THE WICKEDNESS and PUNISHMENT OF REBELLION, A SERMON Preached the 26. July S. V. 1685.  
(Being the Day of Thanksgiveing appointed by his Majesty for the DEFEAT of the REBELS) before the Right Worshipful the FELLOWSHIP OF MERCHANTS ADVENTURERS OF ENGLAND resideing at DORDRECHT.  
By AUG. FREZER, M. A. of St. Edmund's Hall in Oxford, Preacher to the said Society.  2 King. 9: 31. Had Zimri Peace? Rom. 13: 2. They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation. 
ROTTERDAM, Printed by REINIER LEERS, M.DC.LXXXVI.   

To the Honourable BEVIL SKELTON Esquire, Envoy Extraordinary from the most Mighty and Victorious PRINCE JAMES II. King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, etc. to the STATES GENERAL of the United Provinces.  
HONOURABLE SIR,  
TO still the raging of the sea, and the madness of the People, is observed by the Royal Prophet to be the Work of God, and the Effect of an Almighty Power; which never appeared more visibly than in favour of his Majesty for these several years past. First by a miraculous revolution of Affairs to make way for his Accession to the Crown, some time before the death of the late King of blessed memory: then by his peaceable and quiet entrance upon his Government: and lastly by the sudden dissipation of the late Rebellion contrary to all humane Appearance and Expectation.  
Never was any people, since the time of Pontius Pilate, arrived to that height of unaccountable Madness against a Prince who had often ventured his life for their defence and preservation, and had never given them any provocation, that like the Jews against our Saviour, nothing would serve their turns but Crucify him, Crucify him: and when they were asked why, what evil hath he done? They cried out the more, Let him be Crucified.  
A Bill is drawn up, passes the House of Commons, and all sorts of endeavours used to extort the Royal assent & to get it passed into a Law, for the Exclusion of the right Heir, for casting him out of his Inheritance, and for putting him to death too as a Traitor and Common Enemy if he offered to return from his Banishment, and did not patiently submit to the Iniquity of their sentence.  
And this Fit of Madness after it had been a little quieted by a Dissolution and Change of air, is revived again by the VOX POPULI or a Cry of importunate and unmannerly Petitioners from almost all parts of the Nation for another Excludeing House of Commons, which is succeeded by another, who are Resolved not to be satisfied with the most Gracious Offers that were ever made by any Prince to any People, but only at the expense of the Justice, Honour and Conscience of their Sovereign; till they had rendered themselves useless and dangerous; and the Leading Men among them against the Duke of York are found guilty by a Cloud of Witnesses and their own Confession of a Conspiracy against the King, whereof part are brought to condign Punishment, and the rest forced to save themselves by flight from the hands of Justice: that it was now high time for the Government to consider of some more effectual Remedy than had formerly been used to cure the People of their Frenzy, and to keep them, whether they will or no, from undoing themselves, in making choice of such Patriots, as under the pretence of securing their Religion and Property by excludeing the Duke of York from his Right of succession, would have infaillibly destroyed both. In order whereunto an enquiry is made whether such Corporations as had showed themselves most factious and disaffected to the Government, had not abused the Royal Bounty, by which they held their Charters, & are found to have incurred a forfieture, & so partly by due Course of Law, & partly by voluntary resignations such Elections are regulated, and care taken, that only persons of known Loyalty, & well affected to the Government both in Church and State as by Law established should be capable to serve in Parliament. In the mean time the Fever begins to abate, and the People to recover their right senses again. The Duke is sent for Scotland, and by the way suffers Shipwreck, and by a wonderful Providence escapes; and now instead of Crucify him, Away with him, there is nothing but Hosannas, & joyful Acclamations from all Parts and Quarters of the Kingdom for his happy Escape and Deliverance; together with Protestations, & offers of Lives & Fortunes to live and die in defence of the King and his Lawful Successors.  
Thus did God by a series of Miracles both preserve our present Sovereign, & prepare his way to the Throne, by turning the hearts & stilling the madness of the people, that there was not a sword drawn, nor the least Opposition made to hinder, or so much as question his Rightful Succession to the Government upon the Decease of his dear & most entirely beloved Brother. Which whoever duly considers, will be forced to confess, that it was the hand of the Lord only that could bring such mighty things to pass. That be stone which the Builders refused should become the headstone in the Corner! this was certainly the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our Eyes.  
The late Rebellion may be said to be some remainder or dregs of the former fit of Madness, which (by the Blessing of God upon his Majesty's Arms) is so totally extinguished, that so long as it shall please God to continue his happy Reign over us, we have no reason to fear any disturbance for the future. For which unspeakable mercy every true English man that loves his King, or has any kindness for his native Country ought to have kept a day of solemn Thanksgiveing, if there had been none appointed by Authority: which has been the Occasion of preaching the following Sermon; and which I have made public for the sake of such of my Countrymen in these Provinces especially as lie under the Imputation and guilt of assisting the late Rebels, and of contributeing to the carrying on of so impious and diabolical a design: Of whom I do not altogether despair but that by their own and other men's Misfortunes they may be persuaded at length to see and to acknowledge their Error, and not any longer suffer themselves to be deceived to their eternal as well as temporal Ruin and Destruction.  
Having resolved to appear a second time in defence of the Royal Cause, I have presumed, Honourable Sir, to put myself under your Honour's Patronage and Protection, and so guarded I shall not be afraid to bid defiance to all Traitors and Parricides whatsoever, who are confounded with terror, when they hear your very name; nor shall I need to value any man's Censure, which I never thought so considerable as to come in competition with the service of my King or the interest of my Country: which (next to the Glory of God) being the sole ends both of preaching and publishing this discourse, I hope may make some Compensation for the defects that may be in it, and in some measure excuse this Address to a Person, whose study as well as Character is to encourage any thing of Loyalty, and of whose indefatigable pains and diligence in endeavouring by the most prudent and effectual means to stifle the late Rebellion in its birth, and to hinder it from ever breaking forth, there are sufficient Witnesses; whose eminent services upon this, as upon many other Occasions, and rare Accomplishments both natural and acquired, have justly raised you to that place you enjoy in the Esteem and Favour of the most admired and accomplished Prince in the World. Which that you may continually more improve, and find the Effects of it in your Increase of Honour, and of all manner of Felicity, there is no man desires or wishes more than.  
