This were the way

on those that have ufed it to us. to be deferted of God, and left to their cruelty. The fame fins will ever fix the fame odium, and find the fame punishment, wherever they are; yea greater, by how much Proteftants pretend to better things: if they burnt your ancestors, do not you ftrip and starve your brethren remember the many thoufands now perfecuted in this kingdom, for the fake of their tender and very peaceable confciences; husbands are unlawfully feparated from their wives, and parents from their children; their corn, cattle, and houfhold-ftuff fwept away, perhaps at the inftigation of fome lewd and indigent informer, or to please the malice of an ill-difpofed neighbour. In the mean time, many, once fufficient, are expofed to charity; the fruits of their honeft labour and bread of their poor helplefs children being now made the forfeiture of their confcience.

Be

Friends and countrymen, there is a deep doctrine in this providence; examine it well, that you may reap the benefit of it: and, among the reft, let me tell you, this is not the leaft part of it, that God is fhewing you mercy, that you may fhew mercy, and has awakened you at the brink of the pit, that you may help your brethren out of it; aye, your enemies. wife and confiderate: it will be much your own fault if you are not happy. And truly I have no manner of fcruple but God will preferve us, if we will not caft away ourselves. For our own fins and folly can only direct the hand that feeks to hit and hurt us; and shall we make it fuccefsful to our own ruin? Let us therefore turn away from all impiety; let the magiftracy difcourage and punish it; and let us forbear and love one another. If we begin with God, we shall end with God, and that is with fuccefs: Elfe, be affured, we fhall only inherit the wind of our own invention, and be deferted of him then, when we shall moft want him.

In fhort, reverence the prefent providence; and though your lives have not deferved it, let them now

be

be grateful, and not abuse it. Pursue your advantages thoroughly, but wifely; be as temperate as zealous; and to your enemies as generous as juft. Infult not over ill men for the fake of their ill principles, but pity their unhappiness, whilft you abhor the cause of it: let them fee, that you had rather inform than deftroy them, and that you take more pleasure in their conversion, than your own revenge. This will be the greatest confutation upon them, that they be taught the goodnefs of your religion by the mildness of it; and, by its mercy, the cruelty of their own. The Indian Atabaliba rejected the Romish baptism, because of the Spanish tyranny; whence it was ufual with those poor Americans to defire they might not go to heaven if the Spaniards went thither. I know there are little arts used to prevent Proteftant union, and that in a Proteftant guife: and it is a trick, not of yesterday, to put one party of Proteftants upon devouring four or five, that both the Proteftant church may have the odium of eating or devouring her own children, and that another intereft, behind the hangings, may find the more easy and creditable acceffion to the chair: it is the men of this ftrain, though under difguife, that now feek to distract you; and to effect it the better, old stories must be had up, acts of oblivion violated, the dead disturbed, their tombs rifled, and they haled out of their graves to receive a new fentence: that condemning the living of that intereft by the dead, they might be deferted of thofe, that, to fay true, cannot be long fafe without them.

If any thing fober and judicious be proposed for allaying afperities, accommodating differences, and fecuring to prince and people a juft and legal union of intereft, as our government requires, we must prefently be told of 41, and 42; as if there were a fort of necromancy in the numbers, or that the naming of those figures (long fince made cyphers, by an act of oblivion) had power enough to lay the active and generous fpirits of our times: but they find themselves mistaken in their black art, and that things, as well as

times, are changed; the mafk is off, and he that runs may read, res nolunt malè adminiftrari.

Men, in their pleas and endeavours for truth, juftice, and fincere religion, will not be overborne or staggered by such stale and trifling reflections, rarely ufed of late, but to palliate wretched defigns, or difcredit good ones with men of weak judgment, though perhaps of loyal principles.

I beseech you let us not be unfkilful in these tricks, that we may not be mistaken or abused by them: I cannot tell a time in which the minds of all forts of Proteftants have been more powerfully and unanimously engaged to endeavour a good understanding between the king and people. And as I am sure it was never more needed, fo let me fay, no age hath put a richer prize into the hands of men, or yielded a fairer occafion, to fix an happy and lasting union upon; in order to which, let me prevail with you that we may study to improve this great principle as the neceffary means to it, viz. That God's providence, ⚫ and our own conftitution, have made the interest of • prince and people one; and that their peace and 'greatness lie in a most industrious and impartial profecution of it.'

Prince

Those that teach other doctrine, as that the hath an intereft apart from the good and fafety of the people,' are the fole men that get by it; and therefore find themselves obliged to ftudy their mifunderstanding, because they only are disappointed and infecured by their union.

Experience truly tells us, that fuch perfons have another intereft than that which leads to a common good, and are often but too artificial in interesting princes in the fuccefs of it: but prudent and generous princes have ever seen that it is neither fafe nor just; and that no kingdom can be governed with true glory and fuccefs, but there where the intereft of the governor is one with that of the governed, and where there is the ftrictest care to fteer all transactions of state by the fundamentals, or the first and great principles, of

their own constitution: especially fince fwerving from them hath always made way for confufion and mifery in government. Our own ftories are almost everywhere vexed by this neglect; and thofe of our neighbours must fubmit to the fame truth.

To conclude, and fum up the whole difcourfe: if you will both cure prefent, and prevent future grievances, it will greatly behove you to take a most deliberate and unbiaffed view of the prefent state of things, with their proper causes and tendencies. Let us confront our ecclefiaftical matters with the plain text and letter of holy fcripture: this is Proteftant: and let us compare our civil transactions with the ancient laws and ftatutes of the realm: this is English. And I do humbly and heartily befeech Almighty God, that he would fo difpofe the hearts of prince and people, as that firm foundations may be now laid for a just and lafting tranquillity to thefe nations: and, believe me if you please, unless they are just and equal, they cannot laft. Time will prove it, because it always has; and that God is unchangeable in the order and justice of his providence. And fince righteousness exalts a nation, and that fin is the fhame of any people; therefore will I close with David's prayer, Pfal. vii. 9. "O let the wickednefs of the wicked come to an end, "but establish the juft: for the righteous God trieth "the hearts and the reins."

ΑΝ

A N

APPENDIX

OF THE

CAUSES and CURE

OF

PERSECUTION.

I Impute all perfecution for religion to there feven

enfuing causes; though, properly speaking, there is but one original cause of this evil, and that is the DEVIL; as there is but one original cause of good, and that is GOD.

I. The first cause of perfecution is this, That the < authors and users of it have little or no religion at heart' they are not fubject to the ground and first cause of true religion in their own fouls; for it is the part of true religion to humble the mind, break the heart, and foften the affection. It was God himself that faid, "Unto this man will I look, even to him that " is poor, and of a contrite fpirit, and trembles at my word:" not one that breaks heads, and plunders goods, for religion. "Blessed are they that mourn," faid Chrift, they fhall be comforted:" But not those that fell Jofeph, and make merry. "Bleffed are the "poor in fpirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God:" Those that are low in their own eyes; not fuch as devour and damn all but themselves." Bleffed are the

• Ifaiah lxvi. z.

"

"meek,