A SERMON AGAINST BRIBERY. preached July 8. 1695. IN THE Cathedral-Church OF St. PETER in YORK: Before the Right Honourable Mr. Justice nevil, AND Baron TURTON By NATH. DRAKE, M. A. and Vicar of Weighton. LONDON, Printed for Walter Kettilby, at the Bishop's-Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard, and Francis Hildyard, Bookseller in York, 1695. To the Honourable INGLE BY DANIEL, Esq; HIGH-SHERIFF OF THE County of YORK. SIR, SINCE it was Your Pleasure that this Sermon should be made public, and exposed to the Censures of a Critical Age, the humble Author( tho' pretty safe in his own Obscurity) is desirous to take shelter under Your Illustrious Name, and thinks it but reasonable that the just Authority You have over him, should be responsible for all the hazardous Consequents of such an Undertaking. There are Others, indeed, whose Importunity helped to push me forward to this Adventure, looking upon the Argument as( but too) seasonable, and therefore likely to do Good at this Juncture. I wish it may answer the Design of it, which every Good Man will allow to be Just and Honest: But if the Management( which is only to be feared) proves lame and defective, then Your Friendship, SIR, and Theirs, must be blamed, for setting an over-value upon this Composure. It will probably be thought one Defect in this Discourse, That having insisted too much upon the Historical part of my Subject, I have not drawn out the Applications to a due length, but have spent more time in raising and exposing old Jewish Ghosts, than in laying those Evil Spirits which the magic of Money has raised in our own Land. But tho' Jerusalem be the Scene, and Israel the Actors in this Wicked Conspiracy, yet the like corrupt Practices being every Day detected, and so publicly known among us, I presently concluded that my Animadversions upon the Text, being an unparall'd Instance of Bribery, would with ease be extended to reach all Corruptions of like Complexion, and thereby supersede many Particulars in the point of Application. I 'm sorry that Discourses of this Nature should be licenced and made necessary by public Scandals, and crying Abuses: But when it is obvious to what Shrine some Men sacrifice their Consciences; when we hear of Private Purses unjustly filled, and the public Exchequer much exhausted and drained by a secret Diabetic Passion. In a Word; When we see what servile and inglorious Practices this Nation must soon have groaned under, if they had not been happily discovered, every considering honest Man will so far claim Privilege to be his own Representative, as to put in his Vote, That those felonious Gluttons who have fed upon the public Treasury, or eaten the Children's Bread, be made to disgorge all again, till they have paid back the very last Mite. But we have reason to bless God that there was Virtue enough left in the Fountain to purge itself; and it is to be hoped that Men hereafter will be afraid of that Rock on which so many have split of late, while both Houses in a commendable Zeal took up Arms against Solomon's Men of Oblations, as well the Givers as the Receivers of Bribes, by whose Baseness the poor Country might otherwise have been soon Bought and Sold into extreme Penury and Slavery. And, indeed, it is to be wished, that all other Magistrates, as they love their Country, would strike while the Iron is hot, left Iniquity at last prevail by Custom, and pled Prescription. But I forbear,— not that I think that these treacherous Under-hand-Dealers can be too much exposed to popular Scorn and Derision. But left this provoking Subject transport me unto any Indecent Warmths, which yet I think more pardonable in this Case than a fatal Tenderness and Forbearance. I will add no more, but that I glory in hereby publishing myself, SIR, Your most Obedient, and Obliged Servant, Nath. Drake. St. MATTH. xxviii. 15. So they took the Money, and did as they were taught.— IT is a just Observation which the Wise King Solomon has left us in his excellent Book of Proverbs; The king by judgement stablisheth the land, but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. The former of which Propositions is a most approved Truth, confirmed by the joint Suffrages and Experience of all Nations, viz. That the Sovereign Exercise of Justice and impartial Execution of Good Laws, is,( under God) the firmest establishment of a Kingdom, and the best security of any Government. This then being taken for granted, it follows necessary, That whatsoever perverteth the Course of Justice, is destructive of Government. And herein lies the reason of the following Disjunction, which is full and pertinent, But he that receiveth gifts overthroweth the land; the Argument of which, in due Syllogistical Form, runs thus:— That which corrupteth judgement, which is the Pillar and Ground of the Government, overthroweth the Land; But Unjust Gifts, or Bribes corrupt judgement, Therefore he that receiveth those Gifts overthroweth the Land.