Honourable SIR, Your Honours most Humble and most Obedient Servant A. FREZER.   
Pr. 24. 21. 22. My son, fear thou the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change. For their Calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the Ruin of them both? 
Public mercies and Deliverances call for public Acknowledgements, and Thanksgiveings; and the mercies are so much the greater in proportion to the miseries and calamities from which we are delivered; which, if God had suffered the late Rebellion to succeed, you of this place who now hear me must have expected to have felt as much and perhaps as soon too as any others, by how much your loyalty and adherence to your lawful sovereign has been the more renowned and spoken of. And therefore you have all the reason in the world to comply with the commands of your Prince in bearing a part with the rest of his majesty's Loyal subjects in the devotions of this day, who equally share with them in the joys and blessings for which it is appointed. And next to the just tribute of praise and thanks giving which is to be offered up to almighty God for so singular a mercy, I presume it is intended by authority, you should be put in mind of that duty the neglect of which has been the unhappy occasion of involving so many of our fellow subjects inguilt, and misery. In order whereunto I have made choice, of the words that have been read to you, My son fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change, etc.  
The Argument of this book of proverbs is wisdom, or the design of it (as it is proposed in the beginning) is to know Wisdom and Instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, i. e. to teach men their duty in all capacities wherein they stand related to one another, or in any condition wherein their present or future happiness may be any way concerned, whether as private persons or public. And the foundation of this wisdom or knowledge, and of all the blessed effects of it, which are security from evil, and the acquisition of every thing that is good for us, we are told by the wise man is the fear of God, without which we are fools, and miserable. 
* Pr. 1. 7.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and Instruction. And because the peace of the world, and the welfare of the Public (upon which depends the happiness of particular persons) are so greatly concerned in the duty which subjects owe their Rulers, therefore what our divine Author supposes in giving Rules for our practice in other cases where the duty is of less consideration, here he expressly sets down: and that the duty which he would especially recommend to us might be taken the more notice of, and make the deeper impression upon us (which is the duty of subjects to Kings) he joins it with the fear of God, and seems to lay the same stress upon it, by making use of the same word to express it, as is commonly made use of, to express our duty to God, and threatening the same Calamity & Ruin to those who neglect the one as well as the other. My son fear thou the Lord, and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change; for their Calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the Ruin of them both?  
The words consist of 2 general parts, 1. Here is a command or a duty enjoined. 2. Here is the reason of the command or a punishment annexed to the breach or neglect of it. The command or the duty enjoined is the duty of subjects to their rulers, which is expressed 2 manner of ways. 1 Positively. Fear God and the King, and then negatively, meddle not with them that are given to change. The former or positive part of the duty seems to relate to God as well as to the King: but though God be the object of our fear, and the whole duty we owe him be comprehended in that word, yet I have already showed you, and the following words make it plain, that the duty which subbjects owe their King is principally intended by it, when we are commanded not to meddle with them that are given to change, which are to be understood in a civil or political sense, with relation to those who out of a love of change or novelty, or to gratify their ambition, Revenge, covetousness, or any other passion, rise up against, or refuse to obey, or to be subject to their lawful sovereign, which is inconsistent with the fear and duty which they owe him. And the reason (besides that which has been all ready mentioned) why we are commanded to fear God, at the same time we are bid to fear, honour and obey the King, and when this latter is the thing chiefly designed, is to put us in mind of the inseparable connexion that there is between these 2 duties, the fear of God, and the fear or obedience we owe the King: and of the ground or and quality of our obedience to the latter: and therefore the doctrine or observation from the plain sense of the words may be this.  
That there can be no true fear of God, where there is not a just reverence, and obedience paid to the King. This is a doctrine so plain, and so clearly set down in scripture, that it might seem needless to insist upon the proof of it, if the secret plots, and conspiracies which are daily form, and the open Rebellions which we see raised and carried on against the lives of Princes, and their Government, and all this under the pretence of Religion, did not make it necessary at some times, and upon some occasions (such as this is) to put men in mind of so important a truth.  
The fear of God than you must know consists in a sincere, and universal obedience to all his commands: so that he who wilfully 
† Ja. 2. 10.  offends in one point is by interpretation guilty of all; and cannot properly be said to fear God at all, because the fear of God does equally oblige to the observation of one command as well as of another, and the same penalty is annexed to one as to another; and therefore he who does not fear to offend God in breaking any one of his comandments, (though he keeps all the rest,) cannot be supposed to keep the rest out of any principle of conscience or the fear of God, but for some other consideration, and will make no conscience to break all the rest, whenever he shall have the same occasion or temptation to break them, that he has for the breaking of any one.  
