under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved e Acts 4.12 And St. John saith He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the Wrath of God abideth on him f John 3.36 17.3 Heb. 2.3 1 John 5.10 O therefore as you tender your everlasting Peace delay no longer to kiss the Son of God Christ Jesus our only Lord and Saviour g Psal 2.12 not with a Judas's kiss to betray him h Mat. 26.48 but with the mouth of Faith and obedience in token of homage i 1 Sam. 10.1 that he was Anointed to be your Lord and King by God the Father k Psa 89.27 Revel 1.5 Phil. 2.8 9. lest by your infidelity ye perish from the Way the Truth and the Life l John 14.6 And you O Christian Kings that are already established in the Faith and imbrace Christ and his Gospel the only means of your Salvation accomplish ye the end of your Ordination be ye true defenders of the Faith and Nursing Fathers to the Church that Christ may defend you from your enemies and nurse you in your Kingdoms manifest your wisdom by scattering the wicked in judgment and bringing the Wheel over the ungodly that the Lord may establish your Thrones in righteousness m Pro. 20.8 26. 25.5 Let Christ rule in your hearts by Faith n Ephes 3.17 Col. 3.15 that you may rule his people the more faithfully Pay ye True Loyalty and subjection to Christ your Lord and Master that your Subjects may the more chearfully pay you yours In a word have a care of increasing your accounts by negligence in your charge o Luk. 12.48 But crown your Sacred Office with Christian examples that at last you may exchange your corruptible Crowns for Crowns of glory But Lastly we must not forget that if a King should be wanting in his duty to fear the Lord yet our duty is nevertheless to fear the King let him be what he will that can be no excuse to us we must not forsake the Lord for his sake but still be subject unto him for the Lords sake Wickedness in a King may bring destruction upon himself but we know from what hath been said before that it can be no plea for Rebellion Yea suppose a King should be a notorious enemy not only to the Lord but to our selves too yet for all that we must not Rebel but still be subject and obedient David a man after Gods own heart when he was a Subject to King Saul that remarkable Tyrant and Rebel against God gives us in this a very fair example for when the evil spirit of King Saul rose up against him and that so violently that he sought to smite him even to the Wall with his Javelin and though afterwards he declared his malice to be as great as Davids innocency both by hunting him from place to place like a Partridge upon the Mountains and devising all the ways he could besides to take away his life p 1 Sam. 19.9 10 c. yet when he had him at his mercy even at such times when he came to attach him q 1 Sam. 24. c. 26. he would by no means Rebel lift up his hand or his heel against him no nor suffer those that were about him to do it though they much incited him thereunto alledging that the day was come in the which the Lord said he would deliver his enemy into his hand But alas they savoured not the things that be of God r Mat. 16.23 the Lord delivered him into his hand not that he should kill him but only to try his Loyalty whether he would kill him or not and so the words following interpret it that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee Å¿ 1 Sam. 24.4 5. And so accordingly he proved himself a True Loyalist indeed the more he feared the Lord the more he feared the King he cut off but the skirt of Sauls Robe and his heart smote him much less durst he kill him t Psal 4.4 Satan for all his great policy could not prevail with him to do that he said unto hismen The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lords anointed to stretch forth mine hand against him seeing he is the Anointed of the Lord With these words David staid his servants and suffered them not to rise against Saul u 1 Sam. 24.5 6 7. And when Abishai for the same reason would have killed him in the Wilderness of Ziph David was astonished at his boldness and impudency and forbad him with great indignation saying Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless w 1 Sam. 26. But behold instead of satisfying a revengeful nature upon his enemy he so pacified his wrath by yielding that he even inforced tears from his eyes x 1 Sam. 24.16 17 c. made him promise him that he would do him no more harm yea confess his own folly and bless him y 1 Sam. 26.21 c. This is so exactly according to what his Son Solomon hath taught us Ecclesiastes 10.4 that he may seem to have borrowed his Wisdom and Counsel therein from this very story the words are these If the Spirit of the Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place for yielding pacifieth great offences If the Spirit of thy Ruler rise up against thee let it be for what cause it will yet for all that thou must not leave thy place and rebel to make him yield by constraint but keep thy order and station still z 1 Cor. 7.20 24. and endeavour to pacifie him by yielding This is the duty of us all how great then is the sin of them that leave their places and