■^ar? 5?^58Pr3^^«Ea ; -=^^3f- Ij OF TUF. AT PRINCETON, N. J. SAMUEL AGNEW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA. g4^ I '"^^^^ Section i^f^Jo. ^_^_, y TWELVE SERMONS Preach'd On Several Occaiions By the Right Reverend Father in God George Lord Bilhop of B J{lSTOZ. X F 2lDy Printed at the Theater for Jonah Bowyer at the £ofe in Ludgate-ftreet^ London, MDCCXVII. Imprimatur, yo. BARON, Vice-Can* Oxon. Fthr.ii* i']i6. / .'»'-V* To His Worthy Friends, The Gentlemen of the Veftry, And Others, Who frequent the New-Church In Tothil-fields Weflminfler^ This Volume of Sermons, All, except the Laft, Before printed Severally, Is Infcrib'd by George Lord Bifhop oiBri/iol: In pubhck Teftimony of his fincere Gra- titude for the repeated Proofs they have given Him of an Hearty Affedion, and Undeferv'd Efteem, during the whole Courfe of his Miniftration amongft them near twenty Years. a 2 o THE CONTENTS. Sermon I. pReach'd before the Honourable Houfe of Commons on Jan, $otb, i7oi Gen. 49. 6. my Souly come nottbou into their Secret j unto their jijjembly^ mine Ho' mury be not thou United. page i. Sermon II. Preach'd before the Queen, on 2>lov, fth. Matth . I o . 16. Behold I fend you forth as Sheep in the midfi of Wolves ; be ye there- fore Wife as Serpents^ and Harmlefs as Doves, P- 37' Sermon III. Preach'd before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor : A Spittal-Sermon on Wednefday in Eafier-weel^y 1708. Heb. 13. 16. To do good^ and to communis catCy forget not ; for with fuch Sacrifices God is rvell pleafed, P- 79' Sermon IV. Preach'd before the Right Worfhipful the Court of Aldermen, on the Anniver^ fary The contents. lary of the Martyrdom of King Charksl. Judges 19. 30. j^nd it was fo, that ail that Jaw it^ faidj 7 here was ?iofuch Deed done^ nor feertj from the day that the Children of Jfrael came up out of the land ofEgypt^ un- to this day : confider of it, take advice, and jpeak your Minds* ?• 1 2 3 . Sermon V. treach'd at the Cathedral-Church of St. PW, before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the Judges and Al- dermen. I ThefTal. 2. 4. Latter part of the Verfe. — Not as f leafing Men, but God which trieth our Hearts, p. ij'j. Sermon VI. The 7{oyal BenefaRrefs : Preach' d in the Parilh-Church of St. Sepulchre, June \Ji. 1 7 10, being Thurfday in Whitjun-weekj, the Anniverfary Meeting of the Promo- ters of Charity-Schools. Exod. 2.9, 10. And Pharaoh's Daughter [aid unto Her, Take this Child away, and Nurfe it for mcy and I will give TJjee thy wages. And the Woman too\ the Child, and nurfed h The contents. it. And the Child grerv, and Jhe brought Him unto Pharaohs Daughter^ and He be- came Her Son, p. 191' Sermon VIL Preach'd at the Parifli-Church of St. Dun- ftan^ in the Weft. A Farewel-Sermon . I Tim. f . 22. Neither be partaker of other Mens Sins. — p- 243. Sermon VIII. Preach'd at the Affizes held at iQngflon^ on March zoth. i7\h I Tim. 1.9. — The Law is not made for a J^ghteom Many but for the Lawlefs and Difobedienty for %)ngodly and for Sinner Sy for Unholy and Profane. p. 279- Sermon IX. Preach'd at the Royal Chapel at Saint James ?,y on the Faft for Imploring a Bleiling upon the Treaty of Peace. Ifaiah 5-8.3. Wherefore have We Fafled, fay they, and Thou feefl not } Wherefore have We Affiled our Soul, and Thou takefi no Knowledge} p. 329. S E R M. The contents. Sermon X. Preach'd before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor j A Spittal-Sermon on Eafler- Tuejday^ Apr. 7 . 1 7 1 3 . Luke 14. 14. And thoujhalt be blejfedi for they cannot recompenfe thee : for thou'Jhalt be recompenfed at the J^efurreRion of the Juft. p. 3<^i'- Sermon XI. Preach'd before the Right Honourable the Houfe of Peers, on May i^th. 1716. Pfal. 115-. I. Not unto us^ Lordy not unto m, but unto thy Name give glory, for thy mercy J and for thy truths fake» P- 40f . Sermon XII. Preach'd before the Sons of the Clergy, at St. IVerburgh's Church in BJ{ISTOLy OB, 2. 171 5. Prov. 24. I. A good Name is rather to be chojen than great l^chesy and loving favour rather than Silver and Gold, A SER- r T ^ 2^*^- vV '^TI^'^''' ^ ^.M^-^^. ..X.- ^ . . . . T SERMON Preach'd before the Honourable Houfe of Commons, &c. Gen. xlix. v. 6, my Soul^ come not thou into their Secret ; unto their ^JJem* hly^ mine Honour^ he not thou united, TH E Context runs thus : Smieon and Levi are Brethren; Inftruments of Cruelty are in tbetr Habitations, my Soul^ come not thou into their fecret ; unto their Ajfemhlyy mine Honour^ be not thou united : For in their Serm. I, A Au" CO Anger they /lew a Man, and in their Self-will they di^ed down a Wall, Cur fed be their Anger ^ for it was fierce ; and their Wrath^ for it was cruel: I will divide them in ^^icoh^ and fcatter them in Ifrael. Thefe Words exprefs in a very moving and lively manner the good Patriarch Jacob's juft abhorrence and deteftation of a Cruel and Barbarous Fadt, with the moll deliberate Malice contriv'd, with the bafeft Treachery carried on, and with the utmoft Inhumanity executed by his t\^'o Sons, Simeon and Levi ; Men every way Brethren ; as nearly allied in Temper, as in Birth ; in their Dilpoiitions and Charad:ers very much relembhng, but ftill far out-done by thofe Regicides, who, as upon this Day, made themfelves drunk with the bloud of the Lord's Anointed. In the 34^A. Chapter of this Book of Gfwf- />, We have a particular Account of that Crime, which Jacob had in his view, when he utter d thefe words ; and it is im- poilible to confider it, with all its ag- gravating Circumftances, without paft ing this Judgment upon the Perfons con- cern'd in it ; that they were Revengefiil, Cru- en Criiel, implacable, Treacherous ; Men, who had no regard to the Honour of their Countiy, and who proftitiited Re- ligion, to the carrying on their wicked Purpofes with the greater facility and fuc- cefs. An injury, it feems, had been done them by Shechem the Son of Hamor j and upon the firft notice of it, without any demand of fatisfadtion from him, with- out jwiy appeal to Authority for a Legal redrefs, they enter into an hafty refblu- tion of avenging themfelves. Having thus made themfelves Judges in their own caufe, they pay no regard to the ftated Rules and Meafures of Juftice^ nor obferve any proportion between the Injury they had fiiffer'd, and the Puniih- ment they award. Nothing lefs than the blood of the Offender Can atone for his Offence ; nay. Root and Branch, is their avow'd Principle, and for the fin of She- chem an utter extirpation is decreed againfl the whole Race of the Shschemites. Overtures of an Accommodation, when offer d, feemd to be accepted by them ; but under the diiguife of a Treaty they Profecute their revengefld purpofes j and A 2- -whiljt [4] rvhilfi they, jpeaJ^ of Peace ^ they make themfelves ready for War. An Adtion thus foul and difhonourable was fure to be univerfally detefted j and would in the Language of their Father, make themflink^ among(l the Inhabitants of the Land: But be- ing paft all Senfc of Shame, having flia- ken off all concern for the glory of their Nation, they obftinately proceed in the perpetration of a Crime, which muft un- avoidably cxpofe both them, and their Pofterity to the reproach and hatred of all Countrys, and all Ages. But to render their Villany compleat, and to give it its finifliing ftroke, a form of Godhnefs muft be put on ,; They were the People of God, and could have no commerce with any who refiis'd to enter into their Cove- nant : We camiot^ fay they, do this things to give our Sijier to one that is uncircumcisd : that had been a reproach to them, and a wound to their tender Confciences : but this Hypocritical pretence of Zeal for the true Religion ferv'd only for the better compaffing their irreligious ends ; and thofe who were fo Ibrupulous of having any Affinity with fuch as were Aliens to God's C r] God's Covenant, made no other ufe of initiating them into the facred rites of it, than to Murder them with the greater Security