Die Lunae 8. Novemb. 1680.  
ORdered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled, That the Thanks of this House be and are hereby given to the Lord Bishop of St. Asaph, for his pains in Preaching before their Lordships on Friday last, being the Anniversary Thanks giving-day to Almighty God for the deliverance of this Kingdom from the Gun-powder-Treason: and his Lordship is hereby desired to cause his Sermon then Preached to be Printed and Published.  
Jo. Browne, Cler. Parl.   

A SERMON Preached before the House of Lords, ON November 5. 1680.  
By the Right Reverend Father in God, WILLIAM Lord Bishop of St. Asaph.  
LONDON, Printed by M. C. for Henry Brome, at the Gun in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1680.   

TO THE LORDS Spiritual and Temporal Assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
My Lords,  
WHile I am paying my Obedience to your Lordship's Commands for the Printing of this Sermon, I humbly crave leave to say something for the clearing of myself from a Prejudice, which, if true, would render me unfit to be so far owned by your Lordships, as to be admitted to Preach before You; and having done it, to be commanded to Print my Sermon. For I cannot but take notice, that both before and since I received that Honour from you, I have been taxed as being not Protestant enough, on account of a Book, called, Considerations touching the true way to suppress Popery in this Kingdom.  
How far I was concerned in that Treatise, the Preface to it sufficiently declares.  
The Book itself was Published in Michaelmas Term 
* That is, in the Booksellers style, 1677.  1676. just two years before the Popish Plot was discovered.  
The design of it was proposed to me as the likeliest Remedy at that time against the same Disease under which we are now labouring for Life, or Death: but it was before things were come to such a dangerous Crisis.  
I saw it was much the same Design that many of the best and most eminent Protestants, particularly Q. Elizabeth and K. James, had at several times countenanced, and put in practice with very good success: they were, next to the uniting of Protestants, for the dividing of Papists, whose chief advantage hitherto has been their Union, such as it is, and our needless Divisions. But at that time I thought it more proper and seasonable than ever, upon the best judgement that I could make of their and our Circumstances. And I have some reason to think I was not mistaken in this. For now I see that at the very time when this was brought to me, and while I was forming my thoughts upon it, the Papists themselves were in a great apprehension of this very thing, as being of all other ways the most likely to blast their hopes, and to preserve us from that Ruin which they were then bringing upon us. Thus Coleman 
* Aug. 30. 1675.  at that time wrote to the Pope's Internuncio, 
† p. 17. o● the Collection of Letter● set out by order of the House of Commons.  There is but One thing (saith he) to be feared, (whereof I have a great apprehension,) that can hinder the success of our Designs; which is, a Division among the Catholics themselves. How dividing them? It follows, by Propositions to the Parliament to accord their conjunction to those that require it,— on Conditions prejudicial to the Authority of the Pope;— and so to persecute the rest of them with more appearance of Justice, and ruin the one half of them more easily than the whole Body at once. And to show that Coleman was not singular herein, Cardinal Howard 
* March 1676. Ibid p. 82.  delivers this as their judgement at Rome, where, if any where, they are Infallible; Division of Catholics will be the easiest way for Protestants to destroy them.  
This being said for the Design from so good Authority, I have this farther to say for myself, that only the last part of that Book was my own, in which I did justify the Reformation of this Church; and what I wrote in that part, I am sure no Papist can disprove, and I think no Protestant has cause to complain of it.  
I thank God I have in this whole matter the witness of a goad Conscience; and I hope likewise your Lordship's good opinion of my honest zeal to maintain the Protestant Religion against Popery. For a farther Testimony whereof, and in obedience to your Lordship's Commands, I humbly present this following Discourse.  
My Lords, I am Your Lordship's most humble and most obedient Servant, W. Asaph.   

A SERMON ON  PSALM cxxiv. 1, 2, 3. Verses. 
1. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side; now may Israel say;  
2. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us;  
3. Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.  
WHAT Deliverance it was, upon which David made this Psalm, at this distance of time we cannot certainly know. But whatsoever it was, this we find, it was of the People of Israel: And whensoever it happened, we see they remembered it afterwards. It was the manner of God's people to remember a Deliverance, many years, and ages, after they had received it; and when that particular deliverance was forgotten, yet still they kept up their Thanksgiving to God, in a Psalm; which being once composed for that former mercy, might be used ever after upon any other like occasion.  
The Deliverance of our Fathers on this day was as great as ever any was that God gave the Jews; and we come now to celebrate it, not many ages after, but while some are yet living that remember it; and we that have been born since, are as sure of it, as if we had been then living ourselves: and yet, for fear it should be forgotten in our Age, God hath been pleased to put us in remembrance, by suffering the same Enemy to put us in fresh Dangers, and then sending us new Deliverances. If all this will not affect us with a sense of what we owe to God for his mercy, we are so far from being like God's ancient People, that we deserve to be given up to strong Delusions, to a belief of Popish Legends, of a Cecil's Plot, and such like senseless Fictions; which none could give credit to, that had not first subdued his understanding to the belief of any thing, how incredible soever, by the belief of Transubstantiation.  
