WE are invited by a Gracious and Mer­cifull Providence to double the ser­vice of this Day, to add incense to our com­mon sacrifice, and to wing our devotion and praise to Almighty God, with a pious and [Page 2] gratefull reflexion upon a fresh Deliverance; which it may be, nothing but that mighty Redemption could exceed or equal.

A Deliverance of our Gracious King, and the whole Royal Family; of our Princes and Nobles; of our Church and Religion; of our Government and Laws; of our Lives and Fortunes, and whatever can be thought valuable or dear to Christian men.

Were an Oratour to manage this argu­ment, he could not possibly want matter to enlarge upon, his hardest task would be to know where most aptly to pitch, and to me­thodize those thoughts which would crowd in so fast upon it.

All the common Topicks from which men use to shew the becomingness and duty of Praise, and from which they endeavour to raise it to the highest pitch, were natural here, and would come in without the least art or force.

Both the baseness and ingratitude of the Rebellion; the dismal and deplorable effects that would have followed, had it succeeded, and the immediate and even visible interpo­sition of Providence in the defeating of it.

[Page 3]I am very sensible the enlarging upon these were a popular entertainment, and would be gratefull enough in some common Audiences.

But I think you something above these things, and know that your own thoughts have anticipated the most of what I could say upon them, and have therefore designed to treat you with something that I take to be more generous and manly.

To recommend that to you, which (I am sure) will be the most substantial and accep­table expression of your praise for what is past, and the most effectual securer of us all from such things for the future; and that is, to comply with the Advice given us in this text, to submit our selves to every Ordinance for the Lord's sake.

I do not come to preach up Loyalty in this place, nor am so impertinent as to think there is need of doing so; but I hope I may be al­lowed to preach up Religion, and recommend the practice of that which is the truest support of Loyalty, and every thing else that is accep­table to God, or of benefit to Man.

It is for want of this that we ever hear of Rebellion, or are disturbed with the unwel­come [Page 4] interruptions of it, and it is by a due practice of it, that we shall be effectually se­cured from these things for the future.

'Tis this which is intended to be the service of this day: by this we shall best answer the purpose of its institution, and most accepta­bly admire and adore that great Providence that hath called us to it; and therefore I hum­bly beg that you will hear me with your won­ted clemency and candour a few words.

The Argument that I purpose to discourse from these words, is to state the true Ground of Christian Loyalty and Subjection, which is said here to be Religion and Conscience, Sub­mit your selves to every Ordinance of Man, [...], for the Lord's sake, that is, out of im­mediate duty to him, and conscience and re­spect to his Command.

Whatever else there is observable in the Text, will fall in, upon our considering this main purport and design of it.

In the prosecution of this Argument, I shall endeavour to doe these three things:

1. I shall briefly make good the Ground of the Argument, and shew that Religion and Conscience doth really oblige to this Subjec­tion.

[Page 5]2. I shall remark some of the advantages of being subject upon this reason.

3. Make some short deductions from this for our own benefit and improvement.

Onely if it might not intrench too much upon my time, and your patience, I would crave leave, in order to my argument, to state the Notion of Christian Subjection, as it is de­scribed here by St. Peter; and this the rather, because it would give me a fair occasion of reflecting upon two things, under which the Men of Republican and turbulent Spirits seek to shelter themselves.

1. Then I observe, that when our Apostle speaks of Subjection here, he intends it equally to the Persons and Laws of Kings and Gover­nours, and makes no distinction at all between them; in these words he seems to mean their Laws, and in the words immediately follow­ing he expresseth their Persons, To the King, and to those that are sent by him.

I know no reason to oppose one of these against the other, or to distinguish between submitting to them. Subjection to the one, implies Subjection to the other, in the sober sense of all the World; and every honest heart will take it to hold true both ways: He [Page 6] that submits to the King, will submit to his Laws, and he that submits to his Laws, can­not resist, or offer violence to his Person.

And yet we have had, (and I wish onely have had) such nimble Sophisters, as can put a difference between these both ways.

