ON so great an Occasion as this, two such great Occasions as God has given us, for a perpetual Remembrance of this day; Our Deliverance heretofore from the Gun­powder Treason, and now again from the imminent danger of Popery and Slavery: Such abundant, such overflowing matter of Thanksgiving to God, I confess I am Jealous of my self, may draw me forth into a trespass upon this great Audience; there being so much to speak of, that one hard­ly knows what to leave out.

And therefore I am the more pleased with that wholsom Order of the Church that confines us to a Text; which Order being observed will keep us from running too far out of our bounds; [Page 2] though if I should exceed but a little beyond my hour, I hope the good Affection which carries me forth, will be accepted so far, as to excuse me at least for any tolerable prolixity.

My Text is part of a Psalm of David, whom I shall consider at this time, not as speaking for himself, but for the whole Church of God, as being the sweet Psalmist of Israel. And there­fore passing by the occasion upon which this Psalm was Composed, (which was a Deliverance that David had from Saul, as we read in the Title of the Psalm) (I say, passing by his particular Oc­casion,) I shall consider the Words of my Text, as they may fit the Churches Case upon any such like Deliverance; and especially on both those Deliverances which we are to remember this day.

So abstracting from David's particular Case, and taking his Words as spoken in behalf of the Church; not to be tedious in explaining them to you, I shall only give them a little enlargement by way of Paraphrase on my Text.

(Saith our Psalmist) They had laid a net in my way, and my Soul (i. e.) I my self, in the Hebrew Phrase, was bowed down; I was just stepping into it. But when I came near, I saw it was more than a Net, there was also a Pit which they had dug for me; there was not only a Net to take me, but a Pit to kill [Page 3] me, or rather to bury me alive. But for all that, I am escaped out of danger, and they that dig'd the Pit are fallen into it. Surely this was God's work, of which therefore he ought to have the Glory; and in him I ought to trust, I will trust in him for the future. This is the meaning of these words; My heart is fixed, oh God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.

In the Text thus explain'd, all may be reduced to Two Heads: First God's mercy to his Church; and Secondly the Churches acknowledgments to God.

First God's Mercy to his Church, in delivering it from a great danger. The Danger is made much the greater by these three Circumstances of it.

First, that it was Secret; Secondly, that it was Near; and Thirdly, like to have been Fatal.

First, that it was Secret and Hidden: That is a terrible Circumstance indeed, especially of any great danger. Be it never so great, what one sees, he may find one way or other to avoid: He may so order things by good taking heed, that either it shall not come upon him; or if it doth, it shall do him no hurt: He may break the force of it, he may at least so compound, that it shall do him as little hurt as is possible: But there is no compounding with he knows not what nor whom: [Page 4] There is no warding off a blow which one, can­not foresee; it is upon him before he is aware of it: Such a danger comes over one like a Net; and such was our Psalmist's, saith he, they had pre­pared a Net for my Steps.

Secondly, he was near stepping into the Net: So I understand these words [...] my Soul (i. e.) I my self, was bowed down; I was just dropping into it. That is another terrible Circumstance. It is ter­rible indeed, in case of any great danger, for the near­ness of it lessens the hope of escaping. There is more hope of any danger, while it is yet afar off, that either it may not come at us, as things may hap­pen; or however, it will not come presently, it may be not till one is provided against it: But if the danger be so near, that it doth not give him time, then he cannot provide against it, he must take what comes, he cannot help it, he must suf­fer both that and all the Consequences of it.

But Thirdly, then his hope is, that whatsoever he suffers it may not be his utter destruction. His hope is, that at least he may live after it; and if so, what he loses now, he may recover at another time. So the Church said, Mic. 7. 8. Rejoyce not against me, oh my Enemy, though I fall, I shall rise: So one may hope to do, if he falls upon plain ground. But this was the worst of David's Case, [Page 5] that his Enemies had dug a Pit for him; and he that falls into a Pit, is either kill'd or sore hurt, and so disabled that he cannot get out: especially when there is a Net to hold him there, then he is lost to all hope; where he falls, there he lies without remedy.

