be its and ours and if they will be of one piece with us their Security In the Name of GOD therefore let us devoutly hold to it It will approve Us and our Religion to God and Men. And again In private let us imitate the Primitive Christians of our own accord and without any Remembrancer recommending our King his Person Government Family and Affairs for so we have seen they did to the Protection and Guidance of the Almighty If after all I have said I thought any thing wanting to press this Exhortation I could add what me thinks would put every one of us on our knees in this behalf as frequently before God as might be desired namely that we can take no more effectual course than this to secure the Government of our King to be according to the Will of God A thing we pretend so much to desire Prov. xxi 1. The Heart of the King is in the Hand of the Lord as the Rivers of Waters he turneth it whithersoever he will If we were all to have our wishes in the behalf of the Kingdoms there could no greater Blessing befall us than to have our King a person after Gods own Heart There is no way in the world to make him so like our ardent and constant Prayers to God for him Surely a King of so many Prayers cannot miscarry I will therefore conclude all with a second Exhortation and that a little more limited to this present Day I am sure there are few or none of us who will not this Day before we sleep perhaps several times be praying or at least say God bless the King Now that our Prayers may be effectual this Day I will exhort only that we keep our selves all in such a Temper as to be able devoutly and in a true Christian Temper to pray so when we go to bed I do not forbid eating our Meat or drinking our Drink with Gladness and singleness of Heart and wishing well to our King his Subjects and one another in so doing But I caution all against Intemperance and Madness Is it Sense or Loyalty to be drunk for the King Or if the KING should see it would He thank or commend or think the better of any man for it For shame Good Christian People beware of such unreasonableness such Barbarity At the setting of David upon the Throne on the Holy Hill of Sion the Holy Ghost commands Serve the Lord with Gladness and rejoyce with Trembling Psalm II. 11. I do not press so much as that comes to Do but rejoyce with Sobriety Rejoyce so as not to provoke God Rejoyce so as that you may have Joy in the latter end His Sacred Majesty God be blessed is far from approving and all men say even from conniving at Debauchery As we cannot therefore thereby please Him so it is certain we are thereby sure to displease God Let us therefore study not only this Day but all our Days to maintain an holy devout serious Temper being always fit and resolved by all Prayers and Supplication with Thanksgiving to make our Request known unto God And the Peace of God which passeth all Understanding shall keep our Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus To whom with his Blessed Father and the Eternal Spirit be all Honour Glory c. FINIS THE WAY TO PEACE AND Publick Safety As it was Delivered in a SERMON In Christs Church in the City of Cork and elsewhere in the heat of the late Rebellions of Argile and Monmouth By Edward Lord Bishop of Cork and Rosse Dublin Printed by A. Crook and S. Helshaem for William Norman Samuel Helsham and Eliphal Dobson Booksellers 1686. Advertisement Touching the Following SERMON IN the Address of the Clergy of the Diocess of Cork and Ross March 1684 5. which I had the Honour to pen there was made this sacred Promise That as our Lives were not dear to us in comparison of our Religion and Loyalty so we would not fail though with the peril of our Lives by the strictest ties of our Religion which abhors all Resistance or Unfaithfulness towards our Prince to endeadour the securing to His Majesty our peoples as well as our own Loyalty and Obedience Pursuant to these Vows I have ample proofs of my Brethrens Sedulity generally And as to my self as I had not been formerly remiss so when about the 20th of May following Argiles Rebellion in Scotland alarm'd us which though God be blessed both suddenly and happily supprest was seconded with that of the late Duke of Monmouth in the West of England I thought it was time to ply my Duty with ingeminated Diligence and to do my utmost by all Instance and Importunity to confirm and keep steddy in their Loyalty as far as in me lay the whole body of my Charge I therefore went abroad several Sundays to the most populous Congregations of my Diocess and in my Circuit I preached this same Sermon I confess three several times first in the City of Cork then at the Town of Kinsale and lastly at the Town of Bandon all of them very great Auditories The iteration of it was not from Idleness but because I could devise nothing else more close and apposite to the conjuncture Yet is its Subject matter such that it is not I conceive still unseasonable and I fear as long as the world stands is not like to be For as long as there are vices and lusts amongst men there will be violations of Peace in one kind or other Now this Sermon consists wholly of Counsels and Directions for securing and maintaining Peace in all its several branches and kinds It might easily have been dilated into a far larger bulk but few Readers or indeed Hearers now adays complain much of Brevity And in the present case I hope it will be esteemed no fault at all because what I have said on each Point is large enough I think not to be obscure and I hope the whole not much more defective than an hours Discourse on so copious a Subject must needs prove THE WAY to PEACE AND Publick Safety As it was delivered in a SERMON in Christs Church in Cork and elsewhere in the heat of the late REBELLION of Argile and Monmouth The TEXT 1 Pet. III. 11. Seek Peace and ensue it THe body of this Epistle for the main consists of Exhortations and Motives to several Christian Duties in the disposing of which Exhortations or assigning to each their place the Holy Ghost seems to have proceeded wholly arbitrarily and to have observed no other Laws or Reasons of their Order than meer good Pleasure In the eighth Verse of this Chapter begins as I compute the eighth Exhortation and it is to Vnity in Judgment and Affection but especially in Affection and then to the proper Product hereof Sweetness in Conversation Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as Brethren be pitiful Some of the original terms are more emphatical than our English What we
