A SERMON Preached before the KING In his Royal Chapel of Windsor, July the 27th 1684.  
By HENRY HESKETH, Chaplain to His MAJESTY.  
Published by His Majesty's special Command.  
LONDON, Printed for Henry Bonwicke; at the Red-Lyon in St. Paul's Churchyard. 1684.   

A SERMON Preached before the KING In his Royal Chapel of Windsor, July the 27th. 1684.  MAT. 5.17. 
Think not that I am come to Destroy the Law or the Prophets; I am not come to Destroy, but to Fulfil.  
THat a Religion that is Pure and Undefiled, Holy and all Light should produce effects so unlike its self in the lives of most of its Votaries. That Men should so freely indulge themselves in almost all manner of Vice, and yet profess a Religion that allows none at a cheaper rate then Eternal Damnation; that they should call upon themselves the name of the Blessed Jesus, & yet live as if they designed the Disparagement of it, is a reflection that no Man that honours his God or has a concern for his Religion, or the least respect to the Souls of Men, can entertain without a very deep and most afflictive resentment.  
I do not come to this place to enter an Idle complaint that it is thus: Nor to spend this time in fruitless tears, Lamenting its being so, but to try if I cannot discover the reason of this Monstrous absurdity, and offer something by way of remedy; and I beseech you that with your wont Candour and Clemency you will hear me a few Words.  
I can resolve the Reason of this into nothing, (methinks) so charitably, as into Men's errors and mistakes about their Religion, for I have more Charity for them that profess the Religion of Christ, than to think they Sin either out of design, or of malicious wickedness.  
Amongst these Errors I know not how to fix upon any of a more mischevous influence than that Primitive one that debauched this Religion at first, which was propagated by that filthy Sect of the Gnostics and fixed by Simon the Sorcerer with such strength of Magic, that it sticks fast in the minds of most Men to this Day.  
And that is an Opinion that the Gospel Supersedes the Law, and dischargeth from obedience to it, that it is all promise of Immunities and Privileges to be enjoyed by the Saints, without any respect to the drudgery of Duty. The Grace which the Gospel so much magnifieth is Faith, and that Faith nothing else, but a brisk confidence of being saved by the Righteousness of Christ, without any necessity of a righteousness of our own.  
This is the main Fundamental Error, which lies at the Bottom of a great deal of that profaneness, which is the reproach and shame of Christian Religion at this Day. and it is the more Dangerous, because it is strangely charming, and easily insinuates itself into the minds of carnal Men.  
Against this therefore the word of God is so very express; and the Holy Ghost hath taken care to furnish all Men with so many obvious and plain Remedies, that I must needs count it either Artifice and Design, or brutish Inadvertency unto things that betrays them into it.  
These Words that I have read contain one, and they are so much the more Considerable, for coming from our Lords own Mouth; who certainly best knew the reasons of his own coming into the World, and the purpose of that Religion which he intended to found in it.  
And he (we see here) even then when he was promising so many Blessings to all that should become Votaries to it, and when multitudes flocked to him, in expectation of some new Religion, or (probably) some great Indulgence to be granted by him, makes this plain Declaration to them and all the World, that he did not come to Destroy the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them.  
Which words are an evident Prolepsis, whereby our Lord anticipates an Error in some, and a Calumny (its probable) in others, that he came to cancel all Law, and Discharge his followers from all necessity of obedience thereto; which Error or Calumny, 

1. He forbids all thoughts of in them; think not.  
2. Discliams' any intention of in himself; I am not come to destroy.  
3. And Thirdly, Asserts the direct contrary, and some thing more too, I am not come to Destroy, but to Fulfil.    
In speaking to which words I shall endeavour to do these three following things. 

1. Give you the plain sense and purport of the words.  
2. Make good the Truth of what our Saviour affirms in them.  
3. Draw some useful Deductions and Inferences from them.    
1. A little matter will serve upon the first of these, in such an Audience as this.  
By the Law and the Prophets you are to understand that Rule of Life and Manners, that God was pleased to deliver to the Jews, by the hand of Moses, and by the Ministry of the Prophets.  
