5133 K39se
Kennett
Sermon preached before the Lords
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD ENDOWMENT FUND
SERMON
Preached before the
Lords Spiritual and Temporal,
I N T H E
ABBE v-C H u K c H
A T
WESTMINSTE R,
The xxxth of January, M.DCC.XIX.
By the Right Reverend Father in GOD, WHITE LordBifhop of Peterborough.
LONDON,
Printed for W. TAYLOR at the Ship in Pater- no/ier-Row. M.DCCXX.
7,
St. MARK xiv.
And they began to be forrow- ful, and to fay unto him, one by one, Is it I? And another faid, Is it I?
IF we ferioufly reflecl: on the National Sin and Shame of this Day, that have blacken'd it into a ftated Day ofReluke and Trouble-, we muft needs, as the Ac- cufed in the Textr legin to le forrovtful, and to have (tho at the diftance of above Seventy Years) fome Painr fome Shock upon us, that fo horrible a thing fhould have been once com- mitted in our Land : That a great Prince, & fDod Man, a devout Chriftian, diftrelTed by adions, betrayed by Friends, fubdued by Arms, confined in Prifons, difappointed in, Efcapes, fhould be at laft brought forth to- an ignominious Trial, to an execrable Sen- A i tence^
902858
Sermon f reached before the
tence, and even to a barbarous Execution of it, for a Speftacle before his own Palace, as in a Triumph and Infult over the Laws of God and Man ! And what Impulfe had the Actors in it, but that of Ambition, Revenge, and Thirft of Blood ? To what End, but to overthrow the Fences of Government, Liber- ty, and Religion ; and to pick up they knew not what in the Ruins of the Foundations of Church and State ?
And yet poflibly, if any Perfons, or any Parties of Men, were to be charged wich this heinous Guilt of fhedd ing Royal Blood ; they would All throw off the odious Impu- tation of it : they would be ready to clear themfelves, and to juftify themfelves, and to call the heavy Weight upon any Head but their own ; they would take it ill to be ac- cufed, -to be fufpecled ; they would fa)' one fy on?) Is it I? and another would fay , Is it I?
For fo it was in this Hiftory of our Sa- viour's Sufferings, (not to be paralleled by any other) his being betrayed into the hands of wicked Men, and after cruel Mockings and Scourgings, brought forth as a Malefactor to die the moft dolorous and infamous Death. He forefaw all he was to fuffer ; he was now opening the mournful Scene to his Difciples at Supper ; and would intimate unto them, that what grieved him moft of all his Sorrows, was to meet with fuch Ingratitude and Trea- chery
*
Houfe of Lords, Jan. 30. 1719. 7
chery fo near unto his own Bofom ; that one of his Companions, his Friends, his chofen- Difciples, who had received his CommifRon, and called him Lord, that one of them fhould fell him, and betray him into wicked Hands. And therefore out of a deep Senfe of fuch In- humanity, our BlefTed Matter would exprefs fome Refentment, fome Indignation at it : In the Verfe immediately before the Text, as
the. twelve Difcifks were at Suffer, JefusJatJ Ifafly I fay unto you. One of you which eateth
me flail betray me. Where, I fay, the fenfible Pain and Anguifli lay in this, that he fhould fall a Sacrifice in his own Houfe ; that in effect his own Table fhould be made a Snare unto him, and he that eat of his Bread fhould lift up his Heel againft him. All the hard Sayings to be fulfilled in him ; not an, open Enemy to do him this Dishonour, for then. be could have born it; neither zn 4dverfaryr for then perad venture he could have hid him- felf from him : But it was even thou my Cm- •p union* my Guide, and mine own familiar Friend Said our Saviour to his own Subjefts, to his own Domefticks, One of you which eateth with
me* ffiaH forty ™e-
But who fhould be that unworthy Manr that ungracious Wretch? Who could bear the Imputation, the remote Sufpicion of it ? Who was it? Who could it poflibly be? They could every one anfwer for themfelves, far be it from every one of them ; they were
faying
Sermon preached before the
faying vehemently, one ly one. Is it I? and another , the very Criminal, faid9 Is it I?
