this fury Ver. LVI You hear my Preaching and see my Example both which tend only to Patience and Meekness forbearing and forgiving and winning all that differ from me by Love and Gentleness so that Cruelty and Force cannot suit the end of my coming now For the son of man in this dispensation of the Gospel is not come to destroy mens lives by his Power and Justice that is the business of his last coming to Judgment on the finally Impenitent your Motion therefore is very incongruous now since I am not come to send men quick to Hell but to save them and bring them by Mercy to Heaven Being thus checkt Christ passed by the Affront and they with him late though it was went to another village inhabited by the Jews The Sentence at the Offertory S. Mat. VII 12. WHatsoever ye would c. As this Sentence relates to giving in Charity at the Collection which should always be made this Day in acknowledgment of Gods Mercy I have considered it before (z) Comp. to the Altar §. 6. p. 30. But I must note it is very proper for this Day and contains a Method to prevent such evil Designs as we have been twice on this Day rescued from For if those Priesâ— who encouraged the Gun-powder Traitors had been asked Whether it were lawful for Protestant Subjects out of a zeal for their Religion to plot the Death of a Popish King his Heirs and his Nobles and to contrive afterward to set up their Faith by a violent Persecution of the far greatest part of their fellow Subjects doubtless they had answered No. Had it been enquired of the late Kings Confessors Whether it were lawful for a Protestant King reigning over a Country of the Roman Communion to break his Oath and Promises to his Catholick Subjects imprison their Bishops for an humble Petition turn men out of their Freeholds only for their Conscience and finally to resolve to impose the Reformed Religion by force on a Nation which generally hated it This had been certainly answered also in the Negative Wherefore since other men love their Religion Liberties and Lives as well as Roman-Catholicks they should not have advised their Votaries to do that against a Protestant Prince or Nation which they would not have these do against them (a) Quod quis in se approbat id in alio reprobare non possit L. in arenam Cap. de inoffic testum So that this single Rule impartially weighed had prevented both these wicked Projects and if duly followed will keep all Parties from Cruelty and Oppression The Sixth and Last Collect. The Last Collect hath four Parts 1st A Preface setting out the Glory of God O God whose name is excellent in all c. 2ly A Memorial of two great deliverances 1. From secret Mischief who on this Day didst miraculously c. 2. From open Violence and on this Day also didst begin to give c. 3ly A return of hearty Praises for both we bless and adore thy glorious Majesty c. 4ly A Prayer that they may produce in us 1. Love and Gratitude to God and we humbly pray that the devout c. 2. Submission to the King a Spirit of peaceable submission and c. 3. Zeal for the true Religion a Spirit of fervent zeal for our holy c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 14. O God whose name is excellent in all the Earth c. This Collect begins with the words of one of Davids laudatory Hymns (b) Psal VIII 1. And they seasonably mind us that such eminent Deliverances of so famous a Church and Nation by so visible a Hand of Providence are not only famous among us but God is glorified for them in all foreign Lands they that live in the farthest ends of the Earth see and hear of this Salvation of God (c) Psal XCVIII ver 4. His Praise on so great an Occasion is so far from being confined to the narrow compass of our Island that this lower World cannot contain it (d) Tanta enim est gloria tua ut in hoc Orbe centinâ—ri nequit Vid. Gejer. in Psal 8. He sets his Glory above these visible Heavens For no doubt the holy Angels do sing Hallelujahs to his Honour when he so remarkably delivers and protects innocent and holy Men who are their special charge and discovers and punishes the wicked And methinks the prospect of the Joy and Gratitude of all other Reformed Churches and the Praises of Angels who are only engaged by their Charity to rejoyce with and for us should excite us whose Ancestors and our selves have been the Objects of these Divine Favours and who still enjoy the happy Effects of them to give Thanks most sincerely and fervently Who on this Day didst most miraculously preserve c. These being distinct parts of the Office we ought in every of them to remember these two Deliverances and in variety of Expressions to repeat our Gratitude We may here consider that the first time our Preservation was wrought miraculously for the Plot was laid so secretly and discovered so strangely that nothing lesâ— than a Miracle of Divine Omniscience could have brought it to light The Ruin also was intended against both Church and State our Religion and Government were resolved to be altered by the most violent methods after the fatal Blow was given The Plot was contrived by those of the Romish Church the implacable Enemies of the whole Reformation and especially of this Regular and Flourishing Part of it the Malice that inspired the Conspirators was so Diabolical that nothing but Hell could be the Original of it Now for so many Millions so excellent a Church so happy a Nation to escape from the merciless rage of such Foes doubtless is a great Mercy As to the second the danger was equally great but only it was more open the Enemies had the same Principles and Final Design but having drawn in a zealous King to abet their Interest against his own and his Peoples both they put him who would otherwise have been Gracious and might have been happy upon trampling on Right and Law and persuaded him by the terrour of a standing Army (e) Malè terrere veneratio acquiritur lengè valentior amor ad obtinendum quod velis quam timer Plin. lib. 8. cp 24. to affright his Subjects into parting with their Laws and Religion it was easie to foresee the dismal consequences of such Proceedings But alas we were Subjects and defenceless so that we had been for ever ruined if God on this same Day had not sent a foreign Prince to rescue us and from His landing we justly date our Safety We bless and adore thy glorious Majesty as for c. Upon these just Grounds we proceed to give most humble and hearty Praises to the Divine Majesty for his repeated Kindness to this Church and Nation which have been the special Care of Heaven for many Ages No People ever
we are here before thee with all c. 2. Sacrifices of Praise and to offer up our Sacrifice c. 3. Promises 1. Of New Obedience to God Humbly beseeching thee to accept c. 2. Duty Loyalty to the King And promising in thee and for thee c. 3ly A Prayer for the Royal Family that they may be 1. Prosperous here Whom we beseech thee to bless c. 2. Eternally happy hereafter and to crown them with immortality c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 7. O Lord God of our Salvation who hast been c. After so great and happy a Change our first Duty is to look up to the Glorious Author of it even to the Lord who shews himself to be our God not only by preparing Eternal Salvation for us in the next World but by saving us out of many Troubles in this for which Cause David seems much delighted in giving him often the Title of the God of our Salvation (d) Psal LXV 5. and LXXIX 9. and LXXXVIII 1. And as no Land ever had a more illustrious Testimony of Gods gracious Favour than we (e) Psal LXXXV 1. So no Nation hath more reason to use this Title than ours Let us consider what miserable Confusions we were reduced to both in Church and State when our Ancient Governments in both were subverted We had undergon variety of Changes and tried every way but the right to settle us again Lords and Commons Commons alone Keepers of our Liberties a Lord General a Protector a Committee of Safety and a Supream Military Government which ended in plain Anarchy In the Church variety of Sects and Factions but nothing established the Order of the Clergy laid in Common the Articles of Faith Rites of Worship and Rules of Discipline utterly broken to pieces and all Religion left Arbitrary to every puisny Party yea to every whimsical Man till there was not so much as the Face of Unity or Order left among us Now to rescue us out of this Chaos and restore both Church and State of a sudden to their pristine Splendor was really a most miraculous Providence By restoring to us and to his own just and undoubted c. From the consideration of the Author of our Deliverance and the Evils we were freed from we regularly pass to observe the means by which this was effected which was the restoring our late gracious King Charles II. to his People and to his rightful Throne They had Murdered his Father upon false Pretences but his Son and undoubted Heir had done nothing that seemed to forfeit his Title nothing but open Violence and unjust Force excluded him (f) Vis colitur jurisque locum sibi vendicat ensis Sil. Ital. de Bel. Punic l. 2. Ambition and Covetousness backed with usurped Power did first banish him and then kept him out of possession and persecuted him who had done them no injury nor had he any Crime but his undoubted Right Which at last of it self overcame the Hearts of the whole Nation so that without any opposition his Enemies fell before him and he was restored again to the joy of the whole Nation who had been so long oppressed by the very Dregs of their own Fellow-subjects that they expressed an universal satisfaction to see their own King the Defender of the True Faith once more set over Gods Inheritance Restoring also unto us the publick and free profession c. As much as Eternity exceeds Time and the Soul excels the Body so much if possible should our Joy for Spiritual Good Things surpass that which respects our Temporal Advantages and doubtless that was the greatest Cause of all Pious Mens rejoycing at the Restauration that together with the rightful King the publick and free Profession of the right Religion was also restored 'T was Julian's policy to permit the Jews and all sorts of Hereticks to profess their several Religions and prohibit only the Orthodox Christians and our Oppressors imitated him for they Tolerated the vilest Sects the falsest Opinions and the absurdest ways of Worship nothing was Penal nothing Forbid and Persecuted but the old established Religion of this Church So that for many years some thousands of the best Christians could not joyn in the Publick Worship of God nor had they any regular Offices or Sacraments but what they could enjoy in private from Persons silenced and deprived of all means of subsistence Now it was so happy and so comfortable a Change to these to have the true Articles of Faith and Ancient ways of Worship restored with the Bishops the Liturgy and the holy Sacraments that nothing was so pleasing to their Souls as this The end for which Kings are advanced is to be Ministers of God to their People for good (g) Rom. XIII 4. Now the chiefest good that Christian People can have from a Prince is his protecting the True Religion his being a Nursing Father to the Church (h) Isai XLIX 23. and Custos utriusque Tabulae a Keeper of both Tables that is not only to see that every Man doth right to his Neighbour as the Second Table directs but that the True God alone is Owned Worshipped Rightly Reverenced and served by all as the First Table requires A just King is a great Blessing but if he profess and defend the True Religion also that makes him a double Blessing for then he fully answers the end of his Advancement to God and comes up to whatever good Subjects can desire Now this being our Case at the Restauration there was great reason for pious Men to express an extraordinary satisfaction yea those who had no concern for Religion or however for that established had temporal grounds to rejoyce because the State as well as the Church was restored to its former Peace and Prosperity Every private Man regained his just Rights the Prince was content to govern by Law and the Subjects were protected from Injuries at home and abroad Trade flourished Plenty every where abounded and there was a happy Peace given us to improve and enjoy all these Blessings (i) Dulce nomen est Pacis res verò ipsa jucunda tum salutaris Cicer Philip. 2. Now all this after a long War and all the Miseries attending it after Arbitrary and Illegal Uncertain and Violent Methods of Government and finally after such cruel Invasions of Liberty and Property as we had long smarted under must be very sweet and very grateful to all considering Men We are here now before thee with all due thankfulness c. Upon this prospect of our Deliverance and all its blessed effects we must ask David's Question What shall we return unto the Lord (k) Psal CXVI 11. And the Collect leads us to a threefold Return which all of us ought to make for so general a Blessing First to make a publick acknowledgment before Almighty God of his unspeakble Goodness herein and if we forget or neglect this our Ingratitude may
were to be given to anothers Body not his own (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. de Martyr in Jul. For he seemed more composed than any of the Spectators and while they were struck with Horror and drowned in Tears he looked calmly on the fatal Ax and Block forgave his disguised Executioner and expired at last in silent and rapturous Devotions And albeit thou didst suffer them to proceed c. From the Graces shining in the Father we pass to a second ground of Praise viz. the Preservation and Restauration of the Son And this we introduce also by all the sad Circumstances that rendred it next to impossible and set it almost beyond the bounds of hope and probability to double the Mercy as well as the Gratitude (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. Like Ahab they resolved to seize the Vineyard and when they had by False-witnesses murdered the Father and banished the Heir their Malice pursued him into Foreign Lands where wanting both Friends and Mony his escaping their Snares was all miracle since they earnestly wished his Head as well as his Fathers and would not have scrupled to add a second Sin for the covering of the first (c) Isai XXX 1. Quisquam hominum est quem tu contentum videris uno Flagitio Juvenal because they were not secure in their Usurpation while he lived as Phocas considered of old (d) Histor Maurician pag. 405. Yet it pleased God not only to preserve this Prince but also to restore him to his Throne without Force or Blood This certainly was so wonderful that it merits hearty Praises But we have treated of this before To restore thy true Religion and to settle c. With this Gracious King Charles the Seconds Restauration the true Reformed Religion of the Church of England was restored and so was Peace also to both which we had long been strangers Religion was quite lost in the number and noise of the various Pretenders to it and we had so many new Churches in name that we had not one Real or True One. And they who first quarrelled with a peaceable King afterwards contended and strove with one another till nothing but Confusion was left And a Calm after such a Storm both in Church and State must be in it self a just cause of joy and is more particularly so to us because our holy Religion and ancient Government were so setled then that such as have since attempted to shake them have only hurt and unsetled themselves (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. apud Chry in Gen. hom 4. and we hope no Earthly Foes shall be able to ruin this Monarchy nor the Gates of Hell prevail against this Church for ever We pray no Weapon formed against them may prosper (f) Isai LIV. 17. but of this more upon May XXIX The Last Evening Collect. The Last Collect contains 1st A fit Preface instructing us concerning 1. Gods wondrous Judgments Almighty and everlasting God c 2. Mans miserable Frailty And who by the barbarous murder c. 2ly Suitable Requests that we may 1. Prepare for our Death Teach us so to number c. 2. Avoid Pride and Vain-glory And grant that neither the splendor c. 3. Imitate the Martyr but that according to the Example c. 3ly A Proper Conclusion 1. Petitionary And all this for thy Son c. 2. Laudatory To whom with thee and c. Brief Notes upon this Collect. § 8. Almighty and everlasting God whose c. This Collect being designed to direct us what good use may be made of this strange Providence begins with admiring the wonders of the Divine Judgments which are compared by David to the strong and inaccessible Mountains and to the unfathomable parts of the Ocean (f) Psal XXXVI ver 6. that is their Equity is certain and unshaken but yet the reasons of them are to us mysterious and incomprehensible We cannot question but God was righteous in permitting this but we dare not dive into his secret Reasons for it And who by the barbarous Murder as c. While we admire in silence the Mysteries of Divine Providence and leave these secret things to him (g) Deut. XXIX 29. There is one plain and profitable Lesson to be learned from the barbarous Murder of so great and good a Prince viz. Not to trust in Prince nor in any other man (h) Psal CXLVI ver 2. The greatest and the best we see are not only liable to natural Death but are not secure from such Violence as may cut them off before their natural Time wherefore if we rely only upon them they may suddenly and sadly disappoint us Solomon well observes that all things come alike to all (i) Eccles IX 2. Moveret hoc me Si esset cuique pro meribus sertuna nunquam mala bonos sequerentur nunc video exempto discrimine eodem modo malos bonosque jactari Sen. Consol ad Marc. c. 17. If all men had their deserts in this World as they shall have in the next good Men would flourish long in all prosperity and might be depended on But this Earth is not the proper place for Rewards and Punishments Who would not have imagined this Nation might have exceeded all other Lands in happiness under so Wise so Righteous so Just and so Mild a King but God permitted and wicked Men contrived that his whole Reign was one Scene of Trouble and he was at last deplorably taken away in the midst of his days and then our hopes vanished So that we see there is nothing in this World can be depended on Teach us also hereby so to number our days c. From the consideration of the frailty of others even of the best and greatest we pass to the remembrance of our own Mortality For the Shrubs may justly tremble when the lofty Cedar falls (k) Quid faciet virgulta deserti cum concutietur cedrus paradisi Greg. Moral We are too apt to flatter our selves that we have many days to live and this makes us neglect the necessary preparation for Death till it be too late wherefore we use Moses his Prayer even That God would teach us a better way of reckoning (l) Psal XC 12. that is to number not how many days we vainly expect because that makes us foolish and presuming but how few we may possibly have remaining For this consideration of the nearness of our Death and the greatness of our Work puts us upon that wise course to prepare for our last and great Account with all application of Mind and then as Death could not surprize us so Judgment need not terrifie us And grant that neither the splendor of any c. A third Lesson we desire to learn is that we may be humble throughout the whole course of our Lives A great Fortune is apt to dazzle us and make us think it will never alter (m) Psal XXX ver 6. and
