SERMON XVI. Preached before the House of Lords at St.Peter's SERM. XVI. m I COR. X. former Part of ver. II. Now all these things happened unto Them for Y OU Enfamples. will easily perceive, from my chusing thefe Words, as an Introduction to what I am now going to fay, That it is my Defign to make ufe of that Black and Unhappy Part of our English Hiftory, which we are commanded by Authority to call to mind on this Day, in fuch a manner, as to make fuch Obfervations upon it, and draw fuch Leffons from it, as may be of most Service to Ourfelves, in order to prevent and avoid thofe Evils, which happened unto our Forefathers, for Enfamples to Us their Pofterity: just as the Unhappineffes and Wickedneffes of the Jews in former Ages, are here in the Text fet fet before the Eyes of their Followers by St. SER M. Paul. To open unneceffarily any old Wounds that are now closed up, and make them bleed afresh; To widen any that are now open, and to inflame them still more and more: Thefe Things are as far from my Inclination and Temper, as They are contrary to All that I know of Religion. I had much rather pour Oyl into Any that remain, and apply Nothing but soft and healing Medicines: Nay, if it were poffible, I would caft a Veil over every Mark of past Infamy, or even Imperfection, on all Sides; were it not for Fear, We might at the fame Time lofe fome of the Beft Leffons, and most Useful Obfervations, for our own Conduct. To run with Violence against Any One Sort of Men now in being: To fix the Guilt of That upon All of one General Denomination, which All the Chief of them detefted by a public Remonstrance at the Time of the Tranf action: To lay That upon the Generality of a Nation, which even in the First Zeal against it, was declared by public Authority to be the Work of a Few, at that Time poffeffed of Power: Or, to load with all poffible Aggravations the unjustifiable Proceedings on One a a Proclam. King Charles II. 1660. XVI. SER M.Side only, and to clear the Other of every Thing XVI. that looks like Guilt: These are Points, which common Justice and Equity (not to mention Compaffion and Charity) forbid Us to do. But to teach Ourfelves to avoid what we rightly blame in Others; to take Care that True and Juft Principles of Public Good do not fuffer in the Efteem of Men, thro' the Mistakes or Wickednefs of Such as were Strangers to them, or only pretended to make use of them; and that the Memory of true Patriots may not be curfed, for the Sake of the Infamy of Ufurpers ruling by mere Power and Armed Force: To learn, from the Review of former Unhappineffes, every Thing that can be of Use to help Us in the Preventing Any the like Miseries for the Time to come, or the Curing any present Evils: Thefe, and the like, are Points worthy of Perfons concerned for the Good of their Country; and Such, as may render this Fast, not a Faft for Strife and Debate, nor merely a Faft for Shame and Reproach; but a Day of Useful Inftruction, in the Paths which lead to Public Peace, and the Eftablishment of all that is valuable in human Society. The main Points which this Day recalls to our Minds, I shall connect together in the following Manner, in order to introduce the Ob I ferva 861 fervations I defign: That there was, in the SER M. Days of our Forefathers, to which we now look xvI. back, a Zeal in the Representatives of England, in Parliament affembled, to oppofe Every Arbitrary Encroachment upon the Legal Liberties and Properties of the Subject: That, by Degrees, and by the Concurrence of many Accidents, the Paffions, and Rage, and Revenge, of Some, by the Help of mutual Provocations, mixed themselves too much in the Contest: That Ambitious, and Defigning, and Desperate Men, took occafion from hence to fet their own Machines on work: That the various and contradictory Schemes of Belief and Worship, embraced at that Time, (All equally honoured with the Name of Religion,) were called in, to heat the Imaginations of Men, and to help forward the common Ruine :--That at length this ended in the Destruction of the Legal Conftitution; in confounding even all Appearance of Freedom in what remained of a Parliament; in an Ufurped Power, fupported by Force against the Confent of the Nation, and with the Abhorrence of the greatest Friends to Legal Liberty; and in the Murther of the KING, against the Voices of All, but Such as then began to find themselves to have no Security but from an Armed Force. A Fact, which, as I truly deteft; and am led to do fo by al SERM. all the Principles I know any thing of: fo, if XVI. any Words of mine could aggravate, confi dered in all its Circumftances, They never fhould be wanting. These are the Main Parts of the History now before Us; upon which I fhall proceed to build fome Obfervations. And, I. I fhall take leave to Warn against One Use which may fometimes have been made of this Part of our Hiftory; and That is, The arguing from the Bad Event of Things, contrary to the Wishes and Defigns of the Best and Wifeft Men, against all fuch Oppofition to Illegal Encroachments, and Arbitrary Proceedings, as first opened the Scene. For, As, in Argument, nothing is more injudicious, than to plead against One thing, because Another thing of a quite different Nature, fucceeded to it, thro' the wicked Designs of fome Men; and the unaccountable Concurrence of a thoufand Accidents: So, in Political Affairs, nothing can be more fatal, than to draw a Conclufion, from fuch Events, which must lay the Foundation of Uninterrupted and Hopeless Slavery. The Nature and Reafon of Things abhorrs fuch an Inference: which would at once take away all the Right of a Free Nation; and make their Meeting together in Parliament, only |