From hence, and from our daily Experi- ence we learn, that there is fuch a natural Re- proach in Sin and Wickednefs, efpecially in all Treachery .and bafe Cruelty, that People are impatient to bear any part of the Burden of it ; they would fhift it off elfewhere, they would thruft it upon any Shoulders to eafe their own.
As in the Cafes of the Text and of the Day, in both Cafes (Matters of Treafon and Blood) what Carefulnefs -, yea, what clearing of them- felves ; yea, what Indignation ; yea, what Fear ; yea, what vehement Defire ; yea, what Zeal to affrove themfelves to be clear in this Matter ? la the firft Inftance before us of Servants be- traying their Lord and Matter, no one guilty ; not only the feveral that were really innocent juftified themfelves, as they had a Right to do, but even the Traytor himfelf was as forward to vindicate his own Honour : Even Judas faid among the reft, Lord, Is it I?
For fo I think the wording of the Text may be. underftopd, tho our Tranflation does not come up to it. They who were truly forrow- ful, or heartily concerned to think that their Matter {houid be betray'd by one among themfelves, they were the eleven Difciples, not let into the horrid Secret; they could with an honeft Refentment fay, one by one, to the number of eleven, each for bimfelf, If
it
Houfe of Lords, Jan. 3 o. 1 7 1 9. 9
it 1? But then comes the twelfth Difciple^ here called another, perhaps rather fo oMos, the other, the remaining Difciple, 'Judas ; who for fear his Silence (hould have given Confent to the Confcioufncfs in his own Mind, he likewife faid, Is it I? He like wife would be able to ftand as fair as the beft of them ; he could demurely and boldly ask, Is it I?
This Senfe of the Text, tho not obferved by Commentators, is fupported, or rather ex- prefs'd by St. Matthew xx.vi. 25. After all buc 'Judas had been exceeding forrowful, and be- gan every one of them to J'ay unto him. Lord, is • it I ? after fome Paufe, then Judas, who be- trayed him, anfwered and faid, Mafler, is it. I? Jefus faid unto him, Thou haft faid ; you betray your Guilt by your officious Forward- nefs in the Denial of it. So that 'tis very plain, the Perfons who had no hand in it ought not to fuffer the Reproach of it ; and yet as plain, that the one Criminal out of his own Mouth would be Not Guilty. He made ftrange of it, he prefumed to appeal to the Judge of all Hearts, to him who knew what was in Man, to him he had the AfTu- rance to fay, Mafler, is it If
The Reafon of Sinners thus purging them- felves, is the natural Turpitude and the felf- confcious Shame in Sin and Wicked ne Is : When Men have committed the Guilt, they would itill decline the Odium of it. Hence B all
io <>A Sermon preached before the
all the manifold Inventions of concealing, thfguifing, palliating, and mifreprefenting of every Griminal Gaike, to appear excufable et leaft, or rather to have no manner o£ Concdrn ih ifc And this irideed is at the- bottom of all Hypbcrify and FalCbood, I mean the natural Stain and; Reproach of Wickednefs. Men would adventure to be wicked, to be exceeding finful, arid yet they would not wilHflgiy reveal themfelves; they, care not to feem Reprobates, they cannot eafily aflbme the: Air* of glorying in their Shame* they would deny, or they would finooth and foften, or they would even fane- tify their Crimes, ; as if the lefs honourable amdnwre uncomely Parts of their Soul were tt> fcave the more abundant Honour beftowed upon1 them.
