I Shall not trouble you with the various Acceptations of the Hebrew Word Schonim, which the Chaldee render Fools, or, as we say, Changelings; and which our Translators more sutably to what goes before, render, those that are given to Change: for in the former part of the Text, he advises his Son to fear the Lord, and Honour the King; that is, to reverence and obey the Supreme Lord and Governour of the World, and [Page 2] in reverence to him, to be Dutiful and Obedient to the King, who is his immediate Vicegerent, and Representa­tive upon Earth, and upon that account ought to be Honoured and Obeyed: And therefore my Son (say's he) as thou wouldst be secur'd, from all Disloyalty and Disobedience to thy King, in contemning whose Au­thority thou openly affrontest the Supreme Lord of the World, whose invisible Majesty he personates; meddle not with those that are given to Change, i. e. who either out of a swelling Ambition of being uppermost, or a private Revenge against their Superiours, or a restless peevishness and impatience of Rule, or affectation of Novel­ty, or design to repair their broken Fortunes out of the publick ruins, are for introducing Changes, and Altera­tions in the Government: with such as these do not mingle thy self, no not so much as to listen to their Insinuations, or to credit or propagate their Reports; or to support and countenance their Cause, either with thy Tongue, or Pen, or Money, or Suffrage, or to be any other way aiding or assisting to their factious and seditious Designs. In the Prosecution of this Argument I shall endeavour, First, to represent to you the great folly, and danger of ingaging with such as are given to Change, that is, with Parties, and Factions against the Government. And 2ly, To give you the proper Marks and Characters of such Parties, and Factions, by which all well-minded Men [Page 3] may know them, and avoid intermedling with them.

First, I shall indeavour to represent the great folly, and danger of engaging with Factions against the Govern­ment, of which I shall give you these five Instances.

• First, It exposes our Understanding to the most Er­roneous Prejudices and Misrepresentations of things.
• Secondly, It exposes our Will to the blackest and most Diabolical Affections.
• Thirdly, It tempts us to an high neglect of, and Indifferency in the greatest and most necessary things of Religion.
• Fourthly, It involves us in the most indirect Courses, and then trains us on, from bad to worse.
• Fifthly, It ordinarily snares and entangles us in the greatest temporal Mischiefs and Calamities.

First, Our ingaging with Factions against the Govern­ment, exposes our Understanding to the most erroneous Prejudice; for it is the constant Method of all Factions, to prejudice the Minds of the People, with false and spiteful glosses upon the Actions of their Superiors, with [Page 4] scandalous Forgeries, or soul misconstructions of their fairest meanings, and most honourable Designs; without which base Arts, it would be impossible for them to dis­affect the Vulgar to any tolerable Government, or to Alarm their Passions, and Fears, and Jealousies, which are the usual Train by which they give fire to all publick Disorder and Confusion. When therefore a Man ingages in a Faction, he doth in effect prostitute his Understand­ing, to all the Cheats and Delusions, that busie and con­triving Knaves can impose on it; for having once Wed­ded his Affections to the Interest of the Faction, they will quickly bribe his Understanding into a belief of every thing that favours it; and let the opinion or the story be never so improbable, it will find an easy Access to such minds, as are already feed by their Affections to en­tertain it; and provided it be but serviceable to the Party he is ingaged in, that will prevail with his Understand­ing, against a thousand good Reasons to the contrary; let him but hear his Prince reproacht, with never such wild and improbable stories, he shakes his head and swal­lows all for Gospel. Tell him that the King is deeply ingaged in a Plot against his own Life, and Crown and Dignity; Alass what a dismal Story is this, that a Man should thus fall out with himself, and doat upon his own ruin! But though his Faith thus glibly swallows Camels on one side, yet 'tis strange to see how it will strain at [Page 5] a Gnat on t'other: for tell him on t'other side, with never so much Evidence and Demonstration, that the Traiterous design he talks of is hatching under the Wings of his own Faction; and though you shew him the very Associa­tion, and Band of the Bloody Conspiracy, upon the Principles whereof they have Murdered one King alrea­dy, and so may reasonably be presumed to be acting the Tragedy of another, especially when they act the same things over again, Scene after Scene, so exactly in the same Garb, and Plot, and Language, that had one who dyed 40 years ago, arose from his Grave, but 2 or 3 years since, he would doubtless have concluded, that 42 was not yet expired; yea though you produce a fresh Conspiracy, proved upon the Party by undeniable Evi­dence, and even by the free Confessions of the dying Conspirators themselves, yet 'tis next to impossible to perswade him, that ever such wise Men should be so mad, or such good Men so Wicked, as to ingage in such a desperate Villainy. But I need not tell you, who have seen the Transactions of these last six years, how many fulsom Lies have been confidently believed, and noto­rious Truths dasht out of Countenance, through blind Partiality to a Faction. And indeed when once a Man is ingaged in a Faction, 'tis thenceforth impossible for him to judge impartially of things, because now his Faith must see through his Affections, and his Affections [Page 6] must follow the interest of his Party, and if that be ingaged in ill designs, it will need ill Principles to countenance it; and his Affections being pre-ingaged to the Interest of the Faction, will easily bribe his Understanding, to assent to any Principles that are needful to support it. Wherefore if you have any reverence for your own Understandings, if you would not be play'd upon by Im­postors, and Deceivers, and choust and abused, and lead by the Nose through all the wild Mazes of folly and fals­hood, meddle not with those that are given to change.