This Rule was so Comprehensive and full, as to reach all Circumstances, and take in all Instances of Duty, that Men own to God, themselves, or one another; and therefore these Laws for our more distinct Apprehension of them, are Distinguishable, into three Ranks, Moral, Judicial, and Levitical.  
The Moral are those which direct Men in the Instances of Piety, Justice, and Charity, Temperance and Chastity, things of an Eternal Obligation and Goodness.  
The Judicial, those that concerned them as a theocracy or Kingdom; and the Levitical, those that concerned them as a Church.  
The business of the Prophets with respect to these Laws, was chief to give the true sense and meaning of them, when Men mistook them; and by Promises and Threaten to awaken Men into a due observance of them, when they became careless and negligent.  
Now Destroying these is plainly intelligible without a Comment; it means the losing the Obligation of these Laws, & discharging Men from any necessity of being Obedient to them.  
And by this you will easily understand what is said in Contraposition to it, and what Fulfilling of them means. Not only asserting and continuing the force of them, but something more; and that is one or both of these two things.  
1. The adding more strength to them, asserting Obedience upon better principles, and stronger motives than it was before.  
2. Or Secondly setting the Duties, and Instances of Obedience at a Higher pitch than they were formerly, i. e. in plain Terms, requiring more from a Christian, then either was, or at least was supposed to be required from a Jew of Old.  
In these two things doth the sense of our Saviour's Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets consist, and accordingly I shall undertake to prove, that our Lord came not only to establish Law, and Obedience to it, but to add strength to the one, and to sublimate the other.  
2. And this is the Second thing proposed, which that I may do as distinctly and fully as so little a time will give me leave, I shall consider Laws, according to the forenamed division of them.  
1 Beginning with the Moral Laws of God, those Eternal Rules of Piety, Justice, and Honesty, and whatever is Intrinsically and Essentially good. I must speak to these in the gross, because I cannot descend to any particulars of them; and three things I shall endeavour to make good with respect to them.  
1. That our Saviour hath asserted an absolute, indispensable necessity of Obedience to them.  
2. That he hath strengthened the Arguments that oblige to this Obedience.  
3. That he hath set the Instances of Obedience higher, and required a greater measure of it.  
1 Of the first of these, we have first a very good Argument from his own Life, which was one uniform, constant course of perfect Obedience to the will of God, never sullied with the least Just Suspicion of any guilt, the Life of one whom neither Men nor Devils could convince of the least Crime, or Prevarication; one who not only purposed, but actually Fulfilled all Righteousness as he told his Forerunner St. John, Mat. 3.15.  
This certainly is one good Argument for the truth of what is here affirmed; for it cannot reasonably be thought, that he who was so perfectly Innocent himself, so exact in all the Instances of Obedience and Virtue; should ever design or tolerate the contrary in his followers, especially when he makes his own Life Presidential, and enjoins their careful imitation of it, as he doth, Mat. 11.29.  
We may rather conclude, that he did this, that he might the more successfully teach Holiness to all upon whom his name should be called (for there is no such Teaching as by example) and that he might the more effectually engage all to a cheerful Imitation of him, who enjoined them nothing which he did not do himself before them, showing them the Practicableness and Possibility of his own Precepts.  
2 Which if in the Second place you please to take account of, you will find them another Argument of this Truth. It will not be expected I should singly survey these; and therefore I shall content myself to appeal only to this great Sermon of his in the Mount, and particularly to three passages of it instead of many others.  
If you please to Read the two Verses immediately following this Text, you will find these two things asserted plainly in them.  
First the Doctrine of the Perpetuity of the Law, and that its Obligation should remain till the last Expiration of all things.  
Secondly the necessity of every Christians care to conform his Life to it, and this necessity so great, that he that should either purposely in his Life, or designedly in his Doctrine teach Men to think otherwise, should be called lest (i. e. none at all) in in the Kingdom of Heaven.  