rise up against their Ruler when his spirit is calm and sedate and by their Rebellion inforce him aftewards to rise up against them and yet refuse to pacifie him by yielding though themselves have been the cause of his provocation Fanaticks themselves may be Judge but withal let them repent lest by their pride and obstinacy they also provoke Gods anger against them And in a word let us all be as careful always to discharge out duty to the Lord and the King that we may not make our selves for ever miserable by Rebellion but that as Kings on Earth dye like men so we in heaven may live like Kings a Psal 82.7 Revel 5.10 Part II. NOw Secondly that we may obtain this heavenly and Royal inheritance of the True Loyalist and avoid the everlasting perdition of Rebels Solomon also gives us a seasonable caution to meddle not with them that are given to change for by Changers here are meant Rebels such as neither fear the Lord nor the King but under an hypocritical pretence of being great Zelots in Religion pride themselves in nothing more
12.6 7 8 9. so the true Loyalist fears to offend his King not slavishly only for the sake of his power as the nominal Loyalist doth for fear of punishment but Evangelically out of a filial fear and perfect love to God Which as St. John saith casteth out all slavish and tormenting fear o 1 John 4.18 In a word the true Loyalist looks upon his King not humanely as one that hath only power and authority to terrifie and punish him if he do evil but spiritually and abstractedly as he is Gods Minister and Vicegerent ordained for that very end And therefore he fears and subjects himself to him of necessity not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake p Rom. 13.4 5. Thus you see the nature and quality of fear which makes the difference between the true Loyalist and the false But now we must consider that as a filial and Evangelical fear being as it were the Royal Head the primum mobile or first mover in all the Spheres of Religion q Pro. 9.10 Job 28.28 doth in its progress produce 1. True honour to the King and that both of esteem and maintenance and 2. With true honour all the parts of obedience r Ecclesiastes 12.13 So these duties and commandments are counterfeited by the Devil Gods Ape either by corrupting the hearts of his Children with a servile fear or by changing himself in them into an Angel of light In all which the True Loyalist will also be discovered from the false by the difference of their originals For your better understanding whereof take this for a general Rule That the True Loyalist makes the fear of God the groundwork of all duties to his King he eyes God in all and doth all for his sake and to his glory Whereas the counterfeit Loyalist doth in all only eye either humane powers or his own safety sinister ends or vain glory As 1. The True Loyalist is one that honoureth his King not only for the fear of his power and authority and the Penal Laws of the Land as the nominal Loyalist doth but out of love and fear to God because so is his will and Commandment ſ 1 Pet. 2.15 in which respect St. Peter hath joyned them both together saying fear God honour the King t 1 Pet. 2.17 2. Though a Kings Majesty and Grandeur be the foundation of humane honour as well as his power is of a servile fear yet the True Loyalist honours his King not for the sake of them alone meerly as they are humane as the Carnal Loyalist doth but as his King receives them from God his only Lord and Master and in that respect are impresses of the Divine Yea and in regard of his supremacy Prerogatives too annexed to his headship 3. The True Loyalist honoureth his King not for any self-interest or by-end of his own as the time-serving self-seeking Jesuitical Loyalist doth but still only for the Lords sake because he is his Minister and Vicegerent Lastly The True Loyalist honoureth his King not in word only as lip-holy and heart-hollow Pharisees honour the Lord u Mat. 15.8 9. but ex animo sincerely from his very heart in deed and in truth 1 John 3.18 for duty and Conscience sake because God hath commanded him to give honour to whom honour is due w Rom. 13.7 And no marvel for thus the True Loyalist honoureth all his other Governours both in Church and State 1. He highly esteemeth in love all his spiritual Governours both Bishops and Pastors of the Church not for their persons x Rom 2.11 James 2.9 Jud. 16. but for their works sake not because they have the rule over him but because they are over him in the Lord and are Ambassadors for Christ to admonish and beseech him in his stead to be reconciled to God y 2 Cor. 5.20 1 Thes 5.12 13. Phil. 2.29 Heb. 13.7 17. Rom. 10.15 2. He much honoureth too all Magistrates and Civil Governours according to their several orders and Degrees whom his King hath put in authority under him in the State not for their powers sake but still for the Lords sake because they have received their power from him to execute his wrath upon evil doers and for the praise of them that do well z Rom. 13.4 1 Pet. 2.14 16. How much more then doth he honour his King who is a person not only Civil but Sacred too Civil in respect he is not to intermeddle with the Holy Function of a Minister any more than King Vzziah was to invade the holy Office of a Priest a 2 Chron. 