Secondly, By ingaging our selves in Factions against the Government, we shall in all probability, insensibly contract the most black and Diabolical Affections; for this is the Natural Process of all Faction, it begins in Pride and Self-conceit, in an arrogant Presumption that we are much wiser than those above us, and fit­ter to Rule and Govern; and then having once enter­tained this overweening Opinion of our selves, we look upon all that are superior to us, with Envious and Ma­lignant Eyes, and think our selves highly injured and affronted, that we are not plac't at the upper end of the World; and then from Envying we proceed to ha­ting our Governours, and from hating them to Impa­tience of their Government; to ease our selves of which we soon imbody into Factions, where we whet our [Page 7] Malice and Arrogance upon one another, by applaud­ing each other in censuring those above, in running spiteful Descants on their Actions, and Arraigning their Male-Administrations at the Tribunal of our Majesty; than which there is nothing can more effectually hu­mour and gratifie our Vanity: For what a Glorious thing is it for a little Shop-keeper or Mechanick to perk up a mighty Politician, and sit in Judgement on his Governours, to expose the Folly of their Conduct, and find out the soft places of their Ministers of State? how much greater and more Magnificent is this, than to be Dull and stay at home and mind ones own Busi­ness? And when by thus humouring our Pride we have blown it up into Insolence, this swells our Envy, and that inflames our Malice against all that are above us, or opposite to us; for by this time our mind is so bloated that we cannot bear the least Contradiction, but are ready to run down with Clamour, and hard Names, every thing that thwarts our imperious Di­ctates; and in matters of Religion every thing is Po­pery that agrees not with the Model of our Reforma­tion, and in matters of State every thing Tyranny that opposes the Platform of our Government; and unless all things be framed according to our Humour, and bend to the Dictates of our Oraculous Pride, Heaven and Earth will come together, the Gospel, and Liberty and [Page 8] Property will vanish, and the whole Frame of things sink into Confusion. And while we thus make our Pride and Self-conceit the Standard of the World, and expect that all things should comply with and truckle to it: We shall be so impatient of Contradiction, that 'twill be lit­tle better than Treason, or Blasphemy to oppose us; so that whosoever presumes to give Check to our Inso­lence, is sure to be made the mark of our Malice, and to be persecuted with all the Reproach and Opprobrium that the most inveterate Rancour can invent. Thus Faction, you see, is impregnated with the very Nature of the Devil, and carries in it all the Pride and Envy, Ran­cour and Malice that sunk down the Angels of Light from Heaven, and converted them into Fiends and Furies. Wherefore as you would not expose your Natures to Spoil and Ravage, to be over-spread with the most Poi­sonous Affections, and drown'd in the Passions of Hell, Meddle not with those that are given to Change.

Thirdly, By ingaging our selves in Factions against the Government, we shall be mightily tempted to neglect the great and necessary things of Religion; for ge­nerally the Foundations of all Factions against Govern­ment are laid in little Disputes about matters of Religion, which are usually started by the Leaders of the Faction, for no other end but to ingage the ho­nest [Page 9] Zeal of the People against the establisht Religion, that thereby they may ingage them against the esta­blisht Government. And could they▪ but make them as Zealous for the Mass as for the Directory, 'twould be all one to them, which of the two they advanc't against the publick Establishment; their Design in these hot Disputes about Religion, being only to lay a Train to blow up the Government; and since the Zeal of the People is the Tool they must Work with, it is their Interest to sharpen it, and render it as Keen and Active as may be; so that when once you have ingaged your selves in their Faction, to be sure they will imploy their utmost Indeavours to bigot your Minds to their Opinion, and to ingage all your Zeal for the little Modes and Circumstances they Contend for; they will so represent the Matter to you, as if the Life and Substance of Religion were in Dispute; as if God, and Jesus Christ, and the Gospel were all at stake upon the Controversie, and your Souls were to sink or swim with their Opinions; and your Zeal being ingaged by these Arts, for the trifling Opinions of your Party, you will by degrees grow remiss and neglective of the great and weighty Things of Reli­gion: For the mind of Man being finite in all its Acts, can never operate divers ways at once, with equal Force and Vigour; but whatsoever Time and Attention [Page 10] we bestow upon one thing, we must necessarily sub­stract from another; and so by degrees as we grow more and more Zealous for the little Modes and O­pinions of our Party, we shall grow more and more remiss in the main and necessary Duties of Religion, till at last we degenerate into perfect lukewarmness: And accordingly how many are there among our selves, the very Spirit of whose Religion is evaporated into a noisie busie and blustering Zeal for Parties, who are wondrous Nice and Scrupulous about the Rites and Ceremonies of Religion; and yet can swallow Lies and Perjuries, Treasons and Rebellions without the least Straining or Remorse? O did but these men love God and their Neighbours in the same Proportion, as they do a Conventicle! Did they but hate Impiety and Im­morality, but half as much as they do Bishops and Liturgies, what excellent Christians would they be? But Alas, their Zeal is swallowed up in their Faction; the Current of it is diverted out of those proper Chan­nels of Piety and Vertue, into the little wranglings of their Party, where it flows Headlong, and makes a Clamorous noise, to no other purpose but to disturb the World: Wherefore as you would not be Tempted into a gross neglect of the Substantials of Religion, to convert your Piety and Vertue, into Bigottry and stickling for Parties, Meddle not with those that are given to Change.