But if we may give any heed to our senses, and to our reason, if we may believe the Testimony of all men then living, if we may judge from our own experience of the like designs since; (these I think are all the ways that we have to come to the knowledge of such things, and it were easy to show that all these ways we are sure of the Gunpowder-Treason.) As we cannot but think with horror of the danger that the King and Kingdom were then in, so we cannot reflect on their Deliverance but with the greatest admiration: We cannot think of it, especially on this day, without a thankful acknowledgement to God, in such words as his ancient people have left us in this Text: If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us; then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.  
There are five things to be considered in these words, which, when they are explained, will all be found applicable to our case.  
Here is first, The wrath and malice of the enemies of God's people; and that against Israel, as being the people of God. 'Tis expressed in the last words of my Text, They were wrathfully displeased at us.  
God's enemies are so at all times, never otherwise; but at some times they show it more than at other; and that is, when they are ready to put their malice in execution; which is the second thing in my Text.  
Secondly, Their Conspiracy, their attempt to execute their malice, expressed in these words, When they rose up against us.  
Thirdly, The extreme danger of God's People at the time of such an attempt; which was so great in the Israelites case, that they acknowledged, if it had not been for God, they had been swallowed up quick. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used, is either whole, or raw, or alive; and it is interpreted all these ways by the Jewish writers. They had eaten us whole, without chewing, saith Solomon-Melech. They had devoured us raw, saith David-Kinchi. They had swallowed us up alive, saith Aben-Ezra, as the Earth swallowed up Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, that went down alive into the Pit.  
This phrase, as it signifies the greatness, and nearness, of that danger that comes sometimes on God's Church; so it signifies also the eager passionate hopes of their enemies. They had swallowed us up quick, (saith Israel in my Text:) They were in great haste to have us in their bellies: that they could not forbear us till we were dead, as one of them renders it; that they fell upon us raw, they could not stay the dressing of us, saith another; that they were for swallowing us up whole, they had not patience for chewing, saith a third. Surely, great was their haste, when their wrath was thus kindled against us; and great was our danger, If God had not been on our side. That is the fourth thing to be considered in these words.  
Fourthly, It is the providence of God, that watches over his people, that takes part with them against their implacable enemies, that delivers them from danger, even when things are come to extremity.  
Lastly, Here is a due return to God of Thankfulness from his people; which as they have cause for at all times, so especially upon such a deliverance, on every thought or mention of it. Now may Israel say, with mouth and heart; privately, and in the Congregation; If the Lord had not been on our side, what would have become of us? And Now, what shall we render to him, for being thus on our side? Saying is put for Doing in Scripture-language; all God's words are actions, and he expects something like this from us: He expects that our actions should answer our words; that what we say in our Thanksgivings, we should do like it in all the course of our lives; and that we glorify God, not only by offering praise, but by ordering our conversation aright.  
Here are five things observed. First, the malice of wicked men; they are always wrathfully displeased at us.  
Secondly, Their endeavours to execute it; when they rise up against us.  
Thirdly, The danger of God's people; that they shall be swallowed up quick.  
Fourthly, God's providence over them, in appearing on their side.  
And lastly, Their thankfulness to God in their grateful acknowledgement of it.  
Of all these, there are two things chiefly to be considered, which I have made choice of for my subject at this time.  
The first is, The malicious designs of God's enemies for the destruction of his people.  
The second is, The providence of God, watching over his people to deliver them from his and their enemies.  
Both these I shall consider; First, in other instances: and then in the Gunpowder-Treason: 'Tis that which perhaps of all others is the greatest that ever was; 'tis that which particularly concerns us this day.  
I shall show therefore; First, how great a danger it was, how near the point of execution, how then God appeared for our deliverance, how wonderful a deliverance it was; and then, how we ought to show our sense of it, in our zeal for that Religion which God was so concerned for, and in adorning it by a life that may be exemplary to all other Christians.  
The first thing that I observe, is, the malice and spitefulness of wicked men, the enemies of God; their proneness to hurt, and to destroy, his Church, and all true Members of it.  
This, as soon as I name it, is confessed on all hands. For all parties take themselves to be the Church of God: and the worst Sects among Christians (in my opinion) are they that take themselves to be the only true Church. Grant but this, that they are the only true Church, and they will not stick with us for my Doctrine. They will acknowledge it, and tell us we are instances of it; that the enemies of God, hate his Church, and endeavour to destroy it. But because this will signify nothing, till it appear who are the Church of God, or at lest who are the enemies of it; I shall determine that by bringing it to this issue; That they who are most given to hate, and to destroy others, especially those others who differ from them in Religion, they are not the Church of God, or at least, they are so far corrupt in that particular.  