Battle like a swarm of enraged Bees (y) ira modum supra est laesaeque venenum Morsibus inspirant spicula caeca relinquunt Virg. Georg. l. 4. and how violently afterward they sought his Ruin it was a mighty wonder how he could escape them But he still trusted in Gods help when all human aid failed him and he did miraculously preserve him till their vehement Fury was extinguished like a sudden blaze of Fire among dry Thorns Ver. XIV XV XVI No Prince in the World could upon more just grounds than he declare the Lord to be his Defence none had more reason to praise him or own him for his Deliverer Who could have thought the Voice of Joy and Praise should ever more be heard in that oppressed scattered Royal Family This was so unexpected and surprising an event that nothing but the right hand of God which hath the preheminence above all for bringing mighty things to pass could have effected it Ver. XVII XVIII When his Danger was greatest and his Case at the lowest ebb he still hoped he should weather out the Storm and Live not only to see better Times but to declare his Goodness who then indeed corrected him for his amendment as a loving Father (z) Non erudit Pater nisi quem amat Hieron ad Celant ep 33. but never intended he should be destroyed his Foes had no Commission to touch his Life though they seized upon all that was his besides Ver. XIX XX XXI Wherefore as David after his troubles were over being advanced to the Throne on his Coronation Day went up to Mount Sion and made them open those Gates which just Men frequented for him to go into Gods House and Praise the Lord. So did our restored King go to the Church and offer up his Praises unto God who had heard his Prayers saved him from his Enemies and brought him in Peace to Reign over his own People Ver. XXII XXIII XXIV And truly it was very strange that this Prince which our Great Men had before Despised Excluded and Banished as unworthy and unfit to Govern should come to the Crown with such general Acclamations and extraordinary expressions of an Universal Joy (a) Putrum despexerunt aedificatores qui fuit inter Filios Jesse at meruit constitui Rex Chald. Parap No man could have devised or brought about so wondrous a Change it was the Lords doing and our admiration Oh what a joyful Day did God make that to us after so many years of Tyranny and Anarchy Faction and Impiety Misery and Confusion to see our rightful King the Defender of the True Faith happily restored So great was that Mercy that it is appointed to be a Festival Day in all succeeding Generations Ver. XXV XXVI And it ought now as it was then principally to be celebrated with Religious Exercises the King People and Priests mutually joyned in Prayers Hymns and Praises The King Prayed and said O Lord now thou hast set me over thy People help me to rule them justly The People answered O Lord send us Pease and Prosperity under so good a Prince The Priests welcomed Gods Anointed to his House and said Blessed and happy be our King that professeth the True Religion and comes to us by so special a Providence The King replied He wished and would endeavour the Church should flourish whose Prayers he believed would bring a Blessing on Him and his People Ver. XXVII XXVIII XXIX Then the Priests again broke forth into Praises and said God hath restored us the Light of his Gospel and brought us out of our late Miserable Darkness let us offer a multitude of Oblations of Praise on his Altars And while the Sacrifices were offering the King said Thou art my God who hast set me up to thee therefore and to thy Name let all the Praise and Thanks be given Finally all of them King Priests and People exhorted one another to Bless the Lord as well for the Greatness as for the Continuance of his Mercy Of which since we have many assurances also in our Times let us joyn with them and say Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Lessons 1st 2 Sam. XIX from Ver. 9. or Numb XVI 2d The Epistle of St. Jude § 5. GReat care hath been shewed in the choice of proper Lessons for this Occasion The First Lesson being part of 2 Sam. XIX is almost an exact Parallel to our Case and describes how after Absoloms Rebellion happily ended by his death the People universally resolved to bring back their Lawful King David and sent an honourable Message to him in his Exile to invite him back and he returned not only without any Opposition but by general Consent and to the great satisfaction of all his Subjects his Enemies begging his Pardon and his Loyal People only contending which part of them should shew themselves most forward in bringing their beloved Prince back or express the most Joy at his Return But if any new Practices make it necessary to reflect upon that Faction and Sedition which began the Rebellion the XVIth of Numbers is aded where the Example of Corah Dathan and Abiram doth very clearly set out the greatness of their Sin and the severity of their Punishment who oppose righteous and religious Governours The Second Lesson being the Epistle of St. Jude foretels the coming of false Teachers in the last days and describes their Hypocrisie in pretending to Piety while their Lives are notoriously Evil remarking particularly their railing at those in Authority and prophesying falsly for Reward But withal containing a Prophesie of their Fall and as the Character was exactly answered by some in those sad Times so the Prophesie was soon after fulfilled in their Ruin to warn all others not to be deceived by such Pretenders The Collects § 6. THe first of these is the very Form of Thanksgiving for restoring publick Peace at home which is fully explained before (b) Companion to the Temple Part II. §. 16. p. 408. And if we do but apply that which is there suited to all Occasions to this most eminent restoring of Publick Peace we cannot but make this Prayer with Understanding So that I shall only note that the Composers of these Offices did not affect needless Novelties but when the Old Liturgy had any Form suitable to a new Occasion they chose to retain it being ready to declare as David did of Goliahs Sword (c) 1 Sam. XXI 9. That there was none like it The Second Collect hath Three Parts 1st A Description of our Deliverance setting out 1. The Author of it O Lord God of our Salvation c. 2. The Evils from which we were delivered didst deliver us out of our miserable c. 3. The Means by which by restoring to us and to his c. 4. The Blessed Effects of it thereby restoring also c. 2ly The Return we make for it by 1. Thankful Acknowledgments
A DISCOURSE ON THE OFFICES FOR The Vth of November XXXth of January AND XXIXth of May. By THOMAS COMBER D.D. Dean of DURHAM LONDON Printed by Samuel Roycroft for Robert Clavell at the Peacock at the West-End of St. Pauls 1696. A DISCOURSE ON THE OFFICE FOR November the Fifth The Anniversary both of the Discovery of the Gun-powder Treason 1605. And of King WILLIAM's Arrival for Our Deliverance 1688. The Preface THe Jews of Old paid a double regard to that Festival which fell on their Sabbath Day and called it an High Day (a) Joh. XIX 31. The Athenians gained two great Victories on the same Day of the Month at Leuctra and at Gaerestus wherefore they counted it always a Fortunate Day and made it a Great Festival (b) Al. ab Alexand. gen dier lib. 4. c. 20. p. 232. The Romanists also have their Double Festivals And now God hath made this Day such an one to this Reformed Church by two eminent Deliverances thereof from utter Ruin On this Day in the Reign of King James the First the Gun-powder Treason was wonderfully discovered and happily prevented and above 80 year after when the same Enemies were in hopes to extirpate our Religion and subvert our Laws Providence caused a Deliverer to Land here on the same Day of the Month by whose means these Designs were blasted and our Church once more established So that this is to us a Day much to be remembred to the LORD (c) Exod. XII 42. I need not relate either of these Histories The former is fully described with all its Circumstances and Proofs by the late Learned Bishop of Lincoln (d) Dr. Barlow 's Discourse of Gunpowder Treason Printed at Lond. 1679. Exarsit importunè quorundam Catholicerum in aminis saeva illa omni a vo damnanda Conjuratio quâ Regem Regnique Proceres misso sub aedibus Comitiorum pulvere tormentario in altum tollâ—ndos duxerant ut è rebus humanis momento omnes tollerent Hist Missionis Angl. Soc. Jesu c. collectore Hen. Mero ejusdem Soc. Sacerdote Audomari 1660. In Praefat. §. 9. Vid. plura hoc ipso libro lib. 7. §. 21 22 c. to which Book I refer the Reader The latter is fresh in all our Memories and exactly set down in a Journal of later date (e) History of the Desertion printed at Lond. 1689. But my busâ—ness being to Explain the Offices I would rather meddle with Matter of Fact nor dispute with any Party Only I must clear the way to our grateful Observation of this Day by proving very briefly the reality of the Gun-powder Plot which some Romanists are so hardy as to deny and by shewing this latter Deliverance was also a mighty Blessing which some prejudiced Protestants seem unwilling to grant First That the Papists did really design to blow up King James with the Prince and Parliament by Gunpowder on this Day is not only evident in general by their former Plots and practices in Queen Elizabeths time and their endeavours to hinder King James his Succession to the Crown (f) See the Preface to Dr. Barlow's History But it appears more particularly 1st By the Materials found in that Infernal Vault and the seizing a desperate Papist with the Keys in his hands late in the Night before the intended Massacre 2ly By the Flight and open Rebellion of the other chief Conspirators upon the Discovery 3ly By the Confessions under the hands of Fawks and Winter two principal Agents in this horrid Plot. 4ly By the Trials of all the Criminals yet extant at large shewing the legal Evidence and judicial Proofs by which they were convicted 5ly By Father Garnet the Provincial of the Jesuits his owning his knowledge of this Design by a Declaration made before his Execution 6ly By the Letters of Sir Everard Digby a Person equally eminent for his Extraction and his Zeal for Rome who acknowledges he knew of and approved this Plot. 7ly By the Romanists abroad crying them all up for Martyrs who died in this Cause as intending to serve their Church Lastly By the Laws made here in full Parliament with mature deliberation upon this occasion And those who can deny this Evidence may outface the plainest Truth As to the Second Deliverance it is too fresh and was too publick to be downright denyed as yet but some endeavour to lessen our Sense of it and Gratitude for it by privately suggesting 1st That we were in no danger of Popery 2ly That it was only a pretence to remove one Prince and set up another 3ly That we are in as ill Circumstances now as we were before I would not mention these Objections but that how improbable soever they are some venture to assert them and others are so credulous to believe them and thereby guard their Ingratitude for this late Mercy which I think they ought to praise God for if they will impartially consider what is candidly offered to confute these Insinuations For our great Danger of Popery under the late King appears First By the great encouragement given to that Religion And here we may consider the Kings temper and zeal for it The numbers of Priests and Jesuits and their eagerness to promote it The great Army kept up in times of Peace and the care to model it with Officers that would support Arbitrary Power The liberal Rewards offered and given for turning to that Church The open profession of that Religion in defiance to all Laws unrepealed that did prohibit it The Arts used to procure a pre-engaged Parliament to make way for it by repealing the Test and Penal Laws The advancing Men unqualified Papists or their Friends into all sorts of Offices and Preferments Civil Military and Ecclesiastical The Contrivance to have an Heir in a lucky Hour to give them another Reign to bring this about if the first should too soon expire The open Boasts of the Romanists themselves who best knew that Prince's Mind and finally The vast number of Atheists Dissenters and pretended Protestants who came in as Tools to carry on this Design These Considerations shew that Popery was intended to be set up and it is as plain that Protestant Religion was intended to be pulled down by the violent proceedings against Corporations the altering their Magistrates and seizing their Charters by the disgracing and displacing all the steddy Professors of it out of their Offices in the Court and Camp on the Benches above and in the Country also by ejecting a whole Society and many private Persons out of their Freeholds in the Universities and elsewhere without Law by Imprisoning the Bishops for an humble Petition by setting up an illegal Court with an unlimited Power over all the Clergy and drawing all of them that were firm to the Protestant Religion into the danger of a Suspension This I hope may satisfie disinterested Men that our peril was as great as it was real and imminent Secondly That the present King did
intend to put a stop to the Dangers we were in is confessed But that he did not design either the Removal of the late King or his own Advancement to the Throne is manifest 1st By the small number he brought with him fit only to guard him during a Treaty not to exclude a Prince who had treble his Forces in Arms. 2ly By his slow proceedings his offering and entring on a Treaty and desiring to refer all to a Parliament 3ly By the first secret and voluntary Flight of the late King after his Army was Disbanded neither of which was foreseen by the Prince 4ly By his gentle Usage of the late King when he was in his Power and offering to renew the Treaty 5ly By his Declaration that he came with no design to take the Crown And his known Integrity for which he is celebrated over Europe gives great weight to this 6ly So doth also the Conformity of his Actions to this Protestation for he medled not with the Government till the Archbishop the Nobility and some Bishops and very Great Men pressed the Administration upon him Nor would he accept the Crown till it was given him and his Queen by a full and free Convention Lastly By the Consideration that he hath no Advantage by the Change he had no Children to succeed him he entred upon an expensive and hazardous Design his Fortune had more plenty and more ease in his former station and abating his satisfaction in delivering us he gets nothing but trouble and danger by this Title So that if our Circumstances had not made his Advancement to be absolutely necessary he had no reason to desire it Thirdly If the Romanists say Their Circumstances are no better now we grant it But it is surprizing that English Protestants should suggest this For 1st as Englishmen Have we no benefit by the preserving our Monarchy on its ancient Basis and keeping up the Laws for our Liberties and Properties Are not Charters restored Parliaments brought back to their old measures of free Elections and regular Proceedings Are not all Judges Magistrates and Officers qualified by Law and left free to act according to Law Are we in danger of any stretches of the Prerogative now and is not the mildness of our Administration become almost a Grievance If the Taxes be objected we must consider that it was those who aggrandized the French to this degree made them necessary That the present King hath no benefit at all by them not so much as a Salary for his Hazard Toil and Care and that if they attain the End a Peace will soon repay us with large Interest 2ly If we be Protestants of the Church established is it no benefit to have a King declaring himself of that Religion To have our Liturgy and all God's Ordinances in the Primitive way To have our Bishops and Regular Clergy encouraged and protected and Learning and Piety as much promoted as ever 3ly If we be Dissenters purely for Conscience sake and do not aim at Dominion is it no favour to be freed from Penalties and at liberty to worship in our own Way How did these address submit and comply in the late Reign for a precarious Liberty intended to introduce Popery and is a legal Freedom designed to keep out Popery by uniting Protestants worth nothing If these make our Circumstances no better it must be our own fault and if they do why should we not praise God for this happy Change I cannot hope to conquer obstinate Prejudice or prevail with such as have resolved before-hand not to yield (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod. Ther. Ser. 1. But when this is examined by calm Reason I doubt not but most Protestants will and I think they all should this Day rejoyce for this Second Deliverance also as this lately revised Office doth direct which I now proceed to explain The Sentences Psal CIII 8 9 10. § 1. TO prepare us for the Confession these three Sentences are chosen the first describing God's infinite Compassion and Pity his Patience and wonderful Inclinations to do good ver 8. The second enlarging upon the short continuance of his Displeasure We are always sinning but he is not always correcting We keep our course of provoking and he might have gon on to punish us as oft and as long as we have offended ver 9. But we see the contrary Many cruel Designs are formed against us and none of them prosper for any long time so that we must confess that God is a very gentle Creditor (h) Vid. Job XI 6. Duplex est rationum pagina scil accepti expensi Quae collata ostendunt Deum non exigere totum debitum Coduic in locum who hath not exacted of us so much in Judgments as we were owing in Transgressions And therefore these Favours in discovering and preventing the Mischiefs designed against us are not owing to our Innocence but to his Mercy And hence we see we have Reasons enow to Confess our sins which is our next Duty The Hymn instead of the Venite The First Hymn consists of Five particulars 1st An Exhortation to praise God for 1. His gracious Nature Psal CVII 1. 2. His Providence over us ib. ver 2. 2ly A Reflexion on our Enemies actions and success 1. Their many Attempts Ps CXXIX 1. 2. Their constant disappointments ibid. ver 2. 3. The Injustice designed against us Psal XXXV 7. 4. The Evil falling on them Psal LVII 5. 3ly A due acknowledgment of God's 1. Power and Wisdom Ps CXLVII 5. 2. Justice and Equity therein ib. ver 6 4ly A Prayer for the present King's Safety Psal LXXX 17. 5ly A Promise of our fidelity to God ib. ver 18. Brief Notes upon this Hymn § 2. THis is a Collection out of several Psalms The Words are all of Divine Inspiration and as the Analysis shews the method so the Notes shall set out the pertinency of this excellent Composure by applying it all along to the occasion Psal CVII 1 2. Let us who are Members of this Reformed Church give humble Praises to our God as well for the Fountain as for the Streams for his gracious Nature and never ceasing Mercy which inclines him in all Ages to do us good And for the real effects of these Inclinations his rescuing us from Popery at first and his frequent delivering us since out of the hands of those our cruel Foes Psal CXXIX 1 2. Our Israel may very truly say Their Malice hath been as restless as it was implacable this hath put them upon so many Methods for extirpating our Religion First They began in the Infancy of the Reformation with the cruel Marian Persecution (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hippoc Aphor. lib. 2. cap. 29. hoping to pull up the tender Plant by that force Then by Domestick Rebellions and a Spanish Armada they attempted the destruction of the next Queen only for her adherence to this Faith And since that they have
