SERMONS
Preached on
Several Occafions.
By the Right Reverend Father in G o D,
THOMAS SPRAT, D. D.
late Lord Bifliop of Kochefter^ and Dean of Weftminfter.
LONDON:
Printed for R. Bomvicke, J.
R. Wilkin, B. Tooke, J. WAY*, and £. Nutt9 1722.
THE
CONTENTS,
A Sermon preached before the Kjng, At Whitehall, Decemb. 24. 1676. on St. Mark x. 1 5. Page i
A Sermon preached before the Honourable Houfe of Commons, At St. Margaret's Weftminfter, January 30. 1673. on St. Matthew v. 10. 41
A Sermon preached at the Anniverfary- Meeting of the Sons of Clergy- Men , in the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow, No- vemb. 7. 1678. on Gal. vi. 10. 91
A Sermon preached before the K}ngi at Whitehall, Dec. 21. 1678. on Gal. iv. Part of Verfe i 8. 145
A Sermon preached before the Lord Mayory and the Court of Aldermen, at Guildhall Chappel, Jan. 29. 1682. on Prov. xxi.
21. 195
A Sermon preached before the Artillery- Company of London, at St. Mary-le- Bow, April 20. 1682. on St. Luke xxii. fart of farfe 36. 245
A 2 A Ser~
CONTENTS.
A Sermon preached before the Right Ho nourable SV Henry Tulfe Lord Mayor, and the Court of Aldermen, &c. May 29. 1684. being the dnniverjary- Day of His Majejtfs Birth, and Happj Return to His Kingdoms : On Pfalm cxxx. 4.
Page 28 $
A Sermon preached before the Kjng and Queen, At Whitehall, on Good Friday, 1690. On i St. Peter ii. PartofVerfe
21, 22. $2£
A Sermon preached to the Natives of the County of Dorfet, refiding in and about the Cities of London and Weftminfter, at St. Mary-le Bow, Decemb. 8. 1692. being the Day of their Anniverfary-Feaft : 0#Aftsiv. 32. 359
A Sermon preached before the Kjng and Queen, at Whitehall, on Good-Friday, April 6. 1694. On St. Matthew vii. 21. 401
A SER-
SERMON
Preached before the
; "io
KING
A T
WHITE-HALL,
December 24.. 1676*
.
St. M A R K X. Ver. 1 5.
frcrily, I fay unto yon, Whosoever fhall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child , he Jball not enter therein.
THefe are the Words of our Blefled Saviour, on occafion of his Difci- ples forbidding little Children to be brought to him: Which, it may be fup- pofed,they did in Zeal for the Reputation of their Matter ; believing it to be for B below
A Sermon Preached
below the Dignity of fo great and wife a Teacher, to fpend Time in inftrufting of Children ; whilft his chief Ad verfaries the Pharifees appeared in their Syna gogues, and moft publick AiTembIies,and there, with much Pompous Oftentation of profound Wifdom, taught their Men, thofe that thought themfelves, ia that Nation, their wifeft Men.
But Chrift himfelf underftood better the Intereft and Power of his own Reli gion. He knew, that the Defign of his Coming into the World was .not to con tinue that Pharifaical, falfely-grave For mality of Life, and ,Worfhip, which was then in UTe; but to introduce a Rational, Moral, Spiritual Do&rine, and a Plain, Unaffefted, Saving Way of Teaching it.- He knew, that his Doctrine fo taught, was able to convert the moft fpecious worldly Wifdom ;'dr fco con found it, if it would not be Converted. St. James --yfoid therefore he took a Coxjrie quire lv- 6> contrary to the Pharifees Praftiee, and to his own Difciples Expectations. He taught in the meekeft Manner, -and re- fu fed not the meaneft Scholars. He re- fifted tbe^ Prou-d^ hut be gave Grace to the rltimble. TIic Scribes and Pharifees he of ten fharply contradi&ed ; the Mulcitude he always mildly intruded. By, his
different
different Behaviour to the one and the other, he gave evident Proof, that ail falfe Pretences and Affectations of Know ledge, are more odious to God,; and de- ferve to be fo to Men, than any Want or Defeft of Knowledge can her; n
In Profecution of this moft plain and familiar Way of Teaching, whereas his Difciples here would have rejecled little Ver. Children, he rebuked them, he took the14' Children in his Arms, he blefled them ; for the Innocence of their Age, lie gave it many Teftimonies of his 'extraordi nary Favour.
The firft Benefit he did to Mankind ift this World, was his becoming 'a Child. The firft Sign he Ihewed of his own Di vine Wifdom, was bis Difpuring with the Jervi/b Do&ors, in the Age of a Child. The Bra Example he gave of Obedience, and that even to the J-ewt/b 'Law,'\vas his being Circumcifed, when a Child. And here alfo, when he would prefcribe a Pattern of Evangelical Purity and Hu mility, he declares, That little Children, and thofe Men who moft refemble their Nature, are not only capable, but moft capable of his Heavenly Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God, and Heaven,
in the New Teftament, is either taken
for that Eternal Reward prepared for
B s thole
A Sermon f reached
thofe that believe, and obey the Doctrine of Chrift, or elfe for that Doftrine it felf revealed in the Gofpel : So nearly are the Joys of Heaven and the Laws of Chrift united : So furely fhall the Pof- feflion of the one follow the Practice of the other ; that in the Word of God, they are often both comprehended in the fame Phrafe of the Kingdom of God.
The Expreflion of receiving the King- dom of God as a Child, is beft interpre ted by our Liturgy in the Office of Bap- tifrn; where it is faid, That hy thefe Words OUK Bleffed Saviour exhorts all Men to fellow the Innocence of little Children.
Whofoever therefore fhall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child, that is, whofoever fhall not entertain and praftife the Word of God with a true Child-like Simplicity and Inno cence, fhall not enter therein ; that is, fhall not partake of the Bleflings of Everlafting Life.
The whole Senfe of my Text may be contained in Two Propofitions.
The firft, That for the right appre hending of the Do£lrine of our Saviour's Kingdom, the Gofpel, there is required an ingenuous Plainnefs, an unfeigned Simplicity of Mind, and Underftanding.
The
beore the KING.
The Second, That, for the fure inhe riting of the Joys of that Kingdom, we are all commanded to praftife an undif- fembled Integrity of Life and Manners.
Of thefe, the firft that I am to recom mend to you, is that Simplicity of Mind, which is neceflary for the right receiving of Divine Truth.
All wife Matters and Teachers, efpe- cially if they profefs any Art that is deep, out of the Way, and of great Ufe, are wont to expe£t in their Fol lowers fome preparatory Skill in other lower Arts, before they will proceed to teach them thofe that are higher. And here you fee our Blefled Saviour alfo re quires his Preparations, in thofe whom he will enlighten with his Heavenly Do&rine : But in a Way how much different, how much more condefcend- ing, than that of the Teachers of all Worldly and Humane Arts'. For to wards the attaining of moft profound Wifdom, as is the Knowledge of God ; in the moft ufeful Study, as is the Salva tion of our own Soul ; What Preparations does he exaft ? Only the Docility, the Innocence, the Simplicity of Children.
But, before we proceed farther, this Chriftjan Simplicity muft firft be rightly B 5 dated,
ftated, and well underftood : For it has been often miftaken on both Extremes. Some rrjake ic toconfift in a blind Faith, as the Enthufiafts ; fome in a blind Obe dience, as the Papifts. The firft con clude from hence for their Wild Illu minations, and Groundlcfs Infpirations, and deny all Manner of Ufe of their Natural Underftandings, and Judgments in Divine Things: The other build on it the Necefiity of an abfolute Slavery of their Underftandings, and Confcien- cesj to their Spiritual Governors: Where as the true Evangelical Simplicity fhould keep the fober, middle-way between both thefe: It is fo temper'd, as nei ther to extinguifh the Man's true Na tural Light, nor invade the ;Chriftian's juft Spiritual Liberty.
Firft, I fay, by this child-like Sim plicity of Miad, there is not intended any Defect of the natural and acquired Abilities of our Underftandings ; or any Negleft of employing our Underftand ings in examining the moft Spiritual Docinnes of the Gofpel. As God did never require an entire Perfection of Di vine Knowledge in any Chriftian, fo much lefs did he ever enjoin an Imper- fectiqn of natural Knowledge in any Saint. 'Tis true, the Things of God
muft
'before the KING. 7
muft be fpiritually difcern'd : But how fo? Not that they muft be difcern'd by other Faculties of the Soul, quite diffe rent from thofe by which we difcern natural Truth; but by the fame Facul ties, only thofe rais'd, and more fpiri tually exercifed.
Does not the Gofpel tell us,That God's Heb. xii is a Reafonable Service? It is our moft1* reafonableDuty, we being his Creatures: It is moft conformable to right Reafon ; it is the moft noble Qbjecit of it ,• it confifts in found, fober, intelligible Doctrines, in plain, practicable, rational Precepts. Of all the Creatures, none, that we know of, are capable of God's Grace and Mercy, and Redemption by Jefus Chrift, only Rational Creatures ; not the brute Beafts, that are below our Way of Underftanding ; nor Angels, that are above it. And therefore cer tainly that which does, in fome Senfe, put Mankind only into a Poflibility of being faved, cannot be wholly excluded in the great Work of Salvation. Cer tainly it is not the natural Weakneft of little Children, but their native Can- don not their Want of Know led gt* but their Docility that is here propofcd to our Imitation.
:t)VJ>i (I |pl c*5i> 11
B 4 Nor
8 A Sermon Preached
Nor, Secondly, does this receiving the Kingdom of God as a Child, fuppofe. any implicit Obedience, or blind Refig- nation, of our Understandings to all the Commands and Impofyions of any one prefent Church, or pretended Head of it, as the only infallible Judge of all Matters of Faith.
Obedience is indeed a Virtue moft ac-? ceptable to God, moft beneficial to Men. Unity is one of his greateft Blefllngs. Communion is the moft beautiful Orna ment of the Chriftian Church. And, Thanks be to God, there may be as much Union and Communion amongft Chriftians, as is neceflary for the Being, and convenient for the Well-being of Chriftianity, without any fuch Tyranny in the Governors of the Church, or Servitude in its Members : Without in- flaving of private Confcience, which is Antichriftian ; and only by a moderate governing and reftraining of private Confcience, which is moft Chriftian, as well as moft eflential to the Preferyation of humane Society.
The Church has a facred and venerable Authority, as long as it teaches fuch Doctrines, and requires fuch Duties, as are agreeable to our Saviour's. Whilft it does fo, much Reverence is due to it,
much
before the KING.
much to the Perfons, more to the Do- ftrines : To the Perfons, for their Do- ftrine's Sake ; to the Do&rines, for our Saviour's Sake. But if the Name and Title of the Holy Church of Chrift fhall be fo abus'd, as to impofe on our Pra- flice fuperftitious Precepts,as is the Wor- fhip of Saints, and fome others ; or on our Underftandings, incredible, impof- fible Doftrines, as is Tranfubftantiation, and the like ; in fuch Cafes, you are free by the Laws of God and Man : Your Spiritual Obligations do not bind you to believe fuch Doftrines, and your Natural Liberty, as well as your Chri- ftian, fees you free from obeying fuch Precepts.
Our BlefTed Saviour here expects, that we fhould receive his Laws as Children, but not as Slaves. Thofe Laws may be fometimes fevere, nay, they are impe rial and abfolute, as they come from God ; for he is our Lord : But even in Refped to him, they are paternal too ; for he is alfo our Father. They are de livered to us with a Royal Power, and fweetened by a Fatherly Tendernefb ; and they fhould be received by us with the Duty of Subjects, with the Affeftion of Children : As Children we fhould be have our felves to him, as Children alfo
to
to A Sermon Preached
to his Minifters, becaufe they are to us in his Stead : But ftill as Children, not as mean Vaflals. The True Church of God is the Vice-gerent of God's Spi ritual, Paternal Authority, which the Sectaries unjuftly deny it ; but it is not the Vice gerent of God's Uncon- troulable, Omnipotent,Temporal Power, which the Church of Rome as unjuftly ufu'rps.
This being premifed, we may now the better go on to examine, wherein the true, fincere, Chriftian Simplicity confifts, as to that Part of it which con cerns the receiving of heavenly Truth.
If we confider the Original Example which we are here commanded to imi- ,tate, it feems that this blefled Temper is chiefly compos'd of Three excellent Vir tues ; of all which, there is fome weak Kefemblance in little Children.
As the Minds of Children are gene rally clear, fpotlefs, white, untainted, unprejudic'd ; as they are ufually tender, gentle, pliable, capable of the beft Im- prejfTions ; as Children commonly re- ceive their Food, not with Nicety, or with Intent to quarrel at it, but wil lingly, and earneftly, for their Increafe and Growth : So, in Conformity to that innocent Pattern; all the true Fol low-
ii
lowers of Chrift fhould endeavour to obtain,
Firft, a Plainnefs, and Purity of Un- derftanding ; fuch as is free from Artifi ces, free from Prejudices.
Secondly, a fubmiflive and guidable Spirit, a Difpofition eafie to an ; efpe- cially traftable to thofe, that have either a Civil or Spiritual Authority over them.
Thirdly, an exaft Care fo to learn the Truths of Religion, that they may be employed for their true End, and beft Advantage , which is Practice , . and Growth in the Duties of a pious and Devout Life.
Firft, towards our right Inftruftion in the Doctrines of the Gofpel, we fhould all labour to bring our Minds clear, unprejudic'd, clean, uncorrupt. For the being void of Errors, is the firft great Step to the greateft Knowledge ; and that Underftanding, in which, tho' little is written, yet nothing is blotted ; that which is not disfigured by ill Im- preflions, is a Subject moft capable of the beft. There nothing is required but plain Teaching ; whereas the Mind that is either perverted by falfe Knowledge, or made crooked by deceitful Prejudices, mutt not only be taught, but firft un taught
A Sermon Preached
taught that Jll it had learned : And to unteach, is a much more difficult Work than to teach.
Such a pure, fimple, undefil'd Difpo- fition of Mind, by Nature we cannot; pretend to, becaufe of the Original Cor ruption of our Nature ; but by the Grace of God in the Gofpel we may attain it : And it is the chief Defign of the Gofpel to direct us in the Way to it.
That teaches us to cleanfe, and repair, by Repentance, and Amendment, our natural Decays, and Pollutions ; to be conftantly watchful in keeping our Souls free from carnal, moral, nay fpiritual Prejudices againft Religion; to endea vour fincerely, that our Minds be not often overthrown by violent Paflions, nor too much difordered by Worldly Affecti ons ; not feduc'd by Secular Ends, that fecretly undermine the Soul ; not cor rupted by bodily Lufts, that openly war againft the Soul; efpecially that they be not infecled by falfc Enthufiaftical Conceptions, concerning God, and Re ligion; which are wont moft dange- roufly to infinuate themfelves into the Soul, as feeming to come from Heaven, and coming under the Shadow of Re ligion it fel£
The
before the KING. 15
The Second Part of this child-like Sim plicity, is to be teachable, and that in a right Method, to be defirous of learning Precepts, as well as Truths ; of Truths, to learn the plained and mod ufeful, be fore the deeped and mod fubtle ; of Pre cepts, to apply our felves to thofe that concern our felves, more than others.
This teachable Humility is not only confident with the greateft Spiritual Knowledge, but infeparable from it. 'Tis the Property of all true Knowledge, efpecially Spiritual, to enlarge the Soul by filling it ; to enlarge it, without fwelling it ; to make it more capable, and more earned to know, the more it knows.
Even in Natural Things, whoever pre tends to have learned fo much, that he has no Need, nor Will, to learn more, he has never learned any Thing aright. And if this be fo in Natural Things, in which the Indruments, and Helps of our Knowledge are weak, and the Ob- jefts of it finite ; how much more is it fo in Divine Things ? In which the In- ftruments, the Helps, the Objects, the Benefits of our Knowledge are infinite. In Divine Things to be always teach able, to be always Learning, is not only the mod certain Way to Divine Wit
dom,
A Sermon Preached
dom, but even a good Degree of Divine Wifdom it felf.
The Third Part of fuch a true Simpli city of Underftanding, is a fincere Defire, and unwearied Endeavour, to ufe and improve our Divine Knowledge in a right Manner, and to a right End. And what is the great, fubftantial fa- ving Ufe, and End of all fpiritual Know ledge? Is it not to ufe it as Children Pct.ii.2.do their Meat ? To defire the fincere milk of the word, AS new born babes, that we may grow thereby? That we may grow thereby. . And they who receive their Spiritual Food in fuch a Manner, what they may want in a delicate Appetite, they have in a wholefome ; if they come fhort of others in the Curiofity of their Tafte, they as much exceed them in the Strength of their Digeftion : Which in a Spiritual Life, as well as a Natural, is a greater Sign of a health ful Conftitution: Whilftall other Know ledge in Religion only ferves to make a Shew, and flaihes away in Difcourfe; this endures, and is folidiy beneficial for San&ification here, and for Salvation hereafter.
Such is that Simplicity of Underftand ing, which is neceilary for the right Reception, increafing, and improving of
our
y— — — —
before the KING. 15
our Knowledge in the Truths of the Gofpel. I am next to confider that Sim plicity of Manners, which fhould al ways accompany the fincere Entertain ment, and Practice of the Precepts of the Gofpel.
This indeed has a very near Con nexion with the former. The Head tru ly enlightned, will prefently have a won derful Influence in purifying the Heart ; and the Heart really affected with Good- nefs, will much conduce to the directing of the Head. The Beginning of this blefTed Work is m oft commonly in the Head, the Perfe&ion in the Heart ; but neither of them can be perfected without the other.
And what now is meant by the true, unfeigned, Chriftian Simplicity of Life, and Manners, and Converfation ? "We ought to be exceeding cautious, on what kind of Men we fix this Cha racter •; for we live in an Age, wherein, or" all others, Hypocrifie has put on the beft Counterfeited Vizors, the. moil Holy Difguifes.
Firft then, as I did before in the Sim plicity of Underftanding, fo I muft now do in this Simplicity of Heart: I muft try to vindicate, and feparate it from the Miftakes, and Extremes of it.
And
1 6 A Sermon Preached
And therefore I affirm, that it does not confift in any fallen Separation, or af- fefted Purity, or demure Contempt, and Omiflion of the common Cuftoms, and Ufages, and Falhions of this World. For moft certainly, with fucli common Things a Chriftian may comply, without Danger, with true Innocence, and Pie ty; and he may abftain from them, out of the greateft Spiritual Pride. Is not a Morofity and Singularity in fucli Things often made a Veil, and Cover of Licentioufnefs in greater Things ? Have we not known it frequently us'd as an Opportunity of the greateft moral Dif- honefty ?
Muft a Chriftian, by the Obligations of his Holy Profeflion, differ from, and abhor all the Cuftomary Forms of Civil Life ? How then could St. Paul become all Things to all Men ? Would he have conformed univerfally to all forts of Men, if all manner of civil, or fpi- rituai Conformity had utterly been un lawful ?
Muft I,with unmannerly Freedom,af- front Authority, defpife the publick For malities of Government, live in a dirTe* rent Way, put on another Face, and Garb, than the reft of my Country-men, and alledge the Chriftian Simplicity to
juftify
•before the KING. 17
juftify this my Rudenefs? What then will become of the Chriftian Liberty, which in other Cafes thefe Men fo much magnifie? If this be Chriftian Simplici ty, was not the Mofaical Severity a much lighter Yoke? Did not our Blefled Sa viour himfelf abolifh all fuch Judaicai Refervednefs and Separation, at the very firft Founding of the Catholick Church ? Which, it is probable, had ne ver been Catholick fo foon, if he had diftinguifhed his Difciples from all the reft of Mankind, as the Jews were, in every little Circumftance, or Cuftom of Humane Life. For whilft the True Religion it felf was ftraiten'd by the Jew- ifh, fevere Spirit; the Church of God was narrow in Compafs, confin'd almoft to one Country, defpis'd by all the World befides. It was the honeft Free dom , and univerfal Charity of the Chriftian Spirit, that firft rent the Veil, and enlarged its Bounds, and fpread its Authority to the utmoft Ends of the Earth : So that next to the Almighty Power of God, one of the chief Occa- fions of the prodigious Swiftnefs of the Churches firft Progrefs, was, That the Primitive Chriftians after ted Juft Li berties of Humane Nature, and fet Men C free
8
tree from the Jewifh unreafonable Sour- nefs, and harfh Impofitions. Rom. xii. 'Tis true, we are commanded not to be conformed to this World : But in the very next Words, we have the true Interpretation of that Command. For it follows, Be ye transformed by the re newing of your Mind* It is a new Mind, and the transforming of the Heart ; not new Looks, or Habits, or Geftures, that Chriftianity requires. To the indiffe rent Things of this World we may be, to the decent Things of it we fhould be, conformable ; only to the Wick- ednefs, and Corruptions of it we fhould not. No Chriftian is forbidden the honeft Skill, and Practice, and Prudence of this World ; rather fome are com manded it, all are allowed it, only none muft be perverted by it, all muft ufe it, for higher, and more Spiritual Ends.
So far is the True Religion from obli ging all its Profeilors, either to with draw wholly out of tne World, or in Confcience to avoid all the ufual Ob« fervances, and Manners, or even the innocent Delights of it, whilft they are in the World j that perhaps none are more capable, as of bringing more Be nefit
before the KING.
nefir to Mankind, fo of doing more Ser vice to God, or exercifing more Evan* gelical Graces, than thofe Men, that are of the moft practical Lives, and en- gagM in moft fecular Bufinefs. Greater will be their Victory over the World, if they fhall converfe in it, without Be ing defiled by in. If they fhall labour to perform well all their Natural, Mo ral, Political, and Religious Duties in it, moft iuftruftive will be the Example of that Piety, moft diffufive that Chari ty, which is/*/ on a. Hill fo eminent, and placed in fo good a Light.