[Page 11] Fourthly, By ingaging our selves in Factions against the Government, we shall in all Probability insensi­bly involve our selves in indirect Courses, and be train'd on from one Evil to another, into the most Flagi­tious Villanies. When first men list themselves into Par­ties, their Designs perhaps are fair and innocent: They are told that their Religion, their Liberties, and Pro­perties are in danger; and finding such a Party of men set up for forward and zealous Assertors of them, they mingle with them with no other intent but to concur with them, in all honest and lawful Endeavours, to preserve and secure those invaluable Blessings. But Alas poor Souls! they see where they begin, but God knows where they will end; for now they must move by the measures of the Faction, and see with its Eyes, and hear with its Ears, through which to be sure all the Acti­ons and Designs of their Governours, will be represented to them in the blackest Colours; by which their Passions being inflamed with contempt and hatred of them, will soon blaze out at their Mouths, or Pens into seditious Talk or Factious Libels; and then such is the nature of contempt and hatred, that the very venting of them fans and irritates them, till at last they settle into inveterate rancour, and then they are capable of any mischief; for all along as their passion is growing, they mistake it for a pious zeal for God and Religion, and the publick [Page 12] good, and under that Notion cherish its irregular transports, concluding that nothing can be amiss, that proceeds from such a sanctified Principle; and so though they lie, and slander, and backbite, and perjure themselves over and over, yet 'tis all well, because they do it out of Zeal for the Glory of God, and the true Protestant Religion: For when once intemperate zeal gets ahead, it bears down all considerations of Reason and Religion before it, and hurries us on into the foulest Enormities; and then when once our outragious Zeal hath transported us into illegal and unjustifiable Actions, we shall many times be tempted to proceed, through mere despair of a safe re­treat, and to shelter our selves from the Punishment of one Crime, by committing another: For so in all Factions Men, do commonly so involve themselves, that when they have done ill, they have no other way to save them­selves, but by doing worse: Thus when by their Seditious Behaviour, they have incensed their Governour against them, its necessary for them to Associate; and when they are Associated, its necessary to Rebell; and when they have drawn the Sword, its necessary to fling the Scabbard to the Devil: for I make no doubt, but many of those Wretches that Murdered the late King, would have trembled at the thought of it, when they first in­gaged in the Faction; but their zeal having once trans­ported them into Sedition, they had no other way to [Page 13] escape but by Rebellion; and being engaged in Rebellion, they had no other Sanctuary but Regicide. As therefore you would not expose your Innocence and Vertue to these and such like dangerous Temptations, mingle not with such as are given to Change.

