Superiours at length plain accusing their Proceedings till by such undutiful Practices they become Conscious to themselves that they have offended the Government at so great a rate as that they cannot be safe under it and then in their own defence they think of destroying it 3. Let us all be warned to have a great care ofreading Factious Seditious Libels or of imbibing Antimonarchical Principles many of which have strangely prevailed these last years amongst us as that the Supream Power is always in the People in the Kingonly in Trust And that the People may resume that Power whenever they Please and call their King to an account for his Execution of it that here in England the Soveraignty is not by Law compleatly and absolutely in the King That he is but one of the three Estates of the Kingdom And especially one very ill Antichristian Principle which hath done an infinite deal of Mischief amongst us and perhaps hath brought more into this Plot than any one thing else I mean that it is lawful in some Cases by Force and Violence to resist the Supreme Authority especially in defence of the True Religion particularly if the King or those Commissionated by him use illegal Force to bring in another Religion or to Persecute the Professors of the True Religion All such Principles as these and many more might be named are directly fitted and calculated for such a Conspiracy and Association as this lately discovered amongst us Let us all have a care therefore of the books wherein such poysonous Doctrines are taught or of the Company of those who profess to believe them lest before we are aware they insinuate themselves into us and so betray us into infinite mischiefs 4. And lastly What a fit opportunity is this for all those that are Honest and Sincere amongst the Dissenters to lay aside their Prejudices and little Sngularities and Affectations and as one man to unite with the Church And this would be the greatest means to preserve the Civil State in peace for as long as there remain these Divisions in Religion these several Sects and Parties amongst us we shall always be in danger of Plots and Conspiracies against the Government These Parties will be always matter for Ambitious Discontented Persons to work upon and to sow the Seeds of Sedition and Rebellion amongst them All the Malecontents in the Kingdom fly to these Dissenters and to the Separate Meetings for refuge and there herd and shelter themselves This therefore is the time for those amongst them who heartily love the King and their Country as many of them profess to do publickly to disclaim and declare their utter Detestation of all such Principles and Practices which have given occasion and encouragement to these late Horrid Conspiracies against the Kings Person and Government with Sorrow to acknowledge how much they have been abused and deceived by the plausible pretences of Wicked Men to become ashamed and weary of Schism and Fanaticism since by this late Discovery they cannot but plainly see whither it tends how troublesome and dangerous it is to the Publick Peace what a Bloody Devillish Spirit it possesses men with al lastly as an Evidence of their sincerity in all this to return into the Bosom of the Church This indeed would be a most happy Fruit of this Conspiracy if all men would now be perswaded how much it is their Interest and Security to unite in the Publick and Legal Establishment which under God can be the only probable way of preserving the Peace Happiness and Religion of our Nation The Lord grant that we may all in this our day mind the things that belong to our Peace before they are hid from our Eyes FINIS
Confirmation of it That Supreme Governours have their Power and Authority from God alone is expresly delivered in Scripture and that not only of the Kings of Israel who were evidently established by God's Appointment but in general we are told Prov. 8. 15 16. By me Kings reign and Princes decree justice By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth Thus Cyrus an Heathen Emperour is called God's Anointed Isa 45. 1. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus and in the last Verse of the preceeding Chapter he is called God's Shepherd Princes being often by reason of the resemblance between the Pastoral Office and Government called Shepherds I have made the earth saith God by the Prophet Jeremiah 27. 5 6. and have given it to whom it seemed meet unto me and now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon my Servant Thus Daniel declares that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will And he tells Nebuchadnezzar cap. 2. 37. that it was the God of Heaven that had given him a Kingdom power and strength and glory In the New Testament nothing can be plainer than the beginning of the thirteenth Chapter to the Romans where St. Paul tells us that there is no power but of God that the powers that be are ordained of God Whence in the next Verse he stileth Magistracy or Government the Ordinance of God and in the Fourth Verse the Ruler is called the Minister of God not of the People to execute his vengeance upon them that do evil I shall not now trouble you with any Quotations out of the Primitive Fathers who so often acknowledged even their Heathen Emperours to have been constituted by God and to have held their Empire from him alone and to have only him above them It is plain that this was always the Doctrine of our Church of England as appears from the Book of Homilies wherein we are taught That the High Powers are set in Authority by God that they are God's Lieutenants God's Presidents God's Officers God's Commissioners God's Judges ordained of God himself nay it hath been directly asserted in our Church That the most high and sacred Order of Kings is of Divine Right being the Ordinance of God himself founded in the prime Law of Nature and clearly established by express Texts both of the Old and New Testament Nor is it our Religion alone that teacheth us this