Ward Mayor Martis nono die Novemb. 1680. Annoque Regni Regis Caroli secundi Angliae c. xxxii UPon the motion of Sr. Thomas Aleyn Knight and Baronet and Alderman now made unto this Court This Court doth desire Dr. Cave to print his Sermon preached at Bow-Church on the Fifth instant being the Anniversary day of Thanksgiving for Deliverance from the Gun-Powder-Treason Plot before the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of this City Wagstaffe A SERMON Preached before the Right HONOURABLE THE Lord Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of LONDON At S. MARY-LE-BOW on the Fifth of November MDCLXXX By William Cave D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty and Rector of Great Allhallows London Origen contra Cels lib. 3. p. 115. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed by M. White for R. Chiswel at the Sign of the Rose and Crown in S. Paul's Church-yard 1680. TO THE Right Honourable Sr. Patience VVard LORD MAYOR of the City of LONDON And to the Court of ALDERMEN Right Honourable VVHen I first engaged in this service I did it with some reluctancy not out of any unwillingness to the thing it self but the consciousness of mine own unfitness for it And when I receiv'd the commands of your Court for the Publication I found in my self a greater reluctancy not that I knew any thing in the Sermon that fear'd the light but because I had seldom seen printing of Sermons attain the desired effect being generally thrown aside and the most useful and innocent discourses oftner entertain'd with spiteful and disingenuous reflections than improved to the real purposes of Religion But in this I over-rul'd my self lest I should seem to contemn Authority while I am professedly pleading for obedience to it If any thing herein may minister to public use confirm men the more in the Protestant Religion and awaken an honest and prudent care against those whose principles and practices as well as their interests naturally tend to destroy our Religion and to disturb our quiet especially that of this great and honourable City so intolerable an eyesore to them if it may attain these ends 't is the utmost that can be hoped for from the mean endeavours of Right Honourable Your most Faithful and Obedient Servant William Cave ACT. xvii 6. These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also SO inveterate are the prejudices of Education so prevalent and uncontroulable the force of a long prescription that tho' there had been nothing else to encounter Christianity was sure at its first setting out to meet with a vigorous opposition both from Jews and Gentiles The Gentile-world combin'd their whole power against it and set themselves to run it down as a novel and an upstart Sect that came to undermine their ancient Religion that had so long govern'd the minds of men But none pursued it with so fierce and implacable a malice as the Jews who having been for several ages trained up in an unmeasurable reverence and veneration for the Mosaic institutions thought themselves deeply concern'd to make head against that Doctrine whose avow'd design it was to abrogate their whole Temple-ministration and to change the customes that Moses delivered Upon this account having imbrued their hands in the blood of its Founder and treated him with all the instances of contempt and cruelty they resolved to follow home the blow and if possible to banish his Disciples and Followers out of the world whom therefore they sought in all places partly by open violence partly by arts of falshood and insinuation to expose to the severity of the laws and the rage of the multitude And such was the case of Paul and Silas in this Chapter who being engaged in their Evangelical travels were come down to Thessalonica the Metropolis of that part of Macedonia where in the Jewish Synagogue S. Paul managed the cause of Christ with so much eloquence and strength of reason ver 2 3. that not a few of the Jews themselves but especially vast numbers of the Greek proselytes who were not enslaved to opinions and principles to parties and interests came over to him ver 4. But the Sun that melts the wax hardens clay his Sermons having a quite contrary effect upon the obstinate unbelieving Jews who not being able to resist the clearness of his arguments betook themselves to force and clamour the last refuges of an impotent and a baffled cause So gathering to themselves the refuse of the common people v. 5. they blew up the City into a tumult and uproar and assaulted the house where the Apostles lodg'd but missing them who had prudently withdrawn themselves they seiz'd Jason the Landlord and as many of the Christians as they could meet with and dragging them before the Magistrates of the City loaded them with no less than conspiracy and treason crying out with a rude noise and clamour Here are the men that are the common incendiaries of all Countreys that whereever they come undermine the peace and prosperity of humane society that erect imperium in imperio a Kingdom contrary to the Laws and constitutions of the Roman Empire and not content to have filled other places with confusion and disorder are come here amongst us to