Some that can talk high of Allegiance, of deference and a mighty respect to the King, of being as good Subjects as any, but yet make bold to desecrate his Laws, and despise his Au­thority, when their Interest, or humour is cros­sed, as if honour to the one would be secured without respect to the other.

And we have others as quick sighted the other way, that can distinguish between the Authority and Person of the King, and make a pretended respect to him in his political Capa­city, an excuse for Violence against him in his Personal; that can raise Arms by his Autho­rity against his Person, and use those Arms a­gainst the Man, in defence of the King.

Sophistical miscreants! as if Authority would fight against it self, or Murthering of Kings could be in any sense allegiance to them.

The Ignatian Wits never were Authours of a more subtile distinction, or a neater way of cheating Conscience than this, and if they did [Page 7] not prescribe to our dull Tramontains in this, it might be expected they would call some men so no longer.

I am sure the Scripture was never so nice, as to distinguish between them, and had David known of any such difference, he needed not have been put to any dilemma, the case had been plain, and the resolution easie, he might have slain Saul, and yet have preserv'd the Lord's Anointed.

2. Another thing with as much Evil art and subtilty collected from hence, is, that Kings and Governours are [...], things of hu­mane, yea of the peoples Creation; this is the Palladium of the Republican cause, and that in which the rude strength of the Levia­than consists, and no place of Scripture (that I know of) hath been press'd to serve it like this.

I confess I should not much wonder, to hear downright Atheism maintain this, (I know it doth others as absurd and irrational,) nor to hear those give this account of the Origi­nal of Government, that have given a more senseless one of the Original of man, if mul­titudes of Men spring up so like many Mush­rooms out of the Earth at once, then per­haps [Page 8] this account might be consistent, and I will never wonder if they that believe the one swallow the other also.

But to have God drawn into the Conspi­racy, and his word suborned to serve an Hy­pothesis, that it is every where so express a­gainst, is intolerably fulsome.

And yet I wish this were the onely instance, in which any forced expression, and any ob­scure way of speaking shall be made to con­front the most plain and obvious Doctrines of holy Scripture, when it is the interest of some Men to have such things believed.

But these things are onely previous to my design and argument, to which I now di­rectly proceed, i. e. to lay down the true ground of Christian Loyalty, to fix it upon a principle that will keep it steddy in this giddy and wavering Generation; now this is the being subject upon reasons of Religion, upon principles of Conscience and duty to God, which our Apostle means here, by submitting for the Lord's sake.

1. The First thing I proposed on this, was to make good the ground of my ar­gument, shew that Conscience doth imme­diately oblige to this, and that if men have a [Page 9] true respect to God Almighty, and a regard to the duty that he hath made necessary, they must thus submit.

And a very little I hope will suffice upon this, in such an Audience, for if the 5th Pre­cept in the Decalogue be moral, and eternal­ly obliging, and if either the Jewish or Chri­stian Church may be allowed to have under­stood the sense of it: or if the plain Precepts of the New Testament may be allowed to be any rule of Conscience, and God's immediate Commands to lay any obligation upon it, then it is most plain that men are as immediately tyed to this in point of Conscience, as any o­ther duty whatsoever.

So that let Conscience be as free, as men assert it to be, and accountable unto God one­ly, as they love popularly to speak, in this we desire no more to be granted, and are rea­dy to joyn issue upon it.

For if Government be God's own imme­diate institution, and Kings specially com­mission'd and constituted by him, if he have guarded them with Laws, and char­ged all to be obedient to them on pain of Damnation, and his highest displeasure, then I am sure if Conscience be an honest respect [Page 10] to God and his Laws, and any thing more than the opinion and fancy of every private Person, it must necessarily oblige all men (that follow the conduct of it) in this instance.

Now whether these things be so or not, I am content the most biass'd, and even perjudiced Persons judge, when they have read seven ver­ses of the 13th to the Romans, and five verses in this Chapter, where it is plain if either the great Apostle of the Circumcision, or of the Gentiles understood the obligation of Conscience, or may be thought able to direct the obedience of it, we need not contend farther in this matter; though (if need were) we might summon the Old Testament, the Doctrine and Example of the Blessed Jesus in the New, the consonant Doctrine and practice too of the ancient and best Christians to vouch the truth of all this.

