Men's Actions in the moft odious Lights, when it whispers away their good Name; when it arraigns and condemns their Honesty meerly for a different Way of thinking in Religion, and even in Politicks, it muft needs be a falfe and vicious Zeal, because it is quite contrary to Charity, which is the Flower of all Chriftian Virtues, and without which all our Doings are nothing worth.

Need I obferve to you that Lying and Perjury to promote any Caufe, are fure Signs of a very vicious Zeal? and yet we are fallen into an Age that affords too many Examples of each. We have feen a poor Monofyllable founded out by delufive Tongues, that like a Spark upon Gunpowder, has fet a whole Kingdom in a Flame. We have feen the deluded Multitude bewitched by a Succeffion of impudent Lies, calculated each for a Day only; and

wicked Caufe promoted this Way, by Men, who if they could for once fpeak Truth, might say with thofe in the Prophet Ifaiab, we have made Lies our Refuge, and under Falfhood have we bid our felvesThis, however, is only lying to mortal Men; but to lie to Almighty God, to take

L

folemn

folemn Oaths in his Prefence, with an Intention to break them; to come prepared with wretched Shifts, Evafions and Referves, in order to avoid their Obligation, this is too bad for any Caufe to juftify, or any Charity to extenuate. God Almighty forgive fuch Liars and Forfwearers, I am fure their Country cannot, and I will venture to fay, ought not eafily to do it. Charity is the Virtue of private Men, but not of Societies and Communities, they must fubfift by Juftice and Judgment, and the due Ex

ecution of Laws.

I am forry that there are any further Inftances before me; but it is impoffible to ftop here. Our holy Religion, next to fearing God, commands us to honour the King. It fets one of the blackest Brands of Infamy on thofe prefumptuous and felfwilled Perfons who are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities. What shall we fay then of thofe who inftead of honouring a King * whom the Providence of God, and the repeated Confent of the Nation in Parliament have raised to the Throne, whose personal Virtues, were they in a private Man, would deferve a Crown, and who feems to have

King George Ift.

no

no other Pleasure in wearing it, than to make all his People easy and happy, what fhall we fay to thefe, who far from honour

ing this good King,

duce his wife and

fet themselves to tragentle gentle Government, and cannot afford to treat him even with common Decency; who by their wicked Arts and Infinuations firft alienated the Hearts of his Subjects, then work'd them. up into Mobs and Riots, and Tumults, and at last into open Rebellion? * A Rebellion of a Kind altogether new in England, not in Defence of Law and Liberty, not of the Protestant Religion and established Church, but in Favour of a Popish Pretender, and animated by a Spirit of Revenge, of Ambition and Faction, Vices that do often hang out false Colours, and fight under the Banner of Christian Zeal, but are in Truth, in a quite contrary Intereft. And I would to God it could be faid, that none but profeffed Papists had appeared in this wicked Enterprize: It is what might be expected from them; it is what they are taught by their Priefts, and by a bloody Religion; but when we have feen profeffed Proteftants, and of the established

* At Prefton.

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Church,

Church, and even the great Champions of Non-refiftance, animating and leading on Rebellion, against their lawful Sovereign, what fhall we fay to these Things? I can find nothing more pertinent than those 1 Ep. 2. 19. Words of St. John, They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that it might be made manifeft that they were not all of us. If they could be true Friends to our eftablish'd Church, who would fet a Popish King at the Head of it, or to our free Constitution who took up Arms for a King trained up in the Maxims of French Policy, or to their Country, who attempted to involve it in Blood and Confufion, what could Enemies do more?

To this Extremity have we seen Men driven by the force of Zeal, or of fome other Paffion borrowing its Shape. And if others more cautious of going these Lengths for the Pretender, did yet affist those who did, with their Purses, their Countenance, and their good Wishes, their Zeal was of the fame Kind, tho' it might not rise to the fame Mark. They who fupplied Brick and Mortar, as truly concurred to the

Building

Building of Babel, as the Mafons who difpofed them in the Structure.

This may Characters of Zeal, which like many other Things, is ufeful when restrained within due Bounds, but dangerous in Excess. Fire, Water, and Wind are useful and excellent Things in their proper Places and due Measures; but when they break loofe, and get the Maftery, are terrible and deftructive. Such is the Nature of Zeal, which without Knowledge is Rage, without Charity is cruel, and without a good Life is Hypocrify.

fuffice to fhew the Nature and

It was Zeal that ftoned St. Paul at Lyftra, and dragged him out of the City for dead; and that conjured to affaffinate him, and that scourged him at five different Times; it was Zeal that stoned to death Stephen, the first Christian Martyr ; and it was Zeal that crucified the Lord of Glory, and put bim to open Shame.

Since therefore there is a Zeal that is virtuous and useful, and likewife that which is vicious, blind and mifchievous, it is of great Moment to us to bring our Zeal in any Cause, to the Touchstone before mentioned, that so we may judge of what Kind