On the account of this Eminence, they are fenced and immured by the Laws, both of Earth and Heaven, from the undutiful Thought, and the fawcy Tongue, as well as the rebellious and affaffinating Hand. We are not to curfe the King, so much as in Thought, and we are not to revile the Gods, or fpeak Evil of the Rulers of the People : And blafpheming God, and the King, were Crimes that went coupled, and hand in hand; and St. Paul recanted a rafh Word spoken against a Person in Power, though horribly abufing it: And 'tis fuppofed that the old War of the Giants against the Gods, meant no more than Infurrections of mighty Subjects against their Kings: Sure we are, that, in a Divine Senfe, 'tis no less than Refifting the Ordinance of God, to resist them; and They that refift, fhall receive to themselves Damnation.

And the Christian Duty of Paffive Obedience, and Non-Refiftance, hás unshaken Foundations, and inviolable Grounds, in the Eternal Laws of Nature and Equity; in the Effential Frame and Subordination of Poli tick Societies to fome Supream; in the Inspired Writings of the Old and New Testa

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ment

ment; in the Examples of the Holy Jefus, and his meek Difciples; in the Canons of the Church, and the Statutes of the Realm; in the Monuments of Primitive Christianity, and the Sufferings of the most celebrated Martyrs.

As to this laft, I confefs, fome have gone about to blast the Martyrs Lawrels, and represent them to have undergone their Sufferings, because they were weak in their Force, or in their Understandings; and fo they foolishly, or helplefly fubmitted to what could not be redreft.

And thus their Memories are Martyr'd, as their Bodies were before, and thofe illuftrious paffive Graces of Meekness and Refignation, of Christian Patience and Taking up the Crofs, which are the bright Enamel of their Heavenly Crowns, which are the juft Imitation of our Suffering Lord, which are the Eternal Theme of our Wonder and our Praife, which (in the Opinion of truly Good Men) do embalm their Names below; and which above have preferred them to the highest Seats in the Church Triumphant. Thefe, I fay, are made to dwindle into mere politick Compliance with a helpless Neceffity; or are arraigned

arraigned, as Arguments of the Weakness of their Party, or their Ignorance of their Rights and Privileges: which Modern Profeffors (it feems) pretend now far better to understand, in thefe Days of New-Light, and by those extraordinary late Difcoveries that have been made to the Kingdom of the Saints.

Suffice it us, that we know the ancient Channel, wherein Christianity ran; how it was propagated, and prevailed in the World, when it went forth conquering, and to conquer; and yet knew nothing of making its Way by Violence or Armies; by depofing of Kings, or fighting for Privileges; by Alterations of Governments, or Dif-inherifon of Princes; that is, in plain English, when it was not acquainted with advancing Chrift's Caufe, by reproaching his Religion, or break, ing any of his Commandments.

As for us, who adhere to the Establishment in the Church of England: It has hitherto been our juft Glory (of which, none hereaf ter, I hope, fhall deprive us) that, like the Wisdom from above, our Doctrines are pure, and our Principles and Practices peaceable; oppofite to Idolatry against God, and Sedition against the King: And as this Church

has

has hitherto been, fo may it for ever stand, the just Dread and Envy of our Enemies on either hand, and be a lasting Monument of the true Temper and Genius of the Christian Religion, till Time fhall be

no more.

But now, because we have exempted Soveraigns from being juftly obnoxious to Outward Force or Violence, have we therefore cancell'd all Obligations upon them? Have we made mere Power to be Right, or Passion to be Law; or left Appetite to range, without either Rule or Bounds; and fo put them into fuch a State, as is proper to none but the Great Leviathan; who, with full and Arbitrary Liberty, rowls and fports himself in his Watry Kingdom, and at pleasure Preys upon all the Leffer, and Defenceless Fry.

Surely 'tis not reasonable, thus to underftand us. May not their Confciences be bound, though their Hands cannot? Is not every lower Orb limited and circumfcribed by that which is above it; and though they be higher than the highest on Earth, yet ftill in Heaven is there not one higher than they? Seneca, of old, hath wifely and gravely told

them,

them, Quicquid a vobis minor extimefcit, major boc vobis Dominus minatur ; Omne fub Regno graviore Regnum eft. However they have no Peer on Earth, in their own Dominions, they are nevertheless Subjects of Heaven: and therefore they may, on that Score, lye under the the Obligation of publick Promises, and solemn Acts of Condefcenfion : They may be tyed by facred Vows and Oaths, by the Senfe of Honour and Religion; by the prudent Care of their Temporal, and an awful Regard to their Eternal, Interests; by the Engagements of Juftice, and Wisdom, and Tendernefs, and Humanity: for even God him. felf, the great Potentate of the whole Univerfe, is not Arbitrary in any Exorbitant. way; but he forms the Awful Decrees and Refolves of his Almighty Will and Pleafure, by the Eternal Laws and Measures, of Rectitude, and Goodnefs, and Holiness, and Compaffion.

2. The Houfe of David refembled: God,... in a kind of Immortality: The King never dyed, the Monarchy being Succeffive and Hereditary.

As Monarchy is the best of Governments, for Order, Peace, Strength, Steadiness and

Fixation,