and then if there must be any Religion let it be the easiest that which will allow the greatest latitude to Vice and give hopes of Pardon upon the cheapest terms And let the R. Religion alone for that We have liv'd to see the effect of this Policy in the few Proselites that they gain'd when they played their Game openly among us when it was easie to see what was the most prevailing Argument in most of their Conversions Another Cause doubtless hath been from our own unhappy Differences and Contests about Religion among our selves In the starting and fomenting of which though it be notoriously known that they have had a great hand yet we are so imprudent and unhappy as to persue their Methods against our selves The effect of these is too notorious to need instancing it being natural for Men that see so many Religions to question all or resolve to be of none till all be agreed Especially when they think they are indulg'd or at least can pervert the meaning of an Indulgence to that purpose for let it be marked as well as can be it will be found that as long as Men are indulg'd to be of what Religion they will there will be a great many that will be of none at all It is seen to be thus among us and is plain matter of Fact Men are permitted upon some Conditions to go to what places of Worship they think best but abundance under that umbrage go to none at all which though it be quite beside the Intention of the Law yet it seems little notice is as yet taken of it Now when Religion is at so low an ebb among us it is no wonder if all manner of Profaneness and Wickedness run high and so high as if not timely check'd to be very likely in a little time to overflow all But therefore sure there is more need to give check to it and stemm this Torrent by the strength of Laws Which were they as vigorously executed as they are wisely made would go near to take down the Crests and Conâ—â—dences of wicked Men and cool their courage in Sin Men may Hector and make a noise but Law edg'd and back'd with strict Execution would be too hard for them and whatever Confederacies or Complications in Wickedness there might be the Sword of Justice would as easily dissolve them as that in the hand of Alexander did the Gordian Knot And thus far I dare say we are all agreed but here comes in the great Question how shall we get these Laws executed and on whom doth that Obligation to execute them lye The Supream Authority and Power hath discharg'd it self and gone as far in this as it can both by making us good Laws and awakening them too by repeated Proclamations and Remembrances in Parliament so that He that under God hath been so Instrumental in saving us from one Evil hath shew'd himself willing and desirous too that we might be secured from worse But alas what can a poor Prince do more He may recommend Virtue by his own Example and He may discourage Profaneness by his Frowns but alas few live under the Influence of the one or within the reach of the other He may impart of his Power to others under him and commission them as his Delegates to do Justice but what if these be remiss or neglect to do it It is said that Kings have long Ears and Hands too and it is true because their Authority reacheth far and can punish in the most most distant Places But then it is as true that they but see and hear with other Mens Eyes and Ears and need them to give them Information of Misdeeds as well as their Hands for the Execution of Law against them And if those other Men fail in either of these who I pray is to be blamed It is very well and a Happiness to the whole Nation that at some stated times the Laws are awakened by solemn Executions But alas what doth this signifie whilst they lie dormant all the Year besides What doth the Punishment or Death of a few forlorn Thieves desperate Robbers or some few bloody Murtherers signifie as to giving Check to the Wickedness of a Nation There are other Sins perhaps both as heinous in their Nature and pernicious in their Effects as these either not taken notice of or not punished as Lewdness Whoredom Cursing Swearing Fraud and Knavery Drunkenness and all manner of Debauchery c. that brave even Authority and laugh at Law My Lords the King's Justices can but punish what is brought before them not be thought to know in a strange Country what is done amiss and worthy of Punishment unless it de presented to them and what a little of the Wickedness done among us that is who knows not It must be you Gentlemen that are the Guardians of Law and the Guarrantees of Peace in your Country that must lend your Hand to this Work if ever it be done There cannot many things be done amiss at least in many places but they will come to your Cognizance especially if you would please to be strict in taking account of those Officers that are under you and let them see that you are really in earnest in your Charges to them I hope I need not use Arguments to persuade you to so good a Work it commends it self sufficiently to all sober considering Men It is a Work that would endear you to your God making you in a Sense Saviours of your Country and by the Mercies of God save your own Souls in the great Day of the Lord Jesus If therefore you love and honour your God rescue his Glory and great Name from the bold Profanations of Wicked Men. If you love and pity your Sin-sick Country administer this Physick without which her Disease will soon come to a woful Crisis And if you love your selves discharge worthily this high Trust which your God and your Prince hath