Were a Chriftian to be the Difciple of John the Baptift, he might then in deed think himielf bound to follow the folitary, rigid Life of his Mafter in the Wildernefs : But feeing he is to be a Chriftian, he may be a Citizen of this World, as Well as of the New Jerufa- lem : He ought certainly to imitate a greater Example than of John the Bap- tift, that of our Blefled Saviour him- felf; whOj though he too had his Time of Retirement in the Wildernefs, yet liv'd not there ; but was frequently in the Temple, convers'd generally in the City with all forts of People, went about every where doing Goqd.
C 2 Give
2 a A Sermon f re ached
Luke xi. Give Alms, fays our Saviour, of fuck 4i- Thing as you have, and behold all things are dean to you. Let but a Chriftian per form the great fubftantial Duties of Chriftianity ; and all other ordinary Things are clean, and lawful to him. All Things ; of which fome Things were denied to the Jews : All Things, that are not unclean in their own Nature : Thofe indeed can be lawful to none. The Righteoufnefs, and Holinefs of the Gofpel, confifts not in doubting much ; but in living well : Not in a Zeal againft little Things ; but for great Things, in Tit. 11.14. being jealous for good Works. Undoubted ly there may be as much Superftition, in fome Cafes, on a Religious Account, to forbear doing what we lawfully may do ; as it is to do what we fhould not. Superftition tranfgrefles on both Extremes, and may offend as much in a too fcrupulous forbearing, as in over doing.
The true Chriftian Purity, and Sim plicity of Liie, that is here recommend ed, is therefore fuch, as is not bound to avoid all manner of Compliance with die external Fafhions, and comely Cere monies of Humane Life, and Conver- fation. 'Tis enough, if it ufes Ceremo nies, as Ceremonies j if it prefers the
Sub-
before the KING. 21
Subftance far before them ; if it chiefly regards the inward Reality. 'Tis fuch, as is not at all oppos'd to Decency, or Civility,or good Manners,or good Breed ing; but to Craft, unjuft Artifice, Guile, and Diflimulation. 'Tis fuch, as, ac cording to our Saviour's own Precept, muft have the Harmlefsnefi of the D<n/e, Mat. x. and yet may have the Wiftom of the l6' Serpent. That Wifdom, which fingle in the Serpent is hurtful, and poifo- nous ; when it is temper'd with the Innocence of the Dove, is moft com mendable, moft ufeful.
In a Word, 'tis fuch a Simplicity, as St. Paul the Chriftian put on, whe/i he ceas'd to be Saul the Pharifee : Such as St. Paul himfelf defcribes, when he thus exhorts the Corinthians : Brethren,l.Cor- fays he, be not children in understanding ; in malice be ye children, in understanding be ye men. You fee, to all true Chri- ftians a manly Underftanding, is as much commanded, as a child-like Pu rity : So that in the moft Evangelical Simplicity, the Prudence and Difcre- tion of a wife Man may be, fhould be, joyned with the native Innocence, and inoffenfive Meeknefs of a little Child.
You
A Sermon Preached
You now behold the Sum of thofe Duties, to which/ by the Words of our Saviour in my Text, we are all , obliged. They reprefent to us the Neceffity of a Simplicity of Mind, in receiving the Laws of Chrift, and of an honeft Plainnefs of Heart, in liv ing accordingly : Which indeed are the two principal Things, that, in all true Religion, are to be ftudied, and practib'd by all good Men.
Some Proportion , and Degree of
both thefe Virtues, I fay, is neceflary
to all Chriftians. I do not fay, the
higheft and moft compleat Degree of
them to any : That is inconfiftent with
the Frailties of our mortal Condition,
which God himfelf is pleafed to co'ri-
fider, in the Gentlenefs of his Precepts.
His Laws are perfeft, as he is perfects
. holy, as he is holy : But, feeing we
cannot be equally fo, by reafon of hu
mane Infirmity, God is pleafed to ac
cept of Integrity inftead of Perfection,
to prefer Simplicity before Hypocrify,
confefs'd Ignorance before Preemption.
What we really, and humbly endea
vour, out of his abundant Grace, he
will help us to perform, or accept of our
Endeavours. As we muft ftrive to be
Children in Innocence, fo in his infi
nite
before the KING. 23
nite Goodnefs, he looks on us to be but as Children in Weaknefs.
I am not ignorant, that this Doftrine of Chriftian Simplicity may found ftrange in the Ears of thofe Men, who confult only the low, and mean Inte- refts of this Life ; and therefore fancy themfelves, in the proud Imaginations of their own Hearts, to be the only wife, and fubtle Men in this World. With fuch Men, Simplicity generally pafles in the worft Senfe, for Pufilla- nimity, Weaknefs, Folly, for a poor- fpirited Chriftian Grace, that amongft the ancient Philofophers, they think, would fcarce have efcaped the being reckoned for a Vice.
But let none be too hafty in condemn ing the True Genuine Simplicity ; for I muft tell them, it has always had an Extraordinary Pre-eminence and Dig nity, not only in Religion, though chief ly there ; not only in the Sight of God, though that certainly were fuffi- cient : But in all other Things, in the Judgment of all truly wife Men, in all the Works of Nature and Art, in all the beft Practice of Civil Life.
If we obferve the Order of the whole Creation, and the Ranks of all Things vifibie, are not the higheft, and moil
C ei~-
24 A Sermon Preached
perfedt Beings (till moft pure, mott fim- ple, and moft of one Nature? Thus ic is from the nobleft Bodies to the Souls of Men, from the Souls of Men to Angels, from Angels to God himfelf : The higher any of thefe rife in their Excellence, they are ftill the more (imple in their Eifence.
If we examine all the Prod unions of Mens Hands, or Minds; is not the greateft Perfection of all Art, a moft exacl: Imitation of True Nature ? There is fome Kind of eafie folid Plainnefs, that far excels all the Comelinefs of artificial Ornaments. There is fome Kind of Simplicity that is attended with inexpreffible Majefty. That, fays St- Chryfofom on thofe Words of St. Mat. St. Matthew, like to thefe in my Text, *1_I4> tnat is th6 g/eat Defign of all Pliilo- f°phy, that is the very Life of An- gels, to have the higheft Underftand- ' *n» accompanied with unfeigned Sim- plicity.
if we refleft on the moft polite Cu- ftoms and Manners of humane Life, nothing is truly graceful, that is over- mix'd, or unnaturally forc'd ; no Word we fpeak, no Phrafe we ufe, no Ge- fture, no Tone of Voice, that is over- artificial, but it prefently offends : No thing
before the K I N G. 25
thing in Beauty, in Habit, in Action, in Motion, can pleafe, that is affected- ly laboured, and over-adorned : No- thing has fo much Reverence in Hu mane Converfation, as True Ingenuity, Manly Plainnefs, Gentle Eafinefs, Un- difTembled Sincerity : Nothing fooner, or more, or longer, affects Men with Delight, and Love, and Admiration : Nothing is more honourable, nothing more amiable, nothing indeed more eafie and fafe. It is very probable, that more of the deep, dark, referv'd, crafty Men, have at la ft fail'd of their De- figns, even in this World, than of the plain, upright, honeft Men. The craf ty Man has many Parts to play, many Minds to put on, many Faces to fhift ; fo that it is almoft impoflible for him fo to aft all, as not to be difcover'd in fome, and then he will be fu- fpecled in all : Whereas the honed Man has but one Part to perform, which is his own, and that far more eafie for him to do ; becaufe he always acts according to plain Nature.
Thus even in all worldly Things, as nothing is perfect without Decency ; fo nothing can be Decent without Sim plicity. But above all Things, this is true in Religion, efpecially in the Chri-
ftian
1 6 A Sermon Preached
ftian Religion. The Gofpel, in the Great Duties, and Truths of it, is a plain and fimple Thing; it is fimple in its End, which is one. and always the fame, Eternal Life : Simple in the Means that conduce to that End, which are but Two, and thofe always the fame, Faith, and Obedience. And fo fimple fhould be the Practice of all, that would ufe thofe Means in a right Man ner, and expect thereby the Benefit of that End.
Nothing fhews a nearer Refemblance to the Divine Nature, than a Mind that is pure, unmixed, and undefiled : Nothing manifefts a greater Conformi ty to the Divine Laws, than a Life of plain Innocence : Nothing more ex- prefTes that free, and generous Difdain, which all true Chriftians have, or fhould have of thefe Earthly, Tranfi- tory Things : Nothing declares a more magnanimous Confidence in the Di vine Providence : Nothing a more fub- nuflive Resignation to the Divine Will : Nothing a more ftedfaft and allured Hope of future Happinefs : Nothing can keep us fafer from dangerous Mi- ftakes in all Matters of Eternal Con cernment.
The
before the KING. 27
The plain, fair? even, candid Mind, of which a right Meafure may fooneft be taken, is beft prepared to take a right Meafure of fpiritual Things. That mild and innocent Difpofuion, which leaft of all deceives others, is leaft of all capable of being dangeroufly de ceived it felf, in the Ways of Everlaft- ing Salvation. Have not more bold, venturous, artificial Wits fallen into Errors, than they, who have been content with the fteddy, conftant, firm, Motion of rrjeek and humble Chri- ftians ? Whil'ft thofe prefume all on themfelves, they truft to the moft fal lible Guide : Whilft thefe wholly fu- fpe£t themfelves, and implore moft the Grace of God, they never fail of a certain Afliftance, and Direction. And what has been generally the Succefs of both ? The humble, teachable Temper of the one, has produced many real Saints: The proud, prefumptuous, fub- tle Spirit of the other, has proved a fruitful Soil for the Production of Here- ticks, or Atheifts.
Give me Leave therefore moft hum bly to advife, and befeech you all, as you would be efteemed ths true Difciples of Chrift, to labour for this blefTed Temper, which is moft proper
for
a 8 A Sermon Pre ached
for Difciples, this humble and fincere Praftice of what you do know, this humble Willingnefs to be taught what you do not know, and Submiflion to thofe that do.
I do not by this, in the leaft, plead for the grofs Blindnefs, and implicit Faith of the Laity, which is one of the chief Artifices of the Church of Rome. No, we that are Minifters of the Church of England, may be con tent; nay, we may really wifh, that all our Laity had as much true folid Underftanding in Religion, as our Cler gy. We can get no Advantage by your Want of Knowledge, no more than you can do by ours. We have no fpiritual Cheat with which to delude you; for the reprefenting of which we fhould ftand in need either of Darknefs, or of a falfe Light. We have nothing in our publick Profeflion, which the wi- feft Men, the moft pious Chriftians, may not outwardly praclife; nothing in our Faith, which they ought not inwardly to believe.
We know, and are well afTur'd, that the only Reafon, why our Church is not more generally embraced, and ad mired, is, becaufe the Purity of its Do&rine, the Sobriety of its Devo tion,
before tbe KING. -29
tion, the Moderation of it's Difcipline, the Largenefs of it's Charity, are not more impartially, and calmly exami ned, more generally underftood. Our Church in its Spiritual State, as you are Chriftians, is moft conformable to the Rules of Chrift, to the Apoftolical Practice, to the Primitive Infthutions. In its Rational State, as you are Men, its Doftrines are very agreeable to the Reafon of Mankind ; its Precepts moft becoming the pureft, and the ftrifteft Laws of Nature, and Virtue, and Mo rality. In its Political State, as ye are Englijhmen, its Intereft is infeparable from the Intereft of our Nation, and Government.
We are therefore fo far from being jealous of your moft curious, and ex- aft Search into the Practices, and Prin ciples of our Church, that we defire it ; nay, we moft earneftly befeech it. We are in no Danger from Mens moft fubtle Inquiry into it ; we may be from their utter Careltfsnefs and Indifference towards it.
We are not againft any Man's feeing Spiritual Truth ; only we would not have the Blind prefume to teach others to fee : We would not have Men think
they
A Sermon Preached
they fee, when they do not $ which is the moft certain Way for them never to fee at all. We would have you know as much as you can ; only we would have you believe, that both you, and we, may know much more than we do : We intreat you to ftrive to know all, in a right Way, by fober Degrees, for right Purpofes, and Ufes, and Ends.
Moft feafonable is this Advice ; and I wifh it could be moft effectually re commended. For, to fpeak plain Truth, a meek, humble, teachable Spirit, and by confequence, a devout, peaceable, and obedient Spirit, are almoft quite gone out ot the World : Whereas all Things in Religion fhould be plain, fcarce any Thing will now pleafe, that is fo. Whilft fo many ftrive to be Teachers, and place moft ot their Re ligion in that; How many Cenfurers have we of others? How many Refor mers of the Publick ? How few Lear* ners? How much fewer Pra&iiers them- felves ?
Alas! Is it not apparent, that ever fince fo many of the Laity have fo much invaded, fo many have fo much defpifed, the Office of the Clergy ; Pi ids
has
before the K I N G. 31
has evidently prevailed over Humili ty, Faftion over Unity, ill Nature over Charity ?
Though I am not willing to make a Satyr on any Religious Party; nor do I think that the bell Way to reclaim them : Our Conferences fhould con vince their Confciences, our, Lives fhould confute their Lives : Elfe 'tis not enough only to employ our Tongues, and our Fancies, againft their Confcien- ces : Yet for Truth's fake, this I muft fay ; that ot all the Seds amongft us, who contemn the Authority of the Church, who feparate themfelves from the great Things of our Religion, on a Diflike of fome fmall Things ; and among!! whom all think themfelves gifted Brethren alike : Whatever other Virtues, or Shadows of Virtues, they may Item to have ; whatever Sobriety of Life, or Stri&nefs of Converfation, or Freedom from fome Scandalous Sins they may pretend to: For which yet I cannot but fay, that if they are really fuch, as they pretend, I wiQi they were ours ; yet may they not ge nerally be obferved to be exceedingly defective in the Two Principal, Funda mental Graces of Christianity ? Which
are.
A Sermon Preached
are, Humility, and Charity. Humility of Looks, or Habit they may have; but have they as much of Heart, or Life ? Charity of Good Works, do they not too much defpife, as a low, legal Way to Heaven ? Charity of Opinions, have they any at all?
It cannot be denied, but in this laft Age, in moft of our Memories, our Nation has manifeftly degenera ted from the Praftice of former Times, in many Moral Virtues, and Spiritual Mark xii. Braces, which fhould teach us to ren- 17. der to God the Things that are Gods, and to Ctffar the Things that are Ctfars. "Where is that Integrity of Manners, that Truth of Converfation, that du tiful Obfervance of Order, that Mo- defty of Private Life, that Charity to wards Men, that humble Devotion to wards God, in which, we can only fay we have heard, our Nation once excel Pd ?
'T would be a Melancholy Employ ment to fearch into the Caufes of this unhappy Change : But whatever 6- ther Occafions may have contributed to the Continuance and Increafe of it ; certainly the chief Caufe of the Beginning of it was Spiritual Pride,
and
before the KING.
and Hypocrifie; the Wane, nay the Contempt of an humble, and docible Spirit.
The different Effe&s of this Difpo- fition, and of that whicii is contrary to it, have beei abundantly tried in all hlUlories, in all States, Civil and Ecclefiaftical ; efpecially Ecclefiailical. Thole Countries, and Societies of Men, have ever moft flourifhM, where Men have been kept longeft under a reafon- able Difcipline, thole where the Num ber of Teachers have been few ia Comparifon to the Number of Lear ners. There was never yet any Wife Nation, or happy Church, at leaft never any that continued long fo ; where all have thought themfelves equally fit, and have been promif- cuoufly admitted, to be Teachers,, or Lawgivers.
What can be the Confequence of fuch a head-ftrong, ftiff-necked, over weening, unmanageable Spirit ? Can any Thing be more deftruftive to Church, and State, than fuch a per- verfe Humour, as is unteachable, un governable it felf, and yet pver-hafty to govern, and teach others ? Where Children get too foon out of the Go vernment of their Parents, and Ma- D fters :
54 -A Sermon Preached
fters : Where Men think it a Duty of Religion, to drive to get out of the Government of their Magiftrate, and Prince : Where Chriftians (hall think themfelves not at all bound to be un der the Government of the Church ; muft not all Domeftick, and Politick, and Spiritual Relations foon be dif- folv'd ? Muft not all Order be fpeedily overthrown, where all the true Ways to make, and keep Men orderly, are confounded ?
And what in Time would be the IfTue of fuch a Confufion ? What ? but either grofs Ignorance, or falfe Know ledge ? Which is as bad, or worfe : What ? but a Contempt of Vertue, and Prudence, under the difgraceful Titles of Pedantry, and Formality ? What ? but a Loofenefs of Tongues, and Lives ? And at laft, Mens taking Pride in, and valuing themfelves on fuch Loofe nefs ? What ? but a Difobedience to the Laws of Man, in a Pretence of the Kingdom ot God ; but, in Truth, a Neglect of all the Laws both of God, and Man ? In fhort, What? but mad Enthufiafm firft, and then Licentious Atheifm ? For very near is the Di- ftance. very eafy the Paffage, from one of thefe Extremes to the other.
\yhere-
before the KING. 35
Wherefore for thefe moft pernicious Diftempers, the great Prevention, the beft Remedy is this in my Text, That rye all receive the Kingdom of God as little Children : That Children be care fully inftru£ted in Religion, as Chil dren, whilft they are fo : That our grown Men, our wife Men, efpecially our witty Men, fhould not difdain to be as Children, in Refpe£l of Spi ritual Inftruftion : That the fame Mo- defty of Opinions, and Duty to Go- vernours, and Submiflion to Inftru- ftors, which Children have by Na ture, without any Experience, they would ftrive to have by Cfioice, as the main End of, and beft Means to improve their greateft Wit, and Ex perience.
T/'i good for a Man that he the Toke in his Touth. 'Tis good for him that beareth it, not only for humane Society : Tw good to hear the Toke ; the fevereft Direction, the hardeft Reftraint; much more to yield to the Tender- nefs of Counfel, the Eafmefs of In- ftrudion, the wholefome Severities of Difcipline.
Firft then, in the Name of God,
may the Means of Education, the Times
of Inftitution, the Rules of Difcipline,
D 2 the
3 6 A Sermon Preached
the Laws of Government, the Diftance and Duties of Inferiors to Superiors, of all Degrees, be moft ferioufly re garded : That our Men may be brought up to Bufmefs, to Profeflions fitted for the World, for Heaven, by the labo rious Methods of Virtue, and Know ledge, and Obedience, by an exact Rule, by fure Degrees : No matter how flow, fo they be but fure ; better too flow, than too precipitate.
And laftly, may our Men of ripe Years, our Men of Bufinefs, our Great Men, be intreated to revive, and re- ftore the ancient Simplicity, and In tegrity of Manners : To praftife an in- ward Humility, and Lowlinefs of Mind ; an outward Innocence towards all, Con- defcenfion to Inferiors, Obfervance of Superiors, Submiffion to Teachers, Sub jection to Rulers : And to pracliife all thefe excellent Vertues, not only as fo many Moral, or Political Duties, but, as indeed they are, as fome of the moft Chriitian, moft Spiritual, and moft Evan gelical Graces.
Thus for us all to become as Chil dren, is the fureft Way to preferve where it is, to recover where it was loft, private Vertue, publick Honefty, and a National Piety.
And
before the KING. 37
And by the Words of our Saviour in my Text, I am impower'd to pro- mife to this blefled Temper, an Eter nal Reward. For if whofoever [hall not receive the Kingdom of God AS a, little Child, (ball not enter therein : Hence we may well conclude, that whofoever fhall receive it as a Child, fliall enter therein. For of Juch, fays our Saviour, is the Kjngdom of God. Of which, I befeech Almighty God to make us all Partakers. Amen.
FINIS.
SERMON
Preached before the
HONOURABLE
Houfe of Commons,
A T
St. Margaret's, Weftminfler,
January 30^
ByTHOMAs SPRAT, D.D.
Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majefly.
LONDON:
Printed for R. Bonwicke, jf. Walt hoe, R. Wilkin, B. Tookey and J. Wad,.
} f
^T T <T
•1 LanomrncO
-
SERMON
Preached before the Honourable
A T
St. Margarets, Weftminfter^ January 30^ 1678.
Sc. MAT. V. Ver. i o.
Blcffed are they which are ferfecuted for Righteoufnefs fake : For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
WE are here aflembled to la ment the Death of one of the beft Kings that ever lived, and the moft Pious Martyrs .that ever fuf- fered. We are this Day to bewail a Crime fo detefted by God, and Man, that, unlefs this Day had been long fince
pub-
A Sermon Preached
publickly appointed, by the Voice of the whole Nation pronounced by you the Reprefentatives of it, for us and our Pofterity, to bewail it Yearly, in this, and all future Ages ; the guilty Memory of this Day had for ever re mained an indelible Difgrace to the pre- fent Age, and to the whole English Name it felf.
When we fliall recdlleft the Affli- Qions, and the Vertues of that Blefled King ; and {hall remember, that in his Vertues he excelled the moft happy Princes; in his AfHi&ions he equalled the moft unfortunate Men : Though it fhould not incline us to murmur at the Divine Providence, whofe Judg ments are above our Knowledge, and therefore ought not to come under ourCenfure: Yet certainly, it cannot but make us abhor the terrible Ef- fe£h of furious Zeal, when it miftakes Providence: It cannot but raife in us the greateft Hatred of Faction on a Pretence of Liberty ; and of Ambition, when it counterfeits Religion.
Should it not fill us all with Grief and Amazement, that fuch a King could fuffer as a Tyrant ! Who was, to His People, the moft conftant Defender of their ancient Privileges, the greateft
Au-
before the Houfe of COMMONS. 43
Author of New ones ? Or as an Enemy to the True Religion ! Who was in his Life the great Ornament ; in his Death the moft devout Example of it ? Or as unworthy to govern ! Who, not only by his Birth, had a fucceflive Right to the Crown, which he could not for feit ; but alfo, by his perfonal Virtues, might have deferved another Title to it, if his Crown had been Elective, and, as His Murderers impudently pre tended, at the Difpofal of his Sub- jefts.