So began Original Sin in the Nature an# Conftitution of Things and Men ; the Sinners could not bear the Weight of their own Guiltr they were Ihifting the Scene of Wickednefs from one to anotlier : Adam reprefented it to- be the Fault of the Woman, and fhe laitF it to the Charge of the Serpent y and the Searcher of Hearts only could- determine the controverted Matter Hence Men abhor th& being thought capable of Crimes which they- are afterwards drawn into; they difown their being fubjecl: to any Temptations of them : Far be k from -:thck Intentions to con-
ceiva
Hotift of Lords, Jan. 30.1719. &|
ceive this or that abominable Wickednefs* which yet at laft they commit without any Remorfeupon them.
This Deceitfulnefs of Sin prevailed on the Tray tor in the Text: -And it was much the fame with a better Difciple, St. Peter, who "was likely to fall into another Snare of the Devil, the denying his Lord and Mafter : He at firft abhorred the Thoughts of it; it was impoffible that he ftiould ever be the Man, the falfe ungrateful Man. And therefore .when our Saviour told his Difciples of their ; falling away from him, St.M#.xxvi. 31. M lje Jhall le oftended lecavfe of me ; it was St. Pe- ter who put in the firft Proteftation againft the approaching Fa6t, T/JO all Men Jhall ie of- fended lecaufe of thee, yet will I never le of- fended. -Nay when Jejvs, who knew his- In- firmities, told him within what .time, , and how often he -thould-deny him, yet he flood it out with the utmoft Affurance, Tho I ffi&uld die with thee, yet will I not deny thee : when after all he committed and repeated thatSin of Unfaithfulnefs, and could not but.-weep bitterly to think how frail he had been.
It was, 'if poffible, a Beater {Faiktrecin Hazael King of '-Syria ; -he -deprecated the very Thoughts of doing what he 4arcd to. do : When he came a Meffenger to ;£///&z, the Prophet faw in -him fuch Indications of A "Wicked Mind, that the Man of God wept 82 at
IX <*A Sermon preached loefvre
at the Prefages of his doing Evil, viii. ii. ButHazael wiped his Forehead, and fa id, Whyweepeth my Lord? When the Pro- phet anfwered, Becaufe I know the Evil that thou wilt do to the Children of Tfrael ; their Strong-holds wilt thou Jet on fire, and their young Men wilt thou flay with the Sword, and wilt dajh their Children, and rip up their Wo- men with Child: Hazael ftarted from the Imputation of fuch Barbarities as thefe were : Could he be thought fuch a Brute, the vileft of them ? What ! is thy Servant fuch a Dogr that he pould do this thing * And yet when he came into Power and Opportunity, he did it all, and added other Effects of unbounded Tyranny and Oppreflion.
From thefe Truths, direclly within the Compafs of the Text, (and alas I fatally with- in the Occafion of the Day) we might learn many fuitable Inferences and Leffons of Ho- nefty and Wifdom.
I. Firflj We might obferve, that when Men are unhappily imbark'd in a bad Caufe, they tnow not how far they fhall go, or be pufh'd on in the purfuit o/ it ; farther than they at firft imagin'd : Step after Step in Wicked nefs, till they are plung'd in beyond their Aim, and beyond their Depth ; they have loft them- felves, and all their firft Intentions. It was undoubtedly fo with the Beginners of thofe
faul
Hpufe of Lords, Jan. 30. 1 7 1 9. i )
fatal Feuds that brought about this Day of Confufion : Moft of them of any Senfe could mean only the tender Defence of Liberties and Religion. Many of them receded, when they difcovered a worfe Intention in it ; but alas I too many proceeded farther on, till they found it too late to look backward, till Things were defperate, till the Leaders thought it necefTa- ry to add Iniquity to Iniquity, Murder to Rebellion.
II. And therefore we might, Secondly, infer, that this growing State of Wickednefs will fpread moft of all in the Enterprizes of Facti- on and Sedition, of Treafon and Rebellion. Some of the chief Promoters of this Day's Evil had been once in Favour and good Graces with their Sovereign, and fo long they fcorn'd to be fufpe&ed of the leaft Difloyalty; their Hearts were faid to be true, and yet, alas ! how deceitful were thofe Hearts ? They had not all they asked or expected , they were fourM upon fome Repulfe, or grew fullen at fomc Delay; then they fecretly repined, they begun openly to murmur, their Paflions drew them to another fide, they grew oppofite to their former Friends, and afted in Contradic- tion to their former Pretenfions, till they were infenfibly got out of their Reach, and out of their own Power ; till they thought them- felves bound to go on, not knowing, nOtt caring, what would be in the end thereof.
