The Lay-Man's Sermon upon the Late Storm Part 2

All wise Princes in the World have made it a constant Maxim in their Governments, that when any of their great Generals prove Unfortunate, tho' never so Wise, they lay them by, as Persons that G.o.d does not think fit to bless with success, and 'tis not needful to examine whether it were not their fault, but to be Unfortunate is to be told from Heaven, that such a one is not the Man, and a Nation ought to understand it so.

But sure when Heaven Singles men out by Crossing their attempts _and Marks them for unfortunate_, and we can give our selves good reasons why they are thus Mark'd by the Divine displeasure; when we can see their false steps, their General designs against G.o.d and their Countries Intrests, 'tis high time then for those who sit at the Helm of Government, to Change hands and put their affaires into such Persons Conduct, against whom Heaven has not declar'd so plainly its Displeasure, nor the Nation its Dislike.

Why shou'd the Queen be desir'd to Chain down her own Happiness and the Nations Interest, to the Missfortune of a few Men. Perhaps G.o.d may Bless the Fleet under one Admiral, when he will not under another. I know nothing against Admiral _Callemburgh_, he may be an Honest and worthy-man, and ready enough to Fight for the cause, for indeed most of the _Dutch_ Captains of Ships are so, but since Heaven has now 'twice refus'd to let him go, and driven him back again, if I were the Governour of his Masters affairs, he should not be sent a Third time, least we should seem obstinately to Employ somebody that G.o.d himself had declar'd against and had three times from Heaven forbid to go.

I hope no Body will Construe this to be a Personal Satyr upon _Myn Heer Callemburgh_, But _take it among ye_, let it go, where it Fitts best.

If these are not the Generation of Men that must do the Nations business, then 'tis plain our Deliverance will never be wrought while they are employ'd; If G.o.d will not bless them he will never bless us till they are dismist.

I doubt not we shall be deliver'd, and this Nation shall yet Triumph over her Enemies; but while wrong Instruments are Employ'd the Work will be delay'd. _G.o.d would have a House built him_ But _David_ was not the Man and therefore the Work was put off till _Solomon_ was in the Throne.

G.o.d would have _Israel_ go into the Land of _Canaan_ and possess it, but those Generals and those Captains were not the Men; _Moses_ and _Aaron_, and the great Men of the Camp were not such as G.o.d approv'd off and therefore _Israel_ could not go over _Joardan_ till they had laid their Bones in the Wilderness.

_England_ is hardly ever to pa.s.s over the _Jourdan_ before her, till these Immoderate Men of Strife and Storms are laid by.

If any man ask me why these men shou'd not perfect the Nation Peace as well as other men? _I do not say which Men nor who_, but let them be who the enquirer please, I answer the Question, with a question _How shou'd men of no Moderaion bring us to Peace_.

How shou'd Men of strife bring us Peace and Union: Contraries may Ill.u.s.trate but Contraries never Incorporate; Men of Temper, are the safe men for this Nation. Men of heat are fit to Embroil it, but not to Cure it: they are something like our Sea Surgeons who fly to Amputation of Members upon every slight Fracture, when a more proper Application would effect the Cure and save the Joynt.

'Tis an ill sign especially for _England_ when Wars abroad wont make us Friends at home. Foreign dangers us'd to Unite us from whence Queen _Elizabeth_, has been said to leave this Character of the Nation behind her, that they were much easier to be Govern'd in a time of War than in Peace.

But when This, which us'd to be the only Cure of all our diseases, fails us, 'tis a sign the Distemper is Grown very strong, and there is some more than usual Room for despair.

The only Way left the Nation is to obtain from those in power, that Moderation may cease being the pretence and be really the practice.

It would be well all men would at least _be Occasional Conformists_, to this Extraordinary principle; and when there is such a Loud call to Peace both from Heaven and from the Throne, they would do well to consider who are the Men of Peace and who are not: For certainly those Immoderate Gentlemen, who slight the Proposals for a general Union of Charity, cannot pretend to be Friends to the present Intrest of their Native Country.

