in the original Hebrew it is the Shields which Text most naturally explains Psal xlvii 10. The Shields of the Earth belong unto the Lord that is the Kings of the Earth who are its Shields are Gods Subjects and peculiar right which is most plain by the foregoing verses ver 7. God is King over all the Earth Then he divides Earth into the Heathen and Jews ver 8. God reigneth over the Heathen ver 9. The Princes of the people are gathered together even of the peâ—ple of the God of Abraham Finally in the tenth verse he conjoyns or puts all together again The Shields of the Earth belong unto God he is greâ—tly exalted namely he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Nor will any doubt the truth of this Scripture assertion or justice of the phrase who shall but think with himself what a forlorn helpless despicable thing the most populous Nation is without an Head In 1 Sam xi we have a Story which will fully illustrate this matter ver 2. Nahush the King of the Ammonites offers these insolent Conditions to the Israelites upon which he will accept them for his Servants On this Condition will I make a Covenant with you that I may thrust out all your right Eyes and lay it as a Reproach upon Israel And what said all the mighty men of Israel to this All the people lift up their voice and wept ver 4 All the people were not a few
render having compassion one of another if we take compassion strictly cannot be better rendred but then by compassion we must understand sympathising or being of like affection one with another as in Rom. xii 15. Rejoycing with them that rejoyce and weeping with them that weep He goes on Love as Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be ye lovers of the Brethren Be pitiful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of easie bowels i. e. be tender hearted so the self same word is more exactly rendred Ephes iv 32. Then as to the outward Product of such inward Temper it follows Be courieous and ver 9. Not rendring Evil for Evil or Railing for Railing but contrariwise Blessing knowing that thereunto are ye called that ye should inherit a Blessing Now to back or further enforce the latter part of this Exhortation he brings in as a proof of what he had last said namely that peaceable and sweet tempered men should inherit a Blessing two or three Verses out of the Old Testament Psal xxxiv 13. directing such Life and Temper as the true way to Blessedness part of which citation is our present Text Seek Peace and ensue it By which account thus given of the connexion of the Words it appears that amongst the several Christian Duties which concern us in order to present and future Happiness in order to inheriting the Blessing the study of Peace is one of principal note Seek Peace say both the blessed Psalmist and the Apostle and in them both Old Testament and New if you would inherit the Blessing promised in either The Words are not obscure but yet emphatical Seek Peace If either Peace or the ways and methods to it should be obscure or do not readily offer themselves make it your business by diligent and assiduous search to find out both one and the other And not only seek it but ensue or pursue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word properly imports the following hard after that which flies As if he had said Though Peace should at any time seem upon the wing to be gone out of the Countrey or out of the World yet pursue her still Desist not from your endeavours to retrieve her and if you cease not to pursue you shall infallibly reach her here or in a better world To this passage of David and of St. Peter it were easie to annex divers others as express to the same purpose out of other parts of Holy Writ Hear our Lord himself Mat. v 9. Blessed are the Peacemakers for day shall be called the children of God And if you remark it most of the foregoing Beatitudes Blessed be the poor in spirit that is the humble and lowly minded Blessed be thee meek blessed the merciful c. are accommodable to the peaceable Spirit which has a most intimate kindred with Meekness Mercifulness Humility and other like Christian Graces Again hear the Apostle St. Paul Rom. xii 18. If it be possible as much as in you lies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on your side or as far as concerns you live peaceably with all men If any will not be at peace with you let it be their fault not yours Yet again Hebr. xii 14. Follow peace the same word as in the Text pursue peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. But why do I spend time in repeating what all know and have daily in their mouths To be short the Commands are so explicit and plain and have such Promises annexed to them and withal so often repeated in the Old Testament and in the New by our Lord himself by the Apostle of the Circumcision in the Text by the Apostle of the Gentiles in the places mentioned and by others elsewhere that we must need account the Endeavour of Peace to be a Duty which the Holy Ghost has laid the greatest weight upon nor can he style himself a Christian who employs not this way his utmost power The rest of my Discourse therefore shall be taken up in recommending Directions for the more successful Practice of this Duty And these shall be proportionate to the several sorts of Peace and as neerly attemperated to the present publick Circumstances and Necessities as I can Now in our setting forth it will be meet to remember that Peace may be opposed to Discontent as well as to Strife and War Those who have inward Grudging and Dissatisfactions are as far from some sort of Peace as those who are engaged in actual or open