contrived to blow up one King and pervert another but blessed be God still without any advantage to their Cause through his Mercy they could never yet prevail against us Psal XXXV 7. Psal LVII 5. In these two last Designs their Plots were carried on with great Secrecy for a long time till our destruction was neer being effected and not only our Lives but that Religion by which we hope to save our Souls were in extream danger We neither knew they had digged a Pit for the Life of our Protestant King James the First nor drawn in the Second of that Name to their party while he joyned with us in Communion But Heaven discovered both Designs time enough to prevent them and not only hindred them from hurting us but the Mischief both times fell upon themselves First by reviving of old severe Laws against them which that gentle Prince had suffered to sleep from His first coming to the Crown (k) Ergo Psal XXXV 7. sinè causâ h e. immeritò Vers Jun. Trem. à me non laesi Genebr in loc And this Second time their Practices rendered them and their Religion more odious and less likely to prevail here than ever Psal CXLVII 5 6. How can we but own those three Attributes of God which are so visible in these Deliverances First The greatness of his Power who so mightily dissipated their open and violent Attempts Secondly His infinite Wisdom in finding out and laying open all their cruel and concealed Intreagues Thirdly His eminent Justice in turning those things by which they hoped to pull down this peaceable and moderate Reformed Church into the ruine of their own proud and persecuting Babel (l) Non est injuria pati quod prior feceris Senec. de Ira l. 2. cap. 30. For hereby all their Politicks appeared to be folly and they were taken in their own craftiness Psal LXXX 17 18. And now O LORD who hast done so great things for us what remains but that we first pray thee to preserve our present King a Man exalted by thy right Hand and one whom thou hast made very strong to deliver us and defend thy true Religion And Secondly if thou pleasest to keep Him safe We do promise and engage we will all stand firmly to thy Truth and we may safely promise this since during His Reign we are in no danger of being tempted to Apostacy or falling into Persecution Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The proper Psalms LXIV CXXIV CXXV Psal LXIV contains 1st A Prayer for Deliverance from his Foes Verse I II. 2ly A Relation of their Malice appearing 1. By their Evil words Ver. III IV. 2. By their Secret plots Ver. V. VI. 3ly A Prophecy of their Ill success Noteing 1. The Author of it God Ver. VII 2. The Means their own Tongues Ver. VIII 4ly A Description of the Event 1. To them Derision Ver. VIII 2. To GOD Acknowledgment Ver. IX 3. To the Pious Rejoycing Ver. X. Brief Notes upon the LXIV Psalm § 3. PSal LXIV Ver. I II. My Enemies are so bloody that they aim at nothing less than my Life which being in imminent danger I cry loudly and earnestly in my Prayer to thee O God to keep me not only from the danger but even from the fear of Death for to be under such Terrors is a continual dying (m) Quotidiè moritur mortem qui assiduè timet Senec. Herc. Fur. Act. 4. They are a numerous Party who combine against me and though their Malice be open their Methods are hid from me therefore do thou O LORD hide me by thy Providence so that they cannot come at me to destroy me Ver. III IV. In the mean time till they can find an opportunity to strike at my Life they murder my Reputation expressing their impotent Rage by inventing Calumnies and spreading false Reports of me and my Religion which they use as they would do Swords and Arrows (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. strom lib. 1. if they durst However this way they secretly wound my good Name and labour to make me hated and never fear that thou wilt call them to any account for this kind of Injustice Ver. V VI. They persuade one another it is Zeal for Holy Church to seek the Extirpation of Hereticks and think it meritorious to Cabal and Plot our Destruction resolving so soon as they have contrived it cunningly they will execute it as suddenly Nor do they fear any discovery because they have bound one another in inviolable Oaths of Secrecy never to reveal it Ver. VII VIII But when I think of thy Omniscience and Justice O God I can foretel their fall They do not discern it (o) Ultor à tergo Deus But I see that while they are preparing to shoot at me Thy Bow is drawn to shoot at them with an Arrow so swift it shall be before theirs and so well aimed that it shall mortally wound them (p) Ferox Theseus qualem Miniodi luctum Obtulerat mente immemori talem ipse recepit Catullus And which will eternally expose them to derision after all their care and secrecy a casual Word or Paper dropt from some of the Accomplices shall discover all and they shall shamefully betray themselves Ver. IX X. But besides their shame in suffering that which they intended against us the Pious will make two excellent Uses of this Providence First they will discern such infinite Wisdom in the discovery of these Plots and such exact Justice in turning the Mischief on their heads (q) nec est Lex justior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire suâ that they will own it to be the work of GOD thy Hand in it will be very visible And those good Men who are thus wonderfully delivered Secondly shall heartily rejoyce in thy Mercy O LORD yea this will strengthen their Faith against all future dangers and while they bless thee for past Mercies they will be glad also in hopes of as many Deliverances as they shall need for the time to come And ever sing Glory be to the Father c. The CXXIVth Psalm hath Three parts 1st An Acknowledgment of their Deliverer Verse I. 2ly A Description 1. Of the Malice of their Foes Ver. II. 2. Of their own great danger Ver. III IV. 3ly The Returns they make for escaping it viz. 1. Praises to GOD Ver. V. 2. Joy in their present safety Ver. VI. 3. Trust for future Mercies Ver. VII Brief Notes on the CXXIVth Psalm § 4. PSal CXXIV Ver. I II. The wondrous Deliverances of this Church and Nation shew that GOD most certainly takes our part For our Israel may justly say If others or less than the All-seeing and Almighty LORD himself had been on our side they could never have baffled such close and cruel Designs as this politick and powerful Party of Men have all along formed against us It was not our Strength
Vow sealed with horrid Imprecations (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Zelot ap Judaeos Philo. leg spec to murder S. Paul as he went towards the Hall of Judgment and first they acquainted their impious Priests with it who approved the Design and encouraged the Actors promising them no doubt if they were seized by the Guards and executed for this Heroick Zeal toward their Old Religion that they should merit Paradise at least for ridding the Church of such an Enemy Thus far the Stories agree But S. Paul was a private Man and their Fellow-Subject and they aimed at a single Sacrifice to their Rage Whereas these Plotters aim at a Gracious Prince their own Sovereign and at a thousand more Lives besides his yea as the Parliament is the Nation in Representative our Plotters seem inspired with the bloody Principles of Caligula (g) Utinam Pop. Rom. unam cervicem haberet Votum Caligul ap Suet. l. 4. p. 24. who wish'd he could cut off all the People of Rome at one stroke They were for destroying a thousand innocent Lives at once and subverting the Religion and the whole Government of the Nation and cutting off all that should oppose them So that the Scripture affords no parallel of such cruel and blood-thirstymen and we must be content with a Crime like it but in a far lower degree The first Collect. The first Collect consist of 1st A Memorial of past Providences observing 1st The Author of them Almighty God who hast in all ages c. 2ly The Objects of them 1. The Church 2. Kings in the miraculous and gracious deliverances c. 3. States 3ly The end of them viz. their safety from such Plots from the wicked Conspiracies c. 2ly An act of Praise for a special Providence to us relating 1st The Thanksgiving it self we yield thee our unfeigned thanks c. 2ly The grounds of it 1. The persons hereby delivered for the wonderful and mighty c. 2. The Evil escaped by Popish Treachery appointed c. 3. The aggravation thereof in a most barbarous c. 3ly An acknowledgment whence it came From this unnatural Conspiracy not our merit c. 4ly A Recognition to whom the Praise is due And therefore not unto us O Lord c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 7. ALmighty God who hast in all Ages shewed c. This Collect relates to our former deliverance and is introduced by observing that this was not the first time Heaven had shewed its Power and Mercy upon such occasions And it is very fit that a new instance of the Divine Goodness to us should revive in our grateful minds the memory of Gods Blessings though granted in ages long since past Time should never blot out their Remembranc especially when a later Act gives us occasion to call to mind all of the like kind For all these Providences aim at the same end that is by preserving righteous and religious Kings and States professing his holy and eternal Truth to preserve his Church and true Religion throughout all ages so that it is come down even unto our times The Old Testament records many Deliverances of the Jewish Church and State and of their Religious Kings David and Asa Jehosaphat and Hezekiah And ever since there were Christian Princes the Annals of the Church abound with Examples of their being preserved from the plots and malice of Jews and Pagans Hereticks and Infidels yea from all sorts of Traitors And the Reign of Queen Elizabeth alone of Blessed Memory is sufficient to confirm this Truth The Romanists hoping with her to destroy the Religion she professed often attempted her Life by poisoning and stabbing and sought to take away her Crown by frequent Rebellions at home and by a formidable Invasion from abroad but still Heaven manifestly defeated them and miraculously preserved Her We yield thee our unfeigned thanks and praise for c. As their malice ended not with her Reign so neither did Almighty God cease his care When there was a fresh occasion by a new Plot against her Successor King James I. a new Providence delivered Him and gave us occasion with all joy and gratitude this day to own it by commemorating First the Persons designed to be destoyed viz. A Wise and Gracious Protestant King his Vertuous and Religigious Queen and their most Innocent and Hopeful Heir Prince Henry together with the whole Parliament consisting of the three Estates and all Officers and Attendants belonging to any of these (h) Parliamentum Curia apud nos suprema magnum trium ordinum Concilium vel Conventus ut cum Rege de rebus arduis consultent Somneri Glossar ap X. Script yea all whose business or curiosity on that solemn Day should bring them to that fatal place under which were privately laid such certain instruments of death as in one instant would have torn these poor Creatures into a thousand pieces and buried them all in the Ruins of that Ancient Senate-house If an implicite Faith and a blind Zeal could not work Prodigies it is scarce to be imagined how any thing in human shape could be so infatuated as to believe that God who hates robbery for a Burnt-offering (i) Isa LXI 8. can like some cruel Pagan Doemon be pleased with Murder or delight in a Sacrifice of Human Blood But they who are taught to renounce their Senses (k) Absit credere quae videmus Walt. Mahop de nugis curiae dist 1. c. 11. and must not believe that which they see tast and smell may easily be brought to abandon their Reason also and wretchedly imagine they oblige and serve God in exercising the greatest barbarity upon men To kill one innocent Man wilfully is a damning sin if the Eighth Commandment be one of Gods Eternal Laws but to kill so Many One of them their Sovereign some of them their Friends and Relations and all of them their Countrymen and Civil Neighbours and to do this in so sudden and merciless a manner and still to believe this barbarity to be meritorious is as the Collect notes a Wickedness that hath no parallel nor precedent in former Ages these Monsters staâ—â— single From this unnatural Conspiracy not our merit c. Those who could so long ruminate upon so unnatural a Plot and fortified themselves for it by profaning the Holy Sacrament of Peace and making that the Bond for Murder These would not have shrunk at the Execution And oh what a blessing was it â—hat these cruel Hands were not let loose God â—ne could and he did restrain them and this nor for our Merit for we were then as we are now a sinful nation They were discovered not by our foresight since it was hatched in the dark â—nd carried on closely almost to the very fatal minute But by Heavens never-sleeping and all-seeing Eye while they feared no stop and we apprehended no danger Then as happily as unexpectedly all was disclosed and prevented
saw none of these could hinder the French King at that very time from Ruining Persecuting Destroying and Banishing Millions of his Faithful Subjects only for sticking to their Religion and since that King was then the Example and Guide for our Court and we had the same bigotted Priests to advise here who had pursued those methods there we know they would absolve our Prince from all ties and four his own gracious Disposition and make his Interest stoop to theirs So that we had reason to expect every thing here that was done in France so soon as they had power enough to hope to effect it and therefore to escape this Evil was an unspeakable Mercy and deserves humble and hearty Praises We confess it has been of thy mercy alone that we c. This is the Second and Penitential Part of the Prayer we have seen God's dealing with us and now begin to reflect on our Carriage toward him And lest Pride or Conceit of our Merit should abate our Gratitude we own with the Prophet Jeremy That it is only his Mercy that prevented our ruin (g) Lam. III. 22. We declare we are so far from Merit that we cannot pretend to bare Innocence For both in that Age and this the Nations Sins were so great as to cry loudly to the Divine Justice to punish us and these our Enemies both then and now stood ready to be the Executioners of his Wrath a bare Permission had let them loose upon us So that we can find no reason in our selves why we were spared nay why we were not given up for a Prey to our enraged Foes who like hungry Wolves were ready with open Mouths to devour us The only reason was in God it was his Pity and Clemency which moved him to punish us less than our iniquities deserved (l) Psal CIII 10. Poenam si tuto poterit donare sin minus temperare solet Sen. de Clem. l. 1. c. 20. All things were prepared for our utter destruction God alone who had the justest cause to consent to it was unwilling and by this meer Mercy of his we escaped the ruin prepared for us And it is very proper to mind us of this while we are praising God for our Deliverances for the less we deserved them the more thankful we ought to be for them (m) Majoris precij beneficium est quod praestatur indignis Salv. de gab l. 4. As our unworthiness heightens and increases his kindness so it should add to our joy and gratitude Let the consideration of this thy repeated goodness c. But there must be something more returned for two such eminent favours than bare praises wherefore we beg that this goodness of God may lead us to repentance (n) Rom. II. 4. Otherwise though we have been twice spared and both times guilty Iniquity may and will be our ruin at last (o) Ezek. XVIII 30. He rescued us not to give us opportunity to commit more sins but to afford us time to gain a pardon for past Offences by Repentance It is the most provoking abuse we can be guilty of to make this impunity the encouragement to our Vices St. Paul calls this Despising the riches of his forbearance and long suffering and in that case it is not God who would gladly save us but we that treasure up wrath to our selves against the day of wrath (p) Rom. II. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aster hom in Psal 6. That is we force God either to send some sad Judgment upon us in this World or if not however he must condemn us in the next And alas it is no advantage to be reprieved from a temporal and reserved for eternal Death which without Repentance we cannot escape But further we must not only repent and cease to do evil but bring forth also good Fruits His former care of us must quicken our Faith and engage us to trust in him when any future dangers threaten us it must encrease our Love to him who is so sure and constant a Defence to us against all our Enemies designs And if our Faith be lively and our Love sincere they will certainly produce all holy Obedience (q) 1 Joh. V. 3. Whoever firmly believes that God alone is his Preserver in and from all perils and intirely loves him for it that man will continually strive to oblige Heaven to watch over him by all the Duties of Piety and Charity and by whatever he thinks will please this his Heavenly Father the Faith is not sound nor the Love sincere if it do not produce these Fruits And if we make this use of our Deliverances they will be doubly beneficial to us not only as they are temporal Mercies but as they become by this means a spiritual and an eternal Blessing to every single man who so improves them That thou maist still continue thy favour with c. Finally there is a publick motive to engage us to pray heartily and labour diligently for this sanctified use of these Mercies because this will oblige him to continue his Protection over this Church and Nation in all future times Our Enemies at present seem to want Power but their Malice and evil Will continues (r) Nulla laus est non facere quod facere non possis Salv. de gub l. 6. they wait and wish for an opportunity to bring us again into that Popish Darkness wherein our Fathers lay so long But if we walk according to the Light of the Gospel which shines brighter here than in any other Land Heaven will still baffle all their Plots And why should God keep this Light shining if we resolve to walk in Darkness however What are we better for a Holy Religion if it do not make us holy Let our lives therefore come up to our excellent Profession and let us of this pure reformed Religion resolve to lead very pure and reformed lives and then our Church shall never fail This we must endeavour this we must pray for through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Fourth Collect. The Fourth Collect contains 1st An Introduction respecting former Mercies O Lord who didst this day c. 2ly A Petition both for 1. Our Preservation and be thou still our mighty c. 2. Our Enemies disappointment and scatter our c. 3ly A Description of the means of their failing in their designs 1. By Gods preventing them infatuate and defeat c. 2. By the Kings punishing them strengthen the hands of our gracious c. 4ly A Prospect of the happy events of this 1. The humiliation of our Foes that they may never prevail c. 2. The Church and Nations safety but that our gracious c. 3. Our own freedom to serve God we may all duly serve thee c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 10. O Lord who didst this Day discover the Snares c. This is an Old Collect relating to the former Deliverance and removed to this