save not only their Lives but their Estates they will and do pray for the King yet do it not either out of good Affection or Conscience of their Christian Duty Wherefore give me leave here besides the meer Evidence of the Text to add some other that the Duty we hence learn may appear to be of no such indifferent or inferiour rank as that men may omit or forbear it with a Salvo to their Integrity and good Conscience And though I know my Audience too well to judge them of this kind yet will not this be an unprofitable labour for certainly none of us can have too deep or quick a sense of any point of our Christian Duty Now in the entrance on this Evidence I will say in general we have all the Obligation to this Duty that we can have to any Duty in the World Besides the Obligation from human Laws which I will not yet touch on we have all obligation I can conceive possible 1. From Scripture and our common Christianity And 2. From Reason and Prudence And 3. From Equity and good Nature From Scripture or common Christianity The sum of the Obligations we can have thence can well amount no higher than express Commands and them urged with the greatest instance and constant Practice or Example As to Command Nothing can be as already said more express nothing more emphatical than the Text of which one thing remains that I have not yet noted namely how the Apostle in the progress of his Discourse presses this Practice with sundry Arguments and the greatest earnestness That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty ver 2. Here he presses it from the Fruits of this Practice This good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour ver 3. Here from the Will of God who would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth ver 4. Here from the Divine Nature or Philanthropy and Goodness of God which we ought to imitate and ver 8. he concludes the Subject I will therefore that men pray every where namely in the kinds and ways before directed Again I say nothing can easily be more emphatical But we may look much further back Eccles. x. 20. Curse not the King no not in thine heart If negative Precepts as Divines tell us include the opposite affirmative this will be a Command to pray for Kings in our Souls as well as in our words and in secret as well as in our Churches However 't is well worthy our notice what sense the Jewish Doctors had of this Precept who tell us generally that throughout their whole Law Thoughts are no were forbidden nor can Sin be committed by them meerly except in the present case and in that other of worshipping false Gods And pursuant hereto which is very wonderful was their general practice yea even towards the Heathen Emperors When they chose all of the rather to dye than place Caius's Statue in their Temple they at the same time professed that they daily offered Sacrifice to the true God in their Temple for him Joseph de Bello Judaic lib. 2. c. 9. On such Practice now a long time received in the Jewish Church before Christ was it that the Apostles here so earnestly gives this in charge to Timothy We have seen thus the Christian Law oâ— Command and the ancient occasion therâ—of Now as to Christian Example There can be no doubt but that the Apostles Practice was agreeable to their own Doctrine And as for the succeeding ages of the Christian Church one passage of Chrysostom has been produced already and to wave that multitude of other Testimonies and some of the very Forms of Prayer which might be produced in this case we will content our selves with that known and most full one of undoubted authority in Tertullian who wrote about 200 years after Christ Thither that is to Heaven saith he we Christians looking up with hands or arms stretched open because innocent with heads and faces uncovered because we blush not without any instigator because from our hearts we pray for all Emperors beseeching to them a long Life a secure Reign a safe Family valiant Armies a faithful Senate a loyal Commonalty and a peaceable World and whatsoever are the wishes of men or of the Cesars themselves This was he able then most truly to plead in apology for Christianity and at that time and for above an hundred years after such a thing as a Christian King was not known When the Emperors became Christian you cannot but conclude it was much more so In sum then as to Obligation from Scripture and the common Chistianity if either express or importunate Command or constant Practice of the Christian Church which is the sum of what Obligations we can have thence will make it an indispensible Duty to pray for Kings we have both Now as to Obligations from Reason and Prudence perhaps that of our own Interest the Benefit which hence amounts to the publick and so to all private persons of whom the publick body is made up may be looked upon as the most effectual reason or best prudential ground assignable Interest commonly fails not to more let it then prevail here Let it therefore be considered 1. Kings and Governours are the Safeguard of the People the great Security of the publick Weal The Scripture expresly calls the Rulers of a Nation its Shields in Hos iv 18. We indeed in our Translation have the word Rulers there but in the original Hebrew it is the Shields which Text most naturally explains Psal xlvii 10. The Shields of the Earth belong unto the Lord that is the Kings of the Earth who are its Shields are Gods Subjects and peculiar right which is most plain by the foregoing verses ver 7. God is King over all the Earth Then he divides Earth into the Heathen and Jews ver 8. God reigneth over the Heathen ver 9. The Princes of the people are gathered together even of the peâ—ple of the God of Abraham Finally in the tenth verse he conjoyns or puts all together again The Shields of the Earth belong unto God he is greâ—tly exalted namely he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Nor will any doubt the truth of this Scripture assertion or justice of the phrase who shall but think with himself what a forlorn helpless despicable thing the most populous Nation is without an Head In 1 Sam xi we have a Story which will fully illustrate this matter ver 2. Nahush the King of the Ammonites offers these insolent Conditions to the Israelites upon which he will accept them for his Servants On this Condition will I make a Covenant with you that I may thrust out all your right Eyes and lay it as a Reproach upon Israel And what said all the mighty men of Israel to this All the people lift up their voice and wept ver 4 All the people were not a few
