,transcriber's ,notes3 ,every effort has
 been made to reproduce the  original   
text as printed4 ,words in italics in   
the original are  surrounded by         
underscores4 ,words in small caps in the
 original have  been converted to upper 
case4                 ,the ,religious   
and ,loyal ,subject's ,duty considered1 
with           regard to the present    
,government and the ,revolution4        
,a                                      
,,sermon                                
,,preached in the                       
,,cathedral ,,church                    
,,of                                    
,,canterbury1                           
,,on                     ,wednesday1    
,,january #cj4 #agbb-c4                 
,being the                              
,anniversary ,fast                      
,of the ,martyrdom of                   
,k4 ,,charles ,i4         ,published at 
the ,request of the ,prebendaries then  
present4                            ,by 
,,isaac ,,terry1 ,m4 ,a4                

,late of ,,christ-,,church1 ,oxon4      
,,london3            ,printed for ,r4   
,,knaplock1 at the ,bishop's-,head in   
,st4 ,paul's ,church-,yard4 #agbc4      
,prov4 xxiv4 #ba4         ,my son1 fear 
thou the ,lord1 and the ,king3 and      
meddle not         with them that are   
given to change4      ,,there is no need
 that ,i should acquaint any who are    
here  present with the sad occasion of  
this anniversary solemnity2 nor need    
,i1 ,i suppose1 use many words to raise 
in you a just abhorrence of that  most  
execrable parricide1 which we are now   
bewailing4 ,to be sure we do  all of us1
 from the very bottom of our hearts1    
detest and abominate  it2 unless we have
 been all this while in this holy place 
prevaricating  with ,god and man1 and   
adding a feigned humiliation to the     
number of our  former provocations4     
,,as it ought to be the earnest prayer  
and endeavour of all  good men and loyal
 subjects1 that no such wickedness may  
hereafter  be committed among us1 to the

 reproach of our nation1 and of the     
holy ,religion which we profess3 so is  
it particularly incumbent on  the       
ministers of the ,gospel1 to press upon 
men the due observation  of those laws1 
which the most high hath enacted for the
 security and  support of his           
vice-gerents on earth2 and to caution   
men against those  pernicious principles
 and practices1 which in the last age   
brought a  most excellent and gracious  
,monarch to the block2 and quite        
overthrew  our constitution in church   
and state3 and which in all ages1 if a  
timely stop be not put to them1 will    
produce the like tragical effects1  as  
having a natural tendency to subvert    
government1 and to introduce  anarchy   
and confusion amongst mankind4    ,,for 
which reason ,i have chosen for the     
subject of my following  discourse1 this
 solemn charge of the wise ,king        
,solomon to his ,son2  ,my son1 fear    
thou the ,lord and the ,king3 and meddle
 not with them that  are given to       

change4 ,in which words are bound upon  
us three rules of  life1 very necessary 
to be observed by all who would not be  
deemed  enemies to the publick peace and
 tranquility4    ,the first is1 ,to fear
 the ,lord4    ,the second is1 ,to fear 
the ,king4    ,the third is1 ,not to    
meddle with those that are given to     
change4    ,,of each of these           
injunctions ,i shall discourse in order1
 and  shall shew in what latitude1 and  
with what restrictions1 they are to be  
understood2 how highly reasonable they  
are1 and of how great importance  to the
 preservation of human society1 and the 
maintenance of the  magistrate's        
authority4    ,,the fear of ,god is a   
duty equally obliging persons of all    
ranks and conditions1 at all times1 and 
in all places2 and in its full  extent  
comprehends all other duties4 ,it has   
for its foundation1 all  the glorious   
attributes and perfections of ,god2 but 
more especially  his omniscience1 his   
holiness1 his justice1 and his almighty 

power4  ,for they who are firmly        
persuaded1 that all their actions1 and  
words1  and thoughts1 are open to the   
view of the ,deity2 that ,ahe is of     
purer eyes than to behold evil with     
approbation1 and cannot endure to  look 
on iniquity2 that he will one day judge 
all men in righteousness  according to  
their works2 and that the united force  
of all the  creatures of the universe   
cannot hinder him from executing the    
terrible  sentence which he shall then  
pass upon the transgressors of his laws2
  they who do1 in good earnest1 believe 
these things to be true1 and  frequently
 and seriously consider them1 will of   
course be very careful  not to incur the
 displeasure of the ,almighty1 by doing 
those things  which he hath forbidden1  
or by neglecting to do what he hath     
commanded4  ,hence1 in ,scripture1 the  
fear of ,god is often used to signify   
the whole  of ,religion3 because in all 
who live under the influence of it1 it  
is  a very powerful principle of        