Fifthly, and Lastly, By ingaging with Factions a­gainst the Government, we shall in all probability, in­tangle our selves in the greatest Temporal Mischiefs and Calamities: For Faction is naturally forward and Pragmatical, it fills Mens heads with Projects and Chy­mera's, with Mysteries of State and Models of Govern­ment, and sends their thoughts after the Fools eyes, roving to the ends of the Earth, to Parliaments and Privy Councils, and high Consultations about Affairs of Government. And when once their Minds are got abroad, their Bodies cannot stay long behind, but away they must to some Coffee-House, or Publick Refectory, to vent their Politicks, and advise about Affairs of State, discharge their Consciences to the Publick, by directing how things ought to be managed, and shewing where the Ministers of State are out, and by what Measures they ought to steer the Helm of Government; and in the mean time while they are Governing abroad, the Shop is neglected at Home, and the Trade decays, and they and their Families sink insensibly into Beggery; for [Page 14] though for a very small charge they may sit and govern an hour or two together, yet hereby their time is not only wasted, which is much more precious then their Money, but their heads are filled with so many Politick Whimsies, that when they come home they cannot mind their business, their Shops are grown too little for their Minds, and they can neither think nor talk be­neath Affairs of Empire: And when once Men are got into this vein, 'tis time for their Creditors as well as their Governours to look after them; for 'tis too too much for one Man to Govern a Kingdom, and to mind a Trade; while he is busie abroad, he must be Idle at home, and when his Faction hath reduced him to Idle­ness, his Idleness will soon bring him to Beggery; of the truth of which the Age we live in affords us too many wofull Instances, of such as have been thrust on by a Factious and Pragmatical Temper, to inter-medle with Affairs of Government; which by degrees have so in­grost their Thoughts and Cares, and Time and Activi­ty, that they could scarce ever be at leisure to attend their own Business; and so like the foolish Astronomer, whilst they have been Gazing at the Stars, and trou­bling their Heads about Affairs above them, they have been utterly Regardless of their own Concerns, and tumbled into the Ditch of Ruin unawares. But sup­pose they escape this Rock, yet there is another very [Page 15] dangerous one attends them; and that is, the Law, a­ginst which in all Probability they will one time or other split themselves in Pieces: For Faction naturally renders men Bold and Confident of their own un­derstanding, so that if they have but attain'd some lit­tle smattering of Law, they make no doubt but that they fully understand it, and the utmost bounds of it, and how far they may venture without incurring its Pe­nalties; and so many times they Dance themselves in­to a Noose, and like silly Flies play about the Candle till they have singed their Wings in the Flame of it. For when out of an ignorant Confidence men will ven­ture as far as they imagine they may, 'tis a thousand to one but they venture farther than they should, and either prate or scribble within the reach of the Penal­ty, or through their own inconsiderate Rashness, are insensi­bly decoy'd into Seditious and Treasonous Conspiracies. Where notwithstanding all Ingagements of Secrecy, and Hopes of future Advancement, their Lives and Fortunes are at Pawn in the hands of their fellow Conspirators; who being prompted, either by Drunkenness or Vani­ty, or Fear, or Conscience, will in all Probability one time or other betray them; or if they do not, yet their Cabals may be observed and suspected; their Councils may be over-heard, or their own Guilty Looks, or Affectation of Secrecy, may discover them, and a thousand other [Page 16] Accidents may unfold their dark Intrigues, and con­clude their mighty Hopes in a Halter. And considering that there is an All-seeing Providence that super-intends the Affairs of the World, and hath a peculiar Regard to the Safety of Princes, it is ten thousand to one against them, but that one time or other, they are catcht in their own Snares; for so it follows immediately after my Text, For their Calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knows the Ruin of them both? That is, both of those that move the Rebellion, and of those that Associate with them?

I now proceed to the second thing proposed; which is, to give you some Signs and Tokens, by which you may distinguish such as are given to Change, in Or­der to your avoiding them.

One would think indeed, considering our Circumstan­ces, it should be needless to warn us of ingaging in Factions against our Government; which is not only in it self the most gentle and easie in the World, but al­so Administred with anunparallel'd Lenity and Good­ness, by a most Gracious and Merciful Prince, a Prince that hath been indear▪d to us by the most signal Fa­vours of Heaven, by so many Wonders of Providence, and strange repeated Deliverances, and under whose Gracious Influence and Protection we have hitherto sate [Page 17] quietly under our own Vines, whilst all the Nations round about, have been involved in Blood and Confusi­on: so that for us to list our selves in a Faction against him, who hath been the Author of so much Happiness to us, and this after so many Repulses of Divine Provi­dence, which hath so manifestly stood by him, and own'd him for its Darling and Favourite; would be to fight, not only against our selves, and our own Happi­ness; not only against God's express Will, and visible Au­thority, but against his bare and naked Arm too. Not­withstanding all which it's too too visible, how apt we are to be imprest and wrought upon, by the Seditious Arts and Insinuations of Evil-minded men: Wherefore in such an Age as this, wherein even Well-meaning men are so often practised on, and their honest Zeal is so apt to be abused, and ridden by a Company of designing Male-Contents, it must doubtless be very seasonable to give some Signs and Tokens to the World, by which those that are given to Change may be known, and discovered, and avoided. Of these, therefore, I shall give you the following Particulars.