I might say this of Men, without any relation to the Church: the worse they are in other respects, the more prone they are generally to hate those that are better than themselves; and to show it, by doing them all the mischief they are able. Whereas on the other hand, Good men are of gracious dispositions: They may be displeased, but not wrathfully (as it is in my Text:) They are not prone to do mischief, but are ready to do good, even to enemies: And the better they are, the more they excel in these dispositions. A good man is the only true Image of God, who is good, and does good to all his Creatures, even to Sinners; who is so far from willing the death of a Sinner, that he does not willingly grieve the children of men. Whereas on the other hand, it is the property of the Devil, to hate, and to hurt, and to destroy all that come in his way. He is therefore called Abaddon and Apollyon in the Revelations. He is truly so. He was a Murderer from the beginning, and will be so even to the end of the world. And by these Characters of God, and the Devil, by their proneness to do good on the one hand, by their proneness to do mischief on the other; by these we are to distinguish men (as the Apostle tells us,) 1 John 3. 10. By this the children of God are manifested, and the children of the Devil.  
It holds, we see, in particular persons; but it is much more visible in Societies. And to this I come next; that, of Societies of men, Christians, of all other, are most averse from ways of violence and blood; especially from using any such ways upon the account of Religion: And among Christian Churches, where they differ among themselves, if either of them use those ways upon the account of Religion, they give a strong presumption against themselves that they are not truly Christians.  
There is Reason for this, because, we know that Christ gave Love for the character by which his Disciples were to be known, John 13. 35. By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples, if you have love one to another. And left men should unchristen others first, that they may hate them, and destroy them afterwards; Christ enlarged his Precept of Love, and extended it even to enemies; and not only to ours, but to the enemies of our Religion, Matth. 5. 43, 44.  
And to enable us to live according to this Precept, he hath given us his Spirit, whereof this is one of the Fruits. For among the Fruits of the Spirit, is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; not only the love of the Brethren, but the love of strangers, even of enemies; as the Apostle shows, 2 Pet. 1. 5. On the contrary, Hatred is one of the works of the flesh: and they that have not the Spirit of Christ to subdue it, are said to be hateful, and hating one another, Tit. 3. 3. Especially to his Disciples, Christ saith, The world hates you, John 15. 19 You, particularly, as being Christians. And even among Christians, He that saith he is in the light and hates his Brother, his fellow Christian, he is in darkness still, (saith the Apostle) 1 john 2. 9 He hath a great want of that light which belongeth to a Christian.  
To see the use of this Character, let any one consider, how the Christians were treated by the enemies of their Religion; and then let him consider, how they used their enemies, when they were in power: he shall find that darkness differs not more from light, than the persecuting genius of those enemies, from the calm gentle spirit of Christians. I say, when they were in power; for there is the trial.  
'Tis not much to be heeded, what men do, when they are under Authority. When the Jews had the power to wreak their malice upon Christians, they both killed the Lord jesus, and his Apostles, and all Christians where they durst for fear of the Romans; they never ceased, till wrath come upon them to the uttermost: nor even then, for their malice lasts still, it burns inward, and they are not able to keep it from breaking out, sometimes, as it did here very lately, upon an occasion of which I shall say no more in this place.  
The Heathens likewise showed their malice against Christians, in divers cruel bloody Persecutions, in the very infancy of our Religion; and when, the Blood of Martyrs being the seed of the Church, it grew up so wonderfully, and was so vastly numerous, that it seemed an endless work to destroy it; yet there were those Heathen Princes that despaired not of it, even then: especially Diocletan, and his Colleague, who killed many thousands of Christians, only upon the account of Religion. When the Government changed, as it did in few years after the last Persecution; and when Christianity was come to be the Established Religion; there was no Heathen put to death, nor no Jew, upon the account of Religion; till Popery prevailed, which was as bloody as Judaisme or Heathenism. This calm gentle temper of the Primitive Christians, which so gloriously shined forth when they came to be in Power, was that which lay hid in them all the times of Persecution. Then, they could not show it, but in their Profession: and so indeed they always did, as appears by Tertullian and others, who used to faith, and glory in it, Christianus nullius hostis, a Christian is no man's enemy, a Christian can be no man's enemy: do what you will to him, injure him, slander him, strip and torture him, kill all others of his Religion before his eyes; and then let him lose, and give him power, place him in your circumstances, he cannot revenge himself upon you.  
What! that humane nature could bear such things without any resentment! it was not credible; their enemies could not believe this; (none could believe it, that did not feel it in himself) till they came to see it; and then all men believed it, and acknowledged it to be the singular excellency of the Christian Religion.  
