Indeed the duties that we owe the Temporal Power, to begin with these, are likewise duties that we most strictly owe to God too; and that's the greatest pos&rehy;sible Obligation upon us to the careful and conscien&rehy;tious discharge of them. This is as plain from the light of Nature, as that God is the God of Justice, Order and Society, and cannot but disapprove of In&rehy;justice, Violence, Anarchy and Confusion. This ob&rehy;ligation Scripture asserts, and must be understood to make it as sacred as words can do, if interpreted in any sense agreeable to the sincerity with which all Christians must believe it to be wrote. That we should not only obey God, but our Prince; that as all Power is of God, so the Temporal Power is his Ordinance, and the Magistrate his Minister; that by consequence whoever resists this Power resists the Ordinance of God; there can be no fair meaning of all this, but that God has delegated his own Authority to the Magistrate, for the preservation of Justice, Peace, Property and Order amongst Mankind: and since every Soul is enjoyned to be subject to this Pow&rehy;er, it can have no Superior but God himself. Since He is Supreme over all Human Power, and the abso&rehy;lute Lord of the whole Universe; his Will is that Law, and that only that ought to take place, and claims our Obedience before any Human Commands whatsoever. Thus we cannot possibly be laid under any Obligation to act contrary to the rules of Mora&rehy;lity or Religion, to the Law of Nature or Scripture; all these being the Laws of God, the result of his Su&rehy;preme Authority over all Rational beings, and all Powers whatever upon Earth. By the same reason his Institutions contain'd in Scripture are the things that belong to God, and him only; and he indispensa&rehy;bly requires our Obedience to these at the same time that he requires our Temporal Subjection and Alle&rehy;giance to Cæsar. If then our blessed Saviour did by the Divine Authority institute a Church, himself the Head, and all Christians enjoyned to be Members of it; if he fixt Laws, Offices and Officers proper to it, as a Society sacred to God Almighty, and distinct from all other Societies upon Earth; then it cannot be denied that we are all under the two distinct Pow&rehy;ers of Church and State, without denying the Scrip&rehy;tures and renouncing our Christianity.

That both the Church Catholick, and all National Churches as parts of it, were design'd by our Saviour to be Societies distinct from the Civil Power is ap&rehy;parent, because he did actually institute them at a time when all other Powers in being upon Earth were, so far from being concern'd in their Institution, that for about three hundred Years they all used their utmost endeavors to extirpate and destroy them. Our blessed Lord after his Resurrection expressly enjoyns and commissions the Apostles to preach the Gospel to all the world, Matth. 28.19. Mar. 16.15. and as my Father sent me, Joh. 20.21. so says he send I you. Now as it must necessarily be his design in giving the Apo&rehy;stles this Commission, that they should out of all Na&rehy;tions make as many Converts as they could to his Re&rehy;ligion; so the whole number of Persons, in all the World, by their preaching converted to Christianity, this was the Catholick or Universal Church then in being. And as 'tis impossible to be supposed that this Church, thus founded by our Saviour's Authority, should be designed to last but one Age; as the Prophet Daniel long before, Dan. 7.27. and the Angel at his salutation of the Blessed Virgin Luk. 1.13. foretold his Kingdom to be everlasting and without end; lastly as himself promis'd Matth. 16.18. so to build his Church, that the gates of hell should never be able to prevail against it; so it must be most certainly true and impossible to be denied without contradicting the Gospel, that as at first, so from thence to our days, and so from us to the end of the World, the whole number of Believers is the Universal Church, Christ's building, and our duties of adhering religiously to it, duties that we owe to God himself. And as 'tis un&rehy;deniable that the Universal Church is one whole Body, consisting of and including all National Churches in the World, as the parts of which it consists; so the Divine Authority, and Original of all these parts, is necessarily implied in that of the whole. As our Blessed Saviour commissioned the Apostles, and there&rehy;fore their Institutions must be look't upon as his; so nothing can be plainer, than that they did actually in&rehy;stitute National Churches, as parts of the Catholick in all places wherever they preacht. Thus we read of the Church of Jerusalem, setled by their joint Au&rehy;thority with its proper Officers, James the Brother of our Lord as Bishop and the Elders of it, Acts 15.2.19. and chap. 21. v. 18. Thus St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, Galatians, Thessalonians, and Philip&rehy;pians, calling them expresly Churches which he had Founded, and to the last of these he applies himself, Philip. 1.1. together with its Officers, Bishops and Deacons, probably made so; but certainly approved as such by himself. The same great Apostle, we read both in Scripture and Church History constituted, Timothy Bishop of Ephesus, and Titus of Crete, giving to both a power of Ordaining others: Lastly, to name no more particular Instances; Acts 20. 17, & 28. we are told that from Miletus in his way to Jerusalem, he sent for the Elders of the Church of Ephesus, and when they were come, charges them to take care of the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers, and calls this feeding of the Church of God, which our Lord had purchased with his own bloud. As therefore tis plain from these and the like passages of Scripture, that the Apostles did institute National Churches, as parts of the Catholick, in those Countries where they preach'd, so their Commission being given them by our Blessed Saviour, these Institutions are his too, and stand upon his Divine Authority. As he by the Ministry of the Apostles founded this his Univer&rehy;sal Kingdom, consisting of these its several parts, to continue to the World's end; so this Method and Constitution of it, establish'd by these Holy Persons, must in all Ages be of the same Authority and Origi&rehy;nal, as the Kingdom it's self. For us therefore to maintain constant Communion with the Church, to be dutiful and conscientious Members of it, these are duties that we immediately owe to God himself; and he has likewise oblig'd us to be obedient to that Power which he has delegated to our Temporal Prin&rehy;ces, without dispensing with us in any Case; but where their Commands are inconsistent with the Duty that we owe to him.