honoured you with that you may give up your Account with Joy at that great Day The Laws of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel are I hope faithfully made known and the Terrors of the Lord urged upon Men by those upon whom that Duty is incumbent And if there be any that are either false to their Duty in this or render it ineffectual by their own looseness I thank God I have no milder a Request to make for them than that of our Apostle against these false Teachers related to in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as I do really believe a vicious Clergyman to be one of the worst of Men in himself so I look upon him as the most infectious and pernicious in his Example But I hope there is no need of this Reflection but that we shall approve our selves the Servants of Christ and your Servants for Jesus sake But alas suppose these were never so faithful in their Duty who will believe their Report or be concerned at what they denounce against Sinners Men live by Sense and not by Faith and things that are so distant make little impression upon them They must be present and sensible Punishments that must have effect upon an unbelieving and profane Generation of Men. While Religion stood only by its own strength and the Church had only spiritual Weapons to war with those Weapons were not carnal but mighty through God as our Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 For God was pleased to ac company those spirtual Censures with present Punishments and to be delivered to Satan was for the destruction of the Flesh without a Figure But when Scepters bowed to the Cross of Christ and Kings became Nursing Fathers to his Church then God expected that the Temporal Sword should do that up-upon obstinate Offenders which he had been pleased to do by the Ministry of Angels in consequence of the Spiritual and so he expects it should do still and therefore it is hoped those that bear the Sword will not bear it in vain It will require some measure of Courage and the Spirit of a sound Mind to do it I confess But what if it do the Work will support it self and yield you that inward satisfaction and that comfort which will bear you out against all the Reproaches and hard Words that can be cast upon you by an evil Generation And would such worthy Persons but suffer themselves to be effectually persuaded to one thing whatever difficulties there might be in this Work with God's Grace it might happily be effected The thing I mean is this Care to free themselves from those Vices which they should punish in others else it is to be feared they will never do it or never with Courage and Success We say when a Clergyman takes heed to himself as well as to his Doctrine he speaks like his great Master with Authority and Power and when a Gentleman doth one he doth the other too Evil Men will reverence and dread such a one but little regard all the Threats or Menaces of one as vicious themselves Here our so much wanted Reformation must begin and when it doth so then it will go on Then may we begin to hope well when we see living Sermons and living Laws when the Lives of those in Authority as much reprove and shame as their Power doth fright and punish the Lawless and Disobedient against whom they let them see and feel too that the Law was made and not against a Righteous Man Now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost Three Persons and One God be ascribed Dominion Power and Glory for evermore Amen FINIS
A SERMON Preach'd at the ASSIZES Held for the County of Surrey AT Kingston upon Thames March 30. 1699. By HENRY HESKETH Rector of Charlewood and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty London Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-yard 1699. To the Right Honourable Sir JOHN HOLT Kt. Lord Chief Justice of England and One of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council MY LORD IT is by Your Lordship's Command for such any signification of Your Desire shall always be to me that this Discourse is made thus Publick and the Kindness that you have shewed to the Author makes it Duty in him to lay it with all Humility and Thankfulness at your Feet I did not think that there was any thing in it to recommend it to such a kind Acceptance unless Honesty and Plain-dealing come in Reputation again But when I saw Your Lordship's Thoughts seconded by the Worthy Gentlemen upon the Bench and Grand Jury too I confess I was affected not so much with the favour shew'd to my self God knows as with the joyful hope that the true Spirit and Temper of Religion breathed in those Persons who by the Influence they have upon as well as Interest in their Country may happily propagate it to others below them May God Almighty verifie the Presage and inspire them with Zeal in this Noble Design May that Heavenly Dew which now I begin to hope is fallen upon the top of Hermon refresh not only the immediate Declensions but at last Water the very Fields of Zion And may Your Lordship and all those Worthy Persons rejoice in those Blessings which God hath promised to give there to all good Men now and in those greater Portions of Bliss that he hath provided for such hereafter This is and shall be the daily Prayer of My LORD Your Lordship 's Most humble and obedient Servant HENRY HESKETH 1 TIM i. 9. Knowing this that the Law is not made for a Righteous Man but for the Lawless and Disobedient for the Vngodly and for Sinners for Vnholy and Prophane c. THE Connexion of these Words is not so very plain but that