Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A51824
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A short view of the most gracious providence of God in the Restoration and Succession, May 29, 1685
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Manningham, Thomas, 1651?-1722.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing M507; ESTC R8136
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7,130
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30
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A Short View Of the most Gracious PROVIDENCE OF GOD IN THE RESTORATION AND SUCCESSION May 29. 1685. LONDON Printed for William Crook at the Green-Dragon next Devereux Court without Temple-Bar 1685. PSAL. 2. Why do the Heathen rage and the people Imagine a vain thing THis Psalm as well as many other which were composed by the Prophet David hath a double meaning both literal and mystical The one relating to himself and the History of his own life the other relating to Christ and the Prophesie of his Kingdom As it relates to himself we have the people of Israel and the Heathen that were round them conspiring against his Government The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amaleck the Philistins with the Inhabitants of Tyre Assur also and the Children of Lot Psal 83.6 c. All these ten Nations were confederate against the Lord and against his anointed they were so vain as to attempt the Alteration of the Decrees of Heaven whilst he who sate there laugh'd them to scorn and had them in derision Their confusions did only make his Providence more conspicuous for notwithstanding all their united Counsels and tumultuary rage David was not only King in Hebron but in Jerusalem too Tho' they rage tho' they meditate tho' they consult tho' they conquer and prosper for some time yet have I set my King upon my Holy Hill of Sion v 6. As 't is a Prophesie and relates to the Kingdom of Christ we have the first Christians comforting themselves with this Psalm and by an extraordinary Spirit applying it to their present Concerns Acts 4.25 Being assur'd that as neither Herod nor Pontius Pilate so neither the Gentiles nor the People of Israel could prevail against the Holy Child Jesus And about three hundred years afterwards the whole prophesie of this Psalm was more eminently fulfill'd when Christianity became the Religion of the Empire when notwithstanding the malice of the Jews and Hereticks and the ten Persecutions of the Heathen Emperors like the ten Nations confederate against David the Kings and Judges of the Earth became wise and instructed kiss'd and Ador'd the Son of God and the Holy Child Jesus prevail'd so far till the extent of his Enemies was turn'd into the largeness of his Inheritance From the opening of the Psalm you your selves will be ready to make this Natual reflection that no passions tho' never so furiously raging and no Imaginations tho' never so cunningly contriv'd are likely to prevail long against a Government and a Religion approv'd of and establish'd by God You cannot but apply this observation to the occasion of the day and find the Truth of it most evidently confirm'd by the great Revolution in this Kingdom and by your own Experience As this Psalm is a prophetical piece of Scripture it holds infallibly true of nothing but the Universal Church of Christ but yet particular Churches and Nations may apply it as a Doctrine of Providence and none more properly than we who have a Monarchy most Providentially Divine as Divine as can be made without an immediate designation from God and a Religion as pure as Revelation it self It being nothing but the Holy Scriptures with the best interpretations and those guarded with some few prudential limits which the ignorant have complain'd of the malicious have disturbed but which the wisest have ever approv'd and the humble love to practice Could Men ever imagine that things so piously and so judiciously settled should not be the care of Providence one day as they had been the long contrivance of it Had our Government and Church always continued according to their first establishment without any alteration or disturbance we might have been fortunate and at Ease have sacrific'd to our own Nets and been proud of them as if they had been our own Inventions but we had never so well known their more remote and inward worth or that the favour of God was so mingled with them But now they have been try'd and search'd by the malice of Devils and the subtilty of men and in all this winnowing there was found but little Chaff they are return'd to us with their excellency more discover'd and a second approbation of Heaven He who reads our Civil Wars may lay aside all the Histories of Greeks and Romans Turks and Tartars and not miss any one extravagance of humane Barbarity For there he may find the utmost Force and guile of passion and hypocrisie cruelty and Enthusiasm working together and that not only in single instances but under a publick National management not as the product of several Ages but of one small Circuit of years There he may see with what noise and clamours the Laws were silenc'd with what fury and ignorance the multitude decreed Justice With what pretended Treaties and Pacifications the Armies were inflam'd and the differences always widen'd With what eager hostility and open destruction Rebellous Subjects were for preserving their King With what zeal and fasting Religion was banish'd out of the Land With what Tyranny their precious liberty was secur'd and with what unheard of impositions they were eas'd of Taxes There he may read of the most solemn sanctity robbing of God Of the devoutest eyes fix'd upon the Churches patrimony Of Prayers offer'd up to Heaven worse than downright Blasphemy Of the rankest perjury scrupling a lawful Oath Of Atheists fighting for Religion and Heathens for the pure Gospel of Christ Of Treachery undermining perfidiousness Of Hypocrisie groaning against Lewdness Of Sacriledge abhorring Idolatry and of a Covenant made with Hell Certainly that late Rebellion was the most busie Scene of the Devils Tragi-Comedy here on Earth and he can hardly furnish out such another If greater Judgments are alloted for Posterity some other Angels sure must fall from a higher Sphear to add new malice unto Hell and make that direful Polity more Intelligent in mischief There were some good Persons in those times who lookt upon this Nation as under a dreadful Anathema as excommunicated by God and deliver'd over to Satan And that which made it manifest that we were only to be severely disciplin'd and not destroy'd was this that at the same time when there was the highest Villany in this Land there was the highest virtue too The rebellious party fought their King into that glory which they never design'd him Every Victory they wan plac'd a new Star in his Breast They overcame his forces and he their injustice They were more prosperous and he more patient They got the Field and he an everlasting Crown Thus will our English Annals stand checquer'd to the end of Ages with the blackest Degeneracy of the worst of Traitors and the whitest innocency of the best of Princes Nay for all that we know this Island may be always noted for its two contrary Rivers viz. the fiercest torrent of Rebellion and the Noblest tide of Loyalty which in the late VVars were most
