Devotions in the Church of Rome which would be practical Errors in us and turn our very Prayers into Sin if we should joyn throughout with them in Theirs though to speak truth they do not all pretend so much as to joyn themselves in what the Priest is in a manner whispering to himself in an unknown tongue they neither hear nor understand it But I beg leave to say in behalf of the Church of England when our Israel came out of Egypt and our House of Jacob from among the People of a strange language though we borrowed some Jewels of them I mean some part of their Antient Prayers and brought them away yet we have so accurately filed them so carefully polisht and freed them from the rust they had once contracted those that possest them heretofore do hardly know them again nor will they own them now being rather dazled than delighted with their present lustre so that we are in no danger of such a Process in Law as 't is said the Egyptians commenc'd against the Israelites to recover their Jewels again many hundred Years after since they had proof enough in whose hands they were from the Book of Exodus But our Book of Divine Service is no such perilous Evidence in our case our wise and pious Reformers receiv'd indeed and retain'd some part of a Liturgy let none think ill of the Word for 't is a Scripture-word for the Worship of God in several places of Scripture they retain'd I say some part of a Liturgy that was us'd before the Reformation but us'd before Popery too for what they so retain'd was most of it out of the Scripture out of the Epistles and Gospels and the Book of Psalms And so we may say they receiv'd and translated the Bible it self which was before in the same hands but in a manner useless to the People since neither That was allow'd them in our Mother Tongue Nay to speak truly we can hardly be said to have retain'd any Prayers of theirs rather we have restor'd the Pure and the Primitive Devotions and rejected such as were truly and properly theirs that were liable to any just Exceptions we have kept to those of the Old Catholick stamp and laid by the New the Catholick falsly so called we have try'd and purify'd ours seven times in the fire they rose as it were from the Ashes of those Renowned Protestants who compil'd them those excellent Men that suffer'd a glorious Martyrdom for being Protestants they were the Men that separated the precious from the vile and that is the admirable temper which God approves Jerem. 15. 19. if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth and I may add the next words to determine the Case between our truly Apostolick Church of England and those of Rome Let them return to thee but return not thou unto them But now let no Man imagin that the same forms if compos'd with sufficient variety may not be us'd for all men whom here we are bound to pray for or that they may not be constantly used by all men of the same National Church and the more constantly us'd so much the more devoutly with daily increasing fervors if all men would bring along with them a due intention of mind and would practise the method of retiring within themselves by a good preparative Meditation And consider I beseech you as to that objection of stinting or confining the Spirit any mans Prayer for others offer'd I mean in behalf of a whole Congregation be it to the Speaker never so unpremeditated is as much a form to the hearer if he goes along with it as if it were premeditated nor ought sett Prayers to be call'd a stinting of the Spirit when David a Man after Gods own heart has left us almost as many Forms of Devotion as he left Psalms behind him Form thy Spirit by the affection of the Psalm says St. Austin that is frame and enlarge thy Conc. 3. in Psal 30. Soul to follow the same Holy Spirit that pour'd it forth Alas what 's our Spirit in Comparison of Christ's Spirit for he had the spirit without measure and yet at two several times he repeated and recommended the same Prayer that is the Lord's Prayer and in Matt. 26. 44. He pray'd the third time saying the same Words And if it be said that a Form of Prayer can never express the needs and necessities of all men who are here to be prayed for 't is answered that no more indeed can all the most tedious Extemporary Effusions be so particular But yet a devout mind in the swiftness of thought can easily apply and sufficiently extend the Lord's Prayer or a Psalm to particular Occasions as a certain Father of the Desart instructs his Disciples how every one of them might become a kind of Psalmist That we may enjoy this Treasure saith he it is necessary that we say the Psalms with the same Spirit with which they were compos'd and accommodate them unto our selves in the same manner as if every one of us had compos'd them or as if the Psalmist had directed them purposely for our uses Loving when he loves fearing when he fears hoping when he hopes praising God when he praises weeping for our own and others sins when he weeps begging what we want with the like Spirit wherein his Petitions are fram'd loving our Enemies when he shews love to his praying for ours when he prays for his c. To proceed then our Apostle prescribes in the first place Supplications which are Letanies or Deprecations for imploring Mercy and Protection against evils to come next Prayers to procure the good things we stand in need of then Intercessions as the Apostle Heb. 7. 