violate our peace and embroil us in intestine feuds and quarrels These are the men that having turn'd the world upside down are come hither also A heavy charge and if true enough to disparage the credit of any Religion in the world But thanks be to God the charge in this case was as false and groundless as the design of it was spiteful and malicious the behaviour of these holy men having in all places been as harmless and inoffensive as the Doctrine they preacht was peaceable and beneficial to the world however some have since for very bad ends drest it up with another face and made it look more like the fiery Doctrine of Mahomet than that of our meek humble Saviour the Doctrine of the Prince of peace In speaking to these words I shall do these three things First Shew that this has been an old charge upon Religion and the Professors of it to be disturbers of the publick peace Secondly That Christianity is so far from being justly obnoxious to this charge that of all Religions it best secures the interests of civil Authority and the peace of the world Thirdly I shall enquire whether there be any part of the Christian Church at this day justly guilty of this charge I. It has been an old charge upon true Religion and the professours of it to be disturbers of the publick peace For the enemy of all righteousness knows no better way to render them obnoxious to Soveraign powers than by representing them as enemies to Government and inconsistent with the prosperity of the Civil State Princes are exquisitely tender and jealous of their Crowns and the blessings of public peace are infinitely dear and valuable to every honest and sober man so that it 's no wonder if
forget this duty S. Paul has made it a solemn and standing part of the ministerial office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be their Remembrancers in this case Tit. 3.1 put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers and to obey Magistrates Lastly These commands thus plainly delivered thus frequently inculcated are to be complyed with not only out of principles of fear but of conscience and are bound upon us with the considerations of no less than eternal happiness or misery in the other world 2. The true genius and spirit of the Christian Religion is opposite to nothing more than to disturbance and disorder for 't is a spirit of meekness and humility not thinking of our selves more highly than we ought to think but in honour preferring one another a spirit of love and gentleness of justice and integrity that renders to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Wherever Christianity is cordially complyed with it begets the most sweet and benign the most peaceable and benevolent temper of mind represses all hasty and indeliberate transports and suffers not the mans spirit to be ruffled with passion by every trivial affront or injury that 's offered to him It enables us to be patient towards all men and to bear provocations with a generous mind to carry our selves towards those that wrong us with all kindness and gentleness and to be ready to do them all the good we can 'T is not enough that we do not fly out into the excesses of an extravagant revenge the Christian spirit is something more 't is to treat our enemies with all the arts of softness and good nature to interpret their actions with candor and ingenuity to love their persons though we condemn their vices to study their amendment to pray for and promote what in us lies their comfort and quiet in this and their happiness in another world It teaches us to be content with our place and station and to take up with that portion which the wisdom of the divine providence has allotted to us levels pride and ambition and makes us willing to abate of our own private interests when it may conduce to the peace and prosperity of the public it naturally begets a mighty regard and reverence for Superiours a dread of their power a veneration for their authority and a readiness to sacrifice our estates or lives for the common safety This is the true life and temper of Christianity and he that can be religious without this must be a Christian by a contradiction And therefore when the two sons of thunder were hot in fetching down fire from heaven to be revenged upon those Cities that would not entertain them our Lord takes them up and tells them Luk. 9.55 you know not what manner of spirit you are of you little consider the nature and design of that Evangelical institution which I am come to set on foot in the world such passionate wild-fire as you breath after does but little suit with the mild and gentle spirit of the Gospel The summ is this Were men duly influenc't by the power of that Religion which they profess the world would soon be blessed with the most happy scene and state of things Governours would rule peaceably and securely subjects obey freely and quietly and every man in his capacity would be in some measure as happy and prosperous as himself or other men could make him And that there was a time when such a spirit eminently rul'd in the breasts of Christians will appear if we consider Thirdly The temper and practice of the ancient Christians in the first