and Difpatch. By this reprefen- tation of the fad: to which Jacob here alludes, it appears that the Contrivers of it were Falfe, Violent, Ungodly, and In- humane above the common meallu'es of deprav'd Nature -, and yet it may be af^ firm'd that their Crime, however extra- ordinary, both as to its Kind, and its De- gree, bears no proportion to the much greater Sin of thofe unnatural , un- parallel'd, and execrable Sons of Belial^ to whofe brutal Rage our Martyr'd Sove- raign was tliis Day made a Sacrifice- Were it proper to appear an Advocate in fb bad a Caufe as that of Simeon and Leviy it would not be very difficult to find out fome plaufible Colours for the ex- tenuation of their Crime ; it might be pleaded, that they were under no ties of Subjedion to thofe, againft whom they lifted up their hands -, that the injury done them was very heinous and pro- voking ; that the treatment they had met with, was foul and inhofpitable 3 that A 3 thp the great Diflionour brought upon their Family was fuch as might feem to juftifie a more than ordinary refentment -, that their Bloud was by fiich a jull: Provoca- tion put into an high ferment, and that it was not yet cool'd, when in their Anger they flew the Shechemites. But can thofe who are unwilhng to condemn, who are wilhng to excufe, who are daring enough to applaud the Fad: of this Day, offer any one Shadow of an Argument to mi- tigate its guilt, or to lefTen our detefta- tion of it > Were the Regicides provok'd to it by any unfufFerable Injuries ? Or, were they not by many repeated Ad:s of Royal Favour and Clemency obhg'd > Had there been any ground for their Com- plaints, yet how was Vengeance Theirs ? or whence had They Authority to repay it > Were they not under the ftrongeft ties of Nature, and of Religion, to defend their Soveraign's Life even with the hazard of their own ? Were they not bound to fupport his Perfon, Crown, and Dignity by reiterated Oaths, Vows, Engagements, Covenants, and Proteftations r and mufl not thofe, who broke thro' all thefe re- ilraints [7] ftraints have been pofTeft with a Spirit like to that of the Demoniack in the Gofpel, whom no one could bifidy no not mth thainsy becaufe that he had been often bound with Fetters and Chains^ and the Chains had been pluckt afunder by hiwy and the Fetters broken in pieces ; neither could any one tame him ? It would be fbme abatement of their Sin, if we could fay of them, what Jacob here charges upon his Sons, that in their jinger they flew a "Man ; but the Murder of this Day was not the effedt of a fudden and vehement Paffion, but the refult of long Thought, fedate Judgment, and mature Confultation. How often muft Nature have ftarted back from the thoughts of a Crime fo inhumane, and fhocling } How often muft a Senfe of Duty, Awe, and Reverence, have been awaken d within their Breafts ! And how much mifplacd pains muft they have taken to lay liich motions , afleep ! How often muft they have heard the voice of a forewarning, and felt the Terrors of an upbraiding Confcience ? With what force, with what Authority, muft this Subftitute of God in the Souls of Men have pleaded A 4 the [ ^ 3 the Royal Caufe ! and with what Difficulty ^ere fuch powerful Pleas over-rul'd ! Did the word of God furnifh thefe Men with plenty of Curfes, which they thundered out upon occafion againft their Adverfa- ries ? and could they in the mean time be forgetfiil of all thofe Threats of the Al- mighty, which are fo frequently, and fb exprefly denounc d againft thofe, whom God has given over to a reprobate mind, being fill'd with all IJnrighteoufnefs, Wickednefs, Malicioufnefs ; full of Envy j Murder, Deb ate, Deceit, Malignity ; Difobedient, Covenant- breakers, without natural JffeBion, Impla- cable, "Unmerciful ? Were not thefe terrors of the Lord well known to them ? and muft they not have frequently fet them- ielves in array before them ? and after fo much time to confider, fo many Warn- ings to retreat, muft not their Eyes ne- cefTarily be open'd to fee the j^ngel of the Lord fianding as it were in the way with the Sword in his hand to oppofe them, becaufe their way was perverfe before him ! Thus complicated was the Guilt of thefe Sons of Violence ^ in whofe Crimes we might feem in fome meafure to par- take, C 9 ] take, could we Hear,could we Speak,coiild we Think of em without an hearty Abhor- rence, and juft Indignation. Amongil the many good ends for which this folemn Me- morial was by publick Authority at firft ap- pointed, is ftill continued, and will, we hope, for the terror of evil works be long preferv'd, this undoubtedly was One, that as the Virtues and Graces of the Martyr were to be mention'd to His immortal Honour, fo the enormous Sin of his Mur- derers might be remembred to Their Ever- iafting Difgrace. For tho' we may be told by fome Men of pretended modera- tion and temper, that it is now high time to lay alide the remembrance of Crimes fo long ago committed j that the J^egi- tides have long fince anfwer'd for thisFa^t at the Bar of publick Juftice, or at the Tribunal of God ; and that it is not de- cent to implead them afrefli who have already undergone their Tiyal ; Yet cer- tain it is, that fiich an Ad; of Oblivion, as is claim'd in their behalf, is neither due to em by the Laws of the Land, nor by the Gofpel of Chrift. For, if to per- petuate the Memory of infamous Per- fons C 10 ] fons an4 Adions were any ways unfuit- able to a true Gofjpel-temper, if it were any Breach of Chriftian Charity to brand Traitors and Unrighteous Judges with an in- dehble Mark of Ignominy, the Names of Judas Ifcariot and Pontius Pilate had not ftood recorded in thofe Books, of which not one jot or tittle pall perijh, till Heaven and Earth pafs away, A generous Zeal againft Savage and Barbarous Per- fons, fome Warmth of Expreffion upon the mention of Uncommon and Unnatu- ral Crimes, feems not only warranted, but even recommended to us by the Example of Jacob : He was juft now expiring j and we cannot • fufped that in his laft mo- ments He was tranfported by any immo- derate, or unfeemly Paffion : He here gives us the Character of two of his Sons ; and the Fondnefs of a Father for his Cliildren fliould incline him rather to ieffen, than to aggravate their Faults : He was now bequeathing his dying Blef- iing to his Children, and therefore muft be difpos'd to fpeak the Language of Tendernefs, and AiFedion. In thefe Cir- cumftances, with thefe Difpofitions, in- ftead C " ] Head of Bleffing he breaks forth into a Curfe i That Indignation againft the Cruelty of his Sons, which had been long fince kindled within him, and which was not yet by the length of time extinguifli'd, extorts from him this bitter Imprecation ; Curfed be their Anger ^ for it was fierce ; and their Wrath J for it was cruel, I will divide them in Jacoh^ and fcatter them in Ifrael. Now if we would keep out of the reach of Iiich Curfes, as are here denouncd againft Simeon and Levi^ we muft take care to avoid the hke Guilt ; Nor muft We be content barely to avoid it, but We muft be careful that We make no approaches towards it ; We muft not en- ter into any clofe Familiarities with Men of Their Charader ; We muft ftand of! from em, for fear of being infed:ed by em ', We muft often fpeak to our felves thefe inftrudive Words of the Patriarch ; my Soul^enter thou not into their fecret; with their Affemhliesy mine Honour^ be not thou united. The crying Sin of this Day had m all likehhood never been committed, had the Caution here given been duly ob- ferv'd i t 1^3 ferv'd i had Perfbns of the fame Prin- ciples and Character with Simeon and Levi found no Countenance nor Encou- ragement from Men, whom we may fup- pofe to have had different Intentions and more juftifiable Defigns ; had none en^ gag'd in any common Meafures with them, but thofe to whom the whole Myftery of their Iniquity was at firft laid open. But Charity inclines us to hope, and for the Honour of our Nation we fhould be dif pos'd to