THERE was perhaps never any Nation in the World that had better Laws than that of which we have the happiness, as Eng­lish Men Born, to be Members; but then I may as confidently Aver, that never any Nation was more guilty of the breach of their Laws; nor more Averse to the Execution of them on those that had broke them, than we generally are here in England. By which it comes to pass that our Laws seem not to be what indeed they are; and we by our Negligence and stupid Carelesness lose the benefit of those Laws on the one hand, and on the other encourage Offen­ders to multiply their Iniquities till they become into­lerable Burthens to the Earth, and are cut off by the Hand of Justice in the end, who might easily have been reformed in the beginning, if they that are en­trusted with the Execution of our Laws had been careful and endustrious in doing their Duties.

[Page 2] Quid Leges Vanae sine moribus? To what end serve those Laws that have no influence on the Lives and Manners of Men? Why truly I know nothing they are good for, but to Reproach the Men that break; and the Men that should, but will not Execute them. Had I been Born amongst the Lawless Cafrers in A­frica, or the Northern Indians in America; a Brutish Nation that have neither Laws nor Government, I should have been only responsible for the Breaches of the Law of Nature; but when neither the Laws of God; nor the Laws of the Land, nor the Laws of Nature, will hold me in, or put a Curb upon my un­ruly Lusts and Passions, it is a Reproach to me, and to the Humane Nature, which is made to look more Brutish and Ungovernable than that of the Savage Beasts, and I have no Excuse to plead before God or Man for my Justification.

Well, but tho' there is little to be said for the Breakers of our Laws, there is less to be said in Ex­cuse of those that should, but will not Execute them. Are you weary of your good Laws? Why then let them be all at once Repeal'd, knock off these Fetters, turn the Malefactors loose into the Nation without Fear or Danger of the Laws, and then consider what will follow. Shall any Man be safe one Moment in the Possession of Life, or Limb, or House, or Lands, or Goods? Will not every Man's Wife and Daugh­ters be exposed to the Violence of Outrageous Men too? And in this Wretched State what will our Country be better than an Acheldama, a Field of Blood and Violence? I once saw the Rabble a few Days in a Lawless Rage, and it frighted me more than any thing I ever saw in my Life. Ireland and Scotland have seen and felt this Calamity for a longer [Page 3] time, and to a higher degree; but what has followed but Desolation in the one, and Bitter and Loud Com­plaint in the other? If Men would but think it were impossible they should value any thing above the Laws, which are the only Security they have for all the Comforts of this Life, nay for Life it self.

Nor do I pretend Men would willingly be Rid of their Laws, or do not understand the Value of them. The Rebellion in 1641, and the Revolution in 1688, are sufficient Instances how stoutly English-Men can and will appear for their Laws, when they see, or do but Imagine, they are in danger to be deprived of them. Every Man that suffereth any thing contrary to Law, or is deprived without Law, makes Loud Complaints, and the Actors are sure to incur the pub­lick Hatred of the Nation▪ and to be detested to the Pit of Hell both Living and Dead, which are clear proofs the Value and Goodness of our Laws are very well and very commonly understood.

What then is the cause they are no better Exe­cuted? Why, Gentlemen there are various causes, but I can only hint at them, and I must leave it to you and others to remove them.

I. The First of these is Partiality, both as to Laws, and as to Offenders. Every Man excepts one Man; and that Sin he has then an occasion for. Punish Thieves and Murderers as much as you please, but what harm do the Drunkard, the Common Swearer? Well, punish them too saith another, but let Consci­ence be free: What, all Consciences? No, Punish the Papist and the Atheist. For what? For not keeping his Church, not serving of God. Why, oh Man! thou art guilty of the same thing. Ay, but I do it [Page 4] out of Conscience; and so may the first of these as truly say, and the latter as confidently, and none but God that knows the Heart can Confute them. Well, but when we have got over this Bar, all is not safe yet; for all Offenders are not to be Punished neither, this Man is my Friend, that my Kinsman, a Third is Rich, and will Revenge it, a Fourth Poor, and the Parish must suffer for it. Why, who shall be Punished then? The Friendless, the Helpless, the Hated, One of a Thousand, or so. Thus Laws are made Cobwebs to catch Flies, and pass Hornets, the stronger, the more dangerous Rovers.