Now it is notoriously known to any one that has read the scripture, that nothing is or can be more expressly commanded by God, than the Honour, obedience, and subjection which is due to Kings. And all this is not only comprehended in the fifth commandment by the honour due to parents, but there are several other more particular commands about it, to teach us how we are to regulate our very thoughts, our words, our actions, and our whole deportment towards them. We must not entertain a dishonourable thought of our Prince, employed in the prohibition, (a) 
a Eccl. 10. 20.  not to curse the King in our thought. (b) 
b Exo. 22. 28.  We must not revile him or speak evil of him. (c) 
c 1 Sam. 26. 9  We must not lift up a hand against him or resist him, (d) 
d 1. K. 1. 23.  We must behave ourselves reverently in his presence. We must obey his commands, and give him that 
‡ Ro. 13. 6.  tribute, or custom which belongs to him, which is necessary for the support of his rule and dignity, and which is but a small recompense for the benefits, we receive by his Government. And all this is no more than what is particularly commanded by God in the old Testament, and by our saviour and his Apostles in the new, and has been taught and practised by holy men, and by the church of God in all ages: which is all comprehended under the word fear or honour which is so often mentioned and commanded with relation to Kings as their Right and Due, and which cannot be denied them without sacrilege, & disobedience to God himself? 
* Ro. 13. 7.  Render therefore to all their Due, Tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, and honour to whom honour.  
But not to insist at present any further upon other particulars of the duty which subjects owe their King. I shall only speak a few words concerning resistance, and the nature or quality of our obedience, the wilful misunderstanding whereof is the cause of all our troubles and of all our divisions.  
1. Concerning the lawfulness of resistance, (which some of our late Rebels have been so far deserted by God as to assert, not only in words, and with their pens, but with their blood, and their last breath) there need no other arguments be used to confute it, and for ever to stop the mouths of all rebellious gainsayers, (if any thing could convince them,) than the Testimonies of David and St. Paul, whose authority I am sure is indisputable, and not to be questioned by any that own the scriptures to be the word of God. 
† 1 Sa. 26. 9  Who can stretch forth his haud against the Lords anointed and be guiltless? was the Amulet or charm (if I may so call it) which the man after God's own heart, had been taught by the spirit of God, to make use of upon any occasion or temptation that he had to revenge himself of his greatest enemy, to curb his own passion, and to restrain others from offering the least violence to their lawful sovereign. The other Testimony is of St. Paul. Ro. 13. 5. Wherhfore you must needs be subject not only for wrath but conscience sake. In the former passage David lays it down as a principle of the law of nature acknowledged by all the world, that it is impossible for any man that is a subject to resist his prince, and be Innocent: Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless? In the latter, the Apostle asserts the necessity of subjection (in opposition to resistance, which is forbidden condemned & threatened with damnation Rom. 13. 1. 2.) upon the score of conscience, that if there were no other reasons to oblige men to be subject drawn from hope of reward or fear of punishment, yet they were bound to be so out of conscience, and they might with as safe a conscience break any of the Commands of God as resist. Which two testimonies against the lawfulness of resistance will never be answered, or evaded by those who are so audacious and impious as to speak or write in favour of such as take up arms against their lawful Prince upon the account of conscience, and Religion (as is pretended;) who may as well hope to reconcile light and darkness; or God and Belial, as the principles and practices of such Persons with the scriptures, and the fear of God.  
2. Concerning the nature or quality of that obedience which is due to Kings. We must obey them in all things, except where a superior command has already engaged our obedience, to the contrary. The commands of a superior are still to be obeyed before the commands of an Inferior; and therefore if the King, who is only God's Vicegerent or deputy shall command any thing that is contrary to what God has commanded us before: in all such cases the Rule of the Apostles is to take place, that it is better to obey God than man. Acts. 4. 19  
In all other things which are left undetermind by God, and are not contrary to his will, when they are commanded by those who are set in authority over us, our obedience is necessary and indispensable. And therefore to secure us from transgressing our duty to God and our superiors, we must endeavour to acquaint ourselves with the whole will of God revealed to us in scripture, that so we may know wherein it is lawful for us to obey our superiors, and wherein we may lawfully refuse to comply with them. Where our obedience is lawful, it is always necessary, and it is always lawful where the thing commanded us is not forbidden by God, though it may happen to be contrary to our interests or Inclinations. We must be subject and obedient as well to froward and severe Masters, as to the good and gentle, 
* 1 Pet. 2. 13.  for this is thanks worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. And from hence I shall take the liberty to infer, that where the matter of the Command is of a doubtful nature, or when we doubt of the lawfulness of it, our obedience is still necessary, because the thing commanded is not for bidden by God, at least not directly or expressly forbidden, for if it were there could be no doubt of the unlawfulneste of it; and if it be doubtful we have as much reason to think it may be lawful as unlawful, and the presumption of its lawfulness ought to be for the Magistrate, who is supposed to be better able (as having greater helps) to judge of what is agreeable to the will of God: and then besides all this we have the Commands of our superiors, and the necessity of our obedience, if the thing we are commanded be not apparently sinful to justify or at least to excuse our compliance. As for that objection which I foresee may be brought against what hath been said from Ro. 14. 23. where the Apostle speaking of eating some sorts of meats with a doubting conscience, when the persons who did eat of such meats as had been for bidden by God doubted whether they were not still forbidden, and yet would venture to eat of them. He that thus doubteth (says the Apostle) is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. But this objection does not reach the case we are speaking of, because the Apostles doubting person was at liberty not to eat of the things whereof he doubted, and in all cases of the like nature where men are at liberty, it is safest to forbear a doubtful action, as for example it is doubtful whether it be lawful to practise usury, and every man is at liberty whether he will practise it or no, and therefore it is safest not to practise it: but obedience to Magistrates is no such arbitrary matter, but is a duty laid upon the conscience, and if we are not well assured that the thing commanded is sinful, it is certain we sin, if we refuse to yield obedience to it; which I conceive to be the case of those who refuse to conform to the public worship and service of God, as it is enjoined by Authority and established in the Church of England.  
