images other men are The wise Man hath here mention'd them as one command and St. Peter too even while he useth two words for them Fear and Honour Fear God Honour the King for this honouring the King â— Pet. 2. 17. is the same act as fearing of him or expressive of it And Kings for their nearer and exacter resemblance of him are adorn'd with his title wear his name and have Psal 82. 6. Joh. 10. 34. Exod. 22. 28. his stile given them by Himself I have said Ye are Gods and again Thou shalt not ourse the Gods. From this strict alliance and union of these two commands arising out of the near resemblance between the persons God and the King and the Majesty of the one and Soveraignty of the other it is made as impossible to adore God and not revere the King who represents him as it is to honour the King and cast all the contumely we can upon his Lieutenants or Vice-Roys commission'd by him And of necessity it follows that Subjects withdrawing their Obedience from their * Such was and is James the Second Lawful Prince is a denying the Authority of God a shaking off His Government from his Shoulders a laying Him aside that he should not reign over t The people of England Them. They have not rejected Thee but Me that I should not reign over them 1 Sam. 9. 7. Treason against the King is a kind of Sacriledge a Revolt from Him an Apostacy from God a Resisting Him an Opposing God Rebelling against Him Fighting with God the * Is not this the case in England Setting up a counterfeit Prince against the True One an introducing a plurality of Godheads the Obeying of an Usurper Idolatry the slandering His Annointed and his Footsteps a Blaspheming God the blaming His Conduct a Quarrelling with Providence And as we cannot Fear God the Supreme Potentate without Honouring the Subordinate who bears His Image and Superscription so we cannot Honour this last as we should without Fearing the former as we ought We cannot revere the Copy of Divinity transcrib'd in the King without revering the Original the Deity front whom His power came any more than we can have a veneration for the picture of a man and none for his person We cannot be for maintaining the Prerogative while we are clipping the wings of his Power c. There is no bearing true Faith and Allegiance to our King when we do it not to our God no being loyal Subjects to the One while we are downright Traytors to the Other The reason of this is clear because the honouring and obeying our Prince should proceed from a Religion towards God a conscientious regard to his Authority exacting the payment of both these which if they do not they are false and spurious wanting the true and genuine Parent a right principle I mean for their production and must needs be * English Loyalty sickle and inconstant for not being grounded upon a sure and standing bottom So that when an Inviting Occasion offers of promoting our interest to greater advantage of serving our ambition with better success than by Honouring or Obeying our King or of Gratifying t Malecontents or disgusted Lords our Revenge of Wreaking our Malice then these are forgot and withdrawn Or last of all when by a declination in the state of affairs He is grown too weak to compel Us to render these Baxter's Holy Common Wealth Thes 137. then we not only deny the payment of them but justify it too Then maxims of humane Wisdom the most contrary to these precepts of the Divine are broach'd by Us. That the King is not God's Minister but the Peoples Servant and as theirs stands accountable to them for his misdemeanors That his Power being a Trust only from and for them is revokable at their pleasure and discretion and they may justly reseize it into their own hands and for their own behoof when they see it is not administred for their good That wicked and irreligious Princes and all are such whom They please to brand with those marks have actually forfeited their Crown and Dignity to them And then * Too lately in England Practices squar'd or rather deform'd by these enormous rules are set on foot too seditious Clubs and Cabals are erected Illegal Associations form'd and entred into Secret Conspiracies hatch'd next Open Insurrections raised against them and last of all Uillanous Assassinations c. A disdainfull pride swell'd Dathan Abiram and On Sons of Reuben and so of the eldest House to see that power Numb 16 8 13 14. lodg'd in Moses and Aaron's hands which by right of Primogeniture they imagin'd belong'd to them Ambition seduc'd Absolom the Peoples Guil. And Revenge for being 2. Sam. 15. removed from his great Charge and drove into Exile by Solomon inflam'd Jereboam into Rebellion under the 1 Kings 11. 28. 40. Reign of his Son. And every one of these either forsook God afore they did * such is the King. Their Lawfull Gâ—vernours or Else Renounc'd them and disclaim'd him together The Seditious Reubenites were engag'd in a Schism against God at the same time as they were up in Mutiny against their Rulers joyn'd themselves to Corah a Levite who had Usurp'd the Priest's Office in Burning Incense before the Lord which appertain'd not to him Absolom had his hands imbrewed in 2 Sam. 13. 28. his Brother Amon's blood before he lifted them up against his Prince and Father and Jerebâ—am to 1 Kings 12. 27. 28. strengthen himself in his unjust acquisitions made a Change in the Worship to continue the rend in State by winding it He made a Rupture in Religion To defend his Rebellion he set up Idolatry two Calves at Dan and Bethel And to manifest that we fear God and honour the King We ought not to meddle with those that are given to Change And this * The Bishops We may do either by approving the Projects of t Lords Temporal Men Designing a Change or by actually endeavouring One our selves and the concerning our selves either way is unlawfull And first the approving a Change Renders Us as equally Guilty as if we had brought it about for it is consenting to a Crime which derives all the malignity of it upon * who has been to blame Us the External Commission of it being only the owning of that to the World which we had before perpetrated within our selves Cataline was not less a Conspirator and an Enemy to Rome when he sat in Consultation within its Walls by what methods and parties its frame and constitution were to be subverted than when he took the Feild and Usurping the Ensigns and Badges of Consulship he joyn'd with C. Mallius And a man may be as compleat a Rebell as he was without taking up Arms against the Government meerly by justifying the Lawfullness of so doing a Traytor †Why did not the
We begin to entertain or to whisper our discontents and fears how we begin to listen to be suspicious of our Prince or of his Government and to hear with pleasure any scandalous stories or reflections on either Those who can with content and pleasure hear their Prince and his Government revil'd will soon think him not fit to be Their King. And the great danger of such beginnings is that We are not apt to observe them in our selves or others when Religion is concern'd in the quarrel We think it all Zeal pure Zeal and can't suspect our selves or others to be in any danger of turning Rebels But whatever is in its own nature a degree or tendency towards Rebellion is so where-ever and in whomsoever it is found and there is always more danger that the beginnings of vice should corrupt the best temper of mind than any hope that a sound and religious disposition should correct the malign influences of such a vice Some mens Religion does as much incline them to Faction as secular interest doth other men and there is no such dangerous Faction as that which is bred and nourish'd by the corruptions of Religion The Jewish Zealots and the Christian Enthusiasts of all sorts are too plain an Example of it And therefore when men who make great pretences to Religion begin to talk or act factiously a fair opportunity is as like to make them Rebels as any other men Thus We often see it is and this is a sufficient reason to suspect all such beginnings either in our selVes or others whatever glorious pretences we may have London Printed for Tho. Basset at the George in Fleetstreet The Power of Kings from GOD. A SERMON Preach'd at Sarum By Paul Lathom Prebendary there Prov. 8. 15. By Me Kings Reign KIngs have their Authority deriv'd immediately from God whicâ— Authority is not confer'd on Them as a Trust by the People Let us consider first what Titles the Scriptures give to King They are called the Ministers of God therefore not of men Rom. 1 4. 6. The Powers that be are said to be Ordained of God therefore not of Men. v. i for the question concerning St. John's Baptism waâ— it from Heaven or of Men seems to put this upon an Issue Besides they are call'd Elohim Earthly Gods Psal 82 6. And what Peoplâ— can make there own Gods without Palpable Idolatry When God first Subjected his own People Israel to the Government of Kings the People had nothing to do in conferring the Power Mosâ—â— was made their Ruler immediately by God so Ioshuah and the Iudgeâ— for so long the Theocracy did continue visable among them When thâ— People desir'd a King with formality God is not angry with them simpâ—â— for desiring a King for he foretold their having a King and gave hiâ— directions for his Government Deut. 17 but for some irregularities their manner of desiring him But how was he chosen not by the People but by Lot. 1 Sam 10 20 21. the determination whereof from the Lord Prov 16. 