25. most properly calls such Petitions of any kind as are made for others seeing he ever liveth to make Intercessions for us and lastly giving of Thanks the most excellent act of the Soul and the most delightful for 't is a joyful and a pleasant thing to be thankful These several kinds of Prayers were to be made for all men with a Charity as diffusive as the Love of God to the World with a good will as universal as the Providence of his Goodness But I must not dwell on any of these Common Places I proceed to that which is more particularly design'd and recommended by St. Paul to Timothy that such Devotions as these should be offered up to God as for all men so especially for Kings and for all in Authority c. First then our solemn Prayers must be made for Kings a customary Duty paid to the Kings of the Earth and to the Royal Lineage by the Jewish Church under the Old Testament and here confirmed by this Apostle under the New And how even Heathen Emperours valued the Prayers of the Church is evident from the famous Decrees of Cyrus and Darius those Great Kings Ezra 6. 10. where their design of rebuilding the Temple and
Moore Mayor Jovis xi die Maii 1682. Annoque Regis CAROLI Secundi Angl. c. xxxiiij THis Court doth desire Dr Turner to Print his Sermon Preached on Sunday Morning last at the Guild-Hall Chappel before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of this City Wagstaffe A SERMON Preached before the Lord Mayor AND The COURT of ALDERMEN At Guild-Hall Chappel on the 7th of May 1682. By FRANCIS TURNER D. D. LONDON Printed by J. Macock for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty 1682. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir JOHN MOORE Knight Lord Mayor OF THE CITY of LONDON And to the Right Worshipful the ALDERMEN his Brethren My Lord WHEN I delivered this mean discourse in so solemn an Audience where the King's Ministers of Justice with others of the long Robe met the worthy Magistrates of this Great City to begin the Term at the Church with imploring the Blessing of God upon that excellent Government which you and they joyntly support I was much encourag'd to see so many Noble Persons and so numerous an Assembly practising so Religiously beforehand the Doctrine I came to Preach joyning in the Publick Supplications and Common-Prayers Your devout Appearance and hearty Concurrence in the Divine Service gave me some Idaea of those times a gallant Loyal Citizen describes in a Speech of his which for it's Eloquence might have flow'd from the Mouth of any Roman or Grecian Orator and for it's Piety might have become the Tongue of the gravest Divine There have been Times says See Alderman Garro-way's lately reprinted speech spoken at a Common-Hall in the Year 1642. he that he that should speak against the Book of Common-Prayer in this City should not have been put to the patience of a Legal Tryal We were wont to look upon it as the greatest Treasure and Jewel of our Religion and he that should have told us he wished well to our Religion and yet would take away the Book of Common-Prayer would never have gotten Credit I have been says he in all the parts of Christendom and have conversed with Christians in Turky Why in all the Reformed Churches there is not any thing of more Reverence than the English Liturgy not our Royal Exchange or the Name of Q. Elizabeth so famous In Geneva it self I have heard it extolled to the Skies I have been three Months together by Sea not a Day without hearing it read twice The honest Mariners then despised all the World but the King and the Common-Prayer-Book he that should have been suspected to wish ill to either of them would have made an ill Voyage But though so goodly a Congregation as yours whose Devotions I had the Honour to serve that Day was one of the best sights I had ever seen yet I live in hopes of seeing a better one Day I mean the same Honourable Assembly translated from your Lordship's Chappel to our Church of St. Paul's which begins to lift up its head and to beg for its self from every Charitable Hand especially from those within the Walls of the City its Fellow-sufferer Now I should forget my self and the Duty to which I Exhorted others if I should not give this proof of my obedience to You that are in Authority and I do it the more cheerfully to You that imploy your Authority so well and wisely as Fearing God Honouring the King and not medling with them that are given to change I should not be true to my Text if I should not submit my self and this plain Sermon to be dispos'd of as you have been pleas'd to Order My Lord I am your Lordship's most humble and most obedient Servant FRAN. TURNER A SERMON Preach'd before the Lord Mayor c. 1 TIMOTHY ii 1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all Men. For Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty I Exhort therefore first of all And I be-beseech you Brethren to suffer the word of Exhortation So the same blessed Apostle that exhorts us here addresses himself to his Brethren of the House of Israel Heb. 13. 