Dr. ROYSE's SERMON Preached before the KING AT BELFAST in IRELAND A SERMON Preached before the KING AT Belfast in Ireland ON The 14th Day of June 1690. By GEORGE ROYSE D.D. Fellow of Oriel College in Oxon And Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties Printed by the King 's Special Command LONDON Printed for Samuel Crouch at the Corner of Popes-Head-Alley over-against the Royal Exchange 1691. A SERMON Preached before the KING HEB. XI And the former part of the 33d Verse Who thro' Faith subdued Kingdoms IN this Chapter you have the glorious Atchievements and memorable Actions of your Fore-fathers the Patriarchs and others set before your eyes And the main Engine by which they accomplish'd all their Victories was as the Author of this Epistle tells us Their Faith By Faith says he in the next Verse they escaped the edge of the sword waxed valiant in fight out of weakness were made strong turn'd to flight the armies of the aliens And if we look back upon the Sacred History of former Ages 't is observable that all the great Actions and Successes in the World were nothing else but the triumphs of a conquering and invincible Faith When Might and Power have been arm'd against it when Wit and Malice have combined to crush it when Tyrants and mighty Men rose up and threatned nothing less than Ruin and Destruction to the weaker Forces then did this Shield of Faith receive all their Batteries maintain'd its Post against all its Enemies threw down their Walls razed their Strong-holds and scatter'd those that delighted in Blood Thus the Chariot and the Horse fell and the Tyrant slept his last sleep when the Just Man lived and triumphed by his Faith They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright says the Prophet that is we who by a lively Faith reposed all our Trust and Confidence in the Name of the Lord. And no wonder that this Faith does subdue Kingdoms since as St. John tells us 1 John 5.4 it overcomes the World Who thro' Faith subdued Kingdoms In which words we have a plain Matter of Fact related to us viz. That the great Champions of the World did purchase all their Victories and Triumphs by their Faith And here not to run over the several Acceptations of the word by the Faith of these heroical Spirits seems more particularly intended that which Divines call fides Miraculorum that is a belief wrought in them by a Divine impulse of God's miraculous Assistance against their Enemies or a firm perswasion that he would work such Miracles by their hands and bring mighty Matters to pass which in the nature of things seem'd nowise probable And in this sense 't is used by the Apostle in those words Tho' I have all Faith 1 Cor. 13.2 so that I could remove Mountains c. But because we do'nt live in an Age of Miracles now much less can we pretend to such extraordinary Impulses or special Promises on which they built their Faith I shall therefore take the word in a larger sense so as it may be applicable to us namely as it implies our belief of God's Promises in general made over to his Church and our consequent Trust and Dependance on him for the fulfilling them And in this sense too I hope to make it appear that through Faith still we may subdue Kingdoms Inclearing of which I shall observe this following Method First I shall shew in general That our Belief and Confidence in God is the best Expedient in the World to secure the Success of our Arms or to Subdue Kingdoms Secondly I shall Enquire upon what Grounds and Motives we may expect the same Success as our Fore-fathers had Thirdly and Lastly What is required of us in order to this Success viz. That we follow their Examples in building a lively Faith and Confidence upon God As to the former That our Faith and Trust in him is an admirable Instrument for subduing Kingdoms will appear true beyond contraction whether we confider it in its own natural Tendency as 't is suited to such an end or in reference to God's Providence who does usually crown it with Victory and Triumph First if we look upon it barely in its own natural tendency the belief and perswasion of an invincible Arm to assist us seems admirably fitted for the advance of any undertaking whether of Peace or War The very opinion of such Succours and Assistance as it gives a man a fair prospect of success so it must be highly instrumental to it For in the usual course of things Believe and Conquer do generally go together and a firm perswasion that we shall succeed is a considerable step to promote it The true rational Ground of which is this That every Man's Belief is the great Spring of all his Endeavours and Undertakings and all the World do act either more faintly or vigorously according to the perswasion of their own strength agreeably to the prospect they form of and the event of things If a Soldier through the apprehensions of the weakness of his Party be distracted with Fears and Doubts about the Issue and Consequences of an Engagement this as it must naturally sink his Spirits so it will proportionably slacken his Endeavours too But he that is buoy'd up by the thoughts of Omnipotence as he must be flush'd with the sanguine hopes of a good Issue so he will be warm and active in pursuing it And therefore the Belief of a Divine irresistible Power as it must carry a great stroak in the vigorous advance and application of the Means so it must be allow'd to have a proportionable influence in determining the Issues of War And for this reason should we suppose with the Atheist that Providence did not interpose at all in our Battels and Engagements yet the bare belief and confidence of it is of admirable use in advancing the Sword abroad as well as preserving its Authority at home for be our perswasion either right or