First, When men, who have Actually changed the Government already, begin to re-advance their old Prin­ciples, Methods and Pretences, it's a certain Sign they are given to Change; for either they have repented their Subversion of the Government, or they have not; if they [Page 18] have, the Fruits of it will appear in their future Behavi­our, they will be the more Peaceable, and Modest, and Obedient for the time to come, and keep at a greater distance from those Seditious Arts, by which they were inveigled, or did inveigle others, into the past Rebel­lion. But if they have not repented, and do still con­tinue of the same mind, advancing their old Princi­ples and Pretences, you may be sure they are aiming at their old Mark, and 'twould not be Charity but Sot­tishness, to believe the Gamester who Rookt ye once before, doth not design the same again, when you see him throw the same false Dice. When therefore you hear the Cry of Popery, and Arbitrary Government renew­ed, by a Party that have once blown up the Throne with it already, you may conclude upon it that they are Playing the Old Game over again. For whatsoever Cause there may be, to dread either Popery or Tyran­ny; these of all Men, were they truely Penitent for what is past, would be the most cautious how they Alarmed mens Fears and Jealousies again, considering what horrid Mischiefs they did by their false Alarms heretofore: When therefore you see them forward and industrious, and raise to propagate their old Cla­mour afresh, you may without breach of Charity con­clude, that they are the same Men they were, and are driving at the same Design.

[Page 19] Secondly, When men make that a Pretence for pub­lick Clamour and Bustle which themselves have little or no Claim to, or Regard for, it's a certain sign they are given to Change; for tis not to be imagin'd that men should be heartily concern'd for those things wherein they have no share or interest: Should you hear two Persons earnestly contending about the Di­vision of the Lands in the World in the Moon, you would hardly believe they were in Earnest, because whether there be Lands there or no, you are sure these men can have no Interest in them; and therefore you must either conclude that they are Mad, or that what­ever they pretend, the Foundation of their Quarrel lyes below the Moon. Thus for Instance, When you hear a Company of profligate Debochees, that live in open Defiance to all Religion, raise a Clamour for Religion, in which they are no more interested or concern'd than in those up-land Countries, in the World of the Moon; you may be sure the real Cause of their Cla­mour is something, in which they are more nearly Con­cern'd, and that this Pretence of Religion is only a plausible Mask to their Covetousness, or Revenge, or Ambition: And so again, when you hear a Company of Bankrupts or Stript-Sequestrators, raise a Cry for Free­hold and Property, against the Government, you may depend upon it, that this is not the real Mark they [Page 20] aim at; for what should make these men so Zealous for Property, that have nothing of their own to lose? it's a plain Case therefore that they Love your Proper­ties so well, that they would fain have a share in them; and in Order thereunto they would raise a Storm upon the Government, that so in a Common Rack they may inrich themselves with the Division of the Spoil, and wrest their Old Usurpations out of the hand of the rightful Possessors. Wherefore while you Live, have a Care of inter-mingling your selves with Atheists and Beggers in their Contentions with the Government for Religi­on and Property.

Thirdly, When men pretend Religion or publick Re­formation, but pursue it by sinful and indirect Means, it's a certain Token that they are given to Change; for they who heartily espouse the Interest of Religion, are Enemies to all things that Religion is an Enemy to. And therefore if I hate the Corruptions of Reli­gion, for Religions sake I must hate all sinful ways of Reforming it, because those Sinful ways are as contra­ry to Religion as the Corruptions I would reform by them. As for Example; Religion is as great an Enemy to Lying and Rebellion, as it is to Popery; and therefore if I truly love Religion, I shall be as great an Enemy to the one as the other: Wherefore if I see men Attempt to reform [Page 21] Religion from Popery, by Lying or Rebellion; I am sure 'tis not to serve Religion that they do it, but to serve themselves by unhinging the Government: For had they the sincere Zeal to Religion they pretend to, they would be as forward to obey its Commands of speaking the Truth, and submitting to their Governours, as they are to comply with its Prohibitions of Worship­ping Images, and Consecrated Waters, because its Au­thority is equally concern'd in both: And besides, they would Consider, that by using unwarrantable Means to purge or defend it, they shall much more prejudice its Cause, than the best Reformation can promote it. And Consequently, that it is much more for the true Interest of Religion, to be Persecuted by Popery, than to be re­formed by Rebellion: whereas by using wicked Arts to defend it, they only rescue it from one Enemy to be­tray it to another; and to Vindicate its Honour from Superstition and Idolatry, sacrifice it to Rebellion and Murder. When therefore you find any Party of men driving on a Pretence of Religion or Reformation, with Lies and Perjuries, Backbiting and Slanders, Tumults and Insurrections: As you tender, either your Vertue, or Welfare, have nothing to do with them; for you will most certainly find a Faction of Hypocrites, that only make a shew of Reforming Religion to under­mine the Government.