Whether we confider Him on the Throne, as he was there, too fhort a Space, the Vice- gerent of God's Power ; or in the Church, as he always imi tated, and refembled the Divine Purity : Or fhould we meafure Him, as we would any other Man : Should we take His Pidure, as He Himfelf delighted to be drawn, with His Crown and Scepter laid afide, and His Wife, and Children, or Servants by Him : Whether we obferve His Royal and Chriftian, or His Pri vate and Moral, Excellencies ; we might find in all, fome Extraordinary Cha- ra&er ofGreatnefs, and of that, which is the only true Greatnefs, fuch as was admirably tempered, aad adorn'd with Goodnefs.
But
44 <A Sermon Preached
But thofe other more refplendent Parts of his Life, are a Subject fitter for a Hi- flory than a Sermon. And, no doubt, if there fhall be any Virtue, and Praife of Virtue, in the Generations to come after us ; his Name will live, and be mention ed with Reverence in the Records of Ho nour : Though not in the large Roll of thofe Kings, who have been only Hap py, Profperous, and Victorious in this World ; yet amongft the far fmallerNum- ber, but much more Sacred, more truly Glorious Number of thofe Kings that have been Saints, and Confeflbrs,or Mar tyrs ; and therefore more than Conquer &rs.
I confefs, I might, and, give me Leave to fay it, I intended to have complain'd, that the prefent Age had not made that Ufe of Him which it ought : His Enemies, for their Repentance, and Amendment ; nor even His Friends, for His Praife and Honour. But, blef- fed be God, I am happily prevented in one Part of the Complaint: I have nothing now to wifh, but that His Enemies would as well perform their Duty to Him, as, it muft be acknowledg ed, you his Friends have done yours ; by that much dellred, long expected, Yefterday's Vote ; in which you have gi ven a Refurre&ion to His Memory, by
de-
before the Hottfe of COMMONS. 45
defigning Magnificent Rites to his Sacred Afhes. So that now, for the future, an Englifh Man Abroad will be able to men tion the Name of King CHARLES the fir ft i without blu(hing: And his He- roick Worth will be delivered down to Pofterity, as it always deferved to be, not only freed from Calumny, or Ob- fcurity, but in all Things moft illuftri- ous, in all Things to be commended, in moft Things to be imitated, in fome Things fcarce imitable, and only to be admired.
In Confidence of this, I will leave the reft of His juft Panegyrick to the Regiftersof Civil Hiftory : And I will only now employ that fhort Time your Favour fhall allow me, in reprefenting to you that one particular Grace ; which, I believe, he had in as high a Degree as our Mortal Condition, of it felr, is ca pable to receive, his Magnanimity in Suffering : And it will belt become this Religious Place and Office, to recom mend to you, from amongft his many other Virtues, that one Virtue of his Divine Patience, which he could learn from no other Principle but his Reli gion.
To thisPurpofe, I have chofen to fpeak on thefe Words of our Bleffed Saviour;
wherein
4 6 A Sermon Preached
wherein he propofes Perfecution, which to Nature feems the greateft Evil, to be the greateft Good : Such as all his Dif- ciples ought, not only to endure well, as a neceflary Burthen, but to enjoy as a Blefling.
The Words themfelves confift of Three Parts :
This New and Strange Chri- ftian Paradox : That, to be perfecuted is A Bleffing.
Secondly, The only Qualification that can make it to be fo : It muft be a Per- fecution for Righteoufnefs Sake.
Thirdly^ The great Reafon why it is a Elefftng : Becaufe it is attended with the greateft Reward, the Kjngdom of He&- ven.
I cannot now ftay to infift diftinftly on thefe Particulars, or to handle the Argu ment in my Text as a common Place of Divinity. It will neither agree with the prefent Temper of your Minds, or my own,to treat of it in fuch cold and general Terms. But what I fhall fay on this Great and Primitive Doftrine of Chrifti- anity, fhall be only fo much as you may apply to the prefent Occafion: That
when
before the Houfe of COMMONS. 47
when I come to recount the King's unpa- rallel'd Sufferings, you His Friends may be fomething comforted in beholding the Solid, and Eternal Foundation of his Suffering fo well ; which was no other than the Faith into which we were all Baptiz'd : And that therefore the Chri- ftiw Faith, the Faith of the Church of England, may have the Credit of that Greatnefs of Mind, it taught the King in his Extremity.
That to be perfecuted is a, Bleffing, was a Doctrine never heard of, till our Sa viour here firft introduced it. No other Teacher, or Law-giver, ever went, or durft go fo contrary to the Interefts and Pleafures of Flefh and Blood. None elfe would have laid fo much Weight on Humane Nature : Or could have made it fo eafie : None but He, that was God, as well as Man : He that, as Man, knew what it was to fuffer : And, as God, knew how to fup- port thofe that fuffered.
'Tis true, the Power of bearing Per- fecution well, has been always pretend ed to, by all Se£b, and Nations, and Religions of Men. All Hiftory is full of fuch great Examples, amongft thofe to whom the Gofpel was never revealed.
But
A Sermon Preached
But have not the reft too generally gone on the wrong, or tottering Principles, of empty Fame, of doubtful Philofophy, of falfe, or imperfeft Religions ? Cer tainly feldom any truly great, feldom any fteddy, and unchangeable Comfort, little lafting Relief, moft certainly fcarce any Everlafting was to be found, till the Appearance of our Saviour, to make Men, on juft Grounds, to rejoice, and triumph in Pains, and LoITes, and Mi- feries.
Mankind, before that, wa-s left de
fective in this moft neceflary Virtue, of
which we have all a perpetual Ufe. For,
my Brethren, there is no Retirement fo
fecure, no Provifion fo large, no Search
fo happy, as to find out that Place, whi
ther no Cares, nor Misfortunes, make
their Way. The Sweeteft, the Faireft,
the moft Plentiful, Alafs ! you fee, the
moft Commanding Condition is often
times a Greater Burden ; at beft, is only
a Lefs, and a Gentler Mifery, not any
Real Happinefs. Of all thofe that built
Houfes in the Parable, the moft raifed
them on the Sand : The Beft, and the
Wifeft, could only found them on the
Rock: On which, notwithstanding all
theic Prudence, the Winds did blow,
and
before the Houfe */ COMMONS. 49
and the Sea did rage about them : All their Advantage was not a full Quiet ; but only that the Storms did beat on them in vain.
And this is that for which we are on ly beholden to our Saviour Chrijl\ of whom we may juftly fay, in Refpeft of Mankind, as Jugujlus faid of himfelf, and Rome^ Ltiteritia.m invent, Marmoream reliqui ; he found our Nature weak and frail, compofed of Adam's mouldring Earth; but he made it, and left it of the fineft, and mod durable Marble* He himfelf came perfecuted ; but one of the chief Ends of his Coming, was to free all that believe on him, and obey his Commands ; though not from all Perfecution, yet from all the Curfe of it ; nay to do better than if he had taken all Perfecution quite away, to make it a Caufe of Joy and Felicity, a Blefling to thofe that are perfecuted.
And, How feeble ! How deceitful ! How much like a broken Reed, which only pierces where it fhould uphold, are all the other Motives, and Principles of Suffering well, in comparifon to thofe that He has taught !
E Fir/I,
W
ejo A Sermon Preached
b />/?, Some Men indeed may ft rive to endure Affli&ions couragioufly, in a Senfe of natural Decence ; by Force of Ibme natural Paflion, or by the (ingle Precepts of natural Wifdom. But what is the chief End that fuch Men can pro- pofe to themfelves ? Can it be much more than the bare Expectation of tran- fitory Fame and Honour in this World ? Or fome temporary Intereft and Con tentment here below? And what mighty Reliefs or Rewards are thefe ? Such Con- foiations, at bed, can only ftupify the Mind under Pain ; they are far from turning the Pain into a Bie fling. Such Recompences are imaginary, contemp tible, perilling, whilft the Labours Men take for them are great and real : Where as to a Chriftian Sufferer, the La hours are contemptible, compared to the ineftima- bleGreatnefs of the Recompence.
Undoubtedly, nothing in this Life can make Afflictions tolerable, much lefs a Blefling, but a Belief that there is ano ther Life; in Comparifon to the Joys of which, the Miferies of this Life are of no Confideration : Nay, a Belief, that we fhall partake of the Joys of another Life, if we bear patiently the ordinary and extraordinary Miferies of this; and that nothing can teach us to do the right
Way,
before the Houje of COMMONS. 51
Way, but Religion, nothing but the right Religion.
For, Secondly, there is alfo a ftrange Force and Refolution of Mind that may proceed from falfe Religions, and from the Principles of Enthuliafm. This Kind muft be confefs'd far to exceed all natural Courage in its Effects : It may fome- times be hardly diftinguifhable from the true Patience that is taught by the true Religion it felf.
Yet there are very material Diftin^ £tions between them ; the Chief, this in my Text : The one is only for the true Righteoufnefs Sake ; the other for a Counterfeit Hypocritical Righteoufnefs. And befides, they differ, in that the true Religion, rightly ufed, teaches Men real ly to believe, that to be perfecuted is a Blefling, but never to perfecute. Falfe Religion and Enthufiafm may make Men pretend to believe, that to be per fecuted is a Blefling, but really to believe that the Power of Perfecution is a greater BlefTing, and to ufe that Power with the greateft Cruelty when they have got it ; as we have felt by many difmal In- ftances, efpecially that of that black and guilty Day.
E 2 How-
A Sermon Preacbed
However, it is too true, that miflaken Zeal, and deluding Inspirations, have oftentimes a prodigious Influence on thofe Minds that are pofleffed with them; pofTefled in the worft Senfe of the Word : They can eafily make Men defpife all Dangers and Terrors : They can fill their ProfelyteswithHeatandRaptures enough to rufh violently on Torments, to glory in the falfe Prefumption of Martyrdom, to do as Empedocles of old, who caft him- felf willingly into the fierceft Flames, that he might be thought to go to Hea ven. We have feen a blind Fanatical £eal enrage Forty Men to make War a gain ft a mighty Nation in full Peace, In the midft of its principal City.
And fince the Implacable Enemies of our Church and State have had, and ftill have, fuch a dreadful ofFenfive Weapon in their Keeping, as all zealous, though erroneous Religion is : Should not this, my Brethren, be a ferious Admonition to us, who profefs our felves Friends to the Church and State, to make Provifion againft them, by the better, more power ful, indeed, invincible defenfive Wea pons of our Spiritual Warfare, that may be learnt from the true and un feigned Religion ? Since they pretend to fetch their Armour from Heaven againft
our -v/ £ a-
before the Honfe of COMMONS.
our Caufe, ought not we really to fetch ours from Heaven againft theirs? We cannot want all other Means of De fence ; we have Reafon, and Juftice, and Law, and Loyalty, on our Side : All thofe, the Enemies of our Church and State, muft want. But let us be ware, left if they have any Zeal, we none, they have fomething more forcible than any of the other. Moft certainly, nothing but Confcience well-informed can be an equal Match for Confcience mifguided : Nothing but the Power of Godlinefs, nothing but true Zeal, can break the Force of falfe Zeal, and of the very Form of Godlinefs.
Wherefore, from that fatal Example, How much the Name of Godlinefs, hy pocritically ufed, flood our Adverfaries in ftead ! May we be inftrucled to govern our Minds, and ftrengthen our Hearts, and reform our Lives, by the Directions and Precepts of the true Holinefs ; to have our Confciences as much in earned as theirs, but better informed ; not only to hate the Hypocrify, but to out-do the Warmth of their Zeal. And if the very Shadow of Chrift could do fuch wonder ful Things, What would not his Hand, his Tongue, his Body, his Life do ? If by a fad Experience, we have found a E 3 feigned
A Sermon Preached
feigned and dhTembled Piety, fo outra- gioufty ftrong, and too long irrefiftible 5 Should we not thence conclude, whac greater Influence,what more durable Au thority, the true Piety might have on our Minds, by the Efficacy of its own true Promifes, Rewards, and Comforts? In which, God has pitied the Infirmities of our weak Humanity ; has fupplied them all in a gracious Proportion to our Defects ; has provided the greateft Hap- pinefs for our immortal and mortal Parts hereafter ; has furnifhed us with the beft Relief for our mortal Part here.
But, that Religion fhould beftow the fuieft Aid and AfTiftance in Perfection, is the more ftrange ; becaufe, at the firft View, it feems to make Perfecution more grievous, by forbidding us many Helps, and Means of Defence, which Nature offers to the Afflicted. Does not our Sa viour's Doctrine command us to have the fevereft Thoughts of our felves ? It tames the Mind, as well as it requires the Body to be fubfcrvient to the Mor tification of the Mind : It lays fo much Reiiraint on our intemperate Pleafures, that to a carnal Man it even feems to render Profperity a Sort of Perfecution. It denies us the Ufe of fome Kinds of Re/UUnce : of all Manner of Revenge;
of
before the Hoitfe of COMMONS. 5 5
of all aftual Revenge, which is the De light of the Powerful ; of all revenge ful Thought, which may be efteemed fome Eafe to the Weak.
How then can it be, that fuch a Do- ftrine fhould turn all Perfecution into a Blefling ? Yes, moft certainly : And for the moft weighty Reafons ; of which, the Two Principal are here mentioned. In this Life, it makes the Suffering de lightful, becaufe it is for Right eoafnefs . Sake : In the next, it makes it our Glo ry and Crown, becaufe of its juft Claim to the Kjngdom of tietven.
Fir ft, I fay, it is this Doftrine only that prefcribes fuch Rules, and provides fuch Helps, for the right ordering of all our Thoughts, Words and Actions, in this Life ; that if they be exa&ly fol lowed, will put us into a Condition of frfferingfor nothing but Right eoufnefs Sake. So much Moderation it impofes on our Enjoyment of Things in our Power ; fo much it teaches an inoft'enfive Meek- nefs, and Caution of not difpleafing God, or injuring Man ; that whoever lives accordingly, whatever his Perfe cution may be, he cannot but be inno cent in it ; and if he be innocent, the E 4 Pcrfc*
A Sermon Tr cached
Perfecution will, be fo too, and will do him no manner of Hurt,
To a Heart fo confcientioufly pre pared, fo certain of its Duty, fo rightly fecured in its Caufe, the Affti&ions of this World have quite .another Appear ance than to the reft of the World. They are prefently found to be only the tender Trials of a merciful Father ; to be not only his Trials, but Tokens and Teftimonies of his Love, and of our Adoption ; to entitle us to the Privi leges of God's own People and Children, to his peculiar Care, to his fpiritual Joys, to his Kingdom.
That is the other Contemplation which compleats the Blefling ; And it is only the Hope of that Kingdom, which our Lord Chrifl alone has pur chafed for us, that can be equal to the Wants and Wifhes of our Immortal Souls ; That only can rcfrefh the DiftrerTed, and eafe the Hea vy-laden, and fupport the Living, and re joice the Dying; without that Expecta tion, the leaft mortal Frailties and Crof- fes, even Mortality it felf, were an in tolerable Oppreffion : But with it, the crueleft mortal Pains may be made light, and inconfiderable : Without that Be lief, as Chriftians of all Men, fo Men of all Creatures, were moft miferable.
if
before the Houfe of COMMONS. 5 7
If there were no Profpect of Heaven, even Earth it felf were a Kind of Hell : So dark, fo uncomfortable, fo difmally doubtful, were the Condition of Man kind. But now there is a Heaven, fo certain, fo unqueftionable, fo near them who believe it, and labour for it : To fuch, there fhall not only be no Hell; but even Earth it felf, amidft all their Earthly Calamities, becomes a Kind of Heaven : So truly Great is their prefent Comfort ; fo unfpeakably Great will be their future Felicity.
You now behold the Character, Sup- ports, and Benefits, of that Perfecution, which, in the Religion that all of us have embraced, is reckoned as a Blef- fing. This infallibly is the Chriftian Doctrine. I come next to inforce and illuftrate it by a Chriftian Example. And I might alledge that of the Bleffed Author of it, our Saviour himfelf : But, in him it may be faid, the Godhead did fuftain the Humanity. I might urge the Apoftles, and Primitive Difciples: But they alfo were immediately aflifted by a miraculous Power, enabling them to do, and to fuffer. I might produce a Noble Army of Martyrs, in all Ages of the Chriftian Church : But it will now be enough, once for all, only to men tion
«;8 A Sermon I 'reached
tion the Blefled Pattern of that Saint- Jike King ; whofe wonderful Patience, in an Age wherein Miracles wereceafed, did almoft feem to revive them ; His mag nanimous Suffering did evidence, how much Strength and Luftre the true Piety may add to the moft Princely Mind : The Afflictions that furrounded his Head did not deface, but beautify his Life. As the Thorns his Great Mafter wore at his Paffion, they were intended by his Enemies for his Shame, and his Pain ; but they were, in Truth, his Crown, his Fonrrh, more precious Crown.
When I ferioufly reflect on all the Sufferings of that Excellent Prince; how Jittle he deferved the leaft of them from any Man ; how much far otherwife he merited from many the chief Authors of them ; and yet by how many fad Cir- cumftances they were frill encreafed ; againft how many fair Hopes they ftill prevailed ; and with what unfhaken Conilancy he bore them all : I cannot but conclude, that he was feparated, and confecrated, as it were, by God's fpecial Appointment, to fall a Glorious Sacrifice ; to give a new Example of Chriltian, Pa (live Courage, to the decay ing Virtue of this Age : And that, as the Blood of Martyrs is truly faid to be the
Seed
Seed of the Church ; fo the Blood of on-e Martyr'd King, fhould be the per petual Seed both of the Church and Monarchy of England.
He fucceeded to his Temporal G'owns, by the Conjunction and Indifputable Right of many Royal Lines. Yet he was fo far from having the ufual Allowance that fcems due to Rightful, Sovereign Princes; from obferving wl?ofe very Faults toocurioufly, their Subjects ought, and in better Times their honourable Enemies were wont, to retire with Re- fpecl: : So far he was from being thus ufed, that even his Virtues were mifin- terpreted, and fcandaloufly reviled. His Gentlenefs was mifcailed Defect of Wif- dom ; his Firmnefs, Obftinacy ; his re gular Devotion, Popery ; his decent Worfhip, Superftition ; his Oppofmg of Schifm, Hatred of the Power of Godli- nefs. Such was the remarkable Aggra vation of his unjuft Perfecutions, that though he had manifeftly the Right on his Side, yet his Enemies, by their Ar tifices, had got over moft of the good and plaufible Words to be on theirs. Whilil the worft of their Aclions were fanclified and made popular by the fpe- cious Titles of Liberty, Purity and t(e- he dkd tor the Laws, as a
Male-
60 A Sermon Yr cached
Malefactor ; for the Church, the beft Reformed Church, as an Enemy to tht Caufe of God.
To his People he was ever moft in dulgent, ftill fcattering amongft them the Royal Prerogatives, with a Libera lity rather becoming the Mildnefs of the Giver, than due to the Ingratitude of the Receivers : For, in anfwer to all his moft bountiful Conceflions, he ftill met with evil Surmifes, perverfe Com- ments on all his Afts of Grace ; and thofe feconded by mutinous Petitions, feditious Clamours and Aflaults, and at laft an open Rebellion. What fhall we fay ? Some ftrange Fatality, fome unufual , unheard-of Giddinefs, had unawares feifed on, and, in too great a Part, infatuated the Englifb Spirit ; to make them grow difcontented, and fick of their very Profperity ; thus rafh- ly to employ the Riches and Plenty they reaped from the firft happy Part of his Reign, to render the latter Part of it unhappy.
Nor were the Calamities of his Fate only confined to himfelf, which, no Doubt, a Mind of fo much innocent Tendernefs defired ; but they were in- fe&ious to all about him. That which, in any other Age, would have been
thought
before the Hottfe of COMMONS. 6 1
thought a Proof of the greater! humane Abilities, to counfel wifely and faith fully fo judicious a Prince ; and a Sign of the greateft humane Felicity, to be beloved by fo great and good a Prince ; was then a certain Fore-runner of Mif- fortune.
Of his deareft Servants, the Firfl, whom he received from his Father, and himfelf long protected from the blind Malice of Envy, was fnatch'd from him by the Hand of a bafe AfTafline : And whilft his generous Heart was bleeding for the Lois, many Thoufands of his Subjeds, with fecret Shews of Satis faction, nay with open Teftimonies of Joy, applauded the horrid Murther of his Friend.
His other beft Servant, a Minifter, the moft able of that Time, both for Coun cil and Aftion ; a Friend, one of the beft which ever the Church of God had, fince it needed fuch a Friend : Him he was conftrained to give up as a Prey to Popular Tumults, or, which is as bad, to Popular Juftice ; nay, which was worfe, and which ought not to have been mentioned, but that the King him felf often fpoke, and writ of it, with fuch folemn Remorfe ; his Royal and
Guile-
62 A Sermon Preached
Guiltlefs Hand was made an unwilling Inftrument of that Unrighteous Aftion.
But the Juftice this Parliament has done to the Earl of Str affords Honour, has vindicated the Name of Parliaments in this Particular ; and the Repentance of that merciful King, has paid an ho nourable Atonement to his Ghoft. The Servant's Innocence has been abundantly juftified by the Matter's fo paflionately accufing his own Weaknefs, for yielding to his Death. It was indeed a Weak nefs, to which the Counfels of his dif- guifed Enemies, or timerous Friends, provoked him : Yet, he could never at laft have been drawn to it, had he not been half perfwaded, that it was better for one Man to die, than for the whole People to perifh. And how juftly may we think his Virtues to have been extra ordinary ! when his greateft Fault (t make bold to call it his Fault, and I be lieve it was his greateft) had fo good and innocent a Foundation, as the Peace of Three Kingdoms ! Have we not great Reafon to fuppofe, that his Confcience was moft ftriftly watch'd and guarded from Sin ? Could any of his Enemies, notwithstanding all their Boafts in this Kind, fhew us a Proof of a Confcience fo tender? Which did fo affeftionately
lament,
before the Hottfe of COMMONS. 6 3
lament, fo feverely repent of that Of fence, as if the whole Guilt of it had been his own : Whereas, at the Worft, the Infirmity of it only was his,- the Guilt belongeth to his Enemies.
