THE Effects, Success and Consequents of the most solemn Acts of Religion are somewhat like to those of the Water of Jealousie, which to those that were Pure produced a Blessing, Health and Conception; but to those who were defiled, a Curse and Corruption: So these if duely used never fail of a Blessing, but if profaned by Irreverence or Neglect, and undue Per­formance, [Page 2]have a suitable Success, miss of the Blessing ex­pected, and besides, (it may be) meet with some Tempo­ral Judgment; For this Cause, saith S. Paul, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep: And this he speaks of such as shall be saved hereafter, as appears by what fol­lows; For if we would judg our selves we should not be judged, but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the World: By which it appears, That those who shall not be condemned with the World, are, if occasion be, and for that very End, that they may not be condemned with the World, often chastened of the Lord, with the severest of Temporal Judgments, even Death it self; and That this may be prevented by judging our selves.

Among those solemn Acts of Religion, by the Well or Ill management whereof we may procure to our selves a Blessing or a Curse, Acts of Repentance and Humiliation are to be reckoned. And since the King and Queen have appointed a General and Publick Fast and Humiliation, to implore the Blessing of Almighty God upon our Forces by Sea and Land, and Success in the War against the French King, it behoves us to consider well what we do, that we do not provoke a Curse instead of procuring a Blessing upon our selves and our Forces by it. And we have the more reason to consider well what we do now, if we do consider our Ways (as the Prophet Haggai admonished the Isrealistes in a parallel Case) since our last Solemn Day, which was for Thanksgiving, for a most admirable Mercy and Deliverance; for it is visible to all, That there is a great Alteration in the Course of our Af­fairs since that time. All went before with a smooth and prosperous Course, beyond all Expectation, even to Admi­ration; and hath ever since gone as untowardly and heavily. I need not mention Particulars; for it is so manifest, that none can be insensible of it, who are not very stupid: but it does concern us to enquire at this Time, when we are about to implore the Blessing of God upon our Forces, whe­ther we have not by some Miscarriage forfeited that Blessing of God, which before was with us. For if we have, [Page 3]if we do not confess the same, give Glory to God, and-speedily reform it, we may sooner provoke a Curse, than ob­tain a Blessing by this days work.

This was fit and necessary to be done, were our Fast up­on any other occasion, but being upon such an occasion as this, we have besides a special Admonition to do it. When the Host goeth forth against thine Enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing. If there be any thing which hath pro­voked an alteration of the course of our Affairs for the worse already, if we look not well to it, our Fasting and Praying will not help us. We must consider the Majesty of Al­mighty God, before whom the greatest of Princes are but despicable Worms: We must consider the greatness of that Deliverance he so lately gave us; consider the special Obli­gations it layed upon us: and then consider our ways, how we have answered the same. Which if we do as we ought we shall find, that though we kept a Day of publick Thanks­giving; yet neither Prince not Priest, nor People (the Parliament) have hitherto done any one act of Gratitude toward Almighty God, answerable to the occasion. It is a very good Observation. Non bene suceedunt res Humanae, ubi negliguntur Divinae. Here lies the very root of all our slow Proceedings. And because on such occasions we are not to mince the Matter, but confess, and lament the Sins of our selves and our fore-fathers, and of our Kings, our Priests and our Prophets: I will plainly relate that which all ought to take into serious Consideration.

The Christian Religion reformed from the Abuses of the Roman Church, is not only allowed, but embraced, and the Profession thereof authorized by the Laws of this Na­tion; so that any Affront, Contempt, or Dis-respect to it, doth proportionately affect the State, and in that which is most Sacred. No wise man would unnecessarily do that which might be interpreted a dis-respect to the State and Government of his Country, nor would any wise State, though Heathen, endure to be affronted, much less in things so sacred as Religion. Yet to that degree of folly and mad­ness, are many of the very Gentry and Nobility of this Nati­on [Page 4]degenerated, that they not only patiently suffer the Reli­gion of the State to be contemned, violated, and prophaned by the basest of the People, but are themselves, instead of being examples of Virtue, the evil Examples of all Wicked­ness, Vice, and Debauchery.