render having compassion one of another if we take compassion strictly cannot be better rendred but then by compassion we must understand sympathising or being of like affection one with another as in Rom. xii 15. Rejoycing with them that rejoyce and weeping with them that weep He goes on Love as Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be ye lovers of the Brethren Be pitiful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of easie bowels i. e. be tender hearted so the self same word is more exactly rendred Ephes iv 32. Then as to the outward Product of such inward Temper it follows Be courieous and ver 9. Not rendring Evil for Evil or Railing for Railing but contrariwise Blessing knowing that thereunto are ye called that ye should inherit a Blessing Now to back or further enforce the latter part of this Exhortation he brings in as a proof of what he had last said namely that peaceable and sweet tempered men should inherit a Blessing two or three Verses out of the Old Testament Psal xxxiv 13. directing such Life and Temper as the true way to Blessedness part of which citation is our present Text Seek Peace and ensue it By which account thus given of the connexion of the Words it appears that amongst the several Christian Duties which concern us in order to present and future Happiness in order to inheriting the Blessing the study of Peace is one of principal note Seek Peace say both the blessed Psalmist and the Apostle and in them both Old Testament and New if you would inherit the Blessing promised in either The Words are not obscure but yet emphatical Seek Peace If either Peace or the ways and methods to it should be obscure or do not readily offer themselves make it your business by diligent and assiduous search to find out both one and the other And not only seek it but ensue or pursue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word properly imports the following hard after that which flies As if he had said Though Peace should at any time seem upon the wing to be gone out of the Countrey or out of the World yet pursue her still Desist not from your endeavours to retrieve her and if you cease not to pursue you shall infallibly reach her here or in a better world To this passage of David and of St. Peter it were easie to annex divers others as express to the same purpose out of other parts of Holy Writ Hear our Lord himself Mat. v 9. Blessed are the Peacemakers for day shall be called the children of God And if you remark it most of the foregoing Beatitudes Blessed be the poor in spirit that is the humble and lowly minded Blessed be thee meek blessed the merciful c. are accommodable to the peaceable Spirit which has a most intimate kindred with Meekness Mercifulness Humility and other like Christian Graces Again hear the Apostle St. Paul Rom. xii 18. If it be possible as much as in you lies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on your side or as far as concerns you live peaceably with all men If any will not be at peace with you let it be their fault not yours Yet again Hebr. xii 14. Follow peace the same word as in the Text pursue peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. But why do I spend time in repeating what all know and have daily in their mouths To be short the Commands are so explicit and plain and have such Promises annexed to them and withal so often repeated in the Old Testament and in the New by our Lord himself by the Apostle of the Circumcision in the Text by the Apostle of the Gentiles in the places mentioned and by others elsewhere that we must need account the Endeavour of Peace to be a Duty which the Holy Ghost has laid the greatest weight upon nor can he style himself a Christian who employs not this way his utmost power The rest of my Discourse therefore shall be taken up in recommending Directions for the more successful Practice of this Duty And these shall be proportionate to the several sorts of Peace and as neerly attemperated to the present publick Circumstances and Necessities as I can Now in our setting forth it will be meet to remember that Peace may be opposed to Discontent as well as to Strife and War Those who have inward Grudging and Dissatisfactions are as far from some sort of Peace as those who are engaged in actual or open Quarrels And a both regards Peace is either publick private or secret And the publick Peace â—gain is either Civil or Ecclesiastical First then as to Publick Civil Peace By Gods great Blessing we enjoy this here while our Neighbors every where on the other sides of the Water are embroiled For ever blessed be our good God who has singled us out as the peculiar Objects of this his Mercy at present yet let us study Peace also that is endeavour to keep it And to this purpose I can give no better directions than these following 1. Maintain entire and unspotted Loyalty I hope I shall not need much to press this Advice especially in this place The Commands for Subjection and Loyalty are as express in Scripture as are these for Peace but just now mentioned only it would divert us too much from our present purpose to alledge them now And I must tell you it is the peculiar Glory of the Reformation of the Church of England that as it was made by an happy Consent and Union of the Royal and Ecclesiastical Power of the Realm so the Professors of it can never be taxed in any points either of resisting or descrting their Prince In all the Wars since the Reformation in all the Plots old and new not one true Church of England-man to be found all along before any fell into such designs they were either leavened with Fanaticism and secretly fallen off from the Principles and Unity of our Church or open Apostates from her else they were never of us This might be proved by particulars but such proof is not for this Office or place only from what I have said I will infer if there should be any person here staggering in his Loyalty much more if a Desertor of it though yet but secretly that such person is neither Christian nor Protestant whatever he pretends He 's fallen off from his Christianity which commands Subjection and loyal Adhesion And he 's as much fallen off from the establisht reformed Church which ever taught and practised both Loyalty and Non-resistance witness our Book of Homilies and our Canons But I will quit this head as hoping it to be needless here long to be insisted on 2. In order to keeping and maintaining the publick Peace let every one be diligent in his own business and keep within the bounds of his own Calling This also is an express Command in Scripture 1 Cor. vii 20. Let every one abide in the same Calling