II. Another Cause is Lasiness. The Execution of Laws is a Laborious and Painful Task, Expertus Lo­quor, I speak what I know and have felt. It is easie to pass by and wink at the Offences of Men; but let a Man once Rouze up himself, and resolve to do his Du­ty, and he shall quickly find it is much easier to de­claim against Vice than to punish it. But surely this is no reason why we should not do it, because the Trou­ble that will follow for want of Justice is infinitely greater than the Trouble of doing it; if we will not have the one, we must submit to the other.

III. A Third Hinderance is Cowardize. He that doth his Duty must expect great Opposition, and much ill Usage, and some Revenge. And why should I expose my Head and Family to all this? Why, let such an one do it. Ay doubtless, even the Man that has no Being, Mr. No-Body, for he only is above the Revenges and Molestations of all his Neighbours. This is the Reason why Moses so often and so earnestly Exhorts all that were concerned in [Page 5] the Execution of Justice, to be Stout and Courage­ous, and not fear the Face or Power of any Man, because the Judgment was the Lords, and he would assert and defend his own Minister and Ordinance, against all that should design their Disquiet or Wrong.

Now Gentlemen, if I could but Cure your Partia­lity, your Lasiness, and your Cowardize, I would then promise my self a good effect. But I must beg your pardon here, for but supposing you can be guil­ty of any of these things; Men of your Character and Estates can never be suspected, never Justly. Why Gentlemen, I would not Defame you, nay, nor so much as Suspect you, if Time and many Years Experience had not taught me to despair of having what I can say, regarded. I would not suspect even where I cannot but be certain, but I must suspect whether I will or no, and you may forgive it me be­cause it is in your powers to satisfie me, and the World, you do not deserve to be suspected; and if upon the Return of your Verdict I find cause for it, I will publickly Recant what I now say, and at the same time return you my Thanks for Confuting my Jealousie. The gaining this Point is all I aim at to Excite and Awaken your Drowsie Sleeping Attenti­ons, and even Anger you into your Duty, if nothing else will do. But when all is done, I would not wil­lingly offend you, and if I have gained my Point, I am sure I have not.

The Statute of the 32 H. 8. c. 9. saith very truly, The Articles. There is nothing within this Realm that Conserves the Subjects in more Quietness, Rest, Peace, and good Con­cord, [Page 6] than due Administration of Laws: For where this is not, Impunity will soon produce sufficient mat­ter to disquiet any Nation. But the Work of Righte­ousness shall ever be Peace.

You shall diligently enquire of, and truly Present, Treasons. all Treasons and Traiterous Conspiracies against our most Gracious Sovereigns King William and Queen Mary: By whom, when, and where, the same were perpetrated, or attempted, entred into, or disclosed. It is true, this Court cannot Try any Treason, be­cause not in our Commission; but yet we can and ought to enquire of it, and you to Present it, that the Records may be after removed into those Courts who can Try the same.

The compassing the Death of the King, or Queen, or Prince, and declaring the same by any open Deed. Such as are a design to Depose or Imprison them. For Death hath ever followed upon these Actions, and of necessity ever must. There is, (said Charles the First,) but a small distance between the Prisons and the Graves of Princes; and his Death soon after verified the Observation.

Such are the Misfortunes of our Times, that Loy­alty it self is now suborned and made accessary to the disquieting and endangering Two of the best Princes that ever set upon the English Throne; and Men think and say they do not owe them the same Allegiance they did their Predecessors, because they are so De Facto, and not De Jure. A bold and a false Assertion, but which will not Justifie the Con­clusion, if it were true. The Allegiance is the same, be the Foundation of it what it will, for our Laws know but one Allegiance, and have the same punish­ment for all Traytors.

[Page 7] The other Overt Acts are, the providing Weapons to effect it, sending Letters to second it, assembling People to take the King or Queen into their Power, writing Letters to a Foreign Prince to Incite him to an Invasion; for speaking is not an Overt Act within the Statute, but if it be set down in Writing any way, it is then an Overt Act.

The Joining with the King's Enemies within the Realm, or without; and the Levying War against them is another Branch of Treason within the Act of the 25 E. 3. c. The rest of the Treasons there mentioned can scarce be supposed to fall within your Cognizance, and therefore may be omitted for Brevity.