Now, for God's Mercy in his Deliverance, that follows; and of this likewise there are three degrees.

The first is not mentioned but supposed; that through God's Mercy he escaped both the Net and the Pit. In any great Danger, if one escapes, and no more, that alone is a great Mercy of God.

But, Secondly, Here was not only that Mercy in David's Case, but here was also an act of God's Justice upon his Enemies. What is more Just than this? That every one should eat the Fruit of his own doings, that mischief should light on the Heads in which it was contrived, that they that dig Pits for others should fall into them themselves? Thus David tells us it happen'd to his Enemies. And when it did so, If they had any sense in them, they could not but acknow­ledge there was a great deal of Justice in this.

But, Thirdly, To make a Deliverance perfect, it must be such as David prays for, Psalm 141. 10. That his enemies may fall into their own nets, and that he may ever escape them. They that are [Page 6] so delivered from their Enemies, have reason to hope that they shall be troubled with them no more: their Enemies being so disabled with their fall, that they will not have strength to do them hurt; or so dismay'd, that they will have no mind to it, for fear of worse another time.

There is but one thing more to be wisht and prayed for, upon such a disappointment of our Enemies; and that is, that it may be a means of their Conversion from Error and Sin. Of this we ought never to despair, tho' our hopes of it have failed us at other times.

But the greatest hope we can have is from such a disappointment as this. If this would con­vince them of their sin, and of their folly in fighting against God, so it would be a means of their Conversion, and so it would be a happy fall to Them. Happy that fall by which Men rise to everlasting life! Oh joyful sight! to all good Men upon Earth, and to the blessed An­gels in Heaven.

But without this, where it cannot be had, a bare Deliverance, when God sees fit to grant no more, and especially if it be a perfect Delive­rance from our Enemies, such as David here de­scribes; this is that which deserves a Thanksgi­ving to God, such as followeth in the next words.

[Page 7] It is a Thanksgiving that begins in the right place. My Heart is fixed, oh God, my Heart is fixed. How it was so, he tells us elsewhere; it was by trusting in God, Psalm 112. 7. The righ­teous man's heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. And for this Trust, as we have a sufficient ground from what we know of God's Goodness to his Church, and much more from his Gracious Pro­mise of Preservation; so we are abundantly con­firm'd by such an experience as this, of the truth of his Promise, and of his Goodness to us in particular.

Secondly, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What one is full of, he cannot but impart it to others: and every one will do it his own way. This was David's way in my Text, I will sing and give praise.

The Hebrew word [...] here used, signifies both to sing and to play upon an Instrument; it joyns Vocal and Instrumental Musick together. So that David's words exactly rendered, would be these; I will compose a Psalm, and I will sing it to Musick. He teaches us, upon such a Deli­verance, to use all the expressions of Rejoicing and Thanksgiving together, that can be made forth by any outward Act: to stir up our selves to praise God for his Mercies, and to stir up o­thers likewise to do it by our example.

[Page 8] All these things which I have said in general, I am now to bring home to our present Case, in both the Deliverances that we are to remember this day.

And first, as concerning the Gunpowder Trea­son; I ought to say something of the Danger, before I speak of our Deliverance from it. But before both these, I ought to say something in answer to them that would perswade us that there was no Danger at all.

They tell us it was a Plot of our side, into which some few of their Catholicks were drawn by the then Secretary of State; and when he saw his time, he discovered it, as (they say) he might easily do, the whole thing being contrived by his wit, and carried on with his privity.

In answer to this, I am first to do right to the Justice of the Nation, as well as to the Honour of that great Minister; and to shew, that this was a Plot of the Conspirators against the State, and not of the State against the Conspirators.

Having shewed that it was truly so, then I shall proceed to shew you the Danger of it, in those three degrees of Danger in my Text. First, the profound Secrecy of it. Secondly, the Near­ness to execution. Thirdly, the mischief if it had taken; I want a word great enough for it, [Page 9] It had been a Death's wound, a Fatal blow, both to Church and State, to our Religion and Laws, to every thing that is Sacred in this Nation.