2. But the thing is plain, and I proceed to represent the advantages of fixing Allegiance and Loyalty upon this principle.

I know too well, how forward some men have been to represent Religion an Enemy to Government, and to reproach the Doctrine of Conscience, as a nearer Plea for Rebellion and resistence; and I would to God, that some mens practices who have pretended so [Page 11] much to both, had not given unthinking men too much cause for such surmises.

But I do not understand why this ought to prejudice my present argument, unless we cannot distinguish between the truth and hy­pocrisy of a thing, nor will allow any men to be truly honest, because there are abun­dance of Knaves in the world.

Allow me that Religion is a real thing, and Conscience more than a bare Name, (and methinks these are no very hard Postulates to beg in a Christian audience,) and then I will be content to argue the advantage of it to Go­vernment, with any thing, that the men of sense and reason (as they please to call them­selves,) shall set up in competition with it.

All I purpose to say, I shall reduce to these three heads of advantage onely.

1. The first is the keeping men steddy, and fixed in their Loyalty and subjection.

2. The second is the satisfaction and secu­rity of Princes.

3. The third is the securing the divine Pro­tection and Blessing, which after all five Sto­ries, is the surest Firmament of Kings, and Government too.

[Page 12]1. To the purpose of keeping men steady and constant in their Subjection and Loyalty.

It is a sad contemplation to consider, how desultory and fickle the humours and tempers of men, especially the great crowd of them, generally are: But it is something sadder to consider, that there should never be wanting evil and designing men to put an evil ferment into their tempers, and to poison their Allegi­ance and Duty to their Prince. And yet the worst of all is to consider, how ready the multitude usually are for such insinuations easily prejudiced against their Governours; pleased to hear any ill Stories of them, and apt to Idolize those that set up for Assertours of their Liberties and Rights, though in the end they find them always the greatest be­trayers and inslavers of them.

Now in this state of things, what can fix this volatile temper of men, and keep them steady to their duty, in spight of their own inclinations, and the sorceries of factious re­bellious Men, like Religion?

There are but four things I can think of, to come into the competition in this case; Tower in the Prince; Interest, Honour or Gratitude in the People. Now, alas! what [Page 13] can any of these do in comparison of Consci­ence?

Power were a sure way, were it inherent onely in the Person of the Prince, and every King like another Sampson, able to destroy whole Armies of Rebels by his single strength. But while it is lodged in others, there will be need of something to secure it there, o­therwise (as the Great Augustus said once) Kings may be as unsafe amidst their Armies as without them; and 'twere well if no instan­ces could be given in which that great Mo­narch was a true Prophet.

As for Interest, it is so uncertain and change­able a thing, that the same reasons that now enduce men to be Loyal, may, if the Scene should change, and a better offer be made, prevail with them to be Rebels and Traytours.

Those that follow'd our Lord for the Loaves, soon forsook him; and those that follow his Vicegerent, for the same reasons, are in danger every hour to do so too; things are but at an ill pass, when Subjects will continue Loyal onely while they are obliged; and when eve­ry little person shall make head against the Court, if he be not advanced and rewarded, as his own ambition and avarice tells him he ought to be.

[Page 14]And what is Honour among the greatest part of men, but a name and a shadow? a thing that hangs upon Popular breath, and shifts as often as that wind that maintains it. It is a happy thing when it is reputable, and the mode to be Loyal, and when to shoulder a man's Prince shall be publickly infamous; but he that is Loyal upon this principle onely, owes his Loyalty to that which fashions his Cloaths, and may possibly change the one as easily as he doth the other.

Gratitude and thankfulness to a Prince are eternally due from all his Subjects, and a good foundation to build Loyalty upon; and it is certain their returns of duty can never exceed their receipts and obligations: but whoever saw a community truly thankfull, or obser­ved a sense of the greatest favours from their Prince, to continue much longer than their short shouts and acclamations?