constant and uniform obedience to the   
divine laws4         ,a ,hab4 i4 #ac4   
,,the fear of the ,king too comprehends 
the whole duty of a  subject to his     
soveraign4 ,to fear the ,king is1 to    
yeild to him that  homage1 and          
submission1 and obedience1 which the    
laws of ,god1 and of  the land1 do      
require3 chearfully to contribute       
towards the supporting  his royal honour
 and dignity1 and the supplying the     
necessities of  the state2 to labour    
every one of us in our own sphere to    
defeat the  expectations and            
contrivances of his enemies1 and to     
promote the peace  of his government1   
and the success of his designs2 and     
continually  to pray to him who         
disposeth of all events1 to protect his 
person1  to direct his counsels1 and    
prosper his undertakings2 to demean our 
selves towards him with profound        
reverence1 to speak honorably of him1   
to think of him with aw1 to entertain   
the most favourable opinion of  his     

character1 and to put the best          
construction upon his actions2 and      
finally1 to render due honour and       
obedience to all inferior magistrates   
and officers1 who act by his commission1
 and in subordination to him4    ,,the  
reasonableness and necessity of all     
this1 will appear by  shewing1 that     
nothing less than this1 will fully      
answer the ends of  government2 and that
 the contrary practices are very        
injurious to the  authority of princes1 
and do tend to the disturbance and      
dissolution of  society4    ,,government
 it is clear cannot subsist1 where there
 are none  who will submit to be        
governed1 and own their dependance upon 
their  governours3 there can be no      
soveraign1 where there are no subjects2 
no  commanders1 where none will obey4   
,,to call any one ,king1 and at the same
 time to rebel against  his authority1  
what is this but to mock him with an    
empty title8 ,and it  is nearly the same
 case1 when subjects1 though they do not

 take up arms  against their soveraign1 
do withdraw from him those supplies     
without  which his government cannot be 
upheld4    ,,in the natural body all the
 members1 even those which are  esteemed
 the most ignoble and inconsiderable1 do
 their office for  the preservation and 
well being of the whole3 and in the     
political  it is as fitting that all the
 members1 even those which are in a     
private station1 should1 as their       
circumstances will allow them1 exert    
themselves for the security and         
prosperity of the whole community4  ,the
 protection which the authority of the  
magistrate affords to all1  lays an     
obligation upon all to unite in the     
defence of it against the  attempts of  
its enemies1 which sometimes can no     
otherwise be repelled  than by the      
united endeavours of all4 ,it gives     
great encouragement to  the adversaries 
of a state to observe1 that those who do
 not side with  them1 are not very      
hearty and diligent against them4 ,the  

government  that is negligently         
defended1 will quickly be vigorously    
assaulted2 and  with too great          
probability of success1 when even its   
friends shew no  other mark of          
friendship to it1 than the forbearing to
 join with its  enemies4    ,,the       
obstructions and difficulties1 with     
which the management  of the publick    
affairs is necessarily attended1 are so 
many and so  great1 that the soveraign  
has need of all the assistance his      
subjects  can lend him for the removing 
them4 ,should they industriously lay    
unnecessary ones in his way1 his designs
 for their safety and benefit1  must in 
all likelyhood miscarry4    ,,they who  
can be helpful no other way1 have surely
 great  reason to sollicit heaven1 to   
guard1 and guide1 and assist those who  
are continually watching for their      
welfare4 ,and since without the  divine 
aid all human counsels and labours are  
vain2 they who can be  most serviceable 
to their soveraign by their wisdom1 or  

valour1 or  treasure1 must by no means  
think themselves excused from assisting 
him  by their earnest and constant      
prayers4 ,and if those1 who barely omit 
this duty1 are not to be accounted good 
subjects2 they are certainly  very bad  
ones1 who dare to imprecate the         
judgments of heaven upon their          
governours4    ,,irreverent carriage to 
the person of the prince1 and the       
speaking contemptuously and             
dishonourably of him1 have a direct     
tendency to lessen his people's         
veneration for him1 which is a main     
prop of his government4 ,the speaking   
evil of princes1 is commonly a  prelude 
to some attempt against them2 it being  
found by experience1  that the way to   
weaken and undermine their authority1 is
 to blast their  reputation4 ,many      
perhaps1 who are instrumental in        
spreading scandalous  reports of their  
governours1 have no such wicked         
intention2 but if  they have not1 they  
are certainly very serviceable to those 

that have2  nor are they to be excus'd  
who listen and give credit to them4     
,such1  tho' at present they are not    
active in carrying on any traiterous    
designs1 yet give grounds to hope that  
they may be wrought upon1 and  in time  
made fit for purposes1 to which1 as yet 
they are1 strangers4  ,when once men    
have cast off all inward awe of their   
prince1 and have  given entertainment to
 an ill opinion of him2 they are then   
very much  exposed to the attacks of    
discontented and factious persons4      
,,before subjects credit evil reports of
 their prince1 they  ought to consider  
that it is the employment of many1 to   
render him  either contemptible or      
odious to his people3 that to this end  
many  false things are laid to his      
charge1 his real defects and            
miscarriages  are very much magnified2  
the ill success of his undertakings is  
charged  upon his mismanagement1 tho'   
perhaps no diligence nor vigilance1  nor
 providence 7so far as it is in man's   