For the Conspiracy it self, it was so black, so Inhuman; it so outdid the wickedness of the worst of Mankind, that one would think none but Devils could have devis'd, or would have had to do in it. But there are Principles that make Men like Devils. The Men of those Principles are called the Frogs that come out of the mouth of the Dragon, Rev. 16. 13. I doubt not that Propheti­cal description was intended of the Jesuits; whom I mention, as being the Authors of this Devilish Conspiracy.

The prime Architect in it, was Father Garnet, their Superior in this Kingdom: who took in as many more of his Order, and of their chosen Disciples as were thought fit to be trusted with the Secret of it. And let their Successors excuse it how they will, by saying, as they do at this di­stance of time, that it was Secretary Cecil that drew them into this Plot: That's a thing that was ne­ver heard of in those days. The Parties them­selves never charged him with it, they never laid it upon any other then themselves, they all own'd it, and some of them gloried in it, both Living and Dying. I appeal to their own Confessions [Page 10] for the truth of what I say, and to all the Writers of that Age for the truth of their Confession.

But because in saying all the Writers, I may seem not to be particular enough, I shall therefore name Cardinal Bellarmine in particular. He writ against King James in the Name of Matthaeus Tor­tus: but he afterwards own'd that Book to be his, and writ the Vindication of it in his own name. Bellarmine was a Jesuit himself, and zealously con­cern'd for his Order; he shews it sufficiently in his Book which he wrote at that time. He might very well have inform'd himself from Father Tesmund, who was in the Plot, and fled for it to Rome, where (to shew how little they Ab­hor'd that wickedness) he was preferred, He was then the Popes Penitentiary. And yet for all the Information he could give him, Bellarmine knew nothing of this. He never thought of this Shift to thro it upon Cecil. So far he is from that, that he owns that King James's Deliverance was not without a miracle of Providence: which he could not have said, without mocking God, as well as betraying his Cause, If he had Imagin'd that the Minister of State had bin Author, or so much as privy to that Conspiracy.

But if any Papist would see and be convinced of the lateness of this Imagination, let him look [Page 11] into Morus the Jesuit's History of the English Mis­sion of the Society. He writ this Book above fifty years after that time; it was but a little be­fore King Charles the Second's Restauration. There he gives an account of this Treason, and of the Fathers of the Society, that were in it, and that Suffered for it. But he has not a word of this excuse. He lays the matter wholly upon them­selves, as an excess that they run into out of a Zeal for their Religion: and so he leaves it upon them of his own Order, which most certainly he would not have done, if he had had any know­ledge, or any opinion of this Fiction.

Much more I could say of this kind, if it were proper to load my discourse in this Presence with multitudes of Quotations. But thus much I thought might be needful, to shew, that we have not mocked God, all this while, and that we are not doing it at this time, by giving him thanks for that which was not His; for that which was in truth but a Trick, and not a real Deliverance.

How Real and how Great a Deliverance this was, I am next to shew, by setting before you the danger we escap'd, and that in all the Circum­stances of my Text.

First, for the Secrecy of it, that was wonder­ful; Nay, it had bin wonderful in any other [Page 12] hands, but it was not so in theirs that had the management of this.

There is no People in the World so provided as they are for Secrecy.

First, by their Doctrine of satisfaction for Sin, and of Merit, by promoting their Catholick Cause. This passes generally with them of the Roman Church: and 'tis that which so animates them with Zeal for their Religion.

But particularly, among the Jesuits, their Do­ctrine of the lawfulness of Lying for the Cause; they call it the Doctrine of Equivocation; by which they can affirm any thing tho' it is never so false, they can deny any thing tho' it is never so true; nay, they ought to do it (as their Casuists say) when it is needful for the Service of the Church.

Add to this, their Clergy's power over the Laity; which enables them to infuse what they will into their heads; and they must believe it, (as they commonly do,) with an Implicit Faith, and they follow it with as blind an Obedience.