Summons or Challenge to the whole world to behold or consider the mighty Acts of Gods particular Providence in behalf of his Church Come and behold the Works of the Lord what Desolatâ—ons he hath made in the Earth ver 8. In the days of David God smote down before his Anointed all the Enemies of Israel round about them Which being done towards or in the days of Solomon he crowned the foregoing Victories and Deliverances with a deep Peace ver 9. He maketh Wars to cease unto the ends of the Earth he breaketh the Bow and knappeth the Spear asunder and burneth the Chariot in the fire But such deep Peace as I conceive not yet in perfect being at the penning of this Psalm which I say by the whole tenor of it manifestly bespeaks it self to have been writ in tottering or turbulent times only to assure the faithful that it was at hand and infallibly future the holy Psalmist sings it as already accomplisht an usual Scheme with the Prophets Mean while to still and aw all sorts he yet again in his wonderful Character of Speech and like the greatest Artist brings in God himself controling the Inhabitants of the Earth in the Text Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth Words indifferently applicable either to the Turbulent and Enemies of the Church and of Davids Kingdom as if he had said Desist from your fruitless Combinations and malicious Contrivances Know that I am God or to the faithful and firm Adherents of David who inclining to diffidence and fears of the worst might be in impatient hurries and uncertain Counsels And if thus taken the Sense is Be still quiet your selves patiently in Humility Faith and Sobriety await the issue Know that I am God and in my good time I will both glorifie my self and settle you To which as in a full Chorus the Faith of the Church answers The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Selah That is most probably as before said a Note for the highest Musick Because I cannot presume any number of our Kings or Churches Enemies here present and besides for that it is an ungrateful thing on this good day to take the words in their worst acceptation I shall chiefly insist on them as directed to the Church and to faithful and loyal Subjects And to them First they prescribe a Duty very seasonable prudent and Christian in apprehensions of uncertain or in uncertain or unsettled affairs namely an holy Quiet of mind Be still Secondly they inforce this Duty and that by three Principles or main points of Religious Doctrine The first of which is the general and sovereign Power of God insinuated in those words Know that I am God I made I rule the World The second his particular Superintendency and directing all affairs to his own Glory in the next words I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted on the Earth The third his Constancy and eternal Fidelity to his Church acknowledged and depended upon by them The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is oâ— Refuge I begin with the Duty injoyned an holy Quiet Be still That there is nothinâ— in this world firm or stable that as pooâ— men die from their Cottages and greateâ— persons from their Houses which theâ— have called by their own Names so eveâ— Princes from the Throne alas I neeâ— not insist Only when these last leave thâ— Stage as it is in great Buildings wheâ— Pillars fall there is at least a dreadfuâ— Concussion of the whole Fabrick so in Frame of State when a King dies especially a Great one a Gracious one a Beloved one howevever most happily as well as speedily and most seasonably succeeded I cannot but believe and I hope it will be esteemed no fault to profess plainly that I do believe the Loyallest hearts amongst us all really tremble not that we distrust God or our Prince but we fear the Malice of the Enemy Wherefore being we must acknowledge the publick Amusement not to say Consternation not yet to be quite over it cannot be amiss to press what the Text in such shaking junctures injoyns which I have named an holy Quiet and I dare say it will contribute much to the Ease of all their Hearts who will practice it Now such Quiet will consist 1. In Paâ—ience excluding all Repining all Comâ—laints and Murmuring 2. In Faith â—nd humble Deference to God excluding â—ll Despondency and Pusillanimity 3. In â—obriety Peaceableness and observance of Orâ—er excluding Temerity Faction and â—rivy Combinations upon any pretences â—f publick Jealousies and Dangers Permit I beseech you a word on each very â—riefly and I hope very modestly And first as to the Quiet of Patience which I say excludes all Repining all Murmuring all fruitless accusing of things and persons Our Loss is indeed very great and very fresh it being not yet forty hours since I think I may say most of us had intelligence of it But blessed be the same Hand that takes and together gives Heaviness may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning Let us therefore on this occasion not fall into that iniquity of Impatience taxed by the Heathen Moralist Iniquiores esse erga relicta ereptorâ—m desiderio to be unjust estimators of what God has left us through too impatient a sense of what he has taken away Meekly to accept the deserved punishment of our Sins is certainly as moderate a degree of Patience as any in reason can pay Whereas then we have lost a most Gracious King must we not confess our selves to have deserved it by the abuse of that Ease Peace Liberty and Plenty that we enjoyed under him and yet were not contented The consideration hereof must surely restrainus 1. From all repining at Gods hand and charging him with Severity There may be a further End in this Providence than we are aware of Perhaps God does but design to commend and set off his future Mercies by the present Stroke We have seen many a glorious fair Day after a cloudy Morning Seeing then we know not what God will bring forth let us take care that we provoke him not to what it may be he does not yet intend However 't is as little Justice as can be not to complain of him till we have real Reason And 2. The same consideration too should keep us so far within the bounds of Patience as not to repine against or accuse men Be still also in this regard There is so much wickedness of late in the world and possibly some men know so much villany by themselves as makes them suspect very bad things of others And it is too easie a step with many in the world first â—o suspect men and then to charge them â—ith what themselves have suspected of â—hem In the name of God let us be careâ—ul herein and let no Grief transport