believe, that with thofe Rebelli- ous Subjedrs, who imbrued themfelves in the Bloud of their Soveraign, Some at firft fat out who were not from the beginning refolv'd to go the fame lengths; Who, for want of feeing far enough into the Confequences of their AcStions, were not fufficiently aware whither they were going, and with Whom they were en- gag'd. The beft Ufe therefore we can make of our Reflections upon the mif chievous EfFe6ts of fuch a Condudt, is to pofTefs our felves ftrongly with a firm periiiafion of the Truth and Importance of thatPmdentialMaxim,which is couch'd under the Words of my Text, that, Good and [13 3 ofid well meaning Men ought to be very cautious how they join in publick Dejigns ivith Men of III Principles and Scandalous CharaHers, Good Men are not by the Rules of Mo- rality, or by the Precepts of the Golpel, forbid all manner of Correipondence with all forts of Wicked Perfons. Where there are probable hopes of making bad Men better, there Charity obhges the Good to converfe with 'em in order to their Reformation : Or where Good Men are in no danger of being corrupted by the Wicked, there they are at liberty to con- verfe with 'em, without any Impeach- ment of then* Wifdom or Goodnefs. Nor have the worft of Men fuch a wide Power of doing Mifchief to a Good Caufe, as that Their appearing in it fhould make it unlawful or inexpedient for Good Men to promote it : what One purfues out of an ill Motive, the Other may profecute with better purpofe ; what One ufes un- lawful means to compafs, the Other may endeavour to attain by fuch as are war- rantable. But the Agreement of Good and Bad Men is then mifchievous, and portends ill to the Pubhck, when they [ H ] ad by joint Counfels, and conceited Mea- fures J when there is a thorough Under- ftanding, and mutual Confidence between *em ; when by a clofe and intimate Alh- ance they are fbrm'd into one Band j when the Oppofition there is between them, as Good and Bad Men, appears much lefs remarkable than their Concord, as united in One and the Same Caufe j when they enter as it were into a League OfFen- (ive and Defenlive, fo that all who are willing to come into this Confederacy, whatever their CharacSters be in other re- gards, fhall be lookt upon and embrac'd as Friends ; and all who ftand out, with- out any other demerit, fhall be confider'd and treated as Enemies. Now Good and well-meaning Men ought to be very cau- tious how they enter into fuch an Union of Interefts as this with Men of III Principles and Scandalous Characters, for thefe two Reafons. I. Becaufe, by fuch an Union they will bring a Scandal upon themfelves, and upon Religion, tho' they fliould not concur in the worft Defigns of tliofe Wicked Men with whom they iinite. 2. Be- C If ] 2. Becaufe, byfuch an Union they are in great danger of being carried on to concur with fuch Wicked Men in their very worll Defigns. And firft, Byfuch an %)nion they will bring a Scandal upon themfelvesy and upon J^ligion^ tho they Jhould not concur in the rvorfi De- figns of thofe Wicked Men with whom they unite. Some Good Men feem to have enter- tain'd very wrong Notions concerning the value and advantages of a fair Reputa- tion. If they can approve themfelves to God and to their own Confciences, they are not at all follicitous how they ftand in the Opinion of the World. But certain it is, that this indifference of theirs to their being Well or III ipoken of is fb far from being commendable, that it is unwarrantable and dangerous ; attended with many ill Confequences, and highly prejudicial to the intereft of Virtue, and Religion. The Gofpel of Chrift is in- deed much more careful to provide for the purity of our Hearts, and the lin- cerity of our inward Intentions, than for the bare furface and external appear- aiice ance of our Adtions. But tho* we are by the Gofpel oblig'd to make the Glory of God, and the approving our felves in His fight, our firll and chief aim j yet a due care of our own Efteem and Reputa- tion, as far as they may be fubfervient to God's Glory, is alfb by the fame Gofpel required at our Hands, as a ftricSt and in- difpenfable Duty. However therefore Ibme Men may think it an inftance of Humility and Self-denial, to be wholly unconcern d about a Good or Bad Cha- racter, yet we may depend upon the truth of that Obfervation which a judicious Moralift has long fince made, that, to dif- regard what others think ofljsy is the property not only of an Arrogant^ but Dilfolute Perfon, Now there is nothing that can give a more fatal Wound to the Reputation of ]Men otherwife Good, than too clofe an Intimacy with Perfons of Infamous and Profligate Charadlers. It is fo natural for all kinds of Men to confort with thofe of their own Difpofitions and Principles, that it is generally lookt upon both as a Compendious and Sure way of forming a right Judgment concerning any Per- fons [ t7 ] /oris whom we vpould know, from theijr Familiarity with thofe whom we do know; where therefore the Union between Good and Bad Men is open and vifible, whilft the Bond, which unites them, is fecret and invifible, moft are apt haftily to con- clude, that there is no great diiFerence between 'em ; but that . the Former in- wardly are as wicked, as the Others out- wardly appear to be. Good Men may flatter themfelves that they are not re- fponfible for thefe falfe judgments that are paft upon them ; that, if Men will thro' Ignorance mifconftrue their Acti- ons, or thro' Perverfenefs mifrepre- fent them, there is no reafon they (hould be blam'd for other Mens Miftakes or Prejudices. This is indeed a Plea, which, where it is truly made, ought to be rea- dily admitted i but which thofe Men muft not hope to reap the Benefit of, who by too familiar a Converfe with Perfons of loofe P4'inciples and ill Manners, take no care to prevent Miftakes that are fo obvious, and to remove fuch reafbnable Prejudices. Our Conduct, as well as our Language, is capable of a double Con- Serm» L B ftruxStion^ [ i8 ] ftruAion ; what Truth is in Words, that Goodnefs is in Ad:ions ; and as a down- right Honeft Man will take all poffible care that his Words be true, not only in his own Senfe who fpeaks them, but in their Senfe alfb, who hear them j fo a per- fedly Good Man will be equally con- cern' d, that his Behaviour be right, not only in his own Opinion, but alio in the eileem of all who fliall obferve it. Who- foe\'er therefore enters into the Jecrets^ and unites himfelf to the jijfemblies and Interefts 6f Wicked Men, when he is aware of the Scandal of fuch an Alliance, is juftly ac- countable to God and Man for all the m if chief oi that Scandal, which is not only taken, but given. What Opinion muil all Lookers on entertain, when they fee the ProfefTors of Religion unequally yok'd together with its declar'd Enemies ? How unnatural, how monftrous muft the Alliance be, when the clean are pair'd with the unclean ! for, what Fellowjhip hath J^ghteoufnejs with Unrighteoujnefs \ or what Communion hath Light with Darknefj, or ivhat Concord hath Chrijl with Belial \ or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel \ Can [ '9 ] Can it be thought that Religious Ends 'will be promoted, and Righteous Pur- pofes carried on by the Servants of Un- righteoufnefs ! Will it not be a Difpa- ragement to a -good Caufe, that the Champions of it fhould be thought to want the Concurrence of Wicked and Hellifhinftruments ? Let therefore the En- deavours of good and well-deligningMen to promote the Honour of Rehgion be never fo fincere ; let their Lives and Con- verfations be in other refped:s never fo Exemplary ; let them ufe all other means poilible to allure Mankind to the love and practice of Virtue, yet the encourage- ment and fupport they give to Vice by fuch an Union vv'ith Vicious Perfons, as hath been dcfcribed, will in the iffue be found to do more differvice to Virtue, and to bring a greater diihonour upon Religion, than the moft icandalous AcSti- ons of the moft notorious Sinners. Some