A Crown fallen? Had the Prophet gon on, and spake of the fall of a Crowned Head too, we might have guest that by his Prophetical Spirit he had pointed as far as Forty Eight. But to shed Bloud Royal, as if it differed not from the Bloud of a Vulgar Person; and to cut off the Neck even of a Neighbour Prince, as if he had not been anointed with Oyl, was lookt upon as an act too Barbarous to be done by those very Barbarians, who thought it just and safe to put out the Eyes of a Conquer'd Monarch. For if we look into the History of those Times to which my Text doth relate, we shall find, that no less than Five Kings of the Jews had [Page 2] been successively Captivated by the Assy­rians; and though Most of them, if not All, had been Unfaithfull to the King of Babylon, and Rebelled against him after they became his Servants, yet Sentence of of Death past not on any One of them: but Deposing, Imprisonment, and Fetters, were the usual Punishment of their Perfi­diousness; only Zedekiah, who was the Last of the Five, and had sworn Fealty to the King of Babylon, and had given greater Provocations than the rest, was handled more severely than the rest: But, though his incensed Enemies slew his Sons before his face, yet the Judgment given against Him, was only the taking away of his Eye-sight: the Destruction and Killing of Kings being looked upon as a Crime of a most Horrid and Detestable Nature, even by men who were in a state of Brutality, and even then when they were armed with Power, transported with Rage, thirsty of Revenge, and flesht with Victory.

However, to rid himself of a necessity of Forcing the Jews into Subjection at every turn thus, Nebuchadnezzar resolves [Page 3] to make very short work with them: and in order thereunto he Sacks Jerusalem, sets Fire on the Temple, maketh Spoil of all the costly Furniture and Utensils thereof, bur­neth down the Houses within the City, de­molishes the Walls, destroys their whole State and Government, and carries the King and People, and all away into a strange Land, leaving only some of the poorer Sort to be Vine-dressers, and Hus­bandmen, as we read at large, 2 Kings 25.

Now it was This Sad and most Dole­some time which the Prophet pointed un­to in this Book of his Lamentations, espe­cially in this part of it, where he grieved at This, as the Epitome and Sum total of all their Evils, that the Crown was fallen from their Head. And in the whole Verse we may observe, First, The Calamity so lamented here by the Prophet; It was the falling of the Crown. Secondly, The Cause of this Evil; It was the Peoples Sins. Third­ly, That woful Condition, those Plagues and Punishments which were Consequent hereunto; Wo unto us, for we have Sinned.

[Page 4]1. Let us look a little, first, into the Calamity it self, The Crown is fallen from our Head: And for the opening of the Prophets Sense, we are to know, that by the Crown some understand the Joy of God's People, Diadems and Coronets being wont formerly to be used in some places at So­lemn times of Festivity. Others interpret it of the Glory of the Jewish Nation, which Glory consisted in this, that hitherto they had been peculiarly favoured and honou­red by God above all other Nations in the World. Others will have it to be meant in a more strict Sense of their Temple and Priesthood, in the possession whereof the Jews had all along Boasted and Prided themselves to a most high degree. Others again do (and as I conceive, with better Reason) understand by the falling of the Crown from their Head, the loss of their Kingdom and establisht Government, and the stripping of their Princes from that State, Power, Greatness and Royalty, whereof the Crown was an Emblem and Argu­ment. For this was the Complement of their Misery, and the reason of all their [Page 5] other Evils was resolved into This, that their King's Throne was now quite cast down to the Ground; and hereupon, by necessary Consequence, their Religion was overthrown too, the Glory of Israel was departed, the Liberties of the People were utterly lost, their Laws cashier'd, Church and State Both were now gon to wrack, all Joy was vanisht, their Harps were hung up upon the Willows in a strange Land, and they themselves sat weeping by the Rivers of Babylon, while they thought of their dear, and now ruinated Sion; Brief­ly, whatever did help and concur to make them Desolate and Miserable, all was owing (next unto their Sins) to the Ruin of that Monarchy and Government, wherewith hi­therto they had been Blest for so many Ages: The Crown is fallen from our Head: wo unto us that we have Sinned.