power to provide against  contingencies7
 was wanting on his part2 and his very  
best designs1  laid and conducted with  
the greatest wisdom1 and perfected with 
all  desireable success1 are represented
 as prejudicial and pernicious to  the  
common-weal4 ,and they who can suffer   
their affections to be by  those means  
alienated from their present soveraign1 
will not be long  pleased with any3 nor 
can any government be quiet1 or secure1 
where  these artifices are practised    
with success4    ,,the authority of the 
supreme magistrate must of necessity be 
exercised by many subordinate officers3 
and to dishonour or disobey  these1 is1 
in effect1 to dishonour and disobey him1
 by whose commission  they act4 ,and    
tho' it be for the interest of the      
publick1 that they  should account for  
wilful abuses of the power committed to 
them2 yet  all unreasonable clamours    
against them1 are of dangerous          
consequence to  the government1 and do  
indeed threaten the soveraign himself1  

who may  be mortally wounded thro' the  
sides of his ministers4    ,,it has been
 before observed1 that the laws of ,god1
 and of  the land1 are the measures of  
submission and obedience to the ,king4  
,wherefore no one ought1 from what has  
been now said1 to infer1 that  in       
limited monarchies1 where part of the   
legislative authority is  lodged in the 
body of the people1 the subjects are    
obliged to obey any  edicts of the      
prince not agreeble to the laws enacted 
by the whole  legislature4 ,in this     
case1 since the power of the people is  
so far  coordinate with that of the     
prince1 that without them no new laws   
can  be enacted1 nor former laws        
abrogated2 they may justly require to be
  governed by the laws made with their  
own consent1 and by no other4 ,and      
should this right of the people be set  
aside1 and no redress obtained  upon    
their humble petitions and              
representations2 the prince must take   
to himself the blame1 if they have      

recourse to other means absolutely      
necessary for the preservation of their 
constitution4 ,on the other  hand1 it is
 incumbent on the people to see1 that   
their grievances are  real1 and not     
pretended2 that their complaints are    
founded not upon  meer surmises and     
jealouses1 but upon notorious facts2 and
 that while  they are asserting their   
own right1 they do not invade that of   
their  soveraign1 nor make any thing    
matter of demand1 but the restoring and 
securing to them what is their due1 by  
laws already established4    ,,moreover1
 since ,god is the supreme ,monarch of  
the universe1  the ,king of ,kings1 and 
,lord of ,lords2 since his power alone  
is  unlimited and irresistible2 and by  
consequence1 the primary and most       
proper object of men's fear2 it is      
manifest1 that no human laws            
whatsoever1 can bind men to act contrary
 to the divine4 ,nothing can be  more   
unreasonable1 than to obey ,god's       
vice-gerent in opposition to ,god       

himself1 and to suffer the fear of a    
less power1 to prevail against the  fear
 of a greater4 ,the text teaches us1 in 
the first place1 to fear  the ,lord1 and
 then the ,king4 ,should the ,king      
command not to fear the  ,lord1 it is   
better to endure all that he can        
inflict1 than to do what  he commands8  
,we are indeed commanded,b1 to render to
 ,csar the things  that are ,csars2 but 
we cannot without impiety withhold from 
,god the  things that are ,gods3 that we
 may render to ,csar more than is his   
due4 ,the ,apostles1 when they were     
reprimanded by the high-priest for  not 
obeying the charge given them by the    
,sanhedrim1 to teach no more  in the    
name of ,jesus1 answered plainly1 that  
they ,cought to obey  ,god rather than  
man4 ,and a disciple of ,st4 ,john being
 brought before  the magistrate for     
,christ's name sake1 answered to the    
same purpose2  ,d,we are taught to pay  
to the powers and authorities ordained  
of ,god1  all due honour1 excepting such

 only as would be hurtful to us4 ,for to
  ,christians1 that honour and obedience
 must needs appear hurtful1 which1  tho'
 it may screen them from the displeasure
 of an earthly governour1  who can kill 
the body only1 will draw upon them the  
wrath of ,god1 who  can destroy both    
body and soul in hell4         ,b ,matt4
 xxii4 #ba4         ,c ,acts v4 #bi4    
,d ,euseb4 ,hist4 ,eccles4 lib4 #d4 cap4
 #ae4    ,,but tho' the fear of ,god    
must1 in case of competition1 take      
place1 before the fear of the ,king2 yet
 ought it not to be made a  pretence for
 refusing to render to the ,king the    
fear which is owing  to him4 ,the fear  
of ,god is so far from releasing        
subjects from their  duty to their      
prince1 that it is the surest ground of 
it1 and the  strongest motive to it4    
,for since the ,king is the minister of 
,god2 they  who do indeed fear ,god1    
will of course fear him who is in the   
place  of ,god1 and acts by authority   
derived from him4 ,and whatsoever honour