26.18 or we are to meddle with them that are given to Change But Sacred in respect he is Gods Deputy and Vicegerent ordained under him Supreme Head and Governour over all both in Church and State as well the highest of the Clergy as the lowest of the Laity God himself always held the Scepter above the Miter to defend it and therefore King David calls himself expresly the Lord of Zadok the High Priest b 1 King 1.33 Yea in a word the True Loyalist considers that as his Lord God himself is the common Father of us all c Mal. 1.6 so hath he appointed the King his Vicegerent to be Pater patriae the Father of his Country And therefore he respects him accordingly above all as an obedient Son doth his Father that so he may neither stand in the light of his own honour by dishonouring his Lord God in contemning in his King the Image of his authority d 1 Sam. 2.30 nor withstand his promise of long life either in this World or the World to come or both by breaking the fifth Commandment This is enough to let us see that True godliness and Loyalty True Loyalty and goldiness the fear of the Lord and the fear of the King go hand in hand together both in the Affirmative and in the Negative 1. The consequence à majori ad minus is undeniable in the Affirmative He that doth the greater duty in Religion will not stick to do the lesser quisquis Deum timet etiam Regibus honorem habebit 1 Pet. 2.17 1 Sam. 8.8 12.18 saith Calvin he that feareth God will also honour his King And 2. The consequence à minori ad majus is as undeniable in the Negative He that refuses to do the lesser duty in Religion to be sure will not do the greater he that will not fear and honour his King no man can be so sottish to think that he feareth God Therefore what St. John saith concerning our love to God and our brother e 1 Joh. 4.20 I may as truly say of our fear to God and our King If a man say I fear God and dishonoureth his King he is a lyer no less than a Quaker for he that honoureth not his King who is visible how can he fear God whom no man can see and live f Exod. 33.20 From
the King his due of fear and honour under a pretence of fearing him lest your portion at length be the same with the Hypocrites i Mat 24.51 Job 8.13 But as you have been taught by St. John in the beginning concerning the love of God and our brother forget not to fulfil this Royal and Loyal commandment in the Text that he who feareth God fear and honour the King also k 1 Joh. 4.21 For as they that despise God shall be lightly esteemed so he will honour them that honour him l 1 Sam. 2.30 2. Those are here condemned also that would forsooth be counted great Loyalists and yet are notorious Rebels against the Lord himself the King of Kings That pretend to be highly for the King great honourers of his Majesty and yet plainly shew by as highly debaucht lives and examples that they have no fear of God before their eyes m Ps 36.1 Rom. 3.18 Gen. 20.11 They never boast of their Loyalty more than when they are elevated into so many petty Kings in their esteem or rather are really the greatest Lords and Masters of mis-rule They never pretend more strongly to be for the King than when they are most mighty to drink Wine and men of the greatest strength to mingle strong drink n Isa 5. If a sober man chance to come into the company of these Ranters and Ruffins they will straight censure him for a Round-head and if he refuse to drink the Kings health so deep and so often as they would have him they will as readily cry out God damn them he is a Fanatick though they see he doth not refuse it in a sober way as the Kings health because he honours the King but only as a cup of excess because he also fears the Lord. These are those of whom St. Peter speaks who hold it not sufficient that they have heretofore wrought the will of man when they were Gentiles but still walk in lasciviousness lusts excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings c. wherein they think it strange that you who accomplish the end of Christs sufferings in walking according to the will of God should be such enemies to your own present enjoyments as not to run with them to the same excess of Riot and therefore speak evil of you o 1 Pet. 4.1 2 3 4. Where then is their great Loyalty which they so much boast of You see what goodly Loyalists they are they have only the name of the Loyalists and that 's all they want all the ingredients of a Christian which as you have heard constitute the being of a True Loyalist The fear of the Lord and the King always go together in the True Loyalist as well as the True Godlilist It is vain for men to pretend to fear God without honouring the King and it is as vain too to pretend to honour the King without fearing God The Loyalty of these proud Huffers and Hectors consists only in Hypocrisie That by the pretence thereof they may either the better gain or the more securely hold some maintenance that they have by the Kings benefit Or rather they pretend Loyalty as the Hypocrite pretends the