The speedy Reformation of this, was certainly the pro­per business, and great duty of this State; the neglect of it (I doubt not) a great cause and provocation of the judg­ments and unhappiness of the late King, and of our slow and unprosperous Proceedings, and if it be longer continu­ed, and after a solemn day of Fasting and Prayer, will pro­voke some smarter Chastisement. This was a duty, to which our late Deliverance by so extraordinary a Providence, did lead us and oblige us; and this had been a reasonable act of Gra­titude, But it must be confessed that it hath not only been neg­lected, but with some aggravating Circumstances.

Upon Christmass-Day was sent to the Prince a Specimen of a Declaration against Debauchery in the Armies, which had been perused and approved by several Persons of good Ability, both Divines, Lawyers, and Persons of Quality.

It was inclosed in a Letter, to this Effect: Something of this na­ture to be Published by your Highness, is exceeding necessary, would be but a reasonable act of gratitude to God, who hath blessed you with so extraordinary Success, would be very grateful, and much endear your Person to all good People, would, as I guess by experience, not want a good Effect, and would I hope, conduce to obtain yet greater Blessings from Almighty God upon your honourable undertakings And, because the Prince was then full of Business, about a Week after notice thereof was given to Dr. Burnet, pre­suming he would put forward such Works, and not suffer them to be neglected by multiplicity of Business, or world­ly Policy. Some time after it was published in Print, both alone, and with other Papers under the Title of the true En­glish Government, and Mis-Government of the four last Kings, with the ill Confequences thereof. In one of which, Entitu­led A Caveat against Flattery and Prophanation of sacred things to secular Ends, were many things said very plainly, and ve­ry truly against Debauchery. All was dedicated to the King, with a brief Narrative of the causes of the unhappi­ness [Page 5]of those Kings, and the Danger of his involving himself in their Fate, and participation in their Judgments, and pre­sented to his own Hand, March 18. And some time after presented to several of the Lords, and many of the Com­mons.

But to this day hath not any thing been done to this pur­pose, or so much as mentioned by King, Bishop, Lord, or any one of the Commons; nor are we yet awakened to any sence of the Importance of this Matter, though we see some things, little less than predicted in those Papers, al­ready come to pass, as particularly the impeding and crossing our Preparations for Ireland, and encouraging the Irish. pag. 15. of the Caveat. And I wish we see not more come to pass, as we certainly shall if we go on in this manner. Can we think that our verbal Thanksgiving can find acceptance with the Wise and Righteous God, without acts of Gratitude, when there is occasion? It would not with a mortal Man, but rather provoke Indignation. Nor can we reasonably expect our Fasting and Prayers should ever find favour with him without an actual and speedy Reformation; but rather ag­gravate the fault, and provoke some great Cross and Dis­appointment.