place because what we Hoped for in the former Collect is directly Prayed for in this and the Petitions are very properly introduced by the consideration of God's Omniscience in discovering and of his Omnipotence in defeating that Horrid Plot upon this Day which had secretly laid the cruel snares of Death for our King our Prince and Nobles For God's First Favours are generally given freely without any reason in us but his Second are added only because he had been kind before (r) Math. XXV ver 29. When his free Grace hath made us instances of his Favour he afterwards preserves us for his own Glory as the Monuments of his eminent Goodness And whereas our Foes have but two ways to hurt us either by secret Plots or by open Force Our Lord that we trust in and pray to is furnished with infinite Wisdom to find out the one and with as infinite Power to dash the other wherefore we go on and say Be thou still our mighty Protector and scatter c. We have owned his Ability to protect us and remembred a great instance of his willingness and thus encouraged we proceed to beg of him when our Enemies who delight in Blood unite and combine against us for our destruction that he will effectually scatter them (s) Psal LXVIII ver 30. That is in the Hebrew Phrase subdue and conquer them (t) Psal LXVIII 1 14. LXXXIX ver 10. because an Army is then only formidable when it is united in one intire Body For when the Union is broken and the Ranks disordered though the number be whole the force is gone and it is easily routed and overcome (u) Periculum enim ab hostibus semper gravissinium sustinet divisus inordinatus exercitus Veget de re milit l. 1. c. 9. This is our first request when our Foes think themselves strong enough to attempt our ruin by open violence and raise Armies or set out Fleets to destroy us Secondly If they proceed by close Cabals secret Plots and deep laid Counsels to obtain the same end we pray that God may infatuate their Minds so that they may mistake their Measures and notwithstanding their pretences to Politicks may be so blinded (w) Praevalebant jam fata consilijs omnemque animi ejus vim perstrinxerint c. Vellei Paterc de Varo as to imagine those methods will end in our subversion which prove the direct way to their undoing This is often the Fate of such as God hates for their wicked designs they become ridiculous by being taken in their own Snares And one would hope his confounding their Devices in this manner should abate their Pride which possessed them with a vain hope of success and abate their Malice which whets them on to new Plots But when the discovery of their old Project by Gunpowder in our Fathers days hindred not their making a new Attempt in our days We see this Prayer that hath been made for 80 years together was heard and they failed and were bafled a second time Strengthen the Hands of our gracious Sovereign King WILLIAM c. We wish the observing how God fights against them and for us might be a warning to them and when they have bought wit by two dreadful experiments (x) Prov. I. 17. Jumenta cum locum ubi semel lapsa sunt semper cavere solent Dux Polar ad Leg. Rom. Avent Annal. l. 3. p 1â—8 that they might never more think of such bloody and impracticable Projects But if they still go on if visible divine disappointments will not reclaim them we pray that human punishments may light upon them and that our gracious King may cut them off either in the field if they use open hostility or by the hands of Justice if they be convicted of new Plots For God hath put the Sword into the Magistrates Hands for this end that he may cut off all such workers of iniquity (y) Rom. XIII 5. He would bear it in vain if he did not use it in such a case The Roman Magistrates as Plutarch notes had Rods and Axes born before them the former to correct lesser the latter to cut off incorrigible Offenders but both tied up to prevent too hasty punishment (z) Plutarch Quaest Rom. p. 183. Now such as will take no warning from God or Man such as make their Faith a pretence to stir up Faction in the Church and believe their Religion warrants them to murder Princes and massacre whole Nations as the bigotted Romanists do (a) Rom Religionis tractare sibi videtur quisquis in Henricum Imp. arma produceret Malms de gest reg l. 3. fol. 64. Vide item Philopator §. 2. p. 144. 146. these as Limbs incurably gangren'd must be cut off or no Prince can be secure of his Crown and Life no People of their Liberties Lives or Fortunes This Principle once imbibed will prepare a desperate Zealot to execute the blackest design that Hell can invent and he will hope to merit Heaven by it This Notion put the Jews upon crucifying Christ and all the Persecutors upon those Inhumanities they exercised on the Christian Marttyrs (b) Joh. XVI 2. And Mahomet excited his Turks to delight in Christian blood by assuring them that to murder them was the way to please God (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sylbuâ—g Satac p. 85. What wonder is it that the Donatists ventured their lives to kill St. Augustine when their Leaders had taught them this was certainly the way to procure remission of all their sins (d) Possidor vit D. Augustin cap 9. Nothing can convince men who implicitly believe in such Guides who tell them the high road to Hell is the certain way to Heaven and none are to be spared but such as it may be hoped will amend These therefore are ripe for Justice it is no cruelty to such Malefactors to cut them off but it is Mercy to many millions of innocent people to dispatch such out of the way and if a Pardon set them loose to do more mischief (e) Non sum crudelis sed vereor ne quod remiscro patiar Petron. Arb. Satyr he that releases them is answerable for their future crimes But that our gracious Sovereign and his Realms c. And now 't is time to excite our selves to put up these Petitions very heartily by a Prospect of the great advantages the King and we shall reap by the prevailing of these Requests For First By this Means our King will be kept in the true Religion and a late instance hath taught us how sad a Judgment it is for a Reformed Nation to have their King perverted to the Roman Faith If we can remember what we feared and felt then we cannot but pray we may never see the like case again in England where that Religion is so odious that if a King profess it and attempt to establish it the fatal consequence must be his own
or his peoples ruin Secondly As these Kingdoms are now generally Protestant we pray that we may be preserved and protected in that Holy Religion which is the same that Christ and his Apostles and all Orthodox Primitive Fathers taught agreeable to our civil Constitution and the certain way to make us and our Posterity happy both here and hereafter Whereas the Roman Doctrine is Corrupt their Worship Idolatrous their Government a heavy Yoke that neither our Fathers were (f) Vid. Angliae Gravamina in Fascicul rer expetend Tom. II. pag. 415. nor we ever can be able to bear So that the success of these Requests will be a mighty Blessing both to Prince and People And Finally We own that every private Christian will have great advantage thereby for then we may all duly serve God we may freely and without interruption come to his House and enjoy his Ordinances which are Purely and Primitively administred there Yea and this mighty Blessing being continued our comfort in that Providence which preserves this Holy Religion will oblige us continually to render Publick Thanks and Praise to him that doth preserve and continue it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Fifth Collect. The Fifth Collect consists of three Parts 1st A Preface owning 1. Gods Eeternal Power Eternal God and our most c. 2. Our own unworthiness we thy unworthy Servants 2ly a Double Acknowledgment 1. Of the Old Deliverance described 1. By the Author of it acknowledging thy power c. 2. The Persons preserved in preserving the King c. 3. The praises due for it make us we beseech thee c. 2. Of the latter shewing 1. The time when particularly for making c. 2. The meanes by which it was accompliâ—hed we bless thee forgiving his Majesty c. 3ly Petitions for the King and Royal Family begging for them 1. Deliverance and outward safety continue we beseech thee c. 2. Piety and inward Grace preserve them in thy Faith 3. Temporal Prosperity here prosper his Reign with long c. 4. Eternal Glory hereafter and crown them with everlasting c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 11. ETernal God and our most mighty Protector c. On this Prayer we may be the briefer since we have inlarged on both the Deliverances here commemorated before We might justly be discouraged considering how many Years our Enemies have by restless Endeavours and variety of Designs laboured to extirpate Our Religion and set up Theirs But we remember our God lives for ever he is Eternal he ever was is and will be able to defeat them and save us (g) Omnia quae mutantur desinunt esse quod erant incipiunt esse quod non erant Esse verum non habet nisi qui non mutatur D. Aug. in Exod. III. 13. Let them by their Interest abroad and Insinuations at home draw in never so many to assist them our Protector is mightier than their United Force and we hope he will employ his Eternal and Infinite Power for our Defence because we are his Servants believing as he hath taught and worshiping as he hath directed us in his Holy Word 'T is true we are very unworthy Servants to so good a Master too apt to offend him by our disobedience and to disoblige him by our ingratitude and distrust But since he is pleased to be favourable to us still in a deep sense of his goodness and our unworthiness we do this Day come to his House and on our bended Knees acknowledge both our Deliverances We declare that three of his glorious Attributes were very visible in the former His Power in breaking that horrid Design his Wisdom in letting it run on almost to the last Minute till the Principal Actor was taken so prepared for the Fact that it could not be denied And Finally His Goodness in saving so many eminent and innocent Persons from the suddenest and horridest Destruction that ever was invented Make us we beseech thee truly thankful for this c. Perhaps some may think our Forefathers were but we are not obliged to give Thanks for this Mercy But let it be considered if this Plot had succeeded our Nation had been subjected to a foreign Power and our Religion extirpated here so that we had sucked in Slavery and Popery with our Mothers Milk We owe the Liberty that we now enjoy and the Faith we at this day profess to the Discovery and Prevention of this dreadful Plot wherefore as long as this Church and Government endures we must be thankful throughout all Ages upon this happy Day especially since God hath now refreshed our Memories by another Deliverance from the same sort of Enemies upon the very same Day If our Ancestors only had received evidences of his infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness we might have had some excuse but when we needed the assistance of the same Attributes they were exerted again for our rescue Let us therefore heartily praise his Holy Name We bless thee for giving his Majesty that now is c. This is a grateful owning the Means of our Second Deliverance which was his present Majesty's Arrival he loved our Religion pitied to see us and it like to be oppressed was nearly concerned by his Title to the Succession to keep all right here and therefore generously ventured his Life and Fortune to rescue us Our Enemies hoped the Waves would have swallowed him and a bare rumour of that made them cry high and violent as ever to convince us it was not love to us but fear of him that made them seem to desist (h) Quae quia non potuit non facit illa facit Ovid. am l. 3. cl 4. But Heaven set him safe on shoar and then their next Resolve was to expel him again by Force but no considering Protestants could be found willing to destroy their Deliverer nor to fight against their own Religion and Liberties and thus all opposition fell before him and that unhappy Prince who had deserted the God of his Father was deserted by his Army and then secretly deserted the Nation leaving us no other Choice but to remain in Anarchy to stay till he should return with foreign Force Or to put the next undoubted Heir with her Consort our Deliverer a near Branch of the same Royal House into the Vacant Throne And the last expedient was pitcht upon as the only means of our safety by the unanimous consent of the far greatest part of the Kingdom Wherefore those who truly love their Religion and their Civil Rights do justly rejoyce that there is so powerful and faithful a Friend to both by so signal a Providence now reigning over us Continue we beseech thee to protect and defend him c. As we believe this Revolution was conducted by Providence we have just cause to pray with holy David That God would establish the thing he hath wrought for us (i) Psal LXVIII 28. and preserve both this King whom he
Conscience sake and in obedience to the holy Law of God who hath advanced them for excellent ends even to keep off great evils and do much good (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. to thee and many others Ver. VI. Upon the same Principles of Conscience and Gratitude is your submitting to publick payments grounded For for this cause pay you Tribute also as an acknowledgment of their Supreme Authority and a just reward for their care in defending your Persons and Properties from publick and private Injuries (r) Nec quies gentium sine armis neque arma sine stipendijs neque stipendia sine tributis haberi queunt Tacit. An. lib. 4. The Gospel enjoyns you to pay these to Princes For they are Gods Ministers in this part of their Office also And as their time and pains are employed in attending continually on this very thing So Subjects are bound in justice to requite them for it and as they cannot govern and defend us without Tribute it would be wicked and ungrateful in us to deny it Ver. VII In a word you Christians are obliged in Conscience to give all sorts of Superiors that which is due to them by the Law of Nature or the Constitutions of your own Country Render therefore to all that are above and over you what is thus made their Due and particularly you must pay Tribute for your Persons and Lands to them to whom Tribute is due by Law and Custom for Wares and Merchandise to them to whom Custom is due by the Constitutions of the State To the Magistrates who have power to punish shew reverence and Fear for these are they to whom Fear is due And to all that are in any Dignity yea to all your betters give honour and respect these being they to whom honour justly belongs The Gospel St. Luke XI 51 56. § 13. THE design of this Gospel is to correct the unruly effects of mistaken zeal for Religion shewing that our Faith if it be never so true cannot warrant us to destroy all those that differ from us For Jesus who was the Truth it self when he was inhumanly used by the Samaritans out of meer Spite and Malice to the Jewish Religion then professed by our Saviour would not allow his Disciples so much as to wish Fire might come from Heaven upon these unnatural Miscreants Much less will he allow Popish Subjects unprovoked to plot the fetching Fire as it were from Hell to destroy their Soveraign and many hundred Innocents more only for being of a different Faith And by the same Rule it appears that Christ would not permit a Prince who had sworn to protect his Subjects to oppress ruin and persecute them purely for being of another Religion Whoever gives Subjects or Kings such counsel and calls it zeal for holy Church to rebel or persecute (s) Non est Religionis cogere Religionem Tert. ad Scap. they are led by the evil Spirit who was a Murderer from the beginning not by the Spirit of Christ they are false Teachers and Corrupters of the Rules of Christianity This Gospel gives the History of 1st Our Saviours 1. Intent to keep an holy Feast Ver. LI. 2. Care to be accommodated Ver. LII 2ly The Affront put on him by the Samaritans Ver. LIII 3ly His Disciples deep resentment thereof Ver. LIV. 4ly His own 1. Dislike of their mistaken Zeal Ver. LV. 2. His reason for that dislike Ver. LVI 3. His practice on that Occasion Ibid. A Paraphrase on this Gospel St. Luke IX 51. AND it came to pass A little before our Lords Passion when the time was drawing nigh and almost come that he should leave this World and be received up again with glory into Heaven Being then in Galilee he stedfastly resolved to keep the Passover and so set his face (t) 2 Kings XII 17. Phras signif Omnia fecit quo crederetur se iturum toward and was on his Journey to go to Ierusalem though he knew what he was to suffer there Ver. LII Now in his way from Galilee to Jerusalem he must pass through the Country of the Samaritans (u) John LV. 4. whose bitter aversion to the Jews he knew (w) Justinus M. olim Samaritan de sciâ—â—s o. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. 2. pag. 61. intending therefore to give them no trouble but for one Nights Lodging He chose out and sent Messengers probably James and John before his face that they might not be surprized and they went and entred into a village belonging to the Country of the Samaritans intending to make ready the Provisions they had brought for him and procure him a Bed for one Night Ver. LIII But so hot was their blind Zeal for a false Religion (x) Quibus nec Pontifex nec Templum Tert. de Samarit that his Disciples were denied the use of an House And they did not receive him so much as into their Town but though it was late and our Saviour weary they most inhumanly turned him out without any other reason for it but because he set his face as though he would go to Ierusalem to keep there the Passover For perceiving by this he was of the Jewish Religion which they hated they thought they were bound in Conscience to refuse him the most common favour Ver. LIV. And when two of his Disciples Iames and Iohn who intirely loved their Master saw this barbarous rudeness in the Samaritans they said out of indignation against them and as they imagined true zeal for Jesus Lord wilt thou suffer such inhuman wretches to go unpunished We know thy Power and crave thy Leave that we in thy Name may command fire to come down from Heaven where thy Father dwells to destroy and consume them this moment and warn others that they may not dare to injure and affront thee for why may not we do as Elias did (y) 2 Kings I. 10. RR dicunt Deum sustulisse Eliam ob iracundiam dicendo Non expedit hominbus ille cui tantum zeli inest perderet enim cos Maimon praef ad Pirk. Ab. c. 7. upon a less provocation since a greater than Elias is here Ver. LV. For which zealous Design tending so evidently to Christs Honour and the confusion of a false Religion they expected such commendation and encouragement as the Romish Priests gave their People in the former and their Prince in the later Plot. But He turned back looked angrily on them and rebuked them sharply for their folly and dangerous mistake And said Do you take this for a motion of my Spirit and think it a just Zeal for me and your Religion to wish such dreadful Vengeance on those who are of a different Persuasion I tell you 't is Bloody Rage not Piety and a Motion not of the Holy but the Evil Spirit I find you know not what manner of Guide you follow nor what kind of spirit you are of it is the Devil who blows you up into
were in greater Danger or more illustriously Delivered than we We have the greatest Liberties of any Subjects and the best Religion of any Christians in the World and by these continued wonders of Providence we now enjoy them both Had either of these Designs taken in the Church we should have had Error for Truth Idolatry instead of the true Worship Darkness in the room of Light innumerable Holy Cheats in the place of Gospel Sincerity Inquisitions Fire and Fagot instead of Freedom and Peace In the State Force would have usurped the priviledge of Law Slavery had banished our ancient Freedom Absolute Power would have excluded Property and Arbitrary Punishments have discouraged Industry and Trade and in a short time Penury and all Calamities would have irresistibly broke in upon us The very consideration of the dreadful Evils we have escaped and of the Happines we now enjoy will certainly engage us to rejoyce exceedingly and return our most unfeigned Thanks to him who hath done all this for us And we humbly pray that the devout sense c. If we have a deep and devout sense of our Obligations our Returns will be more than bare Acknowledgments from our Lips and therefore we return our Praises into Petitions that he who only can move our Hearts will give us such just apprehensions of his Infinite Goodness as may produce these three blessed Effects First Of true Piety which will express it self in Love and Gratitude to God the sole Author of these Deliverances Even Heathens and Publicans love those that love them (f) Mat. V. 46. and shall we not love our Heavenly Father who hath given us so many Instances and clear Demonstrations of the greatest Love that ever was shewed to any People Secondly And since Heaven in this later Case chose a Wise and Valiant a Just and Religious Prince to be the Instrument of this Mercy First to procure it by his coming and then to secure it by his being advanced to the Throne We are bound to pay our Gratitude also to this King all that are protected by him are obliged at least to a peaceable Submission to his Government (g) Rex Jacobus I. asserit Subditos demigrare debuisse ex ejus Principis ditionibus cui nullum obsequium aut fidelitatem debent Apolog. pro juram fidel §. 53. p. 31. And such as count the Religion and Liberties which he hath restored to be mighty Blessings these are bound to Obey and Serve him to Vindicate and Support him against all his Enmies because they are not his Foes only but theirs also Lastly We pray that we may have a Spirit of fervent Zeal for our holy Religion which hath been so wonderfully preserved to be a Blessing to us and our Posterity To be indifferent as to the Success of it and unconcerned for its Danger or safety argues us to be meer Hypocrites it shews we have no Religion at all and only profess this for some mean Interest (b) Possis animadvertere quod servet istam pro Consuetudine magis quam pro Religione reverentiam Sidon de Theod. ep 2. l. 1. Such would easily turn to any Party to serve their secular Ends. But we who are sincere in our Affection to this Church seeing the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it should heartily pray for its Peace vigorously promote its prosperity adhere steddily to it and zealously strive to win others to come over to these Tents which Heaven doth so Guard and Bless that all Attacks have ever ended in its Enemies Confusion and its own greater Glory These indeed are desirable Fruits and yet right uses to be made of these Mercies And therefore that they may inspire us with Piety to God with Loyalty to the King and Love to this Reformed Church we humbly beg for Jesus Christ his sake Amen The end of the Office for the Vth of November A DISCOURSE ON THE OFFICE FOR THE XXXth of January BEING The Day of the Martyrdom of the Blessed King Charles the First The Preface THe History of this Days Tragedy need not be repeated here because many yet alive remember it and others may read it in our Annals where it stands to the perpetual Infamy of all that Acted therein It is sufficient to my purpose to give this brief Account of it When Peace and Plenty for Three Reigns had made this Nation wanton and ungovernable (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot pol. lib. 4. cap. 11. some Demagogues foured with evil Principles both as to Monarchy and the Church drew in all that were Discontented either because their Ambition was not gratified or their Wants not supplied together with those who feared the Government might be at leisure to look into their Crimes And these first quarrelled with the Administrations Impeached the King's Legal Ministers and without any colour of Truth pretended That Encroachments were made upon the Liberties of the People and a Change designed in the Religion Of both which they professed themselves the Patrons meerly to get Power into their hands to enslave the People and destroy the Church (b) Libertas ac speciosa nomina praetexuntur nec quisquam alienum servitrum ac dominationem sibi concupivit ut non eadem ista vocabula usurparet Tacit. hist l. 4. p. 532. However by these Arts they became Popular and by the help of the Rabble procured some of the Kings best and ablest Counsellors to be removed and then boldly demanded one branch of his Prerogative after another till at last when this Gracious Princes Concessions only enflamed their Arrogance in asking they required such things as he either must deny and so give them some colour for a War or if he granted them he must be in their power even without fighting (c) Postulabant non ut assequerentur sed causam seditioni â—e Flaccus multa concedendo nihil aliud effecerat quam ut acriùs exposcerent quae sciebant negaturum Id. ibid. p. 462. Finally when they had made themselves strong enough to appear Bare-faced and weakned the King so far that they hoped to conquer him they turned Open Rebels seize his Towns and Forts banish him from his House bring an Army into the Field pursue his Loyal Subjects with Fire and Sword and in many bloody Battels in which he was present sought his destruction yet still gave it out they fought for the Kings preservation But as soon as our Sins and some of his Treacherous Subjects had put him into their hands they would not spare him nor let him escape as his Son did since though he had really attempted that which was but pretended against the Father But they injustly Imprisoned him and falsly charging him with the Murders and Oppression which they had caused they Condemned him without Law and executed him without Mercy And then altered the Government which they had sworn to defend changed the Laws which they had promised to guard and utterly destroyed the Church which
they had Covenanted to reform And having made themselves our Rulers impiously and sacrilegiously invaded the Revenues of the Crown and Miter plundered and oppressed imprisoned and murdered all that had opposed this New-invented Usurpation And finally they left the People no shadow of Liberty and broke Religion into so many petty and ridiculous Sects that we were the scorn of Atheists and Papists and a scandal to all the Christian World till these ambitious and bloody Oppressors fell out at last among themselves and nothing could make up that Breach but the Recalling the King to set up Monarchy and restore the Church § 1. This Office is introduced with some of the usual Sentences which are explained before The Minister hath the choice of Three all very proper The first is Daniel's Confession (d) Dan. ix 9 10. describing God's Mercy and our Sinfulness The other two are Jeremy's Prayer (e) Jerem. x. 24. for a mitigation of Judgment And David's Request (f) Psal cxliii 2. See Companion to the Temple par 1. for a total Sparing Instead of the Venite we have a very proper Hymn collected out of divers places of Holy Scripture so that the words are Divine and their pertinency to this Occasion will appear by the following Scheme This Hymn contains these Five particulars 1st A Preface owning 1. God's Righteousness Psal CXIX 137. Nehem. IX 33. 2. Our wonder at the Methods of it Psalm LXXIII 2 3. 2ly A Description of the matter of Fact setting out 1. His Enemies Plots Psal II. 2. LXXXIII 5. 2. Their Calumnies Psal XXXI 15. CIX 2. 3. Their Ingratitude Psal XLI 9. XXXV 12. 4. Their Injustice 1. To him Psalm LXXI 9. 2. To his Lament IV. 20. 5. Their Cruelty 1. In wishing his death Lament IV. 12. Psal XLI 5 8. 2. In condemning him falsly Psal XXXV 11. 3. In Executing him barbarously Lament IV. 13. 3ly A Reflexion upon it 1. With detestation as to our selves Gen. XLIX 6. Psal LXXX 17. 2. With contempt as to his mistaken Enemies Wisd III. 2. V. 4. III. 3. 3. With assurance of his felicity Wisd III. 4. V. 5. 4ly A Consideration of the Judgment due for it and thereon 1. The Prayer to spare the Innocent 1. The Nation Psal XCIV 1. LI. 18. Deut. XXI 8. 2. Our selves Psalm XXVI 9. LI. 14. 2ly The Reason why the Guilty may fear punishment 1. From God's hatred of such Psal V. 4 ver 6. 2. From his dealings with others Ps LXXIII ver 18 19. 5ly A Conclusion owning again God's Righteousness Apocal. XV. 3. Psal CXIX 137. Brief Notes upon this Hymn PSal CXIX 137. Even when we cannot discern the particular Reasons of thy Providence thy Nature assures us thou art ever Righteous and in time thy Judgments appear equitable Nehem. IX 33. It was a great Calamity to us to be so soon deprived of so excellent a Prince but we cannot censure thy Providence because we must own that though he were innocent yet we of this Nation at that time were grievous Sinners Psal LXXIII 2 3. But while so innocent and eminent a Saint a professor a practicer and defender of the true Religion suffers so unjustly and severely and the Hypocrites Atheists persidious and cruel Men who oppressed him prospered and flourished It startled many good Men (g) See Job XXI 6. Jer. XII 1. Flagitiosi vero in quantâvis prosperitate sunt calamitosi Apollon in Stobae who could not apprehend why God should seem to desert his Friends and abet the Cause which he hated Psal II. 2. LXXIII 5. The whole proceeding was indeed very strange the rabble and drags of the People mutinyed and the Great Men whom he had advanced met in Cabals and consulted how to pull down the true Religion which the Lord had planted here (h) Acts IX 4. me inquit Christus non meos Aug. de sanct Serm. 14. and to destroy Gods Anointed who they know would not permit them while he lived to overthrow the Church Therefore they plotted his destruction and entred into an illegal and wicked Covenant against him Psal XXXI 15. While he stayed in his Palace thousands of the vile Populace came in droves and railed at him crying out for Justice that is for Innocent Blood And He knew that those who stirred up these Tumults were then conspiring his Death Psal CIX 2. For the compassing of which bloody Design they represented all his Actions most falsly and maliciously in their Libels Speeches and Remonstrances and then raised open War against Him without any just Cause For he had not attempted either to alter Religion or invade Property as they falsly suggested Psal XLI 9. On the contrary He would have preserved both and was kind to all his Subjects but more particularly to some of these Traytors who had been raised to great honour and wealth by him enjoyed high and profitable Places under him and ate at his very Table (i) This is applied to Judas Mark XIV 18. yet like Judas these betrayed their Master Psal XXXV 12. These were very Monsters of Ingratitude like the young Ram which dashes with his horns the paps he sucks as the Greek Proverb is (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. ap Suid. They had received good from him but requited him with all the mischief they could do him This baseness touched him very neerly Psal LXXI 9. So did also the spiteful Reflexions they made on his Sufferings as if they were a demonstration of Gods having rejected and deserted him His losses and their success like David's Enemies encouraged them to persecute and seize him fancying Heaven would never call them to account for it But they were deceived both in their censures and their hopes for a little time shewed that God corrected Him in love (l) Hebr. XII 6. Prov. III. 2. and destroyed them in his anger Lament IV. 20. However they did prevail then but it was our loss more than the Martyred Kings for our welfare depended on his He was as necessary to our Safety as the Breath of our Nostrils is to our Life (m) Animus Rei Pub. es tu illa Corpus tuum Tu ille spiritus vitalis quem tot millia trahunt Senec. de Clem. l. 1. c. 4 5. And we hoped when God had Anointed over us so wise so pious and so gracious a King we might long have lived under him in peace and plenty and have been more happy than any Nation But God punished us in letting him fall into their Pits Lam. IV. 12. Psal XLI 5 ver 8. Who could have imagined that such Miscreants should have been let loose upon a rightly reformed Christian Church who should thirst so vehemently for the Blood of its Supream Governor And should be permitted to proceed to so high a degree of wickedness as to Try him without Law and pass Sentence on him that was intirely Innocent as if he had