but the same was of old owned both by the Heathen Poets and Philosophers that Kings were from God and to his Supreme Authority ordering and appointing it was to be referred the Original of all Soveraignty and Rule amongst men Nor indeed can it be well conceived or reasonably imagined from whence Kings and Soveraign Powers should have Right to Govern and Command but from God alone Since he is the undoubted Lord of the whole Earth and alone hath full power and right to Govern it I cannot see but that whoever shall go about to confer any power of Government or take upon himself any such Authority over others were it not by God's appointment and institution he would thereby put himself upon disposing of God's right without his leave or ordering So that Government and Superiority of one or more over others is all Tyranny and Usurpation upon God's right or else it must be granted to be Ordained by God himself And it being so necessary for the Happiness and Welfare of Mankind that it is impossible Peace and Order should be maintained Justice administred or that we should live in tolerable safety every man enjoying his own without Government it would seem an unworthy disparagement and reflexion upon the Divine Wisdom and Goodness to have left the World without any such provision for the quiet and security of it Thus whatever the Form of Government may be which is different in several places whether it be in a single person or many or in the Body of the People or their Representatives whatever hand the people may have in some places according to the particular Customs of their Countries in Chusing or Designing the person or persons that shall be invested with this Supreme Authority yet the Power and Authority it self is derived only from God and is neither received of the People in trust nor is the Soveraign Power answerable to them for the Administration of it Which is sometimes illustrated thus Tho' the Wife may chuse what person she pleaseth to make her Husband yet the Husbands Authority over the Wife is not owing to her nor doth she confer it upon him but it is of Divine Appointment The King as it hath been said of old in regard of the Nature of his Body is of the same Mould with every man but in respect of the eminency of his Dignity he is like unto God who is Lord over all whose Image he beareth and by whom he holdeth that Power which he hath over Men. Now this being so clear and undoubted that Kings and Princes represent the Person of God and bear his Image since they are Earthly Visible Corporeal Gods for so you find it Exodus 22. 28. a place parallel to the words of my Text Thou shalt not Revile the Gods nor Curse the Ruler of thy People Since they are the Vicegerents of the Almighty Soveraign Authorised and Commissionated by him his Deputies and Lieutenants here in the world we may easily hence conclude that his Providence cannot but be more particularly concerned for those whom he calleth to such an High Office whom he placeth in such Dignity and Eminence He cannot but have a more special regard unto and a more than ordinary Care over them because of their peculiar relation to him as his Representatives As it is here amongst us in Humane Governments the Supream Soveraign is highly concerned to uphold and support all his inferiour Magistrates in their several Places and Offices to protect them in the discharge of their Duty to keep up their Honour and Reputation and to provide that all due respect be paid to them He resents all injuries and affronts offered to them as done to himself He looks upon all those who set and oppose themselves against them as Enemies to his Imperial Crown and Dignity and that himself is struck and aimed at by any Violence done to his Officers or Ministers So it is in the Case we now discourse of Supream Governours have the same relation to God as subordinate Magistrates have to their Soveraign Princes they are employed and intrusted hy him and accordingly he expects subjection to them as to himself that we should honour and serve them according to that High Divine Character they bear He therefore always in a more remarkable manner stands by them and watches over them as the chiefest of his Servants and nearest to himself He takes what is done against them as done against himself Whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the
Ordinance of God saith St. Paul To oppose and shake off their Government to Plot and Conspire against their Life is to Rebel against God and when we will not suffer our Lawful Soveraign whom the Divine Majesty hath appointed to Rule over us we do by just consequence and fair interpretation endeavour what we can to dethrone God himself and prove Traytors not only against our Natural Lord and King but against the Heavenly Monarch himself by whose Commission he Reigns II. Another reason to perswade us of the truth of this that God's Providence is more peculiarly engaged for the safety and protection of Soveraign Kings and Princes may be taken from this Consideration viz. how much the Publick doth depend upon and is concerned in their welfare and prosperity Thus the People 2 Sam. 18. 3. told King David when they would not suffer him to expose his own Person to hazard in the Battel against Absalom Thou art say they worth ten thousand of us Hence was he called the light of Israel Thou shalt go no more out with us to Battel said Abishai 2 Sam. 21. 17. that thou quench not the light of Israel Nay that wicked King Zedekiah of whom it is expresly said 2 Kings 24. 19. that he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord yet is stiled by the Prophet Jeremy Lam. 4. 