and best ages of the Gospel when men really were what they pretended to be when they liv'd and lov'd as brethren honoured even their Heathen Magistrates paid their tributes obey'd their laws serv'd in their wars and pray'd daily for their prosperity and safety Such an instance of universal charity modesty and obedience was our blessed Saviour readily paying tribute though it put him to the expence and charges of a miracle freely owning Pilats authority to be from heaven and cheerfully submitting to his unrighteous sentence such were his Apostles who tho' unjustly scourg'd before the Council gave not an ill word or look but went away rejoycing and when Herod had barbarously kill'd one of their number and design'd the next day to send another of them the same way what course did the Christians take in this case fire the City about his ears hire a Ruffian to stab him or a Physician to poyson him oh no they oppos'd with nothing but prayer to Heaven See Prim. Christ Part III. chap. 3. 4. where the practice of the ancient Christians in this matter is fully represented And the same were the Christians in succeeding times as I could shew at large would the time and your patience give me leave Tertullian assures us That in their Church-service they daily pray'd for and in their constant practice promoted the happiness and prosperity of the Empire that the Christian was an enemy to no man and much less to his Prince and both he and the rest of the Christian Apologists do upon all occasions vindicate the Christians as the truest subjects and best friends to the Empire Where they could they obey'd actively where they could not they were careful in patience to possess their souls And therefore when Julian the Apostate urg'd his Army most part made up of Christians to wicked counsels and the practices of Idolatry they withstood him only with prayers and tears because sayes Nazianzen Orat. 〈◊〉 in Jul. p. 94. who liv'd at that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they accounted this the only remedy in times of persecution Nay Julian himself whom none can suspect as over favourable to Christians gives them this testimony that if they see any one mutinying against his Prince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eragm Ep. p. 528. immediately they punish him with the severest penalties Nor were they thus submissive and patient meerly for want of power and because they knew not how to help it no they could quietly dye at the Emperours command even when they had power lying at their feet whereof the Thebean Legion Vid. Eucher Comment ap Sur. Septemb 22. prim Christ ubi supr c. 4. p. 331 c. consisting of at least six thousand six hundred faithful and resolute souldiers is a never to be forgotten instance who being commanded by the Emperour Maximian to do sacrifice to the gods upon their refusal were commanded to be decimated their general Mauritius exhorting them to dye like Christians and not to oppose tho with power by their side Orders being renewed a second time they unanimously return'd this generous answer We acknowledge Caesar that we are your souldiers and took up arms for defence of the Empire nor did we ever betray our trust or forsake our station
nor should we stick now to obey your commands did not the laws of Christianity forbid us to worship devils and to approach the polluted Altars of your gods We see you are resolved either to defile us with Idolatry or to terrifie us with a decimation go on Sir as you have begun Know we are all Christians our bodies we subject to your power but we reserve our souls intire for Christ our Saviour Nor is it despair that makes us thus resolute against you we have armes you see and yet make no resistance choosing rather to dye than to overcome and to perish innocent than to live rebellious and revengeful Exasperated with this invincible resolution the Emperour orders a second decimation which doing no good upon them he commanded the whole Army Horse and Foot to break in who cut them off as in a moment And thus they died with their swords in their hands when being so many and so advantageously posted they might have preserved their lives by force of armes or to be sure have sold them at the dearest rate But alas the rising up against their Emperour the propagating the faith by fire and sword the deposing and assassinating Princes for the sake of God and holy Church were practices not more expresly condemned by the doctrine of the Gospel than they were strangers to those innocent and happy times And this brings me to the third thing I propounded to enquire into and that is III. Whether any part of the Christian Church at this day be justly guilty of this charge And here without further preface I lay down the charge at the door of the Church of Rome which in this great instance of Religion has so wofully debaucht the purity and simplicity of the Christian faith that it 's become now quite another thing than what it was when it first came from under the hands of its Author A Church that in this regard looks more like a Council of War or a School of the arts of Treason than the Court of the Prince of peace or the house of the God of order A Church