perhaps may think that feveral of thofe, who, in the late times of con- fufion, joyn d in an Intereft contrary to that of the Royalift, were Perfons who meant well, and who truly intended the B 2 pub- [20] publick Good ; no Enemies of our Con- flitution, but fincere Lovers of their Country, and affecStionately zealous for the Liberties of the People, and for the Purity of Religion. God alone knows their hearts, and it becomes not Us to be too forward in judging of their In- tentions : but were their Defigns never lb innocent, yet we have reafon to la- ment, that their unhappy Conjunction with thofe Men, whom no excefs of Cha- rity will permit us to think well of, has brought a lafting difgrace upon Their Memory, and a great difhonour upon our Holy Religion. How hard has Po- fterity found it to diftinguifh between thofe who are faid to have intended the Support, and thofe who are known to have procuf d the Overthrow of our En- glifli Conftitution > How difficult is it at this diftance to difcern, Who they were that defign'd to Reform publick abufes, and Who refolv'd to Overturn the efta- blifliment of Church and State ? Com- mon Fame has made little difference be- tween Thofe who Reiifted, and Thofe who Murdcr'd the King s and whilft they, who pre- E^i 3 ' pretended only to oppofe the encroach- ments of Arbitrary Power, have been lifted under the fame Colours with the Enemies of Regal Govermnent, it has not been eafie for the generahty of Ob- fervers to find the difference between the Precious and the Vile, and to difcrimi- nate the Patriot from the Rebel. Nor has this fufpicious Condud: caft a greater blemifli upon the Charad:ers of Men pro- fefling Rehgion, than upon the Honour of Rehgion it felf ; whilft pretenders to extraordinary Purity have adted in con- junction with notorious Rebels, Religion has been mifimderftood as if it were too much a Friend, or at leaft not enough an Enemy to Fadtion and Rebelhon ; and becaufe Seditious and Traiterous pradtifes have been carried on under the form of Godlinefs, Some running into a con- trary extreme have thought they could not fufficiently (hew their diflike to Se- dition without laying afide all appearance of Piety ; and, for fear of bemg rankt with Hypocrites, have chofe rather to be numbred with the Prophane. By thele means a great Reproach has been brought B 3 upon t"3 upon Religion in general, and greater ftill upon the Reform' d -, Tljat it is lawful to depofe and murder 'Princes^ was a dodtrine heretofore thought peculiar to the Church of J{ome ; to Protell^againft that dod:rine, amongft other abominations of that Church, was the delign and glory of the Preformation : how great a Scandal there- fore mnft thofe Men have brought upon the Pr-oteltant Religion, who at the fame time that they profefs'd a more than or- dinary Zeal againft Popery, gave too much countenance to fome of the roorfl prin- ciples, of the Ivor/? Men , of the ivorfl Church in the World , in its worfi and moil corruped State ! From this great Scandal our holy Rehgion had been fi*ee, had all thofe Men, who we would hope were truly in its Interefts, taken fufficient care to keep at a due diftance from the Councels and Meafures of Such as had no Religion 3 had they not by uniting w\th their JJfemblies^ and engaging too far with them, given us a plain proof, how ne- ceffary it is that Good and well meaning Men Jhould be nicely cautious how they join in publttk^ dejigns with Men of III principles and [ 23 ] and Scandalous charaUers ; leaft by fiich an Union they bring a fcandal upon them- felves, and upon Religion, tho' they do not concur in the Worft defigr;s of thofe wicked Men, with whom they are united. A lecond reafbn for this Caution is, becauie by Such an IJnion they are in great danger of being carried on to concur withfuch Wicked Men in their very Worji dejigns. When Good ^len are embarkt with Bad,they he under this great difadvantage, that the intentions of the One are open and manifeft, while the defigns of the Other he hid, and under ground. Little skill is requif d to know what the Former aim at ; but there is need of more pe- netration, than falls to the fhare oS every Good Man, to dive into the intricate Counfels of the Latter. Were wicked Men fo ill advis'd as to difplay the whole Scheme of their flagitious purpofes at one view, none but fuch as were equally Wicked with themfelves would come into it : in order therefore to draw in Men of better intentions, fuch pernicious Ends muft be induftrioully kept out of their fight, and they muft be let into the main B 4 Se- C ^4 ] Secret by leifurely Steps, and infenfible Degrees. Now whilft Good Men are un- happily prevail'd upon to go hand in hand with the Wicked, and are not fufficiently aware, whither their Companions are bent, it is no wonder, that being thus Bhnded, they are too eafily led out of the Way. And they are the more Hable to be thus pradiis'd upon by fuch as he in wait to deceive, becaufe their own Plain- nefs and Integrity makes them unapt to fufped: others of Artifice and Doubhng j for an Honeft Simphcity of acting by the rules of Uprightnefs, and an Happy De- xterity in finding out the wiles of the Crafty and Diflioneft, do not always go together i Good Men, when engag'dwith Bad, are in our Saviours Language, hke Sheep in the midfi of Wolves ; but i^Qw of em are able, upon this Occalion,to follow our Saviour's advice of being wife as Serpents^ and harmlefs as Doves. And as for want of this neceflary Wifdom they are too often over-reach'd by thofe who are well-vers'd in all the Arts of DeluHon, fo are they fre- quently betrayd into the fame fatal Miflakes by a mifplac'd Charity ^ which doth doth indeed of it felf difpofe them to thin^ no evily to believe aU things^ to hope all things ; but is never obferv'd to operate fo ftrongly, even on Good Men, as when they are to pafs a Judgment upon the Adtions of thofe, with whom they are engag'd in one com- mon Caufe. For the appellations of Honeft, Worthy, Well-principled, do in the Lan- guage of thofe who moft ufe em, generally fignifie no more,than that thePerfons thus ftifd and diftinguifli'd do in the Political opinions they maintain, and the Civil Inte- refts they efpoufe,intirely agree with thofe who thus denominate em ; So evident is it, that a much lefs degree of Charity is neceffary to make Men believe and hope well of their Own party, than is requifite to make em equally difjpos'd to judge fa- vourably of Others. An hearty Affedion therefore to a Caufe will go a great way towards mifleading even the belt Men in their Opinions concerning thofe, who joyn with them in the fei*vice of it : for fo far as any are well-wifliers to this Caufe, they are adjudg d of Courfe to be tmly Good Men j and if after this, there be any thing doubtful in their Carriage,it will be be Conftrued in the befl; Senfe for the fake of that One Quality, which is lookt upon to be without doubt worthy of Praife. Wicked Men will take all pofEble care to hide their faults from the Perfonal knowledge of thofe Good Men, by whom, if they were better known, they would be iefs trufted j the Notice therefore of thefe faults muft come to em fi'om the teftimony of Others ; which muft be very llrong and convincing to perfliade Men of what they have no mind to be per- fuaded. Now v/hilft Good and Well- meaning Men are under fuch ftrong pre- pofleffions to think well of their own party ; whilft all care poflible is taken to keep em in the Dark, and whilft they are willing enough to fliut their Eyes againft the Light, if ever it fliould break in upon 'em ; can it reafonably be exped:ed that thofe who are refolv'd to judge (6 favour- ably of the Perfons v/ith whom they are linkt, fliould be over-fufpicious of their Deiigns ? is it not much rather to be fear'd, that for want of a juft Sufpicion they fliould be UnwiUingly fubfervient to 'em > Now when Good Men, for lack of fuf [ ^7] fiifficient fore-fight have unnwaies made thofe fteps, which, when they give them- felves kave to refled: upon, they cannot but think were falle Ones, tho' they may perhaps have now and then a faint inchna- tion to go back, they will find it very diffi- cult to come to a Heady refolution of re- treating : For in fuch a cafe to recede is to confefs that they were in the wrong ; which is a greater degree of mortification than even the Bell Men can readily fub- mit to. Thofe Wicked Perfons, who have by Falfe and Specious pretences pre- vail'd upon em to go fo far, will fright em from all thoughts of a retreat by the odi- ous Names of Apoftate and Defertor ; and thus having by Craft perfuaded 'em to go one mky they will by Force compel! 