22. No question this in my Text is an Exhortation to the greatest of all Duties which the Divine Writer thinks so necessary to recommend at the highest rate I exhort therefore first of all Indeed here are two of our most important Duties joyn'd together or as it were interwoven and we are exhorted to them both First To the due performance of the publick Worship and Service of God for which there is all this Provision that Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all Men Secondly These Offices of the Church are most particularly directed to secure the Honour and Obedience due to the Civil Magistrate whether supreme or subordinate for Kings and for all that are in Authority Thirdly The use of these good means is referr'd to these two great Ends the first of which most concerns our Temporal welfare that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life the second reaches even our Eternal Condition that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty 1. And first we are exhorted to the care of Gods publick Worship and Service on which we are now attending to which the Apostle presses us elsewhere that we should all of us be either Preachers or at least not hearers only but doers of this word of Exhortation not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another For I must observe to you that St. Paul is not writing instructions here to his beloved Son and Disciple Timothy for his private Devotions but from his way of speaking not barely I exhort thee to pray but I exhort first of all that Prayers be made that is be prepared appointed establisht 't is probable that he is dictating as the great Apostle of the Gentiles and as Paul the Aged directing this Apostolical young Man to whom this Charge is committed that he might know how he ought to behave himself in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God For Timothy whom he besought to abide still at Ephesus was this Church's Angel Therefore St. Paul enjoyns him what was convenient for ordering the pure Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth for settling it in the Church where the Holy Ghost had made him a Bishop And it may farther appear what kind of publick Worship is prescrib'd to this Church of Ephesus from what was practis'd in the most flourishing Churches in the first and the best Ages the greatest Lights of the Ancient Church undoubtedly left behind them the plainest Commentaries on my Text in the pious Offices they compos'd for Divine Worship True indeed what they left so well devis'd and design'd has been corrupted since with Letanies to Saints and Angels and many false Doctrines are crept into their
restoring of publick Worship is avow'd to be this that they may offer Sacrifices of sweet Savour to the God of Heaven and pray for the Life of the King and of his Sons So Artaxerxes another mighty Monarch but a Pagan still had the same veneration for these Divine Offices the same sollicitude that Intercessions should be made to God for him and his Posterity not without dreadful Apprehensions of a judgment worthy of God if his solemn and decent service were neglected Ezra 7. 23. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven let it be diligently done for the house of the God of Heaven for why should there be wrath against the King and his Sons But then this Duty of praying for our Governours is so well establisht by the Apostle's express direction here and by the constant practice of the most Apostolical times as makes it a most indispensable Office in the Christian Church and methinks 't is very observable how St. Paul here has fenc'd and guarded this Duty of ours so as to leave no room for any to evade it as if he had foreseen there would be a sort of Men and they liv'd within our Memories Men who instead of praying for their King would learn to pray against him But then if all Kings according to the rule in my Text ought to be prayed for they who suppos'd their King was not to be prayed for any longer no wonder if they advanc'd to the next immediate Consequence to make him no King at all nor is it strange if those in the Neighbour Kingdom who of late had the hardiness openly to excommunicate his Majesty and many others in Authority under him delivering them over to Satan instead of praying for them as their Governours forthwith proceeded to refuse them all manner of Allegiance and Obedience but now allowing such Men all their most unjust prejudices against the persons of their Governours yet does St. Paul in this place oblige both them and us