[Page 22] Fourthly, When under a Pretence of Reforming the Government, men reproach and vilifie the Persons of their Governours, and are forward to believe Ill, and back­ward to believe Well of them, it's a certain sign that they are given to Change; for if they design no more than the Reformation of some Faults, or Errors in the Govern­ment, they would only apply themselves to those in whose Power it is to correct them, and with all Humi­lity indeavour to convince them of, and perswade them to rectifie them: But to make it our business to speak ill of them where they cannot hear us, and proclaim and magnifie their Faults in our common Conversa­tion, what other end can this serve, but, First, to Arm the Passions, and then the Hands of their People against them? To what purpose should you tell me a Tragical Sto­ry, of the ill Actions or Designs of my Prince? You know very well, I am neither his Tutor, nor his Coun­sellor, and so no way capable to Correct, or Reform him. All that you can effect, therefore, is to raise an ill O­pinion of him in my mind, and what other Influence can my ill Opinion have, but to prepare me to list my self in any Mischievous Design against him? When therefore you find men addicted to Whisper, or Proclaim the Faults of their Governours, to Magnifie their Faults, and Conceal or lessen their good Conduct and Success, you may depend upon it, that their Designs are Mis­chievous, [Page 23] that they rejoyce in the Faults they exclaim against, and are glad things are so bad, and do hearti­ly wish they were worse, that so they might exclaim against them with the better Grace and Countenance; that they lament nothing so much, as the wise and good Deeds of their Governours, and that the worst News they can hear, is the Prosperity of the Publick, under the happy Influence of their Government: For how can I delight to imblazon the Faults I am sorry for, and do wish were amended? How can I take Plea­sure in making them worse than they are, did I not wish they were so? Why should I be so forward to believe any ill of them, but that Facilè credimus quod vo­lumus? Why so backwards to believe any Good, but that we heartily wish there were no Cause for it? Where­ever, therefore, you find any Persons of this Character, avoid them as you would the Air of a Pest-House; for assure your selves whatever they pretend, 'tis not the Reformation of the Government they aim at, but the Destruction of the Governours.

Fifthly, When Men shift their Principles with their Interest, and to serve a Turn can comply at one time, with that which they condemn at another, it's a sure sign they are given to Change; for if Conscience be the motive of our non-compliance with the Govern­ment, [Page 24] those reasons which sway us, when it is for our Interest, will as well sway us when it is against it; be­cause our Conscience is nothing but the reason of our Mind directing us what to do, and what to avoid; and though outward Changes may alter our Interest, yet 'tis only better reason that can alter our Reason, and whether it be better or no, is not to be determined by our mu­table Interests, but by Scripture, or the immutable Na­tures of things. When therefore you see any Party of Men, that dissent from the Government, shift their Principles and Practices, according to their vari­able Exigencies of their Affairs, Conform to day, and Non-conform to morrow, go to Church and receive the Sacrament to avoid a Penalty, or qualifie themselves for an Office, and when that Turn is served revolt to a Conventicle, and pretend Conscience against our Wor­ship and Ceremonies: When you hear them curse Tole­ration whilst themselves are in the Saddle, and assoon as they are dismounted declaim for Liberty of Conscience, cry up the Prerogatives of the Crown while it indulges, and cry them down again, assoon as it restrains them; in a Word, when you hear them bitterly exclaiming a­gainst Equivocation, Rebellion, and Treason in a Papist, and yet practise it themselves upon Popish Principles when their own Cause and Interest invites them; when, I say, you see these, or any such like Shiftings and Doub­lings [Page 25] in any Party dissenting from the Government; you may certainly conclude that 'tis not their Conscience sways, but their Faction.