Then on the other hand, If the Laity have any design, it is delivered under the Seal of Confes­sion to the Clergy. So Garnet said, at first he came into this Secret, it was delivered to him by Catesby under the Seal of Confession: and being askt, why he had not discovered it then, for the pre­servation [Page 13] of the King and Kingdom? He did not stick to say, That it were better all the Kings of the Earth should perish, than that he should discover what was said to him in Confession.

But besides all these general things, which are of great use for the covering of any design; there was that particular Secrecy in this, because not only their Lives depended upon it, but the Salva­tion of so many millions of Souls, as were by this means to be brought into the Catholick Church. These were most weighty Considerati­ons, they are Charms that never miss their effect, wheresoever they are apply'd.

We see what effect they had formerly, in that great Secrecy before the Missacre of Paris. I shall say nothing of it, but what I have from Capilupi, a Roman, that writ soon after the Massacre, and described it as a glorious thing, and carried on with admirable secrecy. He saith, it was carried on so for Four years time; whereof, for twenty months together, it was known to no more but five besides the King; he saith, for six Months after it was known only to Fourteen Persons; but it was known to above Two hundred Persons for two days before the Execution; and yet all this while, it was kept so close, by all that were privy to it, that, (as that Author sufficiently proves) the [Page 14] Hereticks were not aware of it: They were so far from that, that they had not the least supicion, till it broke out all on a sudden, at midnight, first at Paris, and from thence it ran in a Train all France over, till (as Thuanus saith, who is of undoubt­ed Credit) there were murthered no fewer than Thirty thousand Persons, who were many of them the most considerable of all the Reformed in that Kingdom.

We see yet stranger effects of these Charms of Secrecy: In Ireland, we saw a great instance of it in our Memory. The design of the Massacre, and of the Rebellion there, was carried on by numbers of Men throughout the whole Nation. They covered it so, that there was no suspicion of any evil Design: There was no ground for a Suspicion, unless it were their excessive civility, and kindness, and endearments to the Protestants, at that time more then any other. They were some of them so over kind, as to make themselves the Guests, and to lodge in the Houses, of those Pro­testants, whose Throats they were to cut the next day. But when once it had broken out, it was carryed on with all fury, to the slaughter of I know not how many Thousands. But I will tell you what I have read in a Book that was soon after printed at Lisbon; it was writ by one of their [Page 15] Priests, that calls himself Constantinus Marullus; he Cornelius Mac Ma­hon. tells us, the Protestants say there were kill'd above a Hundred thousand; it may be so, utinam omnes! would we had kill'd them all (saith he in his Ca­tholick Charity.)

Now knowing these Instances of their Secrecy in such Matters, and knowing the Principles from which it proceeds; we cannot wonder, that, in the hands of Men of the same Principles, this Gunpow­der design was carried on with the same Secrecy.

Tho it must needs be known to about Twenty Persons that had their particular Parts to Act in it; and tho there was a general notice of it, that the Papists had throughout the Kingdom; they knew that there was something extraordinary in hand, for the good of their Catholick Religion, and they had especial Prayers for that purpose; yet none knew any thing of it but themselves. The Pro­testants had no suspicion of it, how could they? when they had given them no provocation. No Provocation did I say? they were so far from that, that they oblig'd them with Favours: I say this out of King James's Book. He tells us that du­ring those three years that he had Reigned before the Gunpowder Treason, which Treason was a hatching all the while, yet all that while there was no Papist in England that suffered any thing upon [Page 16] the account of Religion: On the contrary, they were treated with favour, as if they had the Laws on their side: They were admitted to Court; They were employ'd in Embassies; They had Ho­nours conferred upon them as well as others; and they seemed to be in as good humour as they had reason to be in these Circumstances.

But all this did not hinder them from going on with their design; nay it rather encouraged them, it helpt them to carry it on. For being under no manner of Jealousie, they found themselves so secure, that at last they were even open in what they did. They had their meetings both in City and Country; they workt in their Vault without fear; They bought and laid in their Powder and other Materials; They armed themselves at home; They held Correspondence abroad: They left no­thing unprovided for, that was necessary, either to finish their work, or to justifie it when it was done. This advantage they had by their Secrecy and pro­found Dissimulation, to make themselves unsu­spected and trusted, and so to do that which they could not so well have done otherwise.