— 〈◇〉, he digs away the Groundwork, he shakes the very Pillars of it; tho' at present he makes no open discernible Breach in the Government, yet as a Secret Enemy, he undermines the main Foundation, he corrupts Justice, the steady Support of the State, and perverteth Truth, the grand Pillar of the Church, and Worm-eats the Planks of that Vessel wherein the Safety of both is embarked. Nor does Truth and Justice suffer less by the Giver than by the Receiver of Bribes; he is the Vir Oblationum here as well as the other, and, as the Seventy render it, is 〈◇〉, a Violator of the Laws in this Case, as well as he that does the Accursed Drudgery for the Reward of Iniquity. Now at a Season when we have Enemies abroad, that watch all Opportunities to overthrow our Land, it seems more especially necessary that the Government should have an Eye upon these treacherous Miners within, who for love of Money, or thro' desperate Malice, are digging Graves for Us and themselves, and doing the Enemy's Work: For how shall our Citadel bear the Shock of Foreigners, if it be undermined by our Own treacherous Hands. Our Royal Master( whom God preserve and prosper) is gone to put a Stop to the Advances of our Foreign Enemies, and has left his Administrators of Justice, the Honourable Judges of this Realm, to stablish the Land by judgement, to tie those Treacherous Hands that would overturn it, as well the malicious Buyers of a lie, as the Mercenary Sellers of Truth, who sacrifice Laws and Liberties, Truth and Equity, Church and State to their covetous or malicious Lusts. Now Enemies ought to be regarded chiefly in proportion to their Power: Little Adversaries, and low-designing Traytors may be slighted and overlooked, but it must be a very sleepy or corrupt Government which does not search and examine narrowly into this Old Exchange, which in every Age and Nation, has been set up and managed by the Father of Lies and his Agents, to the great Prejudice of Truth, and Obstruction of Justice. Now that you may see what bold desperate Attempts may be made with Money, and consequently how that secret Spring of Mischief ought to be guarded, I have at this time pitched upon the highest and most daring Instance of Subornation and Bribery, that ever was recorded in History, or acted upon any Theatre in the World. The Matter of Fact is faithfully recorded by St. Matthew to this Effect. The inhuman Jews having prosecuted the Holy JESUS to Death, with a false show of Justice, rest not there, but their Chief Priests and Pharisees go in a Body to Pilate, the Roman Judge, from whom they had extorted the Bloody Sentence, and address him thus; Sir, We remember that That Deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again; therefore to prevent any further Seduction of the People, be pleased to command that the Sepulchre be made sure, until the Third Day, lest his Disciples come by Night, and steal him away, and say unto the People, He is risen from the dead; so the last Error or Imposture shall be worse than the first. Pilate grants their Request, bids 'em satisfy themselves in every Particular, tells 'em they had a Guard of Roman Soldiers at their Service, and leaves them to use all means they could device to secure the crucified Body in the Grave. So they resolving to make sure Work of it, and, if possible, to out do the Tyranny of Death, sealed the Sepulchre, and, as an Ancient Tradition says, Beda de locis sanctis. cap. 2. bound it about with labelns of Iron, and gave such strict charge to the Soldiers, as if they had intended to have made it surer than the Decrees of Fate, or the uncontrolled Laws of Nature. Thus the Watch is set, and a massy ston rolled to the Door of the Sepulchre, to keep the King of Glory in Chains, and the Lord of Life in the Bands of Death. But He that sitteth in Heaven laughed these Wretches to scorn; not all their Malicious Contrivances, in conjunction with Hell and the Grave, could hold him there, where God had a stronger Guard than these Conspirators, for the Angels descended Guardians of the Sepulchre; and on the Third Day, to the confusion and Astonishment of the Roman Garrison, all the Bands and Bars of Death are broken up, the mighty Blockade removed, and the Prison Doors opened with Triumph to make way for the King of Glory. And farther, such was the Power of our Lord's Resurrection, that it not only made the ston give way, but the angelic Lightning even pierced the Stony Hearts of the Soldiers, and forced 'em to make a Confession