Sixthly and Lastly, When men who in the ordinary Course of their Conversation, are proud and quarrelsom, and impatient of Contradiction, set up Pretences of Re­ligion against the Government, 'tis a certain sign that they are given to Change: for a great part of that which men call Religion, is nothing but the Workings of their natural Temper into such Principles and Practices as are most sutable to it. Thus the Pharisees, for instance, were Men of a very haughty, sower, Pragmatical, and un­tractable Nature, and this Temper of theirs wrought it self by degrees into a sutable Religion; for so their Pride issued into Affectation of Singularity, and that into those distinguishing Garbs, and Rites, and Gestures, which were the Badges of their Faction; so their Au­sterity and Sowerness discharged it self in long Prayers, frequent Fasts, and unnecessary Severities, and that into an uncharitable Opinion of every one that prayed not as long, and fasted not as often as they; and this into a sullen Separation from their Neighbours both in Civil and Sacred Society; and in a word, so their surli­ness and untractable Humour, workt out into a factious scrupulosity about Matters of Civil Obedience, and that [Page 26] into Seditions, and sometimes open Rebellions, upon slight and trifling Occasions; and when upon such Prin­ciples as were most agreeable to their own ill nature they had form'd themselves into a Sect, all the ill-natur'd People, both in Town and Country, were easily converted to it; and some good People too, perhaps, were so far im­posed on by the mighty shew it made of Zeal and San­ctity, as to imbody with it, the candour of their Natures not permitting them to suspect a rotten Core under so fair an out-side; till at length being poysoned themselves, by the ill Principles of the Party, they became as ill-na­tured as the rest of their Brethren; and so as ill Nature be­got the ill Principles in some, so the ill Principles begot ill Nature in others: So that though this Pharisaical Reli­gion made a mighty Shew, and look't with a most de­mure and sanctified Countenance; yet 'tis plain that the only Foundation of it was baseness and ill Nature; and since thus it hath been, thus it may be again: For in all dissenting Religions, such as the Pharisees was, there is something very grateful to proud and untractable Na­tures: 'tis a mighty gratification to our Pride to Dis­sent and be Singular in our Opinion and Practises, be­cause it looks as if we were wiser than the rest of the World; it wonderfully tickles a cross-grain'd surly Na­ture to be opposite in Opinion to that which is upper­most: And therefore, before you side with any Party [Page 27] that advances a Pretence of Religion against the Govern­ment, it concerns you strictly to observe whether in their ordinary Conversation they are Modest and Gentle, Humble and easily to be Intreated; and if so, you may justly conclude that their Religion, whether it be True or False, is founded in their Reason and Conscience. But if on the contrary, you perceive in them a Fierce, Proud, Froward, and Inflexible Nature; if in their ordinary Converses they are Cross and Unsociable; if they af­fect Contention in the Neighbourhoods and Societies wherein they are ingaged, and are hot and impatient of Contradiction: you may without breach of Charity conclude, that their Dissent proceeds not so much from the Convictions of their Reason, as from the Pride and Crossness of their Humour. And therefore, wherever you find such as these contending with the Government; as you would not be made the Tools of their Perverse­ness, stand off, and have nothing to do with them. For when Men have the Seeds of Sedition in their Natures, they are thereby inclined to entertain Dissents from the established Religion, meerly because those Dissents are opposite to the Government; and though, if the Prin­ciples of their Dissent are ill, they will the more inflame their ill Nature against the Government; yet their ill Nature which tempted them to espouse those Principles, would have rendered them untractable to the Govern­ment, [Page 28] whether they had espoused them or no. And thus, with all Plainness and Integrity, I have indeavoured to Characterize those that are given to Change, that so honest Men may know them when they see them, and avoid them: And if herein I have Reflected upon any ill Men, or ill Party of Men; it was with no other De­sign, but to warn others from Intermingling with them; and surely, to Admonish Men of a Danger that threatens Ruine both to their Souls and Bodies, and shew them the Way to Peace, Security, and Happiness, is such a friendly Office as can give Offence to none but such as are resolved never to be Honester or Wiser. I confess, of all the Offices that belong to a Preacher, I am naturally the most averse to that of Reprehension, I do not love to expose Mens Faults, to probe and rake into their Sores; and 'tis not only my Charity to Mankind, but the In­disposition of my Nature to find Fault, that makes me wish that all Men were so good as to need no Reprehen­sion, that so we might have nothing to do, but to praise and incourage them, to excite them to go on with the Comforts of Religion, and the just Applauses of well doing. But alass, we live in an Age would make a Stone speak, and force any honest Man in despite of all the Candor and Modesty of his Nature, to Cry aloud against the fulsom Hypocrisies and Impostures that look through our most glorious Pretences to Religion: For what a [Page 29] nauseous Shame is it, to see Men set up for Reformers, and disturb a wise and excellent Establishment with end­less Scruples about indifferent Things, whose Consciences, as they call 'em, are as tender as their Eyes on one side, and yet as hard as their Foreheads on the other; cannot indure the weight of an innocent Ceremony when their Obe­dience is required; and yet to serve the Interest of a Faction, can dance under loads of Perjury and Trea­son? and yet, God help us, such as these have been the Captains of all our Factions against the Government; Men of ill Lives and Atheistical Principles, that pretend to Grace without Morality, and to Religion without be­lieving in God, and yet make a mighty Noise against the Government for true Religion, pure Ordinances, and a thorough Reformation, and therewithal have drawn in our discontented Sects into their Party, and listed them Voluntiers to their Revenge and Ambition: And indeed, while Men live in Dissent from the established Religion, it is impossible but their