to make Intercessions for Kings as Kings for all in Authority as lawful Magistrates whether just men or no he binds them to whom he writes to pray for the conversion of wicked unconverted Heathen Potentates for it follows immediately upon my Text For this that is this praying for all Men for Kings and all in Authority this is good and acceptable in the sight of God and our Saviour who will have all men to be sav'd and come to the knowledge of the Truth where the Duty of praying for the Conversion and Salvation of those at the Helm of State who all were arrant Pagans is repeated and reinforc'd Again in the 8th verse St. Paul is pleased to rivet this Injunction I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting methinks the Apostle forbids the Christians here to be either censorious or scrupulous as if their Prayers for the worst of Heathens whether publick or private persons should not be accepted as he hath told them before that this is good and acceptable and in my Text he expresses himself in such terms as may best secure his precept of praying for Kings from the most perverse disputings as if he had taken it for granted that some might in time arrive at that height of uncharitable Insolence as to determine of Christian Princes that they were in that case wherein St. John seems to dispense with St. Pauls precept here of praying for all men there is a Sin unto Death saith St. John I do not say ye shall pray for it but St. Paul in my Text has provided even against this supposition though the Charity that hopeth all things were overcome so that the Spiritual welfare of a Nero or some other cruel Pagan and most malicious Persecutor of the Christian Faith were not only doubted but in a manner despair'd of yet such a temper is found as no wonder if the Apostle has bounded and limited these great things exactly such provision is made that as their Prince he was to be pray'd for still That they might lead a quiet and peaceable life Thus it was in the case of that impious wretch Licinius Colleague and Partner of the Empire with the Glorious Constantine that same Licinius who became a bloody Tyrant a Ravisher of Christian Virgins a Murderer of holy Bishops a most violent Persecutor of the Church when he first broke out upon the Christians the first thing he did saith Eusebius was to turn all the Christians Eccles Hist lib. 10. cap. 8. out of his family so as much as in Him lay miserably stripping and depriving himself of the help of their Prayers which they according to the institution of our Fathers us'd to pour forth to God for him and for all men no doubt it refers to my Text and to this Apostolical Constitution and the same Eusebius speaking of this wicked Licinius now grown to the height of impiety He pulled down divers Churches saith that Historian and shut up others that none of those who us'd to frequent them might assemble there and perform Divine Service to the most high God for he was of opinion saith he that they made no Prayers for him there being induc'd to that opinion as being conscious to himself of his own crimes which implies sufficiently that they did make Prayers for him still though he thought the contrary But Secondly we are not only to pray for Kings but for all in Authority under them in which how the Ancient Church behav'd her self let one of the Fathers inform us We pray saith he for all Emperours for their long life for the peace of their Empire for the safety of the Royal Family for valiant Souldiers under them for a faithful Senate an honest Commonalty a quiet World and whatsoever else ought to be the subject of our Prayers as he is a man whom we pray for or as he is Caesar But is it enough that we pray for Kings and for all in Authority some have been praying for them after a fashion that have at the same time been fighting against them We must all pray to this end and with this design that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life which is my Third particular Now if the Church of Christ be so indispensably bound to Pray for Peace and if our lives ought to be answerable to our Prayers since praying for Peace is but mocking of God without keeping the King's Peace too then let not any pretend to be good Christians and sound members of Christ's Church unless they be also good Subjects Let none lay any claim to Godliness nor yet to Honesty whose heart is not set to lead a quiet and peaceable Life let all Ecclesiastical Power that exalts it self above the Civil for its Destruction instead of its Edification be lookt upon as a mere Antichristian Imposture My aim is first against the Power of Deposing Kings that has been often claim'd by the Bishop of Rome maintain'd by his flattering