If after this you please to Read Cap. 7: 21, 22. You will think he is purposely designing the Anticipation of all conceits, and possible pleas against the necessity of real Holiness, telling Men plainly, that neither the most glittering Profession of his Name, nor the most pompous Faith in his Power, nor the most surprising effects of that Power, should procure Men a Dispensation from Holiness here, or a Title to Heaven hereafter.  
And if after both these, you will please to Read the Conclusion of the Sermon, from Vers. 24. to 28. you will find him assuring all the World, that he that built his hopes of Heaven upon any thing, without an honest, hearty endeavour to do his Duty, as his Lord had directed him in these say, should Die like a Fool, and Perish in the Disappointment of his hopes for ever.  
2. But Secondly I add, that our Lord hath not only thus Established the necessity of Duty, but added to it, and fixed it upon firmer Principles than it was before. I mention two of these: Stronger Motives to engage our endeavours, and better encouragements that those endeavours shall be Successful.  
1. Stronger Motives, and more prevailing Arguments, and that of both sorts. Both as to promises of Blessing to be endearments of Duty, and threaten of Punishments to be affrightments from Sin.  
If I may not be allowed to say that all the promises and threaten under the Law and the Prophets did relate to Temporal Rewards and Punishments only. Yet I am sure I may safely say, they were worded in such a Phrase as if they did. The Collecting any thing beyond them required Art, a very close adverting to things, and great Skill to make Deductions from them. Future Rewards and Punishments were wrapped up in Clouds and Shades, and expressed in Dark Symbols.  
So that a Learned Sect among the Jews not only doubted, but flatly denied any such things, as the Sadduces we know did. And it is worth observing, that the Argument which our Saviour produceth out of the Law to convince them of their Error, lies something above the Level of a common apprehension. Every Vulgar Understanding is not able to improve it to its due force, and unanswerable strength.  
But the Blessed Jesus hath fully cleared all these things, brought Life and Immortality to light by his Orient Gospel, and assured the World of the truth and certainty of them. For which Reason perhaps he is called by the Prophet the desire of all Nations, because he was to clear the truth and certainty of those most concerning Matters, which the Virtuous, and the Wise in all Nations had but some Languishing hopes, and Tremulous expectations of, rather desiring and wishing, then steadily believing, that there was a future State, and such great things to be enjoyed by good Men in it.  
Our Blessed Lord therefore clears all these Doubts, relieves all these Fears, cheers these Languishments, assuring the hopes and long of all good Men, and this Sun of Righteousness appears with healing under his Wings, for the Comfort of all those that fear God.  
I only add, that he hath not only cleared the Truth and certainty of these Rewards and Punishments, but given such amasing, and startling Accounts of them, as want only due Consideration to make them effectual upon all Men. Men must now break through the Horrors of Everlasting Burn, and resist the most endearing Charms of Eternal Bliss, before they can dare to Transgress these Laws. They must think the loss of Heaven a trifle, and suffering Eternal Tortures in Hell inconsiderable things, before they can be Disobedient; for they are assured they can be so upon no cheaper Terms.  
2. More Cheering and Inspiriting encouragements. First of acceptance upon the account of Christ's Merits. Secondly of Success by the Assistances of his Holy Spirit.  
It is little less than a Miracle of Mercy, and the thinking upon it is a mighty surprise to a good Man's Thoughts, that God should not only accept, but promise so amply to reward so worthless a thing, as the Service of the best Man Living is. But of this our Lord hath cleared the Reason in his Gospel.  
And we cannot well desire any thing, but this one beyond it, viz. that we may be able to do this Duty that is so highly encouraged. For otherwise the mightiest Arguments will signify nothing.  
Our Lord therefore hath complied with us in this also, assuring us that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. In respect of the present Success, as well as future Reward, that we shall be assisted in Duty as well as Rewarded for it.  
