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
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
Veracity of this great Judge than of the Justice of his Sentence In other terms as our Lord the King is wise according to the Wisdom of aâ— Angel of God to know all things that are before him so we believe he spoke herein with the Sanctity of an Angel and no less according to the Sense of his Royal Heart than according to the Truth of the thing Wherefore undoubtedly let some men think or say what they please he does not estimate his Subjects Loyalty by a warpâ—g Conscience or versatil humour in Reâ—gion No good or wise man Much less â—rince can in his heart approve either â—redulity and Rashness in believing or â—nstability in what is once on sober â—rounds believed There is nothing more â—oathsome to a person of any sense of Worth or Honour than a readiness to â—hange a mans Perswasion because he apprehends it may turn to his Rise or secuâ—ar Advantage To be free and open and use that Parrhesy which Honesty and Vprightness ever may I took not up my Religion from the Placits of Man but from â—he holy Scriptures of eternal Truth delivered to the world by inspired men and faithfully transmitted to us by Gods holy Church which Scriptures I have been instructed in from a Child and have read over diverse times upon my knees before God as well as otherwise with all the care I could I have thence learnt amongst other parts of my Duty my Duty to God and my Duty to my King and if any man catch me wittingly and deliberately tripping in either I decline no Censure nor Punishment But I am almost daily told by men whose Insolence I believe His Majesty if he understood would little approve that my King is not of my Religion I still answer thereto I cannoâ— tell nor am I busie to enquire but I blesâ— God and night and day pray to him to blesâ— our Gracious King for that Liberty Protection and Encouragement which we Protestants of the establisht Church enjoy in our Religion under his sweet wise happy Government And as to His Majesties Religion I say he is no more accountable to his Subjectâ— for that than he is for his Crown nor may they any more censure than prescribe to him therein All that concerns them is to pray God would guide him and inspire with all Christian Temper and Counsel those to whom under God he commits the Guidance of his Conscience And having said thus much I will only add As to my Religion from henceforth let no man trouble me For ought I know I profess the Religion the King would have me For if I should profess my self of any other I should dissemble and that I believe His Majesty with reverence be it spoken would no more approve in me or any man else than God does I have thus said what I had to say of the Occasion of publishing these Sermons It remains to the full discharging my Promise that I say a few things of their frame or make They consist not then of any profound cuâ—â—us or refined Notions nor is their Style â—curate or correct But they are what I â—prehend Sermons ought to be plain hoâ—st and strong I mean their Language is â—sie natural and such generally which is â— soon understood as heard Their Matâ—â— nothing but what in the Subjects â—andled is the sum of our certain Christiâ—â—ity And the Reasonings used in them I â—ope such as may convince There is at present a great complaint aâ—ongst the Book-sellers that there is nothing â—lls so dully as Sermons And yet I rememâ—er my Lord Verulam somewhere says in â—ommendation of the English Preaching â—hat if Preambles Transitions and passages which are purely matter of form with some such like particulars were taken out and the substance of our English Sermons extant collected into one Book it would certainly be one of the best Books in the world or words to this purpose Now what is the reason of the former complaint 'T is certain Sermons were no such Drugs in his days Has there then befallen any universal Degeneracy amongst us since his time which has altered the case None certainly universal for there have been better Sermons by far publisht since the death of that great Judge for such he was in all kinds of Learning than any I know before and particularlâ— those of the before at least matchless Bishop Sanderson And there are at this time in present being a great number of as excellent Preachers both in the City of London and disperst through the Kingdom oâ— England as most we can find to have liveâ— since the Apostles days many of whosâ— Sermons are in print But the truth of thâ— matter is this In the late days of the Liberty of Prophesying when every one took on him the honour not only of the Priesthood but even oâ— Apostleship that would and a bold pretencâ— to Grace Inspiration was enough to qualifie any man for the Pulpit there came for t such a swarm of putid and nonsensical as weâ—â— as too often unchristian Abortions of Preachments that mens stomachs then in a sorâ— turn'd many begun to abhor and ridicule thâ— Word of God and even the most sober sorâ— could not but loath such vile Entertainments Of this kind were all the Millenarâ— and generally all the Antinomian Rabble oâ— Preachers with more who followed the Parliament Camp whom I will not name Another sort there were who had some kind â—â— learning and seem'd at first hearing to havâ— something of soundness in them but in process all the Divinity you should find in their Sermons was pickt out of little Systems and Annotators beyond which very few of the men of those days ever went Henderson himself confessing to Arch-Bishop Vsher he had never read the Fathers and lay all in some Geneva-opinions servilely taken up a few terms of Art and Notions ill applied possibly not half digested or understood and in words and phrases of uncertain significations a vein of Canting running thro the whole Of these two kinds were I believe one tenth part of the Sermons preached and printed for neer twenty years together from the beginning of our late unhappy Civil Wars in England But God be blessed though such preaching was general yet was it not universal There were all along these times a secret stock of profoundly learned Divines excellent Preachers compel'd to be too secret God knows the remains of the old scattered Church and the Seed of our restored present establisht Church of England Arch-Bishop Vsher Doctor afterwards Bishop Saunderson Bishop and after the Restauration Arch-Bishop Bramhall Bp. Brownâ—ig Dr. Hammond Doctors and Bishops Jeremy Taylor John Pierson with many others these mens Sermons and many of their Discourses which though not printed Sermon-wise yet were divers of them first delivered in Sermons before ever printed in the form we have them no one I hope will account Drugs cast by or not think to deserve a very good place in his
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
being also we cannot believe he will be true to himself we ought to conclude he will gain Glory to himself even by those very things by which we may foolishly imagine he forfeits or hazards his Glory Wherefore if we will not be most unreasonable we must be patient Again this Consideration also enforces particularly the Quiet of Faith If the Almighty and the Alwise has resolved that he will be exalted amongst the Heathen and in all the Earth too you may easily be confident he will be so A little Faith one should think should suffice men to believe God will be true to his own concerns that is to his Glory Truth and Church And lastly This no less enforces the Quiet of Sobriety For what greater madness can there be conceived when we prosess to believe God thus resolved and intent on his business and to have put all things into the wisest and best order than for us to interpose and disturb this Order And yet every man does disturb that Order who makes a step out of his Calling that is out of the Order Place and Degree God has put him into Wherefore seeing God not only governs the World in general but particularly directs all to the exalting of his own Glory if the Glory of God be dear to us as we profess it is and if we believe that God is God let us be quiet with a Quiet both of Patience Faith and Sobriety The third and last Argument in the Text perswading still the same Duty is Gods Presence Patronage and everlasting Constancy to his Church celebrated here by the Psalmist in the name of the Church for in the last verse he brings in the Church speaking thus The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge And it it is observable this is the great Chorus in this most glorious and lofty Anthem It in a sort began the Psalm God is our Refuge ver 1. but word for word we have in ver 7. and it closes all in the Text. Indeed the Consideration of Gods Presence with and Protection of his Church cannot be to much thought of nor too often sung by the Faithful The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Oh! how sweet is it both to Ear and Heart He is with us not only as God but as the Lord of Hosts And should Hosts fail he is with us as a Refuge too and as may be supplyed from another place as our Portion and exceeding great Reward When poor Croesus not long before as much a prodigy of Wealth as then of Misery was led captive in Chains at the Command of his Conqueror Cyrus into whose hands he had fallen by the Fraud of Apollo otherwise to be called the Devil of Delphos whom alone above all their Deities he had honoured with Gifts he requested of his Conquerour one small Boon before his Execution which he instantly expected namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sending those Chains then as a Present he might ask that Grecian God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether it were his Vsage to put Cheats upon Benefactors his Worshippers This was a Reproach indeed most justly due to the Father of Lyes But the Worshippers of the God of the God of Jacob can never lay such Imputation upon him Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them They cryed unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded For thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the Praises of Israel Psal 3 4 5. And he the same God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Wherefore let this Consideration also induce such Stillness and holy Quiet as has now several times been prest Particularly again this Consideration also most reasonably may induce the Quiet of Patience For whose Will ought we to pay more absolute Deference to than to the Will of our most faithful Protector our sure Refuge and eternal Portion The Quiet of Faith For who fitter to be relyed upon than he who never deceived a cordial Confident And the Quiet of Sobriety For if by exceeding our Calling or going out of our place we come into misery it is not so much God that has brought it upon us as we that have run our selves into it We might have been safe if we had kept within the Boundaries God set us I have now done with my Text at least in the Acceptation or Reference I chose to take it in I know not what remains except any should expect that I should touch upon it in that other Reference I said it might admit namely as applicable to the Enemies of the Church For to them also God may be conceived with great reason here to speak Be you still and know that I am God And there are not a few were they within hearing that have need of thi◠Lesson such I mean who have long hoped for and otherwise as well as in their mad Carouses prayed for the Confusion of our Church and Religion that is I may say it without the least Arrogancy or Prevarication the most loyal Church and Religion in the World that I mean by Law establisht God forgive them and in these hopes God deceive them In the mean while let them know the Lord is God And as we have made it our business to consider and study our Duty so by Gods Grace we will perform it We will be still that is patient and hopeful sober and loyal and we do not doubt but the Lord of Hosts will be with us and the God of Jacob will be still our Refuge We can with the assurance of good Conscience take up the words of that holy King Ahijah animating himself and his People in a more difficult condition than God be blessed ours is or we hope is like to be 2 Chr. xiii 10. As for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him We have retained and do retain his Faith and Worship pure as once delivered to the Saints We have endeavoured and in humble sincerity we can say we do endeavour to perform the Conditions of his promised Presence and Protection and so long we depend upon his Promises Nor do we list to reflect upon our Adversaries Practices though we could Further besides our Gods Promises we have our Kings Promises too for the support of our Minds and some men must pardon us if we give a thousand times more credit to His Majesties Royal Word than to their airy Hopes or ventose Bravadoes We do not believe His Majesty will esteem their vain Insultings over their fellow Subjects any part of Loyalty or Service to him His Majesty has God be blessed amongst his very Enemies the character of a wise Prince and of a magnanimous Prince and there is nothing farther off from such Temper than to approve Insolencies Wherefore let as many of the Adversaries of our Church of all sorts as hear me this day take the Text as
can pray for nothing else in their behalf yet may we most charitably pray that God would give them Faith and Repentance though they come in even in the end of the eleventh hour of the day There was indeed in the miraculous days a miraculous Gift of discerning of Spirits and I will not say but St. John and other like inspired persons might be able hereby to perceive what men sinned unto death and when how and in what acts But I think there is none but mad men will in the present age pretend to this Gift and then there will be no knowing who will sin unto death that is be finally incredulous or impenitent except God should reveal it to us Besides as just now intimated none can be said to be incredulous or impenitent finally that is to their end till their end that is till their death and we do not teach to pray for any persons longer Wherefore it remains except God should reveal to any of us that such and such particular persons were incorrigible and by him eternally rejected from all Grace and so by immediate Inspiration or voice from Heaven interdict us to pray for them I conceive in the present â—â—ate of the Church we stand bound in charity to pray for all men at least that God would give them repentance as long as they are in this life or on this side Hell be they never so wicked Further 2. If that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which our Lord has declared Matt. xii 31 32. shall not be forgiven unto men either in this world or that which is to come were as in all probability it was the Jews malicious ascribing those Miracles to Beelzebub the Prince of Devils which in their Consciences they were convinced he did by the power of the Holy Ghost then by reason of the Cessation of Miracles no man of the present age is capable of it and therefore is no man now upon supposition of this sin to be excluded from our Prayers In a word as the world goes I know not how there is any maintaining Charity or the true Christian Temper without strict observing the Apostles injunction in my Text. For allow this that we are not to pray for those who have sinned a sin unto death and withal that sins unto death are in the present age as certainly to be known as they are commonly committed there will be few men if they have but ill nature enough to maintain enmities whose Malice will not byass their Judgments to pronounce their Enemies to have sinned a sin unto death and so there will be no loving of Enemies or praying for them at least there will be a proper method to absolve us from the Obligation of that our Lords Command of loving our Enemies and blessing those that curse us so proper to the Religion by him instituted Wherefore by the way give me leave from hence to recommend unto you the Prudence Piety and Integrity of the first Reformers of our Church and consequently the Soundness of the Reformation it self The first thing the Apostle gives in charge here to Timothy in order to the settling the Church of Ephesus is the due constituting the publick Prayers The first part of the Reformation was the compiling the Liturgy of our Church and that almost in the very form we at present have it The primitive publick Prayers by the Apostolical Injunction in the Text were to consist of Supplications Petitions Intercessions and giving of Thanks And St. Chrysostome on the Text tells us in his time the practice of the Church was accordingly The Priests all know saith he how this is performed every day both morning and evening Our Liturgy does consist of Confessions Suffrages or Litanies of Collects of Prayers for the whole Church Hymns and Eucharistical Devotions parts perfectly conformable to what was then both enjoyned and practised And these according to the Apostle were to be made for all men and as Chrysostome tells us were actually so made We pray accordingly in our Litany That it please thee to have mercy upon all men Besides we have other Prayers for all sorts and conditions of men But especially for Kingâ— saith the Apostle and all that are in Authority And that these Prayers according to Order in our Liturgy are offered up morning and evening I need not tell you but as led hereby proceed to my main design Proposition II. Publick Prayers of the Church in all kinds are to be made for Kings and all in Authority Nothing can be more expresly said in terms than this is in the present Text. And it gives a very great emphasis to the Apostles Injunction and so makes our Obliâ—ation to the Duty much the stronger if we consider when this Epistle was writ or in what days the Apostle laid this Charge on Timothy namely in the first year of Nero's being Emperor of Rome according to Baronius in his third year say others all agree 't was under his Empire What Nero was for a Monster of a man as to all Villanies imaginable I need not speak nor will you easily think the Governours sent by him viz. the Prefects of the Army or Provinces were most of them much better than their Emperour And such a long time continued the Emperours and the other Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Chrysostome In loc expresses it ungodly men succeeding ungodly men so that Quot erant eo tempore magistratus tot Ecclesiae hostes atque Idolatriae As many Bez. in loc Magistrates as there were so many Enemies were there of the Church so many Idolaters and God knows vast multitudes more by their example Yet even for these did the Apostle injoyn constant Prayers daily to be made in the Church So that we must necessarily if we mind this circumstance apply hereto that of the Apostle St. Peter as to be subject to so to pray for not only the good and gentle but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the froward or perverse Yet let none by the way be so vile as to make here any misconstruction God be blessed we have no need to apply this Emphasis in our circumstances We have a King most Gracious who protects us in our Religion and has again and again promised so to do of which we have most publick and ample assurance However as long as there are such infernal Spirits in humane shape as are at this day many of the Scotch Covenanters who will not so much as say God save or God blâ—ss the King to save themselves from the Gallows it was not fit to omit this observation of the Date of this Epistle For hereby let the King have been what he could be to them they are convicted by our Apostles Doctrine to have renounced their Christianity in this case with their Allegiance and Duty to their King let them dye what they would they dyed no Christians It is not impossible there are others in the world who though to
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
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