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LXXXIII.

6. And lastly, I obferve that the corruption of the SER M. best things is the worst. Religion is certainly the highest accomplishment and perfection of human nature; and zeal for GoD and his truth an excellent quality, and highly acceptable to God and yet nothing is more barbarous, and fpurs men on to more horrid impieties, than a blind zeal for God, and falfe and mistaken principles in the matter of religion.

Our SAVIOUR Compares the chriftian religion, and the ministers and profeffors of it, to falt and light, the most useful and delightful things in the world. Religion enlightens the minds of men, and directs them in the way wherein they fhould go; it seasons the spirits and manners of men, and preserves them from being putrified and corrupted: but if "the falt lofe its "favour," if that which fhould feafon other things, be tainted itself," it is thenceforth" the moft infipid and offenfive thing in the world, "good for nothing, but to be cast upon the dunghil; if the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness ?" Mistakes and falfe principles are no where fo nicious, and of fuch mischievous confequence, as in religion. A blind and misguided zeal in religion is enough to spoil the best nature and difpofition in the world. St. Paul (for ought appears) was of himself of a very kind and compaffionate nature; and yet what a fury did his mistaken zeal make him! It is hardly credible how madly he laid about him, but that he himself gives us the account of it, Acts xxvi. 9, 10, 11." I verily thought with myself, (fays he) that I

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ought to do many things, contrary to the name "of JESUS of Nazareth; which thing I also did in "Jerufalem, and many of the faints I fhut up in "prifon, having received authority from the chief priefts. And when they were put to death, I gave

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LXXXIII.

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SERM." my voice against them; and I punished them oft " in every fynagogue, and compelled them to blafpheme, and being exceedingly mad against them, "I perfecuted them even to strange cities."

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I might defcend lower, and give inftances both of former and latter times, of emperors and princes, both heathen and chriftian, that of themselves were mild and gentle; and yet through a mistaken zeal, and the instigation of the chief priefts, have been carried to cruel and bloody things. And indeed nothing gives so keen an edge, even to the mildest tempers, as an erroneous and wild zeal for GoD and religion; it is like quickfilver in the back of a fword, that is not very sharp of itself, which gives a mighty force and weight to its blow, and makes it cut terribly.

And it is very fad to confider, that the zealous profecution of mistakes in religion hath produced fadder and more barbarous effects in the world, and more frequently, than the ordinary corruptions and degeneracy of natural light is apt to do; as the decay of the richest and most generous wines makes the foureft vinegar; fo that the pafquil or libel against pope Urban the VIIIth. upon occafion of his taking off the brazen roof of the old capitol (which had held out so many ages, and that notwithstanding Rome had been fo often facked by barbarous nations) and his felling it to enrich his family [quod non fecerant Barbari, fecerunt Barberini] may, with changing the name and occafion, be applied to a great many others; that they have been guilty of thofe cruelties against Chriftians, upon account of difference in religion, which the most barbarous nations never exercifed upon one another.

LXXXIII.

I have done with the obfervation and the text; SERM. and fhall I now need to make my application of what hath been faid, to the occafion of this day; The thing applies itself; fince the horrid design of this day was undertaken and carried on upon the fame pretences and principles, upon which the Jews perfecuted the difciples of our LORD, and much in. the fame method; for the firft thundered out an excommunication against them, and then took it for granted, that it would be "an acceptable facrifice. "to God, to destroy them.

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I will not go about to aggravate the confpiracy of this day, it is paft my fkill; nor will I extend the blame and guilt of it any farther than the plain evidence and reason of the thing does enforce. It is a thing fo fcandalous to human nature, and fo great a reflection upon any church and religion, to be acceffary to the contriving or countenancing of any fuch defign, that I am very well contented, that it fhould be confined to as narrow a compafs as may be, and none esteemed guilty of it, but those that were openly in it, or have fince endeavoured to excufe it. All that we defire of others, is, that they would declare their hearty deteftation of fuch abominable practices, and be as good as their word; and that they would not account it a fervice and facrifice to GOD, to destroy all that cannot be of their mind.

So that the inference from all this difcourfe, in fhort, fhall be this, that men fhould take great care to inform their confciences aright, and to govern them by the plain rules of good and evil, the law of GOD written upon our hearts, and revealed in his word, which forbids fuch practices as I have been fpeaking of, as clearly as the fun fhines at noonday; and that we would always be afraid to do a

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LXXXIII.

SE RM. bad thing, though gilded over with never fo glorious colours, and fpecious pretences of zeal for God and his truth. For a man may do a thing with an honest mind, and for a religious end, and be commiffioned and countenanced (as St. Paul was) by them wha take themselves to be the only true church in the world; and yet at last prove to have been all the while a blafphemer, and a murderer, and the greateft of finners; for none of thefe pretences are fufficient to warrant and fanctify a wicked action: before this can be done, the immutable nature of good and evil must be changed.

I will conclude all with that gentle reproof of our bleffed SAVIOUR to his difciples, when their zeal for him had tranfported them to make that cruel request to him, that he would (as Elias had done upon a like occafion) "call for fire from heaven to "deftroy the Samaritans: Ye know not what man

ner of spirit ye are of; for the Son of man came "not to destroy mens lives, but to fave them;" hereby declaring to us the true temper and spirit of christianity, and that they that act contrary to it are ignorant of the nature of the christian religion; ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; for the Son of man came not to deftroy mens lives, but to fave them."

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I exhort therefore, that first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and bonefty.

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LXXXIV.

Need not tell any here, that this day is appoint- SER M. ed by authority for an anniversary folemnity, in, a grateful commemoration of the great mercy of God to thefe nations, in putting an end to the inteftine wars and confufions of many years, in re ftoring to us our own ancient government and laws, and in bringing home, as upon this day, the right ful heir of these kingdoms, to the crown and throne of his fathers: And though the glory of this day hath been not a little fullied and obfcured by many things which have happened fince that time, fitter now to be buried in filence and oblivion, than to be mention'd and raked up; yet it hath pleafed God, in scattering those black clouds, which not long fince hung over us, to restore this day to its firft luftre and brightness; fo that we may now with great joy look back upon it, as defigned by the wife providence of GOD, to make way for the happiness which we now enjoy under their prefent majefties, by whom, under

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