'em to go twain. And they are now under the flronger inducements to Proceed, be- caufe by this Confederacy with Evil Men, they have juftly forfeited their Reputa- tion with the Good ; fb that fliould they be difpos'd to leave their prefent Friends, they would have no great reafon to hope for an hearty reception from Thofe, whom they have been at fo much pains to C ^8] to make their Enemies. Having there- fore no encouragement to exped: good quarter from the Oppolite fide, they are neceflarily determin'd to ftay where they are : Nor are they here any longer Wel- come, than they are Ufeful ; and muft therefore hope for Protedion upon no other terms then an Unfhaken Fidehty to the Caufe. When they were at firft en- tred into it, they might be allow'd to judge for themfelves j but being now en- gag'd beyond retreat, they muft be intirely under the direction of their Leaders. Whiift they were Toung they girded themfelves^ and walkt whether they would j but now they are Old^ they ftretch forth their handsy and another prds themy and carries them whither they would not. Thus are Good Men, whilft they adl in Conjundion with Men of an Oppoiite Charader, carried on ftep by ftep to thofe Extremes, which at their firft fetting out they could not have thought it poffible for 'em ever to have arriv d at. It was in their own power at firft whether they would at all unite them- felves to the Jffemblies of the Wicked ; but when they are once got into the Circle, they L^9l they are fo far enchanted, that they caa^ not find their way out again : They might perhaps be fo Credulous as to hope that the Wicked, with whom they are join d, might be made fubfervient to Their Good purpofes J but their Experience will in the ifTue teach em, what they might have learnt at a cheaper rate, that Good Men^ who have too little Knowledge of the World^art very proper tools for Bad Men of greater reach to work with. The moft profligate Perfbns may indeed be made the unwilling Inftni- ments of great Good to the world ; but it fhould feem to be the peculiar Preroga- tive of the Almighty to make this right Ufe of em. God's Hohnefs is indefedible, and can therefore receive no taint from his making even the Sins of Men coope- rate to the bringing about his Righteous purpofes : He is a Being of infinite Wif- dom, who feeth thro' the moft hidden de- iigns of thofe Wicked Perfbns, whom he employs in his work ; and he is fiirnifh'd with infinite Power to check 'em at his pleafure, and fo to bend and turn 'em, as that they may do His work, whilft they think they are doing Their own. But fuch a ma- ,C 30 3 a mianagement of Evil Men to Good piir- pofes, as this, is too difficult for the Beft of Mortals ; it is above em, they cannot attain unto it. Neither is Their Sandtity lio inviolable, as to be proof againft in- fecSfcion ; nor Their Knowledge fo infal- lible, as to fecure em from being impos'd upon ; nor their Power fo uncontrollable, that They fliould be in no danger of be- ing over-ruld. Great is the Contagion of Vice, and Good Men cannot be too careful to keep out of the reach of it : He that toucheth pitchy faith the Wife Man, Jhall be defiled therewith. Great is the Frailty of Virtue, and Good Men cannot be too cautious how they expofe it to the Aflaults of the Wicked. Tor as the fame Wife Man obferves ; Horv agree the IQttle and the Earthen Pot together ? Jf the One be fmitten ngainft the Other, itJJjall be broken. That what has been faid concernins^ the great danger of being carried on to the worft defigns of Wicked Men by too clofe a Combination with them, is not an empty Speculation, but grounded in the Nature of the thing, and verified by Ex- perience, L 31 3 perience, is plain from the Prcigrefs of that RebeUion, which at laft ended in the confammate Villainy of this day. Could Thofe who took counfel together againfi the Lords Anointed^ have fbrefeen from the beginning all the fatal Confequences, which were fiicceffively haftning on j Could they, when they elpied m it were a little cloud arijing out of the Sea^ like a Mans bandy have from that time prognofticated, what Winds and Storms were thenceforth gather- ing J Could they have taken in at One view the Confufions of a long War, the Defolation of a flourifhing Kingdom, and the Overthrow of a truly Primitive and Apoftolical Church ; Could they have been then convinc'd, that the Meafures they took would neceifarily end in the total lofs of all their Civil Rights ; that the intire frame of the Government would be fiiattefd, and broken to pieces, and that the Wife and Wholfom Conflitution of Parliaments would be efFe6tually de- ftroy'd ; Could they have fore-known that their flruggie for Liberty would in the event make them Abfolute Slaves j that the Weapons which they put into the hands C 3^ ] hands of Mercenary Men would be pdint-^ ed upon Themfelves ^ and that inftead of a Lawful Prince governing them with a Paternal AfFecStion, Tyrants fiiould fet themfelves over them, who would chafiije them with Scorpions j Could they have pre- fag'd, what a long train of Evils they would entail upon their Pofterity ; Evils, which We at this day feel, and from which nothing but the Condud of a Valiant Prince, the Wifdom of a truly Enghfh ParHament, and the Providence of a Gra- cious God can refcue Us ; Could they, in a word, have had a clear Profped of all thofe Sins and Miferies which were to uflier in, to accompany, and to follow an Inteftine War ; Such a frightful Scene as this would have fear d all, who were not defperately Wicked, fi*om having any fhare in beginning thofe troubles, of which they could fee no End. But thofe Mafter- workmen, who laid the Foundation of all thefe mifchiefs, were too wife to let their Under-labourers into the knowledge of the whole Scheme : This was a Secret proper to be imparted to them by de* grecs, and according as they were able to bear C jj 3 bear it. To have told them at firft, that they were oppreft, and that they could not do themfelves and their Country Juftice without Murdering the Tyrant, who op- prefs'd 'emj would have been too harlh a Dodtrine, and not ealily digefted : To make it therefore lefs diftaftfiil, and more likely to be receiv'd, it was expedient that it fliould be given precept after precept^ line after line^ here a little^ and there a little^ Thofe, who are told and perfuaded that they were oppreft, were ealily wrought upon to Petition for a Redrefs of Grie- vances : had they ftopt there, and beeii decent in their Addrefles of tliis kind, the Conftitution might thus far have juftify'd them : but Petitions foon pav'd the way to J^monflrancesy and Hemonftrances to Th» mults : When they had infulted their So- veraign in his Palace, they were lefs foru- pulous of taking up Arms againft Him in the Field ^ to treat Him as a Captive whomi they had overcome in War, and to feize upon the fpoil,was with them only to exer- cife the right of Conqueft : After they had dethroned their Prince, to pafs Sen- tence upon Him, and to Condemn and^ Serm, 1, G ]£xe-; C 54] txecute Him as a Common Malefador, was a larger ft€p indeed than any of the former, and which few therefore, even of Thofe who had gone on undauntedly thus far, could be prevail'd upon to make, but which after fuch a Progrefs from one degree of Infolence to another, is