IT has ever been my Custom, in Obedience to the Usage introduced by our Wise and Industri­ous Ancestors, to open the Charge I was to give you with something of a Preface, or short In­troduction, necessary as to the times, fit for me to speak, and for you to hear, tho' the bare repeating the Articles were much more easie to me: But I va­lue nothing in this World so much as the Service of God, and the Safety and Welfare of my Country; which are the main things I have ever aimed at, and for the Promoting of which I shall never think any Labour or Hazard too great.

Deplorable is the State of Mankind whilst we live in this Mortal Life, and Miserable World; neither [Page 9] God nor Man, Prosperity nor Adversity, Peace nor War, Plenty nor Want, can universally please all: And, which is most of all to be admired at, Men in all Ages have been most Insolent, most Discontented, when Heaven has most smiled upon them, when De­liverance, Prosperity, Peace and Plenty, have been given them, and their Wishes prevented: No sort of Men have met with harder Usage, no Times with more Murmurers, than those that have been Imploy­ed by God to Deliver his People from the most Pitiful State and Condition of which in the Old Testament, Moses, and Jeptha, and Gideon, and Samuel, and Da­vid, are clear and undeniable Instances, if I had time to open their Story.

This Carriage of the Jewish Nation, from first to last, both towards God, and towards their Deliverers, was so constantly the same, that the Psalmist in his short Epitome of their Story sets it down as a never failing Rule, When he Slew them they sought him, and turn'd them early, and enquired after God. But then Psal. 78. no sooner were they delivered, but it immediately ap­peared, they did but Flatter him with their Mouth, and Dissembled with him in their Tongues. And as they thus Foolishly Treated God, so they did his Instru­ment too. For which of the Prophets, saith St. Ste­phen, have not your Fathers Persecuted? Acts 7. 52. Or which of the Princes, Judges, Generals, met with better Treatment? But of this I shall say the less, because the History of the Bible is in all your hands, upon the least hint your Thoughts will sug­gest all that I can say upon this subject.

[Page 10] To lead you then to another Scene which shall ve­rifie the same Rule, I will Remark to you, that within the space of Three-Hundred and Three Years, the Devil stirred up against the Primitive Church Nine Dreadful and Bloody Persecutions, and was in every one of them sufficiently baffl'd and dis­appointed, so that it became a Rule, Sanguis Marty­rum, semon Ecclesiae. For they every Day became more Numerous than before, so that by the time I have mentioned, his Oracles were universally si­lenced, his Temples deserted and desolate, his Altars cold and neglected, and the Images that had here­tofore been Adored as the Repositories and Thrones of the Diety, were only regarded as the Works of Excellent Statuaries, but destitute of Life or Motion; so that now he saw clearly his Kingdom was Ruined, his Dominion Subverted, and all his Arts Detected and Destroyed; this put him upon the last Effort, his Dying-Struggle, to Ruin the Church, and Re-en­slave the Manumised World.

To this End he Represents to Galerius one of the Caesars under Dioclesian and Maximianus the then Em­perors, That the Old Rites, and Venerable Customs and Religion of their Ancestors, profess'd and used by them, were wholly neglected, and at the point of being for ever disused and slighted: That all those Noble Piles that had in so many Ages been Erected and Endow'd to the Honour of the Gods, Beautifying the Empire, the Celebrating the Memory of Augustus, and the rest of the Emperors, the vast Numbers of Priests, Flamens, Pontifices, and I know not what other Orders of Jugling Knaves, too like our Popes, Cardinals, Monks, and Jesuits, of latter times; [Page 11] were all undermined by an obscure Person who was Crucified in Judea in the Days of Tiberius Caesar, and that if they sat still but a little longer, the whole World, and the Emperors themselves must, in a short time submit to a Crucified Man, and Vale their Scepters to a Cross.

Dioclesian was an Old Prince, and not easily moved to Undertake what he was not certain he should Ef­fect, because Nine others before him had miscarried. But Galerius was Young, and puffed up with the Pride of a Victory over the Persians, and he im­braced the suggestion with Warmth and Zeal, and he recommended the Project with Passion, and back­ed it with Sham-Plots, and Lying Defamations. He told the Old Prince, That it was not possible the Christians could be Loyal to him, because they hated and defamed his Gods, and Ridiculed his Religion, they despised his Sacrifices, and undervalued his Sta­tues, Images, Saints, and Hero's, and he might Cherish them as much as he pleased, but none did truly Love the Emperor but those that joined with him in his Religion.