  or service they are to yield to him1  
they will yield it heartily1 not  as to 
a man1 but as to him whom he represents1
 the all-seeing and  all-powerful ,god4 
,,to such men human laws have a much    
stronger sanction1 than the  penalties  
annexed to the violation of them by the 
legislature4 ,they  are subject for     
fear1 not only of the magistrates wrath1
 but of that  everlasting punishment1   
which ,god will inflict upon all who    
will not  submit to the powers ordained 
by him4    ,,the firmest and most       
inviolable ingagement by which subjects 
can oblige themselves to be faithful to 
a government1 is a solemn  oath1 which  
is render'd effectual to its end by the 
fear of ,god1 who  is therein invocated 
as a witness to the sincerity of the    
swearer's  intention1 and as the avenger
 of his perfidiousness should he break  
through so sacred a tye4    ,,but to    
those who have no awe of this omniscient
 witness1 no  dread of this almighty    
avenger1 no oaths will be binding any   

longer1  than they are agreeable to     
their inclination4 ,and it will be their
  inclination to do every thing with a  
view to worldly advantages4 ,the  ground
 and measure of their obedience to the  
prince1 will be their  secular interest2
 the variation of which will be apt to  
produce an  answerable change in the    
conduct4 ,for they will have no motive  
to  loyalty left1 when they may turn    
rebels with impunity1 and be gainers  by
 an alteration of governnment4    ,,but 
the fear of ,god being always the same1 
is a very steady  principle of loyalty4 
,it secures the obedience of subjects in
 many  cases1 where the laws either do  
not reach them1 or cannot be executed   
upon them2 and keeps them true to the   
interest of their soveraign1 when  other
 considerations might induce them to    
betray or desert it4 ,even  they who    
would persuade us that there is no such 
being as ,god1 or if  there be1 that he 
observes not what passes here below1    
cannot but own  that the fear of him is 

a principle very friendly to government1
 and of  great use to dispose men to be 
peaceable and submissive to those who   
are in authority4    ,,the more         
inexcusable were the actors in this days
 horrid  tragedy1 who made the fear of  
,god the cloak of treason2 and in direct
  contradiction to the precept of ,st4  
,peter1 set themselves to resist        
,eevery ordinance of man for the ,lord's
 sake1 turning faith into  faction1 and 
religion into rebellion3 who under a    
specious pretext  of reforming the      
,church1 filled their native country    
with blood and  desolation1 trampled    
upon its laws1 and triumphed in the ruin
 of its  constitution3 who fasted and   
prayed1 not for the safety of the ,king1
  and all that were in authority1 that  
under them they might lead a quiet  and 
peaceable life in all godliness and     
honesty2 but for strife and  debate1 and
 to stir up sedition and insurrection   
against those whom  ,god had set over   
them3 who1 professing a mighty reverence

 for the  divine majesty1 rushed upon   
the most abominable perjuries2 first of 
all  violating the oaths which they had 
taken to the ,king and established      
government1 by entring into illegal     
covenants and engagements1 and          
illegally imposing them upon others2 and
 then breaking loose from these  also1  
when they were no longer for their turn3
 who1 with a shew of more  than ordinary
 sanctity and concern for the honour of 
,god1 practised all  the diabolical arts
 of defamation and calumny against his  
image and  representative2 and not      
contented with slandering the foot-steps
 of  the ,lord's anointed1 and          
blackening his character1 deprived him  
of his  royal dignity1 barbarously      
insulted his sacred person1 and at      
length  imbrued their hands in the blood
 of a king1 who was an illustrious      
example to his subjects of genuine piety
 and sobriety1 and meekness  and        
patience1 and all other christian       
vertues3 who lastly proceeded  to this  

high pitch of disloyalty and impiety1   
when all grievances had  been long ago  
redressed1 and the ,king had passed such
 acts1 as will be  everlasting monuments
 of his fatherly affection and          
tenderness for his  people2 when he had 
to the great prejudice of his own       
interests granted  several things1 which
 his subjects could not with justice    
demand1 nor  ask with any degree of     
modesty2 nay1 when he had consented to  
part with  the best and most            
considerable branches of his royal      
authority1 and to  leave to himself     
little more than the title of a ,king3  
in doing which1  as he went beyond the  
example of his predecessors1 so it is to
 be hoped  he will never be followed by 
any of his successors4         ,e #a    
,pet4 ii4 #ac4    ,,but tho' the fear of
 ,god was the pretended inducement to   
all  these villanies2 yet nothing can be
 more certain than that they are  truly 
to be ascribed to the want of it4       
,wherefore none ought to cast  of a     