The Calamity then was Judahs, but the Sin too was Englands on this day, when Men not only with their eyes Saw, but with their own hands Caused the downfall of the best of Kings, and the Funeral of the best of Monarchies, till God by a Mi­raculous [Page 6] hand gave it a Resurrection out of that Grave, wherein it had been buried by those Cursed and Domestick Babylo­nians, who said, Down with it, down with it, even to the ground. We do not won­der at the ruin of Zedekiah, nor was the ruining of him a Crime on Nebuchadnez­zar's part: for even Absolute Princes are Coordinate, and stand upon the same Le­vel; and if upon sufficient Provocations the one happens to gain his Neighbours Crown, the fact is Just by right of Conquest. But if the one be Subordinate to the other, (which was clearly the case of Zedekiah) the Recovery of the Crown is in the Supreme Prince an act of Justice; and the Punish­ment of an inferiour Prince, who abjureth his Fealty, is by all Nations allowed to be a Righteous act of Vengeance. Upon this account the Jews may be said to have been rather an Ʋnhappy People; for though they vvere vvicked in This respect, that their Sins Occasioned their Misfortune, yet they vvere not, they durst not be vvicked in that respect vvherein the People of this Land Sinned; who rose up against their [Page 7] own Sovereign, and Natural Lord, in whose Person the Supreme Power was vested by God Himself; they themselves first pull'd off their Princes Crown from his Head, then proceeded to bow down the Prince himself upon the Scaffold, and at last da­red to strike off his Head from his Shoul­ders: So that though the falling of the Crown was to the Jews a Calamity, yet being contrived here by Men, vvho (whe­ther Severally or Joyntly considered) vvere but Subjects; being attempted by Re­sistance against the Authority and Person of the King, vvho vvas the Only Supreme; and being in the end brought about by most Unjustifiable Methods, such as vvere contrary to all Laws, Divine and Human; contrary to so many Voluntary Protesta­tions, and Repeated Oaths; and contrary to that Natural duty of Allegiance vvhich every born Subject oweth his Prince, vvhe­ther he entreth into the Oath of God, or no; the falling of This Crown is justly ac­counted to the People of this Land to have been Rebellion, Treason, Murther, and the Highest act of Parricide, vvhich (taking [Page 8] it with all its Circumstances) perhaps was ever done upon a meer Man since the World was first Created.

And though there may be some, who will not take up the Confession in the Text, that they have Sinned, either in laying the Crowned Head Low, or in abjuring the in­terest of the Crown to the Worlds end, but Lament for this only, that the Imperial Diadem is not a falling the Second time; yet the Sin of this day calleth aloud for Sincere Repentance from All, and even from Ʋs, vvho were neither Actors in it, nor Abetters of it; nor perhaps could have known it, but by the hearing of the Ear. And to the end that our Repentance may express it self by Amendment of Life, and may be attended with Watchfulness and Caution, lest we fall under the same Guilt, and smart under the same Calamity again, that we may not be Wicked and Miserable hereafter, 'tis necessary that with the Pro­phet we reflect upon those Sins which for­merly brought us under Both: Wo unto us that we have Sinned.