Quarrels And a both regards Peace is either publick private or secret And the publick Peace â—gain is either Civil or Ecclesiastical First then as to Publick Civil Peace By Gods great Blessing we enjoy this here while our Neighbors every where on the other sides of the Water are embroiled For ever blessed be our good God who has singled us out as the peculiar Objects of this his Mercy at present yet let us study Peace also that is endeavour to keep it And to this purpose I can give no better directions than these following 1. Maintain entire and unspotted Loyalty I hope I shall not need much to press this Advice especially in this place The Commands for Subjection and Loyalty are as express in Scripture as are these for Peace but just now mentioned only it would divert us too much from our present purpose to alledge them now And I must tell you it is the peculiar Glory of the Reformation of the Church of England that as it was made by an happy Consent and Union of the Royal and Ecclesiastical Power of the Realm so the Professors of it can never be taxed in any points either of resisting or descrting their Prince In all the Wars since the Reformation in all the Plots old and new not one true Church of England-man to be found all along before any fell into such designs they were either leavened with Fanaticism and secretly fallen off from the Principles and Unity of our Church or open Apostates from her else they were never of us This might be proved by particulars but such proof is not for this Office or place only from what I have said I will infer if there should be any person here staggering in his Loyalty much more if a Desertor of it though yet but secretly that such person is neither Christian nor Protestant whatever he pretends He 's fallen off from his Christianity which commands Subjection and loyal Adhesion And he 's as much fallen off from the establisht reformed Church which ever taught and practised both Loyalty and Non-resistance witness our Book of Homilies and our Canons But I will quit this head as hoping it to be needless here long to be insisted on 2. In order to keeping and maintaining the publick Peace let every one be diligent in his own business and keep within the bounds of his own Calling This also is an express Command in Scripture 1 Cor. vii 20. Let every one abide in the same Calling
whosoever does fear God will honour the King I begin with the first of these the Fear of God not only because it stands first in my Text but also because it is in order of Nature the truest and only sure foundation of the other All Duties towards men when sincerely payed must have their foundation in our Dutifulness towards God When our Lord had occasion to touch on the true and natural Order of Christian Duties he tells us this is the first and great Commandment Matth. xxii 37 38. that we love the Lord our God with all our Heart with all our Mind with all our Soul and with all our Strength And the second is That we love our Neighbour as our selves teaching us hereby that we can never love our Neighbour as we should do except first we most entirely love God The loving God with all our hearts can only sweeten and influence our Souls into an universal Charity And proportionably in the present case the Fear of God can alone implant in our hearts universal and invariable Loyalty And therefore I must confess I cannot see how vicious men can be true Loyalists Natural Love Education Interest Fear and other like causes may beget and nourish a short temporary and partial Allegiance The vilest men may be subject for Wrath but good men only will be subject as the Holy Ghost directs for Conscience sake And such Loyalty will be impartial indefectible and eternally cordial Briefly therefore in the first place of the Fear of God Now by the Fear of God we are to understand such a constant Sense or Aw of God of his Sovereign Dominion Power Omniscience and Justice as restrains us from Sin and quickens us to Duty The Fear of God therefore first supposâ—s most deeply rooted in our hearts a real Belief of his Being and a sober Knowledge of his Nature He who doubts whether there be a God or is either ignorant or dubious of the truth of his infinite Perfections can never have in his heart a true Fear of him For as that Fear presupposes I say such Understanding and Belief so secondly it consists in at least most proximately and immediately flows from or depends upon a constant actual or virtual Attention to what we thus understand and believe of him The thoughts of him and of these his Perfections are generally ever and anon recurring and by that means habitually fixed in the mind The Thoughts I mean 1. Of his Sovereign Dominion and Authority over all He alone is King of Nations Jerem. x. 7. supream and most absolute over all Peoples and Kingdoms and Languages and over each individual Man And therefore who shall not fear before thee O thou King of Nations for to thee it doth appertain forasmuch as amongst all the wise men of the Nations and in all their Kingdoms there is none like unto thee 2. Together herewith do the thoughts of his Omniscience or actually knowing all things possess the heart for begetting in it that Temper which we call the Fear of God Psalm cxxxix 2 3 4 6. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off thou compassest my path and my lying down and art neer unto all my ways For there is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Such Knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it In other words it is not possible for any of us so intimately to know our our selves as God knows us I cannot tell what I shall think or what I shall not think to morrow perhaps not an hour hence But God knoweth my thoughts while they are yet afar off He by one simple incomprehensible act sees all things persons and actions past present and to come And whereas the Heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked so that a man himself knows not all the Wickedness of his own heart The Lord searcheth the Hearts and tryeth the Reins of the Children of Men all their Counsels and Contrivances all their hidden acts of Malice or Concupiscence are open and bare to him And therefore who can but fear before him Especially considering what also is another ingredient or ground to the Fear of God 3. That this same Omniscient God is also most just and holy Most holy so as that he can no wise approve or allow Sin Habbak I. 13. Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and canst not look on Iniquity that is God most perfectly abhors it And therefore he will most certainly punish it where persisted in or not repented of Rom. II. 6 8 9. He will render to every man according to his deed to them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of man that doeth evil Yea so severe is Gods hatred of Sin that sometimes when upon mens Repentance he forgives their sin as to the eternal punishments he yet in his Wisdom and Justice sees fit to inflict upon them here some temporary punishments Psalm xcix 8. Thou answerest them O Lord our God thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their Inventions which whoso considers must certainly fear before this holy God Add hereto lastly the attending to or consideration of his infinite Might Power As he hath resolved and will bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles vii last so is he able to effect it No Malefactors can possibly fly from or escape this Judge he has Emissaries enough millions of Angels good and bad to fetch all in And all shall appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done 2 Cor. v. 10. Let us now put all these together Admit a man believes and actually thinks there is a great and glorious Majesty unseen indeed but seeing all who is Lord of Heaven and Earth and all in them this God is most holy and most just both resolved and able to bring all things into Judgment even to the very imaginations of the thought of mens hearts must not there needs amount hence a most profound Aw and Dread of this great God And must not this Fear both restrain such in whose Breasts it is conceived from wicked practices and excite and awaken them to all well-doing Thus then we have most plainly heard what the Fear of God is and together how it is begotten in the heart what roots or foundation it has Now for the second Duty Honour the King Honour imports or signifies an inward Esteem and outward Respect paid to any by reason of the Excellency we apprehend in them Thus in the beginning of this verse Honour all men For some Excellency there is in all men that is in every man more than in any other Creatures we know The Image of God is
or follow my business at home But if the King commands me abroad to serve him it is now a good work and my Duty to go abroad and serve him And so in other like cases But will some say What if the King should command us any thing that is unlawful What then must our Obedience be I answer 1. The King cannot be conceived to command us that is any men in our circumstances and conditions any thing but what he commands according to Law that is he can be conceived to command us nothing but what the Law commands And I must stand to it our Laws are good nay they are most excellent at least I could never find an ill one amongst those now in force This Supposition therefore is you see unreasonable and not to be put But you will say What if an ill Law should be made and our Obedience to it required These things are not in themselves impossiible I answer Under our Constitution and as the Frame of our Government stands if they be not impossible yet God be blessed they are most highly improbable and most unlikely But 2. And which for ever answers all There are few of us but have heard there is a double Obedience which may be paid to Governours Active or Passive Where the thing commanded is lawful to be done we ought to do it we owe active Obedience Eccles viii 2. I counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God Thy Allegiance binds thee to it But in case the thing commanded be unlawful that is against any plain Command of God or that thou without Fraud or Dissimulation apprehendest and believest it to be so there is then passive Obedience that thou art to pay that is thou must meekly and patiently submit thy self to suffer whatever Penalty the Lawgiver thinks fit to inflict for the breach of his Law We may petition and supplicate for Forbearance and Mercy but in case we cannot obtain it we may not resist For whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation Rom. xiii 2. This is the Doctrine of St. Paul and it ever has been the Doctrine of our Church See the Book of Homilies And thus as to the first branch of Honour due to the King the Honour of Obedience A second Honour which we owe to him is that of Fealty and Allegiance The word Fealty signifies only Fidelity or Faithfulness and what the particulars of the Faith we owe to our Sovereign Lord the King are we know all of us by the Oath of Allegiance In particular as we are not to be false Traytors our selves so neither are we to connive at or conceal those whom we have reason to suspect to be such And hereunto we are all of us bound First By the Oath aforementioned which that none may think an Imposition upon us or contrary