20. the Breath of our Nostrils The Fates of whole Kingdoms depend upon them All that live under their Government are interested in them and partake with them and a Villanous Attempt succeeding against our Soveraign may stab an whole Nation to the Heart and fill all places with Blood and Confusion Now God Almighty extendeth his Providence to the meanest and minutest things He cloatheth the grass of the Field he provideth for the Raven his food a Sparrow doth not fall to the ground without his knowledge by him are all the hairs of our Head numbered and can we think that this same Providence is not more particularly employ'd in matters of such vast moment which are of such Universal Consequence as the Life and Safety of Kings and Princes God exerciseth a more special Providence over their Sacred Persons on whom under himself the whole Community doth depend For the sake of the People whose Happiness is so closely wrapt up in the prosperity of their Prince doth God Almighty guard him from secret Treachery defend him from open Assaults and by various means deliver him from imminent Dangers Especially good and gracious Kings who are Fathers of their Country and Nursing Fathers of the Church who maintain the true Religion encourage Vertue protect Right and Innocence and resemble the Divine Majesty not only in Power and Authority but also in his Attributes of Justice Mercy and Goodness they are more tenderly regarded by God He hideth them under the shadow of his Wings he keepeth them as the apple of his Eye he giveth his Angels stricter Charge over them that no evil may approach them Such Princes being publick Blessings to the Kingdoms or Nations over which they preside in their safety must consist the greatest part of the Common Welfare And thus if we consider either Governours themselves or the People commited to them we shall see sufficient reason to believe that Soveraign Kings and Princes are the peculiar Care and Charge of Divine Providence Nor have we reason only to believe this but the experience of all Ages doth most abundantly confirm it For surely there is not any one thing wherein God's Providence hath more remarkably appeared and interposed it self at all times than in Discovering the secret Plots and Defeating the traiterous Designs of wicked Men against the Government they lived under which hath been often done by such ways and means as have most evidently demonstrated the Finger of God in it and must be ascribed to him who only doth wonderful things Nor have we perhaps besides what Divine Revelation affords us a greater Argument to prove this World to be Governed and all things in it directed by the vigilant Eye and powerful Hand of Almighty God than the sudden and seasonable Discovery of such Damnable Enterprises contrived with the utmost caution and secrecy carried on with great subtlety and cunning and just ripe for Execution yet in an instant blasted in a trice broken all to pieces either by a surprizing dread and fear seizing the Conspirators themselves or an unlucky word over-heard or an unaccountable suspicion of some ill Designs which tho' founded upon no reason or a very trifling one yet hath proved true or God hath smote upon the Conscience of some one of them and for the ease of his own tortur'd mind he is forced to a Discovery or a jealousie that they are betrayed by others hath made some of them give the first notice of it themselves or a Letter miscarried or some fright mistake oversight something hapning otherwise than was expected hath brought the hidden works of darkness to light by which the King and his People have been just snatch'd out of the Jaws of Ruine True indeed it is that there are some Exceptions against this Sometimes it hath hapned that such Desperate Undertakings have been prosperous and God's Providence hath suffered even a Good and Excellent Prince to fall a Sacrifice by the Merciless Hands of a Bloody Assassin or being over-powered by his own Rebellious Subjects to be more pompously Murdered under the pretence of Justice of which we have had a sad and never to be forgotten Instance in our own Nation But then this hath been permitted when the sins of a Nation have been extream and called aloud for Punishment when God hath been long and highly provoked to give up a People to Destruction who have filled up the measure of their Iniquities then hath he sometimes suffered such inhumane Barbarities to take place But ordinarily it is otherwise and by some secret invisible means God doth either infatuate the Counsels and confound the Devices or else by some fortunate accident seasonably discover the horrid Conspiracies of his own and the Kings Enemies A Bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter Of the truth of all that I have now said concerning God's wonderful Care and Providence over Soveraign Kings and Princes we cannot reasonably desire we cannot easily meet with a more Illustrious Instance than his Majesty that now is whom God long preserve A Prince for whose safety and protection Heaven hath all along so signally interested it self and so miraculously defended him in spite of all the restless attempts of his and ours either open or secret Adversaries that I cannot but wonder if no other Argument could prevail with these Sons of Belial to desist from such Hellish Enterprises yet that they should not at last be tyred with Plotting against him to no purpose that they should not despair of doing him any hurt for whose Defence and Deliverance God Almighty hath so frequently and