For the further confirmation of what hath been said I shall add one Argument more drawn from the nature and well being of all Government, that if a scruple concerning the lawfulness of a command from our superiors be allowed to be of equal weight with the duty of obedience, than the obedience of subjects will be arbitary, because it is impossible to see into men's hearts, and when they have no mind to obey, it is but pretending a scruple of conscience for their disobedience: for if they may lawfully scruple, so as to be excused from their obedience, than it is unlawful for the Magistrate to punish them for not obeying; and it will be all one as to the exercise of the Magistrates power whether the scruple be real or pretended: and how can any government subsist which is thus precarious and made to depend upon the pleasure or humour of the people? And therefore the Principles which draw such consequences after them cannot be true or agreeable to the will of God; and by consequence the contrary which I have asserted and explaind to you must be true, because according to the command of our saviour it renders unto God, the things that are Gods, and unto Cesar the things that are Caesar's: It gives God all that honour and obedience which himself requires of us, and it tends most to promote and preserve that Order and Peace, which God has instituted and established in the world.  
To conclude this particular, they who scruple to comply with the commands of their Prince, or the laws of the Government where they live, without being convinced by clear and sufficient reasons of their unlawfulness, do plainly show, that they are weary, and dissatisfied both with their Prince and with their Government: and when people come once to be weary of a thing, they begin to wish they were rid of it, and would be willing to exchange it for something which they fancy to be better; and from wishes they proceed to words, and must be laying open the faults they discover either in the Government itself or in the Governors, which they would have redressed; and the next step is to action, to take the Government into their own hands, and to reform it as they think fit themselves; and this cannot be accomplished without a Rebellion, which the Authors and Contrivers endeavour to palliate with the mask of Religion, or of a Godly, thorough Reformation. And by these footsteps you may be able to trace all the Rebellions that have been fomented and carried on among ourselves more then among any other people in the world, from their Infancy and Original to their full Growth; and who have been the men in all of them, that have most contributed towards them, and have been most active in them; and to whom the Character which is given by the wise man to some persons in the Text does most fitly agree, of such as are given to change, which brings me to the negative part of the Duty enjoined in the words. And meddle not with them that are given to change.  
2. To fear God then, and to be given to change, it seems in the Judgement of Solomon (whatever the Doctrine of our modern casuists may be) are things of a quite different, and inconsistent nature. He that fears God is not given to change, and he that is given to change does not fear God; which is a farther confirmation of the Doctrine or observation from the former part of the words, where God and the King are joined together as partners of the same duty, of the same Fear and Reverence which is due to both.  
We must fear God, and we must fear the King; we must honour God and we must honour the King; and we must obey God, and we must obey the King; where this fear, honour, and obedience, which we are commanded to give to the King, does not interfere with that fear, honour and obedience which belongs to God: but to be given to change is inconsistent with both, nor does he either fear God or the King, who lies under that Charge or Imputation.  
If we would therefore fear God and the King as we ought and as we are commanded to do. We must neither be given to change ourselves, nor have any thing to do with those that are.  
1. If we would fear God and the King, as it is our duty to do, We ourselves must not be given to change. To be given to change is to endeavour the Alteration or Reformation of the Government under which we live, without the leave, and against the will of those that are in Authority, which is a resisting the higher powers, which I have irrefragablie proved to you, it is not lawful for subjects to do, upon any pretence or provocation whatsoever, which may incline or dispose us to endeavour or to attempt a change.  
Now the usual Pretences or Provocations which hurry men into Rebellion against their Prince, and to endeavour the change and the subversion of the Government under which they live may be reckoned these four especially. Ambition, covetousness, Revenge, and Religion or Reformation; Against all which, and whatever other passion or pretence may excite or provoke us to cast off the fear and reverence, which we owe our Prince, the wise man gives us his advice. Eccl. 8. 2. 3. 4. I counsel thee to keep the King's commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of his sight; stand not in any evil thing, for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him. These words, be not hasty to go out of his sight, are generally interpreted to signify, that we should not suffer our passion so far to prevail over our reason, as to withdraw ourselves from the service and obedience of our Prince, as discontented persons use to do, which will both provoak him against us, and lead us by degrees into sedition and Rebellion: so that there was never any man who has thrown off his Allegiance, but it was by giving way to some one or other of the foremention'd Provocations.  
1. Ambition and a desire of Rule is some time that Passion, which stirs up men to throw off the bonds of duty and allegiance to their lawful sovereign, that so they may get into the Throne themselves, which passion is observed by Cicero to reign most in Persons of a great soul (the Effect for the most part of a noble Extract,) who are commonly the Heads, and Ringleaders of a Rebellion. Vt quisque animi magnitudinè excellit, ita maximè vult Princeps omnium esse etc. by how much any man excels others in greatness of mind, so much the more he desires to be above all; and then he further observes, that his Ambition quickly degerates into Tyranny, difficile autem est ne cum praestare omnibus concupiveris, servare aequitatem quae est Justitiae maximè propria. But it is a very difficult matter for any man who desires to be above others, to observe the Rules of Equity and Moderation, which is the Essential Property of Justice. The former part of the Observation is plain from the Examples of Absalon, Adonijah and the unfortunate Author of the late Rebellion in our own Nation, who were as Great and as Happy as a Generous and Indulgent Prince, such a Prince as David was, or as Charles the second could make them, and might have lived more Happy than either, if they had been but as sensible of the Weight and Cares of a Crown, as they were dazzled with the splendour of it. Nor is the latter part of the observation less true concerning the degeneracy of Ambition into Tyranny and all manner of Injustice, as might be made appear from innumerable Examples both in our own and other Nations, when ever God has suffered a Rebellion to succeed for the sin; of a People, Tyranny, Cruelty and Oppression have been the unavoidable effects and consequences of it.  
2. Another Passion which may excite men to desire and to attempt a Change of the Government where they live is Covetousness, or the hopes of bettering their condition under a new Master. With this Saul upbraids his servants, when he suspected they had a greater kindness for David than for himself. 1 Sa. 22. 7. Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him. Hear now ye Benjamites. Will the son of jesse give every one of you fields and Vineyards, and make you all Captains of Thousands, and Captains of Hundreds, that all of you have conspired against me? And who were the People that followed David, who for aught they knew had justly fallen under his Prince's displeasure, and did intend to make himself King? 