principle absolutely necessary to the   
very being of government1  meerly       
because the external profession of it   
has been abused to the  worst ,purposes 
by crafty and ill-designing men1 who    
were destitute of  the inward power of  
it4 ,on the contrary1 it is our duty not
 to let it  rest upon the surface of our
 tongues1 but to give it admittance into
  our breasts1 and to implant it deeply 
in our hearts2 and then it will  not    
fail to bring forth the fruits of       
peaceableness and submission1  of       
obedience and loyalty to the ,government
 under which the merciful  providence of
 almighty ,god hath placed us2 and to   
restrain us from all  seditious and     
traiterous practices1 and from all      
approaches towards  them4 ,for they who 
would avoid any ,crime1 must be careful 
to avoid the  steps that lead to it4    
,for which reason the wise king to keep 
his son  from engaging in designs       
against the ,state directs him not to   
meddle  with ,changers1 or1 according to

 our translation1 with them that are    
given to change4    ,,in which          
direction1 it was not the intention of  
king  ,solomon1 to condemn all changes  
in the laws and government of a         
kingdom4 ,the supreme power1 which in   
every independent ,state1 is  lodged    
somewhere or other1 manifestly implies a
 power to make such  alterations as     
shall from time to time be judg'd       
convenient and  advantageous4 ,and in   
the different circumstances of the      
publick  affairs1 some changes in the   
laws will be often necessary1 or very   
expedient2 and when they are made be    
sufficient authority1 it is  without    
controversy the duty of subjects to     
submit to them4 ,and even  private      
persons1 when the present laws of their 
country are very  inconvenient and      
prejudicial to the interests of the     
people1 may  lawfully desire an         
alteration of them1 and may commendably 
endeavour to  effect it in a legal      
manner1 by making humble and dutiful    

application  to those who are vested    
with the legislative power4    ,,but    
they are changers in the bad sense of   
the word1 who go  about to change the   
laws and settled government of a nation1
 without  the consent of those who have 
authority to do it2 or who by illegal   
and  violent methods endeavour to extort
 the consent of their governours to     
such terations as they shall propose2 as
 by clamours and menaces and  tumultuous
 assemblies2 by forming secret          
conspiracies1 or by openly  bearing arms
 against their soveraign1 and by entring
 into covenants1  not to lay down their 
arms1 till they have obtained their     
unjust  demands4 ,they too who by any   
kind of disloyal ,behaviour1 or         
seditious  discourse1 manifest their    
aversion to the established government1 
may  with reason be suspected of being  
given to change2 altho' it be not yet   
their avowed design to effect a change4 
,,by forbidding us to meddle with them  
that are given to change1  ,king        

,solomon would restrain us1 not only    
from acting in concert with  them1 and  
assisting them in carrying on their     
mischievous designs2 but  also from     
engaging in friendship and familiarity1 
or any unnecessary  correspondence with 
them4    ,,it is no easy matter1 to     
converse much with men of a factious    
and turbulent spirit1 without being     
infected by them4 ,the best way to      
preserve ourselves1 both from their     
crime and their punishmenr1 is to  keep 
at a distance from them4 ,and this ,i   
take to be the true meaning of  the wise
 man's advice1 in the xxii4 ,chapter of 
this book of ,proverbs1  at the #bdth1  
and #beth verses1 ,make no friendship   
with an angry man1  and with a furious  
man thou shalt not go4 ,lest thou learn 
his ways1  and get a snare to thy soul4 
,by often hearkening to the plausible   
discourses of seditious persons1 utter'd
 with a seeming concern for the  publick
 welfare1 many come at length to approve
 of them1 and highly to  esteem those   

who make them1 for their great          
understanding1 and honesty1  and        
disinterested zeal for the good of their
 country2 and to believe  that their    
governours are not so good as they ought
 to be1 and that  some changes for the  
better are both possible and needful4   
,and they who  have got thus far1 will  
be too apt to be prevailed upon1 to take
 some  unlawful steps towards the       
reforming of supposed disorders1 without
  imagining what purposes they are      
serving1 and how far their leaders      
intend to carry them4 ,and when men are 
once engaged1 they themselves  cannot   
tell where they shall stop4 ,one        
wickedness may introduce them to        
another1 till they become principal     
actors in the execution of designs1     
with which they could not have been     
safely trusted at their first  setting  
out4    ,,put the case1 that the main   
secret when revealed to them  should    
displease them2 yet after a considerable
 progress in unlawful  courses1 it will 

be very difficult for them to retreat4  
,the shame of  acknowledging themselves 
to have been in the wrong1 the          
apprehension  of being reproached for   
deserting their companions1 and the fear
 of  suffering punishment for having    
accompanied them so far1 will be strong 
temptations to them to proceed farther  
against the bent of their own           
inclinations1 and the convictions of    
their consciences4    ,should they1     
notwithstanding these temptations to the
 contrary1 resolve  to be no longer     
directed by those who misled them2 yet  
what they have  already done1 may have  
consequences fatal to the publick4 ,by  
their  assistance1 the enemies of the   
government1 may be grown strong enough  
to compass their ends1 not only without 
their farther concurrence1 but  in spite
 of all the opposition they can make4   
,and it will then be a  mortifying      
consideration to reflect1 that they have
 been accessory to  villanies which they
 abhor1 of which1 however they must be  