us â—eyond Charity and Justice The hand of God we are sure is in all and that alone â—et us eye and pay thereto this first sort of Quiet the Quiet of Patience In your Paâ—ience possess your Souls Luk. xxi 19. And secondly there is yet a nobler deâ—ree of Quiet which also becomes us the Quiet of Faith and good Hope in opposition â—o a base Abjectness of Mind and Desponâ—ency Psal xxxvii 5. Commit thy way unâ—o the Lord trust in him and he shall bring â—â— to pass what thou dost justly desire There can no case so disasterous or despeâ—ate befall good men in which they ought â—o let go their Confidence in God Psal â—xii 8. Trust in him at all times O ye people â—our out your Hearts before him God is a Reâ—uge Let us first assure our Hearts before God of our honest and upright designs in â—ll things and then we ought to hold fast â—ur Confidence yes and even a Rejoycing â—f hope to the end Heb. iii. 6. and again chap. x. 35. Cast not away let not go your Confidence which hath great recompence of Reward Give me leave here to demand what reason have we not to hope well â— What almost colour have we for ouâ— Despondencies If we look up to God wâ— know that all things shall work together foâ— good to those who love him Rom. viii 28 If we look to our King I have already told you the blessed tidings which with as greaâ— assurance as can be this day has broughâ— us Truly I know nothing which should possess us with any fears of such impending Dangers as many imagine but only the publick Sins As to these let every one honestly reform his share thereof and theâ— let us trust God and believe our King and he of good heart Be still with a Quiet of Faith and there may yet be expected an happy course of things both in Church and State My Brethren the case is not with us as it seems to have been with the Faithful in this Psalm The Earth is not removed nor the Mountains carried into the midst of the Sea the Concussions are not so great as might have been feared and in all appearance will not be such And yet even in such case hear the Church in the words of the blessed Psalmist God is our Refuge and Strength our present help in the time of trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and the Mountains carried into the midst of the Sea Observe â—hough it were so or though it should be â—â— yet ought not the shaking of the worlds â—oundation to shake our Faith And it is till the more reasonable to press and â—aintain this the Quiet of Faith for that â—ertainly nothing can more operate to our Destruction than unreasonable fears and â—he hurries and extravagancies that they will put us into They will provoke God â—hey may provoke our King they will inâ—ect the Minds of many who haply are â—et stable and loyal and they will most â—isorderly influence the Actions of all Be â—ill therefore in Faith and good Hope Lastly the other part of holy Quiet lies â—n the exercise of Sobriety that we all of â—s observe Order keep each of us within his â—wn sphere enterfere not with one another â—r exceed not the bounds of our Calâ—ing It is a great evil of late that all sorts â—f men are stangely commenced Politiciâ—ns scarce a Farmer scarce a Foreman â—f a Ship but he can censure or dictate â—o the Government Certainly my Breâ—hren if we will think soberly of our â—elves we are not all of us Statesmen nay â—e are few of us fit to be such Let us â—herefore be content to be governed by â—hoâ—e that are wiser than our selves and each man keep to his own business Let Magistrates be vigilant in the Administration of Justice and restraining all that they find inclining to Turbulency Let Ministers each in their place be watchful over the Flock and if they observe a Sheep straying seek after and reduce it before it be lost We must above all men both by Precept and Practice put forwards an universal soberness of Order as well as of good Conversation And let the People in their several Orders mind their own Concerns whether of Trade or of whatever other kind Let no one be a Busiebody or Intermedler in other menâ— matters and above all not in State-Affairs I have heard by them that have been in Battles that if a Body can be but disordered and huddled they are presently routed they then destroy one another I am sure Confusion and mens disorderly going out of or beyond their places has a very fatal consequence in all other Societies of men and carries with it not only Destruction generally but a great deal of Guilt For where there is Confusion there is also every evil work Jam. iii. 16. In a word let those who are to govern govern and those who are to obey which I conceive is the part of most of us obey and the World may be still in quiet There is one kind of Soberness which I cannot forbear to touch on not yet suggested and that is Soberness in Talk and Language If any of us still will nourish Fears let us keep them to our selves and be giddy alone Let us not infect and disturb others I will suppose I need not much press this For a man would think some late practices amongst our Neighbours if not yet amongst us may have taught this part of the world Wit enough to be easily perswaded to regulate their Talk or hold their Tongue Thus far then of this excellent Duty so necessary at such seasons as this when mens Imaginations are so up an holy Quiet much becomes us and will be very serviceable to us which is as you have heard made up of Patience Faith and Soberness Now to perswade hereto The first Argument in the Text is Gods general Providence Know saith the Lord that I am God In other terms God rules the World A Sense of this one should think would easily quiet the most imbroiled or imbroiling Spirits There have been now of old a Sect of Wise men as they would be thought in the world who have conceived it to be too servile an impolyment and too much discomposive of that Serenity and eternal Peace which the Divine Nature must be conceived to be possest of for God to interpose himself in the Government or Managery of mundane affairs but these have ever been branded and that most justly by all truly wise men with the imputation of Atheism For it is the same thing as to all power and effect of Religion to deny God and to deny Providence For if God heeds not me nor concerns himself about me why should I consecrate and resign my self and all my concerns to him which is the primary and most essential act of all true Religion No no my Brethren both our Reason and Christianity will teach us better things