to the Chief Priests of all the things that were done; but they, resolving to persist in their Iniquity, and to render it safe and unquestionable by a new Crime,( to strengthen their impotent ineffective Malice) betake themselves to Money, the usual Aqua vitae, as one calls it, of fainting causes; with this they hire the Soldiers to tell a most incredible lie, viz. That the Disciples came by night, and stolen the body away while they slept. A Monstrous Absurdity! But the greedy Pensioners, regarding nothing but the Reward, took the money, and did as they were taught. This Historical Account, which our Evangelist gives of this Matter, is sufficiently confirmed by other Historians of unquestionable Credit, as we shall see hereafter. But at present, that we may see more distinctly what inveterate Malice, and slavish Avarice, when Covenanted together can do, our Inquest shall be accountable for these Four Things. I. Why, or to what End was this Money given and received? II. Who they were that gave and received it? III. What Reward was given? IV. How the Bargain was performed? Of these in their Order, with a Deduction of such Inferences as I judge applicable to this Occasion; and all with that Brevity as shall show my humble Regard to your Patience, and to your Business. The First Article of Enquiry is, Why, or to what End was this Money given and received? To the basest Ends and Purposes imaginable, to stifle Truth, and substitute a lie in the room of it. It was given to baffle the clearest Evidence of Christ's Resurrection; it was received to bear false Witness against a most apparent and undisguis'd Truth: And more than that, it was both given and received, not only to Eclipse the Light of the Truth, but to foist in a prodigious Devilish lie. A lie most Maliciously laid against the Capital Article of our Religion, being designed to behead Christianity at a Blow. A lie most Ungratefully Wicked, carried on by Suborning Witnesses with the price of Iniquity, against Him who had purchased their Redemption with the price of his Blood. A lie most notoriously Impudent, made by those who gave the Money, and known to be so by those who received it, being hired to contradict their own Depositions, and forswear themselves as often as they were called to it. But withal, one of the grossest and worst-contriv'd lies that ever was made, wherein the Father of lies, according to his Custom, withdrew his politic Influence, and left his wretched Agents to their own Infatuations. For, is it likely that the Desponding Disciples of Jesus, who were dismayed and scattered upon his Crucifixion, and durst scarce show themselves, should venture thro' so much Hazard and Difficulty to steal a Dead carcase? Can it be reasonably imagined, that a few forlorn, naked, and unarmed Men, should dare to attack the Guards, and force the fortified Sepulchre? But( waving these, and a Thousand more gross Improbabilities) Who saw the Disciples do this? or how do the Guard know it was so?— Why, we are told that all this was done while they slept: O stulta Insania! Foolish and besotted Madness, to give Credit to sleeping Witnesses! If they slept, how could they know it? and if they did not know it, how could they witness it? But I ask pardon for insisting upon this ridiculous and exploded Report, which, if it need Confuting, confutes itself. But I have mentioned these things the better to introduce this Inference; That no Cause is so just, no Truth so evident, but will sometime or other be assaulted by Malice, and contradicted for Money. If the Innocence of the Holy JESUS could not protect him, if the Evidence of his Resurrection met with such Cavellers and Gainsayers; nay, if the infinite Charming Goodness of his Nature was not sufficient to overcome Evil, what can the best of us poor Mortals expect, when Malice and Covetousness combine against us? It is God's Goodness to us of this Nation, that poor persecuted Righteousness has juster Cities of Refuge to flee unto than Jerusalem. That City and her Courts were stained with the Blood, the innocent Blood of many of the Prophets, and of the Anointed of the Lord; Justice and judgement were not to be found within her Gates: But blessed be God, in ours, generally speaking, if we look to the Fountain and chief Conduits of Justice, we have no just Cause of complaining in our Streets; No, we must own with thankfulness, when we reflect upon some Years that are past, that judgement now runs down as clear as Water, and Righteousness like a mighty Stream. Indeed if We, the Disciples of Christ, were in this respect as our Master, we should say it is enough, and be contented; but since his gracious Compassion to our Infirmities has placed us in a Land of Truth and