33. no hand of the People in choosing him David was made King by God's immediate 〈◊〉 Sam 16. 1. Hâ— the Theocracy seems to end Afterward the Government did descend by Succession And Those that pretend directions from the Scripture in every thing will be at a loss where to finde directions there for the People to take away or Confer Power upon their Prince We Challenge any man from Prophane Histories to shew Us any Footsteps of such beginings of Monarchy when the People did intrust this Power to their King If they acknowledge that their History fails them let not also reason fail them Let not Loyalty fail Them let not Conscience fail them let them have somhing more than bold Surmises or else not attempt to build a Supposition of such dangerous consequence upon the meer strength of imagination If therefore they Persist and Urge Us to shew how Monarchy first came to Subject men to Obedience I think the History of the Bible will give US light enough That Patriarchal Government or the Ruling of the Father or eldest of the Family over the Rest was the first form of Government in the World I think is generaly own'd Now when the Families increased the Subjects multiplied and by insensible degrees the Patriarchal Government seems to have setled into that Government of the Reguli or small Kings which was upon the matter the same when Ioshuah Conquered the land of Canaan which is less in extent than the Kingdom of England alone he found and Subdued 31 Kings Iosh 12 24. And it seems this was the least Jurisdiction of their Reguli For after him Iudg 1. 7. Adâ—â—ibezek when he was Conquer'd doth own that he kept 70 Reguli in Barbarous Servitude under him And some Hundreds of years after the King of Syria no great Prince had 32 Kings at once in his Army 1 Reg. 20. 1. so that it seems their Territories and power were then surely but an inconsiderable alteration of External Government and that which by degrees introduced greater Monarchy's If We further proceed to take a view of all the ways whereby Princes ascend to the Throne it will appear they are but few and that in none of those the People confer the power on the King first by Dâ—scent or Succession as in England Now who can say that the People hereconfeâ— the Power If they pleâ—d that at the Kings Coronation the consent of the People is demanded it is evident that the King is King to all intents and purposes before his Coronation Besides neither are all the People Sommon'd nor any considerable part of them appear at a Coronation And if then thereshould be any suâ—ly Sheba that should reject his Prince that would not hinder the Coronation so that this is but barely a thing of course and doth not deside the King's Power from the People at all Secondly those that attain a Crown by conquest no man can say They expect or receive the explicit consent of the People tho' a tacit consequential consent may be argued in their yeilding him a forc'd obedience Thirdly Those that Surprise a Throne by Fraud tho' they may impose upon the People so as to gain a formal consent Yet is there no real consent in those that are thus bewitch'd or cajol'd Fourthly there are some that come to a Crown by Elcteion And here our Male-contents think they are secure that They derive their Power from the People But we must consider the great difference that is betwixt Designing the person and conferring the Power The former is from those that choose Him the latter by no meanes the Dean and Chapiter of a Cathedral by the Kings leave choose a Bishop Sede vacante this choice designs the person but doth not confer the Power which is afterwards given him in his consecration The Aldermen and Commons of a City do yearly choose their Mayor this choice doth indeed designe the person but not confer the power
which descends by virtue of the Kings Charter So when the seven Electors choose an Emperour of Germany or those that usually choose a King in Poland they only design the person his Power is not from them but immediatly from God. And now whether the Power of Kings be so immediatly subordinate to God and depending upon Him that no Earthly ower whatsoever can call them to account for the Administration of their Government and discharge of their Trust The Accountableness of Princes to the People in their Representatives hath passed too lately for currant Doctrine in the days of imprisoning King Charles the first c. That Reason and Conscience may be satisfied of the falsness and dangerousness of such Assertions I shall offer what follows to prove that God Almighty is the only Ruler of Princes and that to him only they owe their accounts first in reason it is a contradiction after We have own'd the King to be Supreme in all Causes and over all Persons both Ecclesiastical and Civil to affirm afterwards that there is any other Power that hath Right to call him to an account and consequently is in that respect his superior That We have own'd the King as Supreme I suppose all men will confess and the Apostle St. Peter calls him so 1 Pet 2 13. And that his accountableness to any other on Earth would render these persons that may demand his account to nomine Superiour to Him is grounded upon that known maxim Par in parem nou habet potestatem If therefore the King be Supreme and yet hath others on Earth that are Superiour to him then is he Supreme and not Supreme a palpable contradiction both branches of which cannot be true Now the Kings Supremacy both the Law hath Setled and every Good Subject hath own'd and therefore must disown the Supremacy of the People either Collectively or in their Representative as a Spurious Offspring descended from Salus Populi and Vniversis minor Secondly If We consult the Scriptures when David had committed those two great sins of Adultery and Murther either of which singly was capital by the Jewish laws yet do we not find him call'd to account for them but only by the great King of Kings who takes the matter into his own hands sends his Prophet to him Summons him before himself as his Judge brings him to Repentance accepts his Confession and Remits his Trespass as to the Eternal punishment And David appears very sensible of his being accountable to God only when in his most penitent Confession he crys out against Thee Thee only have I Sinned Psal 51 3. If therefore We own the Scriptures for our guid in all doubtfull and important points here is an instance to guide Us in a matter of this great and weighty Moment Thirdly to hold a Power in the People to call the Prince to account for the Administration of his Government is most highly inconsistent with the law of nature and all the Reason and Conscience immaginable For it makes the People at once the complainants the witnesses the Jury and the Judge For when we speak of the King and the People they are but two parties If therefore the King must be impleaded who must be the Complanants Prosecutors the People who Witnesses the People who must be the Jury to enquire of matter of Fact the People who must be the Iudge to determin he hath broken a Law and be obnoxious to punishmentâ— the People at last when Sentence is passed upon him who must Execute it still the People a thing never heard of in any Judicial proceedings even in the most Barbarous Nations and that which must needs preclude the doing of Justice when passion or interest in the Mobile would carry all things according to their own Lusts and Humours The Judgments of God have dogg'd at the Heels in all Ages Those Subjects that have Risen up in Rebellion against their Lawfull King and â—â—ther Secretly or openly taken away their Lives Had Zimri peace who â—â—w his master c. And how hath the Justice of God become the avenger of Blood and pursued Those who had killed and taken possession and boasted of their Wickedness for several years together and some of them desired it might be written on their Tombs here liâ—sens of the late Kings Iudges This I hope will not be forgotten in This Generation c. That all men may hear and fear and do no more so Presumptiously If Kings then have their Power from God and are not accountable to any person or persons on Earth then is it a great Sin to Arraign the wisdom or Justice of his Majesties proceedings in the Convention of men of unsanctified Hearts unhallow'd lives and prophane Mouths Too many now adays make it either a sign of Grace or a token of Wisdom or at least an argument of good affections to the publick to Slander the Footsteps of God's Anointed And as if they would investigate their Pedegrees from Coraâ— and his Complices do proceed by Rising up against Moses and Aaron reproaching both Prince and Priest as if They took too much upon them If he that stept out of his rank without allowance of his Officer to fight an Enemy though he kill'd him was condemn'd for deserting his place what censure can be great enough for Those that desert their Ranks and Stations not to fight an Enemy a Forreign Invader but to encounter their lawful Soveraign If God Almighty be the only Ruler of Princes and neither the People collectively nor Representatively have power to censure the actions of a King then certainly the Individuals or little knots of the Populâ—cy have much less power to censure his proceedings When Men presume to think that the King is the peoples creature deriving his Power as a Trust from them and when the fondness and novelty of the notion by degrees hath flatter'd them into a fix'd opinion of it They will quickly implead his Authority as a conditional and precaâ—ious thing and upon the least distaste will be tempted to meditate a revocation of their trust So that what does not jump with one mans interest tho it may advance anothers the King must answer for And what does not indulge the lusts of the foolish though 't is highly acceptable to the Wise the King must account for so apt are Resty Men to clamour against the Settlements of their own security and happiness and promote the steps of their own ruine and confusion But when Men shall seriously consider that the Sword is put into His hand by God himself and that he bears it not in vain that he is a Revenger to execute wrath upon Him that doth evil Rom. 13. 