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K. Charles I.

I will not now enter into the Detail of the Examples and Evil Confequences of this Sin, in after Ages of the Church, of which Catalogues might be Produc'd; but these could not add to the Authority of what is here brought out of the Scriptures of God, from the Beginning to the End. Befides that it would fwell this, unneceffarily, to too great a Bulk.

I fay Unnecessarily, as to Us, who are more Touch'd with Examples at Home than Abroad. And we have one very near, which we cannot Forget, because we Feel it fill, and Tremble at the Confequences which it may yet have upon Us; that is, the Marriage of that Glorious Martyr King Charles I. with one of a different Communion, who, tho' he efcap'd the Danger Himfelf, yet his Children did not.

But that is chiefly to be Attributed to those Rebels who Drove them into Foreign Countries; and after (without a Blush!) Quarrell'd with them for what they had learn'd there.

No doubt, that Queen had an Influence upon her Children, as all Mothers muft have, more or lefs. But she could not of her felf have had those Opportunities no nor Advantages in point of Argument,which that curfed Rebellion gave her,carry'd on by those who call'd themselves Proteftants; and, if continu'd to be Fuftify'd, will make that Name Abhorrent to all Men of Senfe and Sobriety; if it once come to be taken for granted, That that Caufe cannot be maintain'd but by Rebellion, Perjury, and Lies.

Of the last of these, that Queen (as others) had a great Share caft upon her by a fort of Party-Colour'd Saints, who had God in their Mouth, the Devil in their Heart, and the World in both their Arms. And took that Handle to wound the King through her Sides.

I have no Defign to Juftifie Her, nor can I do it, knowing nothing of thefe Tranfactions: But who can believe thofe against Her, who = branded King Charles I. and Archbishop Laud

for Papifts, who both dy'd Martyrs for our 3. Church! Those who had fo Abandon'd themfelves to Lying for the Truth (as they call'd it) that they came almost to believe themselves as paft thofe Lies they had told fo often! Infomuch, that whatever Reports came from that Quarter, were justly to be fufpected. And he that will make that his Rule, to conclude All thofe Stories to be Lies which they tell, either to their own Advantage, or of Slander to the Church or the King, merely upon that Reafon, because They tell them; will not find himself mistaken Once in Twenty times: And the more Confident and Pofitive they are, then we are to Sufpect the moft; for what cannot be Prov'd, muft by these Means be fupported. Ought we then to Believe thofe who have been fo accuftomed to make Lies their Refuge; and will ftand it on to Out-face the Sun, in that of which they dare not come to the Proof, even Themfelves being Fudges!

I would do Juftice to All, and allow that the Queen of King Charles had her Failings and perhaps might meddle too much in the Government; and that her Religion was a Byafs to her; these are Inconveniences fufficient: But I would not give Credit to all the flanderous Stories rais'd of Her, by those who had Ends to ferve in doing it: Ther is a Right to be done even to the Dead, that we our felves fuffer not, when we can no longer Defend our felves.

But how much or little foever She was Faulty, yet this we know, That her Religion was made a Handle to ruin the Best of Kings: And

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Her

Our Nobility,

&c.

Ezra ix. 3.

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der'd as a Ten

tation,

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Her Influence upon their Children Abroad, can. not but be fufpected to have had its Share in what follow'd.

This Encouragement being given by the King's Example, was imitated by others, chiefly of the Nobility, who made no Scruple to Mar ry into Families of a different Communion, as forted beft with their Interefts. As it was in the time of Ezra, The Hand of the Princes and Rulers were chief in this Trefpafs. What Inconveniences arofe from this to their feveral Families, I leave to themselves to reflect to recount them would require a Hiftory like to that of Sir Henry Spelman's of Sacrilege..

Thefe Marriages But to come to an End, this will be granted are Unlawful, me on all Hands, That Marrying into another merely confi- Communion is, at least, a Tentation. And then, how can any, without Mocking of God, repeat the Lord's Prayer, Lead as not into Tentation, when at the fame time, even while the words are in his Mouth, in the Office of Matrimony, he Deliberately, Wilfully, and Avowedly Throws himself, or Expofes his Child to this great Tentation!