His own Family was at once perfe- cuted in many Quarters of the World. There was fcarce a great Houle in all Ckriftendom, that had contra&ed Alliance with him, which God's Vifitation did not feem to fearch out, and to reach, in that Age. An Obfervation, in which his Adverfaries were wont much to glory ; as if he, and his whole Name, had been utterly rejected by Heaven. But Suc- cefs and Profperity in this World, is ra ther a Turkifb than a Cbri/lian Proof of God's Favour ; and the Adverfity the like of his Difpleafure: Or elfe, we might often fince have confuted the very fame Men with their own Argument.
His only Sifter had a long Familiarity with Unhappinefs. Her, he could never relieve in his moll profperous Days. Nor was Providence rouzed to reftore her Family, till about the Year of his Martyrdom.
His own Queen was expofed to all Manner of Injuries : Robb'd of the Pri vileges due to her Sex, much more to her high Birth and Condition : Decla red
6 A A Sermon Preached
red Traitor for doing the Duty of a Wife : The Laws of humane Society violated, to keep his very Mind from her : His Letters to her intercepted, publifhed, condemned, as Correfpon- dents with the DifFafFefted.
His Children were driven from his Paternal Care, in that Age which moft needed it : Some bred up at home under the Difcipline of his Enemies ; of whom, even the tender Mercies were cruel : Others wandring abroad, and depend ing on the uncertain Pity of his Neigh bours. What one of the Ancients faid of Pcwpefs Fall, was too true of the King's : One Country could not contain fo great a Ruin : The Shipwrack was caft on many Shores : Not indeed to be buried there, as Pompey was ; but to re turn again by a wonderful Reftitution. Yet that Satisfaction the King himfelf liv'd not to fee : He only felt the fevere Side, their Separation, and Diftreffes: The comfortable Part, their Reitaura- tion, his BlefFed Spirit has enjoyed in Heaven fince his Death : And, by a ftrange, myfterious Effect of the Divine Mercy, his very Death ought to be efteemed the principal Caufe of their Reftauration.
Thus
before the Houfe of COMMONS. 6 5
Thus was he unjuftly perfecuted in one Part of his Domeltick Relations. There was another alfo, in whofe Ruin he was even yet more nearly concerned, and that was the Church of England : For, Why may I not call our Church, a Member of his private Family ; feeing he cherifhed it fo familiarly, convers'd with it lo conftantly, provided for ic fo carefully ? It were well if this were all ; but I muft add, he died for it fo zealoufly.
For the Service and Devotions of this Church, his Affections were fo in flamed, his Judgment fo confirmed, his Practice in them fo incefTanr, that in all thefe he was fcarce to be equalled by any of his own Minifters ; I am per- fwaded, he was outdone by none. We have undeniable Inftances, that neither his belt beloved Recreations, nor one of the moft forrowfui MerTages he ever re ceived, not his moft urgent Bufinefs, not his greateft Delights, not his greateft Grief, could prevail with him ever to omit, or but for a Moment to interrupt, his daily iolemn Prayers
From this Church he might have ex- petted, and he had his latt Comforts: But, alas ! when he moft needed her Help, he law her in the greateit ounward F Defo-
66 A Sermon. Preached
Defolation her felf : Her chief Prelate, one of the moft innocent, devout, and magnificent Men of that Age, beheaded in the View of Forty Thoufand Men ! and too many of them fo inhumane, as to rejoice at the Death of a Bifhop ; againft whom, their chief Obje&ion was, his being a Bifhop.
Of this Church, whofe Prefervation and Profperity had been always his chief Study, he lived to fee the Truth queftioned, the Glory vanifhed, the Buildings falling, the Revenues de voured, and fo devoured, that he him- felf mud be compelled either to confirm the Sacrilege by his Authority, or to make Way for it by his Blood. Of which Two dreadful Extremes, he chofe the laft ; and fo became our Churches Martyr, as he had been her Saint : A Saint, incomparably more holy than all the Enthufiaftical Saints of the Sectaries ; a Martyr, to be preferred before a whole Multitude of Martyrs that fwell the Romifb Calendar.
Of this Church, in his Imprifbn- ments, the publick Offices were fome- times denied him ; the Attendance of his own Chaplains fometimes forbid ; feldom but precarioufly allowed: Li berty of Confcieiice refufed the King
by
before the Honje of COMMONS. 67
by the meaneft of his Subjects, who claimed it as their own Due, both by Religion and Nature, and made that the chief Pretence of their Rebellion againft him.
His moft fecret Duties of Piety were often difturb'd by the Abufe and Out rage of the common Soldiers : Hardly the Service of one of his Bifhops was afforded him in his laft Agony. Yet Providence fo ordered it, that it was the very Bifhop, whom of all his Clergy he had moft employed in Secu lar Affairs. Nor could any Thing more juftify the pious and confcientious Choice of his Minifters, both of Church and State, than that the very fame Man who had managed his Revenue, ihould be thought fitteft to direct his Confci- ence ; that his beft Treafurer fhould be his laft ConfefTor.
As to the unnatural War againft him, he made himfelf fo naked to avoid it^ that, when it was forced on him, he was not in a Capacity to maintain his own juft Rights in it. He went fo far to meet his undutiful Subjects in a peace ful Compliance, that he diverted himfelf of moft of his own Strengths, by which he might have fupprefs'd them. Why then did his Enemies fo bften tell Hea- F 2 ven
68 A Sermon Pre ached
ven in their Prayers, That if was not the Arm of klcjh which brought them Salvation^ when they had in their ufurped Poflef- (ion 'the moft confiderable Forces, and Eftates of their own Complices, or, bis. friends, his Fleets, his Magazines, his Revenue, and the far ftronger Part of all the Carnal Means of the Nation on their Side? Why did they fo often boaft, in their Way of Vain-glorious Humiliations + That they themselves were only dry Bones ; that a Divine Spirit animated them ; and that God was their Confederate ? When it was fo far from being a fignal Provi dence, that the King was at laft over come ; that indeed it \vas rather a Won der he was not fooner 1 That Ton, and juch as lou, and Tour Fathers, could jo long fupport his declining Caufe, againji a Power jo much more mighty than his, and jours !
But God thought fit to fuffer him to be defeated. And though the Divine Councils were in this, as they are in many other I kings, unfearchable ; yet thus much we may fafely pronounce, That it was not in Wrath to him, hut in Mercy. It was indeed our Wound,, and our Cala mity, not his : For his Sufferings that followed his Defeat, redounded far more to his own Glory, than if he had Tri umphed in War, or if /;// Life hadjmoothly
before the Houfe of COMMONS.
Jlid away in Peace. His Reign , if it had continued quiet, muft needs have been moft happy. That Goodnefs of Temper, had it not been oppofed, would fure have been admirable, feeing it was fo great when moft bitterly offended. His Vitfory, if he had conquered, would, no doubt, have been Mild, and Bloodlefs : None would have perifhed by it, but Arm'd, and in the Field. He had too great a Heart to infult over the Mifera- ble. He would certainly have laid no other Chains on the Vanquifhed, but thofe of Pardon and Mercy ; feeing he forgave them, and pitied them, amidft the Pride and Rudenefs of their own Vi&ory.
This is a Truth undoubted : Yet ftill I muft affirm, that it was more for his own perfonal Renown he was overcome. Many others would have fhared with him in the Honour of the Conqueft ; His Armies, his Commanders, and For- tune it felf, might have claimed fome Part in thofe Laurels. But this was a Praife far greater, much rarer, more Chriftian,, wholly God's, and his own, that after his Soldiers routed, hisGarri- fons yielded, his Friends reduced to the la ft Extremity but Defpair ; and who but fuch Friends would not then have F $ defpair-
A Sermon Preached
defpaired ? Yet ftill he kept his own Mind unconquered, and made that na ked, and alone, to encounter and tri umph over all the Malice of his Ene mies.
We are now arrived at that which, in the World's Opinion, was the moft unfortunate; but, in a Chriftian Ac count, was the moft victorious Part of the King's Life. There is ftill behind, a lamentable Story ; to us lamentable, tho' not to him : But after fo many fad Reprefentattens, it is Time the Veil be drawn. The deplorable Remainder is only fit for fuch Savages to hear, who could fee it without Grief, and caufe it without Remorfe. Here therefore let us pafs it by in Silence : Let us ftrive to overwhelm the Cruel and Guilty Part of the Kjng\ Martyrdom, which was bis Ene mies Part) by the Contemplation of the innocent and honourable Part of it, that ypas his own.
And this, my Brethren, is fuch a Way of keeping the Thirtieth of January, as the Royal Martyr hiwfelf moft defired. This Way of obferving it, is moft an- fwerable to the firft Defign, of dedica ting fuch Days to the Memories of de parted Saints. For when the Primitive Chriftians firft met on fuch Solemn Oc-
cafions, on the very Days, and oftentimes on the 'very Places where fome Eminent Chriftian had Suffered, they were not wont to fpend their Time in curing their fLnemieS) or repeating the wretched Ctrcum- flances of their Cruelty ; but rather, in praying, that God would convert them ; in declaring the Pious Works and Ad mirable Patience of thofe that had fuf- fered, and in giving God the Glory of their Exemplary Sufferings.
You have therefore heard enough how this BlefTed Martyr was unjuftly perfecuted ; though I have ftopt my Narration on the very Brink of the Pre cipice. Let us now fee how he made thofe Perfecutions a Blefling; how he behaved himfelf in thofe his laft and fevereft Conflicts ; when the whole World was a Spectator, too calmly a Speftator, of the laft Part of his Life : Whilft wicked Men furioufly purfued his Death ; furioufly, for it was one Time or other to be the Caufe of their own Deftruftion ; whilft good Men prayed for him, but could not otherwife help him ; nay, his Enemies prayed too, and boldly belied Heaven, in prefuming that his Murther was the Return of their Prayers. But Heaven was on his Side ; God fupported him, the Angels mini- F 4 ftrcd
7 2 A Sermon Preached
fired to him, the Devils tempted him in vain, his Adverfaries too effectually. And I befeech you, where can there
j *
be found a worthier or more plentiful Subject for our Admiration, than that ib great a King, who had fwayed thofe Scepters that are the Ballance of all £«- rope, fhould come down from his high Eltate, by fo many eafy and deliberate Degrees ! Should put off all the Orna ments of a juft Sovereignty, to bear all the Indignities of his own Subjects Ty ranny, with fo little Reluftancy, with fo much Contentment 1 Should prepare himfelf ftill for thicker and greater Af flictions, by a Glorious Difdain, and yet a pious Improvement of all the former ! Should have a Mind fo compaflionate of others Misfortunes, even of his Ene mies Offences, and yet fo ferene amid ft his own Dangers ! Should have a greater Luftre and Majefty of Countenance, as Mofes had ; and that not when he was performing an Aft of Government, and adminiitring the Law, but when he was dying, by the unjuft Pretence of his having broken his own Laws i
For any Man to bear Miferies well, has been ever counted fo great an Ho nour, that fome of the ancient Hea thens have too extravagantly thought
it
before the Hoitfe of COMMONS. 7 3
it equalled Men to God himfelf, who is not capable of Mifery. That (fays one of them) is truly Divine, to have the Frailties of a Man, the Security of a God. It is indeed, by all true Philo- fophy, efteemed to proceed from the greateft Strength of Nature ; by all true Chriftianity, from the higheft De gree of Grace.
Can any other Virtue fo clearly ma- nifeft, of what ftrong, and firm, and invulnerable a Temper the Heart is made ? Paffive Courage is performed within, in the Soul it Telf ; when Men are forlorn, opprefTed, defpifed, not fo well as only forfaken ; when they have no Flatterers few Comforters, fcarce any but Enemies near them.
And therefore this Grace before was generally more found in the poor, low, and obfcure Part of the World : It was commonly excluded from Princes Courts, by a Thoufand Delights, and by the pompous Dreams of humane Greatnefs. 'Twas almoft Patience enough before in great Men, to be only more moderate and refer ved in their Plea Cures.
From the greateft and beft of Kings before, Men ufed rather to take Exam ples how to lead Armies, to command Nations, to distribute Juftice> to cherifh
their
74 A Sermon Preached
their good Subjects, to fubdue the Re bellious, Thefe were the Arts of Em- pire: It was from the fevere Practices of the Cottage, the Cell, and the Gown, that they ufually fetched Inftruftions, and Examples, how to fubmit to hard Fate; to endure mildly the Rigours of a ftronger Power ; to contemn the Me lancholy, and Terrours of a Prifon ; to pardon, or to bear the Affronts of mean Conquerors ; and by fuch Hands to die a violent Death with Decence.
What Praifes then can be worthy of that King, who fo much excelled the upper and the lower Part of Mankind in their different Perfections ; who out-did the upper in Righteoufnefs and Mercy, the lower in Meeknefs and Long-Suffering ! How fhall we be able to extol his Goodnefs, who could fo readily lay down his own Life for his Subjects : when it has been often efteem- ed Goodnefs enough in other Sove reigns, to fpare fometimes the Lives of fome of their Subjects, that had tranf- grefled their Commands ! What Title fhall we beftow on that Magnanimous Courage, which could endure all the Barbarous Forms of fuch a Trial and Execution ; the Infolence of the Igno minious Judges ; the Horror of the
Dif-
before the Hpufe of COMMONS. 7 5
Difguifed Executioners ; nay, even (par don the Word, for he pardoned the Thing) the Spittle of his Inhumane Perfecutors ! Could fuffer this with as much unconcerned Eafinefs, as if it had been only the Pomp and Solemnity of his Coronation !
To witnefs all this, I might challenge the Teftimony of thofe very Servants, that were, by his Adverfaries, impofed on him in his Reftraints: Of whom, many were converted by his Sufferings, who had been his moft bitter Enemies whilft he flourifhed. I might alledge* his SpN<seches, his Conferences, his Per- fonal Treaties, his Converfation, his Immortal Writings, all compofed in his greateft Diftreffes ; fome near the very Sight of the Scaffold. They tell us, that when Ce/ir fwam for his Life a- midft his Enemies, he had fuch Pre- fence of Mind, as to fwim with one Hand, and in the other to hold up his own Book, and fave it from perifhing. But when the King was encompafled with far greater, inevitable Dangers, he not only preferved, but wrote that Book; to which, amongft all the Wri tings of Princes, I know none equal but Gear's, if his; none fupenor, but David's and Solomons.
But
76 A Sermon Preached
But what need we feek farther for a Proof of his Royal Courage, and Chri- ftian Patience, than to the very Men that conquered him ? And that not only now, when they have fo many Reafons, to condemn their own Cruelty towards him: And, of all Reafons,Two moft unanfwerable Ones ; I wifh they would think fo-, his own pardon ing them, and his Son's confirming his Mercy. But we may even venture to appeal to their Opinions and Cenfures of him, when he was in his lowed, they in their higheft, moft infulting Condition.
His Enemies had him long amongft them: Long they had all his neareft Concernments open to their Difcovery : His Chamber, his Cabinets, his very Body and Heart. The la ft Part of his Life they forced him to pafs in a Camp, or Prifon, or Hall, or Scaffold. There were no fecrcr Conveyances of a Palace ; no officious Silence of Ser vants ; there all his Behaviour was ex- pofed to the View of all, and chiefly to thofe that mortally hated him.
And what the leaft Indecence or Weaknefs did they difcern? What the greateft Refolution, and Heroick Spirit, did they not fee in him ; Did at any Time, any Word, or even Murmur of
Dif-
before the Houje of COMMONS. 7 7
Difcontent, come from him, for which he ought to have been Jealous of his Enemies Prefence? Nay, rather, might he not, in all, have wifhed for their moft exact:, and fevere Obfervation ? For what did or could they obferve ? What in all his Difcourfes, but great - Truth opprefs'd, and yet Glorioufly prevailing? What in all his private Actions, but the moft unaffected Mo- defty, and Devotion ? What in all his publick, but unmoveable Conftancy, and the moft invincible Thing in this World, an humble Confcience well allured ?
How many various diftra&ing Thoughts of Hatred and Difdain, of natural Tendernefs and Affection (not to fpeak of Fear, or Defire of Life) might often then have aflaulted a weaker Heart, in any one of all the dif- mal Degrees of his Paflion! Was it not then enough to difcompofe and fhake a Mind lefs eftablifhed : Or then, when, inftead of the moft flourilhing Court of Europe, he faw himfelf long abandoned to filent Walls, or Rocks, and Seas, and yet more cruel Guards? Or then, when in his Solitude he caft his Thoughts back on his Travels Abroad, where he was the Love and Delight of Foreign Courts ; and, on his Return Home, when the
whole
78 A Sermon Preached
whole Nation feemed, for Joy, to go out beyond its own Shores, to meet him : And now to find, that the fame Nation lay fo quiet and aftonifhed at his ap proaching Murther? Or then, when he reflected on the fpotlefs Innocence of his whole Life, and compared it, as he well might, with other Princes his Contem poraries : And yet obferved the ftrange Difference that Heaven had made in their Fortunes ? Or then, when he found, that after the greateft Hopes of Peace, and Accomodation, he was fo fuddenly, fo unexpectedly hurried to Deftru&ion, that even many of his Enemies could not keep Pace with the Reft, in their Cruelty ? Or, when he faw, that all the fecond Attempts of his Loyal Friends had proved as unfortunate as the firft ? Or, when he remember'd the Innocence, and the Calamities of the abfent Parts of himfelf, and took his laft Leave of thofe his Children that were prefent ? Or, when he beheld the Places of his Trial and Martydom ; the one the chief Seat of his own Juftice, the other of his former Splendour ?
Or when — I can go no farther; for this can fcarce be fpoken without Tears : And Tears will not become a Death fo Triumphant. Let it fuffice, that, in
all
before the Houfe of COMMONS. 79
all this, he was not without all natural Affedions ; nor can any Man, that is, be truly Magnanimous. Two Things, indeed, came near his Heart : The Mit fortunes of his Family, and Friends ; and the Slavery in which he faw his Subjects were going to be inthralled. Thefe only could touch, yet even thefe could not diforder his Soul, nor weaken his Faith in God ; to whom he meekly refigned his own Private, and the Pub- lick Caufe, which was his own too ; and by a Divine Spirit foretold the happy Recovery of both.
Let therefore the prefent Age and Pofterity, let all his Friends and Admi rers know, what his Enemies could not but confefs -, that in all his Laft Words, and Looks, and Actions, he not only equalled his former Greatnefs, but he Did, and Spoke, and Look'd, as be came the Glory he was going to poflefs. He parted from his Crowns, as not a- fhamed to have worn them, nor con- fcious of deferving to lofe them, nor unwilling to leave them. He fubmit- ted not to the unjuft Sentence, as a King : He yielded to the cruel Execu tion of it, as a Chriftian. The difho- nourable Part he refufed ; the painful he accepted. He pleaded not far him-
felf
80 A Sermon Preached
felf at his Enemies Bar, becaufe it was below him: He pleaded, and prayed for his Enemies, at the Bar of Heaven, which only was above him. That Ma- jefty which Nature gave him, he pre- ferved, he improved : That Humility, and Charity, which Religion taught him, he prattifed, he adorned.
What Comforter, in fo great Tem- peft, could have infpired him with fuch Security, fuch Calmnefs, fuch Chear- fulnefs ? Who ? But he, whom the Winds and Seas obeyed : He, that walked himfelf on the roughed Waves; fufFered himfelf the greateit Torments, and was able to make his Difciples do the fame. Of that Divine Teacher he learnt this Heavenly Truth, That Per- fecution is a Blejpng : And, he behaved himfelf conformable to that blefled Ex ample, as well as Doftrine. He was perfecuted for RighteoufnefsSake, whe ther we take Righteoufriefs for Juftice, or Religion; for both which, he was a Martyr: And, although his Perfecu- tions might feem a Curfe to him in this World, becaufe they deprived him of an Earthly Diadem ; yet they were a Real, Inexpreflible BlefTing to him : For he is abundantly, unmeafurably re- compenc'd in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Whe-
before the Honfe of COMMONS. 8 1
Whether the Kingdom of Heaven be taken, as ufually it is in Stripture Language, for the Gofpel of that King* dom ; thofe Truths, and Precepts, that fhew the Way to it ; or for the Joys of Heaven it felf, to which they lead : He certainly has had the Bleflings of both : He felt, out of Queftion, the fin- cere Comforts of the Evangelical Do- ftrine in this World : His Life fhewed it ; his Sufferings proved it ; his Death moft evidently confirmed it. And there fore we have a charitable, undoubted AfTurance, that he attained, at his Death, to the other more happy Senfe of the Word : That (as he him felf, the very Moment of his Expiring, faid he fhould) He has exchanged his Corruptible for An Incorruptible Crown : That the Text of the Sermon, preached before him at his Coronation, though it then might feem Unfeafonable, has proved Prophe tical ; which was the latter Part of thofe Words, Be tboti faifhfal unto Death, And I will give thee A Crown of Life.
We have now attended this God like Man, to the End of his Labours: And, as much as we can do by our imper- fe£l Applaufes and Congratulations, we have brought him to the End of his G Faith,
82 A Sermon Preached
Faith, his Entrance into the Kingdom of Glory. But, I am fenfible, that, in Zeal to perform my poor Office to his Ames, I have too much trefpafled on the Patience of this great Aflembly. Yet, I was led on by fome kind of Con fidence, that, having this the Subject of my Difcourfe, I fhould not only have your Cuftomary Pardon , and more than ordinary Attention, but the molt favourable Concurrence of your tendered Paflions. For though, on iefs and private Occafions, there is fcarce any Sorrow but may be wearied and dried up by the Diftance of almoft Thirty Years; yet I could not but be lieve, and you your felves have given me the greateft Reafons imaginable to believe it, that there are none here prefent, uho came not hither ftill afrefo, and moft nearly concerned in the irreparable Lofs of that Excellent King.