But as our holy Religion excels all others in this admirable temper; so by this we may usually judge who they are that excel among Christian Churches, when there happens any difference between them; whether touching the Faith, or the terms of Communion. They that were the more fierce, they generally had the worst Cause. As when the difference was about the keeping of Easter; it was chiefly between the Roman and the Asian Churches: The Asians were content, that every Church should keep it at what time they pleased, so themselves might be allowed to keep it as they had always done; for they held the precise time to be (as truly it was) an indifferent thing: The Romans would not allow that, they were for imposing on other Churches, and for breaking Communion with them that would not receive their Impositions; Which, as it argued in them a proud and wrathful disposition; so even by that it appeared they had the worst of the Cause. In like manner, in that heat between Cyprian and Stephen, where neither of them was right in the Cause; for (as it commonly happens when men contend) the Truth lay between them; yet sure St. Cyprian was in the right in this, in holding that this cause was not sufficient to break Communion between Churches: And there Pope Stephen was in the wrong; for he did break Communion about it; he denied jus hospitii, he would not receive a message, he would not hear of an Accommodation. I forbear to repeat the ill terms he gave St. Cyprian, you may read them in the end of Firmilians Epistle. We all allow that Cyprian was truly a Saint. 'Tis well they own him such in the Roman Church. But how they can make that Pope so too, I do not understand; for it is plain, that to his death he would not allow that Saint to be a Christian.  
The great power of Error, in moving men's Passions, and enraging them against the Professors of Truth; and the power of true Religion, in composing men's Passions on the other hand; both these did appear, as soon as ever a Heresy came to have Public Authority on its side. It was the Arian Heresy that was newly broke forth before the Council of Nice, and that Council was called to suppress it; which they did, by no other force, but putting Arians out of their Bishoprics; They could not think Heretics fit to be trusted with the Cure of Souls; But otherwise, as to Temporal things, I do not find that they inflicted any kind of Punishment: But when the Arians came to have the Power in their hands, when theirs was come to be the Imperial Religion; then, Depriving was nothing, Banishment was the least that they inflicted; In many places they proceeded to Blood, which was never drawn on the other side by the Orthodox Christians; except once in a popular Tumult in Alexandria; where George the intruding Bishop was torn in pieces; and yet that was rather by Heathens than by Christians, as Ammian himself a Heathen Writer confesses.  
Except that, (if it need be excepted,) I do not remember any other instance, of an Arian that was put to death in those days upon the account of Religion.  
And to show that likewise in case of Schism, the best Christians always kept the best temper: besides those instances I have already given, which perhaps are not so proper to prove this, because when they happened, Christianity was not the established Religion: When it was established by Law, than there happened that famous Schism of the Donatists, which gave an evident trial of this.  
With what folly and fury did they break out of the Church? With what insolence and perverseness did they behave themselves towards it? What outrages did they commit? nay, what did they not commit? even to blood, in the Circumcellions' case; While the Catholics on the other hand, except in that case, which forced rigour from them in their own defence, treated them with all calmness and gentleness.  
They called them Brethren in their Writings; They wooed them to be Friends, and offered them terms of Communion; such as none would have offered, but passionate lovers of peace; such as none would have refused, but the obstinate enemies of it: and yet all this while, the Catholics had the Government on their side; which since those Schismatics could not get from them, they took a course to destroy it, by letting in the Vandals into the Roman Empire.  
I have shown so much of this Diabolical Spirit, in every sort of the Enemies of the Church of God; not only in Heathens and Unbelievers, without; but also in Heretics and Schismatics within: And I have shown so much of the Christian Spirit on the other hand, the great patience and meekness of God's people in dealing with all sorts of enemies: that considering what advantage they have who lay about them with rage, against those that stand still, and are only ready to suffer, one would wonder, that long since true Religion had not been destroyed, or driven out of the world.  
But to this I have to answer, (and this is my second Doctrine;) that notwithstanding all this rage and malice of the Adversaries, and notwithstanding all this meekness of Christians; yet still God is concerned for the Christian Religion; and he shows it by sending such seasonable Deliverances, as preserve it, often from hurt, and always from utter destruction.  
Destroyed it shall never be. For so much Christ declared before he built his Church: when he promised to make his Apostles the Foundation-stones in it, saying to Peter in particular Upon thee will I build my Church: He added this promise, that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against it. And so to all his Apostles at parting, when he was about to be taken up into Heaven; he promised, for all that, I will be with you even to the end of the world. If Christ be with his Church according to his promise, that is enough to secure it against utter destruction.  
I speak now as to the Catholic, or Universal Church; for there is no such Promise given to particular Churches. They may be destroyed and perish for their sins. We see many are so already; almost all that were planted in the Apostles times: The Church of jerusalem, where our Religion began; The Church of Antioch, where we were first called Christians; the Six Churches, to which St. Paul writ his Epistles; The Seven to which St. john writ in his Revelations: where are they? scarce a remnant remains: most of them are quite perished from the Earth. This is God's judgement upon them for their sins: A Judgement which God threatened long since, that if they did not repent, he would take away their Candlestick from them: A Judgement so dreadfully executed to warn us, that unless we repent, we shall all likewise perish.  