Justice, we should enter into his Gates of judgement with Thanksgiving, as well as into the Courts of Sanctuary with Praise; we should always be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name. But we must turn to our Second Enquiry; Who they were that gave and received this Money? The Givers were no worse( I mean, no less Men, for worse there could not be) than the Chief Priests, assembled with the Elders; or, in a Word, the Sanhedrim, the great Senate, or High Court of Parliament among the Jews. This is the highest Aggravation of their Wickedness: Their Numbers, their Dignity and Office, render their Crime more Conspicuous and Abominable. Had a few vile Wretches laid a Plot to propagate an Untruth, there had been nothing extraordinary in it; but that the whole Governing part of a Nation, that a Number of Priests, and Levites, and Scribes, with Seventy of the Elders or Judges of Israel, should all shuffle and conspire to buy a lie, and that immediately after they had sanctified the Sabbath, nay, and celebrated the great Feast of Unleaven'd Bread too, for that Sabbath-Day was an high day; that they who should have been the public Advocates of Truth and Righteousness, should be Mendacii Sponsores, the Betrothers of an impudent Calumny; that that Court which for its Authority, for some time pretended Power over their Kings, and for its Religious Reputation was by their rabbis called The Prop of true Doctrine; that that Court, I say, should be guilty of most base and horrid Forgery, would scarce be believed in a Common-Wealth of honest Heathens. But this shows the strange Degeneracy and Corruption of the Jewish Church and State at this time, in which Money had the greatest Stroke, forasmuch as their very High-Priesthood was bought and sold: And it is observed of them, that they would stake down their whole Religion to serve an Interest, a Turn, or a Lust: They were Conscientious in nothing but outward Rites; they kept the outside of their Hands clean, but their inside was full of Gifts. These base, inglorious Practices were the dreadful Symptoms of an impending ruin, which always first appear in slavish Minds: Their Iniquity was well-nigh grown to the full; for so truly Diabolical were they in their Practices, that they rejoiced in Iniquity. When the Accursed traitor Judas commun'd with 'em, how he might betray his Master, they were glad, says the Text, and covenanted to give him Money. And here I cannot but observe, to the Eternal Reproach of these Jewish Zealots, and all such Hypocritical Workers of Iniquity, a generous Instance of Justice in the brave old Romans, in the case of Pyrrhus, Tull. de office. l. 1. related thus by Cicero; There was a Fugitive that made a Proposal to the Senate for the poisoning and Dispatching of Pyrrhus; but the Senate and Fabricius delivered up the traitor to his Master. Such was the Detestation they had for Treachery, that they would not make use of it, tho' to the Destruction of a Powerful and Invading Enemy. But so base and ignoble are these Jewish Senates, that they embrace and encourage a most perfidious traitor against the Prince of Peace, and not only give Money to betray him to Death, but to murder the famed of his Resurrection to Life. These Men of Authority were the Givers of this Money, and the Raisers of this vain Report. Let us now examine the Receivers of that, and the Reporters of this. These were some of the Common Soldiers in the Roman Garrison, Men of desperate Fortunes, and prostitute Consciences, Vendible Souls, that would act any thing for Money, and Swear and lie, as well as Kill, for their daily Pay. Now 'tis no wonder that such common Mercenaries should be debauched, when the lustful Senators make their Court to 'em, with their Right-hands full of Gifts. 'Tis no wonder that Slaves are the Trumpeters of a lie, when they see the Lords of the Council are the Leaders and Encouragers to it. They knew they were but the open Instruments of their Secret Malice, and they were secured of Indemnity in case they were called to Account for their slothful Negligence, or deserting their Post; for thus their Warrant runs; If this come to the governour's ears, we will persuade him, and secure, or indemnify, you. So have we known some Knights of the Post, when their Pardon has been secured before-hand, make wonderful Discoveries and Confessions of Treason, which they were never guilty of, only with a wicked Design to accuse others as their complices, and betray innocent Blood. But yet, as to the case of the Roman Hirelings, I must confess 'tis matter of Wonder, notwithstanding all these encouraging Inducements, how they should be persuaded to undertake this Drudgery of Lying against a Truth, which had so lately appeared to 