wrong yet since every man naturally does act agreeably to it and since such a Belief does as naturally tend to the exciting of our Industry and whetting our Endeavours consequently it must be of great use and advantage in the Day of Battel And therefore whether Religion be true or false yet 't is but common prudence in a General to preserve a due sense and esteem of it in his Soldiers because this Armor of God has a peculiar force as well as the Sword and the Spear or any other Instrument of War But not to talk only in general the Power and Influence of this will be sufficiently clear'd if we shew in particular that such a Belief of an Almighty Power is the only true Motive and Foundation of Mens Hope and Courage For 't is granted on all hands that Hope and Courage as they are the great Vertues of a Camp so in the natural course of things they bid fairest for Success and therefore if this Religious
Perswasion be the only Motive to excite these the matter will be put beyond dispute that our Faith may do great service in subduing Kingdoms As to the former 't is certain our hopes of Success are always built upon our belief of it A man can't reasonably hope for what best pleases him but what he first believes may probably happen and according to the degrees of this our hope grows more firm as well as more rational A sanguine expectation of Success without any grounds or reason may be stiled a foolish Confidence but does not deserve the name of Hope And therefore then only do we hope like wise men when we build it upon those Powers above that cannot fail us when with the Prophet we make God alone our Hope and our Confidence when we trust to the strength of Israel and that right hand which will have the pre-eminence This is like founding our House upon a Rock where the Flouds and Storms shall not confound our Hopes or ruin our Confidence But to fix it upon any other Powers whether our own Strength or the Conduct of a General is like Building upon the Sand where the unsoundness of the Bottom does make the Pile as precarious as the Foundation is treacherous and uncertain He that conquer'd the Giant by Faith and a Pebble has sufficiently caution'd us against such confidence as this Put not your trust in Princes Psal 146.3.44.6 nor in the son of man in whom there is no help I will not trust in my bow neither shall my sword save me And that we may not think this a Prophetical Strain only or a touch of Pious Cant our own reason does convince us how unwarrantable that confidence is that is founded barely upon human Succours for be our circumstances at present as fair as you would have them be your conduct or strength as great as you imagine be it far superior to that of your Enemies yet the chances of War are so various and uncertain and the fate of it depends upon such multiplicity of accidents that we can never have a true bottom and security for our Hopes unless they are setled upon an invincible Power above But then should we suppose that we are only equal to our Enemies this as 't will render the case in the nature of things more hazardous and doubtful so it must lessen our hopes and confidence for where two Enemies shall appear in the Field with equal Forces as they must engage upon the greatest uncertainties so they can't have any sure grounds for their hopes unless they were perswaded that there was a God to interpose and to determine the ballance But should we put the case that we are inferior to them then to be sure we can borrow no hopes from human Succours because the natural course of things does determine the Victory in favour of their side The consequence of which is that in all the circumstances of War a man can never have a sure bottom for his confidence whilst he depends only upon the Powers below and therefore the Belief of an Almighty Power is the only Foundation of a Rational Hope And as all our Hopes of Success in War are derived from the Succours of Religion so our Courage too does draw all its Life and Spirits from the same Principle For mens Courage must necessarily rise and fall together with their Hopes and men of Bravery and Valour as the Philosopher observes are always men of Hope And therefore as our Belief of God's Providence over us is the great Spring and Vital Principle of the one so likewise 't is the main Instrument to excite the other To speak plainly the business of War is such a hazardous Enterprize and the prospect of Death so terrible that a Soldier who has any apprehensions of it can't well engage with a true heart and courage unless he be perswaded that there is God above that will take care for him here and reward him hereafter You know very well that the main Office of Courage is to moderate our Fears and Apprehensions of Death Now Death is an Evil too big for human nature when we consider it in its self abstracted from our Faith and as there is nothing in nature that can compensate for it so nothing in meer nature seems equal to encounter it for human nature as such must necessarily fear it as it thinks on it and therefore the Assistances of Religion as they are absolutely necessary to moderate these Fears so likewise to maintain our Courage 'T is true indeed a man may rush into the Battel without fear or wit but this is not the Courage of a Man that considers but of a Beast that has no understanding True Courage is always joined with the consideration of those evils which it encounters and as Tully describes it 't is consider at a periculorum susceptio a deliberate and thoughtful undertaking of any danger and therefore those that take the Sword without any thoughts and apprehensions of what they are about dō make shew only of a Brutal Force but can't be said to exercise a true Manly Valour And 't is much