We need not look far, or search distant Sto­ries for evidence of this; we our selves have seen how little a goodness, next to Divine, in two Royal successive Instancers of it, hath been able to effect upon some tempers; and what other use an ungratefull generation hath made of it, than to animate their implacable rage [Page 15] the more, and to hope for the easier success of their Rebellions and Treasons, sinning the more securely and boldly, because grace did abound, and repudiating all the indulgence & favour of their Prince, as cowardise in him, as over-rulings of Providence, or infatuation from the Lord.

In a word, Loyalty hangs but loosely up­on men of no Religion and Conscience; and if they chance to continue good Subjects, their Stars, and not their Principles, are to be thanked for it, as the Moralist said of some mens constitutional vertue, [...]; so we may say of some mens acci­dental and chance Loyalty, it owes it self to Fortune and Providence, and the good luck to escape trial; and certainly he whose ver­tue lasts but till a temptation assault it, will not last very long in this age.

2. Another advantage of fixing Loy­alty upon the principle of Religion and Con­science, is the satisfaction and security of Kings themselves; I do not mean of their persons, but of their own minds.

It is certainly very just and equal, that Kings who watch and take so much care for their People, should have some compensation for that care, at least something to sweeten and alleviate the burthen of it. As of all men [Page 16] living Kings have the hardest task incumbent on them, so of all Kings those find that task most uneasie, that watch and labour for un­gratefull Subjects; make their days toilsome, and their nights restless, in caring for them, whose respects they are not so secure of, but that they may repay all their trouble and care with falshood and treachery.

The Royal Breast will always have Anxieties enough, occasion'd by the ambition and ava­rice of Rival Princes; but certainly those Sub­jects are most unworthy, that double those Anxieties, by causing jealousies of their own faithfulness.

And for my part, I do not see upon what reasons that Prince can be free from these jea­lousies, that sees his Subjects live without any fear of God, or sense of Religion; but instead of owning soberly the Obligations of Consci­ence and Duty to God, making it too often their business to ridicule and buffoon them.

It was a rational way that the Emperour Constantius once took to make experiment of his great Ministers, and (in consequence of that to cashire all those, that upon his pre­tended invitations renounced Christianity, and returned to Paganism; giving this reason for so doing, That those that were not faithfull [Page 17] to their Religion and their God, would hardly be true to their King; and I wish it were con­sidered whether that Wise Emperour spake reason in this or not.

What security can you have of those that dare be treacherous to their God? or why should you think an Oath of Allegiance should hold that man, who contemns the obligation of his Baptismal vow? That Sampson that could snap asunder new Cords, would not easily be bound with green Withs; and he, whom all that is Sacred, cannot oblige, and upon whom the mighty arguments from eternity can take no hold, why should we think the weaker motives of fashion or honour can prevail long upon? He that dare impiously fly in the face of his God, and prophane every thing that bears his character upon it, why should he revere it onely in his Prince? I will not deny but such a thing is possible, but I ask what security can the Royal Breast have that so it will be?

Then onely we give rational assurance of our loyalty and faithfulness to our King, when we shew the same to that God, whose Vicege­rent he is, and whose Character he bears; and (to use the reverse to that of our Saviour) then onely shall we be trusted, and counted [Page 18] faithfull in the lesser, when we are seen to be so in that which is greater: But if all our vows and mighty obligations to God hold us not fast, who will think that our Protestations and Oaths to Man should be counted inviolable?

3. And lastly, I urge Loyalty upon Con­science upon this mighty advantage, viz. the endearing of divine Providence, and securing that blessing of Heaven, which is the firmest stabiliment, and the greatest safety both of Prince and People.