[Page 9]2. Now many Sins there were which cryed for Vengeance against this Nation; but of these, some were more Vocal and Clamorous than others, and did more im­mediately and directly tend to the casting down of the Crown. First, The great Ʋnthankfulness of Men for so many Mer­cies. It was that which so incensed God against the Jews, that he delivered their Kings, and Them, into the hands of the Babylonians; because he had carried them from the Womb, and they delighted in Frowardness; because he had nourished and brought them up, and they turned Rebels; because▪ Jeshurun had been high fed, and became wanton. And this was our very case before the Civil Wars brake out. God had blest us so in every Respect, that nothing but our own Follies could have made us an Unhappy People. In the Church we had a Faith that was free from all Corruption and Error; Sacra­ments that were Duly and Entirely admi­nistred; a Liturgy that was consonant to the Word of God; a Government that had been transmitted to us by the whole Ca­tholick [Page 10] Church from its first Ages; Cere­monies that were but few, and those war­ranted by the general Practice of the Pri­mitive Christians. In the State we had a Prosperous and Long Peace; Laws that were a Terror to all Wickedness, and a Security from all Oppression, as much of Liberty as was consistent with Obe­dience, and more than any other parts of the World did Enjoy; a Monarchy that was both our Defence and Honour; and (to Crown all our Felicities) a Prince whose Example was more Operative than his Laws; whose Endowments as he was a Man, whose Faith and Piety as he was a Christian, whose Clemency, Wisdom, and other admirable Vertues as he was a King, were enough to render him the Love of Mankind, as well as a Pattern to all Prin­ces, and an Honour to the whole World. In a word, vvhatever Blessings were ne­cessary to make us either a Religious, or a Wealthy, or a Potent, or a Free Nation, vve had our Portion of them in abun­dance; and were Miserable only in this respect, that as Now, so Then, we had not [Page 11] the Sense to See, nor the Hearts to Value our own Felicities. Hence it vvas, that men vvere Peevish vvithout Reason, and Troublesome vvithout End: Hence it vvas, that the Same Pretences vvhich are so Rife in this Age, vvere so Fatal in that: Our Regular Ministry vvas then traduced, as if it were Popishly affected; our Bishops, as if they were an Ʋseless and Wicked Or­der; our Doctrines, as if they had been minted at Rome; our Service Book, as if it vvere a Translation of the Mass; our Rites, as if they vvere the Reliques of Po­pery; and our vvhole Church, as if it vvere given to Idolatry and Superstition. And from the same base Principle of Ingratitude it was, that the World was filled with In­sinuations and Complaints, as if the Li­berties of the People were in Danger; as if Religion was going out of the Land, and Arbitrary Power coming in; as if his Ma­jesties Counsellors were Evil; as if the Intro­duction of Popery and Tyranny were the De­sign, and the King himself were consenting to the Plot. All which Ʋnjust and Mali­cious Suggestions, though they were no [Page 12] other than the Arts of Ʋnthankful Spirits; and though the World hath been since abundantly convinced of the Falshood there­of, yet they were taken for granted then; and so did naturally help forward the downfall of the Crown, and the Sin of This day. Secondly, another way where­by Men Sinned in those days, was by Pub­lishing the Doctrines, and Entertaining the wicked Principles of the Jesuites. For, seeing Religion and the Laws of the Land had provided Securities for the King's Life, Person, Power and Greatness, they found no way left them to Prosecute their Evil and Bloudy Intentions, but by poysoning the Kingdom with such Foreign Principles as these, that the King's whole Power is de­rived from the People; that He is Such a Trustee and Servant as may be called to Account, before the face of the World; that if they Judge him to have been Ʋnfaith­full to his Trust, they may Lawfully Depose him; that if he be a Tyrant (whereof they are the Judges) they may, and are bound to Kill him; that it lyeth in them to Set up what form of Government they please, and [Page 13] that the Crown is wholly at their disposal. Many other Doctrins there are which bear affinity with These, and which of Late have served to fill up a Leviathan, a Plato Re­divivus, a Just and Modest Answer, so cal­led, &c. besides whole Loads of Intelligen­ces, and other Scandalous Writings, where­with the World is even now pester'd, as if it were not enough to have intoxicated the People, to have undone a Nation, and to have pulled down the Crown Once. For these were the Principles, upon which those Delicate Protestants, those Tender and Thin­skin'd Consciences, those goodly Loyal and Dutiful Subjects acted, when they fought against their King; when they Hunted him upon the Mountains, when they gave him a Crown of Thorns for a Diadem of Gold, when they translated his Chair of State out of the Parliament-house into Westminster­hall, and at his Palace erected him a Scaf­fold for a Throne, and made him a Glorious Martyr, whom they so often Swore they would make a Glorious King.