content to  bear the blame4 ,the        
criminal assistance which they gave to  
men worse  than themselves1 will entitle
 them to a share in their guilt2 and    
they  will be in some measure answerable
 for the unforeseen consesequences of   
their unlawful practices4    ,,and yet  
the best and honestest thing1 which     
persons thus  entangl'd can do1 is to   
get rid of their bad company as soon as 
possible1 to be sorry for what mischief 
they have already done1 and  to         
endeavour1 by their future conduct1 to  
make reparation for it4 ,and  the design
 of what has been now said1 was not to  
discourage any from  forbearing to      
meddle any longer with them that are    
given to change1 but  to persuade all   
who are as yet innocent1 never to meddle
 with them at  all1 but industriously to
 avoid them2 not to pass by their path1 
but  to turn from them and pass away,f4 
,for they sleep not1 except they  have  
done mischief1 and their sleep is taken 
away1 unless they cause  some to fall4  

,wherefore they cannot be too diligently
 guarded against1  by those who would   
preserve themselves not only from guilt1
 but from  trouble and perplexity and   
ignominy1 and from that calamity and    
ruin1  which 7as we are informed by the 
verse following my text7 shall come     
suddenly upon them that are given to    
change1 and upon those who meddle  with 
them4         ,f ,prov4 iv4 #ad1 #ae4   
,,the unparallel'd treason committed on 
this day1 and all the  confusions and   
miseries preceding it1 and consequent   
upon it1 may  justly be ascribed to the 
neglect of this most necessary caution4 
,indeed it can hardly be doubted1 but   
that from the beginning of those        
unhappy troubles1 or very soon after1   
there was a party of desperate  men1 who
 had in view the utter subversion of the
 establish'd  government1 and were      
resolved to stick at no villany that    
might conduce  to the accomplishing     
their end4 ,but their numbers in those  
early days1  were much too small to     

bring about the change they aim'd at1 or
 even to  protect them from the just    
vengeance which the nation would        
certainly  have taken upon them1 had    
they then dar'd to own their intentions4
  ,wherefore they found it necessary to 
cover their real designs1 under  the    
specious pretences of remeding abuses1  
and securing the liberties  of the      
people1 and rectifying what was amiss   
both in church and state4    ,,by this  
artifice1 multitudes of undiscerning and
 unwary  people1 were drawn into their  
assistance1 and to a criminal union with
  them1 and when these instruments of   
theirs had for a considerable time  been
 accustomed to traduce the ,king and his
 ministers1 exceedingly to  aggravate   
the errors they had committed1 and to   
charge them with odious  designs1 which 
they knew nothing of1 to brand all who  
honestly adher'd  to the ,king and the  
ancient constitution1 with names and    
characters of  reproach1 and to terrify 
them not only by threatnings1 but by    

outrages  and tumults2 when they had    
broken forth into open rebellion against
  their soveraign1 and in contradiction 
to the lawful oaths1 which they  were   
under to him1 had bound themselves by   
unlawful covenants and  associations1   
not to rest till they had compelled him 
to comply with  such alterations as they
 judged expedient2 when they had laid   
wast  their country1 and shed much      
christian blood in their unjust quarrel1
  and had several times rejected the    
gracious overtures of peace made  to    
them by the ,king1 when by these means  
the breach between him and  them was so 
widen'd1 that it was hardly possible to 
compose it upon  conditions safe and    
honourable to them both2 when by long   
familiarity1  with disloyalty and       
treason1 the consciences of great       
numbers of men1  were harden'd1 and     
grown perfectly insensible2 and when the
 enemies  of the ,king had got into     
their hands the whole power of the      
nation1  and his friends could no longer

 make head against them2 then was it  a 
proper time for the contrivers and      
directors of all this mischief1  to     
discover to those who had been          
subservient to them their true  designs 
against the person and government of the
 ,king4 ,and doubtless  there were many 
concurring and assisting to the         
monstrous wickedness1  the punishment of
 which1 we do this day deprecate1 who1  
had it been  propos'd to them some years
 before1 would have been struck with    
horror  at the mention of it1 and who   
could no otherwise have been made       
capable  of committing it1 than by being
 artfully trailed on1 step by step1 from
  the meddling with them that are given 
to change1 to the becoming such         
themselves1 from one perjury to another 
perjury1 and from less treasons  to     
greater4    ,,it is true too1 that many 
who had been active1 both in  kindling  
and prosecuting the war1 were startl'd  
at the unprecedented  proceedings       
against the person of the ,king1 and    

publickly express'd  their dislike of   
them4 ,but fruitless protestations were 
but pitiful  compensations for the      
successful services they had done to his
  murtherers1 whom they had continued to
 assist and strengthen1 till it  was to 
no purpose to make opposition to them4  
,it was then out of their  power to undo
 the mischiefs which they had been the  
authors of1 or to  hinder others from   
making a farther use of them1 than they 
themselves  had intended4 ,thus were    
they unawares made instrumental to the  
shedding  the innocent and sacred blood 
of their soveraign2 the guilt of which  
horrible deed must be imputed not only  
to those who were immediately  concerned
 in it1 and consenting to it1 but in a  
lower degree to those  also1 who made   
way for it1 by the unwarrantable        
practices1 which have  been already     
mentioned4    ,,the greater reason have 
we1 brethren1 to be exceeding careful   
not to tread in their steps1 lest we    
also fall in like manner as they  fell4 