† 1 Sam. 22. 2.  They were such as were in distress, and in debt, and every one that was discontented. 
* Semper in civitate quibus opes nullae sunt bonis invident malos extollunt; vetera odere; nova ex optant; dio suarum rerum mutari omnia student, rurbaatque seditionibus sine curâ aluntur, quoniam Egestas facile habetur sine damno. Sallust. Bellum Catil.  They who have profusely spent their Estates, and are so much in debt, that they see no way or possibility ever to get out of it, or who never had any thing to lose, are the only persons that are most likely to get by a Rebellion, and therefore most apt to desire one and to be engaged in it. They care not what becomes either of their King or Country, or who gets into the Throne, so they may but raise their Fortunes, or better their present circumstances by the Ruin and Destruction of both. This we find to have been the Case of Catiline that famous or rather infamous conspirator and Rebel, and of his complices 
‡ Catilinam luxuria primum, tum hinc conflata egestas rei familiaris in nefaria consilia opprimendae patriae suae compulêre▪ salust.  as the Historian observes of him and them, that they had consumed their Estates by their Luxury and extravagancy, and could think of no other way to retrieve them but by a Rebellion, Which has been the case no doubt of most of our late Rebels, who had all been promised, or at least had promised themselves, besides all the profitable and honourable Employments in the Kingdom an equal share in all the Crown and Church Lands, and in the Estates of those they called Papists (as heretofore Malignants) for no other reason but only for adhering to their lawful King if this Rebellion had succeeded; as had been practised in a former. Not a Ploughman but must have been at least a Justice of Peace who thought with themselves, like those other Rebellious Husbandmen in the Gospel. 
* Mar. 12. 7.  This is the Heir, come let us kill him, and not only his Inheritance, but the Inheritance of all that depend on him or that side with him shall be ours.  
3. A third exciteing cause of Rebellion, and which is apt to put men upon desiring, and attempting a Change is Revenge. When men think they have not been sufficiently rewarded for their services; or when they see others less deserving preferred before them, or when they have received any particular injury either in their own Persons or in their Relations, they begin to be uneasy and discontented, and study all the ways imaginable how to be revenged, and to do themselves Justice, and are glad of any Opportunity, either to be the Heads, or at least the Partners in a Rebellion. When Joab saw he was like to be supplanted by Abner and Amasa, to whom David had designed to give the Command of his Army, and whom therefore Joab thought it convenient to dispatch out of the way: and when he understood that David upon his death bed, had given Solomon a charge concerning 
‡ 1 K. 2. 6.  him not to suffer his hoar head to go down to the grave in peace; upon the death of David he refuses to own Solomon for King, but goes over to Adonijah who pretended a right to the Crown, and joins with a Usurper against his lawful sovereign. The Conquest of Spain by the Moors owes itself merely to a Transport of this Passion; Count Julian General of the Spanish Forces under Rodericus King of Spain, being sent with the Army under his Command to fight against the Moors, and having having heard that the Chastity of his wife had been violated in his Absence, he was so incensed at it, that he presently goes over to the Enemy, brings them to invade his own Country, who make an absolute Conquest, after the slaughter of many thousands on both sides together with the King and all the nobility, and they keep it for above 700 years in their possession. Such an influence has Revenge when it is let loose over men's minds, that they resolve to leave nothing unattempted, though it cost the utter ruin and destruction of their country to accomplish it.  
4. Another exciteing cause which is apt to stir men up to resist and to take up arms against their lawful sovereign, is 
* Per illa tempora quicunque Remp agita uêre honestis nominibus alii sicuti jura Populi defenderent, pars, quo senatus auctoritas maxuma foret, bonum publicum simulantes &c Sallust. Beilum Catil.  Religion and Reformation. What ever the secret and Impulsive causes of all civil Commotions have been, Whether Ambition, Covetousness or Revenge, the open and the most plausible pretence, which the Authors and Abetters of such Commotions have ever had the confidence publicly to own (except when they have pretended a Title to the Crown) has still been Religion and Reformation: There being no other way to engage such as are simple and well meaning people to be of their party; while they are secure of others who have no sense of Conscience or Religion, that they will come in fast enough, and join with them for their own private ends and interest. And this stratagem has been so universally practised, and found to be so useful and necessary for the carrying on of a Rebellion, that I believe there are not many examples to be met with in the Histories of all times and places from the beginning of the world, that have been begun without it. If we look back as far as the times of Moses, 
Nu. 16. 3.  we find Corah, Dathan and Abiram with their Confederates, murmuring against Moses and Aaron, and endeavouring to make a Rebellion. upon a pretence of greater holiness, So like wise 
‡ 2 Sam. 15. 11.  the want or the Corruption of Justice, and the necessity of a Reformation is pretended by Absolom, and this gets him the hearts of the people, and two hundred of them follow him, presently in their simplicity. The very same Pretensions have been made use of in all the Rebellions that have happened in our own Nation, (at least since the Reformation,) which will furnish us with matter enough, without being obliged to our Neighbours or to more remote countries for Examples. 