name of Christ p Mat. 7.22 and the Fanatick his Conscience that it may be a rise for their sins and a vail for their impieties And no marvel for it is impossible we see that their Loyalty should consist in reality any more than the Godliness of those that stile themselves the Godly party The very Heathens though some of them I mean the wiser sort seemed to be very Loyal and true to their King yet their Loyalty cannot be said to be absolutely true and firm any more than their Religion How much less then may we term the Loyalty of these swearing swaggerers true and firm when as they profess themselves to be Christians yea and Protestants too and yet live more diametrically opposite to the Doctrine of Christs Gospel than the very worst of the Gentiles Is it likely think you that they should be such great friends to their King as they would make you believe who are such grand enemies to the Cross of Christ q Phil. 3.18 No certainly they are as arrant enemies to their King as any he hath And that both in Prosperity and in Adversity 1. In prosperity when the King sits most peaceably upon his Throne and they themselves are in the very height of their mirth and jollity even then they become his enemies by provoking sharpning and augmenting his adversaries against him through their evil examples What do they but draw a Sword for Fanaticks to fight with against his Majesty by bringing a scandal upon Loyalty through their debauchery and prophaneness Christopher Love in his Rebellious Sermon in the year 1644. made this his only objection to withstand the Treaty of Peace made by our Martyred Soveraign at Vxbridge Yea as meer formalists by living contrary to the doctrine they profess they bring a scandal upon Religion whereby the Conversion of the Churches enemies is impeded So these prophane Loyalists by living contrary to the Loyalty they profess do even now adays not only harden Fanaticks in their error and make them the more to glory in their shame but also give them occasion childishly and tauntingly to object that they dare not turn Loyalists for fear of prophaneness And not only so but others too as they are drawn into Fanaticism by a form of Godliness So they drive them from Loyalty by laying a stumbling block before their weaker brethren r Rom. 14.13 2. In adversity the Tryal of True Loyalty and friendship as they do their King much injury in the Tavern So they do him as little service in the Field for as soon as they see his power the foundation of their Loyalty to be once removed or likely to be so by his enemies then for all their former bravado's instead of assisting him and sacrificing their dearest interests for his life and preservation as King Davids True and worthy Loyalists did for his Å¿ 2 Sam. 18. 21. 1 Chron. 11. they will either most Traiterously Barbarously and inhumanely take part with his enemies and insult upon him like the Frogs upon the block in Aesop's Fables or else in his greatest need most dastardly forsake him This was too evidently seen in our late times of Rebellion against our Martyred Soveraign when some even of his own sworn servants and familiar friends too of a seemingly sober deportment in whom he trusted did like Judas against our Saviour t Joh. 13.18 Ps 41.9 most traiterously lift up their heels against him Neither was his Son our now Most Gracious Lord and King served much better at Worcester fight by such friendly gulls and Loyal-cheats when for all their former great pretences to Loyalty out of a slavish fear of Cruel Usurpers and Oppressers they most Cowardly sneak't in a corner and forc't his Majesty for want of assistance to fight with
the contrary and all the persecutions of the Church Luther therefore that great Reformer of our Religion when in his Reformation he was opposed by Authority would say That he had rather obey than work Miracles if it were in his power for obedience is due to Kings not as they are men but as they are powers ordained of God to be his Ministers and Vicegerents And so accordingly Julian the Apostate's Souldiers though they would not worship Idols at his command because God will not give his glory to another nor his praise to Graven Images z Isa 4.8 yet when he led them against an enemy they obeyed him most readily Distinguebant dominum temporalem à domino aeterno tamen subditi erant propter dominum aeternum saith Augustine August in Psal 124. they had understanding in them to distinguish their temporal Lord from their eternal and Religion too to subject themselves to their temporal for the sake of their eternal All power is from God and also for God let the Prince invested therewith abuse it never so much for himself as if it were his own yet God can extract the greatest good out of the greatest evil and order it to his glory and therefore the True Loyalist never uses a Sword against his King but a Buckler never resisteth the Power but is always submissive either actively or passively not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake If St. Paul indeed had said Let every soul be subject to Christian and vertuous Powers there might have been some Plea for Rebellion but to take