But then, if we do repent, we shall not perish: this we know, for an Exception strengthens a Rule. We know that they which keep up the Power of Religion, shall find it a strong band between them and God; by which, as we oblige ourselves to him, not to leave him nor forsake him; so he obligeth himself to us, that he will not leave us nor forsake us. And therefore howsoever, for our lesser transgressions, he may punish our offences with a rod, and our sin with scourges: nevertheless his loving kindness will he not utterly take from us, nor suffer his truth to fail. Nay, in this case, if he suffer his Church to be oppressed, his design may be not so much to punish, as to purge them. He may run them through the fire, to melt out their dross, to make them shine more glorious, by having been for a while in Persecution. But whatsoever his dealing may be, (which we are to resign entirely to his Wisdom;) whether he design to punish, or purge us, or whether only to show us the rod; we are sure in all conditions to be under the good Providence of God. If our ways please the Lord, either he will make our enemies to be at peace with us; or he will not let them be able to hurt us: at least, they shall not have their will upon us, they shall not say There, there, so would we have it; They shall not be able to swallow us up quick, though they are never so wrathfully displeased at us.  
The ways that God hath to deliver us, are many more than I am able to reckon: and yet I can reckon more than I can bring within my time. But so the thing be done, what matter is it, which way God uses? whether by destroying his and our enemies; whether by breaking their Combinations against us; or by otherwise weakening their strength: whether by infatuating their Counsels, or discovering their crafty designs: whether by raising us up friends, or uniting us among ourselves; and so making us too many and too strong for them: whether by giving means unexpected, or by blessing what we have, above expectation? He can do what, and which way, he will; and we are sure it is his will to deliver his People from their enemies; for he is on their side, and will show it, wheresoever there is need, and when he sees it the fittest time to deliver them.  
All that I have said hitherto, hath been only upon such general heads, as are equally acknowledged by all sorts of Christians among us: and for this agreement, we chiefly are under God, to thank his Majesty, and this most Honourable Assembly: that have kept the Church of England in that Power which it received from their Predecessors, and not suffered it to fall into any other hands. Neither our Religion, nor our Church, is of a Persecuting Spirit. I know not how it may be in particular persons. But I say again, it is not in the genius of our Church: She hath no Doctrine that teacheth Persecution; She hath not practised it, as others, when they were in Authority. I thank God for it, and I hope, she will always continue in that temper; which; being added to the other Marks of a true Christian Church, may assure us, that She is a Church according to the mind of Christ.  
But can all others say the same, that call themselves Churches of Christ? or were they so, when they had power in their hands? They that never were in Power, can never answer this Question. Therefore none can answer it so well as the Papists; and they tell us, Now, they are as much against Persecution as any.  
But what would they be, if they were in Power? God forbid we should ever live to see the trial of it. They have been tried too much already to be believed in this matter. We have seen, we have felt, sufficient proofs of their Spirit; more proofs of that sort, to prove them a false Church, than they can show upon Bellarmin's fifteen notes of a true one.  
I do not speak now of particular persons: I believe there are many good People of that Communion. I do not think that common Reason, and that common Christianity, can be wholly extinguished by the Principles of their Religion. I doubt not but in some, I hope in many, it prevails above their Religion; otherwise I know there could not be good People of that Communion.  
For, take their Religion in itself, abstracting from the common Christianity: and so there is nothing else in it, but Superstition and Cruelty. 'Tis Lutum sanguine maceratum, Dirt tempered with Blood, according to Nero's Character. 'Tis a Religion so far from making men like God, that it makes them worse than men would be without any Religion.  
There is a natural compassion in man, that moves him at the sight of others sufferings; and especially at the sight of great Cruelties, it turns ones very Bowels within him: and 'tis no common provocation, that can harden one against this. But take this man, and throughly steep him in Popery, he comes forth, without any compassion at all. He can not only see any Cruelty, but act it: he can act it unprovoked, on any person whatsoever, without remorse, yea with Pleasure and Triumph, as an act of Religion, and a good service to God.  
And to show that this Religion is not the common Christianity; he can do this upon them who have that as well as himself. Otherwise, if it were only on the enemies of Christ, then indeed it might be thought that Christianity moved him to it. But he considers Christians without Popery, no more than he doth Turk's or Infidels: which shows, that he is not moved by common Christianity, but by that part of his Religion which is properly Popery.  
'Tis a Religion (I am sorry we have no other name to call it by) that vies Cruelty with ancient Judaisme and Heathenism. If those destroyed thousands of Christians in Primitive times; Popery hath destroyed its ten thousands of as innocent persons, and destroyed them with as great Barbarity and Cruelty. I do not think, there was ever such havoc made upon the Earth, of Humane Creatures, as was made of millions of Heathens in America. There were never greater Cruelties invented, than were there used; and that not in anger, but in sport, upon poor helpless innocent creatures. It would make one's flesh tremble, to read them described by their own Writers. And yet they that did these things were very good Catholics, as they thought themselves; and they acted like Roman Catholics in it, for they had the Pope's Commission to go thither, and to Conquer that Infidel People.  