truly value our Religion let us show it by our diligence by our zeal by our proficiency in all solid Virtue and by our eminency in all good examples We have sufficiently confirm'd the Loyalty of our Principles by arguments and disputes let us now especially adorn them with our practice and add the last hand to their perfection by our humble actions and behaviour God has now given us an Opportunity let us manage it with that prudent simplicity and holy VVisdom with that humble but yet immoveable integrity as may give God his Glory and put all our Enemies to confusion Remember that the perfect Subjection to Kings is the Glory of the Protestant Cause and that he that is Seditious is an Apostate to the Religion of this Kingdom be his pretences never so devout However God in his Mercy may over-rule Events and turn the hearts of Kings as it seemeth good to him yet sure 't is no such glory to the Protestant Cause and no great policy in a people that they should so contrive to have a Succession of injur'd Princes who must forgive before they govern How can such Subjects ever think to merit of their King when all their future Services can hardly expiate when they make it so difficult a matter to distinguish whether they are truly Loyal or whether they are only willing in the Day of his Power Surely our Republican Enemies might be content to be quiet after so many and so signal Demonstrations that God is with us of a truth and hath not only given us our Gospel but our Law Since he hath made it so evident not only to all haughty Vsurpers by the revolution of this Day but to all the framers of New Politicks by the perspicuous and undeniable reasons of our multiply'd Writings and Discourses that the English Monarchy is not a model of the Brain or a few consequences drawn from an affected speculation of Humane Nature but a form of Government suited to the genius of a wise and Loyal People founded on a Power deriv'd from God politically guarded by a publick successive Prudence and pronounc'd good by the experience of many Ages And shall a Constitution of such hereditary wisdom and strength be made the sport of every Demagogue that dares be eloquent against the Laws and loves to ride upon the passions of the Croud The worst I wish all such is this that it may ever be the peculiar Prerogative of this Government and Church to make even those happy that would destroy them both What shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits what returns shall we make for his Continual protections for our Redemption on this day Had we no revelation to guide our worship and to raise our gratitude the very perusal of the History of our late times might do it We might repeat the Miracles which God hath wrought for us to quicken our obedience and Devotion for he hath not dealt so with any of the Nations which are round us neither have they had such Experience of his care But not our Arm not our power hath gotten these victories nor for our Righteousness doth this Land flourish the Lord himself hath wrought these wonders for his Name sake that it might not be polluted among the Heathen and if we our selves pollute it where shall such Sinners appear If we would have him still to be our God we must resolve to be his people to be as peculiar in our duty as he is in his blessings Otherwise his mercies are our severest Judgments and our prosperity only fits us for his final vengeance FINIS Books Printed for William Crook at the Green-Dragon nigh Devereux Court without Temple-Bar 1685. 1. AN Institution of General History or the History of the world the first and second Volum in Folio 2. The Bucaniers of America or an account of the most remarkable Assaults committed of late years on the Coasts of the West Indies by the Bucaniers of Jamaica and Tortuga both English French and Dutch the first and second Volum in Quarto price bound 10 s. 3. The Protestant Religion a Safe way to Salvation together with the Apostolical Institution of Episcopacy also nine Sermons c. by W. Chillingworth the Fifth Edition to which is now Added Mr. Chillingworths Arguments to his Friend Mr. Leiger to perswade him to return from the Church of Rome to his Mother the Church of England in Folio 4. A Discourse about Conscience relating to the present differences among us in opposition to both the extreams of Popery and Fanatism in Quarto price 6 d. 5. The Doctrine of Passive Obedience in a Sermon preach'd Jan. 30. last by J. Ellesby Vicar of Cheswick in Quarto price 6 d. 1685. 6. A Sermon preach'd at the Spittle on Easter Tuesday last before the Lord Mayor Court of Aldermen and Governours of the Hospital by Dr. Hascard Dean of Windsor 1685. 7. A Sermon preach'd at the Cathedral Church of Heresord on the 29 of May by Richard Buckely Prebendary of that Church 1685. price 6 d. 8. The grounds of Sovereignty and Greatness translated out of French into English in Quarto price 6 d. 1685. 9. A Discourse of Tangeir under the Government of the Earl of Teviot by Dr. Addison Dean of Lichfield price 6 d. 1685. 10. The manner of making of Coffee Tea and Chocolate as it is used in most parts of the VVorld with the Virtues of them both as to Diet and Physick in Twelves price bound 1 s. 1685. 11. Megalopsichy being a particular and exact account of the last seventeen years of Queen Elizabeths Reign both Millitary and Civil written by Sir William Monson one of the Queens Admirals and H. Townsend Esquire a member of her last Parliament wherein is an exact account of her seventeen years VVars with Spain also the debates and Discourses of the greatest States men in that Queens Reign being the most exact account of the proceedings of the Lords and Commons in Parliament that is yet in print in Folio price 12 s. bound 12. Compendium Geographicum being the most exact and easie piece of Geography with two Alphabetical Tables or Dictionaries the one of the antient the other of the Modern Names of all Towns Cities Countries c. in the world in Twelves price bound 1 s. 13. The Tracts of Tho. Hobs of Malmsbury being an exact account of the Civil wars of England from 1640. to 1660. and by what Councels and Artifices it was carried on printed now from the Original Manuscript with three Tracts more of the same Authors in Octavo price bound 5 s. 14. The Soules Communion with her Saviour or the History of our Lord Jesus Christ written by the four Evangelists in Devotional Meditations in Twelves price bound 1 s. 6 d. FINIS