Before I proceed I must observe this plain Conse&rehy;quence from what has been said; that if the Church and its Ministry be Divine Institutions, then those Functions for the exercise of which this Ministry was instituted must be so too. As our Blessed Sa&rehy;viour commissioned the Apostles, and they the Church in after Ages, to set apart a distinct Order of Men for the performance of Divine Service, and those Of&rehy;fices which he made necessary to be kept up in the Church; so the exercise of these Offices is both ap&rehy;parently and sufficiently founded in this Commission, and cannot be suppos'd to depend upon any other Foundation, without making the Institution of our Blessed Saviour useless and insignificant. 'Tis very plain from hence, that the performance of these Holy Offices, for which the Ministry was established, is ap&rehy;propriated to the Ministers of the Church in all Ages; and that no Person can have any Right to perform them, who is not made a Minister of the Church ac&rehy;cording to the Apostolical Institutions. That perni&rehy;cious Principle then, that every man may be a Priest for himself, must be as false as 'tis pernicious and de&rehy;structive of the Church. Did the Apostles give Ti&rehy;mothy, Titus, and many others, a Power of admitting Persons into Holy Orders, and of conferring the same Power upon their Successors after them? Was it the design of dedicating these Persons to God, that his publick Worship, the Administration of the Sacra&rehy;ments, and the duties incumbent upon Spiritual Guides should be perform'd by their Ministry? Was this the universal Belief and Practice of the Church in all the Ages next to the Apostles? All this is unde&rehy;niable, and not only so, but as far as History can in&rehy;form us, this was the Belief and Practice of all Chri&rehy;stians, until broken in upon by the Sectaries, that be&rehy;gan within less than three hundred years of the pre&rehy;sent Age. If these things be true, then those persons must be guilty of contradicting Christ and his Apo&rehy;stles, and the Catholick Church, who assert that in no sort of Divine Service, any Man can be more a Priest than another, that every single Person may be a Priest for himself, that there is no need of any such Orders, as distinct from other Men, or at least, that the Ci&rehy;vil Power may Create or Abolish them at pleasure.

But I come now to the second part of my proposed Method, to shew that neither these two Powers of Church and State, under which God has placed us, nor the duties that we owe to them, are at all incon&rehy;sistent with each other. And this is as certain, as that the Institutions of our Saviour and his Apostles could not be inconsistent with the Doctrine which they preach'd. He having expresly commanded us to render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and every where condemning all breaches of Loyalty and Obe&rehy;dience to the Civil Power; and having likewise, by the Divine authority, Establish'd a Church and Mini&rehy;stry to continue to the Worlds End; all Christians must acknowledge that those his Doctrines, and this his Institution, cannot be contradictory or inconsistent with each other. In like manner He having commis&rehy;sioned the Apostles to be his Deputies, in constituting his Church, they must necessarily have been capacita&rehy;ted for that Office; and therefore since they did both preach and pay all due subjection to the Magistrate, and at the same time constitute the Church, and settle its Ministry by our Saviour's authority; upon this account, no Christian ought to assert, that the Divine Commission given to the Church and its Ministers, is any diminution to that obedience, which all Subjects, Ecclesiastical as well as other Persons, owe to their Temporal Princes and Governors; this would be to make the Apostles Orders contradict their Doctrines; and their Actions to subvert the Civil Power, though at the same time they call it God's Ordinance, and exhort us to pay all possible veneration to it.