St. John observes it as a great preference of the Gospel above the Law, John 1: 17: that the Law was given by Moses, but Grace came by Jesus Christ. All that Moses did was to deliver a Systeme of Laws to the World, and teach Men their Duty, but Christ besides this, purchased Grace to enable us to do our Duty, to be Sufficient for us, and to enable us to do all things, as the Apostle speaks. Therefore good Men are said to be under Grace, and for that reason sure to be Victorious in Duty, Rom. 6.14. To which I need but add one thing, that the Spirit of God is made the great Almoner and Bestower of this Grace, and I beseech you do but see by what an affecting Argument our Lord hath assured us that God will give this Spirit to those that ask him, Mat. 7.9, 10, 11.  
But Thirdly I go on to show, that our Lord hath not only thus Established the necessity of Duty, and done it upon better Principles, but he hath set the instances of it at a higher pitch than they were formerly.  
And for the Truth of this I appeal only to the following Sermon, and subsequent particulars of Duty that he Instances in. You may see it clear in the case of Murder, of Oaths, and Charity, etc. Something is added to the Law in all these cases, and something taught by our Saviour over and above what was said by them of old time; some things that were indulged the Jew and supposed Lawful, are made for ever unlawful to a Christian; upon which reason (as well as others) it is said, v. 20▪ That unless our Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, we shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And sure no Christian hath any reason to take this ill, or to think himself hardly dealt with, for if our Encouragements and Helps be so much greater, it is but reasonable that our returns should be in some measure proportionable.  
This is enough to clear what I undertook as to this first branch of Laws, i. e. the Laws of God, and Obedience to them.  
2. I proceed to consider the Second, i. e. Humane Laws, respecting Civil matters; and to consider whether Christ came to Destroy these, and not rather to Fulfil them.  
It hath been an old Imputation upon Christian Religion, and an Artifice to Prejudice Kings against it, to represent it an Enemy to Government. Thus our Blessed Lord must be accused as an Enemy to Caesar, and his Apostles Persecuted as Factious, Seditious Persons, and those that turned the World upside down. And upon this the Primitive Christians were mostly Prosecuted, as we Learn from the Ancient brave Apologists for them.  
But how invidiously unjust this Accusation was against our Lord, and is yet against his Religion, a little pains will suffice to show clearly.  
1. For First, I observe that out Lord was so very tender of Laws, and so mighty careful not to give the least Suspicion of the contrary, that in all things he shown himself most ready to comply with them, he waved his own Privilege, when it might Legally have been pleaded in Bar of it, and paid Tribute as a Stranger, although he was at the Expense of a Miracle to do it.  
And when he was convened before Pilate, and Interrogated about his Kingdom, he so fully satisfied him that it was not of this World, nor in the least an Enemy to Government in it, that Pilate himself declares him Innocent, and acquits him from the guilt of that Spiteful Accusation, Joh. 18.36.  
2. From which in the Second place you may Collect that his Doctrine in this was accordant to his Practice, for by declaring his Kingdom not to be of this World, He hath sufficiently secured all Kings, that they should never be rivalled in their Thrones by him, that neither he, nor his Religion would ever entrench upon their Rights, or invade their Prerogatives.  
And yet besides this, there are many express Doctrines of his to this purpose. I mention two only, one is his Speech to Peter, Mat. 26.52. with his Reason annexed to it, Put up thy Sword, for all they that take the Sword shall Perish by the Sword. Which words are plain, without any Art to improve them, and make it for ever Unlawful for any private Person to use the Sword against his Lawful Governors in any Case, no not in the so much pleaded Case of Religion. For if it be not Lawful to use it in defence of Christ's own Person; it certainly can be Lawful in none, no not in defence of his Religion.  
Another is that known Answer that he gave to the most insidious question that was ever proposed to him, Mat. 22.22. Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are Gods. By which he hath happily adjusted the Rights of God and the King, and Commanded Men to be as careful to pay one his due, as the other, and if Allegiance be tied upon Men by the same Bands that Duty is to God, the Obligation is strong enough, and cannot be stronger.  
But this is too little to say in this Case, Truth and Justice to our Holy Religion will warrant me to say more, viz. that Christ hath not only thus Established the Laws of Government, and the Duty of Subjection to it, but he hath indeed fulfilled it, fixed it upon firmer Principles, and stronger Reasons, than it was before.  