And by this means they came so very near the effecting of their Design, which I noted as a Second degree of our danger. We were as near being catcht, as David was in the Case which he describes; [Page 17] the Trap was laid for him, and he bowed down to it, he was just falling in, when he saw a Pit ready to receive him, even ready to swallow him up. This was the Case of our whole Church and Nation. The great Representative of These, the King, and his Parliament, were to have met in the usual Place, and there this Net was prepa­red, there was a Pit provided for them; even there under the House where they were to sit, there was a Vault dug, a Magazine of Powder laid in, great Iron Bars were laid over, There was an Engineer at hand, the Match was ready laid, it was siz'd for an hour, a fatal hour, of this Morning, the Fifth of November; in a minute of which, in a mo­ment, all the Governing part of this Nation, and God knows how many more, all that came within the reach of it, were to have been blown up.

Lord! what a Thunder Clap had it been to this poor Church and Nation? What an Earthquake would it have made through all Europe? What a Fatal blow to the Protestant Religion, both here and all the World over? It was a blow that would have been felt to all Posterity. How many of the greatest Persons now living would never have been born? And how many more would have had Cause to wish themselves of the Number? [Page 18] It would have made a strange alteration in the World; and especially here in England: It would e­ven turn ones head to think of all the Particulars.

But some of the principal things I must consi­der now in the third place, to shew how Fatal a blow it would have been. And here I ought in duty to begin with the King and Royal Family. I shall do it the rather, to shew how little reason they have to brag of their Loyalty: They I mean of the Roman Catholick Religion, who not only excuse, but do little less than worship them that were the prime Authors of this.

First I say, that if this Plot had taken, there had been an end of the Reigning Family. This King and Queen had never been born: No, nor any that descended from King Charles the First of blessed and glorious Memory. That Prince, though he was very young at that time, yet he must have taken his Lot among the rest: such was the Indulgence of his Father, that he would have both his Sons to be with him at his entring into that Parliament; and so they were all to have been blown up together. For the Lady Elizabeth, (who was afterwards Queen of Bohemia) she was then in the Country; and to seiz upon her, they had framed a hunting match, at which she was to have been taken, for what use I can­not [Page 19] say, probably to have been put into a Nunnery.

But that none of that Family was to have Reigned, it was determin'd before by that Pope, Clement VIII. in whose time all this business began. He was re­solved upon the Exclusion of King James before his coming into England; and had set out his two Breves for that purpose: which Act of the Popes, (as Garnet himself said,) was that which put them upon this Treason; They thought it their Duty to throw out him whom the Pope had command­ed them not to receive.

Well! but the Crown must be placed some­where, and which way would the Pope have disposed of it? That appears in the Letters of Car­dinal d Ossat, who was then at Rome, and inform'd the King of France of this Mystery. He tells him, that by Father Parson's contrivance, (who at that time govern'd their Counsels for the English Af­fairs,) the Pope would have found a way to have marryed his Nephew to the Lady Arabella, to give him at least some Colour of a Title to the King­dom. We find in these Letters what means were then used to engage the Kings of France and Spain to put him in Possession. I do not remember the end of this matter: nor I am no farther concern'd in it, than to shew that the Pope was in very good [Page 20] earnest, in those Breves, to throw out the now Reigning Family.

It is no great matter whom they would have set up in the stead. It must have been one that was throughly made for their purpose. One that would have gone through with them in their De­sign of Restoring their Catholick Religion; and in order to that, in their methods of governing the Kingdom.

And for the Government of the Kingdom, it appears what course they design'd. We have a large Account of it in Father Parsons's Model of the Reformation. I mention him again, as one that govern'd the Counsels of those Times.

He proposed in the first place, to set up a Coun­cil of Reformation, that should have the Con­duct of all things for five or six years. That Council should have been composed of Popish Bishops, and other Zealous Catholicks, (to be sure such as would have been ruled by the Jesuits.) They were to have granted some kind of Tole­ration at first, till they could settle things to their mind.

