Gods their Inauguration is solemn and grave all circumstances are high and venerable and are stiled God's Anointed their judgment and decisions are God's Rebellion is branded by the name of Witchcraft an Apostacy from God or his Authority and an eternal doom for its reward ⋆ Rom. 13.2 shall receive to themselves damnation When we despise Dominion therefore we spit at Heaven and appear in Hostility and fight against God and as much as in us lies like unconverted Saul we persecute him and the blow toucheth his Throne and for as much as we do it to one of his Governours as well as Saints we do it unto him yet to keep them humble they must dye like men and to guard their actions they must be responsible at an higher Bar and by reason of their Male-Administration have the Crimes of Cities and Countries laid unto their charge and the punishment is as great to the bad as rewards to the good And St. Peter to strike an awe upon mens minds towards their Governours tells them 't was the aggravation of these Carpocratians and their followers Crime ⋆ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2 Pet. 2.10 That they were bold and contumacious men and did not tremble when they blasphemed Dignities And this Apostle to set them an excellent President of Honour and Respect to Governours tells them that when the mighty Archangel Michael whose Feast the Church this day celebrates when contending with the Devil and disputing about the body of Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 9. would not give him any contumelious words because he had some power given him or permitted by God and was the Prince of the air or god of this World 2. Let us consider what benefit we receive by them if ease and quiet property and security be the mighty blessings of the world we owe this to the Magistrates care and resolution in the execution of Laws without which they would be but imaginary guards and formality For such are the degenerate minds of men that the natural love of God and Virtue and the Laws of Christianity though very apt and fit in themselves have not that force as gently to perswade men unto Duty and Obedience but Swords of Justice and Temporal punishment must keep the world in awe and what a strange monster this world would be if either no Laws no Pale of Government was set or else for want of guards and keepers every man might pluck up or leap over at pleasure it would be but a second Chaos or greater Robbery like the state of the wild Arabs or the Banditi and every one would prey upon his fellow-being So that the Magistrate gives life to the dead letter of the Law and in that gives the shadow and fruit to our Vines Titles to our Possessions security to our Lives and is the Castle against our fears and jealousies Which calls for instead of Contempt and Scorn the highest Esteem and Veneration First from these things consider'd let us here lay a particular Charge against the Church of Rome who doth most eminently despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities who challengeth a right not onely to Excommunicate Depose and Kill the Persons of Princes and Absolve their Subjects from their Duty and Allegiance but allows her Champions to rail at and vilifie the Persons and Powers of Princes in a most ignominious way because they will not pay an absolute Obedience and submit their Authority to hers the constitution of that Church being to put down all Authority and Power to Rival Kings to advance her Priesthood and make her Bishop a Mighty Prince who they say like his Lord is invested with all Power both in Heaven and in Earth and is constituted to root up and to plant to put on and kick off the Crowns of Princes to dispose of their Royalties and Dominions to tread upon their Necks and lash their Backs to proclaim their Wars and conclude their Peace to contract or dissolve their Mariages to press the Prince and the People to Holy Wars or his private Quarrels to play the Herald and give mighty Titles and adjust Precedencies to Levy Texas and exempt his Clergy to interdict a Land and legitimate Rebellion and spurious Children to dispatch or bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles in fetters of Iron in plain to shew a great deal of Pride and earthliness disguised by Spiritual Names and Titles to advance the Kingdom of Christ which he hathh made as Temporal as any For though his Master Jesus was humble and mortifi'd and refused and Earthly Kingdom offered to him by the Devil and the Jews yet this frugal servant of his tells him he understood not his own Merit and Title and he ought to look after his Masters Rights and not onely from the donation of Constantine and the bounty of Princes and such low Titles but from a power deriv'd to him from that Universal