Imatges de pàgina
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But then the moft beneficial and neceffary changes must be begun, promoted, and perfected by lawful authority; or else they lose their good quality, and, like wholesome remedies unduly applied, prey upon the vitals of the government. For no change can be fo beneficial in its confequence, as ufurping upon lawful authority is deftructive; and therefore it becomes a good subject to bear any inconvenience arifing from the prefent conftitution, rather than, by too precipitately throwing it off, to prevent the regular methods of alteration. To pretend public good, is common to all factions and parties; and therefore can excufe none: and where the pretence is real; yet to feek public good, in oppofition to public authority, is like curing diftempers by deftroying the patient.

To view with pleasure the factions and difturbances of a kingdom; and, like the lame and impotent at the pool of Bethesda, to long for the troubling of the waters, that we may first step in, and make fome private advantage of the public calamities, is neither the part of a good man, or a good Christian.

To encourage the feditious principles and practices of others; though cunning men may do it without danger, yet they can never do it without guilt.

These practices need not be brought near, to be compared with the duty of obedience. They appear at firft fight to have nothing lefs in them than honour and reverence, or obedience to the prince.

The authority of the prince is as much concerned in maintaining the honour and order of God's fer

vice, as of his own: and the nobleft character that belongs to princes, is, that of nurfing fathers and mothers to the church of Chrift; the peace and order of which is at once the fplendour and fecurity of a government: and therefore the advice of the text, Not to meddle with them who are given to change, must be extended to the government of the church, as well as of the ftate. And the occafion of this folemnity gives but too much reason for this application; the alterations intended and practifed upon the church, influencing not a little in the barbarous treafon which we this day lament.

There muft in the church, as in the state, be a power to change whatever, through use and experience, appears unfit for the end it was defigned. To propofe and procure amendments to the laws of the church, when there is occafion for it, is their duty in whofe hands the power is lodged; and changes fo effected, can never be to the blemish or difhonour of the church. But when men diflike without reason, and obftinately condemn whatever has been fettled by authority; when they disclaim the power and all the acts of the church; either their ignorance must be invincible, or their guilt unpardonable.

The reafon of all changes ought to be very plain and apparent; left lightness and wantonnefs, in altering old laws, bring power and authority into contempt. To change is the effect, and the fign of weakness: and therefore it is the character of the moft perfect Being, that in him is no variableness, or fhadow of turning. Often to change, will always. breed contempt: and therefore, in private life, wife

men choose rather to bear fome inconveniencies arifing from the way they are fettled in, than, by fhifting from one courfe to another, to gain little but the character of unfteadiness, and want of refolution. Much lefs fhould public bodies hazard their credit by unneceffary changes; and, for the fake of removing one unpolished ftone, endanger the whole building; which how it will fettle on a new foundation, the wisdom of man cannot foresee. Some inconveniencies in the establishment of public focieties, like fome diftempers in the body, are borne with lefs danger than they are cured.

To plead for alterations of feemingly greater purity and perfection, carries with it such an appearance of goodness and concern for the fervice of God, as will never fail to engage the favour of the multitude, who always make up in zeal what they want in knowledge; which is, and will be a temptation to men, who are incapable of a better, to take this way to raise themselves in the esteem of the people.

To prefs for alterations when most things in the prefent establishment are owned to be good, and all tolerable, is not the effect of much judgment. If want of perfection be a reason to change, it will be a reafon for ever; for fince all the laws of the church are not of divine inftitution, they have too great a mixture of weakness in their original, ever to be perfect in themselves. And should all the changes defired be granted, let not men imagine that the next age will be fo unlike this, as not to find fault with the orders of their fuperiors.

It is unaccountable in reafon, that, in matters of

VOL. III.

religious government, every man thinks himself judge of what is decent and convenient, and what fit to be obeyed; whereas in matters of civil government, whatever they act, they dare not pretend to the fame difcretionary power: as if the cafe were not the fame in both; and obedience in all things lawful and honeft, (further than which, nơ man's private judgment extends,) in both of like neceffity.

How the common people are led into the esteem of men thus acting, is not hard to say. To suffer for one's opinion, right or wrong, is in the eyes of the vulgar meritorious and fince fome outward advantages are forfeited, by not complying with the present establishment; fhould men, even for worldly intereft, and want of merit fufficient to rife in the lawful and regular way, ftrike out new paths for themselves; yet they fhall be fure, among their followers, to have the character of honeft men, men fuffering for confcience fake. And though there be no fuffering in the cafe; no punishment attending upon fuch practices; yet whilft rewards are open to the obedience of others, the partiality of men will make them apter to repine at the diftinction, than to be thankful for the impunity.

As long as men are weak enough to be mifled; and the errors of fome are profitable to others; there will be no end of diffenfions: and fhould the reftleffness and importunity of men once break in upon the constitution, the event could only fhew

where it would end.

To what extremes the humour of men once fet on changing will run, the mournful occafion of this

day's meeting is too fenfible a proof. The actors in the late troubles thought of nothing lefs, when they began, than the event that fucceeded. The good of the public, and of the King, was the pretence; and they never left seeking it, till they had ruined the public, and laid his royal head low. With the fame good fuccefs, the purity of the church was promoted; which ended in utter fubverfion, and the blood of a great prelate.

Great indeed in many refpects; but he funk under the iniquity of the times, by endeavouring to give life to the long-forgotten and neglected discipline of the church; when the liberty and licentiousness of the age could bear nothing lefs. The Reformation had given fuch a turn to weak heads, that had not weight enough to poise themselves between the extremes of popery and fanaticifm; that every thing older than yesterday was looked upon to be popish and antichriftian: the meaneft of the people aspired to the priesthood, and were readier to frame new laws for the church, than obey the old. This led him to fome acts of great feverity, that he might create an authority and reverence for the laws, when it should appear they had not quite loft their edge. Thus he became too generally hated, and fall he muft; for his faults were great, and, as the times went, unpardonable; he loved the Church and the King.

His cafe might deferve more to be lamented, did not that which followed bury all private injuries and resentments; in refpect of which, the former cruelties were tender mercies. The thirst of blood was too great to be fatisfied with the fall of private

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