"oath and other things in that act. And so great was the zeal in carrying on this church affair, and so blind the obedience required, that if you compute the time of passing the act, with "that allowed for the clergy to subscribe the book "of Common Prayer thereby established, you "will find it could not be printed and distributed, so as that one man in forty could have seen and read the book they did so perfectly assent and "consent to." 66 To conclude-The instruction we are to learn hence; is to say with lord Strafford, (whose faithful and long services his sovereignt rewarded, with, in effect, signing a death warrant to cut off his head) put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men, for in them there is no help! But we thank GOD, there is a SON OF MAN whom He hath constituted PRINCE over all the kings of the earth, (Rev. i. 5.) in whose supremacy we triumph; in whom with firm confidence and security we trust: we glory in being his subjects; and rejoice in the assurance that his kingdom of righteousness, of liberty and truth, shall finally prevail: and that every loss we sustain, and every temporal emolument and advantage we forego, out of conscience towards God, and from allegiance to HIM, the only king in the church, will be magnificently rewarded, in that glorious everlasting kingdom which, according to his promise, we know will shortly take place. In the mean time, we are content, if the will of God be so, to be cast out and reproached, and to suffer great worldly discouragements, (which, in all ages, hath been the lot of some of the wisest and worthiest and best men upon earth) in the assured expectation that there are times of re Critic. Hist. of Engl. vol. ii. p. 350. Maiz. Collec. p. 16. + Charles I. freshing coming from the presence,* or appearing, of this great KING of the church; when every man will rise into glory and honour, or sink into shame and everlasting contempt, according to the fidelity, or negligence of his present conduct: and to all shall be recompensed according to their present works. Amen! Even so come Lord Jesus! * Acts iii. 19. N. B. The above account hath been given chiefly with a view to shew the great ingratitude and treachery of Charles the second, and to set in its true light an historical fact, which seems to be forgotten in the reproaches occasionally thrown out against the dissenters, as enemies to monarchial government: for otherwise, it reflects no little disgrace upon the presbyterians, that they were seduced by the king's promises, and that they did not improve the glorious opportunity which his restoration afforded, of obtaining a real security both to religious and civil liberty. THE DISSENTERS APOLOGY: OR THEIR PRINCIPLES AND CONDUCT JUSTIFIED, FROM THE GROUNDLESS AND SEVERE CENSURES LATELY SET FORTH AGAINST THEM BY THE EDITOR OF Dr. WARREN'S SERMONS: IN WHICH THE NATURE OF SCHISM, CHURCH AUTHORITY, AND CIVIL ESTABLISHMENTS OF RELIGION IS CONSIDERED; AND THE MEMORY OF THEIR FATHERS PURGED FROM THE ODIUM THERE CAST UPON THEM. HUMBLY ADDRESSED TO THE IMPARTIAL WORLD; AND ESPECIALLY TO THE WORTHY GEntlemen, WHOSE NAMES ARE PREFIXED AS SUBSCRIBERS TO THOSE SERMONS. [FIRST PRINTED, 1739.] |