1. This will oblige them to obedience and loyalty to their earthly Soveraign out of a principle of conscience towards the King of Heaven This will speak them at once both True Christians and Good Subjects For pretended Sainâ—shâ—p is conâ—â—stent with Rebellion but True Christianity will be
always attended with Loyalty This will clear the Profession of Religion from the aâ—persion of ungovernableness and set Us forward to that Kingdom where He by whom Kings Reign shall rule over all and be all in all LONDON Printed for Joanna Browne at the Gun at the West-End of St. Paul's A Sermon Preached by Benjamin Calamy D. D. on the 9th Septemb. 1683. Ecclesiastes 10. Verse 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought c. OF all Rebels they are certainly the worst that are such out of conscience and no such desperate Villains as those who think to please God by Murders and Massacres Other wicked men may be often checked are sometimes restrain'd by their consciences and dread of a future Judgment but what evils shall they ever boggle at who commit such gross wickedness out of complyance with their conscience out of obedience to God and expect to be rewarded for it in another world And is it possible by any thing We can do to bring greater dishonour to our Religion or more effectually to prejudice Rulers and Governors against it than by making it to patronize and countenance Faction and Rebellion If this were the true genious of Religion To make men Unpeaceable Turbulent Mutinous Seditious c. It would then become the great interest of Princes to guard themselves against It as the very Pest of Humane Society and dangerous to the Civil Government But thanks be to God This is not the temper of Our Christianity Our Saviour's Religion begets in men the most gentle and meek patient and Governable Spirits and is so far from being inconsistent with Loyalty to our Prince that it is thâ— greatest â—ye and Obligation to it in the World And there is no one can through off his Allegiance to his Earthly Soveraign but at the same time He Renounces all duty and Conscience towards God. The Doctrine and discipline of the Church of England We all know what it is It is stated and defin'd and we are sure that it condemns all disloyal Seditious practices on any pretence whatever We must not compass imagine desire or contrive Or invite any thing that tends to the damage and prejudice either of our Soveraign Lord the King or of any that are Commission'd or Authoriz'd by him Soveraign Kings and Princes are God's Deputies and Vicegerents set up by himself and They derive their Power and Authority from him alone God Almighty the maker of us all is the only absolute Lord and uncontroulable Soveraign of Men and Angels part of his own Power and Authority which he hath over his Creatures he hath Delegated and Committed to Kings who are the most Principal instruments and Ministers of his providence in the World Hence are they call'd Gods and Children of the most High Psal 82 6. God hath invested them with some part of his own Majesty stamped his own Character upon them and appointed Them in His place to perform and administer even some part of his Divine Office if I may so speak amongst men Thus constituting Them Earhly Gods as to their persons sacred and as to their Actions Accountable to None but that Supereminent Divine Authority that gave them Commission This is not any new coyned Divinity invented in favour of Arbitraâ—y Power but is expresly delivered in holy Scriptures was professed own'd and taught by the primitive Christians and hath been the constant Doctrine of the Reformed Church of England Nay it is agreeable to the general sence of mankind and might be made out by Rational Evidence if we had no other confirmation of it That Supreme Governours have their Power and Authority from God alone is expresly delivered in Scripture and that not only of the Kings of Israel who were evidently established by God's appointment but in general we are told Prov 8. 15. 16. By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice By me Princes Rule and Nobles even all the Judges oâ— the Earth Thus Cyrus an Heathen Emperour is call'd God's Annointed Isa 45. 1. Thus saith the Lord to his Annointed to Cyrus and in the last verse of the preceding Chapter he is call'd God's Shepheard Prin ces being often by reason of the Resemblance betwixt the Pastoral Officâ— and Government call'd Shepheardâ— I have made the Earth saith God by the Prophet Jeremiah 27 5 6. and given it to whome it seemed meet unto me And now have I given all these lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon my servant Thus Daniel declareth that the Most High Ruleth in the Kingdoms of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And he tells Nebuchadnezzar Chap. 2 37. that it was the God of Heaven that had given him a Kingdom Power and Strength and Glory In the new Testament nothing can be plainer than the begining of the 13 Rom where St. Paul tells us that there is no Power but of God that the Powers that be are ordain'd of God whence in the next verse he styleth Magistracy or Government the Ordinance of God and in the 4th verse the Ruler is Called the Minister of God To execute his vengeance upon Them that do Evil. It is plain that this was always the Doctrine of the Church of England as appears from the Booke of Homilies wherein we are taught That the High Powers are set in Authority by God that they are God's Lieutenants God's Presidents God's Officers God s Commissioners God's Judges Ordain'd of God himself Nay it hath been directly asserted in our Church that the most High and Sacred Order of Kings is of Divine right being the Ordinance of God himself founded in the prime law of nature and clearly establish'd by express Texts both of the Old and New Testament Nor indeed can it be well Conceiv'd or Reasonably imagin'd from whence Kings and Soveraign Princes should have right to Govern and Command but from God alone since He is the undoubted Lord of the whole Earth and alone hath full Power and Right to Govern it I cannot see but that whoever shall goe about to Confer any Power of Government or take upon himself any such Authority over others were it not â—y God's Appointment and instiâ—ution he would thereby put himself upoâ— disposing of Gods Right without his leave or ordering so that Government or Supriority of oâ—e or more over others is all Tyrany and Usurpation upon God's Right or els it must be granted to be Ordain'd by God himself And whatever the form of Government may be or whatever hand the People may have in Choosing or Designing the person or persons that shall be invested with this Supreme Authority yet the Power and Authority it self is deriv'd only from God and is neither Received of the People in Trust nor is the Soveraign Power answerable to them for the Administration of it which is sometimes illustrated thus Tho' the Wife may choose what person she pleaseth to make her Husband Yet his Authority over the Wife is not owing to her nor doth