the principles of whose Religion as they have now modelled it if heartily embraced and duly improv'd to their just and natural tendences are plainly inconsistent with the majesty and security of Soveraign Powers the happy government of the Civil State and indeed with the quietness and good order of mankind So true is the determination which the wise King James makes in this matter Speech to both Houses of Parl. p. 11. that as on the one part many-honest men seduc't with some errours of Popery may yet remain good and faithful subjects so on the other part none of those that truly know and believe the whole grounds and School-conclusions of their doctrine can ever prove either good Christians or faithful subjects But that I may not seem without just reason to fasten so heavy a charge upon them I shall as briefly as I can shew these two things First That the principles taught and belived in the Church of Rome are immediately destructive of the safety and authority of Princes and the peace of humane society Secondly That the practices of the men of that Church have been all along agreeable to their principles I. The principles taught and believ'd in the Church of Rome are immediately destructive of the safety and authority of Princes and the peace of humane society And here not to insist upon their doctrine of the Popes absolute Infallibility of the punishment of hereticks whom they devote to the most horrid penalties both in this and the other world their cancelling the most solemn oaths and that they bind no longer if dispenc't with by the Pope or than 't is for the interest of the Catholic cause and declaring that no faith is to be kept with heretics their doctrine of auricular Confession whereby they screw themselves into the secrets of Princes and that the most enormous villanies are to be concealed if delivered under the Seal of Confession Binet Jesuit ap Casaub Epist clxx ad Front Duc. p. 209. vid. p. 206. c. which is not to be broken up say some of them tho the lives of all the Kings in the World lay at stake their exempting the Clergy from the jurisdiction of the Secular Powers whereby infinite frauds murders and villainies are securely committed their doctrine of aequivocation and mental reservation in the most serious and important cases their vows of obedience to their Superiours whereby they are oblig'd to attempt the most horrid and unnatural actions without enquiring into the reason or boggling at the barbarity of them all which and abundant more instances that might be given strike at the very vitals of peace and order among men To pass by also the blasphemous titles and exorbitant preheminences which their Schoolmen and Canonists ascribe to the Pope as that Kings and Emperours are his Slaves and Vassals See multitudes of testimonies to this purpose cited by Dr. Crakanthorp in his Treatise of the Popes temporal Monarchy chap. 1. whom he may command cast down at pleasure that they are inferior to the meanest Priest who is as much above a King as a man is above a beast and that as much as God Almighty excels a Priest so much does a Priest excel a King Besides these they directly maintain and teach that the Government of the whole world both in temporals and spirituals is at least in order to the good of souls committed to the Pope all Regal authority depending on him that he may not only punish but deprive Kings of their Countries and bestow their Kingdoms upon others that if a King be an heretic he forfeits his title to his Crown and dignity yea though he be but negligent to extirpate heresie or to execute justice whereupon the Pope may absolve his Subjects from all duty and allegiance to him in which case they are bound not to obey that this Papal sentence once pass'd he may be expell'd or kill'd by any yea any one of his own sworn subjects may take away his life nay that in some cases the people are not bound to stay for the Popes decree and declaration but may of themselves rise up and dethrone such Princes and that they are obliged to do so in point of conscience and upon pain of their souls and that such proceedings as these are agreeable to Nature Law Scripture and the practices and precepts of holy men and that he that doubts of it wants common sence All which scandalous and damnable propositions and there are infinitely more and some worse perhaps than what I have mentioned are one or more of them in terminis maintained by a Defenssid Cath. l. 3. c. 23. n. 1 16 21. l. 6. c. 4. n. 14 18 19. Suarez b De rep Eccles l. 3. c. 4. § 48 49. Controv Angl. p. 115 133 135. alib saepe Becanus c Comment in 1.2 Aqu. dist 152.