been really guilty yea and at last to bring him to that cruel Death which they all along designed Psal XXXV 11. 'T is true they could not do this without perverting his Actions and hiring false Witnesses (n) cum sint proemia salsi Nulla ratam debet testis habere fidem Ovid. But these prosligate Wretches after repeated Murders and Perjuries stuck at nothing though never so false unjust and impious Lam. IV. 13. Without doubt the People of this Land had highly provoked Heaven by their Sins and the very Priests had grievously offended God or he would not have laid such a Judgment on Church and State both (o) adsit Regula peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas Nec scutica dignum horribili sectere flagello Horat. Sat. 3. nor permitted Religion and the Government to be both ruined by the Murder of this just Prince whose Blood was openly shed in the greatest of our Cities and none appeared to rescue him Gen. XLIX 6. But as old Jacob hearing of the Massacre of the Shechemites shewed at once his innocence and indignation by detesting the Fact So we abhor their Plots abominate their Counsels and bloody Judicatures (p) Consilium eorum non placuit animae meae Targ. Hieros in loc We desire our Life may never come before such Judges nor our Honour be stained with such Associates (q) Eorum nolim ut in fidem vita mea veniat aut in Societatem honos committatur Vers Castal who make nothing of killing a man Psal LXXX ver 17. No nor of murdering a King who was set up by Gods own right Hand singularly beloved by him and advanced to live and dye for Gods true Religion Wisd V. 4. III. 3 4. V. 5. They foolishly imagined he was brought to the last degree of misery and thought they had with his Life deprived him of all good And as the Pagans thought the Christians mad (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. Iphigen who for fear of dying after they were dead feared not to dye for their Faith So these Atheists thought his holy Life madness and his fatal Stroak infamous Not considering that this outward punishment sitted him better for and sent him sooner to Eternal peace His death made him immortal (s) Si tamen fas est omnino mertem vocare quâ tanti viri mortalitas magis est finita quam vita Plin. lib. 2. ep 1. And he whom they falsly numbred among Transgressors is numbred among the Saints in glory Psal XCIV 1. LI. 18. However this was a grievous Sin and when we remember that thou O God art the supreme Judge to whom it originally alone belongs to punish (t) Vindicta pro Poena Mich. V. 15. Rom. III. 5. we cannot but humbly beg of thee Not to judge and condemn this Nation for this horrid Crime Since we are thy peculiar People be so kind for thy Truth 's sake which is professed here to spare this Land Deut. XXI 8. Thou didst command Israel when a man was found murdered to pray to thee in these words Be merciful O Lord unto thy People whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent Blood to our charge and by this means they were to remove that guilt We therefore use the same Prayer and hope it shall have the same effect in this deplorable case Psal XXVI 9. LI. 14. The Vengeance due to those Sinners and blood-thirsty Wretches who committed this execrable Murder is so dreadful that we beseech thee to keep off that Death from us here and that Damnation hereafter which they deserve Blood is a crying Sin O Lord deliver us for thou only canst save us from it and if thou wilt pardon and acquit us we shall have great reason to sing the praises of thy infinite Mercy Psal V. 4 ver 6. As for the Actors in this wicked Tragedy they cannot hope to escape for God is so Holy in his Nature that he cannot be pleased with Wickedness nor have Any agreement with the workers of Evil (u) 2 Cor. VI. 14 15. His Truth and Justice bind him to destroy false Witnesses and false Accusers and he abhors utterly such bloody Hypocrites as under colour of Religion (w) Simulata aequitas est duplex iniquitas Aug. in Psal 63. shed innocent Blood Psal LXXIII 18 19. They were indeed advanced by this Impiety to very great wealth and honour but they enjoyed not very long what they got so basely When Heaven began with these Regicides Oh how deplorable and how very suddenly did they consume away They perished without pity and such as did not dye of Grief and odious Diseases came to fearful ends either executing themselves (x) Percussorum autem ferè neque triennio quisquam ampliùs supervixit neque sua morte defunctus est Sueton. de percus Jul. Caesar p. 112. or being cut off by the Law as Traytors So that their usurped Power and Grandeur vanished like a Dream when one awaketh and like the Images we behold in sleep so God made them all to vanish and now nothing is left of them in this Kingdom but an indelible Infamy upon their Memory Apocalyp XV. 3. Psal CXIX 137. Now how can we consider this Mercy of God to the Royal Martyr and the Vengeance he took on his Murderers and not sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb Owning that our Almighty Lord God is Great and wonderful in his Works his Methods at last appear to be Just and True He proves himself King of his Saints by avenging their Blood Wherefore we end as we began with declaring that He is righteous in his Nature and all his Judgments are just Glory therefore be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The proper Psalms IX X XI § II. THere are also very pertinent Psalms chosen for this Occasion which I shall first explain by a brief Analysis and then apply by short Notes Psal IX was writ on Goliah's death and it contains 1st Praise 1st With respect to himself and so 1st He solemnly performs it ver I II. 2ly He gives the Reasons of it 1. Gods Justice on his Enemies ver III IV V VI. 2. His continual Authority ver VII VIII 3. His care of the Injured ver IX X. 2ly With respect to others and so 1st He exhorts others to it ver XI 2ly Gives the Reason why he doth so ver XII 2ly Prayer 1st The Petition for Mercy in his Distress ver XIII 2ly The Motive for God to hear it viz. his Gratitude ver XIV 3ly A Declaration 1st Of the Divine Judgments on the wicked v. XV XVI v. XVII 2ly Of his Mercy to the patient and oppressed v. XVIII 4ly A Conclusion by way of desiring God to exert his Power still ver XIX ver XX. Brief Notes upon the IXth Psalm VEr I II. We who have seen the Justice of God executed on those
the Martyr was restored to his Crown and the Posterity of such who were slain banished or undone in his Quarrel recovered their Estates and all things were so well setled again both in Church and State that such as sprang from Dunghils the Dregs of the People who are commonly the worst Oppressors (y) Asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum we hope shall never more prevail at that rate in this Nation But that the Monarchy and Religion shall be established among us from henceforth for ever Amen Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The XI Psalm § 4. THIS Psalm was composed by David when he was threatned and his Life attempted by Saul or Absolon expressing what it was that supported him and is very applicable to our Royal Martyr under his Troubles Psalm XI contains a description 1st Of a good man under great afflictions viz. 1. His own steddy Faith part of Ver. I. 2. His Enemies practices 1. Their Insults part of Ver. I. 2. Their Attempts Ver. II. 3. Their Success Ver. III. 2ly Of Gods dealing in such a case viz. 1. He is easie of access Ver. IV. 2. He knows all things done here Ver. V. 3. He always judges right Ver. VI. 4. He severely punishes the wicked Ver. VII 5. He is inclined to favour the just Ver. VIII Brief Notes upon this Psalm Ver. I II III. SINCE I firmly trust in the Lord who is a sure refuge it is not all your insulting threats can terrifie me (z) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazian You advise me to desert my Station and fly to some remote place of Strength to save my Life you count me like a poor helpless Bird that the Fowler is just ready to shoot and kill I know they hate me for my Integrity I see they are raising Forces and preparing to fight against me to destroy me because I cannot renounce my Religion my Own and my Peoples Rights Some would persuade me to yield up my Honour and my Conscience telling me otherwise the Foundations of Church and State will be razed by this Cruel War Well if that be the sad event I must rather suffer than sin (a) Telerabilior est qui â—eri jubet quam qui male vivere Pub. Min. Frustra hominem terrâ—â—â—s nihil ille nisi peccatum timet Dict de Chrysost If I can say safely I am innocent and have done no wickedness to contribute toward it I shall have the testimony of a good Conscience and the will of the Lord be done Ver. IV V VI. So long as my Conscience is clear God will hear my Prayer (b) John IX 31. I can cheerfully go to the Church while I have liberty or to Heaven where God dwells if I were consined to a Prison and doubt not but I shall be accepted But if I do a Sin to get present ease God who sees and tries all mens Actions would soon discover it whereas now while I keep my integrity God will consider me though I be brougâ—â— into never so low a condition No man therefore shall prevail with me to pâ—rchase Peace with betraying my Trust (c) Pax sine Veritate preditio est Tert. Vid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paâ—â—m since I know and firmly believe that God doth approve and allow the Deeds of just Men even while he correct them And abhors the unjust and wicked from his very Soul even while he spares them and seems for a while to let them prosper Ver. VII VIII However it may go with good and bad Men here for a time it is certain God will punish the Wicked and reward the Righteous at last He will either bring a sudden dreadful and irresistible judgment upon them in this World as he did upon Sodom in that Lightning and Thunder as driven with a violent Storm and Tempest (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. XVII 25. i. e. Fulgur Tenuâ—ru Vid. Grot. in locum which catcht them all as in a Snare so that not one of them escaped or if by Gods forbearance some few of them escape a sudden and horrible Punishment here they shall suffer that Fire and Brimstone of Hell whereof this was but an Emblem for ever and ever (e) Quanto enim diutius expeâ—tâ—r 〈◊〉 gravius vindicat Aug. de temp Soâ— 1â—2 But as for holy Men God is holy in his Nature he therefore doubtless ever loves and will reward them He may hide his Face for a time but he will finally cast a gracious and favourable Look upon righteous Actions In which smal Belief I will now sing Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Lessons 2 Sam. I. St. Math. XXVII § 5. THere is no parallel for this Inhuman Murder of a Holy and Innocent King by his own Subjects in all the Old Testament and therefore the Church is content to read the History of David's Justice upon the Infidel who murdered Saul and his mourning for him who had been his Sovereign though he was his Mortal Enemy and had Apostatized from God and was forsaken by Heaven yet he was Master of so much Charity as to lament his Fate How much more Reason then had our State to punish those Barbarous Rebels who murdered a Righteous King beloved by God and who was Martyred for firmly adhering to the True Religion and also to set apart a Day of Humiliation for Fasting and Prayer and to draw up a mournful Office (e) 2 Sam. I. 11 12 and Ver. 18. after the Example in the Lesson on this occasion As for the Second Lesson it is the ordinary Chapter appointed in course by the Kalendar to be read for January XXX But by a signal Providence the Bloody Rebels chose that Day for the Executing their King on which at the Church which they seldom came to this History of our Saviours Crucifixion was appointed to be read His Majesty had actually forgot this was the proper Lesson and therefore when Bishop Juxon who said the Morning Office immediately before his Martyrdom named this Chapter The Blessed Prince asked him if he had chosen it as fit on this Occasion But when he knew it was established of old he noted and admired the suteableness of it to his present Circumstances Who was Betrayed by some Denyed by others and Deserted by the rest of his seeming Friends and left to the Bloody and Implacable Malice of his Barbarous Enemies who used him with the same Contempt and Ingratitude Outrage and Cruelty that the Jews used their King and our Saviour while he imitated his Great Master animated by this Chapter in Meekness and Patience Piety to God and Charity to all even to his Murderers So that there is so exact a similitude between the Sufferings of Christ and our Martyr that there needs nothing to apply so exact a Copy to its Original The First Collect. The First Collect consists
to his Messengers and which shall render him the fruits in their season according to the Condition of the Covenant made with him And this was the Event in this Case for God soon after the Death of Christ cut off and miserably destroyed the unbelieving Jews and finally rejecting them chose the Christians for his own People And in our Case Heaven brought our Regicides to condign Punishment and set up rightful and just Governours both in Church and State The Last Morning Collect. This Collect relates to the happy End of that great Rebellion and contains 1st An humble Confession 1. In general of Gods Mildness O Lord our Heavenly Father c. 2. In particular of 1. Our great loss by the Fathers Death that though for our many c. 2. Our own deliverance from Anarchy Yet thou didst not leave us c. 3. The preservation and restoring of the Son But by thy gracious providence didst c. 2ly A hearty Thanksgiving for these Mercies For these thy great and unspeakable mercies c. 3ly An earnest Prayer for 1. The whole Royal Family Beseeching thee still to continue c. 2. His Majesty now reigning and to grant to our Gracious c. 4ly A Vow of Gratitude on the Answer of it So we that are thy people c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 10. O Lord our Heavenly Father who didst not punish c. The late Gospel puts us in mind that our Sin was so like that of the Jews as may give us just cause to fear our Punishment also should have been the same that is to have our Name and Nation rooted out But since the Mercy of Heaven reversed that severe Doom we begin this Prayer with the words of Ezra and Job's Friend (b) Exod. IX 13. Job XI 6. and confess that our Heavenly Father exacted of us and punished us less than our Iniquity deserved The Debt of our Sins was so great that if God had exacted the utmost Farthing for an Impiety so transcendent we had been no more a People But while he was punishing us under the Regicides usurpation according to the Prophets Prayer in the midst of wrath he remembred mercy (c) Hab. III. 2. and even while he was correcting us he was contriving a way for our escape (d) 1 Cor. X. 13. which shews Mercy is his Nature and Delight always it proves he doth not either afflict willingly or long because while our Sins force him to punish his Heart inclines him to pity us and his Power is at work to deliver us and our grief for a past and now helpless Calamity must not proceed so far as to make us ungrateful for the Event which Gods goodness gave to those Dismal Times We acknowledge it thine especial Favour that though c. This Period begins to apply Gods correcting Mercy to our Case and to render our Deliverance more illustrious we here place the Midnight of our sad Distress before the Light of our thrice happy Deliverance commemorating how far our Sins had forced the Divine Permission to give way to the very worst of all Judgments to befall us that is to give up one so dear to himself so like to be a Blessing to us and so perfectly Innocent as to his own Actions into the hands of the worst and most wicked of all Human Race Our Sins must be very provoking to move our Heavenly Father to suffer such an injury to be done to us and his Mercy must be as stupendious to pity us then when we were groaning under the Iron Rods of their Tyranny whose lashes we had made our selves liable to by suffering the best of all our Princes that ever adorned the English Throne to be cut off so unjustly And therefore the Judgment it self though very severe must not hinder us from owning the truly admirable concern of Divine Mercy for so just sufferers which we therefore own to be his especial Favour Yet didst thou not leave us for ever as Sheep c. Kings are often compared to Shepherds in Sacred Ecclesiastical and Civil Authors (e) Isai XLIV 28. Sorores sunt artes pascendi D. Basil Conc. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer And the comparison is verified by woful experience when the sheepherd is smitten and the sheep scattered (f) Mat. XXVI 31. For then alas a People becomes like sheep having no shepherd (g) 1 King XXII 17. And if this were Israels case when Ahab was cut off it must be more sadly ours upon the Death of our good Josiah The Wolves and Foxes who seized his Power fleeced us and tore us scattered and devoured us without Restraint or Mercy during their twelve years Tyranny But God did not leave us for ever in this estate but by a singular Providence very gracious to us and miraculous in it self did first preserve the Martyrs Son King Charles the 2d though Bloody Peters a name twice fatal to us after the Fathers Murder blasphemously applied that of Isaiah (h) Isai XIV 21. Prepare the slaughter for his Children to encourage the Regicides to cut off the Son Yet after they had routed this Innocent Prince in Battel and not only sought him here with all the diligence of implacable Malice but hired Assassins and offered Mony to Foreign Nations whither he fled for refuge to dispatch him still he was by Heaven preserved and as David in Sauls Persecution hid as it were under the shadow of Gods wings until their Tyranny was overpast (i) Psal LVII 1. This was the first step of Divine Mercy And didst bring him back in thy good appointed time c. The second step was the Restauration The Storm was long and violent but when we had smarted severely under variety of precarious Forms of Government then Gods appointed and the fit time came for our Deliverance Then the Martyrs Son was restored not by Blood and Foreign Arms which that good Prince would never use against his own Subjects but by Gods turning all mens hearts (k) 2 Sam. XIX 14. the thing was effected to the satisfaction of all but the surviving Criminals But this was a Blessing which reached farther than that Kings Person and lasted longer than his Life for with him that Family was restored which had before afforded us Two Religious and Righteous Kings and which was more with him came in the True Protestant Religion and the Primitive Doctrine Discipline and Government of the Church as also the ancient hereditary Monarchy evenly poised between the Princes Prerogative and the Peoples Rights was recalled with him And these consequences of his Return made his Return to be so great a Blessing in it self and so Just a Subject of our Praises For these thy great and unspeakable Mercies we render c. The preserving that Prince abroad and bringing him back to Rule over us was therefore an unspeakable Mercy to us because with him our ancient Government and true Religion was so