Monarch King Jesus must govern Christendom Christendom Christ told indeed Pontius Pilate the Procurator of Judea that his Kingdom was not of this world but he had a prudent reservation in the case so as not to tell them because they could not bear it then and make good use of it his Religion was but in its Non-age or Minority but his Successor should come and lead them into this mighty Truth display his Banner and tell the World and its petty Princes that now the Kingdom of God and his Christ was come with power In those early days of Christ and his Apostles Loyalty and Obedience were mightly Duties to Temporal Princes but then Christian were few and weak to this purpose their two Cardinals Bellarmine and Allen have spoke but the case is alter'd they are now more numerous and strong and the time is come when the fifth Monarchy surpassing the Graecian and others must be set up at Rome Blessed Jesus when thou told'st the Judge and the Jews this truth thou didst it with the greatest sincerity in the plainest terms ⋆ John 18. 36. that thy Kingdom was not of this World and would not clash with Secular Princes and this was thy open will and pleasure but thy Infallible Vicar tells us of a secret will and private Instructions given to thy Apostles thy Privy Councel and thy Successor that when all things were ripe and the World better Disciplin'd and Tutor'd they should set forth their Title and write over the Bishop of Rome's Head This is the mighty King of the Christians and make the sturdy Monarchs submit their Necks unto him by kissing his feet holding his stirrup waiting at his Gates and other slavish acknowledgments For when he pretends to all the fore-mentioned power what is it but to be the onely Absolute Monarch on Earth though he wears the Robes of another World For the humble and Spiritual Names of Bishop and Pastor Servant of Servants Silver and Gold have I none the Seal of the Fisherman in Lead and the like turn all
will end Had this been a genuine Doctrine of Christianity in the first times it had certainly been confin'd to a narrower compass than now 't is in but as Kings and Governours became its nursing Fathers did and justly might out of gratitude expect more reverence and duty and not contempt upon their dignities and persons 3. Contempt of Government springs from that lewd opinion That Dominion is nothing else but strength and might That Philosophy that resolves all beings and actions into matter and motion lays the foundation too of all Obedience not Conscience and Divine Commands but the strongest arm and longest Sword onely Subjects because they are over-power'd What doth vilifie our Governours more than this principle whom we beautified before with the Titles of Sacred and Divine but now are made onely a common lump of strength and power and are really weaker because their Subjects too like them are onely Arms but no Heart or Conscience no internal principle to oblige unto Obedience For if no inward perswasion and dread of an Higher Power but onely fear and interest weakness and convenience are the bottom and reason of our Obedience when these shall change and the man hath swell'd his Coffers procur'd firm Alliances and muster'd up his Armies and Confederates and other instruments of Rebellion he may then by the Title of Power lay claim to Dominion and call himself a Prince Thus the Lyon and the Eagle are two Kings the one of Beasts and the other of Birds because of the longest paw and the sharpest pounces For duty for want of power is onely Rebellion demurr'd and waits only its proper season to bring forth and set up for himself for self-love is the stingy principle of all his actions what signifies Religious Oaths and solemn Vows to engage us unto Obedience which is onely an acknowledgment of weakness if onely external power must be their keeper This makes a Christian Government the rule of Brutes and Infidels where onely rage and fury Tyranny and Oppression and Solomons Lyons the Supporters of his Throne sit in it And 't is contempt upon the Governour that his Subjects are so not out of Conscience and Religion as becomes Men and Christians but out of a sordid principle of fear and weakness as becomes Brutes or Vassals 4. This contempt upon Government ariseth from an Atheistical principle When once the debauched world hath put out the fires below and torn in pieces the Account-Books of the last Bar and dis-thron'd a God above they will look upon his Deputies as Phantastick Creatures because intituled with the same name and are called Gods Psalm 82.6 'T is no wonder when men look upon the Resurrection like the sowing of Cadmus his Teeth a Poetical Fable and laugh at or despair of a future state of happiness that they manage this life to the best advantage and to