quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honefty; but for Strife and Debate,

and to ftir up Sedition and Infurrection against those whom God had fet overthem who, profeffing a mighty Reverence for the Divine Majefty, rufhed upon the most abominable Perjuries; first of all violating the Oaths which they had taken to the King and established Government, by entring into illegal Covenants and Engagements, and illegally. impofing them upon others; and then breaking loofe from these alfo, when they were no longer for their Turn: who, with a Shew of more than ordinary Sanctity and Concern for the Honour of God, practifed all the diabolical Arts of Defamation and Calumny against his Image and Representative; and not contented with flandering the Footsteps of the Lord's Anointed, and blackening his Character, deprived him of his royal Dignity, barbarously infulted his facred Perfon, and at length imbrued their Hands in the Blood of a King, who was an illuftrious Example to his Subjects of

genuine

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XVI.

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XVI.

genuine Piety and Sobriety, and Mecknefs and Patience, and all other Chriftian Vertues who laftly proceeded to this high Pitch of Difloyalty and Impiety, when all Grievances had been long ago redressed, and the King had paffed fuch Acts, as will be everlasting Monuments of his fatherly Affection and Tenderness for his People; when he had to the great Prejudice of his own Interefts granted feveral Things, which his Subjects could not with Juftice demand, nor ask with any degree of Modefty; nay, when he had confented to part with the best and moft confiderable Branches of his royal Authority, and to leave to himself little more than the Title of a King: in doing which, as he went beyond the Example of his Predeceffors, fo it is to be hoped he will never be followed by any of his Succeffors,

BUT tho' the Fear of God was the pretended Inducement to all these Villanies; yet nothing can be more certain than that they are truly to be ascribed to the want of it. Wherefore none ought

to caft off a Principle abfolutely neceffary to the very Being of Government, meerly because the external Profeffion of it has been abused to the worft Purpofes by crafty and ill-defigning Men, who were deftitute of the inward Power of it. On the contrary, it is our Duty not to let it reft upon the Surface of our Tongues, but to give it Admittance into our Breafts, and to implant it deeply in our Hearts; and then it will not fail to bring forth the Fruits of Peaceableness and Submission, of Obedience and Loyalty to the Government under which the merciful Providence of Almighty God hath placed us; and to reftrain us from all feditious and traiterous Practices, and from all Approaches towards them. For they who would avoid any Crime, must be careful to avoid the Steps that lead to it. For which Reason the wife King, to keep his Son from engaging in Defigns against the State, directs him not to meddle with Changers, or, according to our Tranflation, with them that are given to change.

G g

SERM.

IN

XVI.

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XVI.

IN which Direction, it was not the Intention of King Solomon, to condemn all Changes in the Laws and Government of a Kingdom. The fupreme Power, which in every independent State is lodged fomewhere or other, manifeftly implies a Power to make fuch Alterations as fhall from Time to Time be judg'd convenient and advantageous. And in the different Circumftances of the publick Affairs, fome Changes in the Laws will be often neceffary, or very expedient; and when they are made by fufficient Authority, it is without Controverfy the Duty of Subjects to fubmit to them. And even private Perfons, when the prefent Laws of their Country are very inconvenient and prejudicial to the Interefts of the People, may lawfully defire an Alteration of them, and may commendably endeavour to effect it in a Legal manner, by making humble and dutiful Application to thofe who are vefted with the legislative Power.

BUT they are Changers in the bad Senfe of the Word, who go about to change the Laws and fettled Government

of

of a Nation, without the Confent of thofe who have Authority to do it; or who by illegal and violent Methods endeavour to extort the Confent of their Governours to fuch Alterations as they fhall propofe; as by Clamours and Menaces and tumultuous Affemblies; by forming fecret Confpiracies, or by openly bearing Arms against their Soveraign, and by entring into Covenants, not to lay down their Arms till they have obtained their unjust Demands. They too, who by any kind of difloyal Behaviour, or feditious Difcourse, manifeft their Averfion to the established Government, may with Reason be fufpected of being given to change; altho' it be not yet their avowed Design to effect a Change.

By forbidding us to meddle with them that are given to change, King Solomon would reftrain us, not only from acting in Concert with them, and affifting them in 'carrying on their mifchievous Defigns, but alfo from engaging in Friendship and Familiarity, or any unneceffary Correfpondence with them.

SERM.

XVI.