But though this was done by Papists, yet not upon the account of Religion. No? I know not what should make them so Savage otherwise. But then what think you of the Wars in the Holy-land? What think you of those Slaughters of the Moors in Spain? and those Butcheries of Jews in all Countries before the Reformation? Those were cruel, and universal, without distinction of Age, or Sex; and it cannot be denied, that those were upon the account of Religion.  
But that might be the common Christianity, and not Popery only, that they thought of: and therefore I proceed to those Slaughters that they made of Christians; by their own acknowledgement as good Christians as themselves, in all other points except Popery.  
For, such were all those whom they were pleased to call Heretics in the third Canon of the fourth Lateran Council. That Council, in the year 1215. first made Transubstantiation an Article of Faith, and made them Heretics that would not believe it: and having first provided against their going to Heaven, as far as they could, by declaring all damned that were not of the Roman Faith, in all points, and that of Transubstantiation in particular; Then ordered the destroying of them from the face of the Earth; and so left them no place to go to, but Hell: so great was their Charity. In the third Canon of that Council, it was ordained, that all Kings and Princes shall root out Heretics, and all that favour them, out of their Countries: and if any do not execute this Canon, the Pope is to take away his Country, and give it to such Catholics as will do it effectually. This is still as good Law as any is now in the Roman Church: and it was executed strictly in all places before the Reformation.  
There were at first some Princes that lost their Countries by it, and the Pope did take the Forfeiture for a warning to other Princes. But who can number the poor Christians that lost their lives by it? above a hundred thousand Albigenses in France; many thousands of the Waldenses, there, and in Italy; the like in Germany of the Bohemians; besides what suffered in England and other Country's; and all put to the cruelest Deaths, on no other account, but their Religion. Indeed for many of them, it was not so evident, that they held any thing against Popery: But it was enough, if being taken upon suspicion, they could not purge themselves of it. The ways of purging weet different in divers places. In some Countries it was by throwing them into the water, 
* Bernard. super Cant. Serm. 67.  as some of late have tried Witches. In other places 
† Caesar. ab Heist. dist. 3. c. 16, 17.  the trial was by putting a Fire-coal in their hands, and trying whether it would cleave to the flesh: For if it did, than they concluded them Heretics all over, and their whole bodies fit to be burnt.  
I cannot pass by those two learned and good men, as any were in that Age, if we may judge by their Writings, I mean john Huss and jerom of Prague: They had to do with the most sober piece of Popery, the Council of Constance; which invited them thither to Dispute with them for their Religion. But after all their Disputing, instead of having leave to return, according to their Passport that brought them thither; they were burned there, in the presence of the Emperor, from whom they received it: And not only that Cruelty, but that breach of Public Faith, were owned and justified by the Pope and his General Council.  
I may perhaps have been too large in things so far off, and so long since; and therefore, for the rest of my discourse, I shall confine it to England, and to things done since the Reformation.  
This Church was freed from thraldom by King Henry the Eighth; and was then Reform in King Edward VI days, with no material difference from what it is now at this present. Soon after his death, under Queen Mary his Successor, it came to have a through feeling of the Spirit of Popery. Though she came in with the greatest assurance, that she would make no Change in 
* Dr. Burnet's Hist. of Reform. Part. 2.  Religion: Though she promised it upon her Royal word, to those Protestants, that brought her to her Crown; though they deserved it without a promise, by venturing their lives for her against a Protestant that was set up in oppositition: Yet she was no sooner settled upon her Throne, but the Spirit of Popery quite cancelled all those Obligations. There were none that durst appear for the Protestant Religion, but were fain to fly their Country to save their lives, or stayed and lost them with the cruelest deaths. Of the last sort, were, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and divers Bishops, and other eminent persons. Both they, and hundreds more, of the Clergy and Commonalty, were burnt alive, upon no other account but their Religion. There was only one Flower, here at Westminster, that was distracted, and wounded a Priest at Mass, for which he was burnt among the rest. Of all the other that suffered, there was no other pretence against any, but only upon the account of their Religion. Their charge was for not going to Confession, or for not going to Mass, or for denying Transubstantiation when they were called to it. There was nothing else in their Accusation, there was nothing else in their Sentence, there was nothing else for which they suffered; It was merely for their not submitting to Popery; a sufficient proof of the Spirit of that Religion.  
But soon after, when the Protestant Religion came in again; see what a contrary Spirit appeared on the other side. When Queen Elizabeth came to Reign, and immediately declared her Religion, and Established it in her first Year, without any violence; from that day forward, for ten years together, what one Papist was there that suffered death for his Religion? Though living in the midst of them, whose dearest Friends and Relations they had murdered; and though those Protestants could say, There goes he that burned my Father, or he that murdered my Brother, or that brought them to that cruel Death; Though the Queen herself could say, who they were, that in her Sister's time dealt most insolently and barbarously with her: (for they had taken away her Attendants, and put her under a Guard of Soldiers, and carried her Prisoner from place to place; and that they had not murdered her too, she was beholding to the Spaniard for it, Though not so much to his Humanity, as his Policy; for if she had been dead, the Queen of Scotland, who had married the Dauphin, would have been the next Heir to the Crown: But for her life she knew she owed no thanks to those Papists that were now her own Subjects; (I mean, to those of the English Nation:) yet when she came to be their Queen, for ten years, she touched not a hair of any of their heads. Only she kept them from public exercise of Popery, she required them to come to Church every Lordsday, and those that did not, she made them pay Twelve pence a Sunday. This was all that they suffered for ten years, after ours was the Established Religion.  