For that Religion that makes Subjection to Caesar as necessary, as Duty to God:  
That Religion that ties Subjection immediately upon the Conscience:  
That Religion that declares Government to be Gods own Institution, and that Kings are immediately appointed by him:  
That Religion that Interests God in Resistance, as much as the King:  
That Religion that presseth Men to Subjection, upon Reasons of their Love to God, and for the Lords Sake:  
That Religion that Threatens Damnation as expressly to resistance, as to any other Sin whatsoever:  
That Religion which so strictly forbids, and so severely Threatens all those Evils, from whence Rebellion and Resistance proceed, such as Pride and Ambition, Covetousness and Discontent, Faction and a busie-medling in other men's Matters, and whatever other causes there are of these things:  
That Religion which by Arguments of no less than Eternal Felicity enjoins the Practice of such Virtues, as make Rebellion impossible; such as Meekness and Humility, Patience and Contentedness in every Condition, Peaceableness and keeping within our own calling, Love and an Universal Charity unto all Men:  
I say, a Religion that doth all this, as it is Notorious the Christian Religion doth, doth indeed Fulfil and fix Subjection upon the most steady Principles that can be: Doth Incomparably more to this purpose, than the utmost Policy, or Power of Man shall ever be able to do; for these can but compel, or persuade by External Arguments, but this can touch the Heart, and lay the Reason of Subjection deep upon the Conscience, & oblige not to Loyalty only, but to the same tender Care, and Hearty Cheerfulness in it, as in Religion and Duty to God.  
So that I say it with some assurance, it is Impossible for a Christian to become a Rebel, and he ceaseth to be the one, whenever he commenceth the other upon any reason whatsoever. A Man must be Rebel to himself, and his Religion too, before he can be so to his Prince, he must break through the Ties of his own Conscience before he can break through the Laws of Subjection, he must turn Traitor to God, and a Contemner of the Deity, before he can despise Dominion, or speak Evil of Dignities:  
3. And now I have only the Third branch of Laws remaining, and to inquire if our Lord have not also Established, and Confirmed them. Now this you will find he hath done clearly, both by his own Practice, and Doctrine.  
I Instance only in two Practices of Christ, because they render the thing plain. One was his Observation of a Feast, which was not of Divine, but Ecclesiastical Institution only, for such the Feast of the Dedication was, at which he is said to be present, Joh. 10.22.  
The other is his Celebrating the Passover in a Posture, and with some Circumstances contrary to the Primitive Institution, in compliance with the Jewish Church, which had thought fit to change them.  
From which two Instances, the Power of the Church to order the Circumstantials of Religion, & the Lawfulness of every private Members conforming to the same, are abundantly cleared; and might be made good against all Opposition.  
For either our Lord did well in this compliance, or he did not; if well, than the Rule is Established, and we can desire no more; if not, then let our Enemies Answer for his Faithfulness, and Vindicate his Innocency if they can.  
To these Practices his Doctrine is clearly Consonant, Commanding us to hear the Church, and them that sit in Moses Seat, & to account him that refuseth to do so a Heathen and a Publican. But this Argument is sufficiently made good by Learned Men of late, and therefore I pursue it no further:  
3. But hasten to put a Period to this Discourse in two or three short Inferences from it, which was the third and last thing promised:  
1. And First, I desire it may be considered what a Signature of an Age it is, to teach and Live the reverse to this of our Saviour, and what a sad presage it is to do so.  
I need not Fear being deemed Uncharitable, if I charge these things upon the Men of this Generation, the Doctrines of many, and the Lives of almost all, will too clearly Vindicate me from that Imputation.  
Blessed Lord! when we go to survey the Lives of Men, what a Field of Blood, what a Black Scene of Vice presents itself to our View? how perfectly have Men unlearned their Religion? and how do they Live in Contradiction to this Text? as if Christ came indeed to Destroy all Law, fulfil all Wickedness, and confute all Prophecy, but only that which predicted the monstrous degeneracy of the later times.  