† Cum alii aliter sentirent, dicerentque consultias sibi videriut non Catholica fides, verum alia quaepiam belli causa obtendiretur, tunc Norhumbriae Gomes, at Ego (inquit) aliam nullam aut scio aut agnosco, neque hominum (opinor sed Dei Gloriam quaerimus. Concer●atie Eccles. Cathol. in Angl. p. 46.  The frequent Conspiracies laid against the life of that Incomparable Princess of glorious memory Queen Elizabeth were all contrived upon the score of Religion. The Design of blowing up the King and Parliament upon a fifth of November was a Design of Religion. It was Religion and the Extirpation of Popery, and the Reformation of the Church according to the Examples of the best Reformed Churches, that inspired the Pen men of the solemn League and Covenant that set the three Kingdoms in a flame, and destroyed the best Prince that ever wore a Crown, and the best established Government in the world. The Association a few years ago was contrived and entered into for the sake of Religion: and it was the same spirit of Religion that actuated the Authors of the late Traitorous Declarations, which were published to justify the two Rebellions, which are so very lately extinguished, and for which we are now met to bless God, in putting a stop to the miseries that do accompany an intestine and unnatural war in our own Bowels. Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum. Nothing but Religion (as the Poet well observes) could be the cause of so much evil.  
Now the advice of the wise man in relation to all these causes or Impulsives to Rebellion, whether secret or avowed, whether real or pretended, is that we should not be hasty to go out of the King's sight. i e. We must not give way to any of our Passions: we must not suffer ourselves to be overcome or transported with any the greatest Provocation or Temptation to withdraw ourselves from the service of our Prince, to deny him our obedience, to throw off our allegiance to him, or to rise in Rebellion against him. Let not the Glories of a Crown, nor the hopes of making thy Fortune, nor the greatest Injuries and desire of Revenge, nor the pretence of Religion ever tempt or provoak thee to be a Rebel. Ambition, Covetousness and Revenge are sins in their own Nature, and become more exceeding sinful, when they are varnishd over with the specious show of Religion, and made the Instruments of stirring up of a Rebellion because simulata sanctitas est duplex Iniquitas, Counterfiet Religion' or Holiness is complicated iniquity, and 
‡ 1 Sam. 15. 23.  Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft: and if it be not the sin against the holy ghost, it is very near a kin to that sin which in all probability comes nearest it, which is the sin of witchcraft, which is a Renunciation of God, and a listing ourselves in the service of the Devil: and therefore Rebellion is fitly compared to Witchcraft because as Witchcraft is a renunciation of that duty and service we owe to God, so Rebellion is the same in relation to his Vicegerent. They are both sins of the first magnitude, and very rarely admit of or leave a place for Repentance: which is all that is affirmed of the sin against the holy Ghost, when it is said, that it shall never be for given neither in this life, nor in that which is to come.  
2. As our first and chiefest care should be not to give way to any of those passions which may be apt to stir us up to rebel, or to desire and attempt a change, so that we may preserve our Loyalty and our Innocence untainted and free from suspicion as well as guilt: we are advisd or commanded in the next place, not to meddle with them that are given to change. We must have nothing to do with those we know to be of factious and rebellious Principles. And the reasons which may be given for this are not of the least importance, which are these two.  
1. Because the very Conversation of some persons breathes infection, and by keeping them Company, we shall come at length to have a better opinion of their Principles, and a worse opinion of our Governors than either of them deserve. The poison of their discourse will insensibly insinuate itself into our souls, and we shall be corrupted, we shall be undone before we are aware. And therefore the reason which the Wise man gives why we should not keep Company with angry men, is no less true of seditious persons, and of all other sinners whatsoever. 
† Pr. 22. 24.  Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go, lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.  
2. The other reason against keeping company or having any thing to do with persons of disloyal principles, may be taken from the suspicion and disreputation that is contracted by it. A man is said to be known by the Company he keeps, and such as his Company is known to be, such he is supposed to be himself: and when he is once suspected to be disaffected, to the Government, it will be no easy matter for him ever after to wipe off the suspicion. And from hence some men merely by being reputed to be disaffected have come to be really so; supposeing it one and the same thing to be an ill man as to be thought one. Indeed a good man who is conscious of his own Innocence ought to be satisfied from himself, and with the Testimony of his own Conscience and not to value the Opinion of the World, if he have given no just cause for its ill Opinion. But there are few men in love with Virtue for its own sake, or would be virtuous if they thought they should not be taken notice of: and therefore when once they come to be suspected, and find how hard, if not impossible it is to regain their former reputation, they resolve never to attempt it, and care not if they are altogether as bad as they are supposed and represented: besides all this, the very suspicion may sometimes be of as ill consequence to a man as if he was really guilty: which may suffice to let you see what great reason every man has who values either his Innocence or Reputation to avoid the Company of those who are known to be men of seditious and Rebellious Principles; if they would avoid the guilt or the Imputation of being given to change, and the ill Consequences of it, which brings me to the,  
2. General part of the words, viz the Punishment threatened to all those, who are given to Change or who rebel against their lawful Prince, set down in the latter part of the words, for their Calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the Ruin of them both?  
As God is pleased to express the Duty he requires of us himself, and the Duty which subjects owe their Kings, by one and the same word, to signify the great Concern he has for them, and for the peace and welfare of the world, which depends upon the preservation of their persons, and the Obedience which is due to them from their subjects; so the better to secure their persons from violence and to keep their subjects in their Obedience, he threatens the same punishment to those who shall violate their Duty to the King, as to himself; For their Calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruin of them both? And the reason is, because he who is a Traitor, and a Rebel to his King is at the same time a Traitor and a Rebel to God. This God himself tells Samuel when the People refused any longer to be governed by him. 
* 1 Sam. 8. 7.  They have not rejected thee (says God) but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them which is more fully expressed by St. Paul. Ro. 13. 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers, for there is no Power but of God: the Powers that be are ordained of God, whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation.  
The Damnation here spoken of by St. Paul includes both the Calamity and Ruin that is threatened to Rebels in the text, and that more severe Punishment or Damnation which is reserved for them in the other world.  
1. The Temporal Punishment which is here threatened to Rebels is expressed after such a manner as to denote both the Nature, the Certainty and the Suddenness of it.  