Perhaps, fome that have heard me this Day, were his own Menial Servants ; and fo were Domeftick WitnefTes of his incomparable Goodnefs, and had a Share in his particular Kindnefs: Many there may be here, who enjoyed the blefled Fruits of his firft Peaceful, moft Gentle, moft Religious Reign : Many I
fee,
before the Houfe of COMMONS. 8 3
fee, who grieved at his Ruine, and indeavoured too to fupport his falling Greatnefs with the Hazard of all, with the Lofs of much, that was near and dear to them. Even the youngeft of us, methinks, cannot but ftiil moffc fenfibly regret his untimely Fall \ by which they were deprived of fo per fect an Example of all Virtue and Piety ; and were forced to pafs away their firft Years, that elfe might have been moft pleafant, amidft the Op- pre (lions and Coafufions of their Coun try.
And certainly, all of us together have juft Caufe to be humbled, under a Senfe of God's Wrath ; and to implore his Mercy, that his Royal Innocent Blood, which was fpilt for the Church, and has cried from under the Altar, may at length ceafe Crying : Not only againft the Wretched Inftruments of that Cruelty, for that ajfo, in our own Charity, and by his Example, we oughc to pray for ; but that his Blood may ceafe Crying againft the whole Nation it felf, which, ("How (hall I exprefs it without Offence ! ) Nay,how with a juft Refentment 1 which certainly fuffered it by their Negligence : Should I not G 2 add,
84 A Sermon f reached
add, by their Stupidity ? And too much haftened it by their Sins. -
And, if we were all cordially thus affefted, as I doubt not but we all are, with fucli Indignation for his undeferv'd Death ; fuch Veneration for his never- dying Memory : May we all endeavour to exprefs thefe our Affections, not only by declaring our Abhorrence of thofe black Counfels, and accurfed Practices, which finifhed the Laft Part of his Tra gedy ; but even of thofe that did any Way, though at never fo great a Di- fiance, in the leaft contribute towards it. May all of us4 according to our feveral Stations and Abilities : And, who can have Abilities to do this, if you here prefent have not ? May all of us be moft induftrioufly Watchful, that the fame Schifmatical Defigns, and An- timonarchicai Principles, which then in- fpired fo many ill Men, mis- led fome good Men, and coft our good King fo dear; may not once more revive, and infinuate themfelves again, under the fame, or newer and craftier Difguifes, and find an Opportunity to attempt the like Mifchiefs.
For the prefent, Let us all join in our hearty Prayers to Almighty God, That
he
before the Houfe of COMMONS. 8 5
he would be pleafed to pardon to us, and to our' Country, this Heinous, Publick Sin, by the fame infinite Com- paflion, by which we can only expecl: Forgivenefs, of our own particular Sins ; By that Blood, which fpeaks better Things than the Blood of the moft Righteous Abel, or Charles ; By that Blood, which is more Precious than the Kjngs : By the Blood, and Merits, and Interceflion, of Jefus Chrijl our ILord. Amen.
FINIS.
a \ rt "I
A
SERMON
Preached at the
Anttiverfary Meeting
O F T H E
SONS
O F
C L E R G Y~M E N,
In the Church of St. Mary~le-Bow,
November 7, 1678.
ByTnoMAs SPRAT, D.D.
Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majeily.
LONDON:
Printed for R. Bomvickey J.
R. Wilkin, B. Tooke, and J. W*r A.
7. r
1/1 -
To the Right Reverend
FATHER in GOD,
JOHN
Lord Bifhop of Rocbeflery
PRESIDENT:
And the reft of the Governours of the Charity ^ for Relief of the Poor Widows., and Children of Clergy-Men.
MY L o R DJ
Since your Lordfbip, and the Go- vernours of this Pious Founda tion bave^ by your Commands y laid a Necejjity upon me of Printing this Sermon : 1 think 1 onght rather to be wanting in Prudence to my felf, than / in
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
in Refpett to you. I cannot but ven* tare the Pftblick Cenfttre., to ferve a Defign-^ for the Promoting of which ^ yon ait contribute fo much more^ by your Exemplary Zeal^ and Benefi cence. Ton, my Lordy efpecially^ whom all acknowledge to deferve> by your Generous Hearty and Liberal llandj the Two great Titles you pof- fefs : Of Difpofing his Majejly's Alms ^ and Governing tins &oyal
Corporation of Charity.
* -nyv/.,, J ji:n ofh bo A
, MY LORD,
TO l^'lbl J ^
IT T Jrt •/*"« am lour Lorajbip s
wo ft Hnwble^ and
L-M\^ /. KJI IMft^.ttftl'
;woft Obedient Servant,
Tho^ Sprat.
A
SERMON
Preached before the
SON
io s^iusi £0f jo /} i-i-i -/ori: v j
O F
C L E R G Y - M E N.
GAL. VL Ver. 10.
w?e fcd^e therefore let us do Good unto all M.eny efpe- daily unto them who are of the HoHJJyold of Faith.
THefe Friendly and Charitable Meetings, Men, Fathers, and Brethren, you have now, by the Blefling of God, for feveral Years renewed, with no juft Offence to any, though with the Grief and Envy, per-
haps,
93 A Sermon Preached
haps, of fomc who are not of our Houfhold of Faith, but to the Com fort of all that are, for the prefent Be nefit and Relief of many, and with well- grounded Hopes and Prefages of much greater Things for the future.
Of thefe our Annual Solemnities, there being Two principal Intentions ; the one, to anfwer a moft unjuft Objection of the Enemies to the married Clergy, by (hewing a full Appearance of their Children, who are in a Condition to credit the Church, and ferve their Coun try : The other, for relieving thofe of the fame Defcent, who may have been reduced to Diftrefs and Poverty : For the Firft of thefe, I need no other De fence, no other Commendation, than this very Company to which I fpeak : For what Argument, either Civil or Ec- clefiaftical, can juftify,can commend the Marriage of Church-men, and vindicate our whole Reformation on that Account, if this Sight be not fufficient to do it ? This AiTembly, the lawful Offspring of fuch Marriages, the genuine Seed, the proper IfTue of the Reformation; and if you permit me to fay it, I dare fay, the Honour of it too. An Aflembly compofed of Men considerable jn all worthy ProfeffiOns, eminent in many
Ways
before the Sons of Clergy-Men.
Ways of Life 5 all honeft Ways, fome venerable, fome honourable: Men fa voured by God in your Birth, your Education, your feveral Stations in this World : So far above what the Adver- faries of our Church moft injurioufly upbraid, fo far above Contempt or Meannefs, that you are plentifully blefs'd by our Gracious God with Abilities; and, which is more, endued by him with Hearts too, to do Good to others.
In that Part therefore of our Defign in this Meeting, which concerns the Vindication of our whole Race, I will ufe no other Apology : If I intended a Panegyrick, I (hould need no other, but only this one anfwerable living Ar gument, which you your felves here prefent afford me.
The other great End of it, which is Charity towards thofe of the like Ori ginal with our felves, whom their Ne- ccdities may have made unable, afham'd perhaps, to appear amongft us at this Time: The Recommendation of fo pru dent, fo pious a Work, deferves certain ly to be the chief Subject of the Prea cher, the chief Duty of the Hearers and Preacher, in all fuch AfTemblies of Men of our Extraction j and in this of this
Year,
A Sermon Preached
Year, in a fpecial Manner, for an extra ordinary Caufe.
For your former worthy Beginnings of this Kind having lately received En couragement by a Royal Eftablifhment, I cannot but believe that this Advantage has infpired all your Hearts with the moft chearfui Refolutions, to perfect, by the Help of fo great a Patronage, what you your felves had before fo ge- neroufly attempted: That what you have hitherto done in your private Boun ty, as a fecret Free-will Offering, you will perfevere to do, and do much more, now you are invited to it by Publick Authority ; now you are admitted by the King himfelf into a Share with him, as I may fay, in one of his moft Sacred If. xlix. Offices ; are become Nurfing Fathers too 2> of the Church: He of the flourifhing Part ; you under him, of the afflicted Part of the Church of England.
Wherefore, entreating tirft your fa vourable Interpretation, that by reafon of the Sicknefs of a Reverend Prelate, who had undertaken this Employment, I have been over-ruled to approach this Place, fo much out of my own Order, fo very much in all Things unequal to thofe'who have gone before me; that I
may
before the Sens of Clergy-Men.
may (now I am here) be fomewhat Ser viceable to the great Charitable Defign of this Congregation, I have chofea to fpeak on this Scripture; in which we find a ferious Exhortation of the Apoftle to all manner of Charity, in its largeft Extent ; The Doing Good to. all Men\ And then dire&ed and limited in Two Par ticulars, of Time, and Perfons. It is to be praftifed, with regard to fome Times above others: We are to do Good, as we have an Opportunity. It fhould be with a careful Choice and Preference of fome Perfons above others : To All, but efpecia/fy to the Houfhold of Faith.
According to this plain iMethod, my following Difcourfe will be mod natu rally divided.
Firft, As the Foundation of all, we are to fuppofe this moft Chriftian Prin ciple, That, by the Obligation of our Holy Faith, we are all indifpenfably bound to do Good to a/I Men.
Secondly, We may obferve, That though our Charity (hould be Univer- fal ; yet as it cannot be actually exer- cifed, but on particular Times, fo it [hould be chiefly on fpecial Opportunities.
Thirdly, We muft conclude, That the true, Evangelical Charity, may and ihould admit of different Meafures and
De-
p 6 A Serttoon Preached
Degrees ; though it ought not to be con- iined to any, yet fhould principally be applied to the Houfbold of Faith.
That the true Profeffion of Chriftia- nity, inviolably engages all its Follow ers to do good to all Men, I will not here much labour to prove, but rather take it for granted ; the very Repeti tion of this Truth giving a fufficient Confirmation to it, in any Aflembly of true Chriftians : Much more in fuch a one, as you are; whofe Fathers, by Virtue of their Holy Office, were ap pointed the Special Guardians of the great Doftrine of Charity, and Teach ers of it to the reft of the World. To you therefore it may well be efteemed as a Domeftick Doctrine, received by you almoft with your firfl Milk, as one of the very firfl: Elements of your Re ligion.
A Doftrine, that is reprefented to oar imperfeft indeed, but yet to our iincere Imitation, in the glorious primitive Pat tern of molt perfed,moft adorable Good- nefs in the Divine Nature it felf: By which the whole Frame of the Creation, the whole Stock of Mankind, the found, the unfound Part, the Good, the Bad, were all made, and have been always fuftained, and encompafled with fuch
in-
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. 97
inexpreflible Grace,fuch abounding Mer cy, as is always ready for thofe that de- fire it ; always finds out thofe that feek for it ; often ftands in the Way of thofe that would avoid it ; and overtakes them that fly from it.
From that moft bleiTed Original of doing Good, that is efTential to the infinite Being of our Creator, we have an excellent Copy tranfcribed for all our Ufe in the Gofpel ; here made necefTary to us by innumerable Precepts ; here illuftrated to us by a moft Gracious Example ; here made eafie for us by Promifes of Divine Afliftance ; here ren- der'd pleafant and profitable to us by AfTurance of unfpeakable Rewards.
This Doftrine of God's Good-will to wards Men ; this Command of Mens proportionable Good-will to one ano ther ; is not this the very Body and Sub- ftance, this the very Spirit and Life, of our Saviour's whole Inftitution? It is intermingled with all the Truths He tea ches : It overfpreads and gives one Co lour to all his Precepts ; 'Tis the very diftinguifhing Character of the Chriftian Law ; by which that has exceeded, and advanced all the true Diclar.es of Natu ral Reafon ; by which it has excelled, and put to Shame, all the beft Pretences H of
9 8 A Sermon Preached
of falfe Worfhips ; nay, by which God himfelf feems to have made the laft Addition to his own Difcoveries and In- ftructions to Mankind : For as in many other Things the Gofpel appears, in Re- fpect of the Law, to be a clearer Reve lation of the myftical Part ; fo in this it is apparently a far more benign, more generous Difpenfation of the Practical Part of the True Religion.
In this Matter, what need we Chri- ftians be our own Witnefles, or our own Judges ? We might refer the Exa mination of it to any fober judicious Heathen, or unprejudiced Jew, if any fiich could be found. 'Tis true, they might at firft Sight obferve the com mon Practice of too many, that call themfelves Chriftians, to be very dif ferent from the Doctrine they feem to own. They might juftly wonder, that Men fo taught, fo obliged to be kind to all, gentle to Strangers, merciful to the Afflicted, loving even to Enemies, fhould behave themfelves in every Point fo con trary to fuch Heavenly Instructions, fuch IndhToluble Obligations ! That fo many, that any fierce, ftubborn, re vengeful, avaritious, uncharitable Paf- fions, could poflibly fpring up under the Shadow of fuch a Religion ! Nay,
that
before the Sons of Clergy-Men.
that fome Men ftiould make fuch a Re ligion, and their Zeal for it, to be the Pretence, and Excufe, even to juftifie, even to fan&ifie fuch PafHons !
All this, the Adverfaries of the Faith have too much Reafon to objeft againft too many of its ProfeiTors ; but againft the Faith it felf, nothing at all. In that all Things of this Nature muft excite their Admiration, or overwhelm them with Confufion. Should the wifeft Hea then fearch into all the higheft Flights of their beft Moralifts ; fhould the moft devout Jew recollect the moft Virtuous Counfels, and Traditions of their Pa triarchs, and Prophets ; and then fhould both thefe compare what they can find in either of them, with the free-fpirited, the large-hearted, the univerfally-cha- ritable Defign of the whole Tenour of our Blefled Saviour's Teaching, and Life ; and that unanimoufly expounded by all the infpired Writers after him ; and they muft both at laft agree, that here are introduced far more Heroick Princi ples of Meeknefs, Forgivenefs, Bounty, and Magnanimity, than ever all the Learning of the Heathens could invent, or all the Antiquity of the Jews could boaft of.
H 2 What
ioo A Sermon Preached
What could the Light of Nature, what could the Mofaical Shadows , which yet were clearer than that ; what could either of thefe produce, that is comparable to the true Evangelical Spi rit ? By our Law of doing Good, no Good is to be left undone towards all, not the Good of the Tongue, the Hand, the Heart ; none is to be done unwilling ly to any ; none only for our own Sakes, none only in one Seafon, but always. Here are confirm'd all our other Natu ral, Civil, Political Ties of mutual good Offices; nay, here, when they are not, or cannot be mutual: Here many new Titles of Kindnefs, many new Rela tions of Endearment, are fuperadded to them : Here the Foundations, the De- fires, the Occafions of Envy, Malice, Covetoufnefs, Revenge, are abolifhed : Here a new Race of Virtues, and Graces more Divine, more Moral, more Hu mane, are planted in their ftead.
If I will believe, and obey the Go- fpel, no Difference of outward Condi tion, no Calamity, no Mifery, can make any Man not to be equal to me, or to deferve my Neglecl : No Diftance of Place, no Strangenefs of Country, no Contrariety of Temper, or Intereft, can make any Man a Stranger to me, or to
deferve
before the Sons of Clergy- Men. 101
deferve my Indifference : No ill Will, no ill Speech, no ill Deed of another againft me, can make any Man an Ene my to me, or to deferve my Hatred. With Men, indeed thefe Confidera- tions are ufually, naturally theCaufesof Defpite, Difdain, or Averfion from others : But with God, they feem to pafs for fo many New Reafons of our greater Tendernefs towards others ; even as fo many New Degrees of our Confanguinity with them.
Should we not do Good to Strangers ? The Gofpel allows no fuch Term, as a Stranger : Makes every Man my Neigh bour. Should we not forgive our Ene mies? Thofe that curfe, perfecute, and would dellroy us ? The Gofpel knows no fuch Thing, as an Enemy. We are ft? Mat. v blefs, to pray for, to love our Enemies : And44' if not for that very Reafon, yet, not- withftanding it, ought we not to pity, and fupply the Poor, and Affli&ed, tho' they have no Relation to us ? That can not be. The Gofpel ftyles them all, our Brethren : Nay, they have a nearer Re lation to us, our Fellow-Members : And both thefe, from their Relation to our Saviour himfelf ; who calls them, his Bre thren, his Members ; and makes them his proper Charge, his peculiar Care : H Titks
IO2 A Sermon Preached
Titles of Honour and Privileges, which the Rich, and the Great, as fuch, can never deferve ; and will never have, unlefs they employ their Riches, and Greatnefs, for the Help and Protection of thefe the true Wards, and Children, and Friends of God.
Wherefore fmce we are to do Good to the Poor, to Strangers, to Enemies ; thofe whom Nature is too apt to make us Defpife, Difregard, or Hate ; then undoubtedly we are to do Good to all Men, to all Men, as we have an Opportu nity, which is my Second Particular.
I cannot but take Notice of the Ful- nefs of the Original Phrafe in this Place. For though it is evident, that the Holy Ghoft is fcarce ever fb Various, and Copious, and Efficacious, on any one Divine Argument, as when it recom mends to us the great Duty of Charity ; yet there are few Expreffions, on this very Subjeft, fo Expreflive ; none, I think, more powerful than this, through out the whole Scripture.
FirnYtis here faid, l^a£«Ve8a, a Word that tignities, not only fome empty Good-will, and good Wifhes ; not on ly fome verbal Afiiftance, or the cold Comfort of barren Promifes; not only
fome
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. 103
fome {lender kind of good Work, per- form'd by Chance, with little Coft, or no Pains : But an a&ive, expenfive, in defatigable Goodnefs ; fuch as our Apo-TThe/r. i. ftle elfewhere, in Two feveral Places, 3. calls a W&rk, and Labour of Love. [eb' vi-
Secondly^ 'tis faid, epya^tofAtQac TO
6oV, which may be tranflated, not only doing Good, but the Good ; the Good, I fuppofe, that others Neceflities moft call for, and our Circumftancesmoft enable us to perform ; and io implying much cautious Care, and Circumfpeftion, in fuiting the Kinds of our Relief to our own Abilities, and to the Wants of thofe we would relieve. And a doing Good in this wife manner, this truly Gofpel- Senfe is a wonderful Addition to the good Aftion it felf. Of fo beautiful, and amiable a Thing as Charity is, no thing can more encreafe the Luftre, and Beauty, than a prudent Election of Ob- jefts, and a fit Application of it to them. In good Works, as in all other good Things, there may be Goodnefs in the General, but Decence and Grace- fulnefs can be only in the Particulars, in doing the Good.
H 4 Third!?,
10.
104 A Sermon Preached
Thirdly, therefore, to make this De- cence of our Beneficence compleat, 'tis added, That we muft do it, m xctipov e%ofjifv, as we have Opportunity. Moft of the Learned Verfions only render it, rvhiljt we have Time : Whilft by the Fa vour and Long-fuffering of Almighty God, our frail, and uncertain Lives are, for this very End, prolonged to us in this World : Which is our chief Op portunity of doing Good ; as after this Life, begins God's chief Opportunity of Recompenfing us for fo doing. But in all Works of Bounty, and Liberali ty, fomething more is to be confider'd, befides the Occafion of the Givers ; and that is, the Occafion of the Receivers : And therefore our Tranflation takes in both ; rightly fays, not only whilft we have Time, but, as we have Opportu nity.
Opportunity is in Refpeft to Time, in fome Senfe, as Time is in Refpecl to Eternity. 'Tis the fmall Moment, the exacl: Point, the critical Minute, on which every Good Work fo much de pends ; that whenever you juft light upon it, it is able to make all your Re ligious Performances more eafy to your felves, more beneficial to others, more acceptable to God himfelf. Has not
every
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. 105
every common A&ion of Life, every Virtue in Morality, and fo every Grace in Chriftianity, its due Seafon, its pro per Time ? Out of which, whenever it is pra&is'd, I will not fay, it changes its Nature, and becomes Evil ; but moft truly it lofes very much of the Comelinefs, and Vigour, and Ornament of its Goodnefs.
There is, fays the Wife Man, a, Sea-Ecc]e£.m. f on, and Time, that is, an Opportunity to1' every Thing : The fame which the Poet means, when he fays, ttoufosf && TroV/j/Hefiod. op'e©" So your Chriftian Fortitude"^* $ and Patience have their Opportunity in H/x' Times of Affliftion, and Perfecution : So your Temperance, and Humility have theirs in Plenty and Profperity, efpe- cially unexpected Profperity ; fo your Devotion has its Opportunity: We wu pray always, but chiefly at certain Times -, on ftated Days, in moft folemn Places : So your Fafting, Contrition and Morti fication, when the Church and State ap points, and that efpecially in Times of greater Riot and Luxury : So true Zeal, in Times overflowing with Atheifm and Prophanenefs : So Moderation and Chri ftian Prudence,in Times abounding with blind and furious Zeal: So all the reft: So Charity has its Opportunity, as well as the reft. la-
1 06 A Sermon Preached
Indeed, fo Diffufive, fo Comprehen- five, fo Catholick a Grace is Charity, above any of the reft ; that whatever Time is the fpecial Opportunity of any other Moral Virtue, or Chriftian Grace, that very Time is alfo the fpecial Oppor tunity of Charity. It muft immediate ly, infeparably, attend all your Chriftian Fortitude, your Patience, your Devo tion, your Mortification, your Pru dence, your Zeal. In whatever Heart or Head any one of thefe take Poffef- fion, it muft never go fingle , it muft bring Charity with it, or it is there it
Pf. cxlv. fejf in vain. Mercy is over a/I God's Works, and (hould be in all ours.
Such is the large Opportunity of Cha rity, whereby it is made the conftant Companion and Perfection of all Vir tues; impower'd to enter into every one of their Provinces : And well it is for that Virtue, where it moft enters, and longeft ftays. Indeed, fo much Employ ment it has, that whoever (hall read over
*Cor.xiii.St. Paul's Enumeration of the Duties incumbent upon it, he might almoft conclude, that well-nigh the whole Bufmefs of Chriftiariity is laid on the
Vcrfcy. Shoulders of Charity alone. Charity bears all, believes all, hopes all, endures all ; and much more to the fame Purpofe.