And truly when we descend to the Consideration of men's Doctrines, we cannot well expect, better Consequences from them, I cannot stay to Instance these singly, it must suffice me to refer you to the Labours of Learned Men, who have fully showed how the different Doctrines among us at present tend naturally to debauch Christian Religion, cause it to expire in Noise and Notion, or to degenerate into Enthusiasm & downright Profaneness, & I durst undertake to disargue all the Opinions upon which Men differ and separate from us at this time upon this Reason, that some way or other they either discourage the Practice of Holiness, or relax the necessity of it, or Establish Wickedness even by a Law.  
But then if we Examine men's Doctrines with respect to Government, in that you will find them all generally Antichristian; restraining the necessity of Subjection in so many Cases, and making a Plea of Conscience and Religion a Dispensation from it in all.  
In this the most distant Factions among us conspire, and accord perfectly, Gebal, and Amon, and Amalek, etc. Rome and Geneva, Leiden and Munster, and whatever Places have Denominated any of them.  
Men that can Plead Religion to hollow Rebellion, and the promoting the Interest of the Church, and the Kingdom of Christ, for the deposing, and assassinating of Kings. can place the Bible and the Sword in the same Flag (the Solecism of our late Scoth Reformers,) Preach and Pray Men into Rebellion and Treason, and avow the rankest Rebellion and most damnable Schism, under the pretence of Sanctity and Reformation.  
I am not willing to aggravate the guilt, or presage the Effects of such things, though I think a very little Rhetoric would suffice for the one, and the meanest Portion of Prophecy for the other.  
If Men would Study to Blaspheme the name of the Blessed Jesus, to bring contempt and infamy upon his Holy Religion, and provoke all the Powers on Earth, to conspire its Banishment out of the World, they could never take either a more certain or compendious Course to do so.  
And then I ask, as the Prophet did once in a like Case, What will ye do in the end thereof? And what will the Issue of such things be?  
Either First, we shall outlive our Religion, and while we contend so angrily who are the only good Christians, get this sad assurance that none of us are so.  
Or else Secondly, we shall force God to arise and rescue his injured Law and Religion, Vindicate it from our Profanations, and revenge the Injuries we have done it upon ourselves, and since we would not purchase the Rewards and Blessings of it by well doing, cause us to Inherit the Curses and Plagues that it threatens to the contrary.  
Thus it was of old, when Men came to those heights of vice as to dare to Destroy God's Law, David thought it high time for God to lay to his hand, Ps. 119.126. It is time Lord for thee to lay to thine hand, for they have Destroyed thy Law, and sure our Destroying his Gospel, superadded to this Destruction of his Law, will hasten his doing this. And we have nothing to support us in our hopes of the contrary; unless we can think God so unconcerned and tame a being, as to permit himself, and every thing that is Sacred to be trampled upon and profaned, ridiculed and Buffooned by foolish and daring Men.  
2. But I hasten to a more grateful Reflection, i. e. to consider in the Second place, what an effectual Course Christian Religion takes, and what a certain Expedient complying with it is, to assure the Felicity of a Kingdom, of a Church, yea of the whole World, to reallize the Poeticism of a Golden Age, and retrieve the Primitive Portions of its happiness.  
When I say this, I do not mean it only in a Moral Sense, and because it is the Insurer of Divine Providence and Blessing, (though methinks that aught to be a Material consideration with all Christians) but I speak it in a Physical Sense, and upon the direct Reason of the thing. Yea I dare comply with the Epicurean Principles in it. Supposing that God did not interest himself in the Government of the World, but had thought it enough to have put all things into right Order and Motion at first, and afterwards to abandon them to their own Conduct and Care, yet Religion would in some good measure supply the want of Providence. It would be an Anima mundi, and a tutelar Spirit that would superintend, and secure the Felicity of all things:  
If Religion were truly Obeyed, Kings, would be as safe, as they are (too often) secure, and their Crowns as truly pleasant to themselves, as they seem Glorious to others.  