to the Laws of God or to our Christian Liberty behold it in the very Kingdom of Judah that is in the Kingdom which of all ever on Earth was that of Gods most peculiar Erection and Care We had just now one proof of it out of Ecclesiastes I counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment by reason of the Oath of God that Oath we cannot well conceive to be any other than the Oath of Allegiance which they to whom he speaks had taken to their King and particularly to King Solomon the Penman of that Book But in 1 Chron. last 24. You have both the time and manner or ceremony of taking it Then Solomon sat on the Throne of the Lord as King instead of David his Father And all the Princes and the mighty Men and all the Sons of King David gave the Hand under Solomon so the Text runs in the Hebrew as you may see in the Margin of your Bibles And what that kind of speech signifies you may learn out of the Story of Abrahams Servant Gen. xxiv 2 3. Put I pray thee saith Abraham to his Servant thine Hand under my Thigh and I will make thee swear by the Lord the God of Heaven and the God of Earth The giving the Hand under one was the Ceremony of a most solemn Oath By the Lord that is By Jehovah the God of Heaven and the God of Earth So again when Jacob was dying in the Land of Egypt he sent for his Son Joseph and said unto him Put I pray thee thine Hand under my Thigh and deal kindly and truly with me Bury me not in Egypt but I will lie with my Fathers c. And he said swear unto me and he sware unto him Genes xxvii 29 30 31. So that this their giving their Hand under King Solomon was swearing to him in person their Faith and Allegiance You see then Divine Warrant for an Oath of Allegiance And hereby first I say are we bound to pay our King the Honour of Fidelity for this Oath we have all of us taken or if any of us be so young as not to have taken it such are to be minded that we here all of us call our selves English-men And every English-man is born as I may say with the Oath of Allegiance in his mouth our Fathers took it and stand bound for us and we therefore bound in them 2. We are bound hereto by the Principles of Equity and Justice those common grounds of the Laws of Nations and indeed the true Law of Nature We expect Protection from the King his Laws and Government and God be blessed we do enjoy it Now is it not just that as we have Safety from him so he should have Security from us What Nation is there which gives not this Security to their Government Indeed it is the very Bond of Government without which it cannot subsist but all must run into Seditions Bloudshed Confusion Anarchy And therefore 3. We are bound to pay our King the Honour of Faith and Allegiance in our own Defence There are many who pretend and have long pretended God forgive them to be afraid of their Property Liberties and Religion My Brethren what can more certainly and fatally expose or destroy all these than Civil Wars And Civil Wars must needs immediately come in upon us if any of us at least any number of us start or swerve from our Allegiance Our King under God alone is able to protect us our Properties Liberties Religion and besides his Force Power he has manifested to the World Courage Will and Resolution enough to protect us In standing stedfast therefore we secure and preserve our selves and ours but if we stagger or fall off which God forbid we may weaken him but we shall destroy our selves I will add no more on this Point I trust I do not need Thus then as to the second branch of Honour due to the King the Honour of Fealty and Allegiance and our Obligations thereto The third follows Thirdly then We owe to our King by
particulars of that Honour we are to pay the King by the Law of Christ The Honour of Obedience of Faith and Allegiance of Supplies and Tributes of Candour and charitable Thoughts and lastly of our Prayers of all kinds Obj. 1. And all this is true will some say yes it were fit too to be practised were Kings such as they should be Answ 1. As to this vile Suggestion which it is too plain many more men harbour than dare speak out I might only give again the same Answer I have formerly given and say in one word we can find no fault in our King but what is more the three Nations than his own Guilt Our former Crimes therefore and the Effects they have had upon him cannot but most iniquitously and unchristianly be made Arguments for withdrawing our present Duties Answ 2. But once again Secondly Consider I pray you the Text and Context the emphasis both bear the Time in which and the Persons to which both were spoken and if we have not such an Answer hence to this Objectin as will make us all ashamed so much as to think of withholding any branch of the Honour mentioned due to our King I am much mistaken As to the Time it is most certain this Epistle must be writ either in the time of Claudius or Nero's Empire according to Baronius in the formers be it under whichsoever of the two they were both not only Heathens and Enemies to Christianity but villanously vitious Then as to the Persons if we consider to whom the Apostle directs these his Commands not only in general to all the Christian multitude but more especially to the dispersed Christian Jews in Pontus Asia c. this contributes further to the utter avoiding all the force can be conceived in this Objection The Jews we know were a people peculiarly chosen by God and by him priviledged above all Nations amongst other Promises made them that of dominion over the Nations was one especially eyed by them and nothing did they expect more constantly or passionately by the Messias then temporal Empire But even