serve their pleasure or interest break all the tyes of Honour and Duty which they look upon as terms of Art or Trade or Dreams and Fancies of Religious heads which will confound all order and security of Mankind and the world shall have nothing more of the scales of Justice in it than that the one goes up and the other down opprest by greater Power and flyer Interest The Atheist destroys that which fitly qualifies Subjects to be truely so are they expected to be stout and daring What will sooner make them so than to perswade them they shall survive their body and wear a Crown For he onely fears to dye who knows not how to live nor what betides him afterwards and Vice or Infidelity makes in a Coward Is a faithful secrecy frugality thriftiness sobriety and temperance care and diligence lookt upon as the perfection of a people These are the commands and genuine issues of a Religious life And Patience and Humility Obedience and Honour to Superiours are great and indispensable Duties in Religion So that while the man of Wit and Atheism bespatters Religion he casts dirt upon Authority 'T was the wisdom and goodness of our Christian Law-giver to twist our Temporal convenience with our eternal happiness that when Princes should embrace the Christian Religion and become its nursing Fathers the belief of Immortality should beger more obedient Sons and Loyal Subjects Could we suppose the Prince to lay aside his Sword and other methods of Government and onely like a Philosopher treat his Subjects by arguments the firm belief of Immortality alone would be sufficient to command obedience it being against the common sense of Humane Nature to be perswaded of the greatest good Immortality yet not to have an influence upon his mind to guard his actions and therefore dares not despise Dominion lest he forfeits that which he most desires for Religion hath been so careful to support the Secular arm as to lay double tyes like St. Pauls bonds to oblige the Subject unto Obedience allowing all earthly power but to make it invincible hath added the dread of an omnipotent arm He therefore that buffoons with Religion is rude with Majesty and is prophane and a Rebel too at the same time and wounds the Authority of Princes laughing at the mighty argument of Conscience and Immortality as much as ever Clement or Ravilliac did their persons Vows of Obedience and Oaths of Fidelity would be onely the labour of Lips and Lungs and like common air for convenience taken in and for the same sent out gain having no other fear upon him but lest his Perjury and Treason should become publick and unsuccessful This is the mighty interest by Christianity Princes grow stronger and Subjects safer that Obedience shall not be sowr'd into Slavery nor Liberty swell into Rebellion the loss of Immortality which the Atheist laughs at and in that at Government being at the stake for Prince and people too Let us in the next place consider what are the obligations to Duty and Honour towards our Governours we shall briefly urge onely two 1. Let us consider what esteem God is pleased to bestow upon them which are not purely ⋆ 1 Pet. 2.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Humane Creatures made onely for and by a mutable convenience but indispensable by reason of mens necessities and imperfections and created by God For though variety of Governments are left to men when free to choose and are various according to the Interests and Countries in which they dwell yet being once well establisht the possessors of them are Gods Vice-Gerents they represent his Person and Authority and by him Kings Reign and in this sence Prov. 8.15 16. ⋆ all other Governments as well as that of the Jews are Theocratical and have God for their Supreme and must only answer unto him They are array'd with such Titles as will command more reverence than all their Purples and Ensigns of Honour being call'd the Deputies of God Ps 82.6.2 Chron. 6.42 Deut. 1.17.1 Sam. 15.23 and adopted into his Family entituled by the same name and called
Edwards Mayor Cur. special tent die Lune in Festo Sancti Michaelis Archangeli 1679. Annoque Regis Caroli Secundi Angliae c. XXXjo. THis Court doth desire Dr. Hascard to Print his SERMON Preached this Morning at St. Lawrence Church before the Election of the LORD MAYOR WAGSTAFFE A SERMON Preached before the Right Honourable Sir JAMES EDWARDS Lord Mayor In St. Lawrence Church On the FEAST of St. Michael 1679. AT THE ELECTION OF Sir ROBERT CLAYTON TO BE Lord MAYOR for the ensuing Year By GREG. HASCARD D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty and Rector of S. Clements Danes LONDON Printed for William Crooke at the Green Dragon without Temple-bar 1680. JUDE v. 8. Despise dominions and speak evil of dignities THE