,their miscarriages are our admonitions1
 and we shall be more  inexcusable than 
they1 if instead of taking warning by   
them1 we follow  their example4    ,i   
,,am sensible it will be said1 ,that we 
do imitate them1 at  the same time that 
we blame them2 that the prayers which we
 have now  offered for the averting the 
divine wrath due to the sin of this day1
  and for the safety and prosperity of  
our present gracious soveraign1  are a  
contradiction to one another2 and that  
the late revolution was  a return to the
 principles of those who were concerned 
in the great  rebellion4 ,and there are 
two sorts of men1 who1 tho' opposite    
enough  to each other1 will be apt to   
concur in making this objection3 the one
  with a design to justify the murther  
of the ,royal ,martyr1 or at least  the 
measures which prepared the way for it2 
the other with an intention  to condemn 
the happy revolution1 upon which our    
present settlement is  founded4         
,,now1 to what hath been already        

observed1 with a view to this           
objection1 ,i need only to add1 ,that   
these two cases1 which some would  fain 
have us believe to be nearly alike1 are 
widely different4    ,,it is well known1
 ,that the rebellion against ,king      
,charles  the first was begun1 when all 
grievances 7which in his reign were far 
from amounting to a total subversion of 
the constitution7 had been  fully       
redressed and repaired4 ,and it was the 
declared resolution of  those who       
engaged in it1 not to defend1 but to    
change the laws and  settled form of    
government1 and to encroach upon the    
just rights  of their soveraign2 who    
laboured indefatigably to maintain the  
established laws and government2 who by 
the laws1 to which he had  without      
compulsion consented1 had given         
sufficient proof1 that he was  as       
willing to secure his peoples rights as 
his own2 and who was so far  from       
affecting power1 that did not belong to 
him1 that his greatest  weakness was1   

that he did not hold fast the rains of  
government in  his hands1 but parted    
with his authority too easily1 and made 
too  large concessions to those who were
 not disposed to make him suitable      
returns4 ,when the rebels had got the   
mastery1 they then actually  compleated 
a far greater change1 than they had at  
first professed  to desire4 ,a high     
court of justice was erected for the    
judging and  condemning the ,king       
himself as a criminal2 the whole royal  
family were  excluded from succeeding to
 the crown2 and kingly government itself
 was  declared against and abolished1   
and several illegal forms of government 
were one after another set up in the    
room of it4    ,,but in the reign of the
 late ,king ,james1 no redress of       
grievances1 no opportunity of redressing
 them in a parliamentary way1  could be 
obtained4 ,instead of being removed they
 were justified by  pretending1 that the
 ,king had a power to dispense with the 
laws at  pleasure4 ,and it was very     

visible that the ,king and his ministers
  governed by this pernicious and       
tyrannical maxim4 ,now this was plainly 
a subversion of the constitution1 by    
changing the government from  limited to
 absolute1 from legal to arbitrary4     
,when the power of the  people          
prevailed1 they made it very evident1   
that the motive to the  measures they   
had then taken was necessity1 and not   
the being given  to change4 ,no remedy  
was so much as sought for against the   
person of  the ,king4 ,no prejudice was 
manifested against the illustrious      
family1  which had long swayed the      
scepter of these kingdoms3 but all      
possible  regard was shewn to it4 ,the  
,king himself had render'd the setting  
of  the crown upon a person who now     
pretends to it impracticable2 tho'  the 
nation had been ever so well satisfied  
concerning his birth4 ,but  it was      
immediately settled upon the ,king's    
undoubted issue then in  the kingdom1   
and upon a grandson of the ,royal       