III. A
1$ oA Strmon preached before the
III. A third Inference might be, that Men fhouid ftand faft upon the antient Foundati- ons and Boundaries of Law and Conftitution ; paying Loyalty and Allegiance according to Law ; faving Rights and Liberties according to the fame legal Security ; considering Go- vernment as ordained for the common Good, a Body Poiitique for the mutual Aid and Pre- fervation of Head and Members, no one to deftroy or hurt the other, no Schifm in the Body; a ftated Superiority, and a regular Subordination, no Part feparate from the Whole ; a common Intereft, and fome Balance of Power to preferve it. On this Bottom our Forefathers ftood, not as on a Seat unfhaken, nor can any on Earth be fo eftablifh'd ; but on a Bafis never utterly overthrown, till amidft the Confufions of this Day. Providence refto- red us to the fame foundations of Sovereignty and Subjeftion, bounded by Law for common Good. Let us reft here, not moving, if pofli- •ble, not leaning to the Right-hand, nor to the Left. Surely there^ is a Golden Mean, and a Center to reft in ; if we are drawn into any Extreme, we muft be foon falling we know not where.
But to keep more immediately to the Senfe x)f the Text, may feem more diredly to an- fwer the Occafion of the Day. A Day not to -be infulted with profane Contempt, nor to
be
of Lords, Jan. jo, 1719.
be again polluted with Strife and Reproaches; A Day without queftion of National Sin, and National Judgment. But who committed that Sin ? who brought that Judgment on us? Hear one faying, Is it I? and another will fay, Is it I? The different Parties (all, fome wayrconcern'd) would be wafhing their own Hands of this Royal Blood, would be cafting all the Afperfion of it on the Heads of thofe they differ from.
i. How many loofe Writers, and other un- ceafonable Men, have poured forth all die. Blame upon the King alone, and the corrupt Ministry, and a perfecuting Church, and Cler- gy. The} rnuft anfwer for all the following: Changes-and Calamities which they brought upon themfelves. It was, fay they, the af- fe&ing of Arbitrary Power, the going into Popifh Counfels and Foreign Meafures. - - THr, fay they,, kindled all -the Fire that brake forth, and brought all the Fuel to iu A hea. vy Charge, wherein Men of any Might know there is a great want of Charity and Truth: Is there no diftinguifliing between the begin;- Bing of Murmurs and Difcoments* and the IlTues. of Revenge and Fury ? Is there no al- lowing for human Infirmities* and common Mifcarriages in every Reign ? Is there to be ao Acknowledgment, that in every Grievance Right was done, or offer'd to be done, and Qaacelfi<fes wete made fu£6eient t?o fatisfy
wife
1 6 oA Sermon f reached before the
wife and good Men ? And fuppofing the very worft, muft it be granted, that the King does all the Wrong, and that his Perfon muft be tried by the People for it, without any Law, or any Precedent whatever? Thofe Men who would fo juftify the horrid Fad, feem to labour to become guilty of it. It would raife our Indignation to have a common Friend barbaroufly murder'd, and then parti- ally brought in Felo de fe.