How can any Prieft, with a good Confcience, deliver over with his own Hands, one of his Flock to another of a different Communion? If they fhould Fall thereby, would not their Blood be requir'd at his Hand!,

God fays of fuch Marriages, Surely they will be a Snare unto you. Oh no, fay we, that is too Severe, perhaps they may not! As the Serpent faid to Eve, Ye fhall not furely die. It is not furely fo, Be not afraid.

And after the many Examples we have feen of the Wifeft of Men, and greatly Beloved of "God, and the whole Nation of the Jews, His own peculiar People Overthrown by this Tenta

tion, fhall we run our felves Wilfully into it!. Is it not a Provoking of God, and a Prefumptuous: Sin! A trufting in our own Strength, in Contempt of the Commands and Threatnings of t God!

Upon the whole, as it has been faid in the Preface, Ther is no Reafon that is fufficient to hin-. der Communion, but muft alfo forbid Marriage with fuch: And if the Differences are fo fmall, as to allow of Marriages, they cannot juftifie a Breach of Communion.

Because our Marriage in the Church, by which we are made Members of Chrift, of His outward vifible Body upon Earth; and by that Entituled to a Membership in His Church 3 Triumphant for ever in Heaven; which are not Two Churches or Bodies of Chrift, but the Same Body in different States, they are the fame Family, Part in Heaven, and Part on Earth; I Eph. iii. 1§. fay, this Spiritual Marriage is infinitely Greater, and of more Eternal Confequence than our Worldly Marriages, which are Diffolv'd by Death: And therefor whatever is a fufficient Caufe, to break off our Communion with any. Church, muft much more Forceably conclude againft our Marrying in that Communion.

Communion,

Let me add, That ther is no Caufe Juftifia- What is a Law-
ble for a Member of any lawfully conftituted ful Caule for
Church to Separate from Her Communion, un- Breach of
lefs fomething that is Sinful is requir'd as a
Condition of Her Communion. And if it be
Sinful, or that we think it fo, it must debarr
Marriage as well as Communion, for all the
Reasons before faid.

formation lies.

I am now come to the last Point; which is, In whom the
In whom lies the Power of Reforming this Mat- Power of Re-
And that is fhew'd in the Words of my
Text, which I have chofen for that Purpofe.
d 3 Arise,

ter.

Ezra ix. r.

Num. xii.

Arife, for this Matter belongeth unto thee, faid the People to Ezra the Prieft.

Matters of Religion are to be Reform'd by the Church; and not only the People, but the Princes are to make their Application to the Priests. Thus faid Ezra, Now when these things were done, the Princes came to me, faying, &c.

It is told before, how Aaron and Miriam made a Sedition against Mofes, because of his Ethiopian Wife. But this is no Objection, tho' Aaron was then High-Prieft: Because,

First, It does not appear but that She was a Profelyte, as faid before; and it is most probable that he was fo, going along with them in the Wilderness, and witness to the many Miracles there wrought.

Secondly, Ther ought no Sedition to be rais'd against the Supreme Civil Magiftrate, tho' he had been Guilty. No, not by the High-Prieft himself. Rebellion is never Juftifiable, upon any Pretence what foever.

Thirdly, Mofes was Supreme, as well in Ecclefiafticals as Temporals: It was he that confecrated Aaron, made the Tabernacle, and order'd the whole Oeconomy of the Worship of God, and gave the Law, from the Mouth of God himself; which is the Reason God gave againft Aaron and Miriam, for their Mutiny against Mofes. He was preferr'd to Aaron, even in the Priesthood, as it is written, Mofes Pfal. xcix. 6. and Aaron among his Priefts: Tho' Aaron did exercise it, because the Succeffion of the HighPriesthood was to defcend in the Family of Aa ron the Elder Brother; yet, during the Life of Mofes, he was Supreme in All things, by the fpecial Appointment of God. But this was Perfonal only to Mofes; therefor his Cafe is Singular. But to Return.

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