Then they were to have a Parliament, of which all the Members were, not to take a Test, (take heed of that by all means,) but only to make a Profession of the Catholick Faith, and to [Page 21] bind themselves to it with an Oath, without which they were not to be admitted to be Mem­bers. Then this Parliament should have made it Treason for any Member to propose any change of Religion for the future. Having thus secured the Votes, they were next to have repeal'd all the Laws against Popery, and they were to have revived and put in full Authority (these are his words) all the Laws that ever were in ure here in England against Heresie. After that we may be competently sure, there should have bin no more Toleration.

Then the Parliament should have restored all the Church Lands. They should have cleerly taken in all that Hereticks had in Possession; but for those that were held by Catholicks, they should only have paid the old Rents, and so held them still as their Tenants. There were many other particulars, upon which I have not time to enlarge. But he comes to this at last, that when all things were settled their way, by Act of Parliament; then there should be an In­quisition settled likewise. But because that is an Odious name, it should have bin called some­thing else; but it should be the very same thing which at Rome they call the holy Inquisition. And when they had settled that in this King­dom, [Page 22] then England would have bin as Catholick as Spain or Italy.

And so having secured this Kingdom to them­selves, they had made a fair step towards the ex­tirpating of the Northern Heresie. No doubt this was it that they drove at; in which they could hardly have faild, if this Plot had taken; it had bin Fatal, not only to us, but to all the Protestant Religion.

From so Secret, so Near, and so Fatal a dan­ger, it pleased God to deliver us, as on this day, which therefore we ought to celebrate with Thanksgivings. With perpetual Thanksgivings, If it were but for that single Deliverance. It had bin a great Deliverance, if there had bin nothing else in it but a bare disappointment of their present design.

Many other Deliverances we have reason to believe God has given us, even from this sort of Adversaries, that we have never thankt him for, because they never came to our Knowledge. Some Mercies of this Kind we can name, of which we knew nothing at the time: but we have gathered it up afterwards from some of themselves that have bin privy to their Conspi­racies. I am perswaded there have past very few years, in which they have not had some De­sign [Page 23] or other on foot, of which we have had no Information. You cannot but judge so, if you read Coleman's Letters, to say nothing of other Books of older Date.

God has disappointed them, by such ways as he has not bin pleased to bring to our know­ledge. He is a true friend, that doth things for us at that rate: that seeing us in danger or want, never stays to be askt, but helps us even without our knowledge. We owe him the more thanks for this, because he doth it unknown to us: and yet because we know it not, we can­not thank him with any particular acknowledg­ment.

How much the more are we obliged to thank God for Mercies which we certainly know? for what he doth for us in that Signal manner, that the Psalmist describes in this Text? When he not only saves us from the Net which our Ene­mies have laid for us, but when he causes them to fall into the Pit which they have dig'd before us. This is the Second thing to be observ'd and acknowledg'd in our present Deliverance.

It was observ'd and acknowledg'd by some of the Powder Traytors themselves. When they found their Treason was discovered, it was at Holbech-House, (I think that was the name of it,) [Page 24] when a quantity of Powder that they were dry­ing, blew up, and hurt several of them, and much dismaied all the rest; then they could not but see and confess, that God had taken them in their wickedness. Others saw afterwards that which was a more visible Token of his Judg­ment, when their heads met together on the top of that House which they would have blown up.

But his Judgment was yet more visible upon Popery it self, on whose account that Devilish Conspiracy was made. The discovery of it was the greatest blow that Popery had ever received in this Kingdom since the Reformation. It was upon this happy discovery that the chief part of that provision was made that has secured us against it ever since. It was then that the Oath of Allegiance was framed, that has bin the chief distinction between Protestants and Papists: and then that most of those Laws were enacted, that have bin ever since a great Security and Fence to our Religion.