Subjects would be as happy and contented under their Government, as Children under the Care of the most Provident and Indulgent Parents, there would be no invading of Prerogative, nor fear of Privileges, there would neither Holy Leagues, Solemn Covenants, nor Treasonable Associations in Defence of Religion be entered into; Tyranny and Treason would be words, whose Signification was known no where but among Devils.  
Magistrates might securely and unenvied enjoy their Power, and all rejoice and Bless God under their shadow.  
Courts of Judicature would be clean as the Assemblies of Angels, and all Determinations of Causes just, as if they had been Established by the decree of the Watchers.  
The Courts of Princes would not be pestered with the Evil Effects of Ambition, & Envy, & ill Arts to supplant one another: But be as much axalted above all other Places for Virtue and Purity, as they are above them for Address and Deportment.  
Those to whom God had given Riches, would know how to make them Minister to their true happiness, and might enjoy them without any anxiety from Thiefs or violence.  
And those whom his Providence had confined to poverty and meanness, might rest contented, considering how many God had charged with the care of them. Yea might sing as cheerfully as that poor Bird is heard to do, that knows not in what Bush to lodge at night, nor where to pick up its next meal, and yet is provided for by an Almighty care in both.  
In a word, there would be no leading into captivity; no complaining or violence in our streets; No cries of Mothers made Childless by War; No tears of Widows or Orphans oppressed by potent wrong. Religion would secure every man's Property; and there would be none to suffer wrong, because none could do it.  
And (to conclude this Period,) you may challenge all the Machiavels in the Earth, and all the Leviathans in the Sea too, to contrive so effectually for our happiness and peace as Christian Religion doth by two single Precepts of it.  
First that every one mind his own Business, and wherein he is called, therein abide with God. Secondly, that no Man offer that to another, which he would not willingly have done to himself in the like Circumstances. This latter is the Sum of the Law and the Prophets, and were it complied with, what a happy Scene of things would soon appear? Our Kingdom would become the Transcript of Heaven, and our Age would antedate the great Millennium.  
3. And therefore in the last place I hope it will not be censured as an Impertinent address, to beg that those above us will think Religion worthy of their Care, to whom it would be (& may be) so greatly serviceable; & that all of us would think complying with the Rules of it, our Duty, & our Interest too.  
I press not the First of these, and I thank God I need not, Blessed be God we have a Defender of the Faith, and one to whom the guarding of Religion is dear, as his own Crown.  
But I would gladly prevail with you all for the Second. Give me leave without offence to remember you of one thing; you cannot but know what a Character your Enemy's endeavour to fix upon you, and all Faithful Subjects, and at what a disadvantage they represent Loyalty, while themselves must be accounted the only Sober and Godly Party of the Nation.  
I thank God the charge is not so just, nor the guilt so general, as they invidiously insinuate, but for God's sake consider, were it not better that there were not so much as the shadow of a reason for the one? Nor one single Instance of the other? How much better were it, that by Temperance and Sobriety, Chastity and Purity, and all other Instances of Christian well doing we put to silence the Ignorance and Calumnies of Foolish Men.  
That you Live up to the Consequences of this Text, and be always fearful of Destroying the Law or the Prophets, which your Lord tells you here he came to Fulfil.  
That as you prescribe Rules of Civility and Deportment to us all, so you will give us our true measures of Religion too.  
And (to conclude) that all of you strive to be as exemplary for Piety to a good God, as you are signal for Loyalty to the best of Kings.  
That so Peace may be upon our Israel, and Glory may dwell in our Land, that the King may still rejoice in the Salvation of God, and in the Mercy of the most high he may never miscarry:  
And that we, and all his good Subjects may Sing under his shadow, rejoicing in that abundance of Peace which we enjoy under him now, and in hopes of that Eternal Peace which we look for hereafter, for the sake of our great Peacemaker the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father, and Eternal Spirit, be Praise Honour and Glory, now and for evermore, Amen.   
FINIS.