he withhold but it is only from them that live a godly life that he will not withhold it or from them that walk uprightly And so I proceed to my last particular that we ought to pray for a quiet and a peaceable life to this more excellent end that we may lead it in all Godliness and Honesty For though there may be Godliness and Honesty without Peace abroad I mean it of those good men that labour for Peace with all men but cannot obtain it yet there can be no peace and quietness either abroad or at home without Godliness and Honesty 'T is a case already judg'd by God himself there is no peace saith my God to the wicked There may be some past feeling as the Apostle describes them there may be others that may dwell careless after the manner of the Sidonians that were quiet and secure as though there were no Magistrate in the Land to put them to shame in any thing there may be a kind of Lethargic Dream or rather a Mortal Trance such as they say Witches are cast into when the Devil abuses their Phancies with a Scene of Feasting and Revelling but a lasting Peace within must have a surer foundation and that can be nothing but Piety nothing but Purity and Chastity as some render the Text nothing less than all Godliness and Honesty But then again these are the natural preservers of our outward as well as inward Tranquillity for whence come Wars and Fightings among you come they not from your Lusts saith the Apostle All foul disorders in private Families in great Cities in States and Kingdoms are either from rioting and drunkenness from chambering and wantonness or else from strife and envy so vile a Carnality that St. James calls it the spirit that lusteth to envy But Secondly there is a Supernatural Gonnexion between Peace and Godliness Honesty and Quietness For though Peace in this World is I have shew'd one of the greatest and richest gifts and graces that God himself bestows upon Mankind yet Godliness must be acknowledg'd a greater still and the Supreme good that God in this life affords us Now if we refuse the noblest portion and despise it and it 's everlasting rewards is there any reason that God should continue his Grace of temporal Peace which we turn into wantonness we are enjoyn'd to follow Peace and Holyness they that dare Pray for the former without a firm purpose to pursue the latter what do they say in effect to Almighty God Only in this be gracious unto thy Servants give peace in our time O Lord that we may make the better provision for our Flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Scatter thou for our sakes the people that delight in War and stop the very rumours of Wars that we may fill our selves with costly Wines and that no flower of the spring may pass by us that we may crown our selves with Roses before they be withered that none of us may go without his part of voluptuousness that we may leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place for this is our portion and our lot is this that we may oppress the poor righteous man that we may not spare the Widow c. This is a sort of Prayer that even the Heathen Poet thought too impudent to be offer'd aloud to one of their own tame Idols Quod nisi seductis nequeat committere Divis He must take his God aside says he that prays at such a rate for sure he dares not let any man overhear him at such Addresses Such a Petitioner deserves to be repulst as Jehu fiercely replied upon the Messengers whom Jehoram sent one after another to ask is it Peace what hast thou to do with Peace or rather he might expect in return to so prophane a suit that some good Angel should do as Jehu did to that wicked Prince his Master but not till God had depos'd him when he askt for Peace Peace still which he meant to use onely for a Pander to the Whoredoms and the Witchcrafts of his Mother he was answered with a bitter scoff and then with an arrow to his heart for he must needs say in his heart there is no God that implores the Blessings of Peace and Quietness but never intends the Duties of Godliness and Honesty And sure we little value and esteem either those good things of this life that are the fruits of Peace or even those better things that concern our better part that is all Godliness if we do not thus faithfully ask according to God's Will that we may effectually obtain those Glorious Christian Priviledges to use the words of Lactantius the Christian Orator Let us beseech God Lactantius ad finem lib. 7. in our daily Prayers first of all that he would defend those whom he has made defenders of the State that he would inspire them with a will to continue stedfast in the Love of God This is most beneficial to us all to them in regard of their own Happiness to us in respect of our Peace and Quietness Many 't is true that have born the Sword and the Scepter have done evil in the sight of the Lord the fault was none of theirs that pray'd for them and their prayers have return'd into their own bosome Yet even in those Kings that have not been holy men the Prophecy has been accomplisht in a lower degree that Kings should be nursing Fathers to the Church of God So the Prayers of the Church had their effect in part when Adrian Severus and Antoninus sate at the Helm all three of them Heathen Emperours yet far more equitable than their Predecessors and favourable to the Christians But these Intercessions of theirs were fully answered in the Royal Constantine in the Great and Good Emperour Theodosius and in other Christian-Romans that govern'd the World so likewise in many other Pious Kings and Princes in all Lands Contribute then your daily Prayers add them to those that are on the file already for those great Blessings we pray for in our Letany where we beseech God that it would please him to bless the Magistrates these being the great means to preserve Peace and Quietness and the preservation of these being so necessary to promote all Godliness and Honesty if the Apostle had bidden you do some great thing would you not have done it to reap such vast advantages what when he only exhorts that Supplications be made what when our Saviour has promis'd ask and ye shall receive I do not urge you all to lead such a life of toyl as these that are in Authority are fain to do that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable I do not ask every one of you to stand between the living and the dead like Phineas with a Censer in his hand but only to let your Prayers ascend as Incense Nor is any such hard service demanded of you as was once exacted of Moses to be all day long at your Prayers He
is called the chosen of God because he stood in the gap in all extremities do you but lift up holy hands to God in Prayer but do not think lightly of neglecting the daily publick Worship of God in the Church's Divine Service do not refuse to join with one heart and with one voice in all the parts of it We do not know the things that belong to our Peace if we think it may be secur'd any other way so effectually as by perswading all men if it be possible and prevailing with them to be of the one Communion with this National Church Give me Socrat. Hist Eccles lib. 2. in Vitâ Costantii Edit Vales pag. 144. leave to relate a remarkable passage out of Ecclesiastical History to shew the mischiefs those men have fallen into that would not make themselves part of the constitution and of the setled Communion in the Church The Arians under the Emperor Constantius who greatly favour'd them persecuted as well the Novatians as the Orthodox Christians both parties being Enemies to Arianism the Orthodox hereupon mainly apply themselves to bring the Novatians back to the Churches Communion and the Historian tells us they were within a very little of being intirely united if the Novatians stiffly adhering to their old Rule had not refus'd to joyn with them therefore both parties were together persecuted at last the Arians prevail with the Emperor for his orders to send four Regiments of Souldiers into Paphlagonia where they knew there was a multitude of Novatians to compell them for fear of his Arms to receive the Arian Confession But these Novatians prickt on with eager Zeal for their Sect arm'd themselves with despair many of them getting into a body with long Scythes and Axes and what ever came to hand made head against the Emperors Forces It came to a Battel in which most of that party fell and all the Imperial Forces a few excepted were slain Thus in the Righteous Judgment of God were these men permitted to give the leading foul example among Christians of waging War with their lawful Prince after they had so long broken the Peace of the Church and however they weaken'd and expos'd themselves yet obstinately stood out and refus'd to joyn in her Prayers For this I think I may safely say is the first instance of making any Resistance against the Sovereign Powers by any that call'd themselves Christians Such was the fatal progress of that Schism thus desperately they fell who departed once from the Church and would not be perswaded to return to it Therefore as ever you would be found good Subjects to your Prince good Citizens or good Men in any relation yield this to the honour of God and to the security of the Government to joyn in these best and most Sacred bonds the Publick Supplications and Common-Prayers for all men for the King and all in Authority St. Paul's Exhortation was never more necessary than now For Prayers to be made that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life 'T is a generous principle and besides even self-love would press it home upon you to make your own times by your Godliness and Honesty for those I have shew'd are the only means together with these Supplications and Prayers to make the present Age as quiet and as peaceable as you can Imitate our Blessed Saviour in his Agony now we are in a kind of Agony too and pray more earnestly and wrestle with God until he have mercy upon us Three Sister-Kingdoms seem to joyn in this one just Petition O pray for the Peace of Jerusalem methinks the Church of Great Britain in which we were born and Baptiz'd is ready to fall upon her knees and stretches out her hands as a suppliant to you that this Apostolical Canon may never be out of date with you that first of all Supplications Prayers c. FINIS