It was such a Fence, as, if our Governors would have stood by, had certainly secur'd as well their Government as our Religion. Our Enemies could never have broke it down, nor climb'd over it, if it had been lookt to with ordinary care. But it was our unhappiness, they [Page 25] had always a Friend at Court; some Friend or other to lend them a helping hand. And what came of it? Under the neglected and trampled Fence bred those Adders that stung them to Death who should have kept it garded and repair'd.

Afterwards, through the Just Judgment of God on our Sins, wo unto us! Our Enemies, whom this Fence should have kept out, not on­ly got over it, but got the Government on their side. We could not believe it a long while. We ought to be so tender of the Honour of our Princes, as not to believe any ill of them till we cannot help believing it. We canot help it, when they will let the thing be no longer concealed. But it was happy for us, that before this was declared, upon occasion of some breaches that were over-hastily made, this Fence was re­paired, and made stronger by Additional Laws.

Then our Fence was so strong, that our Ene­mies found it necessary to take away our Laws, that they might come at our Religion. Oh how fain would they have had the consent of a Par­liament to do this! A Church of England Parlia­ment, to be a kind of Felo de se! to take away that which secured, not the Spiritual indeed, but the Bodily life of our Church. How fain would they have blown us up with an opinion, that [Page 26] we must give up our Laws, forsooth in a com­plement of Loyalty! as if to do otherwise, had bin to have distursted the King. So they made him believe, and so they would fain have perswaded You. Prodigious Impudence! for Jesuits to do this! Them that never endured a King of ano­ther Religion, one moment longer, than till they could come at his heart blood; for Them to take upon them to teach You Loyalty! You of the Church of England, that not only received a King of another Religion, but did every thing that he could ask, except the giving up of your Religion and Laws. For that indeed you hum­bly desired to be excused. You could not do like your Selves in giving up these. You hoped he would not take them from us. We knew he could not do it, without making this Another Kingdom.

Blessed be God, for that steadiness of mind, which Generally shew'd its self upon this occasi­on; not only in the Nobility, Gentry, and Cler­gy, but even among the Commonalty of this Kingdom. It was to a Miracle, even our Ene­mies being Judges; such a steadiness as no Man could hope for, and such as God only could give.

But when we would not be wheedled out of our Laws, then, they that could do what they would with the King, were for other ways, then [Page 27] they were for forcing them from us. And for this, what likelier way than by a standing Army? That they thought at first to have raised here in England. They might perhaps think that Soldi­ers would not be much concern'd for Religion. But they found their mistake. In all England they could not raise an Army to bring in Popery. What then? they must bring them over out of Ireland. There they had a Nation of Catholicks, for their turn; and if those had not sufficed, there were French enough ready at Call, who at that time had nothing to hinder them from com­ing hither.

In this State of things, they durst try what the Patience of the Nation would bear. And so having first broken over the Test-Laws, they next proceeded to Suspend the other Penal Laws. And the same pretence they had for that, would have reacht all our Laws: For they did it by a Dispensing Power, which they made the King be­lieve was no more but his Lawful Prerogative.

The Laws being thus trampled under foot, it was visible what we were next to expect; there was no other prospect, but of Arbitrary Govern­ment, and of Popery; both which, being settled here once, would not easily have been removed.

[Page 28] We see how it is in France; there was a Go­vernment by Laws, and there were two Millions of Protestants under the protection of those Laws. But where are they now? There are no Laws but the King's Will: and it is his Will that there must be no Protestants: All his Subjects must be of his Religion: Those that are not, he sets his Dogs at them, he hunts them like wild Beasts, in his Country, and out of his Country. This he doth for his Glory, as being the most Christi­an King; and if other Princes will follow him, no Protestant shall live in the World.

He engag'd the Duke of Savoy to do the like in his Country: and lent him his Dogs, he even thrust them upon him. They hunted the Vau­dois, till they had kill'd above half that poor Peo­ple: Of the other half, part were starved in Pri­son, part were driven out of the Country, and the few that remain'd were forced to abjure their Religion. This was actually done there, within these three or four Years. And God knows how soon the like might have bin done in Eng­land. It might? What should hinder? When our Laws could not secure us. What should hinder? but the want of hands to do the busi­ness effectually. But he that both gave the Ex­ample, and lent hands to the Duke of Savoy; [Page 29] would have seen that hands should not have been wanting in England, when it had been time to have followed that Example.