And to beware of the like Follies for the future Those Principles which have been sent so thick abroad of late That the King holdeth not his Crown Jure divino but is the Common Wealths Trustee and Delegate That he is accountable to his People That all his Rights are founded upon Human Laws That He is a Co-Ordinat State And that the Supreme or Soveraign Power is Lodged in the People Whither did These Doctrines tend but to the Deposition and Destruction or Bâ—nishment of his Majesty you may observe they were the Principles which Bradshaw went upon at the Kings Tâ—yal The manifest obstructing the Course of Justice notwithstanding full and pregnant Evidence The protecting of the Bâ—sest Fâ—lâ—ows and the greatest Criâ—iâ—als who had nothing to recommend them but this that They were Factious and Dishonest The taking of Oaths not in the sense of the Law but according to every Mans privaâ—e construction The justifying of the most infamous villains and the zealous endeavours which have been used both to rescue Traytors from the Law and to clâ—anse their Reputation afâ—er they were condemned for the foulest Malefactors Whither did all thi 's tend but to embolden Conspirators and to encourage them with securities from all manner of Penalty if they had but the Character of true Protestants * A character of the Popish â—lot The Suborning of Wretches to say and unsay to speak by Roat and to tell every thing but truth The Supporting of Perjury as a Trade far more profitable than any old English Manufacture and the Stitching up of every hole which any Common Idiot could see in an improbable Story What did this tend to but to keep a great stock of Oaths in Bank to swear the King himself out of his Honour and his Life The Charge and Sweat which Thousands have wasted to put the most Disaffected persons into Places and Offices of great Trust and Power What did this tend to but to make Resistance and Rebellion look fair with the Face of Authority the aspersing of the Government the Calumniating of his Majesty and all Subordinate Magistrates and Loyal Ministers of State The Frightning of Men with such a noise of Popery when so many had exchanged all Religion for Atheism The Out-cry against Tyrany when the Licenciousness of those very men argued that Common Justice could not be done no not for the King himself What did all this tend to but to Subvert the Fundamental Constitution both in Church and State The dispersing of Libells The Countenancing of the most Seditious Pamphlets that came from the Rudest and Fllthiest hands The Scareing of Men if it had been possible from speaking Reason Justice or Truth And the practicing of every thing that serv'd for the diminution of all that is Good Great and Noble What did all this tend to but to help Evil-minded Men by degrees and Inches to get to the king's Throne that they might Assaffinate his Person with a full Thrust and then leave it to the prejudiced and ill affected world to make their Appology One would have thought it impossible that discerning Men should not be able to look to the end of these things nor so much as to guess at the Conclusion by the premisses But so it was that great multitudes of Men Some of whom I am peswaded were not guilty of Black Intentions were led away with the Common Error and upon false presumptions That nothing was at the Bottom but a truâ— Design for the Interest and Stability of Religion The Stale pretence that turn'd the Nation into Aceldema once before 'T is High time therefore for such to be sorry to see how greatly They were befool'd and to consider with themselves how far they may have contributed tho' unwittingly to the carrying on a Design Soe Horrid and Barbarous without a Parallel and by their just Indignation for what is past and Highest zeal for the future to endeavour if it be possible to make his Majesty Reparation for those intollerable mischiefs which Blood-thirsty Traytors would perhaps never have attempted upon the Confidence of their own Interest I have no more to add ' but that We give all dilligence Religiously and Honestly to perform Our Duty to God and to his Annoynted and in so doing to look up to the Hills from whence all our help cometh and to trust in God for Our deliverance from These Dangers which Stand now dreadfully before Us trusting in Him who hath heretofore delivered Us that He will deliver Us yet Still Tho the troubles of the Righteous be many Yet the Lord delivereth him out of all London Printed for William Abington next the Woâ—der in Luâ—gâ—e-street Samaritanisme Revived A Sermon Preach'd at Great Yarmouth by Luke Milbourne Ezra 4. 1 2 3 4 5. THo' wicked men of all kinds are at never so great a distance among themselves yet Truth being equally an Enemy to them all it moves their hatred so much against it self that other disgusts and Broyls are soon forgotten So the Pharisees Sadduces and Herodians laboured at all times to undermine each other but readily combined together to destroy our Saviour The more vigorous and bright Truths luster is the more violent the assaults of its opposers be So it proved in the Primitive Church many and absurd Heresies sprung up in it The breaches between the different Hereticks were irreparable And yet They Lived almost in a constant Conspiracy against the True Catholick Church of Christ And he that examins Church History will finde that when peace gave the greatest Ornaments to Christianity the Mushroon Heresies and Schisms grew up the fastest as on the contrary when Religion grew indifferent and the Professors of it Lukewarm Hereticks and Schismaticks seemed to lay down their Weapons as if Hell had no more employment for them The Devil is never so truly dreadful as when he puts on the shape of an Angel of Light otherwise every one stands upon his guard but then the Subtle Serpent insinuats himself into the bossoms of those who least suspect his poysonous nature And Wicked Men can never possibly do such mischief as when They put on the visor of Piety The servants of God avoid Them when they appear like Themselves But when the sheeps Clothing has invested the Wolf even he may pass for a very Innocent Creature It is not to be question'd but that the acknowledgment of the True God and the offering due sacrifices to him as God is the main Foundation of True Religion But a bare Foundation without a Superstructure is of on worth for upon these Principles plainly and evidently depend a great number of other things which if not observed prove that the Foundation was never truly own'd For if a man believe indeed that there is a God and by offering Sacrifices acknowledgeth there is a duty owing to that God nothing can be commanded by that God nothing forbidden but the man if he hopes for Salvation must sincerely and to the utmost of his
THE REMONSTRANCE From the Reverend Father in God FRANCIS LORD BISHOP Of ELY And several others The most Eminent DIVINES Of the CHURCH Of ENGLAND Against The Proceedings of the P O. And The Lords Spiritual and Temporal That Invited Him. Being an ADRESS from the PVLPIT to the KING in fifteen Sermons Denouncing Damnation c. To the Abdicators of God's Annoynted and the Abettors of this Rebellion Concilia callida et Inhonesta pri 〈◊〉 Fronte loeta Tractatudura Eventu tristia Tacitus Dublin Printed for Alderman James Malone Book-seller in Skinner-Row 1689. TO THE SACRED MAJESTY OF God's Annointed AND Vice-Gerent to the Almighty IAMES The Second by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland KING In Vindication of the Principles of Obedience and Loyalty always Taught by the Church of ENGLAND This Remonstrance is most humbly Dedicated By your Majesties ever Loyal and Dutiful Subject JOHN YALDEN. To the Reader Christian Reader PArdon me if I presume to use the King words at his Majesties first Accession to tâ—â— Crown viz. I know the Principles of tâ—â— Church of England are for Loyalty And I mâ—â— tell I hee too that Loyalty will be always coâ—stant where it is accompanied with True Reâ—â—gion If thou doest enquire of me whether the Preachers of the Gospel have fully practice those indispensible principles of primitive aâ—â— pure Christianity herein taught and avowed 〈◊〉 them to the whole world I can only tell Thâ—â— with the Heathen Orator Omnis laus virtutâ—s actione consistit If any of them have acted contraâ—â— to what they delivered to the People from tâ—â— Pulpit where none but Sacred Oracles should dispenced it is they only are too blame And tâ— I am affraid Even my Bishop here cannot throughly excuse himself yet such as are innocent caâ—not ought not in Justice to share in those Bitâ— Reproaches which are most justly due to tâ—â— Guilty Tho the late Defection in England was veâ—â— general and spread it self over his Majesties â—â—minions like the poisonous infection of an Epiâ—â—mical Contagion yet I know there are many lâ—â— and those Protestants too that have not boâ—â— their knees to Baal nor worshiped the Gâ—â— Calf that others have sett up such as will most assuredly joyn with the King upon afair opportunity and do now really believe it to be a kind of Idolatry to obey the Vsurper This Remonstrance hath followed his Majestie through all the Meanders of his most Barbarous Exile and is design'd chiefly to reclaim such of his Subjects to their duty as have been mislead bring them to a due consideration of that natural and sworn Allegiance which for the most part both ways They owe the King And to assure the Obstinat persisting Rebell that his Portion shall be amidst all the dire effects of Eternal vengeance accompanied with the Cursed Crew of Appostat Angels still Cursing God as they Curse the King because They can expect no Mercy by being Sunk below the Depth of all Repentance The first 14 of these Sermons were preach'd on the 9th of September 1683 being a day set apart for the most Solemn worship of God Almighty a day of Thanksgiving for the great deliverance of his Majestie and his Royal Brother from the Rye house Regicides c. And the last for the Defeat of Monmoâ—th's Rebellion So that Sermons Preached upon such Occasions may be truly taken as from persons filled with Extraordinary Devotion and inspired with a true zeal for the Honour of