the same case with those who fight only out of a brutish rage and fury for these discover only the violence of a Passion not the greatness of Mind and this sort of Courage is usually found as false in the Tryal and Experiment as it is in the Notion For those who through a passionate heat and fury engage in Duels are commonly the greatest Cowards in a Camp All which seems to establish the truth of our Assertion That a Religious Belief is the Foundation of all True Bravery and Courage and consequently the best Expedient to Subdue Kingdoms And that we may not look upon this as a meer fanciful Notion or the Idle Talk of Divines I shall only appeal to common experience and observation viz. That those in all Ages who have been most Celebrated for their Faith have been equally admired for their courage and bravery too as particularly the Worthies of this Chapter and the Primitive Christians Whereas Prophane Wits and Atheists that have abandon'd the belief of a God have been always lookt upon as the most timorous Creatures and the greatest Cowards in the world And if we examine the History of the Heathen States 't is observable that the Success of their Arms was in great measure advanced by their belief and confidence in their Gods Hence in the Roman State we find that in all their extremities and dangers from their Enemies they took sanctuary at last in Religion and when the Souldiers spirits were sinking their Generals always took care to possess their Minds with this notion that the Gods were on their side and declared favourably for them And this is the reason why they so often produced Divine Prophecies and Oracles in favour of their undertakings and always consulted their Priests about the will and pleasure of their Gods that by these counterfeit intimations
of the favour of their Gods they might raise their spirits and give them Courage in the day of Battle And next under Divine Providence we may ascribe the greatness of the Roman Empire to those encouragements which they fetcht from Religion and the belief of their Gods Agreeably to which Matchiavel himself though he was no great friend to Religion yet in his Discourses upon this subject he fairly owns that the advance of their Arms and enlargement of their State was chiefly to be imputed to a sense of God and Religion established amongst them Such a vast influence hath our Faith and Belief upon the Councils and endeavours of Mankind And not to multiply testimonies but to reduce all in short In the natural course of things 't is plain that a Man's Belief in all cases does carry a mighty stroak in advancing his undertakings and particularly this perswasion of invincible succours and assistance from above must necessarily inspire him with an answerable degree of Courage it must raise his hopes give life to his resolutions animate his endeavours and this will go a fair way to the taking of Cities and subduing Kingdoms And as this Faith and belief of Gods Providence has a peculiar efficacy of it self to advance our Arms so by the Providence of God it is usually attended with a suitable success That God Almighty does interpose in our Battles and Engagements is as certain as that he does exercise a Providence over Mankind for the success of Arms and of National Engagements is such a considerable province and so great a part of his government of the World that we may as well question whether he intermeddles at all in Humane Affairs as whether he does interpose in this Taking it for granted then that Providence does equally preside over Camps as over Kingdoms it is but reasonable to suppose that he will bless those Arms with victory and success that are advanced in his Name with a due regard and application to him and determine things in favour of that side who build their Faith and relyance on him For by believing and trusting in him we really engage him as a Party for us and by being his dependants we entitle our selves to his more special care and protection Every one we know does think himself obliged to shew a peculiar concern for his own Favourites and dependents and if the measures of humane kindness do extend so far much more may we conclude it from the goodness of God which is infinitely greater than that of his Creatures Agreeable to which we have his own assurance Prov. 29.25 Who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Psal 34.22 And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psal 121.7 The King trusteth in the Lord and through the mercy of the most high he shall not be moved Where as on the other side he that does not think his God worthy to be trusted does fairly forfeit all title to his providence and protection for 't is but just with God that he should signalize himself in the defeat of those Arms that are bruitishly advanced without any sense or dependance on him And this was the usual methods of his dealing with the Jews when they trusted in God and in the strength of Israel he went out with their Hosts he fought their Battles and subdued the Nations round about them but as soon as they fell back and shook off their dependance on him he gave them into captivity and into the enemies hands 'T is true God does not exercise the same visible distinguishing Providence in rewarding mens Faith with Temporal Blessings as in the days of old but yet as he is still Governour of the World he seems engaged to crown the Faith and Piety of Nations with visible success that by this means he may signalize his Providence to the World and keep up a just sense and esteem for Religion by giving such an open testimony and approbation to it As for the vertues of private men indeed they are not always blest here with good fortune and success because in their single capacities they