Sure we are, that the Guides of our King's Conscience did approve of the Example, and were mad to have him follow it. We are as sure that They were in strict Alliance with France, from whence, as they had their Counsels, so they could not doubt of Assistance. And tho it would have cost them nothing, that King knew how to pay himself for it, in Empire, of which he is greedy and insatiable. To gain this, he wanted nothing but to have England in dependance on him. He wanted nothing else to enable him, to oppress all the rest of his Neighbours, and to rob them of their Dominions.

No doubt the other Princes of his Religion were sensible enough of their danger, by England's coming into a dependance on the French Monar­chy. How much more were the Protestant Princes and States, that saw themselves by this means ex­posed to the utmost hazard, as well of their Spi­ritual, as of their Temporal Concernments? They were all concern'd; but knew not how to help themselves or us; till God raised up One among them .... Blessed be God .... I cannot say what I would on this Subject, for I must not forget where, and before whom I speak.

[Page 30] But I may speak of the Works of God, which he hath so done, as that they ought to be had in Re­membrance; and of these I shall observe these three things, and only give touches upon each, and so leave them to your Meditation.

First, how extraordinarily God had prepared things for our Deliverer to do his work among us: Secondly, how his good Angels conducted and went along with him in it: and Thirdly, how God blessed him with Success above all human hopes and expectations.

First, for the wonderful Concurrence of things abroad that made way for this Revolution; they were such as no Politician could have contrived or brought about: Perphaps it is not so proper for me here to name the Particulars. The mean while, here at home the Preparation was made in Mens Hearts: In the hearts of the People, which being only in the hands of God, that was his Work most certainly. Then, when all things were ready for the work, God found a fit Juncture for it. All the French Power being engag'd in that most unjust War on the Empire. These things that I have na­med were great helps towards our Deliverance, and he is blind that does not see the hand of God in them.

[Page 31] How much more in the Expedition it self? which is the Second thing. In this, at the first setting forth, God seemed indeed to frown; without any hurt, but only to shew, that the Winds are His and not ours. And this appeared wonderfully when his time was come, by his employing them so in favour of our Deliverance. It had been an extraordinary thing for the Winds to come at any ones Call; as Claudian sung to Theodosious the Emperor, Oh nimium dilecte Deo— No Man knoweth that Poet, but he remembers the rest of the Verse.

But God made them do more than that for our Deliverer. They directed him which way to sail. They chose him a landing place, the best perhaps that could have been found in this Kingdom. And when they had brought him hither, they set him down, and there left him, and turn'd back against his pursuers. What was all this? but the work of God that makes his Angels Spirits, Psal. 104. 4. He makes the Winds his Angels. I think that's a better Translation. I am sure God made the Winds his good Angels for our Deliverance.

Then thirdly for his Landing, it was upon this Memorable day. Yesterday was the King's Birth­day, it was also Their Majesties Marriage-day; on both Accounts, to be Celebrated with yearly Thanksgivings: But this day brought the fruit [Page 32] of both those Blessings to these Kingdoms. Shall I call this our Birth-day? or rather the day of our Resurrection? It is a Day that brought us new Life from the dead. It brought nothing but Life: There was no Man dyed for it.

And then as his Landing was without Blood, so was all his March without Blood, and it ended in a Conquest without Blood. Such a Conquest as the Sun makes upon a Mist, that only disperses it, and clears the Air from it, and makes the People glad that it is gone.

The thick Mist of Popery is gone, I trust in God, so as to return no more. That's it that makes it a Perfect decisive Deliverance; such as that of Israel was from the Egyptians, when Moses said, you shall see them no more for ever, Exod. 14. 13. In this Trust let every one that loves our Israel say, My heart is fixed, Oh God, my heart is fixed; and for this Deliverance, as long as I have any Being, I will sing, and give praise.