2. In Calumnies and Reproaches Men de- light to be out of debt to one another : And therefore Men of different Sentiments put a different Turn upon their Adverfaries. They plead there was no manner of Offence given ; it was pure Innocence and Merit on the one fide ; and that the wicked Defigns, and evil Arts, and horrible Refolutions were all en- tirely on the other fide. The original Plot (fay they) was for the utter Deftru&ion of the King and Church : The Raifers of the War (fay they) were all Sectaries and Schif- maticks, by Principle and by Covenant Ene- mies to the Crown and the whole Conftitu- tion; Antimonarchical, Republican, Rebels, Regicides, and what not? Efpccially the Presbyterians, (and they have enlarged that Denomination) they are treading always in their Fathers Steps, and therefore are to be branded and purfued as publick Enemies for ever. We muft likewife confefs fuch bitter
Words
Houfe of Lords, Jan. 30. 1719. ij
"Words to be uncharitable and untrue ; the Remonftrances, the Tumults, the very draw- ing of the Sword began in no Name but that of his Majefty's Subje&s, fcsV. the dividing into multiplied " Sefts and religious Parties was rather the fad Confequence of thofe Troubles, than the Caufe of them. How- ever, of thofe various Parties, the old Purl- tans, who made up the bulk of the Presbyte- rians, were the moft fober-minded, had the leaft Difpofition towards the Iniquity of this Day, made folemn Proteftations againft it, ana did endeavour to atone for it.
3. And now hear the common Adverfary the Ptpifts, they take their Advantage of thefe mutual Revilings among us. They pre- tend themfelves, and their glorious Church, to have been the only faithful Adherents to the King; that they honeftly fupplied Him with Money, Arms, and Men; and offer'd to fup- ply him with Foreign Aid, with Catholick Troops to defend and deliver him frorh the Curfe of Herefy and Schifm. We have no Time to reply, but in a word, That of all Parties tfoy had the fulleft Hand in fowing thofe Tares that grew up, and were kindled into Flames. They gave the main Occafion to Fears and Jealoufies : They made the bloody MafTacre of Proteftants to be the loudeft A- larm to Self-Defence and Prefervation : They labour'd, tho in vain, to polTefs the King ; they C poffefs'd
1 8 $A Sermon preached before fhe
poflefs'd the neareft to his Bofom ; they corrupt- ed his Royal IfTue : and, to avoid fpeaking of their Infults at his Death, of their accommo- dating Principles to it, of their embarafling the Affairs of his SuccefTor, I muft have leave to think, that they were the leaft inftrumen- tal in the Happy Reftorationy however info- lent upon it
TKs, for BK- > his Re'
vity, was omitted turn in Peace utterly imprafti- in the speaking, cable, if they had given the Na- tion any Evidence, any ftrong Sufpicion, that He was reconciled to their Church of Rome. For the Body of the Nation well knew, that Gofpel-Faith and Worfhip, that legal Rights and Liberties, could not be maintained by a Pofifh Prince. - We may call to mind, that our Saxon Anceftors, even under a thick Veil of Superftition,, would not bear their Sove- reign Princes; going in Perfon to> Rome, till they had firft quitted their Crown and Regal Dignity* It was. fo with our firft Royal Wan- derer CeadwaUa* An. 685. Aa abdicated Prince, and then a Pilgrim. Reliffo Imferio f rafter dominum regnwnft (erfetuum vemt Ro- mam. Jfler* Men. fub anno. So his next Suc- ceffor lna% Et ifje reliflo Imferio ac junior ilus commendato ad limina leatorum Afoftolorum> Gre- fprio Pontifcatm tenente profeffus-eft. ib. It
was;
Itoufe of Lords, Jan. 30. 1 7 r 9. 19
was the fame with Kjnred, Offa, and other weak Princes. The firft Inftance to the con- trary, I think, was Ethlwolfb, who adven- tur'd to go as a crowned Head to Rome% An. 855. But this was thought fuch an In- dignity to the Realm of England, that it oc- cafion'd great Confufions. For in his Ab- fence it was in effect declared, that he had forfeited his Rights, that he ought not to be Received as King, but be Rejeded and Dif- own'd for ever. Nor could he enter and en- jay his former State, till he had refign'd one of his two Kingdoms, and impoverifli'd the Land with a continual Tribute to the See of Rome . Adhelbaldus Rex JdelwlPhi Regis filius & Ealftanus Scirelurnenjis Ecclefi* Efifcofus> Eanulpvus quoqite Sumurtunenfs fagi Comes con- jitrajje referuntur, ne unquam Adelvolfus Rex a Roma revertens iterum in Regno reciferetur. - Ne irremediable Saxonie fericidum Mligerante Patre cum Filio, quin immo tata cum Gente am- lolus relellantilus, atrocius & cnidelius fer fees fingitlos quafi clades intefiina augeretur : ineffa^ lili Patris dementia, omnium^ aftifulatione No- lilium, adunatum antea Regnum inter Patrem £*f f ilium dividitur.— Roma quaque omni anno tre- centas mancwfas denariorwn fortave frwefit, Flor. IVigorn.jub anno
But thus, I fay, all Parties would amiafe
the World by inveighing one agaioft the other.