What
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. 107
What can be fpoken more effe&ually ? Whereas the fame Apoftle, in the fame Chapter, tells us, That of the I^r^Verfe 13. Things which remain, Faith, Hope and Cha- rity, the greAteft is Charity : Here much more is faid ; not only that it is greater than Faith and Hope, but that it believes all9 hopes all it felf: Has all thefe other Graces, and their Opportunities, contain ed within it felf.
Certainly therefore Charity is the TO tiya&Qv here intended ; not only a Good, not only the chief Good, but that with out which nothing elfe can be good.
Yet befides this general Opportunity of Charity, which, you fee, is common to it with all other Goodnefs : It has alfo many Opportunities peculiar to it fel£ As when it is to be pratlifed towards Perfons of great and undeferv'd Wants, or of extraordinary Merits, or of ex traordinary Demerits : That is one great Opportunity of Charity. Or when in Places, that can fhew very few and little, or very great and many Inftances of Beneficence ; that is another of its Opportunities : That where there are few, and fmall Examples of good Works, they may be increased ; where there are many and great, they may be encou raged to continue. Or in Times of pub- lick
08 A Sermon Preached
lick Fafting, Mourning, and Humilia tion ; that is another Opportunity of it : For the beft Sign, and Fruit of denying our felves, is Mercy to others. Or in Times of Thankfgiving,of remarkable Temporal or Spiritual Bleflings ; in Times of Joy, and Feafting, and En largement of Heart ; that is another. In all fuch Times, when we more freely enjoy the Bounty of God our felves ; we make it an Imputation to us, if we do not take Care, that others alfo (hall partake of fome Good by it. Such ho- neft Refrefhments,and Com forts of Life, our Chriftian Liberty has made it law ful for us to ufe : Our Temperance and Sobriety in ufmg them, will make them innocent : But nothing can render them truly Chriftian Comforts, except the Mixture of fome good Work of Kind- nefs and Liberality with them.
And therefore the only Feafts we read 1 of in Scripture, amongft the Primitive Chriftians, befides the great Feaft of the Holy Communion, were their dyd-jrou, *>e sem- their Feafts of Charity. Cicero brings in Cato reproving the Levity of the Greeks, for calling their Feftival Meet ings o-u^TToV/a, from their drinking then together : And rather commends the Gravity of the Romans^ who named fuch
Meet-
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. 1 09
Meetings Convivi^ from their living and eonverfing then together. But we Chri- ftians have another manner of Example to follow, from our Firft Predeceflbrs dyccTraii of which the very Word may Tertui. teach us our Duty in them : For thefe Apo took their Name not from the Mirth, not from the Converfation, but on from the Charity of the Guefts. That, indeed, is the only Thing that can feafon all our Mirth, that can fanftify all our Freedom on fuch Times : That, indeed, is the only true Chriftian Life.
I come in the Third Place to examine, what ought to be the proper Object of a Chriftian's doing Good. It muft be done to all, but e/peciallj to the Houfbold of Faith : Which is the laft Particular in my Text.
JTis manifeft throughout the Bible, that befides the whole compafs of Hea ven and Earth, in which God is pleas'd to refide, therefore calling the one Throne, the other his Foot-ftool ; though34 both are far from containing his Im- menfity ; but befides that more ample Habitation of his Power, he has al ways condefcended to take to himfelf, amongft the Sons of Men, a peculiar Houfbold of his Love : Which, in all Times, he has cherifhed as a Father, by his Special Providence and Affe&ion ;
and
1 1 o A Sermon Preached
and governed as a Mafter, by a private Oeconomy of his own.
This is the proper Hou/botd of Faith. And, in the Firft Ages of the World, 'twas fometimes literally no more than a fingle Houflbold, or fome few Fami lies. Before the Fall of pur Firft Pa rents, it could be no otherwife; and after it too, 'twas fo for feveral Gene rations : Whilft the Myfteries and Wor- fhip of the true Religion were almoft confined to the Succeflion of one be loved Race, and the reft of Mankind left to be, what they had made them-
T7 1 * *
tph.it. fe{veSj Aliens and Strangers.
Nor ought any to repine on this Ac count, at the unfearchable Judgments of God, that fo many were at once ex cluded out of his Family. Ought not all rather, we efpecially, to admire and adore his apparent Mercy, that any were ftill permitted to have a Right in it ; fince none could merit, all had for feited that Right?
But in procefs of Time, when this chofen Family was multiplied into a Nation, that Nation too became the Hoa/bold of Faith ; a greater, but ftill a Houfhold : Limited in its Members, al moft to one People ; in its publick Wor- Ihip, almoft to one Houfe : But ftill a
Houfbold
before the So?is of Clergy-Men. in
Houfbold of Faith: A Faith, that was true, though obfcure; a Faith, that had then the Hope of Things not feen , though it was not, as afterwards under the Gofpel, the Evidence of (uch Things. Heb.xL
Under the Gofpel, indeed, the next1' and the greateft Increafe of this HoufhoU of faith has been made : When by the Univerfal Adminiftration of Grace, be gun by our blefled Saviour, enlarged by his Apoftles, carried on by their im mediate SuccefTors, and to be compleated by the reft to the World's End ; all Types that darken'd this Faith, are en lightened ; all Veils that hid it, are rent, and taken away ; all Walls of Se-Efi. if. faration broken down \ all Confinement to l4* Families, or People ; all Narrownefs of Opinions removed ; all Nations under Heaven invited ; fome of all received into this Houfhold : Which therefore has taken to it felf, as it deferves, the mod Auguft Name of Catholick ; that, with out it, no other Houfe, nor Religion, nor Empire, could ever juftly claim ; nor within it, can any one Church above others rightly pretend to it, but only all together, united in the fame Faith, the fame Hope, the fame Cha rity.
Such
112
A Sermon Preached
Such have been the different Extents of this Houfhold of Faith, through all its Succeflions. And what all along were the different Ranks ? What the diftinft Offices ? What Degrees of Pri vilege, and Command, maintained a- mongft all its Members ? None at all ? Yes, certainly very much of all. In fo Divine a Houfhold, fo united in one Faith, were there no other Means of Order, or Methods of Union ? No Su periority of fome ? No Submiflion of others ? No Reverence towards any ? How could it then be a Houfhold? A Herd of wild Beafts on the Mountains, a Savage Drove of Men in Caves might Ep.iii.is.be fo order'd,or rather fo diforder'd : But
tpet"ii9'never a F*m*tyi a £**}* a Pwpki a pecu- Tit.lLn.lw People ; all which the Houjhold of Faith is often called : For to all thefe, Obedience, and Subordination, Govern ment, and Subjection, are moft neceffary for their Well-being, for their being in a Civil State ; certainly therefore as ne ceflary to a Spiritual Family, and City, and People.
Can there be any Reafon imaginable, why the Houfhold of God alone fhould throw off all that Rule, and Difcipline, that orderly Dependence, and Duty, and Service, by which all other Houfes
in
before the Sons of CIcrgy-Mcn. 113
in the World are beft governed? Nay, by which they can only be well go- vern'd ? No. So far is an Indiftinftion of all Perfons, or Equality of all Or ders, and, by Confequence, an Anarchy of all Things ; fo far from being a- greeable to the Will of God ; declared in the Beautiful and Harmonious Frame of his great Houfhold, the World, and efpecially in all the Minifteries of his pro per Houfhold, the Church; that there was never yet anyTime,fmcethe Church was a considerable Number; I believe, fince it was a Number , when fome of its Members were not more Sacred than others, when fome were not appointed Spiritual Rulers, fome Temporal Cuver- nors, fome both over others.
The Patriarchs were indubitably in- vefted with both thefe Authorities. In Mofes, and Aaron, they were divided in Perfons ; but ftill united as in Brethren. In the Jewifo State, of which every Part was of God's own prefcribing'; 'tis needlefs to tell, how great was the Pre-eminence of the Prieftly Of fice ; how facred their Degrees ; how feparate, how plentiful their Mainte nance.
Or
114
Preached
Or if that Example be not Spiritual, be not Chriftian enough ; What can be more Chriftian, more Spiritual, than our Blefled Saviour's making the like Diftinftions between his own Evange lical Minifters ? His fending not all his Difciples equally; but firft his Apoftles, and them chiefly ? And his impowering them to fend others with the like Diffe rences ? As is plain from their Practice. And of thofe very Apoftles, (for I fee not why, as we pafs, we may not plead our own Caufe too ) of thofe Apoftles fome, even the greateft, mar ried Men ; of their Succeflbrs, many married Men : All endued with indeli ble Power from Above, to feed, to go vern this Houfhold; to create, to con tinue a Succedion in it ; to confecrate, to ordain Paftors, and Stewards of it,
Luk.x. 7. to the World's End: All worthy of Livelihood, fome of Honour, and, if we will believe St. Paul, even in the
i Tim. v. Times of greateft Purity and Simplicity, jome worthy of double Honour.
We have now difcover'd, what is the true Houfhold of Faith : In general, the whole Company of the Faithful, divided in Times, and Places, join'd in One My/li- c4 Houjhold : In a particular, more emi nent Manner, the Minifters of that Houf-
before the Sons of Clergy-Men.
hold, the Difyenfers of that Faith : And fo, many of the beft Interpreters under- ftand my Text.
Hence therefore we behold to Whom all Chriftians are to do Good: To all Men ; efpecially to all Chriftians; more efpecially to all the Minifters of Chrift. And this being laid down, as Undeniable, if you give me Leave to make One fhort Step farther, we may then, by an eafy and neceflfary Confequence, reduce this general Advice to our prefent, particu lar Purpofe.
For if the Fathers, and Husbands of thofe, whofe Relief this your Meeting intends, were unqueftionally of the Houf- hold of Fdith$ both as the Members and Minifters of it ; and if on that Account all were efpecially to do Good to them 5 then certainly their Reliefs and Chil dren cannot be Strangers in this Hottf- hold ; ought not to be Strangers to the Good, that is done in it, if they want it. If to the Minifters of Chrift, whilft living, ail are to do Good, as to the Chief Officers of the Houfhold of Faith ; then certainly, when they have ceafed from their Labours, at leaft as much to their Pofterity^ to whom there is near the fame Obligation^ too frequently a far grea ter need) and weapon of doing Good, And I 2 if
1 1 6 A Sermon Preached
if all Chriftians are bound to do Good, in a peculiar Manner, to the Houjhold of Faith, fo underftood ; then no doubt thofe of the Houfhold it felf9 who are in fome Eftate of Profperity, which, God be prai- fed, is your Cafe, have much ftronger Ties to do Good to the other Members of the fume Houfoold, who are in Adverfity.
You now fee, Reverend, and Beloved in our Lord and Saviour, the Courfe of my Text has brought us to the great De- fign of this our Aflembly ; which is Mercy to thofe diftrefled Perfons, who have the fame Relation to this Houfbold of- Faith with our felves. But before I come to them, I befeech your Patience, whilft I fpeak fomething to our felves hereprefent: To whom, from what has been faid, methinks a little feafonable Counfel, fome honeft, humble Intrea- ties at ieaft, are due from me at this Time; as from aU of us, a Relief is due to the others.
We have heard our Common, our Proper Title to the Houfhold of God laid open before us. We find our felves in- rolled in this Heavenly Family, as Ser vants, as Sons, as Sons to the Chief and moft Sacred Part of this Family. The beft Philologers fay, That the Ori ginal World, om/©', which is here tranf-
lated
before the Sons of Clergy. Men. 1 1 7
lated of the Houfhold ; does not only fig- nifie Domeftick, as oppos'd to Foreign, to thofe without Doors , but alfo Pri vate, as oppofed to Common, and thofe that are only juft within Doors. On both thefe Senfes our Claim is founded. We are not only of the Houfhold, out of which a great Part of the World is excluded ; but we are more privately, more intimately of the Houjbold^ in which a great part of the Faithful are only as common Members.
Thus we have all a double Relation to it : Some of us a Threefold : All of us as Chriftians ; all as Sons of the Mi- nifters of Chrift : Some not only fo, but as Nlinifters our felves. And can our Duty then be fingle ? Is there nothing expeded from us, more than from other Chriftians ? Does our great er Privilege require nothing from us, but what is common ? Yes, certainly very much. Let me briefly put you in Mind, what it is.
Since we claim a proper Inte- reft, above others, in the Pre-eminent Rights of the Houjhold of Faith, then, no doubt, to make good that Claim, we are all proportionably obliged above I 3 others,
1 1 8 A Sermon I 'reached
qthers, to conform to the proper Man ners, and Vjrtues, that belong to, and become this Houfhold, and diftinguifh it from all others ; then, no doubt, if in every one of fuch Virtues, whether they refpeft God, or Man, we do not ex ceed others, we fcarce do our ordinary Duty : What great Deficience is it, if we come Ihort of Others ! What hai- nous Shame, if we notorioufly offend in the oppofite Sins !
We have far greater Obligations than all others to do Good : We have not fo much as the falfe Excufes, that fome others may think they have, to do Evil. If we forfake the Ways of Grace And, Goodnefs, we cannot alledge any Colour of Ignorance, or WAM of Inftrvffion : We cannot fay we have not learn'd them, or we could not : Nay, we canr not fay, we have forgot them. They were familiar to us from our Cradles ; imprinted on our Childifh Memories; infinuated into our tendered Age ; en* dear'd to tis by the neareft Examples. Virtue in us is not only our Duty, 'but fhould be our Portion, our Inheritance, Vice in us were not only Wickednefs, but Apoftacy, degenerate Wickednefs.
before the Sons of Clergy- Men.
Wherefore all thofe Graces, which no Chriftian can be without, we ought to exhibit in a greater Meafure : Of thofe which adorn a Chriftian Life, we Ihould afpire to the moft excellent De gree. Far (hould be from us, not only fcaftdalous Evil, but all the leaft Appearance of Evil : And, as C*f*r fa id of his Houfe, not only the Sin, but the Sufpi- cioa. That fpotlefs Modefty of private and publick Life, that Sobriety of Con- verfation, that Mildnefs of Behaviour, that Innocence, that Benignity of Words and Actions, that Liberal, that Gene rous Spirit, which all other Chriilians ought to labour after, (hould look in us, as if they were natural to us, and born with us. In thofe good Things, which all others are to ftudy and imi tate, we are to give, fome ot us Rules, all of us Examples. What all others fhould praftife, we fhould fcarce know how to praftife otherwife.
I urge this the rather, becaufe we live in an Age, when there is an Univerfal Complaint (and God knows, there is too much Reafon for it ) of an Uni- vetfal Corruption of good Manners. The Complaint indeed is far more general, than the Endeavours to redrefs it. A- broad every Man would be a Reformer ,
I 4 how
1 20 A Sermon Preached
how very few at Home ? But, in Truth, if all would really intend an Amend ment, and fet about it in good Earned, I cannot imagine any more likely Means to effl-O: it, than to have it ferioufly be gun, jnd fteddily carried on by Men of our Birth.
Great and Powerful, I am confident, irrefiftible, would be the Influence,which this very AiTembly would have on the i Pet. iv. whole Kjngdom. If judgment begins at the Houfe of God, fays St. Peter, where ft? all the ungodly and wicked appear? And why (hould we not expect, that Judg ment will begin at the Hottfe of God, if Reformation begins not there ? But then let me add, if Reformation bpgins At the Houjhold of God, where fta/l Vngodli- nefs and Wickednefi appear ? Your Ex amples will meet it at every Turn ; and put it out of Countenance in every Place : Even in private Cor ners 'twill foon lofe that Confidence, which now it too much afTumes in publick.
Secondly, This Con fide ration, That we are all united in One Houfliold, are all. of the more inward Part of the fame Houfhold, may fuggefl to us all, That we ejpecially cf all Men, of all Chriftians, ought woft to
pro-
before the Sons of Clergy-Men.
promote Vnity amongfl our felves and others.
I befeech you, miftake me not, I do not only mean our Vnity in Matters of Religion: That amongft us, I fuppofe. I cannot reafonably fufpect, that any of us fhould be dnTatisfied with, or Difobedient to, the Church of EvgUncL \ cannot fancy, That thofe little Scru ples, and groundlefs Prejudices, and WeaknefTes of Confcience, inftead of Tendernefs, which miflead too many others, too many, otherwife Good Men ; fliould find Place in any of our Minds, againft fo Pure, fo Pious, fo Regular, fo Moderate a Church ; at whofe Breafts we were more than ordinarily nourished,: A Church, which deferves to be to all a (Common Mother^ and is to us fo much more than a Common Mother.
Wherefore I will not, I need not, undertake to exhort you to an Eccle- fiaftical Union within yourfelvts : I ana rather ready to congratulate that to you. But there is another Unity, which, next that in Spiritual Things, would be of all others moft delightful to God him- felf, moft advantagious to our Coun try : And that is, your Endeavour after a Civil, a Political Union in the whole a fair and candid Correfpon-
dence
A Sermon Preached
dence between all Ways of Life ; a firift and friendly Communion of good and kind Offices, between Men or all Ranks and Profeflions among us.
This is that, to which I would moft earneftly, and I believe I fhould moft feafonably, advife you all. You know Mat. xii. who has fa id, That every kingdom divi- **• ded againfl it felf is brought to defolation ; And every city or houfe divided againft it felf, {hall notftand. And moft certainly, nothing more fhakes the Superftrufture ; nothing more ftrikes at the Foundation of any Society of Men ; nothing more difables a Houfe, a City, a Kingdom, from doing good and great Things, than mean Divifions between the feveral Or ders, and Conditions of its Members ; Their narrow-hearted repining at each others Gain ; their ill Conftruction of each others Advantages; their envying the Fruits of each others Labours ; When one Trade or Art, even thofe that fhould be the mort liberal, (hall make it their Bufinefs to difdain, and calumniate another ; fhall impute the Faults of any particular Men, to the Difcredk of any whole Calling : When any diftincl: Way of Life fhall think, that ail others enjoy too much Profit,
or
before the Sons of Clergy-Men.
or Power, or Honour ; they alone too Jittle.
What can be more deftruftive to pub- lick Quiet and Concord' ? What to a fri~ |< vate, eafy^ and honejlly pleafant Lifet than in full Peace to have, as it were, an Open War between all Profeflions ? For any of the Clergy to murmur againft the Privileges of the Laity ? For any of the Laity invidioufly to aggravate the Rights and Immunities of the Clergy ? For Church-wen to look with a greedy, or malicious Eye, on the Incomes or Pre ferments of Lawyers, or Phyficians, or Merchants, or the Gentry, without weighing their Hazards and Expences ? For any of thefe, without regarding the Pains and Burdens of Church-men, to grudge, or upbraid to them thofe fmall Remains of Ancient Piety, which the Rapacity of fome Ages has left, fcarce left to the Church ?
Whether this be not on all Sides, a moft ill-natur'd, moft pernicious Tem per $ whether it has not too much loured, and infected the Humour of too many of our Country-men, I leave you to judge , yet not only to judge, but to you of all Men living, the Cure of this Diftemper is to be recommend ed. You ace not only the moft proper,
but,
124
Sermon Preached
but, I believe, the only Inftruments capable of effecting this happy Work. Unfpeakable is the Opportunity to this End, which is in your Power, that no other Generation of Men can equally pretend to,
'Tis an Evident Obfervation, That no other One Race, not the Sons of any one other Profeflion, not perhaps all to gether, are fo much fcattered amongft all Prpfeffions, all Ways of Life, as the Sons of Clergy-wen alone. Of moft others, the Children are commonly bred up in their Fathers Way; or fo plentifully provided for, that they are left at large; fome few permitted to venture on the Church. But with Churchmen, 'tis far otherwife. Their Children, we fee, flow abroad, are confined to none, ovejfpread all our Ways of Breeding, and Life ; our Shops, our Schools, our Universities, our Inns o Court, our College of Phyfluans, our Towns, our Country, our Court, our Cities : This Court, this City efpe- daily.
And if the Difperfion of the Church
. from Jerafalem by reafon of Perfecu-
tion, firft into all Judta, then into all
the World, became, by God's wonder
ful Providence, the chief Caufe of en
larging
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. i a
Urging the Gofpel : Why may not we hope, that the Sons of the Church be ing fo much difperfed, though, God be thanked, without being driven into all- Quarters of the Land, there was fome extraordinary Defign of Divine Wif- dom in it ? Certainly, yes certainly, 'twas intended, that we fhould carry along with us into all other Places, and Profeffions, wherever our Stations are allotted, fome of thofe good and virtu ous Qualities, which we were ftrangely carelefs, if we did not bring from Home with us ; fomething of that meek, con- defcendhig, calm, affable, reconciling, compofed, compofing Spirit ; which if Church-men and their Progeny have not, they cannot pretend to any other Virtues.
We were all born, and grew up in< the very native Soil of Modefty, Hu mility, Peace, and Unity. And if we fhall negled to propagate thefe bleffed Difpofitions, in all the other Soils, where fo many of us are tranfplanted ; What others can we expe£t fhall do it ? What others can undertake it, without fome Blemiih to us? Some Reflexion on our Negligence ? But if we fhall en deavour it with Diligence and Conftan- cy, we need not doubt, but, by the or dinary
A Sermon Preached
dinary Blefling of God, our Labours in this Kind will prove the fortunate Means, to make thefe Virtues thrive elfewhere, fpread every where.
For Proof of all I have faid, concern ing the Probability, the Certainty of reforming, and uniting the whole Na tion by our Example ; I crave Leave only to fet before you an Image, of what would furely be done to this Pur- pofe, in this one City : Which may well be reckoned, not only the Seat of Trade and Commerce, not only the Fountain of Habits, and Fafhions, and good Breeding, but of morally good or bad Manners to all England.
Throughout the whole Extent of this vaft City, I know, there is no one Ward, no Parifh ; I believe, no Street^ not 'many Lanes, where there does not live one or more, that have our Rela tion to the Church : And live general ly in fo good a Rank, as will rather invite, than difcourage others, to fol low what they (hall praftife.