These men, 'tis true, Cry out of the danger of the Church, but can they make it appear that the Church is in any danger from Moderation and Temper; can they pretend that there is no way to secure her, but by pulling down all that differ with them, no way to save her but by the ruin of her Protestant Brethren; there are Thousands of Loyal honest Church-men, who are not of this mind; who believe that Moderation and Charity to Protestant Dissenters is very Consistant with the safety of the Church and with the present general Union which they Earnestly desire.

As to Persons we have nothing to say to them, but this, without pretending to prophesy, may be safely advanced, that Heaven it self, has Eminently declared it self against the Fury and Immoderate Zeal of those Gentlemen, and told us as plainly as possible, unless we would Expect a Voice from on high, that he neither Has nor Designs to bless this Generation nor their proceedings.

When ever our rulers think fit to see it, and to employ the Men and the Methods which Heaven approves, then we may expect success from abroad, Peace at home, prosperity in Trade, Victory in War, plenty in the Field, Mild and Comfortable Seasons, Calm Air, Smooth Seas, and safe Habitations.

Till then we are to expect our Houses Blown down, our Pallaces Shatter'd, our Voyages broken, our Navys Ship-wreck'd, our Saylors Drown'd, our Confedrates Beaten, our Trade ruin'd, our Money spent and our Enemies encreased.

The Grand dispute in this Quarrelsome Age, is against our Brethren who Dissent from the Church; and from what principle do we act? it is not safe say they to let any of them be entrusted in the Government, that is, it is not profitable to let any Body enjoy great Places but themselves.

This is the Bottom of the pretence, as to the safety of it. These are the People who Cry out of the Danger from the Dissenters, but are not concerned at our Danger from the _French_; that are frighted at the Dissenters who as they pretend grow too Formidable for the Church, but are not disturb'd at the Threatning Growth of a Conquering _Popish_ Enemy; that Deprecate the Clouds of Whiggism and Phanaticism, but apprehend nothing of the Black Clouds of G.o.d's Threatning Judgements, which plainly tell them _if they would suffer themselves to think_, that there is somthing in the general practice of the Nation which does not please him, and for which the hand of his Judgements is extended against us.

These are strange dull-sighted men, whose Intrest stands so directly between them and their understanding that they can see nothing but what that represents to them; G.o.d may Thunder from Heaven with Storms upon Storms, Ruin our Fleets, Drown our Sailors and Blow us back from the best Contriv'd Expeditions in the World, but they will never believe the case affects them, never look into their own Conduct to see if they have not help'd to bring these heavy Strokes upon the Nation.

How many Thousands have we in _England_, who if the whole _Navy_ of _England_ had been at Stake; had rather have lost it than the _Bill against Occasional Conformity_; that had rather the _French_ should have taken _Landau_ and Beat the Prince of _Hess Ca.s.sell_, than the Queen should have made such a _Speech for Peace and Union_; that had rather the _Duke_ of _Bavaria_ should have taken _Ausburgh_, than that there should not have been _some Affront put upon the House of Lords_.

And if such Zealots, such Christian Furies are met with by Providence, and see both the _Fleet_ and the _Occasional Bill_ lost together is it not plain, what Providence meant in it. He that can not see that G.o.d from on high has Punish'd them in their own way and pointed out the Crime in the Vengeance must be more blind than usual, and must shut their Eyes against their own Consciences.

'Tis plain Heaven has suited his Punishment to the Offence, has Punish'd the Stormy Temper of this Party of Men with _Storms of his Vengeance, Storms on their Navies, Storms on their Houses, Storms on their Confederates_, and I question not will at last with _Storms in their Consciences_.

If there be any Use to be made of this matter, 'tis to excite the Nation to Spue out from among them these Men of Storms, that Peace, Love, Charity and a General Union may succeed, and G.o.d may Bless us, Return to us and delight to dwell among us, that the Favour of Heaven may Return to us, and the Queen who has heartily declared her Eyes open to this needful happiness, may enjoy the Blessing of Wise Counsellors and Faithful Servants, that Constant Victory may Crown all our Enterprizes, and the General Peace of Europe may be Established.

If any one can tell us a way to bring all these Blessed ends to pa.s.s, without a General Peace of Parties and Interests at home, he is Wellcome to do it, for I profess It is hid from my Eyes.

FINISH.