'em in so much Majesty and Glory; a Truth which by its formidable Power, not only made their Hearts to quake, but the Earth to tremble: 'Tis a wonder, I say, that they who, to their utter Confusion and Astonishment, had seen the unwieldy ston removed by a resistless Hand, had felt the Earthquake, nay, had felt the more likely Effects of a Celestial Vision, which struck 'em as Dead Men, so that there remained no strength in them; 'Tis a Wonder, I say again, how they could be disobedient to the Heavenly Vision, how they could be hired to kick against the Pricks, and to fight against God; when they might justly fear, that he who made the Earth to tremble, might as well make it open its Mouth, and swallow them up: This is a most amazing Instance of audacious Wickedness! But, such is is the Levity of Mercenary Soldiers, and such the prevailing Power of Money, that it will attempt any thing; not only to take Towns without Force, and defeat Armies with a Flying Story, but even to change the Truth of God into a lie: So impudent and astonishing was this Undertaking of the Soldiers! But yet when all is said and done, their base juggling instructors were most to blame, who forged this lie, and countenan'd it by their Authority, and spread it per organum Militaris Levitalis, made the Levity and Inconstancy of the Soldiers the Trumpet of their spiteful Invention.— But too much of this; Let us now see what Inferences this Second Enquiry will afford, and for Brevity-sake, among several others, I will only take notice of this One; How dangerous as well as base a thing it is, for Great Men to interpose their Authority in the Case of Subornation and Bribery. Money may do Mischief enough of it-self, but when 'tis animated and strengthened with Authority, it will even take up Arms against Heaven. It was the Power and Authority of the Sanhedrim that encouraged such an Attempt as the World never before heard of, to stop the Sun from Rising; and when he was risen, to blind the Eyes of all Mankind with the Dust of an idle Report. It was by the same means of Money and Authority that Balak and his Princes prevailed in some measure with the blinded Peophet against the Word of Truth; and, Thus, False Accuse are ais'd with Ease, and ride on without control, when Money has Magistracy on its side. But it is well observed by the Judicious Bishop Sanderson, That as Magistrates are petty Gods, God having lent 'em his Name; so False Accusers are petty Devils, the Devil having borrowed theirs, 〈◇〉, the Accuser of the Brethren: For a Magistrate then to countenance a Sycophant, what is it else, says he, but as it were to pervert the Course of Nature, and make God take the Devil's part? But here again, we of this Nation have singular Reason to bless God, that tho' the last Generation was almost, if not altogether, as ignominious for a bloody corrupt Magistracy, and Sham-Courts of Justice, as ever the Jewish Nation was, yet it pleased the Lord to restore our judges as at the first, and 1 Sam. 1. 26. our counsellors as at the beginning, and to make our Zion a city of righteousness. But, alas! there are too many ways to pervert Justice, besides Corruption in Authority; for, as the aforesaid Prelate excellently observes, Though a Ser. II. ad Magistrat. Judge be never so honestly minded, never so zealous of the Truth, never so careful to do Right, yet if there be( as there always will be) some spiteful Accuser or other that will suggest any thing, or an audacious Witness that will swear any thing, or a crafty Pleader that will maintain any thing, or a tame Jury that will swallow any thing, or a craving Clerk or Officer, that for a Bribe will foist in any thing; the Judge, who is tied to proceed secundum allegata & probata, cannot with his best Care and Wisdom prevent, but sometimes Justice will be perverted, Innocency oppressed, and the Guilty Justified. But— I 'm sensible that I've spent too much time in these two first inquiries, and therefore shall make shorter work with the other Two that follow. Now that which falls under our Third Enquiry is, What Reward was here given? And here both the Quale and the Quantum are observable; here is Money given, and large Money. Money, one of the most useful Inventions for Trade and Merchandise under the Sun, is perverted to more gross Abuses, and mischievous Purposes than any one thing whatsoever. Particularly, it has carried on most of the Wars against Truth, that Malice or blind Zeal have ever raised. And no wonder, that it should prove such an Enemy to Truth, when, for the Corruption of Mankind, the Father of lies is made the grand Administrator of it, and therefore is entitled 〈◇〉, The God of Riches; and Covetousness is his catholic Worship, which is Idolatry. With this secret enchantment, this bewitching Temptation, the God of this World has gained Proselytes of all Degrees and Professions. The Infection is Epidemical, from the lowest to the highest; from the Atheist to the Religious Zealot, we find some tainted with the impious Contagion; even the Wise and the Righteous have been sometimes dazzled with it: Therefore the Words of the Law Deut. 16. 