Was there ever so generous a revenge? so much Cruelty requited with so much Clemency?  
After that, the Pope (by an Authority he gives himself) made bold to declare her uncapable to Reign; because forsooth she was a Heretic; and exhorted all her Subjects to depose her, and to murder her, by a Bull that he gave out for that purpose: This Bull being set up publicly at noonday by one of her own Subjects, and he being taken and hanged for it, they had the impudence to call him a Martyr; and he stands the first Martyr in their Roll, among all them that suffered in her Reign. So it was ten years before any of them suffered, and then it was for declaring her no Queen, and for posting up the Pope's Bull, to make her Subjects depose her and murder her.  
That Bull had such an effect upon many of her Subjects, that they broke out into open Rebellion against her. When that failed, they betook themselves to private Conspiracy to destroy her, any way, by Assassination: Which was proved time after time, as fully, and as clearly, as ever any thing was proved under the Sun. And it was proved that the first movers to it were Popish Priests, and especially Jesuits, who came over from beyond-Sea for that purpose. This obliged her to make Sanguinary Laws, to keep them out of the Kingdom; which yet were rarely inflicted upon any, but those that were found to have actually carried on some design against her life: And there were divers Penalties upon them of that Religion, to make that uneasy to them, which was so dangerous to her and to her Kingdom.  
But in King james his time, it was almost three years that he had reigned, before the Gunpowder-Treason; during all which time, there was no Papist put to death, upon any of those Laws: There was no Penalty inflicted upon any of them, that could be pretended to be upon the account of Religion. But chose, they were remitted the arrears of all their Penalties in Queen Elizabeth's time: nay, more than that, they were admitted to Court; they were employed in Embassies; they had Honours conferred upon them, as well as others: they were debarred from nothing, but only the Public Exercise of their Religion: and that was provocation enough, to engage them into that hellish Treason, which was to have been executed as on this day.  
It was a Treason that showed the Spirit of that Faction, how fierce and implacable it was, after so much experience of ours on the contrary: It showed how impossible it was to oblige them: how impossible to keep them from doing mischief; such a mischief, as none other could have invented, none but would have abhorred it, that had not been possessed with the evil spirit of that Religion.  
What! to murder their King, that had been so gentle and easy to them? to murder the innocent hopes of that Royal Family? to murder a whole Nation together, in their Representative then met in Parliament? All was struck at together, as if they had been but one person; as if (according to Caligula's wish,) they had but one neck. They were for blowing them up, for swallowing them up at once, for overwhelming all that was Venerable and Sacred in this Nation: for burying both our State and our Religion in one heap of destruction and ruin. Good God If thou hadst not been on our side, what had become of us, when men rose up against us, to swallow us up quick?  
Men? Who would ever suspect men of such a wickedness? We ought not to think that men were capable of it; we ought not to entertain so hard an opinion of Humane Nature. It was something else that put them upon it. It was something which they miscall Religion, that made them put off their Humanity. It was this which transformed men into such monsters, that brought them, not only to think of this, but to design it. For their part it was actually done.  
I do not charge all of that Religion with this Action: (Religion do I call it? I unwillingly use so good a word on so ill an occasion; But since they call it so, let it pass: I say then that all the Authors were only of that Religion; and they acted according to their own Principles, those Principles which they received from their Spiritual Governors. Their Counsellors were of the Governing Party: They were Jesuits, who had their Superior in the Plot. I need not tell you, of the malice, the closeness, the subtlety, the rage and cruelty of that Faction; that hath sufficently appeared in a hundred other things: in other Exploits they have outdone all other men; but they outdid themselves, in this unhuman, this Devilish Conspiracy. It was contrived with such foresight, it was managed with such policy, it was carried on with that closeness and secrecy, as not once to gather wind, in some years, till they had brought all their business to perfection. There was but a short time, but one night, but half a night, between the Plot and the Execution, if God had not miraculously interposed.  
The Vault was dug, the Magazine was laid in, the Iron-bars were laid over, the Engineer was at hand, the Match was laid, it was sized for an hour, a fatal hour, of this morning, of the Fifth of November: In a minute of which, in a moment; all the governing part of this Nation, and God knows who more, all that came within reach, were to have been swallowed up quick.  
Lord! What a thunderclap had it been, to this Nation, to this Church, to this Kingdom? What an Earthquake it would have been? What a Chaos it would have made? What a Tragical day to every thing but Popery? Nay to Papists themselves? I doubt not many would have abhorred it; I am persuaded they would; many would have abhorred their very Popery: But they could not have remedied what was past, nor have prevented the following miseries.  