And yet these Principles were once the Proper Creed of the Jesuites; and it was [Page 14] ever call'd Jesuitism, till by going abroad to seek its Fortunes it changed its Name, and came to be called the Purity and Power of Religion, the Evangel of Christ, the Faith of God's Kirk, and the Law of the Holy Com­mon-wealth. Originally these Doctrines were taught by Mariana, by Bellarmine, by Azorius, and divers Jesuites more; for many, even of the Romish Priests, have laid them to the charge of the Jesuites; and Watson himself, in the days of Queen Eliza­beth, laid them particularly to the charge of the Jesuite Parsons, who had written several Seditious Books full of those Prin­ciples, and in particular a Book entitled, Doleman: And (that all Sober men a­mong us may beware of those Principles, and see how powerfully they did work throughout the whole Civil War then, and how naturally they tend to embroil us in another, and will necessarily do it, when there is a fair opportunity,) I must observe unto you, that That very Book of Parsons, which had been written so many years be­fore, was in the Year Forty Eight printed again with another Title, as if it had been [Page 15] newly Penn'd, not by a Jesuite, but a True Protestant. It is to be observ'd too, that a late Pamphlet entitled, the History of Suc­cession, is an Abridgment of Doleman. which plainly shews, that those Traytors them­selves were convinc'd in their Consciences, that nothing could justifie the raising of the War, and the destruction of the King, but the Doctrines of a Through-pac'd Je­suite. Thirdly, It is certain, that an Er­roneous Devil in the Understanding, will soon become a Furious Devil in mens Prac­tice. For those wicked Doctrines being once received, presently shew'd themselves by innumerable acts of Sedition; and that was another Sinfull way whereby the Crown fell. The Government was Libelled, every Order of Men in the Church was traduced, the Loyal Magistrates and Gentry were threatned and expos'd, Nobles were voted Guilty upon publick Fame, and kill'd, as it were, by the strength of Peoples breath; his Majesties Palace assaulted by Land and Water, and himself forced to Fly in his own defence; and all these mischiefs were main­ly owing to those Hucksters of Sedition [Page 16] and Treason, whose Fingers were daily em­ployed to destroy the King with their Pens, as Scotus's Scholars destroyed their Master with Pencils; insomuch that being peti­tioned at Royston to return to his Parlia­ment, His Majesty refused for this Reason, because the Scandalous Pamphlets that Swarm'd abroad, had now brought his Per­son and Life into eminent danger. Fourth­ly, Nor did things stay here; but to pull down the Crown from our head effectually, an actual War is Levied, and Arms are ta­ken up; which we cannot suppose to have been done without a direct Design against the King's Life, it being altogether uncer­tain, what the Fortune of War may be, and how a Single Bullet may be directed; as it hapned neer a Town of Cornwall, where his Majesty narrowly escaped, the next Man to him being shot by the Enemy. Which high provocation notwithstanding (that I may not omit a Singular instance of his Tenderness and Clemency) though his Ordnance were ready planted to bat­ter the place down, he hindred the Attack with this noble Expression. I understand [Page 17] (said He) that I have many Good Subjects in the Town, and I had rather Spare the Lives of an hundred Rebels, than venture the Hurting of one of Them. Indeed the Hand of God was all along his Protection in the Field: but no thanks to those, whose very taking up of Arms was Mur­der in the Intent; and if my Author Symmond's Vindication of the King, pag. 90. doth not deceive me, it is a memorable Relation which he tells us, that at the Bat­tel of Edge-hill, his Majesties Souldiers took certain Letters, whereby it was discovered; that they who then called themselves the Kings most Loving and Obedient Sub­jects, had hired one Blake to signifie by some Token the particular place in the Field where the King was; that the shot might be directly level'd thither, and that they might speak Home to his Heart out of the mouth of their Cannon.