had been the last that ever arriv'd in England who set themselves to blow up the Nation into an open flame Two years after Somervile inflam'd by the Writings of the Jesuits crowded with a drawn Sword into the Queens presence and having set upon one or two that stood in his way confest 't was his intent to have murdered the Queen and for fear of telling more tales was three dayes after found strangled in prison About the same time Throgmorton and some others conspired against her with design to set up the Queen of Scots Ann. 1585. William Parry Doctor of Law set on by the Jesuits the Popes Nuncio and by the Pope himself undertook to kill the Queen but his heart failing in the attempt he was taken and Executed The year after Babington and his accomplices held a consult at S. Giles in the Fields to murder the Queen and invade the Realm for which seven of them were hang'd and the like plotted by Stafford and others the following year In eighty eight was the famous but unsuccessful Invasion of the Invincible Armado In ninety three Dr. Lopez a Portuguez the Queen's Physitian was hired for fifty thousand Crowns to poyson her which he confest afterwards In ninety six Edw. Squire being instructed in Spain by Walpool the Jesuit and by him furnisht with poyson prepared on purpose undertook to poyson the Queen's Saddle which he did tho through the goodness of the Divine Providence it took no effect King James succeeded to the Crown and as an entail to that to the hatred and malice of the Popish party To prepare the way Parsons the Jesuite writes a Book of the Succession to prove that he had no just title to the Crown and Garnet another of that Order procur'd two several Breves from Rome to exclude him See Sr. Edw. Cook 's Speech at Garnet's trial Relat. of the Gunpowd Treason p. 159. and Garnet's Confess at his Execut. p. 226. or any of the next line unless they were Roman Catholics Watson and Clark two Secular Priests drew several of the Nobility and Gentry into a Combination which they seal'd with an Oath of Secrecy to surprize the King and the Prince and to force from him a toleration of their Religion for which they were Executed And now utterly despairing of any favour from that wise and learned Prince these malignant and devilish Papists An. 3 Jac. R. c. 1. Jesuites and Seminary Priests as they are call'd in the very words of the Act of Parliament for the observation of this day entred into a black and unparallel'd conspiracy the Powder-Treason the deliverance from which we solemnly celebrate at this time wherein fire and darkness were summon'd up from hell to minister to the Execution and no less than King and Kingdom Religion and Liberty Estates and Lives design'd at once as a Burnt-sacrifice to their rage and fury Psal 2.4 But he that sits in heaven did laugh the Lord had them in derision over-rul'd the Plots and disappointed the devices of the crafty Job 5.12 so that their hands could not perform their enterprize In the Reign of King Charles I. they still carried on the same design and after all a Jesuitical Plot was set on foot discovered by means of Andreas ab Habernfield to murder the Arch-bishop Printed in Pryn's Romes Master piece An. 1643. and take away the King's Life Their bloody and inhumane butcheries in Ireland wherein above 100000 Protestants were barbarously murdered in cool blood are known to all What hand they had in the troubles of this and the neighbour Nation how they voted at their consults See Dr. Pet. du Moulins Vindicat. of the Protest Relig. ch 2. p. 58. and his Reply to a Person of honour p. 4 5 c. and the truth of the charge more particularly cleared in some paper which I have read of Dr. Bargrave late Prebend of Canterbury 't was for the interest of the Catholick Cause that the King should dye how active and instrumental they were to promote the Councils that took away the life of that excellent Prince the world is not now to learn And have they dealt better with us in the Reign of his Successour the King that now is To omit all other tastes they have given us of their good will their horrid conspiracy at this day whereat we all stand amaz'd and tremble contriv'd and carried on with so inhumane and barbarous a design is a sufficient evidence A Plot tho later in time not inferiour in malignity to any of the rest and so much the worse because done against all the laws of kindness and gratitude at a time when the public rods and axes were laid asleep and they liv'd secure and undisturb'd under the merciful connivance of the Government And tell me now after all this whether disloyalty and Treason blood and villany be not in a manner incorporated into the present polity and constitution of the See of Rome and as Historians say of old Rome that the foundations of it were laid in blood so whether Rome at this day be not built up cemented and supported by the same bloody arts and methods A constitution that with Saul pursues its enemies to rage and madness and breaths out nothing but threatning and slaughter against any that oppose it 'T was the happy character of the Christian Religion that of old dropt from the pen of an Heathen nil nisi justum suadet lene Am. Marcellin l. 22. p. 1626. that it commands nothing but what 's just mild and gentle whereas now were an unbiast Pagan to take the measures of Christianity from what is ordinarily allowed and practis'd in the Roman Church he would undoubtedly proscribe it not only as a scene of childish Pageantry but as a piece of the most exquisite savageness and barbarity In short they are a race of men who as our Church truly sayes in the Collect for this day turn Religion into Rebellion and faith into faction and who have manag'd the cause of the best Religion in the world with the utmost advantages