care and tenderness of this Apostle over his new-baptized Christians was the cause of this Epistle well fore-seeing how these young Disciples like Adam in his first Plantation or Hercules in his Cradle by Serpents would be assaulted by men of subtle interest and sly designs who would pervert Christianity from its first simple and plain intention of reforming the Minds of Men and prescribing them methods how they should arrive at Immortality and cause it to degenerate onely into some wanton purposes of licentiousness and passion the little ends of earth and interest and tread upon their Saviours Body for a Temporal advancement For no sooner was Christianity planted in the Pagan world the busie spirit below and his Factors the Carpocratians here striving to blast Religion in its spring but so strange a change appears in all its Doctrines and the Lives of those Professors too that you might seek Christianity in such a Christian World and yet scarce find it for as the Apostle describes it here their Faith was changed into fancy and polluting dreams their unity and peace into Schism and Separation their Humility and Mortification into Pride and Luxury their resignation and sedateness of mind in all conditions into murmurings and complainings and all Religion so hugely changed as though it had washt an Aethiopian or the Pagan World with all its Vices and Idols too had onely wheel'd about again to be ador'd in a new Christian dress The apostle like a good Centinel standing upon his guard and discovering the approaches of the Enemy sounds an Alarm to his true Disciples v. 3. and bids them contend earnestly for the Faith that was once delivered unto the Saints And that they might know their Enemies the better he paints them out in their own colours that they were men for their wickedness so lively prophecy'd of long before they are said to be v. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pasted up that they were ungodly men who turn'd the grace of God into lasciviousness and denyed the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ ⋆ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. 8. And notwithstanding the dismal Examples of Sodom and Gomorrha of Corah and his Company Cain and Balaam mentioned v. 10 11. they were resolute and incorrigible in their sins and added this more to their former crimes they scorn'd the power and authority which might correct them and despised Dominions and spoke evil of Dignities Despising and speaking evil of Dominions and Dignities is nothing else but by words and actions to disturb resist and defame our Governours By Dominions and Dignities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Orders of spirits above of which these Hereticks told fine stories the Abstract for the Concrete is meant all sorts of Rulers and Governours equivalent to St. Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⋆ Rom. 13 1. the higher Powers Political Government and Authority being so clearly founded by Divine Commands and seconded by the absolute necessity of Humane Nature with the consent of all Mankind it seems a Miracle that among the lowd Vices of this degenerate Age Disobedience to Kings and Magistrates contempt of Authority and Trustees of power should be a crying one As though Men courted Anarchy and Confusion and were in love with ruine and disorder Some who will not pay Obedience to any Command that is not clearly drawn from Holy Writ 't is strange their own principle though false and stingy will yet countenance them in despising Government which is as clear in Sacred Volume as the Sun in his noon-day glory The Man of earth that measures all things by profit and design and nothing is just and Divine but what is useful and convenient 't is a wonder he should mistake his rule so far as to cast dirt upon Dominion and its several Orders which is the original of all his quiet and the onely security of his Temporal Interest However this comes to pass yet we sadly find that the Ghosts of these Carpocratians are come out of their Graves and haunt the world again and civil Government though confirmed by Christ yet like him is crucified between these two Enthusiasts and Men of Designs and Policies the one cries it princheth upon Conscience it entrencheth upon Christian Liberty that Magistracy becomes not a Christian man it degrades the priviledge of grace to found Dominions and justles with the Almighty Conclave and Consistory to whom all Government ought to submit The Son of Matchiavel that prostitutes every thing to his politick devices the windings of his brain and private happiness declaims aloud against the grandeur of Princes that acts of Magistracy are onely Force and Tyranny the abridgment of civil Immunities and natural Liberties that their