Minds should be in some mea­sure prejudiced against the Government, especially if they are restrained from propagating their Dissents, as they must expect to be under all wise Governments; for to be sure, this Restriction will be accounted by them an injurious Persecution, and 'twill be hard for them to refrain hating their Governours, whilst they look up­on them as their Persecutors; and when once their [Page 30] Passions are armed against the Government, they are half way onwards to an open Rebellion: And 'twill be an easy matter for any Cashier'd Grandee, or Politick Demagogue that has but Wit enough to Chafe their Dis­contents, and Credit enough to head their Cause, to form them into a resolute Faction against the Govern­ment; so that it will be impossible, either for the Go­vernment to be safe, or for us to be secure from the Mischiefs of Faction, whilst we affect to dissent from the established Religion. And therefore it concerns every Dissenter, as he vallues his own Safety and Innocence, to use all honest ways to satisfy his Conscience in the Communion of the established Church, where he will not only be secured from those Disaffections to the Go­vernment, which he is lyable to, whilst he continues in any discountenanced Sect; but also instituted in such firm Principles of Loyalty, as if he follows, will for ever se­cure him from ingaging in Factions: For this is the Doctrine of our Church expressed in the Homily of O­bedience, We may not in any wise withstand violently, or rebel against the Rulers, or make any Insurrection, Sedi­tion, or Tumult, either by force of Arms, or otherwise, against the Anointed of the Lord, or any of his Officers; but we must in such case (that is, when we are com­manded unlawful things) patiently suffer all Wrongs and Injuries, referring the Judgment of our Case to God: [Page 31] And in this, as well as in her other Doctrines, her Go­vernment and Discipline, our Church doth exactly copy after the Primitive Christianity: If therefore we believe this Doctrine, our Consciences will never consent to our listing our selves against the Government; but if instead of Believing it, we openly Contradict and Oppose it, as all those do, who pretend Religion for their Faction, we are so far Dissenters from the Church of England; for Conformity to a Church consists not merely in frequent­ing its Prayers, and Sermons, and Sacraments, and com­plying with its Rites and Discipline, but also in believing its Doctrines, or at least, not openly Opposing and Con­tradicting them: But whosoever sides with a Faction a­gainst the Government, upon pretence of Religion, doth thereby openly renounce the Doctrine of our Church, and becomes a profest Non-conformist, how Confor­mable soever he may be in other particulars. So that tho there are too many Men, who to credit their ill Designs against the Government, shelter themselves under the Wings of the Church; yet it's evident they are either Non-conformists to the Church, or Conformists that act against their own Principles, which is such a Fault as no Church can prevent, so long as there is such a thing as Free-Will in the World: Wherefore, as you would preserve your selves from those manisold Mischiefs that Faction draws after it, do not found your Loyalty upon [Page 32] Humour, or Fashion, or Interest, which are fickle and variable things; but upon the Religious Principles of the Church, whereof you are Members, which will keep us stedfast, and immovable amidst all the Mutabilities of the World: For whilst you have no Principles to lead you, and you reserve your selves to follow For­tune, and the Turns of outward Affairs; you will be shifting your selves upon every Change, and in a very unscriptural Sense, putting off the Old-man, and put­ting on the New. And whilst you thus transform your selves into a Thousand several Shapes, as you run through the still Changing Fashions of the World, besides that it will expose ye of all sides to the Odious Character of Turn-Coats and Runagadoes that are constant to nothing, and to the Bosom Satyrs and secret up-braid­ings of your own Consciences: Besides this, I say, it will Eternally perplex and intangle your Lives. For upon every new Alteration of Affairs, you must act a new part, and put on a new Garb of Conversation: And whilst you thus shift sides upon every turn, new shape your Humours, and jump from one extreme to ano­ther; you will be always doing violence to your Na­tures, because you will act no part long enough, to render any natural and easie to ye; so that when all is done, the easiest way of Living, is to Live honestly, that is, to set down honest Principles in our Minds, and [Page 33] then resolve to follow them through all Events; so shall we live Consistently with our selves, and whatsoever happens from without, be always the same, and in all Conditions still know where to find our selves; because we shall always act upon the same Principles, and so there will be no Cross Deliberations in our Minds, no Mazes or Intrigues in our Lives, no By-ways of Actions upon [...] Emergencies; but whatsoever happen we shall still be going on through the same Path towards the same end, and whatsoever befalls us from without, whe­ther it Rains or Shines, Prove Calm, or Tempestuous, we shall never be at a loss how to behave our selves, but our Principles will still Chalk us out the way we are to walk in; and though in following them we may sometimes indanger our worldly Interest, and fall under the disgrace of a Rable and the Persecutions of a prevailing Faction: Yet our very Enemies will be forc't to revere and honour us, to acknowledge that we are Constant and brave honest, and resign'd to our own Principles; and which is better than that, we shall revere our selves, and be supported under our Sufferings with the Applauses of our Conscience, and the Hopes of a Glorious Immortality; which will render our Con­dition not only Tolerable in it self, but much more desirable than the Crowns and Triumphs of prospe­rous Hypocrites; and which is best of all, God himself [Page 34] will Honour us before Angels and Saints, and plead our Cause, and Vindicate our Innocence, and reward our Sufferings for Righteousness sake; thus, by persuing the honest Principles of our Religion, we shall be inviolably secur'd against all the mischiefs of Faction, and im­movably confirmed in our Loyalty, both to God and the King, which in all Probability will render our Lives se­cure and easie in this World, but to be sure Everlastingly happy in the World to come.