19 are an excellent Caveat in this Case, Thou shalt not wrest judgement, nor take a gift; for a gift does blind the eyes even of the Wise, and perverts the words of the Righteous. The Accursed Thing is not only to be found in Achan's Tent, but in the Camp of Saul; nor is the Prophet's Servant Gehazi only vitiated with this leprosy, but Balaam, a Prophet of the Lord is blinded with it: For tho' God had told him positively that he should not curse the People Israel, yet a second Message from Balak, with mighty Promises of Promotion, and double Rewards of Divination tempt him to inquire again of God. But I need not produce these lesser Instances of corrupt Practices wrought by Money, when this was the Reward that was taken against the Innocent; this was the tempting Fruit, which the Serpentine Senators made use of to destroy our Faith in the Second Adam; this was the Silver Hook wherewith they drew in the greedy Soldiers to execute their wicked Project; this the only Lure that could have brought those Birds of Prey to their Hand. I shall not throw in that aggravating Observation which some Expositors with probability enough make, that this Subornation was accompanied with Sacrilege, reckoning that this Covenant was made with Money dedicated to pious Uses, or appropriated to the Service of the Temple: But,— be it as it will, We are assured that it was a round sum of Money v. 1. which was given; for so our Evangelist tells us, that when they had taken Council, they gave large Money unto the Soldiers, 〈◇〉, Money sufficient to satisfy them all to carry on the Design without Scruple; and that sure must be no small sum for so hard a Task, to uphold a lie of that size stood in need of large Money. But here it is worth observing, how much this Caballing Assembly gave for a lie, and how little for the Lord of Truth, when they purchased him of the traitor. It is well observed also by one, that these crafty Senators, cum avarissimi sint, Mendacium tamen & Damnationem emunt; tho' they were infamously and deadly Covetous, yet they gave freely and generously for a damnable lie. Thus Malice makes even Self-interest subject to it, may, makes the covetous Miser turn Prodigal. But yet, tho' Malice laid this wicked Plot, 'twas Money that put it in Execution, from whence I would make this short Inference; That of all the various Inducements wherewith the wicked World aboundeth, to discredit Truth, and pervert Justice, there is none so prevalent and effectual as Money: All the Wit of Men, and Malice of Devils could not here find out such another Expedient. There are indeed other Tools which the Workers of Iniquity make considerable use of; Obsequiousness and fear of Displeasure, which creates sneaking compliances, are too common Instruments in the Hands of the Enemies of Truth; and Envy, Hatred, and Malice may do Mischief enough, especially when so deeply wrought into Men's Composition, as in the Instance before us. But tho' Men be mischievous and wicked enough of themselves, yet are there even in corrupt Nature such Impressions of the common Principles of Truth and Justice, that Men would not often tell a lie gratis, nor do an ill thing for nothing; Thousands of ill Designs, and illegal Practices would miscarry, if it was not for the Midwifery of Money. Hence particularly arise that mischievous Pair, which conspire to propagate falsehood, Subornation, and Perjury; the Cry of both which is heard in this Covenant; the former is notorious, and the latter plainly implied; for what the Watch discovered and declared before the Chief Priests, and was afterwards debated in Council before the whole Sanhedrim, can, I think, be interpnted no less than Depositions upon Oath, being given before the Highest Court of Judicature among the Jews; and therefore their subsequent Covenant to contradict what they had said, seems to have all the Formalities of Perjury. In such sad Solemnities was this accursed Covenant struck up with Money. I will say no more, but since the Coveting after That betrayed the Christ of God, let it not be once name among us, as becometh Christians. Eph. 5. 