Titles are high and Anti-Christian that they confound equality of nature and self-preservation that Tribes and Families with a whole Nation groan to support the Pomp and Retinue of Regal Power and are onely slaves to burthen and greatness Hence instead of Honour and Fame Reward and Duty that we ought justly to pay to our Governours for their care and faithful discharge the onely assurance of what we call our own we put lewd sences upon their Actions black censures upon their Persons Pasquils upon their Place and Authority making them all like so many Mock-Kings with a reed for a Scepter and Laurels about their brow a phantastick guard against the thunder of Tongues with an Hail King first to abuse and then to crucifie Firtst let us consider from whence this contempt doth spring To omit many others we shall onely mention these four 1. From a Principle of Vice Whatever the Names of these men were against whom the Apostle levels this Epistle to be sure they were ungodly men that abused Religion to all manner of Lust and Passion for so the Apostle expressly tells us v. 4. and the Learned say that this Epistle was wrote against the Carpocratians a lewd Sect in the early days of Christianity as Irenaeus and Epiphanius and others set them out who that they might be the more secure in their grosser Lusts affirm'd that nothing was good or evil in it self but in opinion and lookt upon all sort of Vice as their natural Freedome and lawful Liberty ⋆ Non
into Scene and Laughter when they are contradicted by the swelling Titles that their flattering Canonists and others bestow upon him as ⋆ Vide Fowlis History p. 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38. The Lord our God that he is far above all Principalities and Powers that every knee must bow to him both in Heaven and in Earth that he is Moses by Authority Peter by Power and Christ by Vnction that he is Day-star of Justice Arbitrator of all things Saviour of Christians and Image of Divinity that he can dispense with Laws and against the Apostle that he is Spouse of the Vniversal Church King of Kings and Lord of Lords that a priest excels a King as much as a man doth a Brute that a Priest is as much better than a King as God is better than a Priest and they are commanded to bow at the name of the Virgin Mary and the Pope as well as at the Name of Jesus These and many more are the great swelling words which these Carpocratians vented v. 16. far beyond what ever the Asiatick Princes in their greatest Luxury and Pride did ever affect Is not this plainly to tell the world that Conscience is interest the Altar is the Exchequer the Church and Court are the same and Christianity new policy contrived by Christ and communicated to St. Peter and his Successor Their Casuists with their nice Distinctions can debauch the minds of men into Treason and Murder Lying and Hypocrisie and the lewdest Vices yet can pass uncersur'd and sometimes rewarded yet question but his power and jurisdiction which he calls Articles of Faith the severest penalty in the Inquistion may be your doom And therefore very bountifully wisely he hath sometimes yielded some Articles of his Faith as the half Communion and the like upon condition they would admit of his Power and Authority as though the sole design of Christs coming into this world was to lay down new methods of Government to be a Publican himself as well as eat with them and gather Peters pence onely to be rich and great Though some of Romes Champions are more modest and assume this power onely indirectly in ordine ad spiritualia to serve Religion yet others more bare-fac'd challenge a direct power over Princes their Territories places of Trust and all their Regalities yet the other is very comprehensive and can at pleasure throw off the Mask and face to face tell the Sovereign that all his power in sending Embassadors in striking Leagues in making his Ministers and other Actions of State must now be devolved on him for the well-being of Christianity and the Prince hath little benefit by it that he is kill'd by St. Peters Keys knockt about his cars and not his Sword And such Canons and Constitutions whatever the gilded name and Constitutions whatever the gilded name and pretence is are as much of this world as the Edicts and Acts of Princes And whereas the Disciples of Christ were first called Christians at Antioch they were first call'd Matchiavilians at Rome the Seat of this new Christian Empire 2. Let this re-mind the Magistrate of a faithful discharge and our selves of Duty and Honour towards him and what more powerful Arguments to do this than to bid him consider who it is he represents what blessings he procures to Mankind and how he serves himself with infinite rewards and a publick Character of a