5. We have now seen Some of those wicked Means, whereby the Calamity in my Text came upon us, Ingratitude, Je­suitism, Sedition, and actual Resistance: and were not the Instruments thereof past all feeling, methinks they should not stick to [Page 18] take up the Lamentation, The Crown is fallen from our Head: wo unto us that we have Sin­ned. But yet all these Arts, though Sinful, would have been Ineffectual, had it not been for Another wicked Course they took to Cheat the World into their Assistance; I mean their palpable and villanous Hy­pocrisie. Nothing is more Odious in the eyes of God, than Hypocrisie and Dissimulation; and yet what was pretended all along, but the Glory of God, the Honour of the King, the Interest of Religion, the Safety of the People, and the Welfare of Three King­doms? A specious Pretence, and a very Raree-Shew in the Original. But by too Sad and too Late Experience we found, that 'twas their Own Greatness, and their Own In­terest that was at the Bottom; that Plunder and Sequestration were the things aimed at; that the Church was to be Purged, that is, from its Possessions; and that the Estate, Dignity, and Power of the Crown was to be Secured, but meaning to Themselves. In Forty One, they did Remonstrate, that they did not purpose or desire to abolish the Church Go­vernment; and disclaimed all intentions of ab­solving [Page 19] men from that Obedience, which they owed to his Majesty, whom they profest they knew to be intrusted with the Ecclesiastical Laws as well as with the Temporal. In Forty Two, they Declared, that they intended a due and necessary Reformation of the Govern­ment and Liturgy of the Church, and to take away Nothing in the one, or in the other, but what should be Evil, and justly Ossensive; or at least Ʋnnecessary and Burdensome. In Forty Three, they Professed, that their Army was de­signed to defend the King's Person, Honour and Dignity, and to hinder all change in Religion: they Protested as in the Presence of God, that they had no Intentions to offer violence to his Majesties Person, or to hurt his just Power, or to destroy his Monarchy. In the Third Arti­cle of the Solemn League and Covenant they Swore, to preserve and defend the Kings Ma­jesties Person and Authority, in the preservation and defence of the true Religion; and that they had no thoughts to diminish his just Power and Greatness. And in Forty Six, they declared, that their sincere Intentions were to uphold the An­cient and Fundamental Government of this Realm, by King, Lords, and Commons. Now, whe­ther [Page 20] these were not Rank and Persidious Hy­pocrites, let the World judg; when instead of Reforming the Church Government, they Abolish't it; when instead of Revising our Ser­vice-Book, they quite Remov'd it; when in their Negative Oath they afterwards Swore neither directly nor indirectly to Adhere unto, or Assist the King; when they took away the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and Proclaimed such Traytors as did stand for them; when they cashier'd the Noble House of Peers; when they sought against the Kings Per­son, attempted the shedding of his Sacred Bloud, and at last drove him to the Scaf­fold; all their Remonstrances, Declarations, Protestations, Promises, Vows and Oaths to the Contrary notwithstanding.

Beloved, I have not searched into the Villanies of former times with any manner of Delight, but out of pure Necessity; that by seeing the Methods whereby the World was Deluded, and the Throne Subverted in One Age, we may learn to Beware; lest we be led by the Nose, and Trickt out of our Obedience and Loyalty in Another. For it is a Pleasure and Pastime to some to play [Page 21] Pranks, and to Shew how Dexterous and Arti­ficial they can be▪ at Cheating the unwary Populace, and Hurling the World into Con­fusion. Therefore, if God in Vengeance for our Sins shall at any time Suffer our Go­vernment to Shake; let us Remember Epi­charmus his Rule, and not be too Credulous, nor be deceived with Popular Professions of Zeal and Conscience; a thing which many times is Pretended, just as a fine Shew is hung up upon a Sign-post, only to draw in Cust­om. When the late Unhappy Troubles were breaking out, were there not Thousands of well-meaning Persons that were Impos'd upon, and abused with False Notions and-Appearances? As Truth came more and more to light, did not many Desert that Cause which they found to be wicked, and turn to the interest of the Crown? Had not divers an Hand in the War, who did not Foresee, nor Dream, that it would End with such a sad Tragedy? and when the Fatal Blow was given, did not the Generality of men Lament to see, what a dreadful Issue things were brought to, by the Subtle Designs of some, and by the Rashness, Easiness, and Folly of others? Why, they are the maddest people [Page 22] in the World, that will not be Disciplin'd in­to Wit, nor taught to be Wary by their own Costly Experience; especially when they have time to cast up their Accounts, and to compare their Acquests with their Losses; and have the greatest Reason to consider, what Woes and Miseries did Presently and Naturally follow upon the falling of the Crown: which brings me

3. To the third and last thing in my Text, that woful Condition which the Pro­phet Lamented upon the Ruin of Their Government, and which we were enthralled in, upon the Subversion of ours: The Crown is fallen from our Head: wo unto us that we have Sinned.