not wholly impoflible to be accounted for. Thus have I endeavour'd to reprefent the fatal Confequences of too ftrid: an Union of Good and well-meaning Men with Perfons af III Principles and Cha- racfters, both from the Reafon of the thing, and from the Remarkable Inftance, which the Sin of This Day affords Us ; and God grant that neither our State^ nor our Churchy may ever in this Age, or in thofe to come, feel the Mifchiefs of fuch an un- happy Conjunction. May We be nicely fcrupulous how We enter into too near a Fellowfliip with Any fort of Evil-doers j may We be in a more Efpecial Manner cautious, how We joyn our felves with Perfons of fuch Principles and Practices, as the Patriarch of my Text Detefted and Curs'd in his two degeiierate Sons, Simeon and Levi. We C 3r3 We have here in the prefence o£GOD humbly and devoutly implor'd his Mercy, That the guilt of that Sacred and Innocent Bloody which was as upon this Day Jhed^ may not at any time be vijited upon Vs^ or our Fo^ flerity. Now if' we have not offer d unto GOD the Sacrifice of Fools, if We have not been guilty of the grofTell Hypocrify and Prevarication, We mufl in our Con- fciences be throughly perfuaded of the Piety and Innocency of the Royal Martyr: What we have confeft with our Mouths, We muft believe in our Hearts, that the Murder This Day committed was a Sin Abominable in the Sight ofGODj and which ought to be Abhor d by all Good Men. And undoubtedly, whilft there fhall be any Diftindtion kept up amongft Us between Right and Wrong, Order and Confufion, Government and Anarchy; Whilft to do well and fiffer patiently for well- doing Ihall be efteem'd praife worthy ; and to perjecute the J^ghteous^ and flay the Inno' cent fliall be a Character of Reproach , Whilft (a) Love^ Peace^ Long-fiffering^ Gen- (J) Gal. J. zz. G 2 tleriefs^ E 3tf ] ilenefsy Goodnefsy Faith^ Mee^nefsy and Tern* prance y fhall be numbred amongft tht Fruits of the Spirit ; and (a) Hatred, Variance^ Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Herefies, Envyings^ "Murders, and fuch liJ^ fhall ftand in that black Catalogue which St. Faul has given Us of Capital and Damnable Sins 5 So long the Memory of this ]^ghteous Prince Jhall be blejfed, and the Name of bis Wicked Dt^royers Jhall rot. And Blejfed^ I doubt not, is He who wasperfecutedfor J^hteoufnefs Sake, for His is the Kingdom of Heaven : Curfed fhall be the Memory of Thofe who took a reward to Slay an Innocent Perfon-, and all the People Jhall fay. Amen. («) Gal 5. 10. A SER. C 37 3 A SERMON Preached before the QUEEN. Matt. x. i6. Behold I fend you forth as Sheep in the midft of Wolves ; he ye therefore tVife as Serpent s^and Harmlefs as Doves. TH E Holy Evangelift hath given us, in this Chapter, an Au- thentick Copy of a Commillion, which ifllied from the Higheft Authority ; which convey'd the fiiUeft Powers that were ever granted to any of the Sons of Men j which was not to Serm.ll, C 3 be C 38 ] be executed without the utmoft Difficulty and Danger ; but was accompanied with fuch InftrucStions, as, if duly obferv'd, v/ould render all Difficulties fuperable, and be a fure Guard againft all Dangers. This Commiffion was given to the Apo- ftles by our Saviour, The Blejfed and Only TotentatBy the iQng of Mings^ and Lord of Lords : It's Purport was to refcue not One People or Nation, but the Whole Race of Mankind, from a State of the moil abjed: and wretched Slavery j to put an end to the Tyranny of a proud and cruel Ufurper -, and to eftablifli the Kingdom of God upon Earth. Such a Defign as this, which threatened an entire Overthi'ow to the Dominion of Satan, would be iiire to meet with all the Oppo- fition, that the Fury of Hell could raife againft it ; and tho', from the Succefs of it. Men might promife to themfelves the moft perfed: Liberty, and an Affluence of the greateft Bleffings, yet They were grown fo much m love with their Chains, and were fo infenlible of their true In- tereft, that They alfo would unite all their Forces to ftop the Progrefs, to de- feat" C 39 ] feat the Enterprize, and to outrage the Perfons of Thofe, who came for their Dehverance. The Meflage, which the Apoftles were to carry into all Places, whither they were to go, was, Peace upon Earthy and Good Will towards Men : but the Entertainment they were every where to look for, was Hatred, Perfecution, and Death. They mull not hope, that the Sacrednefs of their Character, and the Majefty of Him, by whom they were fent, would fecure them from Indignities and Wrongs : for they were to reprefent a Defpis'd, Infulted, and Perfecuted Ma- iler : and fi-om the Reception which He had found, might plainly forefee, what fort of Treatment They were to exped:. The Difcipk, he tells them, is not above bis Majier^ nor the Servant above his Lord : It is enough for the Difciple^ that he be as his Ma- fler^ and the Servant as his Lord, Naked, and Unarm'd they were to expofe them- felves to the Rage of a Stilf-neck'd, Hard- hearted, and Mercilefs People .- againfl luch they are taught to Provide, and are allow'd to Ufe no other Arms, than Wif- dom and Innocence. C 4 Be- [4° 3 Behold I fend you forth as Sheep in the mzdfi of Wolves ; be ye therefore Wife as Serpents^ and Harmlefs as Doves, The Wifdom of the Serpent might feem to include in the Notion of it, fome Degrees of Subtlety and Guile : The Simplicity of the Dove might be thought fo intimate fome Defed: of Warinefs and Prudence : Our Saviour therefore re- quires fuch a Temperature of Both, that what was wanting in Either, might be fup- plied from the Superabundance of the Other J fo that from their Conjundion might refult perfect Wifdom, free from all Guile ; and a well-guarded Innocence, without the leaft mixture of Indifcretion. Higher Degrees of Wifdom and Inte- : grity were requifite in the Apoftles, than are abfolutely neceflaiy to every Difciple of Chrift : for they were to lay the firft Fomidations of that Church, againfl which the Gates of Hell were never to pre- vail -, and their Eminence in Wifdom and Virtue would, in a great meafure, pre- vent the Mifchief, that might redound to our Holy Faith from any Defed: of the like Qualifications in thofe Chriftianv who [41 ] who Jhould come after them : but, fince the Church of God in all Ages is beft Prelerv'd by the fame methods, by which it was at firft Eftabliflied, the fame Qua- lifications of Prudence and Innocence, which were neceflary for the Planting of Chriff s Church, are, tho' in more fcanty proportions, ftill requifite for its Support and Maintenance. But neither are Equal Meafures of thefe Graces at this time requir'd in All Chriftians : Much lefs De- triment would enflie to the Church of God from the want of either of thefe in Private Perfons, who are only to adorn It with their Lives, than from the hke want in Pallors, who are to guide It by their Vigilance ^ or in Magiftrates, who are to proted: It by their Authority : And therefore larger proportions of Wifdom and Integrity are requir d in Princes, who are to go out and come in before Gods People^ than are neceflary in thofe, who, being plac'd under their Government, reap the Benefit of their Wife and Juft Adminiilra- tion : A more plentiful Ihare of Gods IJrim and Thummimy Brightnefs of Un- derftanding, and Perfection of Virtue, ought C 42 ] ought to reft upon his Holy Onesy n>ho are^ by their Dodtrine and Example, to teach Jacob Gods Judgments^ and Ifrael his Lawsy than are of neceility requir'd in Thofe, who are to feeJ^ the Law at their Mouths : But tho' higher Degrees of Wifdom and Innocence are requir'd in Some Chrifti- ansr, than in Others, yet the Duties them- lelves are not appropriated to Any Or- ders of Men : All who are numbred among the Sheep of Chrift, All who are in the midft of Wolves, are concern'd in this wholfbme Advice of our Saviour, Be ye Wife as Serpents^ and Harmlefs as Doves, Were Wifdom and Innocence fb clofely link'd together, that they were never to be found afunder, or were they Singly