even to Peace in your selves than to Peace in the Kingdom that you listen not to the Counsels or Seductions of men who are so ready for Wars Account them to be what they are the Plague and Reproach of Christian Nations to be avoided and abhorred by all good men But I must conclude and I will trust we have none of this kind of men amongst us If you find any of them remember the course before prescribed neither to be of their Councils nor to keep what you know unconcealed I have thus endeavoured faithfully to set before you the way to Peace to Peace in the Kingdom and in the Church to Peace in the Neighbourhood and in the Family and finally to Peace with God in our own Consciences The God of Peace make us all careful in the Practice of what has been said and crown us all with the Blessing of such Peace To him be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen FINIS True Religion AND LOYALTY Inseparable The Nature of both opened and their Connexion proved IN A SERMON Preached at Bandon in the County of Cork in the Heat of Monmouths Rebellion And afterwards elsewhere By Edward Lord Bishop of Cork and Rosse Dublin Printed by A. Crook and S. Helsham for William Norman Samuel Helsham and Eliphal Dobson Booksellers 1686. Advertisement Of this SERMON THIS Sermon I preached twice the first time in the form 't is now in at Bandon while the late Rebellion in the West of England held the Minds of People even on this side the Water in no little Pain The second time in Christ-Church Cork on Sunday August 23. which fell into the time of the Assizes here and was the Day of Publick Thanksgiving for His Majesties late Victories I made then some small Alterations in it in part hinted in the Margin of the Book but chiefly I omitted the second Objection with its Answers wholly because I did not think there was then so much occasion for it as when I preached this Sermon the Month before And I added a little considerably in the end of it to make it more suitable to the Occasion I particularly press'd that part of Honour to the King which I had assigned to consist in Prayers of all kinds and so in Praising God in his behalf I urged this last point of Praise by consideration First Of the Opportuness of the Victory It was not too soon Had it been speedier some probably would have said the Attempt was contemptible and the whole had no danger in it Others would have still vaunted their Numbers and have said as far as they durst they were surprised they had not time to gather and come in A third sort would perhaps have suggested the Church of England Protestants had not time to shew themselves they would have struck in had there been space We had time God be blessed to shew our selves and did and not an hand amongst us against our King but all as one Man for him Nor on the other side was it too late The Kingdom laboured not so long under it as to tast the Miseries of a continued Civil War We felt a gentle Correction and no punitive Vengeance In a word it was in Gods time and that is ever the best Secondly I considered the Entireness of the Victory and with how litle Effusion of Bloud obtained especially on the side of the just Cause From these Two Heads chiefly I in more words endeavoured then to quicken Gratitude and Loyalty I see no occasion to report here the whole I then added but I thought fit to give this Intimation to the end that none who were Hearers of this Sermon when preached the second time might have reason to complain the printed Sermon has more or less in it than when delivered from the Pulpit Religion and Loyalty INSEPARABLE The Nature of both opened and their Connexion proved In a SERMON preached at Bandon in the County of Cork in the Heat of Monmouths Rebellion and afterwards elsewhere The TEXT 1 Pet. II. the later part of the 17th Verse Fear God honour the King WE find this Epistle to be entitled The Epistle general of St. Peter not inscribed as are St. Pauls To the Romans To the Corinthians To the Galathians or the like but General that is to all Christian People chiefly indeed designed to the dispersed Christian Jews to the Strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia cap. I. 1. but not so particularly to them as to exclude the Gentile Christians amongst whom they lived and whither they were scattered For such early was the Condition of the Christian Church that its Members really were and so most naturally might be stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scattered Strangers or Pilgrims of the Dispersion From which Inscription it follows that the Duties here prescribed and pressed must be of general concernment and obligation to all Christian Ages Nations Sexes and Conditions whatsoever The Epiâ—â—le it self consists as I have lately on another occasion noted unto you of sundry Exhortations to particular Christian Duties and of Enforcements or Persuasives to them The Text is part of the Amplification of the seventh Duty herein pressed namely of Subjection and Obedience to the Powers God has set over us Ver. 13. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake in which passage one expression must be warily understood for Government it self is from God But it is the form manner or particular frame of Government in every Kingdom or Nation which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Creature of Mans an Human Constitution Now saith he submit to every of these for the Lords sake Whether it be to the King as Supream This indeed was the first Form of Government in the World nor can as far as I see any other Form of Government be proved to be of Gods appointment mero motu of his own accord and free pleasure as we speak ever from the beginning For Moses was King in Jeshurun when the Heads of the People and Tribes of Israel were gathered together Deut. xxxiii 5. And the introducing the seventy Elders and so reducing the Form of the Government of Israel into a kind of Republick was upon the importunity and some degree of impatience of Moses Numb xi 11 12 c. at which God seems there not to be well pleased As neither indeed was he when the same sickle people afterwards acquiesced not even in that Government by their Elders But to return This same Exhortation he amplifies and presses ver 14 15. and so on till in ver 17. he concludes its general part in these words Fear God honour the King Wherein are two Duties manifestly injoyned us one to God Fear God The other to the King Honour the King Of each of these we will treat first singly or apart then of the Connexion of both which I affirm to be so far constant at least of the one side and so indissoluble that