I take it for a certain truth, and an Article of Natural Religion and Belief, that after the utmost care and policy of men, stabiliment and safety is of the Lord; and that unless God watch the City, the Watchman waketh but in vain. And there have been so many signal remarks of this given in all Ages of the World, that unless Man deny the Faith of all History, and can resolve all the events and issues of things (even the most miraculous and surprizing) into blind chance, they must be convinced, that there is a Superiour Power that over-ruleth and ordereth all these things, as himself pleaseth; that there is no Power or Wisedom against God; and that after all the counsels and devices in the heart of Man, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

[Page 19]And methinks (of all people in the World) we in this Nation should not be now to learn this, nor be contended with about the belief of it, who have seen so many visible interpo­sitions of Providence in behalf of our King, our Church, and our Nation: those strange and sudden changes of things, and those migh­ty deliverances effected, which nothing but the right hand of God could bring to pass.

It were well worth considering therefore certainly, how we may secure the influences and blessings of the same Providence still; and whether there be any so certain a way to this, as acting honestly upon Principles of Religion, and Conscience to God in all the instances of our subjection and duty to our King; the doing duty in singleness of heart, as unto Christ; as unto the Lord, and not to men onely, as the Apostle excellently adviseth Servants.

For in such a case we approve our selves to God as his Servants, of whom he will never fail to take care; we render our Duty and Al­legiance God's cause, and go the best way to engage his maintaining of it.

For God is always ready to bless his own Institutions, and will never fail to bless those that keep religiously close to them; and when we honestly revere these, we shall find he will [Page 20] bless us in our subjection, and bless him too to whom we are subject; for good Subjects may make good and happy Kings; I wish good Kings could as easily make good and happy Subjects: And certainly, to preserve that due respect and honour to God, by whom Kings Reign, and out of that respect to pay a religious fealty and subjection to them, is a sure way to draw down his blessing upon both, and entitle both most certainly to his protec­tion and care.

3. And now I beg leave to put a period to this discourse in the last thing I proposed, and all the improvement I intend of it, shall be in these three short Inferences.

1. From hence we may inform our selves of one great reason of the unsteddiness of men in their Allegiance and Loyalty in this age.

The sickleness and unconstancy of English men is grown into a Proverb, and hath too justly render'd us vile and cheap in the esteem of other Nations; but there are few instan­ces in which it more justly doth so, than our instability in our Allegiance to such a King, and subjection to such a Government, which all (but our selves admire, and envy us for.

For my part I can resolve the cause of this into nothing so rationally, as want of true [Page 21] Religion, and due respect unto God, unless it be a divine infatuation, and this evil also be of the Lord.

No People talk more of Religion, and yet I fear few practise it less, we have wrangled and disputed so long about it, till we have quite lost it; and had God, and Conscience so long in our Mouths, that our hearts have almost forgotten that there are any such things; and 'tis not to be much wonder'd at, if such men do not greatly revere God's Insti­tutions, or if they do, that they are not very zealous and steddy in doing so.

I know not how a House should stand without a Foundation; nor what great diffe­rence there is between standing upon a floa­ting Sand, and no Foundation at all; there is no great thing to be expected from him that is Loyal upon uncertain and shifting rea­sons; he that chanceth to be Loyal, may chance to be a Traytour; and he that is sub­ject upon changeable reasons, will upon the change of those reasons, change his subjecti­on into Resistence.

It is very well, and we ought to adore the good Providence of God for it, that men may be Loyal now upon all these lower rea­sons; that our circumstances are so happily [Page 22] changed, that even our Interest combines with our Duty, and is complicated with it; but such duty will scarce hold out in the day of temptation, or stand, if what supports it chance to fail.

Then are men to be relied on (as I said be­fore,) when their Allegiance is upon Principle, and their Loyalty the effect of true Consci­ence; when men honour their King, be­cause they love their God, and dare no more become Rebels, than they dare be Atheists; when they revere their King as an imbodied kind of Divinity, the Image and Character of the great God; who resents any disrespect or injury we doe our Prince, as done against him­self who will strictly require it, and severely pu­nish it; and who counts himself blasphemed, when his great Minister is so.

These are arguments that will hold men fast, and keep them close to their duty; pre­serve them against all the batteries and charms of Rebellion, and all the inchantments of factious and seducing men.