3. I now proceed to the Fourth and last Article of Enquiry, namely, How this hopeful Bargain was performed? And here, it seems, these Mercenary Slaves, these Obsequious, Officious liars, tho' they were false to God and Conscience, yet they were true to the Treacherous Covenant, and faithful Servants to the Mammon of Unrighteousness; They took the money, and did as they were taught. They acted, or rather were acted as Machines, in which Money was the principal Wheel or Spring of Motion. They that put the Money in their Hands put the Words into their Mouths; such Words as were indeed hard to be swallowed and digested, being an Indictment and Accusation against themselves, in which, if there had been any Truth, we cannot doubt but it would have put these warm Sticklers upon an immediate search in all the Disciples Houses, for the stolen Body; and the Roman Officers, who were severe Exacters of Military Discipline, would infallibly have made the sleepy Watch Examples for neglecting their Post: But a little Underhand-dealing compounds for all this; and the Soldiers, encouraged with large Gifts, and backed with Authority, say after their Teachers; and so the Bargain is performed. And by this means, as many as had a mind to be deceived, were deceived with a sottish idle Story, which our Evangelist tells us was commonly reported among the Jews at the time of his Writing the Gospel; and I know not whether this 〈◇〉 this Monstrous Fable, this lusty-lying-wonder do not obtain among that infatuated People unto this day. A just judgement upon 'em who received not the love of the truth that they might be saved; for which cause God sent them a strong Delusion, says the Apostle, 2 Thes. 2. 10. that they should believe a lie, that they might all be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But after all, this Bargain was not so thoroughly performed. Malice and Money by their powerful Confederacy, held out for some time, and may do still in some dark Corners of the World, against the Truth, but( generally speaking) Truth in this Action proved too strong for 'em both, and triumphed in spite of ' em. All their Machinations soon spent themselves in the Air, without doing any considerable Execution. In plain English; this wicked Plot was not so closely carried on, but the Fraud came to Pilate's Ear, and, notwithstanding the Engagement that was made by the Sanhedrim to persuade him, yet he had so much more Ingenuity than they, that he confesses and declares the whole Intrigue to his Imperial Master Tiberius, in a Letter which is yet extant in the History of the Centuriators, part of which I will here give, because it is a Confirmation of all the Cent. 1. l. 1. c. 10. Evangelical Story. Illi autem( principes Judeorum) crucifixerunt eum, &c. i.e. The Rulers of the Jews crucified this Jesus, and placed a Guard to keep him in the Sepulchre: But he, while my Soldiers were upon the Watch, rose the third Day; but so hot was the crafty Malice of the Jews, that they gave Money to the Guard, to say that his Disciples stolen away his Body: But when they had received the Money, for receive it they did, tacere non potuerunt, they could neither keep Council nor Silence, for they testified not only that they saw him rise again, but that they received Money of the Jews to say the contrary. This is agreeable to what Josephus, Eusebins, and Jos. Ant. Jud. l. 18 c. 4. Euseb. l 2. c. 2. others relate in this Matter. And here we see the whole Mystery of Iniquity laid open, tho' the Soldiers had taken Money against the Truth, yet they could not conceal it long, much less disguise it with a lie: They soon found it too hard for 'em to kick against the Pricks of Conscience, and resist the Majesty of Truth. And this agrees with the other Interpretation which some give of this Saying which was commonly reported among the Jews, viz. not that the Disciples stolen him away, but that the Soldiers were hired to say so. And so I leave the Matter before your judgement, and shall conclude this last Article with one brief Inference. That tho' Innocence may be arraigned, and Truth sullied for a season, by prosperous Deceits and Conspiracies, yet a Lying Tongue, and bought Evidence, is but for a Moment. Truth e'er long shall even Psal. 85. 11. spring out of the Earth, like Plants and Flowers after a stormy Winter; and Righteousness shall look down and discover itself from Heaven. Like the Sun after a short Eclipse, it shall recover its full Glory, and then the Face of them that forge lies shall be confounded, and the Mouth of them that speak those lies shall be stopped. And certainly if the Vanity and Danger of this thing were well considered, how these evil Instruments do in the End prove Bruta fulmina, insignificant Flashes, and being overcharged with Malice and lies, that the Powder, these the Balls, do recoil, and fly foul in the Faces of their Inventors; there would need no other Discouragement to Suborners, and false Witnesses. I exhort therefore, First of all, that the Giver of Bribes would consider, that tho' he may at present raise thick Mists of Error with Money, yet the piercing Beams of Truth will soon break thro' all resistance. However, resistless Death( which comes posting on) cannot be bribed, nor the last judgement corrupted. All Disguises and Vizards shall then be plucked off, and both Truth and falsehood appear in their proper Colours. All Wicked Conspiracies shall be detected, lies confounded, Malice and Envy arraigned and condemned, and the Money of Suborners perish with ' em.