restored and setled that neither the Force nor Fraud used in the next Reign could deprive us of them Had the Martyr given up our Church or our Liberties to be for ever destroyed by consenting to any wicked Law (l) Psal XCIV 20. or his Son made our Religion and Rights the Condition of his Restauration probably we had been eternally deprived of both But God prevented both these dismal Evils Wherefore the most sincere Gratitude from the bottom of our hearts (m) Ex initimis cordis penetralibus is due to his holy Name which therefore every good Protestant and true Englishman is bound this day to pay Beseeching thee still to continue thy gracious c. That which makes a Royal Family dear to the Nation is not barely their own Right but their being what God intends them the Ministers of God to them for good (n) Rom. XIII 4. Meque non solum officio publico debitas pendere precas sed officio privato D. Ambros ep ad Grat. The Martyrs first Son was beloved by all because he restored their Liberties and their Religion But we have seen an Experiment since that when one of that Family attempted on these two dear things nothing could make his People believe him to be a Blessing However blessed be God we have now the Martyrs Grandchild one of the same Royal Family on the Throne who keeps up and defends our True Religion and Old Monarchy Wherefore it is fit we should now turn our Praises into Prayers for the Prosperity of all the Branches of this Royal House but especially for him who hath reduced our Religion and Rights to that very state to which his Grandfather of Blessed Memory did though in vain alas attempt to bring them He ventured his Life and Fortune to rescue us and hath Power and Courage to keep off Foreign Foes Prudence and Conduct to suppress Domestick Designs Why should we not therefore pray that his Reign may be long which will lengthen our Felicity and happy since we are sure to share in the Felicities of it He is a Father to his People and a true Friend (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xen. Cyropaed lib. 6. and therefore we are bound in interest as well as Duty to wish him long Life and Victory Prosperity and Peace So we that are thy People will give thanks c. Gods People and the Sheep of his Pasture can never be more obliged than by his giving them a King who professeth practiseth and defends the True Religion So that since this is our case we may well conclude with a Vow of Gratitude So that we promise him to praise him for our times if he will continue this King to reign over us while we live and we doubt not but our Posterity so long as they have any sense of the Value of True Religion and Legal Right will count it an inestimable Blessing to have such a King as secures both and therefore we promise and engage for their Gratitude who will receive the advantage (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. de educ Principis we make no question but their Duty and Interest both will engage them as David on a like occasion speaks (q) Psal LXXIX 14. to continue to shew forth the Praises of God in all succeeding Generations through Jesus Christ our Lord by whose intercession we and they obtain this mighty Favour of a good King And may God accept his Intercession and our Prayers for so great and so lasting a Blessing Amen There is nothing more in this part of the Office but the old Collect upon the fifth Sunday after Trinity which desires that the Changes in Government may make none in Religion and that there may be Peace in the State to give the Church more freedom to Pray and serve God devoutly But it is so apparently proper I need not to apply it Only I shall note that by a special Providence this very Collect hapned to be used and was answered a little before the late Revolution when we were in the dubious expectations of an almost hopeless Deliverance Anno 1688. THE Evening Prayer FOR THE XXXth of January § 1. NOthing is new in this Part but the Psalms the Lessons and three Collects The Proper Psalms are three the two former relating to the Miseries of the Civil War (a) Psal LXXIX Psal XCIV The third which is therefore out of its usual order set last respecting the happy Change at the Restauration (b) Psal LXXXV Psal LXXIX contains Five Particulars 1st A relation how Gods People suffered in 1. Their Religion Ver. I. 2. Their Persons Ver. II III. 3. In their good Name Ver. IV. 2ly An Expostulation with God on this Occasion Ver. V. 3ly Prayers 1. For Justice on the Evil-doers Ver. VI VII 2. For Pardon and Help to the Sufferers Vr. VIII IX 4ly Motives to both requests 1. The former 1. Their Insolence Ver. X. 2. Gods Vindication Ver. XI 2. The latter 1. Pity to the Pious who yet remained alive Ver. XIII 2. Justice to the Evil who presumed by Impunity Ver. XIII 5ly A Vow of lasting and constant returns of Praise Ver. XIV Brief Notes upon the LXXIXth Psalm Ver. I II III IV. THis Psalm begins with a lively description of the Miseries of Jerusalem upon the sacking thereof by the King of Babylon and if David writ it he did it by the Spirit of Prophecy However 't is very applicable to our sad Condition during the Civil War only the Jews suffered by Heathens we by such whose deeds were worse than Pagan while they called themselves Christians (c) Quid verba audiam cum facta video Cicero de Graccho Tusc qu. lib. 3. p. 376. Unbelievers and Hypocrites have the same Portion in the next World (d) Mat. XXIV 51. compar'd with Luke XII 42. and we may joyn them here For our pretended Saints but real Infidels outdid the Assyrian Heathens defiled our Churches making them Stables for Horses and Guard-houses for worse Brutes destroyed many Towns and fair Pallaces reducing goodly Castles to be heaps of Ruins They murdered vast numbers of the Kings faithful Subjects stript them and left them in the field unburied But in this they exceeded those Heathens for these seized upon their own lawful Prince and under pretence of zeal murdered him a Fact forbid by all civilized Nations to kill a King of another Country though taken in a just War (e) Benè mojores nostri hoc compara verunt ut nullum regem quem armis cepissent vitâ privarent Cicer. ad Herâ—nn l. 4. Quis unquam Princeps captum Principem trucidavit Petr. de Vineis ep 39. p. 233. but never done in any reformed Country before This made our Nation therefore very infamous to all foreign Lands and a derision to Papists more especially who charged this falsly upon the Reformation This revived the old Scandal upon the Barbarous Britains that they were only
then we grow very high and vain And if we barely conceit we are though but in one instance better than others (n) Prov. III. 7. this puffs us up with Pride till we forget the frailty and meanness of our Nature which though it be outwardly clothed with never so gay a fortune or inwardly adorned with never so excellent Gifts still we are in our Nature but like Dust out of which Man was made (o) Gen. III. 19. Pulvis non modo eris sed es D. Bern. Quid superbis pulvis ciuis cujus conceptus culpa nasci miseria vivere poena mori angustia id Medit c. 3. or the Ashes he shall be reduced to that is we are as soon and as easily scattered and blown away and being also very sinful alas we may provoke Heaven to cut us off sooner than our usual term of Life Why then should we be proud of any thing within us or without us when the Vessel it self is so brittle which contains it Why should we be exalted at these things which we have so slender hold of If Greatness or good Qualities had been preservatives against Death and Violence our Royal Martyr had been secure because both of them met in perfection in him but he thus falling methinks we should never presume But that according to the Example of this c. This excellent King may justly be stiled a Blessed Martyr since his Life was so holy and his Death was a Witness and Seal to his Faith for he chose a cruel Execution rather than he would violate his Conscience by deserting the Church and his Peoples Rights (p) Non poena sed causa facit Martyrem Aug. ep 61. And none of the noble Army of Martyrs have left us a better Example We may learn all the former Lessons from him He long expected and strictly prepared for Death he despised all the Glories of this World and while all but his blinded Enemies admired him he had low thoughts of himself The Crown he alone desired was that of Immortality and therefore both in prosperity and adversity with St. Paul he still pressed forward toward this mark (q) Phil. III. 14. even that Prize of Eternal Life which God the Master of the Race hath promised to all that love and fear him And in order to obtain this Crown he exercised all those Graces practised all those Virtues that lead to it His Faith was active and steddy his Patience singular and extraordinary his Humility most conspicuous and truly lovely his Meekness under the highest provocations was stupendious and admirable his Mortification in the plenty and pleasures of a Court was unparalleld his Charity in pitying praying for and forgiving his Enemies was scarce ever equalled by any mortal Man finally he persevered in all these Graces to the end he was faithful to the Death and so no doubt he is now Blessed and hath obtained what he ever wished for even the Crown of Eternal Life (r) Rev. II. 10. Now if we-desire a part in the Glories he enjoys we must follow his Steps practise these Virtues in which he spent his Life (s) Nescio qua fronte cum omnibus sanctis partem habere in aeternâ beatitudine desideramus quorum exempla sequi non acquiescimus Aug. de Temp. Ser. 61. and hold fast that Faith which he sealed with his Blood at his Death and then though we be not called to the Crown of Martyrdom yet we shal ever live with him and all the holy Martyrs and our Lot shall be among the Saints And all this for thy Son our Lord Iesus c. These Petitions are all of so high importance to us that though as Sinners we are unworthy to ask them yet since we cannot be sanctified and saved unless we obtain them We come to the Throne of Grace and beg them in his Name whose Intercession can prevail for every thing that we can need or Heaven grant and if for Jesus sake these our Prayers be heard we do promise to make returns of Praise yea in hopes of success through this our most powerful Advocate we do now actually give to the Father to whom our Prayer is directed to the Son in whose Name our Prayers are heard and to the Holy Ghost by whose aid we pray fervently all Honour and Glory and resolve to do so for ever and ever Amen The end of the Office for Jan. XXX A DISCOURSE ON THE OFFICE FOR THE XXIXth of May. BEING A Thanksgiving for the Restauration of the King and Royal Family An. 1660. THAT which was premised to the preceding Office may serve for a Preface to this because the Miseries of that Day made way for the Joy of this Solemnity The Royal Martyrs Cruel Tragedy and all the Woful Consequences of it in Church and State for twelve tedious years made this Day to be celebrated with such extraordinary and universal rejoycing as if the Nation had got a New Soul and every Man had that day been first made Free. To see our Oppressors suddenly vanish our Ancient Government and our Lawful King our Native Liberties and Gods True Religion restored without Blood or the least Opposition was the wonder of all the Christian World and so great a Blessing to this Land that so long as the Church of England and that Royal Family then restored continue which I hope will be till Time be swallowed up by Eternity so long this Day must be registred in our Kalenders as a day of Praise and Thanksgiving And since we and the Ages after us have and will receive the benefit of the establishments then made we and our Posterity are bound to keep up the Memorial of this great Mercy The Sentences and the Hymn instead of the Venite § 1. THis Office is introduced with Proper Sentences The First Dan. IX 9 10. being Daniels Confession of his Peoples Transgression and of Gods Mercy and this is to be used also upon Jan. XXX and is explained in the Companion to the Temple Part I. The second Sentence Lament III. 22. ascribes our preservation from utter Ruin solely and intirely to the Divine Mercy and Never-failing Compassion The Hymn instead of the Venite hath seven Particulars 1st A Resolution to praise God for ever Ps LXXXIX 1. 2ly The Grounds of it 1. For the greatness of his Works Psal CXI 4. CVI. 2. CXI 2. 2. The Equity of his Providence Psal CXLVII 6. CIII 6. 3. The Wonders of his Mercy Psal CIII 9 10 11 13. 3ly A Commemoration of 1. Our great Troubles Psal LXVI 9.11 LXXI 18. 2. Our happy Deliverance out of them Psal CXXXVI 23 24. Psal LXXXV 1. LIX 10. 3. Our Enemies just fall Psal XX. 8. XXXVI 12. 4ly A Prophecy of future Success Psal CXV 12 13. 5ly A Prayer 1. For our own Gratitude Psal CVII 21.22 2. For our Childrens remembring it after us Psal LXXVIII 4 6 9. 6ly An Exhortation to all to praise God
provoke him once more to throw us into the like sad Confusions l (k) Quae contulit gratis tollit ingratis Aughom 14. and when ever we fall into them to refuse us a second Rescue And this reason affects us in this Generation and will be of force to make this Day observed as long as this Church and the Monarchy stand Secondly We are to offer up the Praises of our Lips unto him in Hymns and Psalms that we may declare the glory of his great Name and let all men see his Mercy endureth for ever he is the same gracious God who in all Ages did deliver and preserve his Church and People and our joyful praising him for this new instance of his Favour will invite others to love and trust in him yea it will engage many to joyn with us in admiring and glorifying his holy Name But Thirdly There is another offering required viz. the sincere oblation of our selves to the service of our Deliverer (m) Rom. XII 1. Scipsum offerre Deo propriè Christianorum est Hioron ep 28. Some think the Original of Servants among Men who were at first all born and equally free was that some forfeited their Lives and lost their Liberty by being taken captive in War Now he that saved them or bought them by paying the Price of their Ransom had a just Title to the service of their whole Lives (n) Servi dicti sunt quod imperatores captivos vendere per hoc servare nec occidere solent F. l. 1. Tit. 5. de statu hominum L. 4. Now if we apply this to God he did thus save and deliver us in these Nations and we can no other way own our Lives and Liberties to be his Gifts but by intirely giving up our selves to do his holy Will all the days of our Lives And though considering our vileness and the imperfect Services which we do him when we do our best this is but a mean and unworthy Offering tendred by unprofitable Servants (o) Luke XVII 10. At nos non omnia servamus multorum rei sumus ideo non inutiles tantùm sed minus quam inutiles Cajet in loc Yet St. Paul encourages us to it by assuring us if it be unfeigned it is an acceptable service to God he will be pleased yea delighted with it Vowing all holy Obedience in thought word and work c. That which was Metaphorically expressed in the last Paragraph is put into plain words in this For Obedience is the Characteristick of a Servant who is not his own (p) Rom. VI. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. his Masters Will and not his must be done he must go and come work or rest by anothers Order (q) Mat. VIII 9. if it be a mortal Master our Deeds must be whatever he enjoyns and our Words must be submissive though he command us in harsh language or chide us wrongfully (r) Titus II. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Crit. p. 61. 'T is true there our thoughts are free because no Man can know them but since we choose God for our Master who sees our very Hearts we must vow all holy Obedience to him in thought also And since we make this Vow in a solemn Prayer and upon a just conviction that we promise nothing but what is Gods right and due and that to which we were engaged before in our Baptism we must not make it a Sacrifice of Fools (s) Eccles V. 3 4. who promise and take no care to perform But seriously set our selves to consider our great Obligations to pay this Holy Obedience and our great advantage by making good this Vow and then we shall endeavour to conform our Thoughts Words and Works intirely to his holy Laws which will secure his Favour and Protection here and his Endless Rewards prepared for his Faithful Servants hereafter Oh how happy had it been if those of the Loyal Party had considered this at the Restauration then they had been all as good Christians as they were good Subjects had they made this use of their so much Desired and Blessed a Change it had been a double yea an infinite Blessing to them and made their Lives as Holy as their Condition was Happy But alas as if their Loyalty to the King had freed them from the fear of God (t) 1 Pet. II. 17. and dispensed with their Obedience to the King of Kings who delivered both them and their beloved Master too many of them fell into all those excesses of Vice which Prosperity betrays weak Minds into and thereby occasioned many Calamities to fall on these Nations in the Reign of that gentle Prince yea probably by this they provoked Heaven to take him so soon away from us And promising in thee and sor thee all Loyal c. If we are sincerely Gods Servants one of his Commands is to be subject to the higher Powers for the Lords sake And this Precept is rightly singled out here because in that great Rebellion so many of those who stiled themselves Gods peculiar Children and Servants had broken this holy Law by raising an offensive War against their own Sovereign Murdering him and Excluding his unquestionable Heir After which high violation of the Divine Laws in vain were all their Hypocritical Pretences in calling God Lord Lord (u) Luke VI. 46. The Cheat was so visible that it could not deceive wise Men much less could it impose on the All-seeing Judge of the World whose Judgments were so severe on these manifest Dissemblers that I hope it will be a warning to this Generation to be Loyal and pay a dutiful Allegiance to our present King who is as Pious and Just as Wise and Valiant as any of his Predecessors and not only governs us by Law at home but signalizes himself also abroad as the Champion of the true Reformed Religion So that if there be any who hate the Faith he defends or fear his Justice for their Crimes or whose only hope to mend their broken Fortunes is by the publick Ruin (w) Privatim degeneres in publicum exitiosi nihil spci nisi per discordias habent Tacit. An. lib. 2. pag. 655. we must resolve they shall never draw us either into secret Plots nor open Rebellion against so gracious a Prince No malicious Representations of his Designs or Actions no little scruples concerning what the Law hath made his Right no revenge for missing or losing some private Advantage must make us deny our Allegiance to him who so well deserves it especially since as Englishmen and Protestants we have no prospect of a Change but what if it be brought about by force will make us ten times more miserable than ever we were before the Restauration (x) Amos V. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucian Nec Wherefore we do wisely justly and Christianly in this Prayer promise Allegiance to his present Majesty and his Successors Whom we beseech thee to