'Tis objected by the Author of the Rights of the Church, that there cannot be two independent Pow&rehy;ers in the same body of Men without confusion, and therefore God cannot have settled any Church in the World as a Society distinct from the Civil Power: But since I hope I have proved from Scripture, that God has actually settled such a Society; I hope this will not be called confusion. That the Primitive Churches as settled by the Apostles for about three hun&rehy;dred years after our Saviour, were actually Societies en&rehy;tirely distinct from all Civil Powers upon Earth, this is undeniable matter of fact; and if our Adversaries will allow that this was no injury to the Civil Power; they must likewise free the Divine right of the Church in all Ages from this imputation. The primitive Chri&rehy;stians did indeed, and we in like Circumstances must do the same, renounce the Roman and other false Gods by the command of the true one; and by the same warrant did form themselves into Churches, with their proper Officers for the worship and ser&rehy;vice of God Almighty: all this was equally con&rehy;trary to the will of all Civil Powers then in being; but yet no breach of duty, no encroachment upon the authority of these Powers; because 'twas only obeying God rather than Man. In all cases besides this, the Christians paid an entire subjection and al&rehy;legiance to their Governors; nay in this, where they acted upon the command of God, and exercised the Spiritual Power derived from him; still they own&rehy;ed a temporal subjection to the Magistrate, by submit&rehy;ting, as they were enjoyn'd by Christ and his Apostles, to those cruel Penalties, which he unjustly inflicted on them on this very account.

When the Roman Emperors, and after them other Princes, came to be Christians, this change could in its nature be no destruction; but must be a further Secu&rehy;rity and Establishment of the Church as constituted by the Apostles; for these great Persons, by declaring them&rehy;selves Christians, declared themselves obliged to add, and use their authority for the preservation and honour of the Doctrines and Institutions of Christ and his Apostles; and as whoever has a duty must have a right to execute that duty; so hence I conceive our obliga&rehy;tion to obey our Princes, in all matters Ecclesiastical as well as Civil, plainly deducible. Now this does not destroy nor any way lessen the Divine Commission of the Church and its Ministry; but only makes it the duty and right of Christian Princes and Magistrates, to add their temporal power, protection and encou&rehy;ragement, to the Spiritual authority derived from God, to preserve the Church pure and entire. What they command in order to this end, as well as in other matters, all their Subjects, the Ministers of the Church as well as others, are obliged to obey, if lawful. What upon the best information we can get, we believe un&rehy;lawful, 'tis certain we are obliged not to do, by an antecedent and Spiritual obligation that we are under to God Almighty: But his Kingdom being not of this World; 'tis the Doctrine and example of our Sa&rehy;viour, the Apostles and the whole primitive Church, that we are obliged to submit to all Sufferings that we may meet with from the Temporal Power upon that account. Should this power endeavour to destroy the Institution of our Saviour and his Apostles; we can&rehy;not obey any command in order to that end, because 'tis unlawful; and the Rights of the Church are by the Divine command for ever unalienable: But this is no more inconsistent with our duty to the Magistrate, than our refusal of obedience, which we are obliged to give to any unlawful command whatsoever. To com&rehy;prehend the merits of this cause in as few words as possible; The Church as founded by our Saviour and his A&rehy;postles is no creature of the Civil, but purely of the Di&rehy;vine Power and Authority; but this prejudices no Civil Power; because it exempts no person, Clergy or Layety, from any obedience naturally due to this Power. For the Law of Nature says, there can be no obligation to any thing unlawful, and Christianity obliges us in the strictest manner to obey our Governors in all cases, but this only: they can have no right to be Destroyers; but as it must be their duty to be Protectors of the Church; so the Gospel attributes to them all possible authority requisite to the discharge of this great and Divine trust.

This was the power which good Princes always exercised amongst the Jews, where the Law and Priesthood were entirely and expresly of Divine In&rehy;stitution, as any person must see that without pre&rehy;judice reads the Histories of David, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah and others remarkable in the Old&rehy;Testament; this is the power which Christian Prin&rehy;ces, both before and since the usurpation of the See of Rome, have ever thought themselves entrusted with; and 'tis the very same power which the Church to which we here present belong, attributes to Our Religious Princes, as may plainly be seen in our Thirty Seventh Article, confirm'd by the approbation both of Church and State; where the Supremacy given to the Prince in Ecclesiastical matters was never intended to take away the Commission, which the Church and its Ministry derives from Christ, as the Author al&rehy;ready mentioned very unfairly suggests; but as its principal aim was to exclude the Papal and all for&rehy;eign power from amongst us; so it says expresly, we do not attribute to our Princes the Ministry of God's Word or the Sacraments, and that we give them that Prerogative only, which we see to have been given to all Godly Princes in Holy Scripture.

I proceed therefore to the third general Head of my Discourse, that the duties which we owe both to Church and State are not only consistent, but most perfect, when performed in Conjunction with each other; that our duty to God is the strongest motive to make us careful of that we owe to Cæsar, and Mens reverence to the Church the greatest possible security to the State.