I would intreat every Thinking man (who is not in Love with Misery, nor desirous to Court and Invite his own Ruin) to con­sider Seriously, whether the whole Chri­stian World could shew another Nation, which was so Miserable as this Poor King­dom was, before the Restauration of his present Majesty. We drank off indeed the very Dregs of the Cup of Bitterness; and (which made it the Bitterer) we mingled the [Page 23] Draught our selves. We were not Forced (as the Jews) but Sold, and that by our selves, into the hands of the Babylonians. This People were there own Captives; Submitting to Tyrants of their own Making; Pur­chasing their Slavery with their Bloud; Contracting to be undone by Leagues, Covenants, Associations, and other Acts and Deeds of their Own. It is their Usual Fate, who are given to Change, that they commonly change One Government for a Worse; and the quartering out of a King­dom into a Common-wealth, is but the drawing on of that Curse upon a Nation, which King Solomon meant, when he said, that for the Transgression of a Land, Many are the Princes thereof, Pro. 28. 2. For as all Republicks have been originally Raised upon the Ruins of Monarchy, so they who Erected them, have ever Groan'd under the works of their own hands; and there is not a Common-wealth in the World, but may attest the Truth of that in Maxi­mus Tyrius, that Happy is that State, which hath a King for its Governour. We may easily see by some instances abroad, that [Page 24] men are great Losers, both as to their Spiritual and Temporal Interest, by being Members of a State that is Popular: and my Author hath rightly Observed of the State of the Low-Countries in particular, that (though they are happy in being freed from the Yoke of Popery, yet) having fought with the King of Spain about Two things, Religion and Taxes, they have so far prevailed, in respect of Both, that They have gotten all the Religions in Chri­stendom, and pay the greatest Taxes in the World. But of all the People under Heaven This Nation most deserved to be Plagued with the Worst of Governments, who would not be contented with the Best. And the truth is, we had Woes with a witness, and were so Surfeited with Evils, which Then we accounted Plagues, that Wise men could not think, we should ever long to be Sick with them again. For whereas these things were promised us; a Settlement of the Nation, together with a Security for our Religion, Property, and Liberty; let every impartial man look into the History of those Times, and judge whether in every [Page 25] of these respects, we did not receive a Curse instead of a Blessing.

1. For a Setled we had a most Distract­ed Nation, so that Rome it self, that had Shifted its Government so often, could not compare with this Little Island wherein there was such a Variety of Scenes. We had Plague upon Plague, as if our Land had been another Egypt, save only in This, that we could not find a Goshen in any part of our Country. To day we had one form of Government, and the next day another, and every one a Plague; nay, to go on upon the Parallel, not only our Waters were turn'd into Bloud, but even Flies, and Locusts, and Lice, and Frogs (that croaked in the King's Chambers) were the Plague Epidemical, and (which is worse) Men were forced to Worship and Adore these Ver­mine, and as at first they set them up, so at last they bowed down before them.

