of Members to serve in Parliament A Summary of Laws in a charge to the Grand Jury p. 645 XXXII A Poem on the Death of My Lady Warrington p. 681 His Lordship's ADVICE To His CHILDREN To my Dear Sons HAving lived in an Age where a few Months has produced great Revolutions and Troubles the mischievous effects of which having fallen very heavy as well upon my own Person as upon my Family For before I was nine years old I saw my Father a close Prisoner in the Tower seven Months for his Loyalty to his King and Country and by little less than Miracle thence delivered and having but just passed over my Thirty Fourth Year for the next day after having been a close Prisoner in the Tower three times I was tryed for my Life for adhering to the Interest of my Country And now in my Thirty Seventh Year perceiving a boisterous Storm to approach by which I may probably expect to be swept away in the common Calamity and consequently must leave you all very Young I think it to be the best thing I can do for you to advertise you of the rocks and precipices which by means of my Troubles and Sufferings I have discovered And to that end it is that I recommend to you the following discourse Next to being wise to Salvation there is nothing that more concerns any man than to know how to order his Affairs with discretion For this not only brings us with ease and content through the world but this double Happiness also attends it First by it we leave behind us that highly valuable thing of a good Name and Secondly it helps us many steps in our way to Heaven Therefore to give you some directions how to steer your course through this World is the occasion of the following discourse First then be sure to begin and end the day with God Let not any business prevent you from spending some time in private devotion both Morning and Evening For this as without contradiction it is our duty so Reason does strongly perswade the practice of it For if we do believe that there is a God and that all our hairs are numbred which implies his particular care of us can we expect that he should take us the rest of the day into his protection when we set so little by it as not to think it worth the asking Were any of us to go some road which we had never travelled before and besides so full of holes and precipices and such as whilest we avoided one it would be great odds that we fell into another and consequently would be extreamly bruised if not-killed and there is but one Person who knew the way would not we be very importunate with him to guide us If then we do but seriously consider the multitude of hazards and dangers which we are exposed to in one day we must conclude that our preservation is purchased by a very small price even by a few minutes in private devotion in the Morning And there is as great reason for our evening Sacrifice It is a very small favour that does not deserve thanks but great ought our acknowledgments to be every evening for our preservation the day past For reckon up by how many several accidents men have dyed even so many and more do we escape every day and then consider how small a recompence we render to the Lord for such transcendent Benefits and how gracious he is to accept so small a tribute as we are able to pay him in a quarter or half an hour in private Consider further if betwixt man and man an acknowledgment of a favour received lays a sort of obligation upon the Person to bestow a second what may we not expect from God whose goodness extends beyond what we can comprehend for he bestows Benefits upon the most ungrateful and then we may be sure that a sincere and humble tribute of thanks will be very acceptable to him And that it may be such take especial care that your Supplications as much as in you lies be void of all distraction and dullness lest being performed carelesly and formally you may seem to mock God for he cannot be pleased with such Services neither will he answer them in mercy For I have observed any Morning that I have hurried over my Devotions the day following has not been prosperous and that thing which particularly occasioned me to such haste has met with ill success In the next place Let all your Dealings be measured by the golden Rule of doing to others as you would be done by For as without this you cannot be a good Christian so he that is void of it cannot be a truly moral man It is much to be lamented that amongst us it is not more seriously considered and faithfully practised For the want of it is the root from whence most of our mischiefs and troubles do spring And whenever men do entertain a just opinion of it then will the World be truly said to enjoy the golden Age For next to the Gospel of Jesus Christ nothing can procure so much peace on Earth True it is that seeming Advantages may frequently offer themselves to induce us to go beside this Rule but indeed they have only an out-side and no more for what a man gains thereby is but of a short duration and seldom ends but in trouble and vexation for being out of Gods way it cannot be expected that his Blessing should attend it and without that nothing can prosper And besides he that in a great measure does not practice this Rule cannot go out of the World with the name of an honest man and he that is not solicitous to leave behind him that character is fitter to herd with Brutes than to be admitted into any civil Society And now let me recommend to you the Duty and Affection which you owe to your Country For next to God's Glory there is nothing that ought to be so dear to you as the common good it is to be preferred to your Life Estate or Family To this you are strongly perswaded as Man is a sociable Creature for it is by the mutual assistance of each other that Mankind subsists Let every Man seek only himself and have no regard to the common good nothing but an universal disorder and confusion would thereupon ensue and then what profit can we expect of all the labour that Man takes under the Sun True it is that fishing in troubled Waters may be a gainful to some people yet all their attempts are done in expectation that there will be a settlement in the Publick as without which their Undertakings will prove ineffectual So that not only Nature but Self-Interest argue irrefragably for it Besides as we owe the happiness of our Age to the care that our Fore-fathers had of the Publick so it lays a duty upon us to transmit to Posterity what was bequeathed to us No man is more ignoble than he who
likely to do us right as he that had promised to repair our Breaches and whose interest it was to be as good as his word and tho we have not every thing as well as well as we could wish yet that does not proceed from any error in placing the Crown where it is but from something else that could not be foreseen for whoever he is that judges of things only by the success shews not his wisdom so much as his folly because he reckons without his Host True indeed it is that our Affairs are not prosperous many disasters have befallen us and we have let slip several advantages such as we can hardly hope for the like again together with abundance of other things that are very melancholly reflections whether these have happened through the defect of our Councils or Treachery I will only say That it ought ought exemplarily to be punisht where ever the fault is and be it where it will there is one and the same original cause of both and till that is removed we cannot expect it should be better with us I wish it were not too plain that God has a Controversie with this Land for which of us can say that he is not justly provoked so that if we are infatuated in our Councils it is the hand of God that is against us and if we are betrayed is there not a cause I wish we were fit for a better condition and surely it is our own fault that it is not otherwise For God has plainly shewn us that he is willing to be gracious to us Not only by bringing about the late Revolution but also by multiplied instances since that of his care and protection for how many Fleets of our Merchants have escaped by no less than Miracle and by no less a Providence did the French Fleet fall into our hands How strangly have several great Plots been discovered just when they were ready to be put in execution but notwithstanding all this It is too obvious that our Affairs have every year gone backward and in this much more than any of the rest it is to be feared that worse remains if it be not prevented by a speedy and thorough Reforformation And therefore Gentlemen of the many things that are at this time under your care for whatever is an offence against the Publick Peace falls within your inquiry I will more especially recommend to your consideration these few things without losing your time by innumerating of the rest The first is to do what in you lies to suppress the profanation of the holy name of God by Oaths and horrible Execrations which never so much over spread the Land as it does in this Age It is a most unaccountable thing it can only be learnt by Conversation and improved by Art and Industry because it is not a sin of Nature and consequently wants that impulse either of pleasure or profit which leads to the commission of other sins It is certainly a great provocation of the Almighty and does in no sort recommend the conversation of any man for who can take delight to hear God's name taken in vain no man can pretend that for being a common Swearer the more credit is to be given to what he says for how can he be thought to regard Truth who makes so light of him that is the very truth what advantage then does any man reap by it and since there is neither pleasure nor profit by it it is very well said by one That for other sins men sell their Souls but for profane swearing they give theirs How then can we hope for success in our Armies amongst whom there is more horrible Cursing and Swearing than is to be heard any where else Whilest they contemn God and daily spit in his face how can we hope that he will go forth with our Armies so long as by their reitterated expressions they seem to have renounced his protection what do they look like but men that are appointed to destruction were there as much care to punish this as there is to inquire into false Musters and some other things of less consideration it would not fail to have a suitable effect but this is to be done by others your care is to look into your neighbours and if you know of any that are common swearers or of any Petty Constables who have neglected to inform the J. of P. at all their monthly meetings you ought to present them 'T is true indeed that the most that you can do will go but a little way in this work for the present yet it is as true that it must be begun at some time and some where and I wish you may have the honour to be the first in it for if your example be followed by others it will redound to their everlasting praise but if it should proceed no further yet you have this satisfaction that you have washt your hands and done your duty The next thing is to inquire after those who made light of the Sabbath either by neglecting to go to some publick worship or else that having been at Church both parts of the day yet spend the remainder of it in Sports or Gaming or else what is more frequent and too very common in an Ale-house It is certainly a great contempt of God to neglect the means of Salvation they that do so must either imagine that they have no such thing as a Soul or else believe that it is of so little value that it ought to be the least part of their care Can any man upon mature deliberation be of that opinion If there is such a one he is very much to be pittied and how much better are they that having been at Church imploy the rest of the day in pastime or drinking What advantage do they seem to have by having been at Church for tho they might sit before God in his place of worship as his people do yet it is evident that their hearts were after something else God made the Sabbath for man to rest on and not that he should do his own work therein for these persons can't produce any good authority for making such a difference in the several parts of that day It is a strange exposition on the fourth Commandment and it is no wonder that there is so many Atheists among us when places of Scripture are so expounded and tho they may satisfie their own consciences in so doing yet the Law looks upon it as a great offence I remember the time when a sort of men either out of ill will to their neighbours or for their own profit were very industrious to inform against such as went to Conventicles I wish they would now be as zealous for Religion and God's honour in discovering those that go to no publick worship or spend the remainder of that day improperly as they then pretended to be zealous for the Church when they ferrited the Disscenters out of their
but told the Parliament to their Face that he had so done and was resolv'd to proceed and he was as good as his word for he made Popish Officers Justices of the Peace and Judges upon which Loyalty began to decline for they fell away from him every day more than other But he stopp'd not here for that he might disoblige the Tories and Clergy as well as he had the rest of the Nation the Papists excepted he set up the High Commission and then the Declaration of Indulgence and for refusing to comply with it he clapp'd up seven of the Bishops in the Tower I am far from detracting from the Praise that is due to that Action of the Bishops yet give me leave to say the Merit of it is not so great as many have cry'd it up to be for they refused to read the Declaration more out of Self-Interest than out of regard to the Publick otherwise why did they not refuse to read the Declaration of Charles II. upon his dissolving the Oxford Parliament which struck more directly at the Heart of the Government than King James did yet not one Bishop refused it and accounted every one disaffected to the Government that did dislike it And that which further prevails with me to be of this Opinion is because some of these Bishops at this time refuse to take the Oaths It would be endless to run through all the Particulars of King James's Exorbitant Reign but in short he had turn'd the Government on its Head and was resolv'd to set up Popery instead of God's true Worship and his Absolute Will and Pleasure in the room of the Law and had fully accomplish'd his purpose if God had not sent us a Deliverer by whose assistance we thrust him from the Throne For having broke his Coronation-Oath and the Condition upon which he receiv'd the Crown he thereby lost all the Right of swaying this Scepter And by a just and real Authority with which the People of England are invested upon such occasions has the Nation by a full and free Consent placed King William on the Throne who I trust will be the Repairer of our Breaches How then ought we to rejoyce what cause have we to be thankful for such a stupendious Change when we had nothing but a fearful looking-for of utter Ruine we now enjoy the Protestant Religion instead of Idolatry and a just and equal Government instead of Slavery and all this brought about without the expence of Blood So that I stand amaz'd when I hear of any that are for recalling the late King James if there be any such I hope I shall not be accounted severe if I wish they were with him for I think it would be best and safest for them and every body else Can any Man be so senceless as to desire to set that man over them again who had once destroy'd their Religion and Liberties and had justly forfeited his Crown by Male Administration for when the King denies his Protection the People are discharged of their Obedience to him because the Obligation of Protection and Subjection is reciprocal Nay I may presume to say that the People have a greater Right to be well govern'd than any King can have to his Crown for their Right of being well govern'd was first in Nature and secondly it is necessary to the being of Mankind but so is it not that this or the other man be on the Throne nor even the form of the Government it self for that sort of Government is most necessary that is best for the Common Good We now fit safely under our Vines and Fig-trees and every man may Worship God without being hawled to a Goal the Bone is taken away that the Papists used to throw amongst Protestants to set them together by the Ears And truly it was always my Opinion that it would never go well with England till every man might worship God in his own way And this being thus happily accomplish'd I do beg your permission to offer my Advice which is this That all Protestants would now unite against the Common Enemy and forbear all Distinctions and Revilings though we may differ in some things yet let us neither reproach him that goes to his Parish Church nor be scandaliz'd at him that goes to a Barn let no man be offended at a Liturgy or set Form of Prayer nor think extempore Prayer is unacceptable to God every Tub must stand on its own bottom therefore let every man be more careful to mind and mend his own Failings than to observe the Faults of others let every man live up to the Doctrine he professes and sincerely act according to his Principles and prefer the publick before any private Interest and then it will go well with them here and hereafter Thus have I given you my scatter'd Thoughts which I have endeavour'd to put together as well as I could with the short leisure I have had As to the particular Business of this day it would be needless to offer you any Directions your Oath has sufficiently instructed you and I suppose most if not all of you understand your Duty as well as I can inform you therefore I will only say that whatever is an Offence against the Law is presentable by you Your Country has reposed a great and honourable Trust in you and I don't doubt your good and faithful discharge of it only this I desire to recommend to you That you will not find any Indictment or Presentment upon Suspicious or slight Evidence for it is unjust unreasonable and may be of fatal consequence to our selves or our Posterity A Man's Reputation is a precious thing and no man ought to be troubled unnecessarily And I do rather give you this Caution because it was the Practice of the Late Times and I hope we shall rather reform their Practices than follow them and come nearer to the Golden Rule of doing as we would be done by But in saying this I don't design to lead you out of the way of Justice that any who have offended the Law should escape Punishment Let the Guilty receive the Reward of their Doings and the Innocent suffer no Wrong and then shall we be a happy People So I will trouble you no further but to pray God to direct you in your Business SOME ARGUMENTS To prove That There is no Presbyterian but a Popish PLOT AND Against the Villany of Informing in 1681. I Will trouble you but with a few words before I proceed to the Particulars of your Charge and I hope no body of the Protestant Perswasion will be offended at what I have to say I have heard it positively affirm'd That 80 81. is become 40 41. That the same Game is now playing that was then If by this is meant That our old and restless Enemies the Papists are now at work that it is they who at this time are labouring our Destruction and that they are the Danger that threatens