The Nature of their Punishment is expressed 1. by the Calamity or miseries they bring upon themselves and then by their final Ruin and Destruction. The Certainty of their Punishment is signified by the reduplication of the threatening expressed by Calamity and Ruin; and the suddenness of it as it is expressly set down, for their Calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the Ruin of them both?  
This, as all other temporal threatenings in scripture, is to be understood as generally and for the most part true.  
Tho God has threatened the wicked with Temporal as well as Eternal misery, yet we see many times, 
a Jer. 12 1:  that the way of the Wicked prospers, and they are happy that deal very treacherously. 
b P. 1. 73.  They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men, nay they have no pangs in their death neither, but their strength continues firm to the last. So it may, and so it does sometimes far with Rebels, they may for a time prosper in their Rebellion, and God may suffer his People for the punishment of their sins and for their Amendment and Reformation to groan under a long and prosperous Usurpation. But when any thing of this nature happens, it is beside the common method of God's Providence, and all such persons have reason to expect the contrary, and if they do not meet with their Punishment in this world, they may be sure it will light so much the heavier upon them in the next. 
c Ps. 92. 7.  When all the wicked spring as the Grass and when all the Workers of Iniquity do flourish: it is that they may be destroyed for ever.  
But the Rule both of our Judgement and of our Practice is not to be borrowed from Extraordinary Occurrences, but from the common and usual proceedings of God, and the known declarations of his will in scripture: And according to both these ways of Judging, the fate of Rebels as to this world may be concluded to be such as it is represented to us, both as to the Nature, the Certainty, and the Suddenness of their Calamity and Ruin. They are generally reduced to great want and misery in their life time; they come to an untimely end, and their Destruction very often befalls them upon a sudden, as might be easily made appear by innumerable Examples both in sacred and profane story, of which I shall only instance in afew.  
Corah, Dathan and Abiram (whom I have already mentioned) were the first Rebels that we have any account of in scripture; and because Rebellion was till then a new and unheard of sin, God resolves to punish them after a new & extraordinary manner. The Earth is made to open her mouth, & 
a Nu. 16  to swallow them up alive with all that belonged to them. The next Rebel of any note or consideration that we read of was 
b 2 Sam. 15.  Absolom, who contrary to all the ties of Nature, Duty & Gratitude raised a Rebellion against his father, which was quickly dissipated, & the General himself in his flight, riding under an Oak caught up by the hair of the head, where he hung till he was struck through the heart by Joab; which put an end to that Rebellion; which is no sooner over, but 
c 2 Sam. 20.  Sheba the son of Bichri a man of Belial, sounds a trumpet, & issues out a Declaration, saying, we have no part in David neither have we Inheritance in the Son of jesse, Every man to his Tents o Israel: and he draws all Israël after him; but is presently pursued by Joab, & loses his head as the reward of his Treason & Rebellion. After this we read of nothing almost but Treasons & Rebellions in the Kingdom of Israël, (which was at first founded in a Rebellion) from the time of its Revolt from the house of David till it was carried away Captive; and of the slaughter and destruction of those that had a hand in them, that it was become a Proverb, Had Zimri Peace, who slew his Master? He conspired against Elah his Master, and slew him, 
1 K. 16.  and the whole time of his Reign was seven days in Tirzah, and when the People heard say, Zimri hath conspired and hath also slain the King, they made Omri Captain of the Host King in the Camp, and he went up and all Israël with him, and they besieged Tirzah: and it came to pass when Zimri saw that the City was taken, that he went into the Palace of the King's house, and burned the King's house over him with fire, & he died. And some such miserable fate may be observed to have attended the Authors, of almost all the Parricides and all the Rebellions that have happened in any part of the world from that time to this. 
* Percussorum autem fêre neque trienaio quisquam amplius super vixit, neque suâ morte defunctus est etc. Sueton. invitâ Caes. sic Capitol. de Gordianis caede.  Of those that murdered Julius Caesar not a man of them died a natural death. All of them stood condemned, some perished by shipwreck, others by war, and some killed themselves with the same dagger they stabbed their Master. And did not the same Vengeance overtake the murderers of our late Blessed sovereign King Ch. the Martyr? And what's become of the two last Rebellions that have been ' raised in these Nations to which we belong, and of their Leaders? In the space of less than two months, we have seen two Rebel Arms in the field breathing out nothing but destruction to their natural and lawful sovereign, and to all that adhered to him, animated with the great numbers that at first came flocking into them, and with the certain hopes of success and Victory; we have seen them I say contrary to their own & the Expectation of all their Friends, and Confederates both at home and abroad, totally routed by a small number of the King's Forces, a great part of them slain upon the place, and the rest dispersed, and left without all hopes or a possibility of making an escape: Their General himself reduced to the utmost Extremity and a want of all things, so as to be ready to perish with hunger, and then taken alive, and brought to suffer death by the hands of a common Executioner. To whom and to all such perfidious Traitors as they were, the Prophetical Observation of the Psalmist may be applied, and will be verified at one time or other Ps. 7. 14. Behold he travaileth with Iniquity and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood; he made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made; his mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. For which every good man will join with the same Royal Prophet in the next verse, and say, I will praise the Lord according to his Righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. All which may be sufficient to justify the Assertion of the wise man in the words, concerning the punishment of Rebels, and & such as are given to change as to this life; That their Calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruin of them both?  