shall be sufficiently rewarded in another world But fince publick Societies and Nations as they are Politick collective bodies have no other stage but this world for the reward and punishment of their common vertues and vices therefore Providence seems more highly concern'd to dispense and award them in this present life And this has been the general observation of the Heathen States that their Gods bestow'd Victory and Triumphs upon Kingdoms according to Mens Piety and dependance on them Hence Tully makes a fair acknowledgment that the Romans did not owe their Conquests either to a prevailing strength or to their own extraordinary Valour Art or Stratagem but that they subdued the whole World by the irresistible power of Religion And Zosimus ascribes the fall of that Empire to the contempt of their Gods and a disregard to their Worship And if these be the usual methods of Providence in rewarding the Faith and Piety of Nations 't is obvious to conclude what a mighty influence our Religious belief may carry in subduing Kingdoms and therefore if we would all joyntly agree in advancing our Faith and Religion together with our Arms we should have but little reason to doubt of the happy issue and success of them And what grounds and encouragements we have to hope for this success is the second general Head to be consider'd And here whether we regard either the promises of God to his Church or the conduct and bravery of our General whether we consider the Cause in which we imbark or the Enemies which we are about to encounter they all speak out Be strong and of a good courage ye shall possess the land As to the former what grounds we have to hope from Gods promises it must be granted that we have no particular promises made to us that we shall subdue this or that Nation as the Worthies of this Chapter had but since it must be allowed that God Almighty does exercise as great a care over the Christian as over the Jewish Church we can't well suppose that he has left it without the same hopes and encouragements We all know that in these last days he gave up his own Son that he might purchase to himself a Church at the expence of his own Blood and as this is a higher demonstration of love than ever was shewn to the world before so it gives us most solid and rational grounds for our hopes and confidence And as greater love than this could not be shewn so neither any greater security than those general promises which he has made over to it that he will be with it unto the ends of the world Mat. 28.20 Mat. 16.18 and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Which promises however they run only to the Church in general yet they are no less sure and infallible
than the most special promises whatever and therefore they are an equal encouragement for our Faith and Hope How much the general interest of the Reformed Church and Religion does depend upon the present Juncture and success of things I need not tell you and since God has interposed his word for the Maintenance of his True Religion in the World we may reasonably build our confidence on this and face our Enemies with a true heart and courage It was not long since that you stood by and saw the salvation of your God in the seasonable deliverance of this National Church when a conjured race of profest Enemies at home were creeping into its Bowels and a Conclave abroad was engaged to make trial how far the gates of hell could prevail against it And since we have this fresh experiment of a kind Providence in that he has delivered us this may justly add strength to our Faith that he will yet deliver us The work is already begun and if through want of Faith we don't murmur and repine in our Tents in the power of the most High we shall not miscarry And as we have good hopes of Success from the consideration of those promises which God has made over to his Church so if we look upon that great instrument next under him whom he has employed to effect it we may magnifie still the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon A Prince who as he was miraculously brought amongst us to begin our deliverance so heseems to be acted now by a new Commission from Heaven to complete it A Prince who has already conquer'd by Faith without the force of Arms or an engagement with his Enemies In short a Prince in whose Conduct and Valour we might safely trust if 't was any wise allowable to put our trust in Princes And as the presence of his Royal Person so the Merits of the Cause too do joyntly conspire to give us new Courage and Resolution For whatever Notions some Men have fram'd to themselves of the late Revolution in general yet none of those pretended scruples can affect us at present who are engaged now against a Forreign French Power and an open avowed Enemy to the Kingdom I have no time to dwell on this but if there be any Cause of War that is just and honourable you may plead it now for this is no idle Contest betwixt Princes about mere punctilio's of Honour no groundless quarrel to enlarge your Bounds or to serve the Lust and Ambition of a General but the glorious Defence of your Country against the unjust Arms of a violent aggressor the Maintenance of your Liberties Fortunes Laws Religion and whatever else can be supposed dear unto you and if you don't think this a sufficient warrant for unsheathing your Swords farewel first the English Spirit and next the English Subject too Farewel long-adored Liberty and Property Farewel the Protestant Name and Interest throughout Europe whose Fate must shortly be determin'd by the issue and success of your Arms. But besides the Merits of the Cause there is one consideration more that bids fair for success and that is the Enemies whom you are about to engage