"and deteftation; or fhould forbear to "tell your Majefty of the fin and danger "of facrilege. And though you and "myself were born in an age of frailties, "when the primitive piety and care of "the Church's lands and immunities are "much decayed; yet, Madam, let me "beg that you would first confider that "there are fuch fins as profaneness and "facrilege; and that, if there were not, 66 they could not have names in holy writ, "and particularly in the New Testament. "And I befeech you to confider, that "though our Saviour faid, He judged no man; and, to testify it, would not judge "nor divide the inheritance betwixt the "two brethren, nor would judge the "woman taken in adultery; yet in this ર point of the Church's rights he was "fo zealous, that he made himself both "the accufer and the judge, and the "executioner too, to punish these fins; "witneffed, in that he himself made the "whip to drive the profaners out of the "Temple, overthrew the tables of the "money-changers, and drove them out ❝ of "of it. And I befeech you to confider, "that it was St. Paul that faid to thofe "Chriftians of his time that were offended "with idolatry, and yet committed facri"lege; Thou that abborreft idols, doft thou "commit facrilege? fuppofing, I think, "facrilege the greater fin. This may "occafion your Majefty to confider, that "there is such a fin as facrilege; and to "incline you to prevent the curse that "will follow it, I befeech you also to "confider, that Conftantine the first "Chriftian Emperor, and Helena his mo"ther; that King Edgar, and Edward "the Confeffor; and indeed many others "of your predeceffors, and many private "Chriftians, have alfo given to God, and "to his Church, much land, and many "immunities, which they might have 66 given to those of their own families, and "did not; but gave them for ever as an "abfolute right and facrifice to God: and "with thefe immunities and lands they "have entailed a curfe upon the alienators "of them: God prevent your Majesty "and your fucceffors from being liable to "that "that curfe, which will cleave unto "Church-lands, as the leprofy to the "Jews. “And to make you, that are trusted "with their preservation, the better to "understand the danger of it, I beseech 66 you, forget not, that, to prevent these curfes, the Church's land and power "have been alfo endeavoured to be pre"ferved, as far as human reason and the "law of this nation have been able to "preserve them, by an immediate and "most facred obligation on the consci ences of the Princes of this realm. For "they that confult Magna Charta shall "find, that as all your predeceffors were "at their coronation, so you also were "fworn before all the nobility and bi fhops then present, and in the presence "of God, and in his ftead to him that "anointed you, to maintain the Church"lands, and the rights belonging to it; "and this you yourself have teftified "openly to God at the holy altar, by laying your hands on the Bible then lying upon it. And not only Magna VOL. I. Charta, "Charta, but many modern ftatutes have "denounced a curfe upon those that "break Magna Charta; a curfe like "the leprofy, that was entailed on the "Jews: for as that, fo these curfes have "and will cleave to the very stones of "those buildings that have been confe"crated to God; and the father's fin of "facrilege hath and will prove to be en❝tailed on his fon and family. And now, "Madam, what account can be given "for the breach of this oath at the laft great day, either by your Majefty, or "by me, if it be wilfully or but negli"gently violated, I know not. 66 "And therefore, good Madam, let not "the late Lord's exceptions against the "failings of fome few clergymen prevail "with you to punish posterity for the er"rors of this prefent age: let particular "men fuffer for their particular errors; "but let God and his Church have their ❝inheritance: and though I pretend not "to prophefy, yet I beg pofterity to take "notice of what is already become visible "in many families; that Church-land, "added "added to an ancient and just inherit"ance, hath proved like a moth fretting "a garment, and fecretly confumed both: "or like the eagle that stole a coal from "the altar, and thereby fet her neft on "fire, which confumed both her young eagles, and herself that ftole it. And "though I fhall forbear to speak reproach fully of your father, yet I beg you to "take notice, that a part of the Church's "rights, added to the vaft treasure left "him by his father, hath been conceived "to bring an unavoidable consumption upon both, notwithstanding all his dili 66 gence to preserve them. "And confider, that after the violation "of those laws, to which he had fworn "in Magna Charta, God did so far deny "him his restraining grace, that as King "Saul, after he was forfaken of God, fell "from one fin to another; fo he, till at "laft he fell into greater fins than I am "willing to mention. Madam, religion "is the foundation and cement of human "focieties; and when they that serve at "God's altar fhall be expofed to poverty, "then U 2 |