cepts of his holy word, as will direct us into the practice of all those duties, which we owe to each other. The second lesson of righteousness, which the judgments of Heaven on our forefathers plainly teach us, is paying due obedience to legal authority; and religiously abstaining from the smallest instances of disrespect to it; since we find, they have insensibly carried, even well-meaning and wise men, into the utmost lengths of wrong and imprudent behaviour. All the disorders, of which this day reminds us, began with the lower marks of disaffection: immoderate complaints, indecent reflections, ill-natured interpretations, groundless suspicions; first thoughtlessly, then designedly, spread abroad; till by degrees they took such root, that nothing was too bad to be believed, nothing good enough to be approved. Discontent and clamour soon ripened into sedition and tumult: after which, open rebellion and general confusion followed of course. Still it is by no means unlawful, either to represent grievances, or to oppose ill measures. On the contrary, doing these things preserves a government; neglecting them leads to its ruin: and had the means of doing them been freely and early allowed, and honestly used, in the times we are now considering; probably none of the mischiefs, that followed, had ever been known. But then, representations must always be true, decent, needful, seasonable. And opposition should never be made, but after impartial consideration, with evident necessity, by peaceful and regular methods, by prudent and cautious steps; with proper submission to all that are set over us; and with the most sacred regard to the sovereign power: for if that be shaken, experience hath shewn us, all is in danger. Let us therefore only remember, that whatever was wicked and pernicious formerly, is of the same nature still and it will prove an excellent direction to our conduct. From hence persons in lower stations will learn, not to disquiet themselves and their neighbours, to ill purpose, with injudicious vehemence concerning things out of their sphere; but leave those to conduct them, whose business it is; thinking charitably of them, and praying heartily for them. Those of higher degree will be induced, to proceed, in what lies before them, with temper and considerateness, with equity and candour; with care, neither to provoke resentment, nor excite jealousy. And we shall all, of every rank, be instructed, to acknowledge thankfully the many blessings that we enjoy, beyond what our miserable ancestors did a century ago and not only to bear with cheerfulness the necessary, though heavy, burthens, that have been laid on us, for the safety of all which can justly be dear to us; but submit with patience to whatever, we may any of us apprehend, we suffer more than we need seriously reflecting, what fatal effects may arise from a different spirit. For in the times before us, when there were confessedly many grievances, and some of them great ones; yet how inconsiderable were they, when compared with the bloodshed and devastation, the oppression and confusion, the total destruction of church and state, which unwise and undutiful attempts for redress at length produced! Let not us therefore murmur, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer*. A third lesson, which this day affords us, is, not to be fond of innovations, either in civil matters, or ecclesiastical. It is a common weakness of mankind, * 1 Cor. x. 10. to overlook the advantages of their condition, and dwell only on its inconveniences and defects, real or imagined; till, though a very tolerable, or perhaps, on the whole, a very good one; it appears to them worse, than any other, into which they can fall. Even the more indolent therefore, instead of discountenancing, look favourably on proposals for change. And the more enterprising rush on with eagerness to unhinge and overset; never once reflecting, whether the project be not either impossible to be accomplished, or not worth the pains; injurious to others, or likely to prove pernicious to themselves: never seriously considering, what they have to substitute; whether it can take place, and last; whether it will be, on the whole, for the better or the worse. Thus were too many of our predecessors in this nation disposed: extremely miserable under a constitution of government, which they found too late inseparable from their happiness : and so earnest to reform every part of it, that they ruined the whole. The projects for establishing perfect liberty in the state, ended, as too much liberty always will, in absolute tyranny: successive tyrannies of various shapes, and names unheard of, dispossessing each other; harassing the nation with continual uncertainties and alarms; exhausting it with daily executions and impositions. The schemes for restoring an imaginary purity in the church, unexpectedly ran to such lengths, as destroyed the whole frame of it, and involved the crown in its fall. No other form of religion could be set up, instead of that which was abolished. Men's minds were held in continual agitation, by the wild zeal of contending sects: teaching doctrines; some blasphemous against God; some, subversive of all order amongst men; some, contrary to all care of virtue and good life and every thing was tolerated, but what had a right to be established. How these things would have ended: whether in a total contempt of religion, and moral obligations too; or whether after that was found insupportable, as it soon must, the Romish superstition, ever vigilant and active, would have overspread the nation, wearied out with divisions, and glad to embrace any thing, that promised unity: this God hath mercifully hid from our knowledge, by blessing us, in the extremity of such misery, with its only cure, the restoration of our ancient constitution. Let us esteem it then as we ought, and be zealous to preserve it: improve it, if we can really and safely; but not be forward to practise upon it without necessity, or some very valuable end. Hoping for perfection in any thing human, is visionary; murmuring for want of it, is resolving never to be happy; and taking irregular methods to obtain it, is the sure way to be wretched. Some alterations indeed, from time to time, the reason of things and the changes of circumstances may require. But that no wanton or doubtful, much less dangerous trials, ought to be made, the fatal experience of this day fully shews. And a fourth direction, which it gives as plainly, is, to beware of the spirit of party. Nothing, but that, could have blinded and embittered people so, as to make them destroy themselves and the public, without seeing or feeling it. Few, if any, at first, had the least intention of what they afterwards did : very probably, had it been foretold them, they would have abhorred the thought. But persons cannot even guess, when they give themselves up to this kind of zeal, how strong it may grow within them ; or how they may be entangled, and carried on, against their wills. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: nobody can say, how far it may overflow, or how hard it may be to get it back into its channel, and repair the breach. Therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with *, and by mutual provocation worked up into a rage. When party resentments and contests run high, the general good is no longer in view: both sides attend wholly to the advancement of their own power; depressing their adversaries; forcing them into measures, hurtful to the public; the worse, the better; and no way is left untried to ruin one another, till the ruin of the whole is too probable a consequence. But above all, in countries blest with freedom, amidst numberless advantages, there is one peculiar danger; that the high spirit which it gives men, and the full opportunities which they have to exert that spirit, may produce dissensions utterly destructive, not only of peace and comfort, but, in the end, of freedom itself. Let us therefore always remember St. Paul's caution, If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another; and behave suitably to St. Peter's rule, as free, yet not using our liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of Godt. These then are the instructions, which the dreadful judgment, this day commemorated, affords us : to fear God, honour the king, and not meddle with them that are given to change§; but lead quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty. The transgression of these duties, was, by the natural consequences of things, and the just permission of Prov. xvii. 14. + Gal. v. 15. 1 Pet. ii. 16, || 1 Tim. ii. 2. |