C 2 Each
ZO sAStrmm preached before the
Each would cry out againft his Neigboutv TJJOH art the Man : The Guilt and the Ven- geance of that Blood be on Ttee and thy Seed for ever. Whereas,, in truth, among all the deplorable Divifions, there was no one Denomination of People, but what were more or lefs found Partakers of the Sin of this Day. Let none be too officious in vindica- ting themfelves : Nooe too eager in upbraid^ ing others^ The Load is not All on any one Side. The Princes, the Priefts, the People,. the Nation were to blame ; and we have All ©fus reafon fo far to mourn and to repent, acid to bring forth the Frwts worthy of a Na- tional Refentance^
The Limits of my Difcourfe. and your Pa- tience will not fuffer me to enter into a wide Field, that feems to open upon us : But fuffer me, My Lords, to fuggeft a few Things, an$ to leave them in Suggeftion only.
I. Firffi, I would fuggeft, , That at the time of {hedding this Royal JBlood, All, but the Part of an High Court of Juftice, fo called, and a certain Band of Officers, pretended to be clear of it : They did all in effed, as Pi- late at the condemning of our Holy Matter Jefas', not only their Wives had a more: tender Regard, but they themfelves could wafh their own Hands before the Multitude, We are. inoocent, fee ye to it. As Pilate
threw
of Lords, Jan. 30, 1719.
if On the People., they on the Chief Priefts, they on the Pharifees, and they again or) y^j himfeif, as gujlty and deferving to «Jie ; fo here, if we arraign the Body of the Nation, it is pleaded that there were oppo- f]te Powers, and diftinct Armies, and equal Strength for a long while. If we look to- ward the two Houfes, we can find but one, and that a Refufe of the Dregs that were left behind. Jf we lay the Charge on a pre- vailing Army, even there it is objected, that the General himfelf knew little of it, that the Soldiers were under Command and Pay, and that fome of the Chief Officers, when called to account for it, .excufed themfelves in being bound to obey Orders, and not to dif- pute. the Reafon of them.
II. Secondly, I would fuggeft, That tho all Parties and Perfons (a very few excepted> woi^ld juftify themfelves, and would caft the odious Imputation upon others ; yet in truth All were culpable more or lefs : fome as- Principals, fome as AcceiTaries, fome as mere Tools, CH; as idle Standers-by ; for even a- mong the Royal Party, fome, I doubt-, were hanging on the Wheels of die Chariot,. «ot thinking that they did but help others to Qverfiirn it. §om,e retired to a£l a negative Part of ^lence .aod Safety.: Some wece haf- tily purchafing their own Peace at die Ex-
pence:
ZZ <*A Sermon f reached before the
pence of the Publick : Some were flying into Foreign Parts, or any Places of Refuge, till they thought the Storm might be overpafs'd : Some few revolted to the conquering Side. Impoflible that an united Intereft of the King's Friends could ever have permitted the Scan- dal of this Day !