whosoever does fear God will honour the King I begin with the first of these the Fear of God not only because it stands first in my Text but also because it is in order of Nature the truest and only sure foundation of the other All Duties towards men when sincerely payed must have their foundation in our Dutifulness towards God When our Lord had occasion to touch on the true and natural Order of Christian Duties he tells us this is the first and great Commandment Matth. xxii 37 38. that we love the Lord our God with all our Heart with all our Mind with all our Soul and with all our Strength And the second is That we love our Neighbour as our selves teaching us hereby that we can never love our Neighbour as we should do except first we most entirely love God The loving God with all our hearts can only sweeten and influence our Souls into an universal Charity And proportionably in the present case the Fear of God can alone implant in our hearts universal and invariable Loyalty And therefore I must confess I cannot see how vicious men can be true Loyalists Natural Love Education Interest Fear and other like causes may beget and nourish a short temporary and partial Allegiance The vilest men may be subject for Wrath but good men only will be subject as the Holy Ghost directs for Conscience sake And such Loyalty will be impartial indefectible and eternally cordial Briefly therefore in the first place of the Fear of God Now by the Fear of God we are to understand such a constant Sense or Aw of God of his Sovereign Dominion Power Omniscience and Justice as restrains us from Sin and quickens us to Duty The Fear of God therefore first supposâ—s most deeply rooted in our hearts a real Belief of his Being and a sober Knowledge of his Nature He who doubts whether there be a God or is either ignorant or dubious of the truth of his infinite Perfections can never have in his heart a true Fear of him For as that Fear presupposes I say such Understanding and Belief so secondly it consists in at least most proximately and immediately flows from or depends upon a constant actual or virtual Attention to what we thus understand and believe of him The thoughts of him and of these his Perfections are generally ever and anon recurring and by that means habitually fixed in the mind The Thoughts I mean 1. Of his Sovereign Dominion and Authority over all He alone is King of Nations Jerem. x. 7. supream and most absolute over all Peoples and Kingdoms and Languages and over each individual Man And therefore who shall not fear before thee O thou King of Nations for to thee it doth appertain forasmuch as amongst all the wise men of the Nations and in all their Kingdoms there is none like unto thee 2. Together herewith do the thoughts of his Omniscience or actually knowing all things possess the heart for begetting in it that Temper which we call the Fear of God Psalm cxxxix 2 3 4 6. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off thou compassest my path and my lying down and art neer unto all my ways For there is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Such Knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it In other words it is not possible for any of us so intimately to know our our selves as God knows us I cannot tell what I shall think or what I shall not think to morrow perhaps not an hour hence But God knoweth my thoughts while they are yet afar off He by one simple incomprehensible act sees all things persons and actions past present and to come And whereas the Heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked so that a man himself knows not all the Wickedness of his own heart The Lord searcheth the Hearts and tryeth the Reins of the Children of Men all their Counsels and Contrivances all their hidden acts of Malice or Concupiscence are open and bare to him And therefore who can but fear before him Especially considering what also is another ingredient or ground to the Fear of God 3. That this same Omniscient God is also most just and holy Most holy so as that he can no wise approve or allow Sin Habbak I. 13. Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and canst not look on Iniquity that is God most perfectly abhors it And therefore he will most certainly punish it where persisted in or not repented of Rom. II. 6 8 9. He will render to every man according to his deed to them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of man that doeth evil Yea so severe is Gods hatred of Sin that sometimes when upon mens Repentance he forgives their sin as to the eternal punishments he yet in his Wisdom and Justice sees fit to inflict upon them here some temporary punishments Psalm xcix 8. Thou answerest them O Lord our God thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their Inventions which whoso considers must certainly fear before this holy God Add hereto lastly the attending to or consideration of his infinite Might Power As he hath resolved and will bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles vii last so is he able to effect it No Malefactors can possibly fly from or escape this Judge he has Emissaries enough millions of Angels good and bad to fetch all in And all shall appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done 2 Cor. v. 10. Let us now put all these together Admit a man believes and actually thinks there is a great and glorious Majesty unseen indeed but seeing all who is Lord of Heaven and Earth and all in them this God is most holy and most just both resolved and able to bring all things into Judgment even to the very imaginations of the thought of mens hearts must not there needs amount hence a most profound Aw and Dread of this great God And must not this Fear both restrain such in whose Breasts it is conceived from wicked practices and excite and awaken them to all well-doing Thus then we have most plainly heard what the Fear of God is and together how it is begotten in the heart what roots or foundation it has Now for the second Duty Honour the King Honour imports or signifies an inward Esteem and outward Respect paid to any by reason of the Excellency we apprehend in them Thus in the beginning of this verse Honour all men For some Excellency there is in all men that is in every man more than in any other Creatures we know The Image of God is