When the Number of the Christians was objected, and the Paucity of the Pagans, he told the Prince, Their Religion had by good Fortune, and the Folly of its Author, delivered them up bound Hand and Foot; for, said he, they are by it Tied not to Resist, nor have they ever yet dared to Resist, how much soever they have been Oppressed; so that if they were Ten to One more than they are, your Majesty may pro­mise your self an easie, safe, and infallible Victory over them. He Ordered also the Royal House at [Page 12] Nicomedia to be Fired, and falsly pretended the Chri­stians about his Court Fired his House, to Consume his Majesty and his Religion, in the same Funeral Pile. Hereupon in the beginning of the Year of Christ, Three Hundred and Three, in March, there was Published by Dioclesian and Maximian an Edict, That all Christians should be Compelled throughout the World to Sacrifice to the Gods, that all their Books and Monuments should be burnt, their Churches pull'd down, their Bishops and Inferior Clergy be cut off, and all means used that was possi­ble to Extirpate this New Sect of Men, the Enemies of the Gods, and of the Empire, from off the Face of the Earth; upon which ensued the most univer­sal Persecution that ever had been, for it Extended from the Irish-Sea in the West, to the River Tygris in the East, and from the Rhine and the Danube in the North, to the Mountains of Atlas in the South: No City, Nation, or Province, no Sex, or Age, no Quality, or Estate, was Exempted; and it lasted Ten Years without any intermission under Dioclesian and Maximianus, Galerius and Severus, Maxentius and Licinus; till in the latter end of the Year Three Hundred and Thirteen, Constantine the Great having Conquered Maxentius, and cut off Maximianus, and Galerius being by the Hand of God cut off by a Dreadful and Loathsome Disease, an Edict was Pub­lished at Milan by Constantine and Licinius, in fa­vour of the Christians, who were not only permit­ted the Free Exercise of their Religion, but had the Favour of the Prince, and the Security of the Laws, turned on their side.

[Page 13] How did the Christians now behave themselves in this great and sudden Change, from an Abyss of Mi­sery, to the heighth of Temporal Felicity? Why, I assure you, though Dioclesian was then Living, and an Abdicated Prince, there was not one Jacobite in that Age, not one Christian that scrupled to Swear Allegiance to Constantine and Licinius; that Branch of the Doctrine of Passive-Obedience, which gives the Clergy a Right to determine the Rights of Prin­ces, was then not known, not mentioned: And when Licinius too returned to his Paganism, and fell a Persecuting, he was soon after Abdicated and De­posed too, not by the Bishops, or Pope, but by Con­stantine too, and he found never a Jacobite to Pout, and Murmur, and Plot, for him neither.

Why, these Men had suffered enough of all Con­science to satisfie them, that though they might not draw their Swords against their Pagan Persecuting Princes, yet God had not tied up his own hands too, but he might Raise up a Prince of Orange, that was no Subject to Galerius, Severus, Maxentius, or Lici­nius, but equal, and no more than equal, to the best of them in Authority, though inferior at first to any of them in Extent of Dominions, and he by the fa­vour of God upon his Arms might lawfully pull those Tyrants from their Thrones, and Divest them of that Power, which being given them by God for the good of Men, they had abused, to the Ruin of his Church, the Destruction of true Piety, the Encou­ragement of Perjury, Idolatry, and all manner of Wickedness, and as much as in them lay, to the De­solation of the World.

[Page 14] In our Revolution, which produced this Monster of Ingratitude to God and our Deliverers; In Ire­land where the Storm fell heavier, and lasted longer, the very Vexation taught Men more Wit, and they of that Nation that have not been since in England, will scarce believe we have any Jacobites, at least no Swearing Jacobites. But of this hereafter.

What Return did the Primitive Christians make to so Stupendious a Deliverance? Why, they sent Vol­lies of Praises and Hymns to Heaven, and Watered the Earth with Floods of Tears, proceeding from Raptures of Joy and Gratitude; and the new built Churches were filled with the Praises of God, and Prayers for their Constantine, and few Sermons end­ed without a bitter Invective against those Enemies of God, and his Church, who had so long and so fu­riously endeavoured to destroy them and their Reli­gion.