away all scruple he saith to Powers indefinitely in that they be Powers as St. Peter expresly not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward a 1 Pet. 2.18 Sith then we are obliged by the Doctrine of St. Peter and St. Paul to submit our selves to all Powers indefinitely let them be never so wicked and Tyrannous how much rather ought we to fear and obey those that are Peaceable and Religious Defenders of the Faith and Nursing Fathers to the Church Whenas to such there doth belong a double honour an honour as they are Gods Ministers and Trustees and an honour as they are fearers of God their Lord and Soveraign b Ps 15. ◠This is the glory of a Nation this gives Vertue free scope and makes True Loyalty the more operative Yet we must remember that obedience and subjection is a thing so highly necessary that it is enjoyned to all Powers indefinitely not only the good but the bad too 1. In regard of the Predicate because obedience unites men together and makes them Victorious it is the very strength and bulwork of a Nation 2. In regard of the Subject because wicked and Tyrannous Princes serve no less for our Tryal than good ones for our Consolation and who would not be happy eternally happy Blessed is the man saith St. James that endureth temptation For when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him c James 1.12 And accordingly to shew the great necessity of this duty the Lord himself by his Apostle hath here enforced obedience to it with two such moving arguments as they eminently comprehend all The first may serve for an use of terrour to fright all Fanaticks from Rebellion for it is taken from the exceeding great danger of them that resist the Powers because the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation d Rom. 13.1 2. in the vulgar Latine it is acquirunt sibi damnationem they do acquire or purchase to themselves damnation to shew that Rebels above all Malefactors do the most worthily receive damnation for what can a man receive into his possession more worthily than that which he receives by purchase Moreover to shew the great interest and propriety they have in damnation they are said not only to receive it but to receive it to themselves they shall receive to themselves damnation and that both Temporal and Eternal 1. Temporal the very provoking a King to anger incurreth death without his mercy and Clemency The fear or Wrath of a King saith Solomon is as the roaring of a Lyon he that provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own Soul That is offendeth against his own life hazzards and jeopards it e Pro. 20.2 19.12 Yea the Wrath of a King saith he is as the messengers of Death without the wisdom of the Wise to pacifie it f Pro. 16.14 How much rather then doth that Cursed Traiter deserve Death even that terrible and ignominious death the Laws of England have assigned him that hath so little fear of God before his eyes as not to be afraid to stretch forth his hand to destroy the Lords anointed Murder is a crying sin it cryeth for vengeance vengeance g Gen. 4.10 but Regicide what shall I term it it is a Roaring sin it roareth louder than all the Diabolical voices in Plutarch did together for the Cessation of their Oracles upon the coming of our Saviour for by Murder one single person may be destroyed only but by Regicide the murder of a King many times a whole Nation even all the Members of a body Politick perish in his ruine as the body Natural doth by the loss of the Head from whence the Metaphor is drawn 2. Eternal and that most proper in this place for though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here for damnation make no difference between that condemnation which is Temporal and that which is Eternal the judgment of man in this life and the judgment of God in the life to come h Rom. 2.2 Compared in the Orig. with Luk 23.40 yet the reason wherefore damnation here is pronounced against them that resist the Powers being because in resisting them they resist the Ordinance of God doth plainly shew that it is chiefly meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of eternal judgment Scripture and Order requires that a sin against God be punished with damnation eternal and a sin against man as man only with Temporal and a Rebel sins against both He sinneth against man in that he resisteth the power of his King as he is a man He sinneth against God in that by resisting the Power of his King he resisteth the Ordinance of God And therefore as the word signifieth he is guilty of both sorts of punishment not only Temporal but chiefly Eternal as is evident in the example of Corah and his Accomplices who because in being gathered together against Moses and against Aaron they were gathered together against the Lord they were not permitted to die the common death of other men but the Lord made a new thing caused the Earth to open her mouth and swallow them up quick into Hell i Numb 16. The 2. is an use of comfort both to