good Servant worthy of his Masters joy This is the best way to silence scurrilous tongues to be as good in Life as high in Dignity for an eminent vertue and clear uprightness lays violence upon mens judgments and will push forward a just Character of a faithful Ruler But if this fail yet however like the Roman Senators when the Barbarians should enter Rome they put on their Senatorian Robes Curulibus sellis sese posuerunt ut cum venisset hostis in suà dignitate morerentur and plac't themselves in their Chairs that if this sight would not procure respect yet like men of honour and justice at least they might dye in their Dignities This is the design of all the powers and abilities that nature hath enricht men withal to serve their fellow-beings and make an universal spirit for the good of all mankind He that reacheth at dignity the better onely to drive on some petty pleasure or suck in vulgar air acts like Domitian makes it an Empire to hunt and kill a fly He that courts Power onely for an opportunity to return some injuries and serve his spleon doth blasphemously praise the Deity whose Deputy he is that he hath given him an occasion like a monster of nature only to poison and kill He that begs the place onely for the splendour of it like young Phaëton Currus miratur habenas admiring the gilded reins of Government yet putting the world on fire of serves only his private interest and like a dark Lanthorn only shines to himself abuseth his mighty Office heightens his own account to be call'd a god and do less than man But to the good Governours our esteem ought to be as high as their places are not weighing their worth by rigorous proportions but charitable allowances for the circumstances they are in 't is but a common grace we owe to the errors of all Mankind but a more peculiar debt of Charity we owe to our Superiours whose ways of conversation and place expose them to keener temptations and more fierce assaults which may make them yield sometimes But instead of prudent concealment and casting in the grains of charity and favourable Comments upon the Lives and Actions of our Governours we swell indifferent actions into errors every slip and infirmity we grime for a mortal sin and single sins we change into habits and these must needs pull down the person and his dignity too As though that Head had onely right to wear a Crown whose Life was as clear as the Jewels of it or as though he might not be an ill man and yet a good Governour or that Principalities like Estates of Ideots for want of Wit could be begg'd for want of Grace We scan the words and actions of our Superiours we anatomize their thoughts and designs and the spots of their Lives like those of the Moon by the glasses of our censorious fancies we swell into Mountains to serve our reputation our party or our spleen representing Beelzebub that Prince of flies that feasts on sores and is pleas'd with the errors and infirmities of men Such men are uncertain too dealing with their Rulers as the rabble with Sejanus or the Barbarians with St. Paul with their curses and their flatteries making no middle between a Murderer and a god far unlike that first Christian Emperour who would dis-robe himself to cover the errors of a Spiritual Father And now what can I recommend more seasonably that unity among your selves to serve the ends of your Choice and Government and Religion too Division among the antient Germans gave an easie Victory to the Roman Army Dum singuli pugnant vincuntur omnes Our Enemies greatest Policy is to divide us let not us execute our Enemies Councels and be fighting among our selves about the Bells and Pomegranats of the Temple when others are undermining the very Foundation or about the fringes of our Garments when the Enemies Dagger is at our brests Common dangers ought to unite us jam Caesar mitte canes When the Stags are fighting among themselves it may be kindness in Caesar to throw off his dogs upon them Providence many times makes a Forreign Enemy to appear to reconcile discords at home and now the Roman Eagle is upon the wing the separated chickens ought to run back to the wing of their Mother-Church 'T was said of the two brave Athenians Themistocles and Aristides that though they had great mis-understanding at home yet when they went upon any Forreign Expedition or Warlike design for their Countrey inimicitiam it finibus patriae deposuerunt they left their private quarrels behind them This would be the way to secure King and Country Church and State Religion and Property that sitting safely with our Lives and Liberties under our own Vines we might merrily sing our praises to the Lamb and him that sits upon the Throne ascribing all Power Might Majesty and Dominion both now and for evermore Amen FINIS