— For if Simon the Sorcerer had such a just Sentence of Condemnation passed upon him, for attempting to purchase the Spirit of Truth with Money, what shall become of them who give Money to licence a lie? St. John has shew'd them their Place, and Portion, and wretched Partners, Rev. 22. 15. declaring that whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, shall not enter in thro' the gates into the heavenly City, but shall have their portion with dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters. Again, I exhort, that the Receivers of Bribes Exod. 23. 1. would all consider what the Law says, Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness; what the Gospel saith, What shall it profit thee if Mark 8. 36. thou shalt gain the whole world, and lose thine own Soul? and what Conscience says, Is there not a lie in thy right hand? And what is it, thou vile abject Creature, that thou receivest in Exchange for thy Soul? What? A corruptible Vanity for an immortal Substance; a Royal Image and Superscription stamped upon Earthly Metal for the glorious Image of God, stamped upon the Soul? And, Alas! is there any proportion betwixt White or Yellow Earth, and a Celestial Life? Can you purchase an Inheritance incorruptible with that which Rust corrupteth? or the Rewards of Righteousness with the Price of Iniquity? Can you procure Indulgencies in Hell for Money? or repeal an irreversible Sentence? or commute for infinite Punishments? or even in this Life, Will ill-gotten Wealth purchase Peace of Mind, or satisfy the insatiate Worm which gnaws upon a guilty Conscience? O God, that Men should hunger for that which is not Bread! and unlawfully covet that which profitteth not! that those inestimable Jewels Truth and Righteousness, Soul and Conscience should be bartered for Money! Think then, think, foolish Wretch, what a sorry Bargain thou art making, when thou art hiring thyself to do mischief by telling a lie, swearing falsely, and the like. Be not so easily catched with the dazzling Temptation; remember the dangerous Hook before you swallow the Bait; consider the Curse before you pluck the forbidden Fruit; tho' the Serpent encircling the Branches appear with Silver Scales, yet he carries a deadly Sting: and this sure will check thy heaving Inclinations. Finally, I exhort that we all seriously consider the Desolation which befell the Jewish Church and State for their hardened Malice and smister Practices, that the Judgments which befell them may be a Warning to this Land, and their Misery a Motive to our Amendment. If we that profess our Faith in Christ's Resurrection, imitate the Wickedness and Treachery of those Murderers, whose Malice pursued him beyond the Grave, What is, if this be not, to crucify the son of God afresh? If our Inclinations and Customs be so Mercenary, what are we better than the Jews who worshipped the Golden Calves? Our Covetousness, as Christians, is as gross Idolatry as theirs. I wish, indeed, that Jerusalem had been the last Scene of infamous Corruption in this kind; that these shameful Impieties had been peculiar to the Jews; so that neither the like Sins nor Judgments might be repeated any more. But, alas! how little do many Men of unclean Hands now-a-days consider why that Congregation of Hypocrites was so miserable made Desolate, and how Fire consumed those Tabernacles of Bribery! How little do they think of the Observation of the Son of sirach, that because of unrighteous dealings, injuries, and riches got by deceit, the kingdom is translated from one people to another! How little do they now think of, or regard what the Lord God of Israel says, There is an Accursed Thing in the midst of thee O Jos. 7. 13. Israel: Thou canst not stand before thine Enemies, until ye take away the Accursed Thing from among you. But— since the King by judgement is now establishing the Land, what have we more to do? but with fervency unite our Prayers to God, by whom Kings reign, and the Judges of the Earth decree Justice, That it may please him to bless and keep-the Magistrates, giving them Grace to execute Justice, and maintain Truth, as it is in Jesus, and let All the People say, Amen. FINIS.