III. I would, Thirdly, fugged, That at this Diftance of Time, after a third or fourth Ge- neration, it doth not fo much concern us to- be contending and reviling, and to turn this Day of Fading and Mourning into a Day of Strife and Delate ; as it does concern us, and will concern our Pofterity, to mark and to avoid all thofe Steps and Snares that led Men on to this fatal Deftru&ion of King, and Church, and State. This Caution concerns all manner of People, and thofe more efpe- cially who have made the loudeft Outcries againft their Brethren upon the Occafion of this Day; for even they, by their own late Practices, have made it the more neceflary to perpetuate the Obfervation of this Day, to keep it up for an everlafting Sea-Ma rk, againft fplitting upon the fame Rocks of DiQoyalty, Sedition, and open Rebellion.
So many were the Delufions of Men, and the Devices of the Devil on that Occafion, that the time will not fuffice to be particular in them.
i. One
1. One of the chief was a ftrange Infatua- tion in the Minds of People tending to En- thufiafm, and unaccountable Conceits and Pre- judices in Matters of Religion and Govern- ment. If the Nation had been fober-minded, it had been impoffible to have brought thofe things to bear. But when Mens Heads were warm'd and turn'd with a miftaken Zeal, and a Contempt of Knowledge ; then they were capable of the abfurdeft Notions, of the vaineft Imaginations ; they could believe they knew not what, and mult impofe that Belief on others. And fo Blafphemy, Nonfenfe, any Illegality, any Impiety could be obtruded in the Name ot* Divine Right and the Caufe of God. On that Rock let us fplit no more ; let us labour at lead to keep People in their right Minds, and, if poflible, to recover thofe who have been fpirited away into ftrong De- lufions. In Religion, kt us direft Men to found Reafon, ana to plain Scripture. InGa- vernment, let us refer them to Laws and Conftitutions ; and to the Grounds and Foun- dation of all Government, .the Publick Safety and the Common Good. Unlefs we are on this Bottom of Scriptural Inftitutions and Le- gal Eftabli foments ; we give Men a Loofe to the wildeft Fancies of making and believing their own Inventions, and perifhing in them.
2. Another unhappy Step towards the Evil of this Day,; was humouring that Madnefs of
die.
Z4 <^ Sermon preached befon
the People by feditious Preaching to them, and poifoning their Hearts continually with more and more Difeontent and Difaffeftion to their Lawful Governours. Surely the Preach- ers of the Gofpel fhould have kept to the Te- nour df it, Peace, and Quiet, and Obedience for Conscience fake ; and as they found the Multitude more inclined to Faction, they fhould the more in feafon have fnt them in wind to be fubjeft to the Powers fet over them by Law, the Ordinance of Man, the Ordi- nance of God. But alas I on the contrary, fome who ferved at the Altar were daily fetching Fire from it, and were blowing up the People with Fears and Jealoufies, with Prejudices and falfe Surmifes, to alienate their Affe&ions from the fettled Government ; and this as in the Name of God, and from the very Word of God. And tho thefe were commonly of the younger and more infer iour Clergy, yet by the Iniquity of the Times they grew Popular, and able to be prime Incendi- aries of the Civil War, and to carry it on to the Great Rebellion. Let following Ages take- heed, that they who are commiflioned to preach the Gofpel of Chrift, do keep within the Bounds of that Commiflion, /.>.- our com- jnon Faith and Salvation, and the publick teace and Happinefs. To poifon the Flock, is far from the feeding of it : In fuch cafes of Infection, thefe 'She**, what have they done ?
but
ffoufe of Lords, Jan. 30. 1719. 25
but thefe Sbeffe&jk, what have they to an- fwer for?
3. Another of the wicked Arts -to widen thofe Breaches, was by idle Tales of Calumny and Defamation; by fpreadiftg falfe Rumours and the moft incredible Stories, to turn afide the Minds of People, to affright them, and exafperate them againtt the Government. Some were employ'd to invent fad Stories, tho but for the Service of a Day ; others were fent to and fro (like fo many MefTengers of Satan) to fpread about the terrible Accounts Of Things, and to vouch for them ; and the poor People, who believed them, were impa- tient to tell every one his Neighbour ; and every one in their Affrightments added fome- thing more,-, tiil a Lying Sfirit feem'd to be gone forth as a Judgment upon the Land, and People at laft could repeat and affirm Stories which they knew to be falfe ; and fuch Sin- ners might be paft Shame, even upon this- Day.