judge all Men Not every one that saith unto me I am his Master and by an outward Profession seems to be my Disciple though he doth call me Lord Lord frequently and with a seeming Zeal in his long Prayers shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven if that be all his Religion (i) Apud me certum est quod qui Christo credunt ista non faciunt Moses Confess de Lucio ap Euseb l. 9. c. 8. such Hypocrites will be found out and condemned at the last Day And no Man shall be justified and rewarded then but he that in all things in the duties of the Second Table as well as the First doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven and particularly in this point of Obedience to the present Powers which I have so clearly declared to be Gods Holy Will The Last Collect. The Last Collect contains 1st Acknowledgments of 1. The Author of this Mercy O Almighty God and c. 2. The Motive to it who of thine infinite c. 3. The Manner of doing it didst in a most extraordinary c. 4. The greatness of it as to 1. The Persons engaged in it of those traiterous c. 2. Their Methods who under pretence c. 3. Their Progress contriv'd and well nigh c. 2ly A Publick Return of Praise therefore As we do this Day most c. 3ly Petitions to God 1. To Prevent the like Calamity So we most humbly c. 2. To Discover such Designs To this end send out c. 3. To Baffle the Actors Infatuate and defeat c. 4. To enable the King to punish them Strengthen the hands c. 5. To Keep him from such Plots Protect and Defend our Sovereign c. 6. To send Divine Judgments on the Implacable As for these that are c. 7. To Prosper and Preserve our happy Monarchy But upon Him and his Successors c. 4ly Vows of lasting Thanksgivings So we that are thy People c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 12. ALmighty God and Heavenly Father who of c. This Regular Collect as the Analysis shews contains all that is proper on this Occasion and rightly begins with a Confession that the Author of this great Work was Almighty God our Heavenly Father Nothing less than Omnipotence could and none but a Coelestial Father would bring such mighty things to pass (i) Deus nobis haec otia fecit Virg. Considering our Enemies Power and our inability to resist it was Infinite Mercy to Pity and required an Almighty Arm to rescue us And the way by which it was effected was so wonderful and extraordinary that it scarce can be parallel'd in History That such as had seized the supreme Power and were guarded with a mighty Fleet and a strong Army secured by all the Forts and Magazines by Friends and by all the Wealth in the Nation should of a sudden without one stroke either fly from or submit to a poor Prince whom they had stript of all but his Innocence and his Right and that alone Sunk them and Exalted him Again The Collect calls to our Minds the Temper of those we were then delivered from being such as St. Paul describes should come in the last and worst of Times (k) 2 Tim. III. 4. Traitors to the best of Kings Heady and Obstinate in their evil Designs High-minded and Impatient of any Superior Now nothing but the Ruin of their Native Country can satisfie such Mens Avarice and Ambition and since that is too odious to be declared they covered the Bloody Hook with a pretended Zeal for a pure Religion and a through Reformation both in Church and State and a feigned Reverence for God's Name which were such taking Baits to the Populace who thought them all Saints (l) Duplicis peccati reatus est non habere quod creditur quod non habeo simulare Sulpic. Sever. ep ad Soror that thereby they pulled down the Monarchy and broke the Church to pieces enriching themselves with all the ill-gotten Spoils of both Crown and Miter Yea they had by this holy Cheat proceeded so far towards the Nations utter Ruin that some People thought we were more likely to fall a miserable Prey to some Foreign Tyrant than ever to be restored to our own King our Religion and our Laws And we do this Day most heartily and devoutly adore c. The goodness of our God in preventing so dreadful and so near a Mischief deserves more Praises than we can possibly give We should be the most ungrateful of all Men if we did not upon this Remarkable Day of our Stupendious Deliverance annually pay this just Tribute of Thanksgiving with sincere Gratitude and servent Devotion Our God magnified his Name by this Miracle of Mercy to a sinking People and 't is our Duty to make this Blessing known all the World over if possible for the advancing his Glory To say this Deliverance is past long since is no excuse for our not remembring it since no Time must obliterate the Memory of so universal a Benefit especially when those of this Age owe all the Comforts they have under Monarchy and the established Church to this happy Restauration I am sure if we be not very thankful for this Mercy we deserve never more to have our Prayers heard if we fall into the like distress nor can I see how we can with any tolerable Modesty presume to make the following Requests for future Safety till we have owned what we have already received Our Gratitude makes way for the succeeding Requests So we most humbly beseech thee to continue c. As we derive not our Prosperity from our own Policy or Power so we cannot hope to secure it without the continuance of his favourable Providence A flourishing Church will not fail of many Enemies nor can a happy Government want many Fees Envy and Malice Pride and Faction Covetousness and Ambition will blow up many and make them restless and impatient for a Change although it be extreamly for the worse Wherefore when such Birds of Prey hover about us we had need pray heartily to God to cover us under the shadow of his Wings (m) Psal XCI 4. Quales accipitrâ—s minas fugit Et sparses metu colligit foetus avis Sen. Herc. fur And then we are sure our Enemies cannot hurt us 'T is evident that no such dire Calamity can befall us again till our Sins have provoked our Defence to depart from us in that case alone we are naked and exposed Wherefore while we pray for this constant Defence of his Providence while our Horror at that which we and our Fathers suffered under that Tyranny makes us zealous in supplicating the like may never befall us let us take particular care that our grievous Sins do not give our mighty Protector just occasion to desert us for then alas none knows what Miseries we may fall into To this end send forth thy
graces to be now exercised by us 1. True Repentance 2. Faith and Love let the consideration of this thy repented goodness c. 3. Holy obedience 2ly The motives urged both to move 1. Us to ask it that thou mayst still continue c. 2. God to grant it and that for thy dear sons c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 9. ALmighty God our Heavenly Father who of thy c. The Litany is a proper Office for this Day being designed to avert or remove all kinds of Evil especially Privy Conspiracy and Persecution so that it is always to be used on this Day and after it this Collect which is chiefly Penitential Now nothing will lead us sooner to Repentance than a serious comparing God's goodness with our sinfulness wherefore we introduce the confession of our evil deservings with a memorial of his great Mercy in granting us two signal Deliverances from the Mischiefs designed against us by the same sort of men on the same day though in different Ages And we consider that herein God shewed 1. His Power to be Infinite and so we call him Almighty for he broke all their measures 2. His wonderful goodness and so we stile him our Heavenly Father Now there are two Properties of a loving Father First To provide a supply of all necessary good things for his Children Secondly To pity and help them when they suffer any evil (b) 2 Cor. XII ver 14. and Psal CIII 13. And thus our Heavenly Father hath employed his gracious Providence to secure unto us the free Profession of his true Religion And when these Plots were laid to enable our Foes to persecute us for it his tender mercy moved him to pity us and keep off the fatal blows from us Didst prevent the Malice and Imaginations of our c. From the consideration of those lovely Attributes which excited our good God to undertake our rescue we go on to consider the horrid Evils which he saved us from and First as to the Gunpowder-Treason the Plot sprang from pure Malice and they imagined it was certain to take effect but Heaven confounded this horrid wicked Enterprise by an unexpected Discovery And indeed King James the First could never have found out this Plot since he had no reason to suspect it He had suffered those Penal Laws which their Plots and Rebellions against Queen Elizabeth had occasioned to lie dormant and used the Papists so gently that he hoped he had made them good Subjects But such was their Malice to the Religion he professed and maintained that they imagined his good opinion of them and his security (c) Isai LIX ver 15. Aditum nocendi perfido praestat fides Senec. Oedip. Act. 3. was their opportunity to strike him secretly and unexpected together with all who with him were able by their Learning or their Interest to defend that Protestant Government and Religion And then they doubted not but they might set the Crown on a Strangers Head who was a firm Catholick and so alter the Government and the Laws and extirpate that which they falsly call Heresie out of this Land for ever But oh what horrid crouds of barbarous Cruelties must have made way for this The first Massacre of so much Royal and Noble Blood would not have effected it Popery was so known and so hated and Protestant Religion so setled and beloved here then that above nineteen parts of twenty must have been cruelly murdered and the extremest force have been used before so bitter a Pill would have gone down But they valued not making their Native Country one great Aceldema they count us all Enemies of Christ and damned Wretches and so would have gloried in the execution (d) Judaeis ipsis acerbiores hostes Christi multo magis detestandi Maldonat in Johan 4.9 Costerus optat se damnari cum Lucifero Si Lutheranus moriens possit salvari vel ovadere Gehennam Resp ad Osiandr prop. 8. And was it not an infinite Mercy to be delivered out of such Merciless Hands Their Barbarous Cruelties against the Albigenses and Waldenses of old against the Lollards and Protestants in England a sew Reigns before this and the Inhuman Proceedings of the Duke of Alva in Holland these taught that Generation to rejoyce exceedingly that they did not prevail in this bloody design and we have reason to remember it with gratitude to this very Day And didst likewise this Day wonderfully conduct c. But if this seem too remote Behold God hath delivered us from a Second and more probable Design to destroy our Religion and our Laws For now they had secretly gained the next Heir of the Crown to their side and dispensed with him to come to our Prayers Sermons and Sacraments for many years yea allowed him to swear and solemnly promise to defend our Church at his entring into the Throne (e) Nullo modo fides servanda haereticis etiam juramento firmata Simanca ap Sanders de oblig juram All which had so amused many unwary Protestants that their Loyalty would not let them see the danger their Liberties and Religion were in till the Romish Party under this Zealous Prince were grown almost strong enough to declare the Change they intended But blessed be God this Design was at last discerned by almost all the Nation and though they could not prevent it he did by sending on this very Day a Generous Protestant Prince who was deeply concerned in our Laws and Religion to rescue both from imminent and apparent ruin And if the escaping Oppression and Persecution Banishment Prisons Axes Gibbets and Stakes be a Blessing then the present King's landing was so to us We most humbly praise and magnifie thy most Glorious Name c. Having set out the Author of both our Deliverances and described them severally we next proceed to praise him for the Mercy and magnifie him for the Power which were so illustrious in these wondrous Works and they were so great Blessings to us that with the Royal Psalmist we declare No tongue can express our obligations (f) Psal XL. 7. CXXIX ver 17 18. Nemo dignè gratias agit nisi divinae gratiae magnitudinem attendit Greg. Mor. Now such extraordinary Favours deserve extraordinary Praises Mercies so often repeated merit reiterated and redoubled Acts of Gratitude a Day so signalized and singled out by Providence ought to be for ever solemnized with joy by all the true Sons of this Church The ruin whereof was twice intended and both times almost accomplished by Men of the same Principles and Temper and the same God prevented both these dreadful Mischiefs So that he who will not praise the Lord this Day for both may be justly suspected not to be truly thankful for either I know some do lessen our danger in the latter case by pleading That the late King's Promises his Good Temper and Interest would have hindred such severity as we apprehend But we
advanced and the Royal Family those of it especially who are Professors of the true Religion 'T is our Interest as well as our Duty to beg of Heaven to keep all these Corner Stones in our Building from such Plots and Conspiracies as were this Day twice discovered and prevented Secondly We pray that their Minds may be endued with internal Graces that they who are to defend our Faith may constantly profess it and they whose Example is to be the guide of our practice (k) Vita Principis perpetua censura est ad hanc dirigimur nec tam imperio nobis opus est quam exemplo Plin. paneg ad Trajan may be constant in the Fear and fervent in the Love of God under such Princes true Religion will be maintained Piety and Virtue rewarded Vice every where punished and discovered To such Princes for our own sakes we ought to wish all temporal Prosperity and we may rationally hope as well as earnestly desire that they shall and may after a long and happy Reign exchange their earthly fading Crown for a never fading Crown of Glory and Immortality All which may God grant through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Epistle Rom. XIII ver 1 7. § 12. THE two Designs this Day prevented the one of Subjects against a gracious King the other of a King against his peaceable Subjects shew this Epistle to be very fitly chosen for herein the Peoples Duty to their Prince is strictly enjoyned especially to so gentle a Prince as King James the 1st was to his Popish Subjects but so as the Princes Duty to his People is plainly supposed and made a Foundation for the arguments to obey Wherefore whatever subjection may be due to an evil Ruler other places of Scripture must shew us For that case is not so much as hinted here He who had the Supream Power then when this was writ was Gods Minister to the Christians for good One that did not persecute them but only punished evil Doers and rewarded such as did well Dr. Hammond thinks it was writ about the death of Claudius (l) Ham. Annot. on Ep. Rom. Praef. p. 438. Dr. Lightfoot saith it was writ in the beginning of Nero's Reign (m) Lightfoots Works Tom. 2. p. 1051. within that first five years wherein he ruled well to a Proverb whereas his Persecution began not till the eleventh year of his Reign for want of which observation many do run out into very improper Characters of Nero's cruelty and make such inferences from thence as contradict the Apostles reasoning here or at least quite mistake it This Epistle consists of Two Parts 1st An Exhortation to two special Duties 1. To be subject to Magistrates 1. The latitude of this Duty Ver. I. 2. The reasons for it 1. The Origi of their Authority Ver. I. 2. The sanction of it Ver. II. 3. The end of it 1. To good men Ver. III. 2. To evil men Ver. IV. 3. A conclusion from the premisses Ver. V. 2. To pay Tribute for their Care Ver. VI. 2ly A general direction concerning all Superiours Ver. VII A Paraphrase on this Epistle THAT none may pretend Christianity discharges them from their Allegiance I charge you Let every soul of whatever order or quality they be Rom. XIII 1. that live under any Government be subject to the Persons who are invested with the higher Powers that is in your case the Emperor Nor doth his being a Pagan excuse you For there is no man can attain to the Supreme power but he must have it from and of God who being the most High Lord of the whole World exalts Princes by his Providence and furnishes them with his Authority Wherefore you must not look at the Persons but at the original of their Authority and believe always that the Powers that be now or hereafter shall be supream are ordained of God they are his Delegates and Vice-gerents Ver. II. Whosoever therefore being a Subject resisteth those who have the Power and supreme Authority lodged in them by God He resisteth the Ordinance and declared Will (n) Nos judicium Dei suspicimus in Imperatoribus qui Gentibus illos praefecit Tert. Apol. cap. 32. of God and sins not only against the earthly Authority of Man but also against the Law and Command of God And therefore they that resist not only incur the penalty of human Laws here but they also shall receive to themselves damnation hereafter unless they repent in time Ver. III. You may perhaps object That these Supream Rulers may be Oppressors of the Innocent and cherish only evil Men who are the instruments of their Tyranny I reply This is contrary to their Commission and the end of their Institution For Rulers are not empowred or allowed by God to be a terror to them that are peaceable and do good works that is to such as you innocent Christians nor do they at this time persecute you for your Religion 'T is not to you therefore but to the Evil Doers who rebel and openly break their just Laws to whom they are appointed by God to be a Terror Wilt thou then who art a Christian live so as thou needest not to be affraid of the Power vested in the chief Magistrate live peaceably and do that which is good as the Laws require and thou shalt have not only Protection but also Rewards and praise of the same Ruler from whom the Turbulent justly fear Punishment especially if he Act according to Gods direction from whom all his Power came Ver. IV For God certainly aimed at the good of the People (o) Adrianus Aug. Promisit Se ita imperium administraturum ut sciret populi rem esse non propriam Spart in vit pag. 36. in setling a King over them his Power could not be given him to oppress For he is by his Institution designed to be the Minister of God and appointed in his stead to thee who livest innocently for good and he then only exercises the Authority given him by his great Master when he rewards Virtue and punishes Vice (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in loc p. 129. So that this Power derived from God cannot hurt thee while thou art good But if thou do that which is evil and breakest the Laws thou hast reason to be affraid he should punish thee For he beareth not the Sword he hath not the Power of punishing given him in vain Doubtless he hath a just right to cut off Evil Doers For he is in this case also the Minister of God armed with his Power and appointed to be a revenger to execute the sentence dictated by just Wrath upon him that doth evil therefore let none of you be Malefactors Ver. V. To conclude You are taught the Magistrates Power both of rewarding and punishing is from God Wherefore ye Christians must needs be subject to their lawful Commands not only for fear of provoking them to wrath and to avoid human punishments but for