consensit There was never any of my predecessors that would be called by this prophane title And in another Epistle * Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. having resembled him to Lucifer he saith thus unto him Tu quid Christo Vniversalis Sanctae Ecclesiae capiti in extremi judiciies dicturus examine qui cuncta ejus membra tibimet conaris Vniversalis appellatione supponere What answer wilt thou make in the Tryal of the last judgment unto Christ the Head of his Universal Church that thus by the name of Universal Bishop seekest to bring under thee all the members of his body No wonder then if Anti-Christ and his Crue have endeavoured to suppress his works But to come nearer home Eleutherius * Fox's Acts and Monuments p. 146. And Isaacsons Appen of the Plantation Encrease of Christianity in the Isle of Great Britain who became Bishop of Rome A. D. 177. in a Letter to Lucius the first Christian King who began his Rule over the Britains A. D. 170. upon his pious request for instructions in Christianity acknowledgeth him to be Gods only Vicar in his own Kingdom And indeed if no such Testimonies could have been produced it must needs be a very Antichristian thing so much as to conceit that the holy Apostle St. Peter should be so wicked as to break any Canon of the Apostles who made on t * Canon 36. that no Bishop under pain of deprivation should dare to intermeddle beyond his own bounds in anothers Province as being no ways subject to him St. Peter then is free from giving beginning to Anti-Christ nor will the Primitive Bishops allow him his Supremacy Where then will he fix What in Lucifer His coming is after the working of Satan from him he derives his Pedegree The times were pure at first Anti-Christ then only began to work he rose in his mysterie f iniquity by degrees first above Bishops then above Patriarchs then above Councils then above Kings then above Scriptures then at last seeing he could mount no higher he as God sits him down in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God I need not plead that time cal's me away to other things this is enough to convince any rational man that the Pope is really the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Anti-Christ the man of Sin and the Son of perdition Who then would be a Papist surely none but those whom the God of this World hath blinded u 2. Cor. 4.4 I know that there is no Religion in the World hath so great a Decoy in it to make Carnal men to profess it as Popery hath it is more self pleasing and gives fuller reins to flesh and blood than any other but nothing mor doth manifest it to be from the man of Sin * Richard Burton of the Wars in England Scotland and Ireland p. 49. Mervin Lord Audly and Earl of Castlehaven doth give us a very remarkable instance in this He was educated in the Protestant Religion but turned Papist to have the more liberty to commit wickedness in which he grew to so great an height that in the year 1631. being condemned by his Peers for Rape and Sodomy c. he impudently declared in the presence of some Lords that as others had their several delights some in one thing some in another so his delight was in Damning Souls by enticing men to such acts as might surely effect it And marel not that some of them have more art to hide their wickedness for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light w 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. 1. Therefore let us beware of these false Prophets and deceitful workers that are thus notoriously give to change from the fear of the Lord and the King lest we be also inserted with them into the family of Anti-Christ and adopted the Sons of perdition 2. Let us remember to render unto God due praise and thankfulness for all his former benefits x Psal 103. Psal 68.19 wherewith he hath continually loaded this undeserving Nation in many wonderful deliverances of our King and Country from their restless and unwearied Craft and Cruelty lest our ingratitude hold his hand from blessing us with future mercies For qui non est gratus datis non est dignus dandis He that is not thankful for benefits already received is not worthy to receive any more Lastly Let us not forget to pray unto God most earnestly that he will still confound all their plots and stratagems and maugre all their malice still protect his Majesty under the shadow of his Wings Psal 57.1 that he our King may enjoy a long and prosperous Reign over us and we his Subjects may lead a quiet and peaceable life under him in all godliness and honesty For happy is that people that is in such a case Yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. y Ps 144.15 2. For the Fanaticks they bring up the Reer yet they march not far behind Yea time was when they went before and disquieted the Nation with this evil the greatest under the Sun Folly was set in great dignity and the Rich and Honourable were detruded into low places Thinkers and Coblers and such like heaved themselves upon the Horses of their Princes and made them walk as servants upon the earth z Ecclesiastes 10.6 7. Pro. 19.10 30.22 Neither was this the height of their ambition they fulfilled Mother Shipton's Prophecy before the time they called a Parliament of High shoes to rase the Palace with Hob-nails and tread down all Royalty and