to this people and to the Christian that is the best part of them doth the very Apostle of the Circumcision preach Subjection Honour and Obedience even towards Heathen Emperours and Princes Now weigh the whole Emphasis Was it thus particularly and expresly commanded to the primitive that is the purest and most excellent Race of Christians that have lived in any ages of the world that they should be dutiful and obedient to their Princes though the worst of men Were these same Commands too in common without any exemption imposed upon the Jews that people peculiarly priviledged as it would seem to the contrary Nay were they as by name required to be subject and obedient to all the Kings of the Nations they should live under Were the Sons of God as I may stile them thus required to yield Subjection to Aliens and men without God in the world and can now any of us think that upon some private Reasons of our own we may forbear or do not owe like Duty to our Native Liege-Lord and Sovereign the same a moâ—â— Gracious Wise Just and Virtuous Prince for shame let us banish out of our Souls such Suggestions Object 2. But it may be further urged 'T is not impossible that a Princes Title may be disputable and what will you say in such a case Are we to obey Intruders against tht rightful Heir Answ 1. I answer first there was never any Title so just and indisputable but some unreasonable men have contested it We find by the sacred Story that when God appointed Kings by immediate nomination from Heaven there arose certain men Sons of Beliel who refused to own them yet was their Title no less Divine and just for all that But as to the Title of our present Sovereign I protest before God I cannot see any colour any shadow of plausible appearance that can be brought against it What man of any Face Reason or Conscience can disbelieve our late Gracious Kings voluntary Protestation both by Word of Mouth and under his Hand to his Privy Council and after publisht to the World Consider at what time it was made on what Inducements possible it could be made Had he not the Affections of a Father as well as of a Brother Was he likely to gain any thing by violating Honour and Conscience in avowing a falshood Or could any thing but Justice Care of his Peoples Peace and Safety together with pure Conscience and an entire regard of Truth move him to give his Royal Word Hand and in a sort Oath and that of his own accord to attest the No-title of the present Rebellious Pretender and the most just and full Title of our present Sovereign Lord and King This one thing in may apprehension must for ever stop the mouths and satisfie the Minds of any that will hear Reason Answ 2. Again as to all that can be done by way of Ratification or to speak more properly Recognition of our Sovereigns just Title has it not been done If you consider the way of his coming to the Crown can it at all be said that he set up himself Was he not immediately recognized and proclaimed by the Nobility Privy Council and the whole body of his People as far as then appeared from the chief City of his Kingdoms throughout City and Country every where in the whole three Kingdoms Then to wave the Solemnities of his most August Coronation have not the full Houses of Parliament recognized declared and avowed him as their only right-Lord and King Are not all degrees and sorts of men concluded in and by their Representatives in Parliament 'T is rescinding and giving the Lye to our own act nay pardon the expression 't is Rebellion against the Laws and Statutes of the Realm against Acts of Parliament if such a thing as Rebellion against them be possible as well as Rebellion against the King for us to stagger or be falling off now But I hope I did not need to have been so particular and earnest in this place However the matter coming in my way I was unwilling to be wanting to my Duty and that any of you should be wanting to yours Wherefore to enforce now what I have been so long teaching and asserting dâ—e Honour to our King let us now consider the other point remaining the Connexion betwixt these two Duties Fear God honour â—he King The putting them thus immediately together seems to suggest that if we do fear God we shall honour the King and that by giving him all these branches or kinds of Honour mentioned Now the general Ground of this Conclusion is that the Fear of God is an universal and invariable Principle of most impartial Obedience to the whole Law of Christ He who fears God makes no such difference between the Commands of God as to account any small or such which he may wave at pleasure without
Veracity of this great Judge than of the Justice of his Sentence In other terms as our Lord the King is wise according to the Wisdom of aâ— Angel of God to know all things that are before him so we believe he spoke herein with the Sanctity of an Angel and no less according to the Sense of his Royal Heart than according to the Truth of the thing Wherefore undoubtedly let some men think or say what they please he does not estimate his Subjects Loyalty by a warpâ—g Conscience or versatil humour in Reâ—gion No good or wise man Much less â—rince can in his heart approve either â—redulity and Rashness in believing or â—nstability in what is once on sober â—rounds believed There is nothing more â—oathsome to a person of any sense of Worth or Honour than a readiness to â—hange a mans Perswasion because he apprehends it may turn to his Rise or secuâ—ar Advantage To be free and open and use that Parrhesy which Honesty and Vprightness ever may I took not up my Religion from the Placits of Man but from â—he holy Scriptures of eternal