publickly appeared This betrays the Folly as well as the Wickedness of all those who are ingaged in such Caballings and Plottings that they vye Power with God himself and resolve to destroy him whom by such a series of miraculous Providences God hath shewn himself resolved to save and protect Alas they are not only the Guards whom they must seize upon and master In vain are all their Meetings and Consultations about the feasibleness of such a Design unless they can find out a way to escape God's knowledge or could be too hard for the Almighty who hath undertaken to guard and secure our King and will see that no Weapon formed against him shall prosper Was it not by God's wonderful Providence that he was preserved from the Fury and Rage of those who embrued their Savage hands in his Fathers Sacred Blood Was it not the same good Providence that continually compassed him as with a Shield when his own Subjects in Arms against him sought his Death and Destruction Was it not the same Providence that for a long time hid and concealed him from the most diligent search of Blood-thirsty Rebels though so many Conscious yet none tempted by great Rewards and more powerful Fears to betray him and at last after a miraculous manner provided an escape for him and through innumerable dangers conveighed hime safe to a strange Land Was it not the same God who defended and supported him during a long and most unjust Banishment and at length by his own right Hand and outstretched Arm brought him safe again to his People and gloriously restored him to his three Kingdoms Hath he not since been graciously pleased in time to discover all the evil Designs of Wicked men against his Person and Government or hath prevented those which were never discovered Hath he not saved him from the Popish Plot And are we not this present day met together to bless God for his deliverance from a Fanatick one And after all have we not vast Reason from such large Experience of God's infinite kindness towards our most Gracious Soveraign and in him to us his People yet to hope that he will still preserve him and continue his Life amongst us to be every day a greater Blessing to these Kingdoms Give me leave therefore in this Case to apply the Words of the Psalmist in the beginning of the Second Psalm Why do the Papists rage and the Fanaticks imagine a vain thing What madness is this that thus possesses them to unite and associate together The heads of the several Parties and Factions set themselves and take Counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed King saying Let us break their Bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Let us not be tyed up any longer by that slavish Principle of Obedience to Authority for Conscience sake but rather like free born People throw off the Yoke which the King and his Ministers would impose upon us He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision The Almighty Soveraign by whose Commission and Authority our King Reigns shall despise all these foolish Attempts and will expose these presumptuous Rebels to the Scorn and Contempt of every man Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Even then when they think they have effected their Design and made all sure God shall suddenly disappoint and confound them so that all men shall observe the tokens of the Divine Vengeance against them Yet have I set my King upon my Holy Hill of Sion See how madly they have Plotted against themselves For our King and his Government is not only yet preserved but we hope Strengthened and Established by their impious Conspiracy against it But more particularly we are now assembled to make due acknowledgments of God's wonderful Providence and Mercy in Discovering and Defeating the late Treasonable Conspiracy against his Sacred Majesties Person and Government In speaking of which I shall first of all briefly set before you the Horridness of the Conspiracy it self then the Greatness of the Deliverance we now bless God for and lastly add some few plain Advices suitable to this occasion I. The Horridness of this late Conspiracy will sufficiently appear if we consider only these three things 1. The Actors or Persons ingaged in it 2. The Motives from which they acted 3. The Mischiefs that would inevitably have followed had not God's Providence made timely Discovery of it and under these heads I shall only hint at some few things 1. As to the Persons that were ingaged in this Plot they may be considered under several Circumstances which do all highly aggravate their Crime and Guilt As that they were Protestants nay the most Zealous Protestants who would hardly allow any others to be such besides themselves Hence on all occasions they would appear most vigorous and active for the Prosecution and Suppression of Papists and counted all that were not so fierce and violent as themselves to be Popishly affected and ready upon any turn of the times to leave their Religion All this Zeal against the Papists they professed to proceed from a just Hatred of their Disloyal Principles which were inconsistent with the Civil-Government and dangerous to the Monarchy and the Kings Person as if they had a mind to save the Government from the Papists only that themselves might have the Honour of Subverting it They liked the thing well enough it was a glorious work but only they did not approve of the Instruments And if these must be called Protestants who can joyn in such Villanous Designs I shall only say that then I know some Protestants who are every jot as bad and as little to be trusted as any Papists We indeed of the Church of England for this one thing were not a little beholden to these Conspirators viz. That they were so careful to distinguish themselves from us and were for a finer and purer Communion than that Established by Law A Protestant is a word at large and may signifie any thing and comprehends all that are not Papists whatever they are for But the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England we all know what it is it is Stated and Defined and we are sure that it condemns all Disloyal Seditious Practices on any pretence whatever And therefore they who were ingaged in this Wicked Conspiracy however some of them might sometimes be seen in our Churches yet they were forced to find fault with our Establishment to decry our Bishops and Ministers and weaken their Authority to endeavour by all means to prejudice the People against our Church and to lessen its Interest which they knew stood in the way of their Designs And have not these Men now bravely provided for the Credit and Honour of the Protestant Religion Had these great haters of Popery gone to School to the Jesuits could they possibly have been taught a more compendious way to