4, But from hence came the next Forerun- ner of Ruin, the Spiriting up the common- People into Riots and Tumults, and fo puftH iog them forward to Infur reft ions and Rebelli- on ; they were taught Grievances, and a Right to have them redrefs'd in their ownWay ;; Ju<-v iiice was to be a Demand in the Streets ; th6l meaneft of the People were inftrufted 4nd managed together in the Night, and to-a«p-
D, pear/
1(5 &4 Sermon f reached before the
pear at Noon- Day ; and to befiege Palaces and Parliament-Houfes. Surely there wanted Law, or there wanted Spirit to fiippreis them. By their not being timely fupprefs'd, a fmall Gang became a Party ; the Parties grew into a Body, and that Body into Troops and Ar- mies: By a fort of gradual Advance, like that of Streams and Torrents, lol the Brook became a River, and the River became a Sea*
5. In all this mult be underftood the lead- ing Caufe of All, the Corruption and ge- neral Depravation of Manners, that ulher'd in that Stupidity, and thofe Calamities upon us. The Liberties of the Stage, and inde- cent Reprefentations, and vitious Interviews, that came in a little before the beginning of thofe Troubles, had tended much to foften and taint the Minds of People. They grew femiliar with what, their Anceftors abhor'd. A vifible Profanenefs in forne, had caft others into Hypocrify and .outward Appearance on- ly* Between both, the Chriftian Simplicity abated, the Moral Honefty decay'd; nay, Hu- manity itfelf gave way to Difappointment, Wrath, and Revenge. For the moft part, the ferving upon Principle was dropt, the Craft was to ferve for Intereft, and during Advantage; to watch the Rife and Fall of Policies ; to underftand Benefits, and the Gain cr Lofs of them ; or even fometimes to ad- vcature All upon Humour, Will, and Plea- :, v, fure.
Houfe of Lords, Jan. 30* 1719. 17
fure. So that Inftability, Ingratitude, Anger, and every evil thing (that could poflibly arife from Immorality and Irreligion) had a fatal influence on the Rife and Increafe of thofe deplorable Troubles.
But to conclu e; There is ftill a Debt of Thankfulnefs to God, that when we have been juftly deploring the Sins and Follies, and Calamities of thofe Times, efpecially the Blacknefs and Horrour of this Day ; we fhould caft an Eye upon the Beams of Comfort that foon brake forth again : After the Sun-jetting* as it were at this Noon-Day^ there was indeed a thick Cloud, and horrible Darknefs upon us for near twelve Years ; but then came the Morning, and Joy with it : A Year of Jubilee, a Month of double BteflfingB ; the peaceable Return of one King, and the aufpicious Birth of another. One to bring Peace and legal Set- tlement, the other to renew them, and infure them, we hope, for many Generations to come. For if we can truft our own Hopes, nay, if we can truft our own Experiences, the good Providence of God will not fuffer us to be again made a Sacrifice to unreafonable Men. Pray we, That the Brightnefs of that Divine Providence may open every day more and more, in favour and honour of the King, in protection and fafety of the Church and State, in fupport ofiithe'Protcftant Intereft ; KiTCfO'll.iA*) -«o YH-.: VJ ' : and
z8 <*A Sermon, &c.
and finally, in the Repofe and even Balance of all Europe. And oh I let the Goodnefs of God, that we have fo liberally tafted^ incline us All to amend our ways, to be wife, and vertuous, and confcientious ; to lead quiet and feacealle Lives, in all Godlinefs and Honefty ; that we may be worthy to give Glory unto God on high, to fee Peace upon Earth, and: Good-will towards Men.
F I N I S.
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