This Joy was very short, for the Christians were no sooner delivered from the heavy Pressure of the Pagan Persecutions, but they presently fell into Schisms, Heresies, and Divisions amongst them, which were almost as troublesome, and much more infamous and destructive to the Church, than the worst of the Pagan Persecutions. Donatus in Africa, and Arius a discontented Priest of Alexandria in Ae­gypt, were the Authors of these New Troubles. And now those Bishops and Holy Men who had sustained the Pagan Fury of the Persecutions with a Patience and Union, that made them Revered by the Pagan World, as Men of a Divine Spirit, being fired each against the other by their Domestick Animosities and [Page 15] Divisions, treated each other with so much Passion, and so little Respect, that both Parties became Ridi­culous to the Unconverted Pagans; and the Thea­ters, and other places of Publick Conversation, were filled with the Brangles and Arguments of Disagree­ing Christians, and the Scoffs, Sarcasms, and bitter Reflections of the Pagan Wits. Donatus began his Schism a little before the Peace of the Church, and Arius his Heresie in Three Hundred and Fifteen, but Two Years after it. The first of these could never be ended but with the utter Ruin of the African Church, by the Goths and Vandals, Moors and Ara­bians; and the latter was not brought into any Order till the Reign of Theodosius the Great, very near One Hundred Years after.

I speak not this to Excite your Wonder, or your Passions, but to Allay them; the Church of England has within half a Century of Years suffered Two bitter sharp Persecutions, one from the Dissenters, and the other from the Roman Catholicks; and she has stood against them both, and maintained her Union; but no sooner was she almost Miraculously delivered from the latter, but like the Primitive Church, she became divided by the Enemy of Mankind within her self. The Term of Church of England Men will no longer serve us, but Jacobite, and Williamite, Swearers, and Non-Swearers, must be brought in too; those that had lived together from their Infan­cy with the greatest Love, and Peace, and Charity, that was possible, are become Strangers, nay Enemies to each other, and Treat one the other with Con­tempt, Slander and Defame one the other, to the great Divertisement and the Entertainment of the [Page 16] Papists, Atheists, and Dissenters, and to the endan­gering the Ruin of the best Church in the whole World; and not contented with this, they that are but an handful of Men, have set up separate places of Divine Worship to Pray for a King and Queen that have no Name, for in all things else they agree with us. And the pretence of all this is scruple of Conscience. The thing in Question is, Whether King James the Second's Right to the Crown of England determin'd or not? The Three Estates of England have resolved it is, and all the Princes of Europe, except the French King, have confirmed and allowed the Sentence as Just and Reasonable, and now a few of our Clergy, Nobility, and Gentry, take upon them to maintain the contrary, and pre­tend they dare not submit to this Definitive Sentence of the Three Estates thus confirmed by the Princes abroad; but in the mean time, they presume to di­vide the Church upon a Civil Question, they Tra­duce and Defame their Brethren, as Apostates, Tray­tors, and Perjured Men, they wish well to the Ene­mies both of the Reformation, and of the English Nation, and they Persecute outrageously those that differ from them as far as they have means.

Now all this were perhaps to be born with some tolerable Patience, as to the Non-Swearers; but we have another sort that have taken the Oaths to Their Majesties, and yet are more Implacable Enemies to the rest, and to the Government, than those that have not taken them; their Business is in all Com­panies to Extoll the Power of France, to raise Scru­ples against Their Majesties Title to the Crown, and to insinuate, that the Favour shewn to the Dissenters, [Page 17] (tho' Promised by the Non-Swearers in the last King's Reign more than once) tends more to the Ruin of the Church, than all the Arts, Frauds, Violences, and Attempts, of the Papists: Their Talent is howe­ver rather Banter, and abominable Healths, than Ar­gument and Reason, and they are the most Detesta­ble sort of Men that ever arose in any Nation, and ought to be heeded the most watchfully, (and prose­cuted the most sharply,) of all other, because they de­fame the Church they pretend to, and make all the rest of her Members suspected to be such as them­selves, that is, the Worst of Men; in one Word, Per­jured Hypocrites.

As to the Non-Swearers, I only defire they would give us but one Example in all the History of the Church, from our Saviour's time to this, of Men that have done what they have done; that is, broke the Peace of the Church upon a meer Secular Civil Question, determined by the only Authority upon Earth that pretends to have any Right to determine it.