Sometimes God is pleased in the Government of the World, as it were to withdraw himself, and wink at the courses of Men, and let them go on without check or controul; at other times to appear in extraordinary Dispensations of his Providence: And this he is now doing not only in these Nations, but in a great part of the World. He hath in an admirable manner executed his Judgments against the late King, who had filled up the Iniquity of his Fathers by not only courting, but espousing the Babylonish Harlot, and when we might have expected some severe Judgment, gave us a great Deliverance. He gave to the Prince an ex­traordinary Success, but withal, at the same time led him to a Temptation and Tryal? whether after such an Army of Men had stooped to him, he would dare, in dependance upon that Providence, to encounter a Party of Vicious and debauched Nobility and Gentry; which [Page 6]had he done all had certainly stooped to him, he had kept up his Authority; which with a Mixture of Kindness, Confi­dence and such like encouragements, would by the Blessing of God, have made that Army as debauched as it was, entirely at his Service; and might have made things go more smoothly in the Parliament than they have done, without any Politick Compliance with any Faction whatsoever. That he did not do it, if it was through Forgetfulness, the Fault lies at the Doctor's Door; but if it was upon Politick Considerations, he hath stumbled at the very same Stone at which King James the First did, and unless he spedily extricate himself, will be involved in the Fate of that Family. And for the Bishops, Lords and Commons, the Representatives of the Nation, who have been so busie in scuffling for Places and Prefer­ments, or carrying on the Interest of some Faction or Party, if they neglect to correspond with the present Course of God's Providence in Reformation of the Nation by the Gentle Means of Good Laws and Vigorous Execution by the Civil Sword, God will certainly do it by his rougher Ways, of the Sword of War, and cast out such unprofitable Servants; our extraordinary Mercies will aggravate our Crimes, may fill up our Measure, and the Prophanation of our Fasting and Prayer, by neglect of Reformation may seal up our Judgments. I am perswaded God will pull down the Pride and Insolence of that wicked Man the French King; and great probability there was he would have done it in a great Mea­sure by our Hands, had we made our selves fit for his Service; but it is now doubtful, whether he will not first scourge and purge our wicked Generation by that Rod before he throws it in the Fire: For the things which belong to our Peace, seem to be hidden from our Eyes, as if we were possessed with a Spirit of Slumber and Infatuation. Quos perdere vult Jupiter dementat prius. If this Solemnity produce no better Effects in our State, it remains only that Private Men look to them­selves, have a care who they associate with, and enter into such Courses, as 'tis probable Almighty God will Bless and Protect them in: and perhaps the Condition of Londonderry in their Siege may be more eligible than of the City of Lon­don in their Liberty, with Licentiousness.

I am amazed to consider the Supine Negligence and Insen­sibility of our State in this Respect; and the more, when I consider, that there are some among them, who make Pro­fession of Religion, and whose sincerity therein I cannot question. Possibly some may be of some other Church or Party, and look upon all the rest, as such as are without, and therefore are not concerned for them; but this, if it be so, is a Mistake, for they and their Parties, being Members of the same Commonwealth, may deservedly be involved in the Punishment of those Crimes, which they neglect to reform in other Members thereof.

But for those of the Church of England, how they can magnifie this for the best Church in the World, and at the same time, with Patience see it made a Cage of every Un­clean Bird, I cannot understand; for certain it is, That none of the Debauchees do profess themselves to be of any other Church, but all of the Church of England, and many of them Zealots for it too: and reason good, for there they are con­nived at.

But I cannot mention this Neglect of the Church of Eng­land, in not reforming its own Members, without calling to mind another Neglect, by no means to be passed over in Si­lence, upon this Occasion, because the Mischiefs thereof do seem very likely to fall heavy upon us: And that is of Reclaim­ing, Civilizing and Converting the poor Irish, who seem to have been committed to our Care by the Providence of God: For we have for a whole Age at least wanted neither Men nor Means, nor any thing else but good Hearts sensible of our Duty, for that Servicet. The Souls of that People and of their Ancestors, may cry to Heaven for Vengeance for that Neg­lect. And we may reasonably fear that God in Judgment, may make use of that neglected and despised People for a just Scourge and Punishment for it. The Wit of Man in his Prosperity may find out Fine Plausible Exccuses; but it is time now to consider, How far such Excuses are like to pass with Almighty God: And certainly it will be more suitable to this Occasion, to lay them all aside; take the Matter into serious Consideration, and make that one of the Motives of our Humiliation.

Besides the gross Immortalities of the Nation, there are many other matters, which deserve consideration: And a­mong the rest, that Root of all Evil, Coveteousness, and in­satiable Greediness after the things of the World. This, as it deadens the Affections, and averts the Soul from God, so it so narrows and contracts it that it cannot freely exert its Pow­ers for the Publick Good, but is ready upon all occasions to sa­crifice that to its insatiable Appetite; which I mention here because I take it to be no small Impediment to the course of our affairs at this time. But I shall say no more of it now.

I am so well known to want no Good-Will either to the State or Church of England, that I think an Apology for this Plain­dealing needless. The matter it self, in my Apprehension, car­ries its own Apology and Justification with it. And he, whose Cause and Service I have undertaken, is a better Advocate, than ei­ther I my self, or any Man else can befor me.