impress'd upon the poorest which whoso observes or acknowledges must needs pay an Esteem and Respect that is an Honour thereto But in the present case more signally Kings are Gods Image doubly or trebiy First as Men by Creation Then as Christians by Regeneration And further by by their Office as Gods Vicegerents They represent him and are as in the place of God within their Dominions and Countries They are the Ordinance of God Rom. xiii 2. the Ministers or immediate Agents of God ver 4. and therefore frequently in Scripture called Gods twice even in one Psalm lxxxii 1 and 6. Now because greater Excellency cannot be in any than in God therefore to no other belongs greater or equal Honour And because Kings on Earth are Gods Vicegerents therefore to none on Earth is greater Honour due than unto Kings so much reason for this Duty do the very terms in which it is expressed most evidently and intimately import But it is requisite we take a more distinct view of the particulars which this comprehensive general in the Text doth involve We will therefore expresly put the Question What are the great Branches of that Honor which by the Christian Law Subjects ow to their Prince In answer whereto I conceive the sum of all may be reduced to the save following heads 1. We owe to our King by the Law of Christ the Honour of Obedience And for proof hereof because some people will admit nothing to be our Duty which is not plainly made so by one of the Ten Commandments I could be content at present to go no further than the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother Civil as well as Natural Thy King as well as Parents That Father and Mother ought to be interpreted here with this Latitude I prove from hence that there is no other of the Ten Commandments which will take in the Sixth of these Seven Precepts which the Jewish Doctors call the Precepts of the Sons of Noah and tell us they were in the world as the great Rule of Life or Manners long before Moses's Law That Precept is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Judgments or Obedience to the Civil Magistrate and must I say be included in the Fifth Commandment or else which is not credible is totally omitted and reducible to none Whence would follow that the Law written by Gods own Finger were more imperfect than the Traditionary one which was in the world before it which I presume all whom I have to deal with abhorr to think Then that the Honour here required will extend to Obedience there can be no clearer proof than the most exemplary instance of the Rechabites keeping this Commandment in observing their Father Rechabs Injunctions so much celebrated by God himself Jer. xxxv so that in short they who contend for withdrawing Obedience to Kings out of the List of Christian Duties as far as in them lies take away a main branch of one of the Ten Commandments But if we please to look into the New Testament and will take satisfaction thence of our Christian Duty as I think is most proper we need not go so far about Hear what Doctrine St. Paul requires Titus whom he ordained Bishop of Crete to preach to his Flock Tit. II. last and III. 1. These things saith he speak and exhort with all Authority Let no man despise thee Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers and what he means by that Subjection immediately he expresses in the next word To obey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators indeed have rendred To obey Magistrates And if we understand the words as we ought and as parallel places enforce of submitting our selves or being obedient to the King as Supream and Governours or Magistrates as sent by him 1 Pet. II. 13 14. there is no danger in the Translation But if any of us should be infected with the Humour of some men that there is a sort of Magistrates which are coordinate or all taken together superiour to the King and that 't is these Magistrates only which we owe Obedience to and another kind of Honour may serve the King then it is fit we be admonsht that the word Magistrates is not in the Original nor indeed in any Translation that I can find before those of Calvin Geneva And whether put in only that the Text might more expresly favour the popular Government here may be worth consideration This only I avow the Text naturally runs thus Put them Quomodo hic se habeat Magni Erasmi versio mihi compertum non est nec enim ed manum est ut consulam Certe quod Erasmus in Annotatis suis aliique eum forsan secuti asseruerint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie esse parere Magistratibus id gratis dictum est Nam cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit ad Literam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principium Principatum Imperium soneâ— non Magistratus reddendum potius foret parere imperie vel principatui At hoc prius positum erat quam proxime viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cujus rei memor forte Interpres vulgatus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddâ—dit dicto obedire nihilo sane felicius Constat enim ex usu Novi Test 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significare simpliciter parere obedire Videatur Actorum cap. v. 29 32. xxvii 21. in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey There is no other Object specified of Obedience but that before named of Subjection And if we will have any critical difference betwixt the two Verbs To be subject and To obey the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies more strictly Being subject out of necessity and for Wrath as our Apostle elsewhere expresses it and this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To obey voluntarily and out of choice for Conscience sake It is Promptè libenter ex animo obedire says Cornel à Lapide And thus taken as thus it ought to be taken there cannot be a Text more express for any Christian Duty than this is for Obedience to Kings But some of you haply have by this time cast your Eyes on the last words of the Verse it is said not only Put them in mind to be subject and obey but to be ready to every good work And this limits our Obedience Yes and God forbid but all Obedience to Man should be constantly charged with this Reserve or Condition its consistency with our Obedience to God Children obey your Parents in the Lord Ephes vi 1. not in things by God forbidden and so this Text is express you see as to our Obedience to the King that we obey and be ready in every good work Yet we must know Actions in themselves but indifferent become good works when done in Obedience to lawful Authority such as I hope none of us doubt His Majesties to be As for instance It is an indifferent action generally taken whether I go abroad