As to those that have taken the Oaths, and are still unsatisfied, I desire them they would consider the Le­nity of this Government towards all those that have Adhered to its Enemies, and are by consequence the Enemies of the present Government, for they will not own themselves to be Subjects, and there is no Medium between a Subject and an Enemy in this case. If they themselves had been to have set down how they would have been Treated, they could scare have Asked more Mercy, at least, they ought not. Now Gratitude to a Generous Enemy would, if any [Page 18] thing could have obliged them to a Civil and Quiet Demeanor towards their Superiors, who could with so much Ease, and so much Applause, have long since Crushed this small Party to Attoms. And doubtless, the smallness of the Party is one Reason of the Lenity. The Government is so well Esta­blished, that it can as securely despise the Peevish Ef­forts of this Party, as a Nurse doth the Rage of an Infant that cannot Speak, but yet can Fight and Scratch.

In the next place, I would have them Consider, That the Non-Swearers have in Print acknowledged, that it is their apparent Interest to Submit to Their Majesties, if they could satisfie themselves. Now they that have Sworn cannot pretend their Scruples are too strong, for they have apparently Mastered them; and their Interest, that is, the welfare of their Church and Country is certainly on that side: Their private Interest is so too, and where the Temp­tation lies that engageth them against all these, I cannot Conjecture, except it be an Envy against the Dissenters, and some others they Hate, and an over-great Concernment for some of the Non-Swearers, who indeed deserve our Pity and Esteem, but not to that degree, as to Ruin our Religion, our Country, and our private Families, out of Complement to them. Nor would they think one Jot the better of us if we were such Fools as to do it.

I am sorry that our Deliverers should meet with so ill a Return from any of us: But as the Number, in relation to the whole, is not great, so there has no­thing hapned that is new; others have suffered the [Page 19] same ill Treatment and Ingratitude before them. The Splendor of illustrious and great Actions dazels the Eyes of Envious Men, and raiseth an Hatred against those whose Virtues or Successes are above the common Standard; and the Enemy of Mankind, who pleased himself with the Scenes of Misery he had prepared for the World, is enraged to see his Projects defeated, and he Exasperates all he finds disposed to it. The many Parties that get or lose in such Revolutions, grow Insolent too, or Discontented, and Exasperate each other by their Jars; and they that have the least hand in them, fall under the Hatred and Oblo­quie of both. These are the true Causes of this thing.

WE are here Assembled, by Virtue of Their Majesties Commission of the Peace, to hold a General Quarter-Ses­sions for this part of the County in which we live; and it is become once more my Du­ty to give in Charge to you the things you are to En­quire of, and to Present to: A Duty both on my and your Part of great Consequence in relation to our Country, and our Selves, and therefore to be spoken and heard with great Attention and Care.

I am now by the Order of my Superiors to leave you, and to Act in another Sphere, in the Service of the best King and Queen that has for many Years, perhaps ever Reigned in these Kingdoms. A Happi­ness we had as little Reason to expect, as Merit to deserve so great a Blessing.

[Page 21] Charles the First, and Charles the Second, were Excellent Princes, but had Queens of another Religi­on, so that the Court and Kingdom stood divided be­tween the Husband and Wife, Hopes and Fears; but these are both of our own, that is, of the best Reli­gion in the World; and so heartily addicted to our Interest, and desirous of our Welfare, that they have counted nothing too dear to promote our Welfare and Repose: Hence it is that His Majesty has so often passed the Seas, and Exposed His Sacred Person to the greatest Danger, that we might Live at Home in Peace: And the Queen has with equal Generosity as­sumed and laid by the Reigns of Government when ever it was for our Good to do so; neither Ambition, nor the love of Ease, have had any the least influence upon Her Noble Soul, but She has Reigned when the King was absent, and remitted the Government into His Hands when He was present, and both for our good, with a perfect unconcern'dness, of which there is hardly another instance to be found on the Re­cords of Time in any Nation under Heaven.

Well then, They deserve our utmost Love, Loyal­ty, and Devotion, the utmost we can do for Them, or They receive from us: The Reward of these Royal and Princely Virtues are above the Power of Subjects, God only can Reward this Excellent Pair equal to Their Merits, and the best that we can do, is to Re­commend them to His Care and Goodness in whose Prosperity our own is most apparently involved.