,martyr2 and afterwards1  in default of 
the issue from them1 upon the next      
branch of the royal  family professing  
the ,protestant ,religion2 with whom    
alone our  constitution could with any  
prospect of security be entrusted4 ,nor 
was  there any invasion of the royal    
prerogative2 but the same government  in
 church and state was chearfully        
submitted to by the people2 as on  the  
other hand the liberties of the people  
were faithfully defended by  the crown4 
,in short1 of two changes1 one of which 
was at that time  unavoidable1 the      
nation preferred the less to the        
greater1 and that  which was safe and   
advantageous to that which would have   
been very  disadvantageous and          
destructive4    ,,which things          
considered1 no man should offer to draw 
a  parallel betwixt the late ,revolution
 and the great rebellion1 till  he is   
able to demonstrate1 ,that there is no  
difference between the  doing no manner 
of hurt to the person of the ,king1 and 

the executing  him publickly as a       
malefactor2 between the settling the    
crown upon  his undoubted issue1 and    
excluding the whole royal family from it
  without any other necessity than what 
arose from the guilt of those  who      
excluded them2 between the peoples      
asserting their own undoubted  rights1  
and their invading the undoubted rights 
of their soveraign2  between insisting  
upon the regular observation and        
execution of the  established laws1 and 
fighting for an alteration of them2     
between  preserving the ancient         
constitution and utterly overthrowing it
 from  the foundations2 or in other     
words1 between just and unjust2 between 
right and wrong4    ,,wherefore1        
,brethren1 let us stop our ears against 
those1 whose  doctrines open a door to  
disobedience and rebellion against      
lawful  authority2 and no less against  
those also who would insinuate that  our
 present governours have no claim to the
 submission1 which they  acknowledge to 

be due to lawful magistrates4 ,the      
powers which now are1  are ordained of  
,god2 and ordained in mercy to us1 for  
the security of  our lives and          
properties and liberties1 and of what we
 ought to value  above all the rest1 our
 most holy ,religion4 ,and heavy will be
 the  condemnation of those1 who shall  
refuse to submit to him who is the      
minister of ,god to them for good4      
,,let us therefore1 laying aside all    
pride and contentions1 all  jealousies  
and discontents1 set our selves to      
perform what we know to  be our duty to 
him who is vested with the authority of 
,god3 not with  eye-service as          
men-pleasers1 not with murmurings as of 
necessity1 but  in singleness of heart  
and with a ready mind1 as in the sight  
of ,god1  as having his fear before our 
eyes1 and remembring that he will bring 
us to a strict account not only for the 
sins committed immediately  against     
himself1 but for every offence against  
his substitute1 who by  him reigns and  

decrees justice4    ,,if we dread not   
the penalties of human laws2 yet let us 
revere  the ordinance of ,god4 ,let us  
consider by whom we have sworn2 and let 
destruction from him be a terror to us4 
,if there be any who dare  bid defiance 
to that2 let us mark such and turn away 
from them4 ,let  us not be so weak as to
 imagine that they can have any real    
concern  for religion1 or the interest  
of their country1 who can prevail with  
themselves1 or would prevail with       
others1 to violate the oath of ,god4    
,we cannot surely be at a loss to       
conclude1 what kind of spirits have     
taken possession of those men1 who are  
not to be bound1 no not with  chains2   
who break in sunder the strongest bonds 
of government1 and  cast away its cords 
from them4    ,,let our behaviour be    
suitable to our professions on this     
solemn day of humiliation4 ,if we do    
indeed detest the crimes of those  cruel
 and unreasonable men who gave occasion 
for the observance of  it2 if we would  

not for the world be the authors of such
 dreadful  calamities as they by a long 
train of wickedness brought upon their  
nation2 if we are sincere in imploring  
the mercy of ,god1 that he would  not   
visit their guilt upon us or our        
posterity3 let us take heed that  we do 
not fill up the measure of their        
iniquities by a repetition of  them3 let
 us not cherish the seeds which are apt 
to produce such bitter  and deadly      
fruits3 let us not enter upon courses1  
which1 for ought we  know1 may end in   
the crimes we detest4    ,,to conclude1 
let us not separate what ,god hath      
joyned  together1 religion and loyalty1 
the fear of ,god and of the ,king4 ,let 
us  esteem loyalty as a necessary part  
of ,religion1 and assure ourselves  that
 we are doing ,god acceptable service   
while we are serving his                
representative4 ,let loyalty to the     
,king mingle itself with our most       
solemn acts of divine worship4 ,in our  
thanksgivings let us devoutly           

acknowledge the many blessings we enjoy 
under his ,government3 and  in return   
let us by our prayers draw down the     
choicest blessings of  heaven upon him2 
most earnestly beseeching the ,almighty 
to enrich  him plenteously with grace   
here1 and crown him with everlasting    
glory hereafter2 to prolong his life in 
health and wealth1 and to  perpetuate   
his seed as the days of heaven2 to guide
 him with his  spirit of councel1 and to
 strengthen him with his mighty arm1 for
  the establishment of truth1 and the   
maintenance of justice1 both at  home   
and abroad2 to hide him in time of      
danger under the covert of  his wings1  
and to shield him with his strong       
salvation2 that the  conspiracies formed
 against him may not prosper1 and the   
devices of  wicked men may be turned    
backwards and light upon their own      
heads2  that all the people may hear and
 fear to do wickedly1 and the crown may 
flourish upon the head of the ,lord's   
,anointed4                              

,,finis4