2. From hence we may learn what to think of those men, that plead Religion for Rebel­lion, and Conscience to God for resistence against the King.

[Page 23]There are two great degeneracies of Chri­stian Religion at this day, justly chargeable with this egregious Prevarication, and it is not easie to say which are more so; their Faces (like Sampson's Foxes) look two ways, and they would be taken to be at the greatest enmity and distance; but it is notorious they have united in setting the Christian world in a Flame; and I am perswaded no Places can hope long to enjoy Peace, where they are freely permitted to earth and propagate.

If any chance long to do so, it is in spight of them, and their Principles too, which are so very dangerous in their nature, so directly in their consequences introductive of distur­bance and confusion, that if any Persons leven'd with them continue good Subjects, it is because their hearts are better than their heads, or the Vipers are under some powerfull charm.

We have been loudly alarm'd in this Nation with the effects of both, and (unless we be in­fatuated) may with our own experiences forti­fie our selves against their Importunities; if our reason were not able to secure us, yet our experience may, and warn us against attending to those men, who may court us as fair, as the Hiena doth the Shepherd, but whose embraces we have found to be as terrible and deadly.

[Page 24]There hath been great disputing about Religi­on, and contesting the marks of a true Church; I think it would be one good way to re­duce the contest to this question, and put the debate upon this issue; and I am very sure a Church that teacheth Doctrines that any way vacate a standing Law of Religion, and dispense from obedience to it in any case, may safely be condemned as Antichristian, how much so­ever it may pretend to infallibility on the one hand, or purity on the other.

It is a sad Story, that any that call them­selves Christians should become Rebels and Traitours; but to plead Christianity for being so, is a great deal worse: it is bad enough to vi­olate the Laws of our holy Profession, but to traduce them, and make them a Cloak for our Villanies, and such horrid Villanies too, is a Sin next to that which is impardonable.

Were this a place fit for a Satyr, or did my Religion permit me to bring a rayling Accusa­tion against any man; I might be pardon'd, if I did a little warmly inveigh against our late Rebels, and indeed the whole race of them for nigh fifty years, for this grand prevarication, the making Conscience a cloak for maliciousness, and suborning the Religion of the blessed Jesus to abet such barbarous Villanies, as have scarce [Page 25] been done by Pagans and Infidels; there are not names bad enough for such Profligates, unless they be those of that cursed Apostate Spirit, who is always a Devil, but never more so than when he assumes the form of an An­gel of light.

3. And Lastly, this may be of good effect to indear Religion to our Governours, which is so serviceable to Government; and engage all us who are Subjects to mix Religion with our Loyalty, and shew our selves to be good Christians, as well as good Subjects; yea to be the one, that we may be the other; I press not the first of these, and we are all happy that I need not; blessed be God we have a Defender of our Faith; a Prince to whom it hath so far approved it self, as to ingage his Royal word for its protection; in this all honest men rejoice and triumph, and bless God for the security of it; no men ever doubting the sincerity of it, but those whose own guilt and hypocrisie ren­der them always suspicious, and diffident of all men.

But I beseech you give me leave to press the second, and effectually prevail with us all to make real Conscience of Religion, and duty to God; not onely that we better may, but while we do express it to our King; to be­come [Page 26] good men, as well as good Subjects, and to shew that our being the one, is the effect of our being the other.

I do not in this go about to recommend to you that whining, whimpering, noisie, scrupu­lous, formal Religion, that is nothing but the shame and hypocrisie of it, and which (I fear) prejudiceth many against it, as an ungentile unsociable thing, unfit for Courts, and men of address.

But I mean that true, solid, substantial Re­ligion, that consists in a great sense of our God, and a care to approve our selves to him in generous and worthy actions; in Justice, and honesty, and great charity; in scorning to do an ill thing, or to debase our selves by a­ny of those mean and pitifull vices that Grooms and Porters now rival their Masters in.

Give me leave to remember you of two or three things, and I have done.