Sufficient to the purpofes of Life, fo that there was little or no harm from their be- ing Separated, this Precept of our Sa- viour would be lefs neceflary : But the IH Confequences of their Difunion, the Expediency of their Conjund:ion, and confequently the Neceflity of our ob- ferving this Precept of our Lord, will evidently appear, if we take a View I. Of t43 ] I. Of the great Mifchiefs that arife irom the want of Wifclom in thofe that are Harmlefs. II. Of the ftill greater Mifchiefs that arife from the want of Innocence in thofe that are wife. III. Of the mighty Advantages that rc- fult from our being at the fame time both tpyh as Serpents^ and barmlejs as Doves. Of thefe Heads I fball fpeak in Gene- ral, tho' not without an Eye all along to Our Enemies of the Church of I^me ; to whom I fliall afterwards more particularly apply what fhall have been delivered. Firfi then, Let Us take a View of the great Mifchiefs that arife from the Want of Wifdom in thofe that are Harmlefs. There is lb near an Affinity between Wifdom and Goodnefs, that, according to the Notions of the Moralifts, Prudence is an EfTential Ingredient of every Vir- tue ; and even according to the Lan- guage of Holy Writ, which is much more to be depended upon, Wifdom and Piety, Folly and Wickednefs, are terms equiva- lent. But then this muft be Underftood ra- C 44 ] rather of the Higheft Perfedlon of Vir- tue, confider'd in Theoiy, than of thofe Lower Degrees of it, which are to be met with in Common Pradlice j for Ex- perience aflures Us, that there are many Perfons, whole Hearts are Sincere and * Upright, and who make it their earneft and unwearied Study to have a Confiieme void of Offencey both towards God, and towards Man ; of whom notwithftanding it mull be confefs'd, That they do not more excel others in Virtue and Piety, than they are liirpafs'd by others in fliarpnefs of Wit, in fubtlety of Counfels, and depth of Un- derftanding. They have Wifdom fufficient to fave their own Souls, and to obtain Eternal Happinefs in the Life to come j but they have not Circumfpediion enough to Efpy, nor all the Dexterity, that is ^ neceffary, to Efcape thofe manifold Dan- gers, to which they are expos d in their PafTage thro' a Wicked and Deceitful World. There is in them a fweetnefs of Na- ture, and tendernefs of Confcience, which will not fufFer them to do the lead Injury to Any : Hence they are not apt to fufpedt any Evil Intentions in Others towards Them 5 E4n Them ; and for want of this due Can* tion, are unprovided againft the Attempts of Crafty and Ill-defigning Men. They form their Judgments of Mankind, not from ObfeiTations of what is done A- broad, which thefe good Men feldoiit make, but from Refle<3:ions upon what pafTes within their Own Breafts, which they are much more intent upon : hence they frame a Probable Opinion of the Integrity of Others, from what they Cer- tainly know of their Own : and as it hath been obferv'd to be a frequent Error, and very famihar with Wife Men, to meafure Other Perfbns by the Model of their Own Abilities, and thereby often to flioot over the Mark, as iuppofing Men to pro- ject to themfelves deeper Ends, and to pradtile more fubtle Arts, than eyer came into their Thoughts ; fo is it a no lefs frequent Miftakc with very good Men, who meafure Others by the Standard of their Own Uprightnefs, to think of them, and to deal with them, as if they were much more Honeft, than they Truly are. There is in good Chriftians fb great an Hatred of all Falfhood and Diflimulatiori, that E 4< 3 that it Would not only give a deep Wound to their Confciences, but would even do a Violence to their Natm'es, to tell a known Lie ; and thinking Others to be frani'd juft as they Are, and to adt upon the fame Principles as they Do, they are too liable to be impos'd upon by Men of falle Tongues, and deceitful Lips : what- ever is barely Affirm'd, is by them eafily credited ; what is vouch'd with folemn Affeverations, leaves ftiU lefs room in their Breafts for Doubt : what is confirmed by Oaths, and ratified by an Appeal to the Omnifcience, and an Imprecation of the Vengeance of God, hath with them all the Force and Credibility of a Self-evident and Mathematical Truth. And as Honefl and Sincere Chriftians are thus apt to lay themfelves open to the Practices of others, by their too great Creduhty, fb alfo are they wont to dilcover thofe Secrets of their own Hearts, which might with a good Confcience be conceal" d, and which cannot without Prejudice be difclos'd, thro* their too great Freedom and Open- nefs : They are fb much afraid of dif^ guifing their Thoughts by Lying and Hy- pocrifie. [47 1 pocrifie, that they often want that pru- dent Refervednefs, which is no ways in- conliftent with the Sincerity of a down- right Honeft Man, or the Simphcity of a Good Chriftian ; they bear Teftimony of themfelves and of their Inward Senti- ments, even in their Ordinary Converfa- tion, as if they were to give Evidence upon their Oaths at the Bar -, and deem it not fufficient to maintain the Charad:er of their Veracity, that they fpeak nothing but what IS True, unlefs they at the fame time fpeak out All the Truth. That Ly- ing Lips are an Abomination to the Lord, is an Aphorifm, which never flips out of the Thoughts of thefe Honeft and Well- meaning Perfons : but they are often apt to forget that other Obfervation of Solo- mon, that a Fool uttereth all his Mind^ but a Wife Man keepeth it in till afterwards. For want of this prudent Referve, they heed- lefsly incur Dangers ; which, without any Prejudice to their Virtue, they might efcape, if they would call in the Succours of Wildom to their own neceflary De- fence. Where thefe are not call'd in, Men are apt to avoid one Extreme by running into C4n into another, which, tho' not equally Siri- ful, may be very Hazardous : fo far are they from Revenging Injuries, as to In- vite them ; ib far from being Cruel, as to be Tame ; fb far from Hating their Ene- mies, as to Cherifh them ; fo far from Perfecuting, as not to fence and guard themfelves againft Perfeeution ; fo far fi'om ufing thofe OfFenfive Weapons of Force and Oppreflion, which the Gofpel forbids, as not to make ufe of thofe De- fenfive Arms of Prudence and Caution, which the Soldiers of Chrift are both Al- lowd and Requif d to be Expert in. When the Wife Man advifeth Us to Jearch after Wifdom^ to put our Feet into her Fetters^ and our Nech^ into her Chains ; He affures Us, for our Encouragement, That her Fetters Jhall be a ftrong Defence for Uf^ and her Chains a J^be of Glory, We have feen fome of the Mifchiefs which happen to Virtuous Men, through want of this Defence ; and it would not be difficult to fhew what farther Detriment accrues to Virtue it felf^ from the lack of this Orna- ment. For when Men, through a Natural, Difpolition to Goodnefs, are very Honeft;^ butj f 49 3 but through a Defed of Good tfnder- ftanding, are not equally Wife ; This Un- guarded Simplicity is too apt to betray them into fbme little Weaknefles and In- difcretionSj which may caft a Blemilh both on Them, and on thofe Virtues, which they pradife, but in an unbecoming Man- ner, and with an 111 Grace. And though good Nature and Chriftian Charity fhould over-look a Few Small Faults in thofe, who are confpicuous for Many Eminent Virtues, yet, in an Ill-natur d and Un- charitable World, the want of Difcretion in Good Men may chance to caft a greater Blemi/Ii on Religion, than the Honour done it by their Virtue and Integrity will ever be able to wipe off. Let any one calmly confider, how Con- temptible a Figure Devotion makes, when it degenerates into Superftition ; how great Mifchief Zeal hath done in the Worldjwhen it has wanted the Guidance of Difcretion ; and how often Confcientious Perfons have unwittingly been made the Inftruments of Men of no Confcicnce, to bring about their moft Wicked Pur- pofes ; and he will be convincd of the Serm, IL D Ne- iNeccffity of adding to our Virtue, ^owledggj and of joining