Christianity To have printed the whole of each Sermon would have been too voluminous as-well too chargable to thee But in this Abstact is contain'd the matter and designe of the several Discourses the Force and Strength of all their Arguments where any thing is added it is only to make a Connection and comes generally betwixt these two marks And as the Divinity of these Preachers doth extend itself to an universal Obedience So I hope the Reader will pardon me where I apply such Doctrines to the case of this Rebellion In fine I challenge any man to shew me that I have wrested any thing contrary to the true sence of my Authors Tho' perhaps Some Mens own words at this time a day will be unsavory even to themselves but such deserve the Character of Atheists much better than that of Honest Christians And to that purpose I have directed the most Malicious Critick where to find the Sermons by telling him for whom they were Printed A SERMON ENTITULED The Duties of Fearing God and The King Preach'd on the 9th of September 1683. by John Fitz William D. D. Prov. 24. vers 21 22. My Son Fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both FEaring God and the King are Duties inseparable Indeed all the Commands are so chain'd together that he who loosens but a single link dissolves the whole chain who transgresseth one is guilty of all For tho they were wrote in two distinct Tables and distributed under ten heads or words as the Jewish Docters speak by God himself yet his Authority being the soul which quickned them like the soul animating the several members of the body gave them all but one common life and being So that a particular violation of one becomes of accessity an universal destruction to all And as the Commands so our obligations to observe them are connext if not after that manner as Zeno affirm'd all virtues were who promiscuously confounded them together yet so as Châ—ysippus hath explain'd that Stoical Doctrine That a man could not be truly Brave without the conduct of Prudence nor Prudent without attending to Justice nor Just without the regulation of Temperance So in like manner a man cannot be piously affected towards God without being honestly affected towards Men cannot express his Love towards the one in the instances belonging to him without shewing it towards the other in all points which concern them and he who pretends to the former And neglects the latter proclaims himself a liar The reason of this is plain and obvious because if I perform the first from a right principle out of conscience of my duty towards God requiring it the same principle will engage me to do the second because he demands that likewise And on the other side if the motive of my love to my fellow Creature man be his bearing the image of God I cannot but love and reverence that God who fashion'd him after his own likeness And as there is no dividing so there is no commuting of duties our zeal in one kind will not make attonement for our remisness in another our Piety for Injustice But tho'all the commands are inseparably conjoyn'd yet there is a closer and more indissoluble union between these two particular ones of â—earing God and the King by how much Kings are more lively expressions of God's Majesty and Power than ordinary
acknowledge and pay Homage to it like Nibuchadnezzar to fall down and worship the Image They have made and Set up shall be cast there Some there are who have too lately made use of Their pretended Fear of God to Justle out the King's Honour their serving God to excuse these disobedience to the King their fits of Devotion Extatical Raptures their Acts of Disloyalty Their Asserting the True Religion Justifying their Rising up against his Majesty And now let every Englishman begin to examin himself whether he hath not medled with them who were given to change Have not You shew'd your selves such by siding and going along with that Faction which wrought the last dismal change or by following men who Trac'd their steps and Practic'd the same methods of Sedition which usher'd in that Rebellion did you not greedily Swallow down the Calumnies and and Slanders They Fâ—d you with against the Government Have you their persons in the greatest Admiration who made the Biggest Noise for Religion and Liberty while Their Lives manifested they had extinguish'd the one all but the Name and Their Arbitrary proceedings that they were Resolv'd to Prostitute the other to their own Lusts such who had Scrupl'd at Order and Decency in the Church but had made none of involving three Kingdoms in Misery and Confusion strein'd at Conformity but Swallow'd down Rebellion slumbl'd at a Ceremony but leap'd over the Murther or Dethroning of Their King. And after all this did you not look upon your selves as absolv'd from the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and on them as antiquated Bonds Or were you not for expounding Them so as they might be best accommodated to Rebellion or willing Disciples of such Masters who did That they were stipulations of a Conditional Obedience Provided the King maintained your Rights and that limitted and Restrain'd to some Case only so that the King not performing the former you were not bound to the latter or Commanding something without the Verge of his Authority might be oppos'd by Arms and Forc'd within compass Or that those Sacred Tyes might be violated without Sin for promoting such great Goods as the Power of Godliness and the Freedom of the Gospell did not the Casuistical Divinity of such Rabbies please you who directed You in Order to shake the Crown from off the Monarch's head to break any Oath with the deepest sence of Religion which you before had Sworn with a Sound Conscience c. And besides the Wickedness of Breaking Through These Sacred Obligations have you not bound your selves by illegal Associations or Covenants directly opposite to these solemn engagements to labour a change So Cataline initiated his Complices to the privacy of his conspiracy by a Sacrament solemn as a Sacrifice to the Gods He drank to Them in a mingl'd bowl of man's blood and wine and made them pledge him and one another in that and so doing their mutual Faith devoting themselves with horrid execrations to suffer all Ills in case they infring'd it afore he ventur'd to acquaint them with the villany they were to be actors in And if you have in any of the forementioned respects been guilty as it is more than to be suspected you have Let me exhort you to wash away the contracted guilt with the tears of repentance c. LONDON Printed for William Nott at the Queen's Arms in the Pall Mall 1683. A Sermon Entituled Some seasonable Reflections on the Discovery of the laâ—e Plot By William Sherlock D. D. Psal 18. Verse 50. Great deliverance giveth he to his King and sheweth mercy to his Annointed to David and to his seed for evermore MEn of turbulent and restless spirits will be sure to find or make some pretences or occasions of quarrel under the most just and equal Government Sometimes They dispute the right of Succession but this they could not do in David's case unless they would dispute God's right to place and displace Princes For he was immediately chosen by God and annointed by his Prophet and yet this could not secure him from Conspiracies and Rebellions Others pretend great Oppression and male-administration of Government tho' Their licentious noises and clamours sufficiently confute it for men who are most opprest dare say the least of it And Others make Religion a pretence for Their Rebellion Religion the greatest and the dearest interest of all But methinks it is a dangerous way for Men to rebel to save Their Souls when God has Rom. 13. 2. threatned damnation against Those who rebel But this is a vain pretence for no man can fight for Religion who has any Religion Religion is a quiet peaceable governable thing it teaches Men to suffer patiently but never to rebel And were there any true concernment for Religion in this pretence can We imagine that the most profest Atheists the most lewd prostigate Wretches the greatest Prodigies and Monsters of wickedness should be so zealous for Religion But it 's evident it is not Religion such men are zealous for but a liberty in Religion that is that every one may have his liberty to be of any Religion or of none which serves the Atheists turn as well as thâ— Sectaries but is nor much for the honour or interest of true Religion I suppose no man doubts how many dangers a Prince is expos'd to who flies before an enrag'd and victorious enemy A Prince whose Father was murther'd and himself forc'd into banishment by his own Subjects Who knows not whither to go where to hide himself whom to trust Many persons who were in greatest power being concern'd for their own preservation to keep Him out while those who wish'd Hiâ— Return durst not whisper any thing tending to call the King back again This was the condition of our dread Soveraign who was hunted as Partridge in the mountains pursued by his own rebellious Subjects who had usurp'd his Throne and thirsted after his Blood. But then God found an hiding place for Him and delivered Him from the desire and expectation of his Enemies And as the Psalmist says This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes now know We that the Lord saveth his Annointed He will hear Him from his holy Heaven with the saving strength of his right hand Psal 65. 7. God may sometimes suffer Treason and Rebellion to be prosperous but it can never prosper but when God pleaseth and it is impossible Rebels should ever know that There is nothing more expresly contrary to the reveal'd will of God than Treasonable Plots and Conspiracies against Soveraign Princes And tho God does many times permit those things to be done which he has forbid to be done or else no man could ever be guilty of any sin yet his forbidding of it is a plain argument that he does not approve it that he will not countenance it God never indeed interposes by an irresistible power to hinder men from choosing that which is wicked for he offers no force or
