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Holy Scripture, it must however stand upon an equal footing of right, if consistent with Christian liberty. The attempts therefore of another to overturn it, and substitute itself in its place, cannot be justified. But legal rights were but a feeble bar against spiritual pretensions; and liberty would not satisfy the opposers of those times: their aim was power; and their design failed of its full accomplishment by being too vehemently pursued. For intemperate reformation not only destroyed the obnoxious establishment, but so totally rooted up with it all foundations of order, that no other could be effectually erected on its ruins.

Indeed, the dreadful history of that unhappy period furnishes us throughout with the most striking examples, and the most convincing proofs, of the weakness and uncertainty of human counsels, and of the over-ruling providence, the justice, and severity, of God; who " disappointeth the devices of the crafty," and punisheth the wicked with their own inventions. It is remarkable, that the views of the principal actors, and the counsels of the different parties, of those times, were all in their turns frustrated; and made to conduce to effects the most contrary to their respective designs, and to bring to pass events the most distant from their own aim and intention. Endeavours to exalt authority, and to establish extended prerogative, gave the first occasion to licentious and seditious outrage, and opened the way to anarchy and confusion on the other hand, impatience of legal government, and extravagant pursuit of liberty, brought in lawless oppression, and unlimited

despotism. The nobility, too favourable to the designs of the commons against their sovereign, were depressed by their own associates in faction; and deprived of their legal rights by those whom they had helped to raise above all law. The commons were pulled down from the height of their usurped dominion by their own creatures; their agents and factors in rebellion, to whom they had committed the conduct of their armies. Every faction in its turn was "filled with its own way, and made to eat of the fruit of its own devices:" and when, among all their wild and inconsistent schemes of religion and government, they agreed in nothing but their utter abhorrence of the legal constitution, God, who out of darkness calleth forth light, who bringeth order out of confusion, in the most wonderful manner composed at once this chaos of discordant opinions, counsels, and endeavours; and made all their different exertions unite and tend to the restitution of our legal establishment, both civil and religious, in its ancient form. Nor in the succeeding times was the divine power and goodness less apparent, in directing the influences of the former unhappy divisions, "the remainder of wrath" and dissension, to the increase of the public happiness, through a new series of dangers and difficulties, all terminating in one great event; by which our constitution was advanced to that degree of firmness and stability, of beauty and perfection, which it had never before attained, and which, by the abundant blessing of God, it still continues to enjoy.

It behoves us to make a proper use of the awful

admonitions which the present solemnity offers to us: to be warned by the sad example of our forefathers, and carefully to avoid those excesses and crimes, which brought upon them such dreadful calamities to cultivate in ourselves and others a deep sense of the over-ruling Providence of God, and to promote by our example and authority a serious and steady practice of true and rational religion, of pure and genuine Christianity; equally abhorring profaneness and hypocrisy, equally removed from lukewarmness and enthusiasm: to honour the King, and to guard with all possible care and attention those important out-works of respect and reverence which our laws have wisely raised about the throne, as their own best safeguard and defence; and to repress that spirit of licentiousness and outrage, which so much prevails among the people; approaching too nearly to the example of former times, but more inexcusable, as without provocation on the part of their rulers. It becomes us to be sensible of our own happiness, and to acknowledge with grateful hearts the great goodness of God in his many merciful dispensations towards us: to regard with a just affection, esteem, and reverence, our excellent constitution, both civil and religious; to be content at least with that state of it, which in practice is perhaps as perfect, as our principles and manners, our divisions and corruptions, will bear; and which, how short soever of perfection, yet is an object of envy and admiration to the nations round us: to look back with horror on the many dangers it has escaped; and to look forward with fear and cau

tion, lest it incur the same or greater perils. "For after all that hath come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespasses, seeing that thou, O God, hast punished us less than our iniquities deserved, and hast so often given us deliverance; should we again break thy commandments, wouldst not thou be angry with us, till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no escaping1!" But do thou, O Lord, turn the hearts of thy servants, that we may fear and obey thee; and so, according to the greatness of thy mercy, and abundant, though undeserved, loving-kindness, we may still rejoice in thy salvation!

Ezra ix. 13, 14.

SERMON V'.

ACTS ii. 39.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

THE universality of the kingdom of Christ makes a constant subject of prophecy, from the first preaching of the Gospel unto Abraham, to the sealing up of the vision by the Revelation given to St. John3. Though our Saviour, in his first charge to the Apostles, for the present, and while he should yet be with them, orders them "not to go into the way of the Gentiles, but rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" yet in his final commission to them, just before he was taken up, he commands them "to go into all the world, and to make all nations his disciples "." And St. Peter, though a vision was afterwards necessary to give him a more clear and explicit knowledge of God's

1 Preached before the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts; at their anniversary Meeting in the Parish Church of St. Mary-le-Bow, on Friday, February 15, 1771. By the Right Rev. Robert, Lord Bishop of Oxford. London: 1771,

4to.

2 Gen. xii. 3.

4 Matt. x. 5, 6.

3 Rev. xiv. 6.

5 Mark xvi. 15. Matt. xxviii. 19.

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