Now then, if amongft you of our Number, who are Citizens, there were at once begun, by common Confent, an Univerfal Amendment of Life, and Converfation : If we lhall make it our unanimous Bufmefs, to oppofe the par
ticular
before the Sons of Glergy-Men. 127
ticular Vices of the Time, by their con trary Virtues ; Schifm, by Unity ; Hy- pocrify, by fober Piety ; Debauchery, by Temperance; miftaken Zeal, by true Zeal ; and the like : If fo, then the Change will foon appear remarkable; the Example will be fpreading ; Favour, Authority, Credit, Cuftom, and at laft Number too,will be on the Side of Grace and Goodnefs. And (if you remem ber, how your City firft rofe out of its Aflies, after the dreadful Fire, which, no doubt, you can never forget) as that was rebuilt, not prefently, by railing continued Streets, in any one Fart ; but at firft here a Houfe, and there a Houfe, to which others by Degrees u ere joyned ; till at laft, Tingle Houfes were united into whole Streets ; whole Streets into one Beautiful City : So every one of your Houfes being firft raifed, and appearing eminent above others in Piety ; others will foon take Pattern and Encouragement from your Build ing: And fo, Houfe by Houfe, Street by Street, there will at laft be finifh'd, not only, as before, a great and a mag nificent City; but, what is far better, a Cttjy that is at Unity in it felf\ a Mo- PC cxxil. deft, a Grave, a Religious City: And3-' London will in fhort Time as much
excel
a 8 A Sermon Preached
excel it felf in all manner of Virtue, as even now I dare affirm, it excels any other City in the whole World, that comes any thing near it, either in Large* nefs, or Number of Inhabitants.
But Laftly, fince we are all of one Spiritual Houfhold ; and that not only in a Spiritual, but a Temporal Senfe ; What remains to be faid, but that there ought to be maintain'd, between all the Members of this our Houfbold, a free, and uninterrupted Communication of our Spiritual, and our Temporal good Things to each other ? From the weal thy, and able Part, their Temporal good Things of Bounty and Munificence to the Poor, and Unable amongft us ; from the Poor and Unable, the Return of their Spiritual good Things, their Bleflings, and Thanks, and Prayers ; which can not be a iefs Good than they receive ; nay, they will be a far greater Benefit to the Wealthy and Able, than thefe can beftow on them.
I blefs God, many of you here pre- fent are of the wealthy Part ; I fee moft of you are of the able ; none, I hope, of the unable Parr. And it was my In tention to have tried, by an ample Ex hortation, to excite your greateft Ardour, and moll fervent Zeal, in this Work.
But;
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. 129
But I find, I have employed fo much Time, by the Way, in other Matters, that I cannot prefume on your Patience much longer. Yet my Comfort is, that fuch an Exhortation which the Hour already fpent would now make tedious ; the free, and tender Nature of my Hearers has made unneceflary. A much longer Difcourfe my Argument requires : Your merciful Difpofitions a much fhor- ter. Wherefore, feeing it will be far better for you your felves to reafon with your felves on this Subjecl, than for me, or any Man elfe, to load you with Perfwafions ; I fhall forbear en larging, and only offer to your Thoughts fome few Heads of Confideration.
You are now ; Fathers, and Brethren ; Sons of the Prophets ; and of the Covenant God made with your Fathers ; you are now, with happy and aufpicious Be* ginnings, forming a Model of Charity : Of a moft Chriltian, truly Proteftant Charity : Than which, nothing can more fix the Root, nothing more fpread the Branches, more cherifh the tende red and weakefl: Branches of the Re formation : Nothing more flop the Mouths of thofe, who, by forbidding Marriage to the Clergy, would intro- K duce
i 50 A Sermon Preached
duce into the Catholick Church, what i Tim. 5v. $t. Paul calls the Doffrine of Devils. J' ^'2 To confute thefe Men, there were Ar- by .»//7;0/>guments enough before, drawn from
Sander- Religion, Scripture, and Antiquity. f°n- ^ > i • • i A i r n t
serm. $. One Political Argument they teemed to
ad pup.- have, and boafted of it, as unconfuta- ble ; That from fuch Marriages would inevitably enfue Poverty in many of the Children, and thence a Difgrace and Burden to the whole Church. But by this Defign, you have oppofed their falfe Policy, with true and great Wifdom : What they boaded would be a Mifchief to us, you are providing fhall be one of our principal Strengths : You have confuted, not only the Strength, but the Fame, of the beft Re formed Church: And are freeing it, not only from the Scandal of its Enemies, but even from its own gieateft Defecl and Inconvenience.
The Opportunity^ that is now put into your Hands for this Furpofe, is peculiar and extraordinary: Not only of this one Day, or of other fuch Days, which, I truft, will always fucceed this once a Year ; but the fure and folid Foundation of a perpetual Corporation : By which, under a Reign of the great- eft
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. 131
eft Mercy and Clemency that ever the Sun beheld, you are authorized to make this good Work Of Mercy a great One; call'd upon, many of you by Name, to do it, by Royal Authority ; to which, a conftant Obedience, and moft dutiful Obfervance, has been ever the proper, tmfullied Honour of your Church, and your Extraction.
The Perfons to be reliev'd by you, fo nearly approach you all in the ftrifteft Degrees, tho'not often, perhaps, of Kin dred, nor always of private Friend- Ihip ; yet always of Birth, and Inte- reft : That their Support may not only be call'd Bounty in you, but the moft Fatherly, or Brotherly Tendernefs, and even fome Kind of Self-Love. From you, their fad Eftate may well expect effect uai Comfort, fince there are none, tho' never fo much Strangers to them, from whom it may not deferve Commi- feration. They were left deftitute, fome of Education, all of a Subfiftance fuit- able to their former Life ; without any the leaft Fault of their own ; without any Poflibility of their preventing it, either by the narrow Provifion their Husbands or Parents enjoy'd in their beft Condition, or by the unavoida ble Fate of their untimely Deaths : Or,
K 2 no
A Sermon I 'reached
no doubt, fome of them, by their frank Hearts, and their open Hands, and their Charity towards others, whilft they li ved : Or, which ought to be mention ed t for their greater Honour, by their Fidelity to the Crown, and Sufferings for the Church*
On thefe Accounts, all innocent, fome praife- worthy, fome honourable, they were exposM to Hardfhip, and Penury; to which they had never been ufed, and which, without you, they could never have efcaped. Nor was their Poverty all that their Religion would have taught them to endure. But what was far more grievous, and deplorable, their Poverty had expos'd them to be a Caufe of Scorn and Derifion, an Objection againft Reli gion it felf.
An Objection, which now we fhall happily fee remov'd. For you, who have undertaken their Relief, fome of you by God's Bit-fling on your Labours, ibme on your Studies, fome by God's and the Churches Blefling on your E- ftates, all of you by fome Bleffing or other, are abundantly furnifh'd with Power; and I know, with AfFeftions; to contribute your Share to this Work. So that iho' it fhould be true, as I fear it is, that never any Time lince the Re
formation
before the Sons of Clergy- Men.
formation can iliew fo many Poor a- mongft the Widows and Orphans of Church- men, as this particular Time : Yet I believe it to be as true, and we all ought to rejoice at it, that God in his Mercy has now, more than ever, provided and pointed out a propor tionable Supply for them within our felves. As more Clergy-men were im- poverifh'd by the Calamities of the late War, and Oppreffion of the Church and State, than ever in the like Space before : So, I think, it may be faid without Envy, I am fure, if this Work proceeds, it may, that more Clergy men, or their Heirs, than ever in one Time before, fince they were allowed Marriage, have been brought to a plen tiful, and profperous Condition by his Majefties, and with him the Churches, moft happy Reftoration.
What any of you or your Fathers then received, was never a juft Ob- jedion againft you, becaufe you on ly received what was juft, and your own : Nay, it has been, and will be for ever, not only no Objection, but for your Praife, and Honour ; that of what you then gathered, as moft lawfully your own, you have fince already dif- pos'd fo very much in Works of Pub- K lick
134 A Sermon Preached
lick Piety and Charity ; and are ftill ready to fcatter much more on this Oc- cafion, for the Good of others.
Scatter much, do I fay ? There is no abfolute Need of that. For towards your effectual carrying on of this De- fign, nothing but what may eafily con/- fift with your Plenty, your Profperity; nothing that fhall be any way Burden- fome, is requeued of you : Only what you can readily fpare, from your Necef- fities, your Occafions ? No, but even from your Pleafures, your Superfluities ; only that which to give away will be a Kindnefs to your felves, as well as to others,
Tis not the Weight of Bounty, and good Works, from a few, fo much as the Number from fo many, that is expected to make up and continue this Heap. We have vifible Initances in this City, where great, and well-nigh incredible Effects are yearly accom- plilh'd towards maintaining the Poor of alrnolt all Trades and Callings, only by a conitant Multitude, and fettled Succeilion, of fmall Contributions wifely acj mini tired,
And I hope it will never be faid, that the Laity, who by the Clergy are taught to be Charitable, fhall in their
Cor-
before the Sons of Clergy- Men. i 3 5
Corporations exceed the Clergy it felf, and their Sons, in Freenefs of Giving. But if any fiiall think, that in the Practical Prudence of managing fuch Gifts, the Laity may have fome Ad vantage over the Clergy ; whofe Expe rience is, and ought to be, lefs of this World than the others : That in your Corporations is moft wifely fuppliqd. As there are Church men enough in this pious Foundation, moft able to ad- vife the good Works ; fo there are Lay men enough moft able to direct their Ufes.
To our Laity and Clergy both, my dear Friends, this Inftitution will turn to ineftimable Advantage ; without gi ving the leaft Reafon to fufpeft, that any other Courfe of former Charity will be dried up, or diverted ; but ra ther all of them will be much increafed, and more filled, by opening this new Fountain. Such is the Nature of all true Charity : The Pra&ice of it to wards any, always enlarges Mens De- fires to pra£Hfe it towards more : In deed, as a Fountain it flows; always flowing, when once begun : The feveral Parts of it, not hindering, but either making Way for, or pufhing on each other.
K 4 Vet
A Sermon Preached
Yet tho' it be.certain, that no other Way of Publick Charity has any juft Ground to be jealous of this; I cannon but add, that as to Publick Benefit, this will be inferiour to none, preferable to moft others, if not to ail : For by this Means, not only many helplefs Perfons will be provided for, whilft they live ; but a Generation of Men will be bred up within our felves,. not depending on any other Patrons, not perverted by any other Hopes; And whofe Prin ciple, whofe Judgement, whofe Inte- reft, it will be to obey and fupport our own Church and State, which cherifhes a Married Clergy ; to oppofe a Foreign Church, that condemns it; but whofe ill Praftices, for Want of it, are one of the greateft Juftifications cf fuch Marriages.
ln the Athenian State, which was the 23!' 0<?~great Fountain of Learning, and Virtue, to the Heathen World, one of the No- bled Excitements to honourable Actions, was, That the Children of thofe who had died ferving their Country, were bred up at the Publick Charge, till they .came to the Age of Manhood : And were then brought forth to the People, clad all in Armour, one of their publick Minifters proclaiming be^
fore
before the Sons of Clergy-Men. 137
fore them ; That hitherto, in Remem brance of their Fathers Merits , the Commonwealth had educated thefe young Men, and now difmifs'd them fo arm'd, to go forth, and thank their Country, by imitating their Fathers Examples.
Methinks I may promife, and even foretel, that in your future Proceflions on thefe Days, we fhall fee fuch a Train of Youth, by you fo bred up, and prepar'd for the Service of Church and State; to whom it may be faid : Thus far the Memory of your Fathers Deferts has maintain'd you : Now go forth in a lucky Hour : Try to follow their Patterns of Loyalty to the King, and Zeal for the pubiick Intereft : Try to return to your Benefactors, that kind of Gratitude, which of all others will be moft acceptable to them : By endeavouring to put your felves into a Condition of doing the Good to others that has been done to you : By en deavouring the Peace and Welfare of a Church, to which you owe, not only your Spiritual, but your Natural Life.
,W A Church, that excels all its Enemies on both Sides; as in many other Things, fo efpecially in the great Doftrine of
Cha-
A Sermon Preached
Charity : In which, the Papifts, on the one Side, pretend to be moft trium phant: And I heartily wifh, too many of the Seftaries, on the other Side, were not apparently too deficient. But our Church has moft wifely, moft pioufly chofen, and the bleffed Spirit of God has moft gracioufly aflifted it in the Choice of the middle Path between both thefe Extremes* It gives as much Pue to good Works, as is confiftent with the Grace of the Gofpel: It gives as much Preference to Divine Grace, as is confiftent with the Precepts of the Gofpel : Commands us to return to God, and, as to him, to the Poor, his Gifts, put of meer Duty and Thankfulnefs ; not to depofite them with him, in Hopes of meriting by them ; requires us to perform all Deeds of Charity equally to any others, but not with equally prefumptuous Pretenfions.
I (hall no longer detain this great Af-
fembly : Only I befeech Almighty God
to dired all your Counfels, and blefs
all your Proceedings, in this weighty
Ff exxii. Bufmefs. For my Brethren, and Cowpa-
*» 9- irions fake, I rvijb you Profperity : Tea, be~
cnufe of the Houfe of the Lord our God,
what g9°d Man will not Jeek to do you
Good? Will not heartily pray, that for
your
before the Sons of Clergy -Men.
your Labour of Love to the diftrefTed Part of the Houfbold of Faith here, you may receive an abundant Reward, both here and hereafter ? Here, in your Eftates, your Reputations, above all, in your Confciences, and Increafe of Grace : Hereafter,in immortal Happinefs: When this Houfhold of Faith fhall be changed into a Glorious City , an EvtrUjlmg Kjng- dom. Of which, I befeech Almighty Goa to make us all Partakers. Amen.
FINIS.
'* «\ *
•• • • - - -•.-.. J . -, ^^Vl
l .'• .. -
": ti\
.2jj •
A
SERMON
Preached before the
KING
A T
WE 1TE-HALL,
December 22, 1678.
ByTnoMAs SPRAT, D.D.
Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majefly.
L 0 N D 0 N:
Printed for R. Bomvicke, J.
R. Wilkin, B. Tooke, and J. W*rd
1
I i
vr '
.1. />.,
I
'43
SERMON
Preached before the
KINGf
A T
WHITE-HALL,
December 22, 1678.
GAL. IV. PartofVcr. 18. ^
\It is good to be ^ealoufly affe&ed al ways in a good Thing.
IN this Chapter, St. Paul expoftu- lates with the GaUtians, That they were fo much degenerated from the true Spirit of Chriftian Liberty, as to feem _ defirous of the Jewiih Yoke ; from which the precious Blood
of
144
A Sermon Preached
of Chrift had fet the Jews free, certain ly therefore the Gentiles-, the Apoftle bimfelf, by his Doftrine, having fully taught them the Extent and Ufe of that Freedom.
Of which dangerous Error, he difco- vers the Caufe in the lyth Verfe. Is it not, fays he, that there Are crept in among you deceitful Teachers? Men, who pre tend to be as zealous for you, as we the True Minifters of Chrift, can be ? Yet you ought to judge of them, not by the Heat of their Zeal, but by its Effefts : They zealouftj, fays he, affetfjou, but not well : For they would exclude you, or us, as fome Copies have it : Tou, from the True Faith : Vs9 from being True Apoftles. But Schifrn, and Separation, Mens unjuft excluding themfelves or others out of the Church, are always Works of a Falfe Zeal, never Signs of a True. Wherefore, fays he, beware of them : Their Zeal is the more to be fufpe&ed, for being fo violent : For though it be good, to be z^douflj ajfetfed always, yet it ihould'be only in a good Thing.
My Text, you fee, confifts of Two Parts :
1'irft, A Juft Commendation of True, Re- ^eaL: And that in the utmoft
Ex-
before the K I N G. 145
Extent of it ; It is good to be zealoufy affected always.
Secondly, The due Limitation, of fuch Zeal, fo as it may deferve that Com mendation : It fhould be in a good Thing.
The Subftance of both is, That True %eal is A moft excellent Grace : But that the Truth of it is to be efteem'd, not fo much by the Heighth of the Paffions, of which it is compofed, as by the Goodnefs of the Things, about which it is emplofd.
In treating of this Doftrine, it will be needful for us to examine,
Fir ft, What is the Name, and Nature, And Caufes of true Zjal? That fo we may prove it to be a good Thing to be zealoujly affeffed*
Secondly, What are the Bounds and Extremes^ what the Corruptions and Reme dies^ of Zeal? That fo we may reduce and confine it to its proper Work, which is, to be zealous in a good Thing.
Of thefe Two Particulars, if now, by the Grace of God, we fhall make a right Ufe and Improvement ; the One will excite in us the moft Sincere, moft ardent Affections towards God, and the
L Things
Things of God ; the Other will direft us in the right managing, and applying of thofe Affections : Which Two are in- deed the great Defign of all True Reli gion. This is the Sum of all the Laws of Chrift, and his Apoftles ; that as we fhould moft carefully endeavour to know all our Duties towards God and Man ; fo we fhould perform them all, with that unfeigned integrity which belongs to Chriftian Piety ; with that Temper and Sobriety, which becomes Chriitian Prudence, and Charity; wirh that Warmth and Affection, whidi agrees with Chriftian Zeal : That is, in other Words, We fhould be zealot* ffy affetfed always, but Only /'/; good Things.
The Word Z^al, amongft ancient Hea then Writers, is us'd indifferently in a good, or a bad Senfe ; but feldom, or ne ver, in a Religious Senfe. At bert, it is taken by them to' exprefs a Man's ear- neft Delire, and eager Purfuit, of fome^ Temporal Good; and a Grief, that others poffefs that Good which he wants, e- foecially thofe who are his Equals in o- ther Things. Very frequently with them, it fignifies Emulation, and that Sort of it which is commonly accompa nied with Envy and immoderate Con tention. And indeed, it were much to
be
_ before the K I N G. 1 47
be wifh'd, that in the Chrijliw Church, which has advanced the Word Zjal, and applied it to a Divine Meaning, there had not been, in all Ages, too many Chriftiam, who have been Zealous rather, according to the Heathen Sig nification of the Word, than the Cbri-
In the Scripture, and amongft ChriflUn Writers, when it is ufed in the beft Senfe, for what it fhould be, not what it too generally is, it then palTes for a vehement AfFedion, a reftlefs Heat, a powerful Inclination of the Mind, to wards Heaven, and Heavenly Things ; chiefly regarding the Divine Author of them, and his Glory; and next Him- felf, his Truths, his Ways, his Rewards : When with earneft, but harmlefs Paf- fions, we wifb, we contrive, we con tend for the Honour of God, the Belief, the Spreading of his Doctrines, the Practice of his Laws, the Flourifhing of his Religion, the Enjoying of his Pro- mi fes, the Peace and Profperity of his Church ; and when moft conltantly, moft irreconcileably , we hate and op- pofe the Things that are contrary to a- ny of thefe.
L 2 So
148 A Sermon I 'reached
So that true Zgd fecms not to be any one (ingle Affection of the Soul ; as are the other Ptffions of Love, Defire, Hope, Joy, Grief, Hatred, and the like; but rather it is a ftrong Mixture of many Holy and Spiritual AfFeftions: Ra ther a gracious Constitution of the whole Mtnd, than any one particular Grace : Ar- fetting the whole Will, fwaying all the Thoughts of a Devout Heart, and filling it with all manner of Pious Intentions: All, not only Uncounterfeit, but moft Fervent. It is an Addition of a double Meafure, and Force, and Activity to that Religion, which was before Sincere. It is to a Spiritual Life, as Health is to a Natural; renders that which elfe would only breathe, and move, not only living^ but moft lively, and moft vigorous. And as in Moral 1/ertue, there is fome more perfect Degree ; that the Heathen Mora lists call'd Heroick, and even Divine Virtue; which is not itfelf a diftinft Virtue, but the higheft Pitch and Emi nence of all other Virtues ; and which, they therefore thought, did make Men moft nearly to approach the Nature of God: So True Zeal may be ftyled, the Heroick, and mojl eminent Degree of tit true Piety.
Such
before the K I N G. 1 49
Such is the Name ; fuel], I humbly conceive, is, and ought to be, the Na ture of True Zeal : And by this we may guefs at the Ufefulnefs of it. The Ufe- fulnefs do I fay ? Why not rather the Necedity ? In all Chriflianr^ fome kind of Zeal for the Intereft and Practice of the True Religion, is not only moft be neficial, but moft neceflary, molt infe- parable from its Reality.
This will appear to be certain, if we reflect on the Caufes, that are able, and are wont to raife Zeal in Mens Hearts. Zeal being the Top, and Perfection, of fo many Religious Affeclions for fome Things, againft others; the Caufes therefore of it muft needs be moft e- minent, moft efficacious, in both Kinds. Thefe are Good, or Evil ; both in the higheft Degree, both in a double Re- fpecl: Either the great, and admirable Goodnefs of a Thing in it felf,- or its extraordinary Goodnefs, and Agreeable- nefs to us : And either the exceeding Evil of a Thing in its own Nature ; or its Hurtfulnefs, and Mifchievoufnefs to us.
So lovely, fo graceful, is all Goodnefs in it felf, that it can fcarce be obferved by any Man, in its native Beauty, with out fome Emotion in his Mind to love, L ajid
A Sermon Preached
and obtain it. Some fecret Charms it has, that are wont to prevail, not only always on Ic9 Friends, but often on its very Enemies. There is no queftion, but many wicked Men are often touch'd •with fome inward Reverence for that Gcodnefs, which they cannot be per- fwaded to praftife, nay, which they outwardly feem to defpife.
Such is the attractive Force of it, in its general Contemplation. But more, wheLj a Thing that is infinitely good in it (I If, inhaicely better in Nature, grea ter in Power than we are, fhall freely defcend down to us, {hall condefcend to have the neareft Relation to us, fhall appear pp employ all its high Perfections chiefly for our Happinefs, nay, fhall, for that End only, take on it felf our Imperfections: What Good nefs can be niore Amiable in general? What more Obliging, more Tender in particular than this ? What ought to produce in us mere inflam'd AfteSions, and Zeal for IE ?