the Wijdom of the Serpent to the Innocence of the Dove. That Prudence, which is by Our Sa- viour prefcrib'd, as the mod proper Pre- fervative againft the Rage of Perfecutors, is more efpecially neceflary to guard JJs of the Refbrm'd Religion againit the Fu- rious Attempts, and fubtle Machinations of our Sworn, Inveterate, and Implacable Enemies of the Church of J^e. If the Wtfdom of the Serpent was therefore ne- ceffary to the Apoftles, becaufe they were fent forth as Sheep in the midft of Wolves -, it becomes Us, who are encompafs'd with the Like Adverfaries, and expos'd to the Like Dangers, to arm Our felves with the Like Warinefs and Precaution. We pro- fefs the fame pure and undefiled Faith which the Apoftles Preach'd ; and as our Reformers took efpecial Care, that Our Church fhould, as to its Doctrine, Difci- pline, and Worfhip, be Reftof d to the fame State, wherein it was by the Apo- ftles at firft Conftituted : fo the Mahce of our Enemies has farther provided, that, as to its being Hated alfo and Pcrfccuted, it it Ihbuld be Primitive and ApoftoUcal. I have before obferv d, how dif&:ult it is for thofe, who are endued with the Simpli- city of the Dove, to form adequate No- tions of the exquifite MaUgnity of which fbme Men, and even fbme Chriftians are capable 5 Were a Good Man, who is un- acquainted with the Hiftory of this Day's Confpiracy, to (it down and confider with Himfelf the utmoft Mifchief^ that an Un- controlled Malice,afnfted with the Deepelt Subtlety, could poflibly devife, any Ima- ginary Scheme of Wickednefs, which fuch a One could with the greateft Stretch of Invention conceive, would, I am per- fuaded, fall much fllort of the Compli- cated Villainy of that HeUifh Defign ; and although we have unqueftionable Evi- dence of the Truth of it, yet fuch is it s Blacknefs, and ib heinous it's Guilt, that it can fcarce enter into the Heait of a Good-natuf d Man to beheve That to be poflible, which the Notoriety of the Fa(2: leaves him no room to doubt of But though fuch Wicked Defigns, before they were difcovef d, could not have been fufpedied j yet after Repeated Deliver- D 2 ance» I f* 3 ances from the Attempts ofl^me^ not to be fiifpicious of Danger from the fame Enemies, would not be Charity, but Folly : not to be Awake, and upon our Guard againll thofe, who have taken fo much pains to rowfe Us out of our Sleep, would be an Inftance of down-right Lethargy. It is foretold indeed, that under the Gof- pel-difpenfation, the Lamb Jball lie down with the Wolf'i but then it is ilippos'd, that the Wolf hath firfl laid afide his Natural Fiercenefs, and hath left off to do hurty and to defiroy in Gods holy Mountain. But whilft fuch Ravenous Wolves retain their Savage Temper, whilft there is in them an infatiable Appetite after Blood, whilft their Mouths are continually open to de- vour Chrift's Flock, Common Prudence will fuggeft to Us the Ufe of all Honeft and Lawful Means to keep Our Selves out of their reach ; and to preferve our Coun- try from Papal Tyranny ; our Laws, our Eftates, our Liberties from Papal Inva- lion ; our Lives from Papal Perfecution ; and our Souls from Papal Superftition and Idolatry. God forbid, that We ihould ufe any Inhumane, any Unchriftian Methods, even C SI J even for the compafling thefe good Ends ; or fliould think All thofe means warrant- able in the Service of the Beft Caule, which our Enemies make no Scruple to ufe for the Maintenance of the Worft : far be from Us thofe fraudulent Arts, and that Spirit of Perfecution, which we fo heartily condemn in Them : But, if there be any thing laudable in thefe Our Adverfaries, if any Means, by Them mifus'd for the Support of a Falfe Religion, may by Us be commendably employ d for the Ad- vancement of the True One, let Us not difdain to be Imitators of their Wifdom, whofe Wickednefs We fo defervedly ab- hor. It would add great Strength to our Caufe, if We exerted our felves in De- fence of our Eftablilh'd Church, with that hearty Zeal, that unwearied Induftry, and above all, with that firm Union amoiig Our Selves, which we cannot but Obferve, Approve, and be Afraid of in our Enemies. All the jarring Parties among the ^ma- nifts^ cordially agree in promoting the In- tereft of their Church. Francifcans and Do* minicansy Janjemfis and Jejuits^ Seculars and ]^gularty lay afide their mutual Quarrels, D 3 and C r4 3 and join their Forces againft the Heretick, as a Common Adverfary : and tho', not- withftanding their fb much boaftfed Con* cord, there is, after all, neither Unani- mity in Opinion, nor Uniformity of Rites in that Church, it mull be confefs'd, that there is among them an Union of Inter- efts, which reconciles all Differences, and makes them One entire and Well-com- pacted Body. Thus, when the Jews were emplby'd in rebuilding the Holy City, We read that their Adverfaries, however Di- vided among themfelve^, were all United in Obftru much as to bring the Former into competition with the Latter : But fome Perfbns, who call themlelves Chriftians, and Some, who have appropriated to tiiemfelves the Holy Name of Jefus, have thought it a plain Indication of Weakneft and Folly to forego any thing which is greatly Profitable, becaufe it is a little Diihoneft ; and have laught at the idle Scruples of thofe, who have given them- ielves the trouble to enquire, whether art Adion be Lawful or not, after it has once appear'd Expedient. That it is Unlawfiil for Us to do Evil that Good may come ; that we ffaould be ftridly careful, not only that die Caufe wc are engagd in be Juft, but that the Methods, whereby we promote it, be al- io Warrantable ; that we fliould chufe ra- ther to Suffer the Greateft Injury, than to Do the Leaft ; that to deprive another of his Juft Right,and to promote our Own Gain by our Neighbour's Lofs, is a more intolerable Evil than Pain, than Poverty, than Death j that we ought inviolably to do the thing which is Right, and to ipeak the If9l the Truth from Our Heart -, that He who fweareth to his Neighbour ihould not diA appoint him, tho' it were to his Own Huit ; that the Publick Weal is always to be pi-eferr'd to our Private Intereft ^ and that Every Good Man fliould be ready to lacrifice his Eafe, his Fortunes, his Life for the Benefit of his Country j are the Principles of undeprav d Reafon, and of our moft Holy Religion : but thofe Per- fons, in whom the Wifdom of the Ser- pent is fo far Predominant, as to leave no room for the Innocence of the Dove, find- ing that fiicli Maxims as thefe cramp them in the Purfuit of their Wordly Aims, take '^^ care to fliake ofF thefe cumberfbme No'- tions ; and in their ftead take up a Set of Principles, which, tho' they are not fb well calculated for the Good of Society, are more convenient for Private Ufe. That the Shorteft Ways to an End are fit- teft to be chofen, be they never fo Foul ; that the Appearance of Virtue is an Ad- vantage, but the Practice of it a Burden ; that Charity ought to Begin at Home, and to End there too ; are Maxims, which, tho' own'd by Few, are by Many made the Meafures of their AiSlions. Now> E Would the Holy Father re- ject an Offer, which promis'd the Extir- pation of Herefie, and the Eftabliftiment of the CathoHck Religion, becauie it could not be made good, without the Commiffi- on of Treafon ? Would he fend back ? would he Punilli > would he Difcover ? would he Difcourage the Traitor ? Nay, have we not reafon to judge, from the Hi- [ H 1 Hiftory of this Day's Confpiracy, that tho' the Ancient J^pmans were fo fcrupulous as to refufe an Advantage, which could not be compafs'd with Honefty ; yet, accord- ing to the Cafuiftical Divinity of the Mo- dern l{pmamfts yNothmg is Diflionourablei Nothing Difhoneft, which may ferve to promote the CathoUck Intereft P Such Practices, and fuch Principles, fhew our Adverlaries to have a Plentiful fhare of the Wifdom of the Serpent, but to be wholly Deftitute of the Innocence of the Dove. Pafs we on therefore, from Men of this Infamous Chara