2. As for Religion, the great Lesson which was taught us was, to be Silly and Dishonest; to have the Wisdom of the Dove, and the Innocency of the Serpent. Hence came such numerous Sects and Divisions, [Page 26] in a short time, as by the Confession of Some of That Party were never known before under that Government which they decryed as Antichristian. Hence came A­theism, the Daughter of That Age, and the Monster of This: for when Men found, that the Quarrel was about Religion, and saw that many Pretenders to it were Reli­gious Cheats, they were apt to Mistrust, and for their Vices sake to Believe, that the whole business of Religion was a Cheat too; and so Mr. Hobbs was followed as a greater Apostle than St. Paul. Let me add one thing more; hence it came to pass, that Popery hath gotten such Elbow-room a­mong us. For the Subtle Romanists ea­sily perceived, that there was no way for them to introduce their Religion into this Kingdom, but by creating first such Fa­ctions and Schisms, as in time would over­throw the establisht Government. Therefore did Campanella the Jesuite, advice the King of Spain to use this Project, First to Divide De Mo­narch. Hisp. the English, and then to perswade the Par­liament to turn the Kingdom into a Common­wealth. And in like manner Cardinal Ri­chelieu [Page 27] counselled the French King, To use all possible means to change the Monarchy of England into a Common-wealth. And it appears by the Letters which were written See the Grand Design, &c. by Andreas ab Habernsield, a Bohemian, That Cardinal Richelieus Chaplain, together with Cunaeus, and divers other Romish Priests were employed here, before the Civil War brake out, to bring the King, and the Archbishop of Canterbury that then was, to Destruction. And the Truth is, the Jesuite could never hope for a more fair Oppor­tunity of doing his Own Work among us Safe and Ʋndiscern'd, than when he had turn'd the Nation into Factions, and set every one of them to grapple with the Go­vernment. So that things falling out just according to the Jesuites Directions, the King being Murthered, the Archbishop be­ing Sacrificed, and the Monarchy being changed into a Republick, every Child may easily understand, that it was not the Secu­rity, but the Ruin of our Religion, that was intended all along from the begin­ning. Briefly, If Rebellion be Religion, then were our Pretending Reformers the Un­doubted [Page 28] Patrons of it. If the Destruction of the Church be the Preservation of Prote­stancy, then were the Papists and They the Only True Protestants in the World. If to cut off the Defender of the Faith; if to Ha­rass and Ruin the Ministers thereof; if to banish all Order; if to throw away all Forms of Divine Worship; if to turn Ora­tories into Stables; if to render the Service of God Ridiculous and Contemptible; if to play the Hypocrites, and to violate Oaths; and by all instances of wickedness to bring a Reproach and Odium upon Christianity; if such Religious Villanies as these, did speak Men to be the True Friends and Pa­trons of Religion, I am Sure no Age of the Church ever produced Such Friends and Patrons before; though I cannot under­take but This Age possibly may produce the like.

3. Next, let us consider a little in what a Miserable case we were, in respect of the Subjects Property; to Defend which, they pretended a Particular, and more than Ordinary Zeal; insomuch that thou­sands of Men were perswaded to believe [Page 29] that their Designs were Honourable, to Se­cure every Mans Right, and to make the whole Nation Great and Prosperous. But were we not Cheated of our Hopes in that respect too? While the King Sat Easie in His Throne, every man Sat Safe in his Pos­sessions; and we were then (as God be bles­sed we are now) under our own Vines, and under our own Fig-trees; Paradise was in in our Land, Prosperity was our Portion, the King was our Guardian, the Laws were our Security, and every Mans Riches were his Own. I pray what became of our Mag­na Charta when our Monarch and Mo­narchy were cut off? Indeed we had Laws, but like the Laws of Draco, that were writ­ten in Bloud; we had Courts of Justice, such as were almost as Just and Merciful as the Thirty Tyrants of Athens; and Estates we had, in the hands of Sequestrators, who Kept them Safe for us; and our Estates yielded their yearly Fruits of Increase, for Locusts and Caterpillars; but Taxations we had none, only such as we could not Pay; nor any Grievances in the Nation greater then were our very Rulers.

[Page 30]4. Nor, Lastly, did it Fare better with the Peoples Liberty, whereof they profest to be the most Trusty and Faithfull Keepers. See what became of it, when the Crown was fallen. For to Preserve our Liberties, they made us Slaves; and to keep all Arbitrary Power out, they brought it in: So that Vid. Delegat. Scot. Chart. ult. the Scots themselves in an Instrument di­rected to the Trayterous Juncto at West­minster, in February Forty Eight, upbraided them tartly for exercising that Tyranny Themselves, which they pretended forsooth, to remove all danger of, by taking away the High Commission-Court, and the Star-Chamber. The Civil Liberty of a People is wrapped up in the Laws, and this great Blessing we have had under our Kings, that we have been dealt with according to those Laws, to which we our selves have by our Representatives given our own Consent. Happy are the People which be in such a case: But what a miserable plight were we in, when instead of One King, we had an Army of Ʋsurpers? and instead of a Golden Scepter to bow down to, we had an hundred Iron Rods to be beaten with? Yes, it was a Glo­rious [Page 31] Liberty, when the Scum of the Nation could Imprison without Reason, could Kill without Law, could Live without Religion, could Tyrannize without Conscience, could do every thing that was good in their own Eyes. In short, They had the Liberty to Plun­der and Oppress, and We had the Liberty to Beg or to Starve; They had the Liberty to be Cruel and Savage, and We had the Liberty either to be Dishonest, or to be Hang'd.

