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der; and it would be almost miraculous fhould thofe who can fhow themfelves fo irregularly zealous for the Reformation in a Calm, ftand a Storm, or face the Furies of a rifing Tempeft. And what Senfe of Religion then muft thofe have, who, while the Sheep feed in wholesome Pastures, under faithful and couragious Shepherds, are always alarming them with the Noife of approaching Wolves, only to keep them in perpetual Fears and Apprehenfions; but when the Wolves are coming indeed, are on the fudden either ftricken dumb at the Sight, or fall in with the Wolves to be Sharers in the Prey? The Epifcopal Church of England teaches us inviolable Loyalty to our Lawful Princes; and no Body yet of Chriftian Principles has prefumed to tell us that our Natural Princes failing in their Duties, fets us immediately free from ours: If the Prince's Failure be a Sin, the Subjects Failure can never be a Virtue: And there are very few Subjects who upon a ftrict Scrutiny into their own Lives and Practices, would not find themselves guilty of as many Breaches upon the ftanding Laws of any Nation, who yet are call'd very good and honeft Men, than the worft of Princes or the moft negligent of Governors. But we love all to be Tyrants our felves, but cannot bear it in those above us.

But what ever our Senfe of these things may be, how little fond foever we may be of Abdications or of Revolutions; we of the eftablifh'd Church of England cannot yet shut our Eyes against threatning Dangers, or filently give Way to prevailing Errors. I'll fubmit to the Lofs of Life it felf, rather than I'll

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draw a Sword, or perfuade others to do fo, againft my lawful Prince, tho' his Government may be full of unjuftifiable Irregularities: But I'll never be hufh'd, and lofe my Senfe and Tongue when Storms 'rife against that Church in which I have the Honour to be a Priest; whether it be from the South, or from the North. I know Princes are but Men, and tho' they may be good Men, they may fometimes be angry with their good and faithful Subjects when they do their Duties: They are under the Power of the fame Paffions with other Men, and never want those about them who are ready to byafs their Paffions the wrong Way. Of this we have a remarkable Inftance in Afa, King of Judah: His Character is, that His Heart was perfect all his Days: Yet when 2 Chron. God's holy Prophet came to reprove him for 15. 17. relying more upon the King of Syria for Af fiftance than upon his God, Afa was wroth with 2 Chron. bim, and put him into the Prifon-boufe, for he 16.7,8,9 was in a Rage with him, because of this thing. But had Hanani the Prophet, for Fear of fuch a Confequence, conceal'd the Import of his Errand, had he not been falfe both to the God who fent him, and to the King to whom he was fent?

But neither Those who were the lawful Paftors of the Epifcopal Church of England, nor the Teachers or Leaders of the Separating Congregations, had any Reafon for fuch Apprehenfions in the Days of James II. For, bigotted and mifguided as he was, he gave publick Leave to the Lawful English Clergy to defend their own Church, and to confute the Errors of others, even in their Pulpit Difcourfes, VOL. II.

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provided they did it as became Christians, not with ill or indecent Lauguage, but with Sobriety, Modefty and Solidity: Of the Sincerity of which I my felf had good Experience: Yet all this Condefcenfion would not animate these zealous Adverfaries of Popery to use their Pens or Pulpits to oppofe it, (Mr. Pendlebury of Lancashire only excepted) tho' our late Legend Writer Mr. Calamy tells us, there were feveral other Pieces written by Nonconformis against Popery, which were fupprefs'd because they could not obtain a Licenfe from the Chaplains of Lambeth or Fulham, which I my felf remember very well, was refus'd to fome of their Books in both Places, not out of any Kindness to Popery, or to take their most dangerous Enemies off their Backs; (Every thing which the Romanifts offer'd in their own Defence or againft the Church of England being unanswerably refuted by the lawful Clergy and others of the Church of England;) but they were return'd unlicens'd, because of the Weakness and Impertinence of their Arguments, and the Intemperance of their Language, while that of Mr. Pendlebury, written with a better Spirit, and a truer Senfe of our common Danger, had the Honour to be usher'd to the Prefs by no meaner a Person than the then famous Dr. Tillotson.

But fince the Epifcopal English Clergy were in thofe Days, the only Men who stood in the Gap between Popery,(then fo much encouraged) and our excellent Reformation; fince they alone oppos'd the Torrent of the Court Bigots and Hypocrites, when of the Nonconformists there were none with them; does it not now

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make a very mean Shew to the understanding World; and would it not have done fo then much more, when we were willing to spend and to be spent for them, that our Flocks fhould run after Seducers and uncommiffion'd Preachers, and forfake us their lawful Shepherds? That those who are almoft hared out of their Wits for Fear of Popery, fhould leave the only Perfons who in a Critical Time oppos'd themfelves to the Violences of Popery, and follow them who were wholly filent, or elfe intirely concurrent with the Promoters of that Idolatrous Religion ›

In thofe Days of Danger we were ready (and I hope we are not yet fo much changed in that Point, as we are in fome others ;) we were ready and willing to have laid down our Lives, rather than to leave them expos'd to all the Attempts of the Numberless and indefatigable Enemies of their Souls: Yet how eafily now do many of our pretended Proteftants, nay and' the beft of them too, if we may believe themfelves) fwallow tedious, noify and empty Cant for folid and substantial Food? How greedily do they entertain thofe Doctrines, which, if true, thofe who hear them must be immediately loft for ever? Yet fuch, generally is the unhappy Lot of those who forfaking God, the Fountain of Living Waters, hew out to themfelves broken Cisterns which can hold none. The Fable tells us, that when the Northern Wind blew a Storm, the Traveller wrapt his Cloak the more clofely about him; and one would think, that when Men's Miftakes in Religion are every Day increafing, wife and good

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good Men fhould apply themfelves the more feriously to their lawful Spiritual Guides, and fhould examine the Foundations of their own Hebr. 10. Religion the more throughly; Not forfaking the affembling of themselves together, as the Manner of too many is, but exhorting one another, and fo much the more as they fee the Day approaching. Wife and good Men fhould love their Lawful Teachers, the more intirely; not defpifing or cavilling at their Doctrine,at the fame Time when they pretend not to understand it: But if they hear them declaring Matter of Fact, they fhould enquire into the Matter impartially; if Matter of Inftruction, they fhould fearch the Scriptures daily; to fee whether Things are fo, or not, and fo, proving all things, they might be able to hold fast that which is good.

It may perhaps be imagin'd by fome weak and ignorant Perfons, that it is only Self-Intereft which dictates this Difcourfe; and that when we fee any defert our Publick Congregations, the Difgrace extreamly galls and difturbs us: But far be fuch a real Narrowness of Soul from us! But if we have any Tendernefs for the Souls of Men, we cannot but be griev'd to fee fo many like Children toft to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine. To fee the Unfettlednefs of fo many in religious Concerns give fo fair and plaufible an Entrance (as it has now done for many Years) to Popery, Enthufiafm, Atheism, and horrible Profaneness: But if unthinking Wretches will run themselves upon Ruine, we have done, and God willing, we ftill will do our Duty, and let those who can yet permit themselves to be drawn away

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