I have told you already, that this will be the most acceptable expression of the present praise; and I tell you now, 'tis the onely one. A truly religious heart is the onely Altar from whence God will accept any sacrifices; and pure hands are onely fit to offer them▪ true Piety is the onely thing that clears the air, and causeth our incense to ascend and appear before God; but [Page 27] Vice raiseth storms and thick vapours, which hinder its ascent, and cause it to rowl back up­on our own head, in pitchy and black smoak, the sad indications that our Persons, and our Sacrifices are equally odious to him.

But I would have leave to add something more; you cannot be ignorant what a cha­racter our Enemies endeavour to fix upon us, and under what disadvantage they represent all Loyal Subjects, while they glory in them­selves as the onely godly and sober part of the Nation.

I thank God the charge is not so just, nor the guilt so general as they invidiously repre­sent it; but they that are so prodigal of kind­ness to themselves, are always sparing and nig­gardly to others; and no wonder to see those men industrious to lessen other mens reputa­tion, that have nothing but that to raise their own upon.

But yet certainly a good use might be made of this, and in this we might cause our false ac­cusers to benefit us; by rendring us more care­full of our lives, and more solicitous to cause our light to shine before men, that the World may see our good works, and see also how un­just those men are that do so maliciously and falsly accuse us; and as our Apostle adviseth us [Page 28] in the verse just following the text, By well-doing to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Again, I beg you to consider what a Reli­gion you profess, and of what a Church you call your selves Sons; a Church that instructs you truly in your duty to God, and Caesar too; and never knew how to dispense with one, un­der pretence of the other.

A Church that teacheth Subjection and Loy­alty without any reserve, and a necessity of real holiness, without hopes of commutation.

A Church that knows no more how to ab­solve impiety against God, upon the reason of Loyalty to the King, than to hallow or allow Rebellion against the King, for the interest of the Church, and advancing the Sceptre of Christ, as some have loved to Cant.

A Church, and Religion that indulgeth no manner of vice, that sets Traytours and the pro­fane Rebels and Debauchees in the same rank, and threatens the same sad portion to both.

Finally, Let me leave this one great thing with you, that in our case of Subjection, both the great arguments in the text combine, and it is hard to say, which is the more visi­ble and obvious, to submit for the Lord's sake, and to doe it for the King's sake too; to sub­mit for the Lord's sake, who hath so remarka­bly [Page 29] appeared for him; and to doe it for the Kings sake, who so worthily deserves it from us.

Shall I be allowed to say one thing, without offence, or imputation of base flattery or de­sign. That if ever King might expect cheerfull Obedience from us for his own sake, or chal­lenge it for God's sake, that happy Prince that governs us may do it justly; whom Providence hath still attended, and Miracles of it guarded through so many Storms, and at last landed him safe, and set him upon a steady Throne.

And who is kind to us to the utmost of our wishes; in such an instance, and to such a measure, as past ages have scarce seen, and fu­ture ones will sooner admire, than believe.

It was Gamaliel's argument in a less obvious case once: Let us take heed of fighting against God; and yet God had scarce so fully appeared in that case, as in ours; he had begun indeed to display his Power, and immediate interpositi­on in behalf of the Apostles and their doctrine, and it greatly affected that Wise man, and a­wakened his care.

Lord! how plain and visible is the argu­ment in our case? and how effectual ought it therefore to be upon this generation? when the greatest favour and kindness upon Earth in­vites, and when Miracles from Heaven com­mand our subjection?

[Page 30]What shall we say of those men, whom nei­ther bands of such Love, nor chains of such Miracles can draw to their duty? What can we say or think, but that the same chains of dark­ness, in which Devils themselves are bound, are reserved for them for ever?

I conclude with that of the Prophet almost in a like case, Isa. 26.11. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: (when it scatters confusions and plagues upon Traytours and Rebels; and when it showres down Miracles of blessing upon the head of thine Anointed, and his Servants under him) but they shall see and be ashamed, confounded at their envy, and overwhelmed with their own black despair; sinking under their own guilts, and perishing un­der their own remediless anguish and horrour.