The like may be faid on the other Side. Whatever is Evil and Wicked in it felf, it ib Imperfect, Uncomely, De- teftable, even, in -the Judgment of Na ture, of Reafon, of Senfe itfelf : And therefore it cannot but raife, in the
un-
_____ before the KING. l.<5
unprejudiced Beholders, a general Aver-" fion from it. But more, if the fame Thing {hall appear to be peculiarly E- vil, • or Injurious, or Pernicious to us: That general Averfion wjll be , and ought to be, turn'd into a particular Ha tred and Zeal againft it.
And now, is there hot an entire Con currence of this double Good nefs in the Ways of Religion ? Of this double E^vU in all Things, that are at Enmity with it? Is not Religion To perfectly good in it felf, its Do&rines, its Commands, its Recompences ; above all, in its Author; that, without the grofleft Senfuality, we cannot but admire it? Will it not be fo good and beneficial to us, if we believe, and pra£tife it, that without the moft heinous Ingratitude, we cannot but be moft zedoufy affected towards it?
On the contrary, is not Sin, notwith- ftanding all the moft flattering Colours, and moft alluring Shapes, it can put on, when it ftrives to beguile our weak Sen- fesj notwithstanding all the moft fpe- cious Difguifes, which the Devil, the Father of all Hypocrify, can beftow upon it ; yet is not Sin in its own Na ture, moft Deficient, moft Vile, moft"
L4 De-
A Sermon Preached
Deformed ? Is it not moft Pernicious to our Nature ? Moft Injurious to our true Intereft ? Moft Deftruftive of our Hap- pinefs? Are not the moft wicked Men compell'd to confefs all this ; fometimes in their Profperity, often in their Ad ver- fity ? Sometimes with their Tongues, of ten in their Fears, well nigh always in their Confcience ? All this is fo perfpi- cuous, fo undeniable, that, in a Congre gation of Chriftians, I need not be over- induftrious in the Proof of it.
Thefe then being the perpetual Cau- fes of Zeal ; the greateft Good, or the greateft Eul ; either abfolutely fo in themfelves, or relatively fo to us ; and boch Kinds of the Good unqueftionab-ly meeting in Religion ; both Kinds or the Wufi in its Oppofites: It is therefore good to be " zealouflj -affected for the one, againft the other ; to he always zealou/ly affe&ed: For the fame Motives of Zeal continuing in the Things themfelves un changeable, as they do, and will for e- ver; for ever all Goodneft will be moft charming, for ever all Wickedness will be mpft odious ; .the Affections therefore, the flaming Love which the one, the ve- hentent Hatred which the other, that is, the Zeal, which they both fhould ftir up
ia
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in our Minds, ought alfo to be ever un changeable.
. Thus far we walk on firm and even Ground : Thus it is good to be always zeAloufy Ajfetted, But now begins to ap pear the Difficulty, and the Danger. For Zeal being compos'd, as you have heard, of the higheft Degrees of fo ma ny Affections, the true Zeal confifting of the greateft lawful Degrees, the falfe of the greateft unlawful Degrees of thofe Affections ; the right tempering and mo derating of all fuch Affections, and all their Degrees, in themfelves fo ftrong, in their Objects fo different, muft needs be a very hard, and a very hazardous Work. So it is in any one of all our Natural Pajfions. Paffion is the great Mover, and Spring of the Soul: When Mens Paflions are ftrongeft, they may have great, and noble Effecls; but they are then alfo moft apt to fall into the greateft Mifcarriages. And are not our moft Spiritual Affeftions as liable to the like Corruptions ? They are, in Truth, more liable : So much the more, in that Mens Spiritual Failings are harder to be repented of, or acknowledged for Sins, than their natural Faulty or carnal Vi ces are.
Moft
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Moft certainly the ftrifteft Profeflioi of Piety, the fevereft Appearance of De votion, the moft extraordinary Fervour of Zeal, is moft Praife- worthy, moft Chriftian, if uadi(fembled, if humbly pra&is'd : But it is not always moft free from DifflmuUt ion , or Spiritual Pride. And if the greateft outward Shew of Zeal for Religion be put on by Hypo- crify, if the greateft inward Heat of it be not fweeten'd by Meeknefs, or not tempered with Humility, or not governed by Prudence; can it do God any Ser vice ? Rather it dishonours him : Can it bring to our own Souls any Benefit ? Rather it mifchiefs them.
Wherefore it is Prudence, Humility, Gentlenefs- Things that at firft Sight fecm moft in confident with all Zeal, that are the great Security , the beft Guards, the Chief Ornaments of all the moft Godly Zeal. It is Mediocrity , Decence, Integrity, Charity, that are the great Rules, the Standards of Goodnefs, of Excellence, not only in all Humar.e Converfation , not only in all Moral Virtue, but even in all our moft Reli gious Duties
Are not all, or moft Evangelical Vir tues, and Graces, in Danger of Ex tremes ? As there is, God knows, too
often
before the KIN G.
often a Defeft on the one Side, fo there may be an Excefs on the other. May not Hope in God, or Godly Sorrow, be perverted into Prefumption, or Defpair? May not Faith in God be depraved by Infidelity, or by Superftition ? Men may believe too litt;le ; they may believe too much. May not the Worfhip of God be corrupted by Prophanenefs, or by I- dolatry ? It may be too naked, for want of Ceremonies ; it may be too pompous, by an Excefs of them. Thus the reft. Thus Religious Z^ed is fubjeft to an Ex cefs, and to a Defect: Either when fomething is mingled with it, which ft fhould not have ; or when it wants fomething that ought to go along with it. The Defecl: of it, is LuketvArmnefs, or Coldnefs in Religion-, the Excefs is Inordinate He*t, and Spiritual Fury. It is very natural for Men, very eafy for 'ChrifHans, to offend in one of thefe : Mori natural for all fenfual Men to fall into the Defeft ; very eafy for many well-meaning Chriftians to run them- felves, for ill-meaning Hypocrites to thruft others, into the Excefs of it. And it is the chief Employment, the beft Fruit of that Wifdom, which teacheth Men to he wife to S Ah at ion , to find out, and
to
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to follow the fober, temperate, middlt W*J between them both.
Be pleas'd then, to this Purpofe, thai we proceed to the Second Head of my Difcourfe ; to examine, What are the due Degrees, And undue Extremes? What the jup Limits, and ill Excurfwns of %e And that we firft begin wkh the Excefs of it,
This indeed is a Subjeft, of which it is hard to fpeak without Satyrical Sharp- nefs, and particular Reflections on ma ny Perfons and Societies, and even Churches of Chrittians ; So ill have been the Defigns, fo lamentable the Ef- fe£b, of intemperate Zeal in all Chri- ftendom, efpecially in our own Time, and Country. Yet let us try to confider this tender Argument fo, as not our (elves to fall into an Extravagance of Zeal, whilft we condemn fuch ExceiTes. So the Meeknefs of Chriftianity teaches all Chriilians, to deal with hrroneoufy- zxiilous ChnftiAns; to pity, not revile, the ferfons, whilft we reprove their Errors : To convince their Contentious And, Uutragious Zjal, by the moft Religi- ous, and, in Truth, the moft Powerful^ Confutation of a milder Prafficet and more charitable Examples.
The
before the K I N G. 157
The great Sign then, and Charafter, in my Text, to diftinguifh the True Zeal from the Falfe, is Goodnefs : Either the Goodnefs of the Zeal it felf; or the Goodnefs of the Things about which it is concern'd : The latter being here made a Proof of the former. But betides, the Goodnefs of the Zeal it felf may be difcern'd, either by the Light which directs it in the Head, or by the Work of it in the Heart. And fo we may fafely conclude that to be the only true Zeal.
F/V/, That which is guided by a good Light in the Head.
Secondly, That which confifts of good and innocent Affections in the Heart.
Thirdly, That which employs the Head and the Heart about good Things, and thofe only.
We are to enquire, what is the beft Guide, and Conductor of Zeal in the Head ? For that, we may confult our Apoftle in his Epiftle to the Romans ;Rom. Brethren, fays he, My Hearts Defire and,1**2* Prayer to God for Ifrael is, that they might be fwed: For I bear them Record, that they have a Z^al for God^ but not according to Kjwwledge.
la
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In which Words, Two Things are ob- fervable : The Apoftle's Behaviour to wards his Brethren in the Flefh, the Israelites, who were miftaken in their Zeal for God : And his Difcovery of the Ground of that Miftake. His Behaviour is, not to cenfure bitterly the Errors of their Zeal; but rather to bear Witnefs to the good Intentions of that Zeal, which they had ; - and to pray heartily to God, that he would direft ther ill- applied Affeclions, by a True, Heaven ly, and Spiritual Light.
Such was his mild and gentle Beha viour , though zealous too for the Caufe of Chart, towards the mifguided Jfraelttes. His Difcovery of the Error of their Zeal, and the Reproof of it, fol lows ; it is, that it was not according to
And as his Behaviour ought to be an Example for our Practice in the like Cafes; fo his Reproof may afford us the Firft mod certain Rule to inftruct our Judgments, in the correcting of the Erroneous, and directing of the true Zeal.
Behold, I befeech you. That, in Saint Paul's Opinion , is imperfect or falfe Zeal, which is only hot, and eager without Knowledge : That is the right
Zeal,
before the K I N G. 1 59
Zeal, which is not only fmcere, and in earned, but According to Knowledge.
According to Knowledge : Another manner of Companion of Zeal, tlun. what too commonly goes along with iu Are not thofe Men too often found to be the greateft, and do they not think themfelves to be the trueft Zealots, who are moit notorioufly Ignorant ? Who make it their Bufinefs, their Pride, to exprefs their blind Zeal, not only with out all Knowledge,but oftentimes againii all ? Whereas true Zeal (hould always, begin with true Knowledge firtt; and thence proceed to an unwearied Paflion, for what it once knows to be worthy of fuch Paifion : Falfe Zeal always begins with Paflion firft, and there ufually ends; feldom or never goes farther than ignorant and violent Paflion.
Our Zeal then fhould be according to Kjto'.vledgt. And what kind of Know ledge ? Without all Queftion, Firft ac cording to the true, faving, Evangelical Knowledge.
It fhould be according to the Gofpel; the whole Gofpel : Not only according to its Truths, but Precepts : Not only according to its free Grace, but neceflaiy Duties : Not only according to its My- fteries, but alfo its Commandments.
It
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It fhould be according to the Original Defign, Fundamental Principles, and Eternal End of the Gofpel : Not fo, as to fet any one Doftrine, or Work of it at Variance with others ; which are all admirably confident amongft themfelves, and agree in a BlefTed Harmony : Not fo, as only to contend for fome Tern* porary Opinions, or factious falfe Infe rences from the Gofpel ; which rather ferve to uphold the Credit, and Secular Intereft of Religious Se&s, than for the Honour of Religion it felf.
Thus (hould our Zeal be according to the Gofpel, that Knowledge, which de- fcends from Above. But then befides, 'twill do well, if it be alfo accompanied with fome good and grave Degree of Civil Wifdom and Underftanding, of fober Knowledge even of this World, and Worldly Things. For though all that profefs the Name of Chrift, are chiefly in his Religion to be directed by a true Spiritual Light : Yet fuch earneft and ftrong Motions of the Mind, as commonly attend Religious Zeal, will receive no manner of Hindrance, but rather great Afliftance from the fubor- dinate Help, and faithful Service, and fteddy Guidance of true natural Light it felf.
True
_ before the KING. 161
True Zeal neither is, nor ought to be, a folitary, melancholy Grace ; As if ic were only fit to dwell in mean, dark and narrow Minds; fuch as a re utterly unprovided of all other natural, or moral, or fpiritual Abilities. , No, As there is fcarce any one Grace, or Gift of God, that ever ufes to go alone ; but where any one of them enters, others will go with it, or foon follow after it : So elpecially, of all Graces, Zeal ought never to go alone. In whatever Soul Zeal gets the entire PofTeflion, and keeps it fmgly, without the Society of many other Gifts, or to the (hutting out of any one Virtue ; there it is a dangerous Gueft, there it is an Incendiary, But wherever it is leagued, and joined in Company, with many other Spiritual Endowments, and Advantages of Na ture ; with a difcreet Judgment, a clear Understanding, a Well-ordered Devo tion, an exemplary Charity ; there it is the fureft Defence, the greater! Beauty of true Piety ; there it gives the bright- eft Luftre to Religion.
This will appear ftill more evident in my fecond Particular ; That recommends to us a Special Care of rectifying Zeal in the Heart: The Heart, which is the proper Seat of this, as of all other M
62 A Sm;/0# Preached
p.ov.iv. practical Virtues, and Graces: From the Heart proceed, the iffues of Life ; of a Pious, as well as of a Corporeal Life : By the Motions > and Pulfes of the Heart, the Temper of our Spiritual, as well as Bodily State, may be judg'd.
In the Heart, Zeal ought to be com- pofed of the higheft Degrees of all. pious Affections: Of which, fome in their own Nature are milder, and gentler; fome fharper, and more vehement. It fbould be made up, I fay, of the largeft Meafures of Spiritual Love, Defire,Hope, Hatred, Grieiylndignation, and the like : Some of thefe Affections eaineftly fixing our Minds on God, and Religion ; the others forcibly averting from us thofe Things, which are diipieaflng to God, and contrary to Religion.
Now then, That Zeal, which has the greater Mixture of the more gentle, more benign, more charitable Affections, is molt likely to be die Bcft : That wherein the other more harfh, foure, and angry PalFioris, have the greater Share, and are Predominant, that is in moft Danger to be .immoderate, and excef- five : That, in which this latter Kind does exclude the former, that is undoubt edly unlawful, and wicked,
r^\ '
This
before the KING. 163
This feems to be mod agreeable to the great Primitive Purpoie of true Chriftia- nity ; and it may perhaps be more clearly exemplified in an Inftance. Our , Love of God, his Truths, his Honour; bur unquenchable Defires to promote, our well-grounded Hopes to enjoy his Glory; thefe Affect ions fhould certainly take the firft, and the chief Place in our Zeal : Thefe can never be too much in earneft: They can never carry out our Hearts beyond due Meafure. Our Hatred of thofe Ways, which God hates; our Grief for, and Indignation againft, thofe Things that difpleafe and dishonour Him ; thefe fhould have their Turn too in our Minds : Thefe alfo are very acceptable to God himfelf. But then there ought to be a much ftrifter Guard kept on this fort of Paffions ; that they do not exceed due Bounds ; that they do not precipitate us into Vio lence, or Strife, or Malice ; which are condemned by St. James, under the Title of rio^cK £>iA(5s that is, bitter^, iii, Envying in our Translation ; and thisH. Kind is reckoned by St. Paul, as one of the moft Carnal Sins : For amongft the Works of the Fle/b, which he fays Gal. v. are manifeft, he Names Murders, Drun-l9>iQ>'ll kennejs, Witchcrafts, H Aired, VAritince, M a Strife,
1 64 A Sermon Preached
Strife^ Emulations, Wrath, Seditions, Here- Jies: Where that Word, which we tranflate Emulations, is in the Original^
Thus whatever all pretended Zealots may think of the fubiime Purity, and Spirituality of all Zeal, we find fome Zeal may be in the Company of the groflTeft and moft fenfual Sins ; and, Ep.adcor.you fee, from Saint Paul, itdeferves the °}"0R, Name of Emulations ; from Saint James, iii*'\L «:.'tne Name of Envy : Of which, although n. Ariftotle allows, that fome Emulation may be good, and may be found in fome good Men ; yet Envy he utterly condemns, as wicked in it felf, and only to be found in wicked Minds. And fuch was that Envy, which moved the High Prietls, and Sadducees, to raife the very Firrt Perfecution againft the Church When they beheld rhemfelves fo much over- matched by the Glorious Works, and Excellent Abilities, and Di vine Authority of the Apottles, 'tis faid, Aas v- eTA>j'3wcti> 6»A« ; and immediately they laid
I 7 1 X rf «/
their hands on them, and caft them into Prifon. They were filPd with Zeal, or, as we read it, with Indignation or Envy ; the ufual Caufe and Original of all Se£h,and Schifms, and Heretics.
But
before the KING.
But of that only in pafling : It is then moft true, that in their Love of God, and Defire to pleafe Him, Men can never be too Affectionate : It is as true, though it may at firft feem a Pa radox, that in their Hatred of Sin, Men may be fometimes too paflionate. Our Love of God, may and fhould provoke us to love the Things of God, yea, and the Perfons, that efpecially bear the Image of God ; to love and reverence them, as much as we can, the more the better. But our Hatred of Sin may carry us infenfibly farther than againft the Sin ; which we fhould hate alto gether i it may involve the Perfon, which we fhould not hate at all. For all Hatred of Perfons, by very many Chriftian Principles, we are moft fo- Jemnly, indifpenfably forbid. So that the more eager, and fharp Afts of Zeal, are not permitted to all Men always to pradife: But the more Tender, more Chriftian Part of it, is always command ed to all. AH are not always bound to hate, and punifli, the true Enemies of Religion ; much lefs any whom they may fancy to be fo : All are always obliged to love its true Friends, and to pray for its very Enemies.
M That
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— *
That is a Second Sign of the true Evangelical Zeal, and Note, for the de tection of its Contrary ; it fhould abound more in the mild and good-natured Af fections, than in the vehement and wrathful Pa (lions. An Obfervation that is the more feafonable to be confidered, becaufe it is every where very notorious, and indeed a deplorable Thing in it felf ; that the Religion, which was intended to reconcile Mankind to Almighty Go^ whom we had infinitely offended, flhould not Univerfally have the like Effecl: in reconcilingMankind amongft themfelves, between whom there can be no fuch Offences : That in Religion, Men fhould be generally much more given to that Part, which inclines them to Hatred, Anger, and Cenfure of Evil Things; than to that, which prefers Brotherly Love, Candor, Good- Will, and Kind- nefs for good Things. Do not top many believe no Religion to be Pure, but what is intemperately Rigid ? No Zeal to be Spiritual, but what is Cenforious, or Vindicative ;: Whereas no Religion is True, that is not Peaceable, as well as Pure : No Zeal is Spiritual, that is alfo Charitable, nay, chiefly fo.
The
before the KING. 167
The true Zeal fhould be in Religion, What true Courage is in Humane Na ture : None but Minds truly Pious, are capable of the One: None but Minds truly great, are capable of the Other : -And they both alike difpofe and qua lify the Hearts, which they inhabit. You well know that to be the trueit Courage, which is not only firm, brave, undaunted, but alfo calm, inoffenfive, flow to Anger, hard to be provoked, or foon reconciled. Give me Leave to add, fo fhould the true Zeal be ; not only conftant, daring, fearlefs, but meek, compaflionate, long-fuffering, eafy to be intreated. All other Courage, befides that, is not true Valour, but Brutifh- nefs ; all other Zeal, befides this, is not a Chriftian Grace, but Religious Mad- nefs.
Having thus declared, what is to be the Composition of Zeal in the Head, and the Heart $ of what kind of Know ledge, of what fort of Affections, it ought to confift ; I come in the lall Place to declare, what is the true Object of it. For that, we need go no farther than to the Words of my Text : It is good to be zealous in a gooAThing.
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In A Good Thing. I cannot but ob- ferve, Firft, that it is here only faid, A good Thing. No Mention is made of Zeal for Good Perfons. For though a Ztfal for Perfons is lawful, nay, com mendable : As Saint Paul here com- GaUv. mends thefe Galatians, that They mould have given him their 'very Ejes : Yet in general, a Zeal for Per Tons is far lefs Religious, far more eafy to be perver ted, than a Zeal for Things. Indeed, fcarce any Thing can be more pernici ous to Religion, than when its Intereft is made a Bufinefs rather of Names than Things. May we not impute to this one Miftake, a great Part of all the moft dangerous Animofitics, and Schifms, that have infefted the Chriftian Church ? Have they not moft frequently rifen from a Faftious Admiration of fome particular Man, fome particular Church, fome Head of a Party, fome Author of a New Opinion ?
A Corruption that began very early, even in the Primitive Age. £)oes not St. PAUI reprehend his Contemporaries, cCor.i. for faying, not only I am of Chrift; but 1 AM of Paul,, I Am of Apollos, / Am of Cephas ? Though he himfelf was nam'doneof the Parties, yet theratherr the more warm!y?he condemns their Par tiality :
before the KING.
tialicy : The more he undervalues him- felf, and his excellent Brethren, whof? Names were abufed in the like manner with his ; Who, fays He, is Paul * Who Af olios ? Who ? They were fome qf the greateft and moft eminent Mini- fters of Jefus Chrift, both in Dignity and Abilities. And can it then be thought Zeal to contend for any other Names, when it was Envy and Strife to fet up for Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas ? And was not tliis Danger moft wifely forefeen by the Apoftle ? For although neither the ill Ufe of Paul's or Apollos** Name did any confiderable Hurt, that we know of; yet the Pretence of Cephas's Name, and Abufe of his Authority, has caus'd the greateft Rents, and Divifions, that ever were in the Chriftian Church : The Separation of the Eaftern Church from the Weftem^ and of the Weflern within it felf.
That is one Fatal Error, when Men imprudently and uncharitably often, fe- ditioufly and mutinoufly fometimes, em ploy their 'Zeal for Perfons. There is another Fault, that is contrary to this, and full as mifchievous, but lefs taken notice of for a Fault ; nay, amongfl too many it pafles for a Sign of a good, and godly, and publick Spirit : That is,
when
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when Men unduly exercife their Zeaf againft Perfons ; not only againft evil Perfons; not only agai nil fome good Perfons ; but againft thofe, who are the moft venerable and facred.
I would willingly ask any Man, that has but once read the Bible over, whe ther the whole Tenour of the Divine Law does not pofitively require Humi lity and Meeknefs to all Men ; a Love for Neighbours, that is, in the Gofpel Senfe, for all Men too; a due Obfer- vance of all Degrees of Men ; a hearty Submiflion to Teachers: a Confcientious Subjection to Governors ? Whether al] thefe Duties be not often moft Divinely repeated and inculcated throughout the whole Scripture? Whether, if a wife and honeft Heathen fhould impartially furvey our Religion, he would not prev fently conclude, That the main