But yet this Calamity and Ruin which is threatened to Rebels in this life is but part of their punishment: and though one would think might be enough to terrify any man from such practices, as may render him liable to it, yet it is nothing to that other severer punishment which is reserved for them in the other world, and which without Repentance they shall not be able to escape. There is a possibility (as I have observed to you) that a Rebellion (by the just permission of God for the sin's of a People) may succeed, and that the Authors of it may go down to the Grave in peace: but whether they do or do not escape in this life, there will be no hopes or possibility of their escapeing in the next; I mean without Repentance, and there is the less hopes of their Escape, because there is so little hopes of their Repentance. Then they will be convinced to their eternal Confusion, that it was no such light or trivial matter (as it is now generally made) to revile the Gods, or to speak evil of the Ruler of our People; to curse the King in our thought, or to stretch forth our hand against the Lords Anointed. And 
* jud. 8. 13  if the Blackness of Darkness be reserved for those who despise Dominions, and speak evil of Dignities; what degree of Punishment shall be thought great enough? what Flames of eternal fire shall be kindled for those who delight to wash their hands in the blood of Princes, and to involve their Dominions in Misery and Confusion, and to turn the whole world (if it were in their Power) into one Aceldama or field of blood? Certainly such men must expect to receive to themselves a Damnation above that which belongs to the ordinary rank of sinners, and proportionable to the greatness and heinousness of their Impieties. Their sin seems to be of the same nature with that of Lucifer, and his Rebellious Apostate Angels, and in some respect may be said to be more criminal, as being actually attended with a greater train of evils, and therefore it is but reasonable they should partake of the same punishment, which is, 
‡ jud. 6.  to be reserved in everlasting chains, under Darkness unto the judgement of the great day. And then they shall receive their final and irrevocable sentence, of Go ye Cursed into Everlasting lasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels.  
Thus you have heard what is the Duty which God requires of subjects towards their King and Sovereign, and what is the Punishment due to Rebels. We are commanded to fear and honour the King; we must not revile him nor speak evil of him, we must not curse him no not in our thought, nor much less lift up a hand against him. We must not suffer any passion, or temptation or provocation to transport us beyond our duty, so as to withdraw our Obedience from him. We must neither be given to change ourselves, nor have any thing to do with those that are; both for fear of being infected with their pernicious principles or at least of being suspected; which may both do us an injury, and perhaps involve us in the real guilt of those principles and practices whereof at first we were only suspected to be guilty. You have heard likewise the Punishment which belongs to Rebels both as to this life, and to that which is to come; and though the former seems to be only expressed, yet the latter is always supposed; and is likewise expressed by the Apostle that they receive to themselves Damnation. Their punishment as to this life is both certain, and sudden, their Calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruin of them both? which by the great Mercy of God, we have seen verified in the sudden and unexpected period that has been put to two Rebellions in our own Island; for which we have great reason (as we are commanded by Authority) to offer up our public as well as private Thanksgiveings to our great Sovereign the King of Heaven and Earth, for delivering us from the Miseries and Calamities which our sins had most justly deserved, and which we have been taught by sad Experience to be the constant Attendants upon an unnatural and successful Rebellion. Nor must our Thanksgiveing only be verbal, and with our lips, but we are called upon to set forth the praises of our Great Deliverer with our lives (which is the most acceptable way of praising him) by endeavouring to improve this and all other his Mercies to the Glory of his Great Name, the Honour, Peace, and Benefit of our Sovereign and his Kingdoms, and as much as in us lies to the good of all mankind; all which we shall be the better enabled to do if we are careful to transcribe the Duty in the text according to its literal meaning into our hearts and lives, by adding the true fear of God, to the Loyalty we profess to have for our King: which will afford us these two Inferences by way of Application, with which I shall conclude.  
1. That without Piety or the Fear of God, our greatest Professions of Loyalty, will be but like a house built by a fool without a faundation upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the Winds blue, and beat upon it and it fell. So long as it was fair Wether and no Wind stirring it seems the house stood, but the first blustering storm blew it over; so it is with all those that are disloyal to God, and yet pretend Loyalty to their King. It is no wonder if they love their King, when Loyalty is in fashion and they know it to be their Interest as well as Duty. But when ever the scene comes to be altered, and that the Royal Interest declines, and they are like to be sufferers by their Loyalty, they are the most likely Persons to turn Apostates, because their Loyalty had no sure Foundation it was founded upon the sand. But where a man's Loyalty proceeds from the Fear of God and a sense of Duty, it may fitly be compared to a house built upon a Rock, and the rain descended and the flood came, and the winds blue, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a Rock. A truly pious and good man will be Loyal in foul weather as well as in fair. Let the Sun shine or let it rain, he is still the same. He will love, honour and stick to his Prince as well in Adversity as Prosperity, and he will think it as great an honour to suffer as so reign with him.  
2. As Piety and the Fear of God is the only security we can give of our Loyalty (it being impossible there can be any firm and unshaken Loyalty without it;) so without Loyalty it is as certain there can be no true Piety. All the noise and fair speeches about Religion that have been made by Rebels in their Covenants and Declarations, and all the outward shows of Godliness, which they have put on, have been nothing but Hypocrisy, and Traps to deceive the simple. There have no men ever known so well how to counterfiet a Form of Godliness; or who have known so little what belonged to the Power of it. 
a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. upon the Covent.  While the breath of Religion fills the sails (as our late Royal Martyr speaks in his incomparable book) Profit is the Compass by which Factious men steer their Course in all seditious Commotions. And as the same Eccellent Prince speaks in another place against our late hypocritical Reformers; 
b Id. c. 20  jam sure the right methods of reforming the Church, cannot consist with that of perturbing the Civil state: nor can Religion be justly advanced by depressing Loyalty, which is one of the chiefest Ingredients & Ornaments of true Religion, for next to Fear God is Honour the King. Nor will any men in Impartial times appear good Christians, that approve not themselves good subjects. And therefore you may take this for a Certain and infallible Rule, that he who Fears, Honours, and Obeys God, will Fear, Honour, and Obey his King likewise. Which God grant we may all do, for the honour of Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit. as for all other mercies, so more especially for that we now celebrate, be ascribed (as is most due) all Praise Majesty and Dominion now and for ever. Amen.  
FINIS.