violence to mens wills but when this wickedness is injurious to others who are the objects of his care and providence he many times interposes to prevent the mischief Who ever suspected that the Fire at New-Market was sent by God for the preservation of our King and His Royal Brother Christian Religion is the greatest security of Government both iâ— its precepts and examples It commands Every Soul to be subject to the higher Powers and threatens eternal damnation against Rebels it strictly enjoyns the practice of all sociable virtues and charms those boisterous passions which disturb humane conversation it requires Us to obey our Superiors in all lawful things and quietly to submit and suffor when we 〈◊〉 obey And the blessed Jesus who was the Author of our Religion 〈◊〉 our great Pattern and Example did himself practise these laws which he gave to US He liv'd in obedience to the Civil Power and though the Jewish Nation which was a free People the Lot and Inheritance of God himself were then in subjection to the Romans yet He would not give Them the least encouragement to shake off the yoke but commands them to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's He died himself upon the Cross and made this the condition of our discipleship To take up our Cross and follow Him and thus the Apostles and Primitive Christians did they chearfully follow'd their Master to the Cross and conquered by suffering Christianity was planted in the world by no other arts but the foolishness Preaching and it defended it self Only by a resolute and patient suffering for the name of Christ This is the true temper and spirit of Christianity Under the most barbarous and persecuting Emperors no Christian ever suffer'd as a Rebel They gave no other disturbance to the Government than by confessing themselves to be Christians and suffering for it Their numbers indeed were very formidable but nothing else for in imitation of their great Master They went as lambs to the slaughter and as sheep before their shearers are dumb so they opened not their mouâ—hs But notwithstanding this our daily experience tells US that when Religion is divided into Factions and Parties or rather Men are divided into Factions and Parties upon account of Religion there is nothing more imbitters mens spirits against each other nor gives greater disturbance to publick Government All the Troubles and Miseries which for these late years have overwhelmed this unfortunate Island have been dooing to this cause Religion has been made either the reason or the pretence of all To deny that Prosest Protestants have ever rebell'd against their Prince is to deny that there ever was a Civil War in England And I would to God We had but one instance of this it might have left some hope still that This was not the temper nor the Principles of the Men but some unlucky â—â—â—cture of â—ffairs which transported Them beyond the bounds of their Duty and their own â—â—ow'd Principles When Religion turns into a â—â—aâ—e 〈◊〉 to curb and restrain and quell such pretences is not to invade the 〈◊〉 Conscience oâ— the â—â—berâ—â—â— of Religion but to secure the publick 〈◊〉 to prevent the occasions of new Rebellions And no sobâ—â— man can 〈◊〉 his Prince for this tho he may Those and ought to express a just indignation against Them who forfeit this liberty by abusing it for a cloak of maliciousness A great and passionate Zeal like a distemper'd Love blinds mens eyes and makes them mistake both their Enemies and Friends It fills their heads with endless jealousies and fears and makes them start and run away from their own shadow Such a boysterous Zeal is the frenzy and Calenture of Religion which makes men uncapable of any sober counsel and all prudent Resolves and precipitates them into the most wild extravagant and irreligious attempts There is nothing more pernicious than Zeal when it gets a-head and bears down all the considerations of Reason and Religion before it When men are conscious to themselves that they are engag'd in a good cause and have honest designs it makes them more bold and venturous For tho few men daâ— own it yet the actions of too many sufficiently proclaim that Thâ—â— think they may strain a Point and dispence with strict Duty when it is to serve a good cause when the Honour of God and the Interest of Râ—ligion is concern'd Such a Zeal does violently push Men forward but â—â— does not steer well nor observe its compass and thus it is too often seeâ— that Men who begin with a zeal for Religion insensibly slip into Statâ— Factions and are engag'd vastly beyond what They first design'd Lâ—â— Us then above all things have a care of our Zeal that we may not mistaâ—en earthly Fire which burns and consumes for that divine and harmleâ— Flame which is kindled at God's altar A true zeal for Religion is nothing more nor less than such an hearty love for it as makes us very diligent in the practise of it out selves and contented if God sees it fit 〈◊〉 lay down our lives for it and very industrious to promote the knowledge and practise of Religion in the World by all lawful and prudeâ—â— means A true Christian Zeal will not suffer US to transgress the striâ—â— bounds of our duty to God or of our duty to Men especially to King and Princes whatever Flattering Prospect of advantage it may give To lye to forswear our selves to hate and revile each other To reproach and libel Governors in Church or State to stir up or countenance with the least Thought any Plots Seditions or Rebellions againâ—â— the King is not a Zeal for God nor for Religion for this wisdomâ— not from above but is earthly sensual and devillish for where strife and coâ—tention is there is every evil work Let Our past Experience therefore teach Us to watch over the leaâ—â— stirrings and first appearances of a seditious and factious spirit either in our selves or others however it may be disguised with a pretence of Religion Faction like other vices has but very small beginnings but when those beginnings are indulg'd it soon improves and gets strength Omne in praecipiti vitium stetit When men once espouse a Party like those who are running down hill they cannot stop when they please Discontents and jealousies are easily fomented when We have once given admission to them and the busy Factors and Agents for Sedition when They find US never so little disposed to receive the Impression use their utmost art and skill all the methods of insinuation and address to make us Proselytes I doubt not but many Men have died Rebels and suffer'd as Traytors who at first did as much abhor the thoughâ—s of Treason and Rebellion as any of us can Thus I doubt not but it was in our late Troubles And thus I believe it is at this Day Let such Examples as these make Us wary how
King's Son hid in the house of the Lord for six years space is brought forth by the loyal Jehojada the High Priest and proclaimed King and the Traytoress Athaliah is justly slain And in our English Annals we may find Examples enough of this kind Let John usurp the Throne due to Arthur his elder Brother's Son he taught but his Subjects to rebel against him and after he had numbred as many troubles as days of his Reign he is thought to end his life by poyson Edward the Third tho otherwise a brave Prince yet because he Dispossessed his Father of the Crown shall rue it in his Grandson his immediate Successor whom H. 4 another Usurper bereaves first of his Throne and a little after of his life too But Divine vâ—ngeance meets with him likewise in his Posterity for H. 6. his Grandson tho as innocent and harmless a Prince as ever before him that enjoyed the Imperial Crown of England hath his own Son stabb'd before his face and himself some time after butcher'd by the same handâ— Let Rich. 3. murder his innocent Nephews in the Tower let him poyson his own Wife that so he might marry his Neece the only Heiress to the Throne yet God blasts his designs and blesseth this Nation both with his death and the happy Union of the York and Lancaster Families in the persons of Eliz and Henry the Seventh Which Contest had cost more Blood than twice Conquer'd France Which One would think should make all true Englishmen pray for the Succession of the Crown in a true lineal descent From these let us come some what nearer and behold Edward the 6th upon his death bed whom Northumberland works and imposeth to declare the Lady Jane Gray his Successor The secuâ—ity of the Protestant Religion was then as now pretended To which They knew Mary was averse And so soon as the King was Dead the Lady Gray against her own will is proclaimed Queen in London and her Ambitious Father in Law Northumberland thinks all safe as having nothing to oppose him but a Naked and defenceless Tho a true Title when no sooner Mary tho' a Papist asserts her Right to the Crown but her Subjects tho' they were Protestants as one man rise up in Arms to Defend not to oppose or invade the Succession They knew how many thousand lives the dispute about the Crown had cost but a little before Neither could they finde any motive then no more than We can now in the Church of England That gave any Encouragement against the Lawfull Heire Pâ—â—secution they might dread but they would commit that Cause to God and they had rather undergo the flames of Martyrdom than be stigmatiz'd with the brand of Rebellion Upon this the Conspirators were defeated and that without a Battle taken and Executed I might tell you of Wyat's Conspiracy in the same Queens time and of many others in Her Sisters Reign And as we often see Treason Severely punished in this World so it is much more dangerous to the Actors thereof in the World to come I am sure St. Paul tells Us so Rom 13. 