both of scandal to Christianity and of mischief to the world I could not pardon my self if upon so fair an occasion I should not make this further inference that if Popery be so foul and odious a charge we would be very cautious upon whom we fasten that detestable character of Papists or Popishly-affected lest we would the righteous with the wicked and abuse innocent and undeserving men for no other reason perhaps than because in some few little things they are not of our mind Were Cramner and Ridley were Hooper and Latimer were these men Papists if not I beseech you let not any be traduc't under that odious name that act by the same principles and are ready to suffer for the same cause that they did 'T is time to lay aside our feuds and quarrels and unanimously to set our selves against the common enemy when Hannibal ad portas there 's an Enemy at the Gates that seeks to do his work with our hands and would then rejoice in the ruine of us both Let us heartily join in a grateful commemoration of this dayes deliverance and pay our utmost thanks to heaven for a mercy that preserv'd us a free and unenslaved Nation and which is more preserved the Gospel to us which is the glory of a Nation Consider with what subtlety and arts of secrecy this work of darkness was carried on 't was a mystery of iniquity to unravel the labyrinths whereof were a task fitter for a Secretary of the Prince of darkness Nothing of malice or mischief appear'd above ground no demonstrations of turbulency or discontent but all went mask'd under a smooth brow M. Sen. Controv. 22. lib. 3. p. 218. that as he in Seneca non ante intellexit proditionem quà m proditus sit he was in a manner betray'd before he understood the Treason so here the design was to take effect in a way wherein human force and policy should be too late to make resistance and they who acted it should only stand behind the Curtain this being part of that very Letter which through the providence of God proved the means of its discovery that tho there should be no appearance of any stir yet they should receive a terrible blow and none see who hurt them Lastly Consider the infinite horrour and villany of the design a design that struck at the very vitals of the Kingdom the liberty of the people the glory and purity of Religion the life honour and happiness of King Prince Peers and the representative commonalty of the Nation all at once This was no petty wickedness 't was a monster of Conspiracy as the great Thuanus ingenuously confesses whereto no age or Nation ever brought forth a parallel Ad Ann. 1606. lib. 135. T. 5. p. 1215. Nothing would serve their turns unless Kings and Princes whose lives have been alwayes even by the most barbarous Nations held Sacred and Venerable and the whole beauty and glory of such a flourishing Church and Nation at once fell before them and that too by the most merciless and raging Element and with such unheard of circumstances of inhumanity that nothing but the wit of hell could have found them out Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel may God for ever divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel may that Almighty wisdom power and goodness that has hitherto superintended the happiness and security of this Nation evermore blast and thunder-strike their plots and projects and turn the Counsels of all such Achitophels into foolishness that all men may fear Psalm 64.9 10. and declare the work of God and wisely consider of his doing that the righteous may be glad in the Lord and trust in him and all the upright in heart may glory while the Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth Psal 9.16 and the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Which God of his infinite mercy grant for Christ Jesus sake Amen FINIS
they be apt to look shy upon any thing that has but the character of sedition and disloyalty tho' never so unjustly stampt upon it And this way has in all ages been found successful The Israelites in Egypt had a hard hand kept over them because suspected of attempts against the Government and that under a pretence of Religion and worshipping their own God they would rescue themselves from the cruelties of the house of bondage David was traduc'd to Saul as a Conspirator against his Crown and dignity and Elijah to Ahab as the troubler of Israel The Chaldean Courtiers represented Daniel and his Companions as peevish opposers of the King's Proclamation By the same artifice Haman laid a train to blow up the Jewish Nation by telling Ahasuerus Esth 3.8 they were a people that kept not the Kings Laws and that therefore it was not for his profit to suffer them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perverse and unsociable generation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ap. Joseph Antiquit. l. 11. c. 6. p. 375. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. as that Emperours Edict represents them an ill-natured people cross to the Laws and disobedient to their Princes disaffected to Monarchy and the affairs of the Empire No man ever gave greater demonstrations of a just submission and deference to Authority than our blessed Saviour and yet was himself arraign'd condemn'd and executed as an enemy unto Caesar How oft were his Apostles accus'd for being ring-leaders of a faction men that talkt strange words of one King Jesus and acted contrary to the decrees of Caesar And in the primitive times nothing more common than to find the Heathens charging Christians to be traitors to the Government and the pests of humane society and that they were hostes humani generis the common enemies of mankind Vid. Justin Mart. Apol. 11. p. 58. Nor could they under their bitterest sufferings so much as comfort one another with the promises of a Kingdom reserv'd for them above but the officers that over-heard them immediately traduc't them to the Prince as ambitious affectors of the Empire A calumny than which nothing can be more absurd and senseless For Religion where 't is not more pretended than practised Adv. Colot p. 1125. is as Plutarch truly stiles it the ligature of all Communities and the security of Laws and a City sayes he may as well be built in the air without ground to stand on as a State be either constituted or preserved without the supportment of Religion Orat. ad Aug. ap Dion in Vit. Aug. p. 490. Upon this account the great Statesman Maecenas prudently advised Augustus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by all means and upon all occasions to advance Religion and the worship of the gods as the strongest Bulwark against conspiracy and treason Nor is this founded only in the nature of Religion but in the justice of the Divine Providence which usually rewards piety and vertue especially in public Societies with peace and plenty and a flourishing state and condition in this world To which purpose Cicero layes it down as a maxim of State Omnia prospera eveniunt colentibus Deos. Cicer. vid. de nat deor lib. 1. That a people that have a care of Religion must needs be prosperous and can never be unhappy till they become irreligious and he tells us that the arms and instruments by which the Romans conquered the World were not so much strength and policy as Religion and piety And 't is no more than what the Wise man observ'd long since Prov. 14.34 that 't is righteousness exalts a Nation while sin is the reproach of any people II. Christianity is so far from being justly obnoxious to this charge that of all Religions it best secures the interests of civil authority and the peace of the world Which will be abundantly evident if we consider these three things 1. The express and peremptory Laws which Christ and his Apostles have given in this matter commanding us in words as plain as words can tell us to study to be quiet to be humble and gentle 1 Thes 4.11 Rom. 12.18 Eph. 4.31 Rom. 14.49 and as much as in us lies to live peaceably with all men to put away strife and clamour and evil speaking and to follow after the things that make for peace to obey Rulers and Magistrates to honour their persons revere their power and quietly live under the protection of their Government to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars as well as unto God the things that are Gods Rom. 13.1 2. that every soul be subject unto the higher powers for that there is no power but of God and that 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 therefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake Observe let every soul of what rank quality or degree soever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Chrysostome upon these words tho' thou art an Apostle tho' an Evangelist tho' a Prophet or whatsoever thou art thou must be subject it being plain sayes he that these things are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only to Laymen but to Bishops to Priests to Monks Persons under the severest discipline of Religion A man that considers how careful this good Father is to bring the Clergy within the verge of this command would be apt to think he clearly foresaw and particularly set himself against the tyranny and usurpations of the See of Rome And indeed he has so fenc't it in that unless the Bishop of that Church can pretend to be greater than Apostles Evangelists or Prophets there 's no starting-hole left for him to escape But what speak we of Apostles or Prophets when 't is now for several ages notorious to the world that he opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped and has not scrupled to usurp the very titles and royalties of God himself And because whatever power the Bishops of Rome pretend to must be derived from S. Peter let us in the next place enquire what direction S. Peter himself gives us in this case and we shall find that both the Apostle of the Jews and the Doctor of the Gentiles write and speak the same things 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Submit your selves unto every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as those that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well for so is the will of God c. 'T is a Law that has a peculiar stamp and signature of divine authority upon it How far they who insolently claim to be S. Peter's Successors agree with this doctrine we shall see by and by But lest men who naturally love an unbridled liberty should take occasion to