It 's said he was every Night drinking till Two a Clock or beyond that time and that he went to his Chamber drunk but this I have only by Common Fame for I was not in his Company I bless God I am not a Man of his Principles or Behaviour but in the Mornings he appear'd with the Symptoms of a Man that over Night had taken a large Cup. But that which I have to say is the Complaint of every Man especially of them who had any Law Suits Our Chief Justice has a very Arbitrary Power in appointing the Assize when he pleases and this Man has strained it to the highest point For whereas we were accustomed to have Two Assizes the first about April or May the latter about September It was this Year the middle as I remember of August before we had any Assize and then he dispatcht business so well that he left half the Causes untryed and to help the matter has resolved that we shall have no more Assizes this Year These things I hope are just cause of Complaint It cannot be supposed that People can with ease or delight be in expectation so long as from May till August to have their Causes determined for the notice he gave was very short and uncertain And I beg you is it not hard for them that had any Tryals to see Councel be at the charge of bringing Witnesses and keep them there five or six days to spend their Time and Money and neglect their Affairs at home and when all is done go back and not have their Causes heard This was the case of most People the last Assize Some Observations on the Prince of Orange's Declaration in a Charge to the Grand Jury Gentlemen THE greatest part of the misfortunes which befall mankind would be prevented did they but keep in mind and seriously consider the most remarkable things which happen to them for then they would not as is every day seen neglect so many advantageous opportunities which by Providence is put into their hands nor split so often upon the same Rock For so apt are men to forget even things of the the greatest moment that it is become a common saying That there is not any thing that is more than a nine days wonder which does sufficiently express the giddiness and want of consideration in Men Of which there never was a more pregnant instance than is to be observed in England at this time For tho the late Revolution was as remarkable as any thing could be both for the matter as well as for the manner of it yet it seems to be as much out of peoples thoughts as if no such thing had happened to us It is a great unhappiness that no more notice is taken of it and it would yet be a greater misfortune if we make no more advantage of it than yet we have done and since it does so much concern us to carry it in our thoughts I hope I shall not mispend your time whilst I give you a short account of the occasion that sent K. J. away and for what reason his present Majesty the then Prince of Orange was placed on the Throne I believe you may remember how much the greater part of the Nation was alarm'd when it was known that the Duke of York had declared himself a Papist by reason of the fatal effects it would have upon our Religion and Liberty if in case he should come to the Crown And the Parliament being no less sensible of this threatning danger made several attempts to exclude him from the Crown by Act of Parliament which was the cause wherefore so many Parliaments one on the neck of another in the latter end of Charles the ll 's time proved Abortive for when the Court could not by any other Artifice keep off the Bill of Exclusion that Parliament was dissolved and another called in hopes to find it of another temper but perceiving that every Parliament began where the other left off of that Scent King Charles took leave of Parliaments for the rest of his time And then all those who had been for the Bill of Exclusion were loaded with all manner of reproaches and amongst other things were called Anti-Monarch-men because they would break into the Succession for that the Exclusion of the Duke of York was used only as a pretence to bring in a Common-wealth To such a degree of madness did the mistaken Loyalty of some people carry them And I wish there were not some at this day who hope to make themselves welcome at Court by calling every thing Anti-Monarchical that is proposed for the good of the Nation At last things being in a posture for the purpose C. II. went off but how is not yet certain to make room for his Brother the Duke of York who began very early to discover himself and in a short time had made so very bold with matters both in Church and State as to demonstrate that the apprehensions of those who would have Excluded him was rather a Prophesie of what he would do than a groundless conjecture for his power swelled so fast that he quickly makes all people to feel the intollerable burden of an unbounded Prerogative so that many who before fell down and worshipt Prerogative were than as hasty to get out of the way of it as they would to avoid a Monster that stood ready to devour them and thereby brought them so far to their Wits as to enable them to see that it is much safer to trust the Law than the King's Will and Pleasure with their Liberties and Properties and that God had no more given Kings a right to oppress and inslave their Subjects than he had indued them with a power to Create Men. For the method which King James took shewed plainly to all the world that nothing less than being Absolute would content him That is he would govern by his Will and force an obedience to his pleasure by his Army for his Administration became more exorbitant every day than other till his present Majesty the then Prince of Orange Landed who as is usual upon such occasions set out a Declaration of the occasion that brought him hither wherein is innumerated many of the irregularities of King James his Administration The first thing mentioned is the Dispensing-power which King James had assumed whereby he gave just occasion for a very loud complaint because it is a most dangerous Instrument in the hand of any King for it not only makes a noise but does certain execution it swallows up Law where-ever it comes and tears up Liberty and Property by the Roots it does not only put every mans right at uncertainty but makes it uncertain whether there is any such thing as Right it is of so diffusive a Nature that if it be exercised in one Kingdom the next that is governed by the same King has cause to think it self in danger This the Parliament had early under their