2. They that Resist shall Receive to Themselves Damnation a very small Encouragement God knows for Conspirator and Usurpers to rise up against and Dethrone a Lawfull King Fortho ' we should grant which seldom happens that many Traytors might so far prosper here as to secure themselves from the hands of Justice yet there is a King of Kings from whom no power can shelter Conspirators or such whether they be Lords Spiritual or Temporal that shall any ways Invite or encourage an Invader against their Lawfull Soveraign And this Damnation in the close of all will prove a sad Prize of the most Fortunate or Succesfull Treason whatsoever And in the 49 verse of this Chapter we may find no less than 14700 destroy'd because they maliciously cryed our against Moses and Aaron that they had killed the People of the Lord And what People were they why even the Blessed Conspirators Corah and his Accomplices Good God! that any should be so bold or Foolish to call those whom the Holy Ghost in my Text brands with the character of wicked Men The People of the Lord No! No! They never were nor can be the People of the Lord who Resist Lawfull Authority London Printed for James Norris at the Kings-Arms without Temple Bar A SERMON Preached at Petworth in Sussex by John Price D. D. 1 Corinth 10 10. Neither Murmer Ye as some of them also Murmured and were destroyed of the Destroyer NEither the sense of a natural allegiance nor the Sacred Tyes of Oaths nor Preferments nor Honours nor Riches could keep Some men in the dutifull station of Subjects St. Paul would have the Corinthians take warning from the Israelites whose Murmurings and discontents are recorded in Scripture and recorded there not only To ubraid their ingratitude but as the Appostle speaks verse 11. These things happened to them for Examples and they are written for Our admonition upon whom the Ends of the World are come Solomon gives a Caveat Say not thou what is the cause that the former dayes were better than These For thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this matter The Murmuring Questionists of his Age had the like before them and they have been since and ever will be so long as time is men will complain of the times and the little portion of Happiness that God gives Us in this life is diâ—â—urbed by our own Restless and Repining nature any little petry accident at present doth more disturb Us than a load that is past and gon off our shoulders Israel was under the Miraculous protection and deliverance of Heaven but wants some little convenience and presently we read of a loud and clamarous Murmuring would to God We had dyed in Egypt The hard Bondage they had felt was gon off now and the want but of a meals meat in the Wilderneâ—s put them to Murmur against God and their Goverâ—ors As if it were not enough that man was born to labour as the sparks fly upward but we ad sparks to the fire when we are Children and under the disciplin of the Rod we complain that we were not born sooner and past the Correction of our Master and when we are Old we think we ware never so happy as when we were Children indeed we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those phansies that pleas'd Us we are soon weary of and seek for new somthing it is that would please Us better but what it is we know not Nevâ—bus atque Quadrigis petimus bene Vivere c. To Represent unto you the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Murmurer first he is an Heretick St. Inde speaking of false Teachers says that they are Murmurers Complainers c. Iquietoe Hereticorum Curiositates says Tertulian They are always Restless and always Prying Creep into Houses and then into affections till their Murmuring discontents at last break out into open Factions Secondly
undertakings Bloodshed the Murtherer of the Fathers and Defenders of Religion Pious Kings and Princes destruction and Massacâ—e of their Fellow Subjects pulling down and overturning of all polity in the World must be all usher'd in as We see it this day with the Lamb-like harmless voice of Religion And tho' in these Glorious times of the Ghospel they cannot possibly think so yet They will pretend that in all this They do God good Service so true is that of our Saviour They come to Us in Sheeps Cloathing but inwardly They are Ravening Wolves My proposition has been so often and soe sadly proved even Among Our selves that to go about to confirm it by Arguments or precedents were to light you with a Lanthorne in the Sun-shine or to perswade you that you are wounded when you are now Roaring under the smart and anguish of the Blow An evil man says Solomon seeks only Rebellion therefore a cruel Messenger shall be sent against him Prov 17 11. We must have a care how we hearken to Those men that make the greatest noise about Religion which is not a thing of Talk and Noise and Tumult but a Quiet Calm Peaceable thing The Author of it was the Lamb of God who neither stirred up the Jews to Rebell against the Roman Heatken Câ—sar nor did he ever make use of any Sinister or Violent meanes to escape the hands of his bloody Persecutors and Crucifiers who envied him for nothing more than his Religion which he came on purpose to plant among them and which was to be water'd with his own Blood and brought to perfection by his own Death In all his Actions in the whole course of his Life he was a Pattern to them of Meekness Gentleness Peaceableness and Subâ—ection And truly I am affraid Those men who make such an Hurry and Clutter about Religion are not his Disciples nor did They ever learn it from the Prince of Peace especiall when They make Relligion the Argument of Publick Commotions and Disturbances Let me now give you this Seasonable Caution Doth any one come to you in Samuel's Mantle in the Garb and Posture of a Prophet and in that Sacred Disguise falsy whisper to you what that Aparition said truly to Saul That God is departed from the King and become his Enemy for such Sprights also there are now abroad in the World and Those in Black too Have a care now and stand upon your Guard Look Diligently about you are you not got into Endore e're you are aware Is not the Witch and the Devil at work now instead of Samuel tempting You to ill thoughts of him whom that more sure word if Prophecy the word of God tells you ye shall not dare so much as to think Irreverently of Remember that Apparition was an Extraordinary thing never permitted but once a thing that Frighted the Witch herself and not like to be repeated again for every Fantastick mans â—ake that would pretend to Inspiration 'T is true indeed there are â—â—ch Spirits in the World but they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cademons or Wicked Spirits Spirits of Rebellion and Mischief and Murder as St. Paul Prophecies of 2 Tim 3 4. Trayterous Heady High-minded Lovers of pleasure more than Lovers of God such as St. Iude describes who Despise Dominion speak evil of Dignities And these St. Paul tells â—s have a form of Godliness They appear like Lucifer himself when â—e is Transform'd into an Angel of Light all Clad with the bright and Glorious Rays of pretended Sanctity as if they were Sons of the Mornâ—ng some of the Corps du Guard to the great King of Heaven But then â—ave a care Mulier formosa superne Deâ—init in Piscem Beware of the Cloâ—en Foot under the Robes of light for tho' they have the form of Godâ—iness yet you may be sure they deny the Power of it who endeavour to â—essen and vilify those persons in your opinion who bear the Image and â—amp of Him from whom they derive their Authority By Me Kings Reign And while they Command nothing but what is in their Comâ—â—â—ssion are no less to be obey'd than he that sent Them and set them oâ—er us however They are not In any Case to be Resisted for Whoâ—â—ever Resist shall Receive to Themselves Damnation Rom â—3 2. And when his Majesty