Truth delivered to the world by inspired men and faithfully transmitted to us by Gods holy Church which Scriptures I have been instructed in from a Child and have read over diverse times upon my knees before God as well as otherwise with all the care I could I have thence learnt amongst other parts of my Duty my Duty to God and my Duty to my King and if any man catch me wittingly and deliberately tripping in either I decline no Censure nor Punishment But I am almost daily told by men whose Insolence I believe His Majesty if he understood would little approve that my King is not of my Religion I still answer thereto I cannoâ— tell nor am I busie to enquire but I blesâ— God and night and day pray to him to blesâ— our Gracious King for that Liberty Protection and Encouragement which we Protestants of the establisht Church enjoy in our Religion under his sweet wise happy Government And as to His Majesties Religion I say he is no more accountable to his Subjectâ— for that than he is for his Crown nor may they any more censure than prescribe to him therein All that concerns them is to pray God would guide him and inspire with all Christian Temper and Counsel those to whom under God he commits the Guidance of his Conscience And having said thus much I will only add As to my Religion from henceforth let no man trouble me For ought I know I profess the Religion the King would have me For if I should profess my self of any other I should dissemble and that I believe His Majesty with reverence be it spoken would no more approve in me or any man else than God does I have thus said what I had to say of the Occasion of publishing these Sermons It remains to the full discharging my Promise that I say a few things of their frame or make They consist not then of any profound cuâ—â—us or refined Notions nor is their Style â—curate or correct But they are what I â—prehend Sermons ought to be plain hoâ—st and strong I mean their Language is â—sie natural and such generally which is â— soon understood as heard Their Matâ—â— nothing but what in the Subjects â—andled is the sum of our certain Christiâ—â—ity And the Reasonings used in them I â—ope such as may convince There is at present a great complaint aâ—ongst the Book-sellers that there is nothing â—lls so dully as Sermons And yet I rememâ—er my Lord Verulam somewhere says in â—ommendation of the English Preaching â—hat if Preambles Transitions and passages which are purely matter of form with some such like particulars were taken out and the substance of our English Sermons extant collected into one Book it would certainly be one of the best Books in the world or words to this purpose Now what is the reason of the former complaint 'T is certain Sermons were no such Drugs in his days Has there then befallen any universal Degeneracy amongst us since his time which has altered the case None certainly universal for there have been better Sermons by far publisht since the death of that great Judge for such he was in all kinds of Learning than any I know before and particularlâ— those of the before at least matchless Bishop Sanderson And there are at this time in present being a great number of as excellent Preachers both in the City of London and disperst through the Kingdom oâ— England as most we can find to have liveâ— since the Apostles days many of whosâ— Sermons are in print But the truth of thâ— matter is this In the late days of the Liberty of Prophesying when every one took on him the honour not only of the Priesthood but even oâ— Apostleship that would and a bold pretencâ— to Grace Inspiration was enough to qualifie any man for the Pulpit there came for t such a swarm of putid and nonsensical as weâ—â— as too often unchristian Abortions of Preachments that mens stomachs then in a sorâ— turn'd many begun to abhor and ridicule thâ— Word of God and even the most sober sorâ— could not but loath such vile Entertainments Of this kind were all the Millenarâ— and generally all the Antinomian Rabble oâ— Preachers with more who followed the Parliament Camp whom I will not name Another sort there were who had some kind â—â— learning and seem'd at first hearing to havâ— something of soundness in them but in process all the Divinity you should find in their Sermons was pickt out of little Systems and Annotators beyond which very few of the men of those days ever went Henderson himself confessing to Arch-Bishop Vsher he had never read the Fathers and lay all in some Geneva-opinions servilely taken up a few terms of Art and Notions ill applied possibly not half digested or understood and in words and phrases of uncertain significations a vein of Canting running thro the whole Of these two kinds were I believe one tenth part of the Sermons preached and printed for neer twenty years together from the beginning of our late unhappy Civil Wars in England But God be blessed though such preaching was general yet was it not universal There were all along these times a secret stock of profoundly learned Divines excellent Preachers compel'd to be too secret God knows the remains of the old scattered Church and the Seed of our restored present establisht Church of England Arch-Bishop Vsher Doctor afterwards Bishop Saunderson Bishop and after the Restauration Arch-Bishop Bramhall Bp. Brownâ—ig Dr. Hammond Doctors and Bishops Jeremy Taylor John Pierson with many others these mens Sermons and many of their Discourses which though not printed Sermon-wise yet were divers of them first delivered in Sermons before ever printed in the form we have them no one I hope will account Drugs cast by or not think to deserve a very good place in his