As to my self, since I am to leave you so shortly, I think I am bound with Samuel the Prophet to assure you my Dear Country Men, that I have not willing­ly [Page 22] wronged any of you, Great or Small, in Much, or Little. If I have through Humane Frailty offend­ed any Man, I beg his Pardon, and assure him, and all the World, it was against my will, and the strongest Resolution I could take, not to have done it; but as long as we are Men, we shall be subject to Humane Infirmities, which we may the more easily remit, because we and they are equally Infirm.

The Saviour of the World when he was leaving his beloved Friends, Exhorted them to Love, Peace, and Union, as the greatest good they were capable of in this World, yea in Heaven; for take away these, and divide the Inhabitants, if it were possible, of the the Celestial Regions into Factions and Parties, and let these mutually Hate and Oppress one the other, Bely and Slander one the other, as we do here below, and I fear the Joys of Heaven would abate.

My Dear Country Men, what Evil Angel has sown these Tares in our Field, and thus animated us against each other to that degree, that nothing can a­gain Unite us? Common Dangers in the Reign that is past seemed to have buried all our former Heats, and we then walked in the House of God as Friends; but with our Danger our Union fled, which shews it was forced.

Within my Memory I have heard it affirmed, that all our Divisions proceeded from our Penal Laws in matters of Religion, and that Liberty of Conscience would most certainly put an end to them. Why, we have that in the utmost degree, and yet we are more unquiet than we were before. One Party must first Revenge the things they have suffered on those that [Page 23] have inflicted them, tho' according to Law. Ano­ther must needs secure the Blessing, by outing them of the power to take it away, who heretofore did not love it. A Third thinks, Dominion is founded in Grace, and that the Godly ought to Rule as well as In­herit the Earth, and till these, and a Thousand other Whimsies, are obtained, we must have no Peace.

In the mean time, all forget the Enemy is at the Door with Victorious Forces ready to Conquer all, if we remain thus Stupidly Brutishly divided; nay, his Emissaries are within our Walls, and blow the Coals of our Dissentions, in hopes to Ruin us by our Follies, since they cannot by their Arms. Let us hearken then to the Council of God Almighty, Fiat Justitia & Erit Pax, Let us do Justice, and we shall have Peace. Give every Man his due, and Peace will follow; but if we Oppress one the other, the Apostle tells us, We shall Perish.

Is Liberty of Conscience so Valuable a Good as was once pretended? Then let our Superiors see it by our Peaceable and Modest Demeanour under it, for fear they Repent. Is the being under Princes of our own Religion a Blessing? Then let us Express our Grati­tude for it to God in an Humble, Peaceable Devoti­on; and to Them, by striving to make Their Reigns over us happy and easie.

But if we thus foolishly go on, whom can we thank or blame but our selves, if we return to our former State of Danger and Distress? My Kingdom is not of this World, said he whom we own as our Master. And the Kingdom he has promised to his, [Page 24] is [...] that is not here neither. [...] and Revenge are but lately Adopted into the Number of Christian Virtues, and will hardly recommend their Votaries to the Father of Spirits. Mark them that cause divisions, and shun them, for they are the Enemies of the Church, the Enemies of the World, and the Enemies of God. But how shall I know which side is in the Wrong? Why, that which [...] that it would not willingly suffer with­out, and against Law, is certainly in the wrong, let it be what Party it will or can be, and pretend what Reason it will for it. Try all by this Rule, and you may safely choose which to cleave to, and which to shun.

This is that Distributive Justice which is the Mo­ther of Peace, and without which there is no Peace, nor ever was, nor ever will be. Do Men Wrong, and then Exhort them to be quiet under it, and you will surely lose your Labour, and appear Ridiculous and Foolish. Trust not in Oppression and Wrong, for Force and Number are things that foldeth last long. We have seen them baffled Twice within half an Hundred Years, yea, within my Memory.

My Dear Country Men, Let us make up our Diffe­rences, and let every Man study to be quiet, and to do his own business in Love, preferring the Common Good before his own, or that of his Party; that we may with United Hearts and Hands Repel the Com­mon. Enemy, and promote the Peace of England, and the Service and Glory of King William and Queen Mary out most Gracious Sovereigns. Amen.