Loyalty They pluck't the King from his Throne and set upon it no better than a Brewer Yea they were tickled so much with pride and Covetousness that they did not only attempt as the Papists did but they actually made their King a Martyr Et quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames And what wickedness is there that the love of money doth not tempt the hearts of men unto Covetousness is rightly stiled the root of all evil the King being gone they quickly changed Monarchy Gods own Government into Oligarchy whereby they made the Common wealth our Common-woe both by changing the order of nature into Anarchy and Confusion and giving reins to their licentiousness to play Rex's both in Church and State As 1. Having cantonized * Hist Independ Compleat Part 1. p. 89. the Kingdom amongst themselves Prideaux the Post-master being King of the West-Saxons and murdered their King to maintain their unjust possessions they make a re-entry as it were upon what they had formerly usurped to lay the faster hold and make new divisions too of the best places and preferments in the Nation They imprisoned the Gentry and reduced †Hist Independ Compleat Part 1. p. 65. them to the condition of conquered Slaves they plundered and left them almost quite naked and enforced free quarter from all and would not suffer any
them both right down the Silver Stream of Orthodoxness and True Loyalty that ye may not split your felves upon any of those two dangerous Rocks the Scylla of Popery and the Charybdis of Fanaticism but arrive safely at last into the haven of everlasting peace And O that the Papists and Fanaticks themselves too would but consider in this their day the things that belong unto their peace before they be hid from their eyes k Luk. 19.42 then certainly they could never so much as desire a change any more for when had we the purity of Religion more entire when was the Nation better setled and the Church more primitively governed when had we more liberty and property and when did we sit under our Vines and Figg trees more peaceably O fortunatos nimium bona si sua nôssent Anglicolas Thou art so fortunate O England if thou wouldest but know it that many are surfeited even with their own happiness the Papists envy at thy prosperity and the Fanaticks are so glutted with thy temporal blessings that like Jesurun they begin to kick and forsake the Lord and the King l Deut. 32.15 God hath so loaded them with his benefits m Psa 68.19 that they are restless like sick folks and desire nothing more than a change that they may return into Egypt to lighten them again n Numb 14.4 But O ye foolish people and unwise What do ye thus requite the Lord o Deut. 32.6 know ye not that the sin of ingratitude doth so eminently comprehend all wickedness that it is able to change your Blessings into Curses p Deut. 28. your Peace into War your plenty into penury and your fruitful lands into barrenness q Ps 107.34 O therefore I say again consider in time before your change comes r Job 14.14 in this your day the season of Gods love and mercy ſ Ezek. 16.8 the things that belong unto your eterneal peace Be ye heartily sorry for all the changes that ye have made or have intended either in Monarchy Gods own Government or in any of his other Laws and Ordinances and let your minds be changed so as that you can resolve with duty never to seek a change any more but for the future be united to the body of True Loyalists and Conformists that we may all as Brethren dwell together in unity and with one heart and one mind demonstrate true gratitude and wisdom by giving to God due thanks and praise for all his goodness and wonderful works that he hath done for this stiff necked and undeserving Kingdom for so ye will be a means not only to continue his loving kindness still unto us but also to procure your own eternal happiness and Salvation But however though some of them God forbid all whether Papists or Fanaticks or both should be so hardened in their sins that notwithstanding all means and mercies they will be as far from Conversion and Reformation as the Ethiopian is from changing his skin t Jer. 13.23 yet we that are already established in the present truth let us by no means forget to render unto the Lord due thanks and praise for all his favours and benefits u Psal 103.2 Especially for his late reminding us of our duty and ingratiating our peace unto us by little interruptions Be sure let us not cease to pray for the peace of Jerusalem w Psa 122.6 the peace of the whole Kingdom both Church and State humbly imploring his Divine Majesty that he will always come upon these waters of strife and command the Waves and the Winds thereof to be hush and still that we may still have as great a calm as there was when Christ entred into the Ship of St. Peter x Mark 6. And finally for our more assured enjoyment of our Halcyon days and peaceable seasons let us be unchangeably resolved to meddle not with them that are given to change but express by holy lives and Loyal actions that our intent is always to fear the Lord and the King Vivat Rex God save the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS