place because what we Hoped for in the former Collect is directly Prayed for in this and the Petitions are very properly introduced by the consideration of God's Omniscience in discovering and of his Omnipotence in defeating that Horrid Plot upon this Day which had secretly laid the cruel snares of Death for our King our Prince and Nobles For God's First Favours are generally given freely without any reason in us but his Second are added only because he had been kind before (r) Math. XXV ver 29. When his free Grace hath made us instances of his Favour he afterwards preserves us for his own Glory as the Monuments of his eminent Goodness And whereas our Foes have but two ways to hurt us either by secret Plots or by open Force Our Lord that we trust in and pray to is furnished with infinite Wisdom to find out the one and with as infinite Power to dash the other wherefore we go on and say Be thou still our mighty Protector and scatter c. We have owned his Ability to protect us and remembred a great instance of his willingness and thus encouraged we proceed to beg of him when our Enemies who delight in Blood unite and combine against us for our destruction that he will effectually scatter them (s) Psal LXVIII ver 30. That is in the Hebrew Phrase subdue and conquer them (t) Psal LXVIII 1 14. LXXXIX ver 10. because an Army is then only formidable when it is united in one intire Body For when the Union is broken and the Ranks disordered though the number be whole the force is gone and it is easily routed and overcome (u) Periculum enim ab hostibus semper gravissinium sustinet divisus inordinatus exercitus Veget de re milit l. 1. c. 9. This is our first request when our Foes think themselves strong enough to attempt our ruin by open violence and raise Armies or set out Fleets to destroy us Secondly If they proceed by close Cabals secret Plots and deep laid Counsels to obtain the same end we pray that God may infatuate their Minds so that they may mistake their Measures and notwithstanding their pretences to Politicks may be so blinded (w) Praevalebant jam fata consilijs omnemque animi ejus vim perstrinxerint c. Vellei Paterc de Varo as to imagine those methods will end in our subversion which prove the direct way to their undoing This is often the Fate of such as God hates for their wicked designs they become ridiculous by being taken in their own Snares And one would hope his confounding their Devices in this manner should abate their Pride which possessed them with a vain hope of success and abate their Malice which whets them on to new Plots But when the discovery of their old Project by Gunpowder in our Fathers days hindred not their making a new Attempt in our days We see this Prayer that hath been made for 80 years together was heard and they failed and were bafled a second time Strengthen the Hands of our gracious Sovereign King WILLIAM c. We wish the observing how God fights against them and for us might be a warning to them and when they have bought wit by two dreadful experiments (x) Prov. I. 17. Jumenta cum locum ubi semel lapsa sunt semper cavere solent Dux Polar ad Leg. Rom. Avent Annal. l. 3. p 1â—8 that they might never more think of such bloody and impracticable Projects But if they still go on if visible divine disappointments will not reclaim them we pray that human punishments may light upon them and that our gracious King may cut them off either in the field if they use open hostility or by the hands of Justice if they be convicted of new Plots For God hath put the Sword into the Magistrates Hands for this end that he may cut off all such workers of iniquity (y) Rom. XIII 5. He would bear it in vain if he did not use it in such a case The Roman Magistrates as Plutarch notes had Rods and Axes born before them the former to correct lesser the latter to cut off incorrigible Offenders but both tied up to prevent too hasty punishment (z) Plutarch Quaest Rom. p. 183. Now such as will take no warning from God or Man such as make their Faith a pretence to stir up Faction in the Church and believe their Religion warrants them to murder Princes and massacre whole Nations as the bigotted Romanists do (a) Rom Religionis tractare sibi videtur quisquis in Henricum Imp. arma produceret Malms de gest reg l. 3. fol. 64. Vide item Philopator §. 2. p. 144. 146. these as Limbs incurably gangren'd must be cut off or no Prince can be secure of his Crown and Life no People of their Liberties Lives or Fortunes This Principle once imbibed will prepare a desperate Zealot to execute the blackest design that Hell can invent and he will hope to merit Heaven by it This Notion put the Jews upon crucifying Christ and all the Persecutors upon those Inhumanities they exercised on the Christian Marttyrs (b) Joh. XVI 2. And Mahomet excited his Turks to delight in Christian blood by assuring them that to murder them was the way to please God (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sylbuâ—g Satac p. 85. What wonder is it that the Donatists ventured their lives to kill St. Augustine when their Leaders had taught them this was certainly the way to procure remission of all their sins (d) Possidor vit D. Augustin cap 9. Nothing can convince men who implicitly believe in such Guides who tell them the high road to Hell is the certain way to Heaven and none are to be spared but such as it may be hoped will amend These therefore are ripe for Justice it is no cruelty to such Malefactors to cut them off but it is Mercy to many millions of innocent people to dispatch such out of the way and if a Pardon set them loose to do more mischief (e) Non sum crudelis sed vereor ne quod remiscro patiar Petron. Arb. Satyr he that releases them is answerable for their future crimes But that our gracious Sovereign and his Realms c. And now 't is time to excite our selves to put up these Petitions very heartily by a Prospect of the great advantages the King and we shall reap by the prevailing of these Requests For First By this Means our King will be kept in the true Religion and a late instance hath taught us how sad a Judgment it is for a Reformed Nation to have their King perverted to the Roman Faith If we can remember what we feared and felt then we cannot but pray we may never see the like case again in England where that Religion is so odious that if a King profess it and attempt to establish it the fatal consequence must be his own
or his peoples ruin Secondly As these Kingdoms are now generally Protestant we pray that we may be preserved and protected in that Holy Religion which is the same that Christ and his Apostles and all Orthodox Primitive Fathers taught agreeable to our civil Constitution and the certain way to make us and our Posterity happy both here and hereafter Whereas the Roman Doctrine is Corrupt their Worship Idolatrous their Government a heavy Yoke that neither our Fathers were (f) Vid. Angliae Gravamina in Fascicul rer expetend Tom. II. pag. 415. nor we ever can be able to bear So that the success of these Requests will be a mighty Blessing both to Prince and People And Finally We own that every private Christian will have great advantage thereby for then we may all duly serve God we may freely and without interruption come to his House and enjoy his Ordinances which are Purely and Primitively administred there Yea and this mighty Blessing being continued our comfort in that Providence which preserves this Holy Religion will oblige us continually to render Publick Thanks and Praise to him that doth preserve and continue it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Fifth Collect. The Fifth Collect consists of three Parts 1st A Preface owning 1. Gods Eeternal Power Eternal God and our most c. 2. Our own unworthiness we thy unworthy Servants 2ly a Double Acknowledgment 1. Of the Old Deliverance described 1. By the Author of it acknowledging thy power c. 2. The Persons preserved in preserving the King c. 3. The praises due for it make us we beseech thee c. 2. Of the latter shewing 1. The time when particularly for making c. 2. The meanes by which it was accompliâ—hed we bless thee forgiving his Majesty c. 3ly Petitions for the King and Royal Family begging for them 1. Deliverance and outward safety continue we beseech thee c. 2. Piety and inward Grace preserve them in thy Faith 3. Temporal Prosperity here prosper his Reign with long c. 4. Eternal Glory hereafter and crown them with everlasting c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 11. ETernal God and our most mighty Protector c. On this Prayer we may be the briefer since we have inlarged on both the Deliverances here commemorated before We might justly be discouraged considering how many Years our Enemies have by restless Endeavours and variety of Designs laboured to extirpate Our Religion and set up Theirs But we remember our God lives for ever he is Eternal he ever was is and will be able to defeat them and save us (g) Omnia quae mutantur desinunt esse quod erant incipiunt esse quod non erant Esse verum non habet nisi qui non mutatur D. Aug. in Exod. III. 13. Let them by their Interest abroad and Insinuations at home draw in never so many to assist them our Protector is mightier than their United Force and we hope he will employ his Eternal and Infinite Power for our Defence because we are his Servants believing as he hath taught and worshiping as he hath directed us in his Holy Word 'T is true we are very unworthy Servants to so good a Master too apt to offend him by our disobedience and to disoblige him by our ingratitude and distrust But since he is pleased to be favourable to us still in a deep sense of his goodness and our unworthiness we do this Day come to his House and on our bended Knees acknowledge both our Deliverances We declare that three of his glorious Attributes were very visible in the former His Power in breaking that horrid Design his Wisdom in letting it run on almost to the last Minute till the Principal Actor was taken so prepared for the Fact that it could not be denied And Finally His Goodness in saving so many eminent and innocent Persons from the suddenest and horridest Destruction that ever was invented Make us we beseech thee truly thankful for this c. Perhaps some may think our Forefathers were but we are not obliged to give Thanks for this Mercy But let it be considered if this Plot had succeeded our Nation had been subjected to a foreign Power and our Religion extirpated here so that we had sucked in Slavery and Popery with our Mothers Milk We owe the Liberty that we now enjoy and the Faith we at this day profess to the Discovery and Prevention of this dreadful Plot wherefore as long as this Church and Government endures we must be thankful throughout all Ages upon this happy Day especially since God hath now refreshed our Memories by another Deliverance from the same sort of Enemies upon the very same Day If our Ancestors only had received evidences of his infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness we might have had some excuse but when we needed the assistance of the same Attributes they were exerted again for our rescue Let us therefore heartily praise his Holy Name We bless thee for giving his Majesty that now is c. This is a grateful owning the Means of our Second Deliverance which was his present Majesty's Arrival he loved our Religion pitied to see us and it like to be oppressed was nearly concerned by his Title to the Succession to keep all right here and therefore generously ventured his Life and Fortune to rescue us Our Enemies hoped the Waves would have swallowed him and a bare rumour of that made them cry high and violent as ever to convince us it was not love to us but fear of him that made them seem to desist (h) Quae quia non potuit non facit illa facit Ovid. am l. 3. cl 4. But Heaven set him safe on shoar and then their next Resolve was to expel him again by Force but no considering Protestants could be found willing to destroy their Deliverer nor to fight against their own Religion and Liberties and thus all opposition fell before him and that unhappy Prince who had deserted the God of his Father was deserted by his Army and then secretly deserted the Nation leaving us no other Choice but to remain in Anarchy to stay till he should return with foreign Force Or to put the next undoubted Heir with her Consort our Deliverer a near Branch of the same Royal House into the Vacant Throne And the last expedient was pitcht upon as the only means of our safety by the unanimous consent of the far greatest part of the Kingdom Wherefore those who truly love their Religion and their Civil Rights do justly rejoyce that there is so powerful and faithful a Friend to both by so signal a Providence now reigning over us Continue we beseech thee to protect and defend him c. As we believe this Revolution was conducted by Providence we have just cause to pray with holy David That God would establish the thing he hath wrought for us (i) Psal LXVIII 28. and preserve both this King whom he
Das poenas quicunque expectat Sen. Vid. Heb II. 15. Quotidie moritur mortem qui assidue timet Sence Herc. fur Act. 4. and once more give us cause to rejoyce Ver. VII VIII IX As we needed Mercy and Deliverance a second time so we again earnestly prayed for them (c) iteratae valetudinis iteranda est medicina Tert. de poenit c. 8. p. 126. We saw none but God was like to pity us or able to deliver us of him we therefore begged Mercy and a gracious Rescue And we waited in hopes of a kind Answer believing that since we were Professors of Gods True Religion he would not let those of a very false one have power to tempt us too far left some weak though otherwise good Men should turn Apostates either for hope of Gain or fear of Punishment (d) Securius est perire non pâ—sse quam juxta periculum non periaâ—â—c Hieron ep 4â— p. 296. Which expectation was not frustrated For when our Enemies attempts ran to the greatest heighth and they imagined our Church would soon fall then was Gods Salvation very near us and he contrived a wonderful Deliverance for us so that the True Religion the Glory of this Land remained firm and unshaken Ver. X XI XII XIII The Faithful Members of this established Church who were true to their God had their Prayers heard and met with Mercy He pitied them under these threatning Dangers and sent them a happy Deliverer who restored the Professors and Practicers of this Holy Religion to a perfect Peace He dispelled all their fears of Oppression and Persecution And then the Church again flourished among us and the Righteous God hath a second time taken it into his special care and looks upon it with a favourable Eye from Heaven whence this great and happy Change came Which great instance of his Kindness to our holy Religion and native Country encourages us to hope he will continue his gracious Protection over us and give us times of Plenty and Prosperity For if we live up to our Principles and walk before him in Righteousness and true Holiness we see God will so guide us in all Revolutions that we shall walk Safely and stand Firmly Now for this special care of our Church and these Kingdoms let us who have seen these Promises verified give hearty Praises to him and say Glory be to the Father c. The Proper Lessons § 4. THese are so well chosen that there needs little discourse to direct us to apply them to the Occasion The first Lessons are two for variety one of which is the Prophet Jeremy's (e) Jer. XII complaint to God of great mischiefs done both in Church and State by False Prophets and Tyrannical Rulers with the Lords Answer wherein he gives the Reason of his permitting this threatning to punish the Authors of these Miseries and to deliver the Righteous The other Lesson is out of Daniel (f) Dan. IX to ver 22. being that excellent Prayer which this holy Man used on his solemn Fast-day wherein he so efctually bewailed the Sins and Sufferings of Gods People that he prevailed with Heaven to restore them to their Liberty and to the exercise of their Religion and justly minds us of the Prayers and Penitence of devout Men under those Usurpers which at last had the same effect here The Second Lesson (g) Heb. XI 32. and Chap. XII to ver 7. sets before us the Faith and Patience of the Martyrs and in the old Gallican Liturgy it was the proper Lesson for the Festival of any Martyr (h) Vide Mabillon Liturg Gallic l. 2. p. 160. so that it is very proper as a commemoration of our Royal Mayters sufferings and his Faith and as an Exhortation for us to imitate him and them whenever it pleases God to correct us The Evening Collects § 5. WE have three peculiar Prayers for the Evening differing in Words but agreeing in Sense with those in the Morning and therefore our Notes on them shall be shorter The first is Penitential and Deprecatory the Second is Commemorative and Laudatory the Third Didactical and Instructive what uses may be made of so sad a Providence The First Collect. The First Evening Collect contains 1st A Preface setting out 1. The Wisdom of Gods Providence O Blessed Lord God who c. 2. The Equity thereof but also performest c. 2ly The Applying it to our Case 1. Owning Gods Justice we thy sinful people do c. 2. Reciting the Fact in permitting cruel men c. 3. Confessing the Cause even our Sins we having drawn down c. 3ly The Petitions grounded on these Premises 1. For pardon of all Sins For which we do therefore c. 2. Especially this Murder and that thou wouldst deliver this Nation c. 3. For averting Judgments and turn from us and our c. 4ly The Conclusion in the Name of Christ Grant this for the c. Amen Brief Notes upon this Collect. § 6. O Blessed Lord God who by thy Wisdom c. It may settle our Minds on so surprizing an Occasion to contemplate the infinite Wisdom of divine Providence which over-rules and baffles the Policies of wicked Men who willingly act their Crimes for the ends of Covetousness Malice or Ambition and unwillingly bring about the ends of Gods Justice ignorantly fulfilling his Counsels while they knowingly break his Laws (g) Consiliis ejus militant etiam qui ejus Consiliis repugnant Greg. Mor. l. 6. c. 14. Agunt quod vult Deus sed non volunt quod vult Deus Bern. de grat lib. arb God intended to glorifie our Martyr by unparallel'd Sufferings to punish an ungrateful Nation by taking him from them and setting the worst of Rulers over them and such was his wondrous Wisdom that he brought all this about by a Crew of bloody Hypocrites whose Deeds were odious to God and no less Criminal (h) Vide Origen in Cels l. 2. p. 72 73. because Heaven unknown to them had ordered this to his Glory This was hard to be discerned then while Guilt was triumphant But we clearly perceive it now wherefore with holy David (i) Psal CXLV 17. we confess that the Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works We thy sinful people do here fall down c. Even our Royal Martyr with respect only to his private failings confessed with the innocent Emperor Mauricius (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Histor Mauric lib. 8. cap. 11. Gods Judgments were right but how much more ought we who are really a sinful people humbly to own this as long as any of the Regicides live or any of those who saw this inhuman Violence and did not venture their own Lives to prevent it God is so very Righteous that if we saw no reason why he did permit a thing to be done we ought to believe there was a just reason since he did it who can do nothing