we may pertinently enough stay to clear it and the rather because doing that may let us easilier into the meaning of them The Apostle had in the precedent Verses reflected with some smartness upon a company of pretended Apostles and false Teachers that had crept into the Conventions of Christians who pretending to a more perfect understanding of the Law than other Men boasted themselves to be the only true Teachers of it and seeming to penetrate deeper into the more abstruse sence thereof they took occasion to teach the belief of some strange mystical Genealogies and to amuse Men's Heads with needless though curious Speculations and Questions of no use either to Faith or Manners It is very probable the Apostle meant that primitive Sect of the Gnosticks so called from their pretending to a deeper and more exact Knowledge of the Mysteries of Christian Religion than others and his speaking of their busying themselves about Genealogies c. makes it very clear that he meant that Pestilent Sect which made a great noise with these a Specimen of which the Learned Grotius gives us in his Notes upon this place Having reflected upon these high Law Preachers with a design to warn Timothy and others to beware of them lest what he had said might be misinterpreted as if he meant to disparage or undervalue the Law he tells us ver 8. that the Law is good if it be used lawfully i. e. to that end and purpose for which it was made which was not to imploy Men in Genealogies and vain Janglings but to excite them to the doing of that good which it commanded as well as to restrain them from the Evil it forbid And when Men use it themselves and teach others to use it to these Ends they use it as they should and when they preach it up to this End they do laudably and well But it was not so very proper and pertinent to make such a noise with preaching the Law to Christians who if they answer'd their Character were good Men for whom the Law was not intended for we ought to know this that the Law was not made for a Righteous Man but for the Lawless and Disobedient for the Ungodly and for Sinners for Unholy and Profane c. In speaking to which Words I shall crave your Patience only while I do these two general things I. Endeavour to give the true sense and meaning of them II. And then endeavour to make that sense as useful to us as I can by drawing some such Inferences from it as may be pertinent to this Meeting and the end of it I. I begin with the first in which it will be needful to shew 1. In what sense and upon what reason it is here said that the Law is not made for a righteous Man 2. In what sense and upon what reason it is said to be made for the Lawless and Disobedient for the Ungodly and for Sinners in general and especially for such profane and wicked Persons as he afterwards particularly instanceth in These two I think will be enough on this first general for I do not think it so needful to waste our time in giving the Notion of a Righteous Man for whom the Law is said not to be made This is plain enough in Holy Scripture if Men would let it be so and had not some ill Ends in perplexing the Notion of it I confess there are two Notions of a Righteous Man as well as of Righteousness in Scripture the one more restrained and then it signifies a Just Man and the other more lax and large and then it is the same as a Good Man i. e. one that is careful to do his Duty in all the Instances of it respecting God his Brother or himself which our Apostle expresseth by living soberly and righteously and godly in this World Tit. 2.12 It is commonly taken in this sense and I believe almost always so where it is singly named and when one of the other words are not joyned with it as in this place and a hundred more both in the V. and N.T. and the word is very proper in this sense For as all Duty of what nature soever is founded in Justice and the variations of one are but so many Instances of the other so a good Man is properly called a righteous or a just Man because he is just to his God just to his Neighbour and just to himself Not alas that he is always exactly so and comes up to the Rule in every thing for this is a state of Imperfection and Weakness wherein the very best Men are sometimes born down by surprize and the violence of Temptations c. but being sincerely so to his Power begging Pardon for what he falls short in and striving still to do better he is upon the gracious Terms of the
particular to be under Government and Laws There is abundance of Wickedness in the World God knows but if it were not for Laws there would certainly be a great deal more And we that see how hardly Men are restrained from Sin by all the Arts of Government and utmost Severities of Laws may easily tell without the Spirit of Prophecy how impetuous and violent they would be were they not under these at all All the Penalties and Threatnings of Punishment cannot over-awe Men so but that they will venture upon Wickedness what would they do then if they were under no apprehension or fear of them It hath been commonly said that without Government and Laws the Societies of Men would be but so many wild Arabian Herds and the truth is they would be very little better That state of War which the great Factor for Atheism in this Nation makes to be the natural state of Man would be so still where Men would be everlastingly clashing and fighting with one another where Might would be the only Right and where the Stronger would still be preying upon the Weaker where there would be no such thing