Then this day had stood in red Letters in their Almanacs, though some are pleased to leave it out of ours. Then they must have kept this a Holiday, that cannot now afford it a Thanksgiving. Then they must have gone to Mass for it, that will not join with us now in our Prayers; and some that will not now give a Faggot, must then have lighted one.  
'Tis not in my power, nor words, nor in the wit of man, to enumerate all the evils and miseries that would have come upon this Nation. It could not have been otherwise, if the Lord had not been on our side. If the Lord had not been on our side, we had been gone, we had never been born, or had cause to have wished we had never been.  
Oh! how are we bound to thank God, that he was on our side on this day? How are we bound to praise his name, for preserving us so many times since? I need not reckon up to you the particulars. I know of no great danger we have been in, but hath more or less been occasioned by the same sort of men; or if they did not begin it, they have struck in with it, and contributed to carry it on all they could. And shall we tempt God, by doing nothing to secure ourselves against them? It is plain that this were contrary to Gratitude. But what shall we do towards our safety? there is nothing more worth our consideration.  
But do I ask that? 
The Bill against Popery, that has passed in the House of Lords.  when I know what this August Assembly hath judged? And if your judgement be seconded, as I hope it will be, there is no doubt his Majesty will assent to it: Then we shall have no occasion for any more such Miracle; there will be an ordinary way, to keep us out of this danger.  
First, they will be obliged, all the Papists that stay in England, at least for their own ease, if not for the common security, to consider, whether they are bound in Conscience to be still of that Faction.  
That is more than we have been able to bring them to for many years. They would rarely endure any of our Clergy to speak to them. They had their ears stopped against us, for fear of better information. If you can but bring them to hear Truth, I am persuaded they cannot continue Papists. I know they cannot, if they have so much sense in them, as to consider, how little reason they have for it. And for them that will not hear nor consider, neither of themselves, nor when Authority requires it, what can be more reasonable than what you have judged? I think none will judge otherwise, that will consider the present case. This, I take it, is the present case between them and us; our main difference is in a plain point of practice, whose Subjects they and we must be. They will needs be subject to one that lives in Italy. If they will be so, who can help it? Nay that will not content them, but we must be his Subjects too: That is hard, when we can see no reason for it. Nay, we must, or we shall never be quiet otherwise. No? Cannot we entreat them? Cannot be oblige them to be quiet? We have endeavoured to do it, with all possible Civility; and yet we cannot be quiet, without being what we will never be. Then it is time to part, if we cannot live together; that's plain. But now the question is, Who shall go? that would I, with all my soul, if Popery were the Religion of England. I protest, I would not stay in it.  
And yet I have done nothing to make my Country afraid of me; and I have nothing but my Religion to provoke any of them. I hate the person of no Papist, or man in the world. I would have no man punished for his Religion; no not them that destroy men for Religion. I would not punish them; but I would not live with them, if I could help it. I know no Sect among Christians that I would not live under rather than Popery.  
But what matter is it for such a one as me? I expect from them no regard to what I say. But methinks they should have some regard for their Country. I would tell them, if they were present, your Country is afraid of you. She does as it were beg you to be gone. For a hundred years she hath been in danger of you. She hath not suffered but some way or other on your account. The Spanish Invasion was for Popery. The Gunpowder-Treason was for Popery. One Civil War was in a great measure occasioned by Popery. She is in danger of another Civil War by Popery. I will not say what she hath suffered abroad for your sakes. She hath suffered more than she can well bear; and must she suffer still? must she still be in fear for your sakes? Why should you not be gone, and free her from her fears? If they are true, that she may not be destroyed: and if false, that she may not be always in fear of you.  
But perhaps we cannot expect so much favour at their hands, and therefore we should be the more careful for ourselves. Let us do what we can do, if we will, without them. We need not fear them so much, if it were not for our Divisions. That is the thing which makes us most in danger of them. We divide, and subdivide; We take the way to make ourselves weak, and little, and indefensible. We promote their design by it, to swallow us up. We should not go down so easily whole, as we may do in small pieces. We cannot but see this. Oh! that we had hearts to consider it! that we would do what we can to unite ourselves! Surely we can, if we will: we could, if we had but a real mind to it. We will, and must very speedily do it; or else, if we do not unite, do what we will otherwise, we shall let in Popery, even by the ways that we take to keep out Popery.  
Well! nothing can be too bad for us to suffer, upon the account of our sins: yet nothing can be too good to expect, from that God, who hath preserved us, and will preserve us, if we are not wanting to ourselves. If we Reform our lives according to our Religion; if we eschew evil and do good, if we seek peace and ensue it; then we shall see good days, than God will delight to dwell among us, he will build us like jerusalem, a City at unity within itself, that shall stand fast for ever.  
The Lord grant it for his Mercy sake. Amen.  
FINIS.