the Irish and French Forces the former a by-word and a proverb amongst Nations both for their Courage as well as Understanding and therefore they seem rather to challenge your Scorn and Contempt than to exercise your Valour the latter an Enemy that never made any generous Conquests by the power of his Arms but by that of his Money and ow's more to the perfidiousness and treachery of those he fought with than to his own bravery An Enemy whose Titles now adorn the English Crown as the lasting memorials of your Fore-fathers Victories over him In short an Enemy whose greatness as it can be ascribed only to your Luxury and Ease so it must as certainly be humbled by the recovery of your ancient Valour Lay all these things together and if they don't determine the Victory on your side 't is because you want that Faith which will subdue Kingdoms Which brings me to the last thing to be consider'd what is required of us in order to the Success of our Arms namely that we exercise the same Faith as these Worthies did As our belief and trust in God is an eternal duty of Natural Religion so it carries an indispensable obligation along with it in all circumstances and conditions whatever but more particularly now the hazards and uncertainties of War do challenge the exercise of it in a more eminent manner For the issues and chances of War are all determined by a Superiour Hand and 't is God alone that giveth victory unto Kings The wise man has long since told us that the race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong but time and chance hapneth to all We may talk and project for Victory and Success we may joyn hand in hand unite our Hearts and Councils and form the Scheme and Contrivance well but we are assured at last that the Counsel of the Lord 't is that shall stand and the right hand of the Lord will have the pre-eminence And therefore since we can't safely build upon our own strength and measures 't is but common prudence and interest to advance our Faith together with our Arms and to build our confidence on him in whom alone true Succours are to be found Go on then Great Prince in the power and defence of the most High and enlarge thy Conquests over thy Enemies abroad as thou hast already over the Hearts of thy Subjects at home And you who have the glory of serving under his Conduct imitate the Faith of these Worthies here and the bravery of him that leads you Then when ye pass through the waters Isai 43.2 he shall be with you and through the rivers they shall not overflow you Psal 60.12 Then through God we shall do great acts for it is he that shall tread down our enemies Then as by your Faith you shall subdue Kingdoms so you shall secure that Faith too from all the dangers of Popery and Superstition In short then shall we return every man safe under his vine and under his fig-tree and rejoyce in the mighty works of our great Deliverer Unto whose Providence and Invincible Arm which alone is able to secure as well as subdue Kingdoms unto his Almighty Providence and Protection I commend you all ERRATA PAge 4. l. 19. for our Fathers r. these Worthies p. 6. l. 3. r. and agreeably to that prospect which they have of the issue and event of things p. 11. l. 19. r. as necessarily p. 12. l. 13. r. the true greatness p. 16. l. 23. r. usual method BOOKS Printed for and Sold by Samuel Crouch at the Corner of Popes-Head-Ally next Cornhil FOLIO THE History of Scotland written in Latine by George Buchanan Faithfull rendred into English The History of the Life Reign and Death of Edward II. King of England and Lord of Ireland with the Rise and Fall of his great Favorites Gaveston and the Spencers Written by E. F. in the Year 1627. and Printed verbatim from the Original The History of the Affairs of Europe in this present Age but more particularly of the Republick of Venice Written in Italian by Battista Nani Cavalier and Procurator of St Mark. Englished by Sir Robert Honywood Knight QVARTO A Sermon Preached before the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen at Guild-Hall Chappel upon Good Friday March 29. 1689. By George Royse D. D. Fellow of Oriel Colledge in Oxford and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties A Sermon Preach'd before the King and Queen at White-Hall on the 28th of December 1690. By George Royse D. D. Fellow of Oriel Colledge in Oxford and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties A Sermon Preached before the Deputy-Governour and the Company of Merchants trading to the Levant Seas at St. Bartholomew Exchange May 1. 1689. By Edward Smith A. M. 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De Jure Marritimo Navali Or a Treatise of Affairs Maritime and of Commerce In Three Books The Fourth Edition By Charles Molloy Britania Languens Or a Discourse of Trade Shewing that the Present Management of Trade in England is the true Reason of the Decay of our Manufactures and the late great fall of Land-Rents and the Increase of Trade in the Method it now stands must proportionably decay England Humbly offer'd to the Consideration of the Parliament Cardan his three Books of Consolation Englished Of great use in these Times The Art of Painting in Oyl Wherein is included each particular Circumstance relating to that Art and Mystery containing the best and most approved Rules for Preparing Mixing and Working of Oyl Colours Advice to the Readers of the Common Prayer and to the People attending the same with a Preface concerning Divine Worship Humbly offered to Consideration for promoting the greater Decency and Solemnity in performing the Office of Gods Publick Worship By a well meaning though unlearned Layick of the Church of England T. 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