was Restored in meer Mercy to Us for I can â—â—arce call it any to him who seem'd to be brought back only to new afflictions by the Ingratitude and Repeated Rebellions and Conspiraâ—â—es of a Stiff-necked and Hypocritical Generation who have Repayd â—ll those Blessings that by Him were conveyed to Us not only by Reâ—roachfull and Contumelious language which Moses calls Reviling of â—â—e Gods Exod 22 28. But by atheistically Sacrilegiously and Reâ—â—lliously Plotting and Contriving his death to whose Mercy now â—nd to his Brothers God-like Act of Oblivion so many among Us owe â—hose lives which We are now Sacrificing to the God of Rebellion aâ—ainst him A King so dear to Heaven that it has shewn as many Miâ—acles in his preservation as Hell hath produced Plots even to a Miracle for his destruction I need not refresh your Memories which the wonderfull Acts of Heaven in his whole life which has had its black lines of affliction more perhaps than any other King we read of in the Murther of that glorious Saint his Royal Father the several Exiles of himself and the Royal Family and the present Calamnities which now attend him in all which he hath suffer'd and doth still continue to suffer more than I can relate or he could bear were he not sustain'd by the right hand of the most High while he not only was but now is again what St. Paul says of himself â—n Iournying often in Perils of Waters in Perils of Robbers in Perils by his own Country-men in Perils among False Bretheren Treacherous Favourites in Weariness in Painfulness c. And now let Us pray to God that he would move Us all to walk more uprightly and more sincerely before him And that the same God would make Us for the future more Loyal to our King that We may not any longer deal Hypocritically with the one or Rebelliously with the other That God may once more speak Peace to his People LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops Head in St. Paul's Church-yard A Sermon Preach'd in the Cathedral Church of Norwich By William Smith Prebend there Psal 107. 8. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness And declare the wonders he doth for the children of men HAth the Nation scarcely wip'd Their Eyes dry for the Blood of the Incomparable Father but must it be drown'd again in Tears for the murther of his succeeding Sons And that in a scene of cruelty more inhumane and with a malice more infatiable than the former And may I now say as this juncture stands being from Men that were once the least to be suspected The rage of the
to Their Teeth THe good Providence of God over the Sacred Persons and Government of Princes in pâ—eserving both from the most Malicious designs of so many Restless and Sanguinary Spirits is one of the most stupendious works of God's Omnipotence that ever He hath shew'd since the last day of the Creation a Miracle which was the Common Subject of King David's thankfull Mâ—â—itations up and down throughout his whole Book of Psalms and paâ—â—icularly in this Psalm where after a most humble manner he doth adore the infinite Mercy and Power of God For Delivering Him and his Subjâ—cts from the â—â—reatning dangers of a fresh Insurrection And that too when the Rebellion was so formidable When the Malice of Wicked Men was so outragious when their appâ—tites were not to be satisfiâ—d but with streams of Blood when Ruin was breaking in upon the whole land like a mighty Torrent when without the immediate help of God nothing could be expected but utter desolation when the danger was so emminent and seemingly so inevitable that Those Men of Uiolence thought themselves as sure as if the Prey they sought after were already in the Gin Then was the time for God to lay to his hand to make bare his Arm and to gain himself Foâ— our * so was the King Delivered from Rochester by reseuâ—ng Innocence from the Pitt as it lay at the Brink ready to drop into the depth of Destruction And this â—aâ—ger did proceed from Sâ—eba and his Associates a desperate Leader of a Uery Terrible Defection nothing being more dangerous to any Prince than the United Malice of Rebellions Spirits that submit not for Conscience sake but either upon Constraint or for Their Interest only I doubt not but David in the Penning of this Psalm particularly thought of the Conspyracy of his Bloody Son Absolom that formerly had been guilty of shameful Murder his Ambitious Son Absolom whom nothing would satisfy but the Crown his ungratful Son Absolom that so basely rewarded him for his Longings after him when he fled from his presâ—nce to Geshur and for his pardon for his Kisses upon his return His Persidious Son Absolom that no sooner went out of his Fathers Court but ran to the Gates to steal away the hearts of his Fathers Subjects saying O that I were made Iudge meaning King in the Land His Hypocritycal Son Absolom that pretending a desire to perform his vow To preserve the Protestant Religion c. would have Usurped the Throne and did under colour of Religion raise an open and bare-fac'd Râ—bellion This was such a dreadful Conspiracy as made David himself the King tho' a man of such Prowess and Conduct presently To fly for his Life Such a Uiolent agitation were People in theâ—â— that they were ready to flow to him from all Quarters like the meeting and inundation of many Rivers to make a Deluge And that which made this Conspiracy the more Terrible was that Achitophel was in the head of many others Achitophel that hardned Traytor and cursed Reprobate that when his Council and Bloody endeavours would not take fled for it presently and through Anguish and Vexation Hang'd himself A sad end indeed for any Rebel to be his own Executioner though in Some Cases 't is pitty that an Achitophel an Inveterate and Advising Rebel should ever dye in his Bed. When the Highest Treason was form'd by such working Heads when 't was Conducted by such Politick Councils when 't was Executed by such desperate Instruments when it prosper'd On a suddain by such * The vilest Treacherys of some of the Nobility in the West Successful Stratagems nothing could be expected but the King 's inevitable Ruin had not the hand of God been more concern'd in the cause than the hand of David's Faithful General Joab visible in the surprizing death of Absolom Who was caught in a wood and hung by his Locks upon a Tree To shew the World what a Reward all They deserve that take up Arâ—s and Rebel against Their * Is not James the 2d Son of Charles the first and only brother of Charles the 2d who dyed without Issue Lawful Prinâ—r T is true a most sad and shameful Truth God knows such was the monstrous Impiety of the last Age that it afforded one unpresidented unparallel'd instance of God's wrath when that incomparable Monarch the Glory of our Reformation and Honour of the world was forced to bow his head down and to fall a Sacrifice to the Lusts of the most barbarous Villains †Somthing like the case of his present Majesties But God be praysed it is not goâ— so far as if God had forsaken him however that some Compensation might be made for that superlative and otherwise iâ— reparable loss by the due Succession and after greatness of his Posterity God hath multiplyed those Temporal Glories upon the Sons which he took from the Father and gave him a blessed Eternity in Exchange for And to let the world seâ— that Resistance is criminal even when t is prosperous and to punish Rebellion in a Second Age tho' it escaped in the First God hath delivered the Two Royal Brothers from six Troubâ—es and sâ—aven too ' Shâ—ba and Absolom with their Wicked Confederats or Inviters joyn'd hand to hand to execute a Conspiracy which had been long a forming by the * For the People are alwais deceived by the beauty of the Pretence Religion c. as the Serpent deceived Eve with the fairness of the fruit And repent as she did when 't is too late Seâ—pentine Subtilty of a twining and party-colour'd Achitophel This Deliverance was manifestly the work of God. Our dangers were so immense and and yet so close and privy that it bâ—â—h passed the Sagacity and exceeded the reach of humane Force to prevent them and nothing can deliver Us from them but the Power and wisdom of Almighty God What were the Conspirators but the most daring and desperate Villains And what was the Conspiracy itself but along studied and now ripe Design to draw in upon Us an whole Deluge of Blood to over-whelm Prince and People with final Slaughter To destroy the very name aswell as to stiflle all further efforts of Loyalty and to bury Ouâ— Monarch or Dethrone him beyond all hopes of a Resurrection and what is like to be at the end of all this but Irreligion and Aâ—â—eism accompanied with the most dismal Confusions and a Perpetual War till by weak'ning and killing one another We may in time when 't is to late grow weary of Our Follies Good God! That ever Atheism should prevail in such a Land as this where not only all Demonstrative Arguments have been used to prove a being infinitely wise Just and Good to preside over the world but moreover where the presence of God hath been so often so long and in all the vicissitudes and changes of this Sublunary World so constantly seen and manifested as if he had taken up his abode with