as Rights and Properties nor any Man sure to enjoy any thing that he had any longer than another should please not to dispossess him of it A Man can hardly think but no Man can fully describe the Misery and Confusion that would be among Men the Fears and Jealousies that would still haunt and disturb them in such a State without all hope or possibility of redress I have often thought that it was not without some show of Reason at least that those Men in the Heathen World of old that had been happily instrumental in reducing Cities and Nations under Government and wise Laws were honour'd after their Death with Divine Worship Men thinking that the good they did to their respective Cities and Nations was so immensely great that no mortal Honours were big enough to be returned for them And upon the same reason did some wise Lawgivers easily perswade the People to believe that they had their Laws from the Gods And the truth is the benefit bespake a God and was worthy of a God and no meaner a return was due for it and all the fault was that it was extravagantly misplaced upon those who were but only Instruments in these Blessings under that great and good God who hath fitted Men for Government and inspired them with Knowledge and Skill to make Laws that were both so useful to support Government and so beneficial to those that were under it To him therefore be the praise of these Blessings always return'd Let those great Men that have been or are Instruments under him in conferring these Blessings have all Honour and Respect fit to be paid to Mortal Beings But let God be adored and praised both in them and for them And that I may bring this Inference something closer to our selves let me observe that if there be a Nation at this Day under Heaven that hath cause to bless Almighty God for this Happiness we in this Kingdom and Nation have more Other Nations are under Government and doubtless have many wise and excellent Laws but he that hath observed the state of those Governments and those that live under them and then reflects upon our own may very well borrow the Verse of the Poet a little changed Felices nimium bona si sua nôrint O happy England if it would but think it self to be so and be ready to think that there was nothing wanting to make this the happiest Government in the World so much as Mens considering and being satisfied that so it is A Government settled in that happy poise that Subjects are as much secured from the power of the Prince as the Prince is so from the Insults of the People under no Laws but what themselves have an Interest in making not liable to any Exactions to which themselves do not consent May God Almighty always continue it and make us duly thankful for it And may all Factious and Seditious Persons that would disturb or overturn it be mark'd for common Plagues and avoided as such May they feel the Penalties of those Laws which themselves despise and of sharper too if they can be made May they by a bleeding Experience find that our Laws which are so much for the protection and benefit of good Men were in truth made for such lawless and disobedient Wretches as themselves There are many excellent deductions that might be made from this Argument but I must not think to have time allowed me for them Therefore I shall only crave patience while I remark only one more And that 's this 2. If the Laws be made for disobedient and wicked Men then I hope it will be thought fit to execute them against such Here is a black List of some notorious Crimes following in the Text and some so unnatural that a Man might think them hardly competent to Men. But there are several others besides them that it may be deserve as severe an Animadversion of the Laws and I would to God I could not say among our selves at this day It is a very melancholick Reflection to observe how strangely Profaneness is come to abound of late in this Nation and to what a monstrous height it is grown so as almost to scorn all Law and bear down all restraint of it It is something strange that in a sober Nation as this hath been accounted a Nation professing Godliness and Christian Religion and this Religion reformed from many gross Errors c. that stick to it yet in many other Nations I say it is something strange that in such a Nation and where there are so many excellent Laws against it too Wickedness should overflow and cause such a dreadful Inundation It were perhaps worthy of an Inquiry what the Causes of this should be And besides the common ones that always operated to this purpose and always will I believe these two will be found to be the most influential One is that wretched Artifice of our Enemies of the Roman Communion and the Method that that blessed Sect of Jesuits have taken to bring us o'er to their Religion by which was by unhinging Mens natural sense of Religion and arguing them into Atheism or a downright Scepticism and questioning the Obligations and Reasons of all Religion yea a studied propagating Sensuality and Loosness of Life and Manners as well as of Belief It may well seem strange that Atheism should be thought a likely way to bring Men to Religion or Loosness in Life a good Method to make them good Catholicks If we consider things only superficially we may very well question the Policy of this But alas we are deceiv'd if we do so Those cunning Sophisters know what they do and are as subtil as the old Serpent in it bring Men to an Atheistical Temper once and then all ways of Religion are alike to them Debauch their Manners