Let us learn therefore to be Wise in time, and in a Ticklish Age be carefull to distinguish between the Lamb-skin and the Wolf; and having had the Experience of Former times to instruct us, give great heed, as to avoid our old Miseries, so to forbear the old Methods which brought them about: Let us not suffer our selves at any time to be Abused with a Shew, nor to trust rashly to Pretenses, because what Hath hapned may happen again; and to tread in the Same track, is the ready way to drop in the Same Snare.

And this I would crave leave to recom­mend especially to your Consideration, who are Members of this Great and Honourable [Page 32] City; because it is notorious, that the Ori­ginal and Growth of our Late Troubles, and the Sin of This Day, were all in a great measure owing to the wicked Practices of a prevailing Party here, whose Confede­racies in Treason did help strongly to give the Fatal blow to Three Kingdoms. 'Twas here, that Traytours were Harboured, and Carried in Pomp. 'Twas here, that Firebrands were thrown, even from the Pulpit, to inflame the whole Nation. 'Twas Hence that Petitions were presented against the Orders of the Church; that Clamours were fomented against Church-men; that Tumultuous Routs were sent to cry for Justice, and to frighten the King from his own Palace. 'Twas hence, that Associations against the Government were encouraged; that a wicked Covenant was dispatcht a­broad into all parts of the Kingdom; that whole Treasures were issued out to begin the Rebellion, and an Army raised too to carry on the Blessed Work of the day. I do not care to instance in particulars; do but Look into the Annals of the Times, and you will Blush to see, that so much Guilt [Page 33] was contracted within the Walls of London. I cannot therefore, without being wanting in that duty which I owe to God, to the King, and to your Selves; but earnestly beseech you, that you take great heed of those Means whereby the Crown fell once, and both Dread, and as much as Lyeth in you, Labour to Prevent the Like Miseries, as presently came upon the fall of it. I should be Unjust to this City, should I not own my confidence, that there are now ma­ny as Loyal, as Great, as Brave Spirits in it, as any Age could boast of; and let me add, it is both your Honour and the present Hap­piness of the Kingdom, that there are so; and God increase their Number, Strength, and Fortunes. Yet we see (what in such a great Body we cannot but Expect) what different Interests and Parties there be, and how Blind Some are, I will not say Wil­fully, but yet so Ʋnfortunately, that they do not discover the manifold Blessings of God wherewith they are Surrounded, in the midst of some Discouragements. How­ever, since I perceive men on All hands do profess themselves most Loyal and most Du­tiful [Page 34] Subjects, I hope it will be acceptable Counsel unto All, if we Exhort you, that ye Fear God, and the King, and never meddle with them that are given to Change. In or­der thereunto, Study to be Quiet, and to do your Own business; follow Holiness and Peace, endeavouring, by all possible means, to keep the Ʋnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. Let the Spirit of God rule in all your Hearts, the Spirit of Love and Obedience, the Spirit of Humility, Ʋnity, and Concord. Let all Bitterness, and Wrath, and Envy, and Clamour, and Railing be put away from you, with all Malice. In fine, Love the Brotherhood, Fear God, and Honour the King; that so God may Bless us, and make us once more an Happy, Prosperous, and Uni­ted Nation; and that neither We, nor our Posterity, may ever have cause to take up the Churches Lamentation in my Text, The Crown is fallen from our Head: wo unto us that we have Sinned.