I shall endeavour to make out this Truth as clearly as I can, both from Scripture and Reason, not doubting of a favourable attention in this place, nor regarding how little persons of loose and corrupted Principles may be inclined to receive any thing that is offer'd upon this Subject. And first, it must be observ'd that no person can have a conscientious Zeal for the Church, but out of a Zeal for the Divine Institutions contain'd in Scripture; and no person can have a due regard for these Institutions, but must be a religious and dutiful Subject of his Prince. Setting aside all useless Di&rehy;stinctions, the true notion of a religious Member of the Church, is one that adheres strictly to Scripture its great Charter, taking its words in their natural Sense, without forcing Interpretations upon them to make them comply with every notion and every pra&rehy;ctise of Man's chusing. Let this Holy Book be thus fairly interpreted; 'tis impossible Civil Power should be declared more sacred and inviolable than 'tis there declared: 'tis impossible Princes and Tempo&rehy;ral Powers can demand more power than is there given them, if they will but allow themselves to be subject to God; or that Subjects should be more strictly and unexceptionably oblig'd to be dutiful to these Powers, allowing that they must obey God in the first place. The precepts and example of our blessed Saviour, his Apostles, and the whole primitive Church, is every where, entirely of a piece in this point. Our Lord allows not our Obedience to God without that to Cæsar; he paid tribute tho' he might have refused it without injustice, and submitted to the most unjust Sufferings for an example to the Church, as the Apostle tells us, 1 Pet. 2.21. when he might have had Legions of Angels for his Assistance. The Apostles and primitive Christians, as they kept most strictly to the Commands of God, and the Rights of the Church; so they did it in such a manner that their whole proceedings are undoubtedly the most ample Acknowledgments, the greatest Confirmations, and the most unparalell'd Submissions to the Tempo&rehy;ral Power, that the World ever yet saw. 'Tis very disingenuous in Mr. Milton, Gronovius, and other Mo&rehy;dern Authors, to say they wanted Power, else they would have resisted. The Learned Grotius, as if he had been alive and wrote against the Commentators upon his excellent Book, de jure Belli & Pacis, un&rehy;answerably takes off this imputation, by proving both from the Fathers and Historians of the Church, that there was a Power, had there been a Will, to have re&rehy;sisted. I cannot forbear repeating what Tertullian tells the Emperors themselves upon this Subject, tho' a very known passage. Externi sumus & vestra om&rehy;nia implevimus, urbes, insulas, castella, municipia, con&rehy;ciliabula, castra ipsa, tribus, decurias, palatium, sena&rehy;tum, forum; sola vobis reliquimus templa. Cui bello non idonei non prompti suissemus etiam copiis impares qui tam libenter trucidamur, si non apud istam disci&rehy;plinam magis occidi liceret quam occidere? The truth is, these Holy Persons who maintain'd the Church by the Command of God, Grot. jure bell, &c. 1. I c. 4. thought the Principles of the Church oblig'd them to lose their Lives, rather than resist the lawful Powers, tho' punish'd by them for obeying the Command of God; these Principles they bravely avowed before Princes and Emperors, in the face of Torments and Death its self. There cannot be a greater security to a State, than such a Church as this; and such 'tis plain, if all History be to be credited, was the Christian Church in all Ages, till the Bishops of Rome began to usurp Authority over Princes: That Authority as it was never pre&rehy;tended to, till many ages after the Primitive and pu&rehy;rest Times; so the Church whereof we here present are Members, have prov'd it to be an innovation and a corruption of Christianity, even to the silencing of our Adversaries. As we at our happy Reformation set aside this corruption; so our Adversaries themselves cannot but own that we retain the Doctrine of the Primitive and Apostolical Church: We hold the same Duties to God and Cæsar, the same Divine Insti&rehy;tution of the Church, the same Rights of Obedience and Subjection, which the Temporal Power by Com&rehy;mission from God claims from us, and by consequence, I must add, that Our Principles are the same security of Loyalty to our Prince, that those of the Primitive Church were.

Should we depart from that Government of the Church, which the Apostles Instituted, and the pri&rehy;mitive Ages universally received; should we with the Libertines of this age make all Churches, and all Re&rehy;ligions indifferent; the same liberty that we must take with Scripture to make it agreeable with these Prin&rehy;ciples, would full as easily interpret away the Divine Commission of all Princes and Civil Governours: and 'tis matter of fact, that those who espouse this Latitude, with respect to the Church, do the same with respect to the State too; allowing our Princes no better secu&rehy;rity for their Crowns, than the will and approbation of an unconstant multitude. If any of Our Commu&rehy;nion take up these principles; they are not principles of our Church, they are not the principles of Christ and his Apostles; unless we can suppose them to have wrote one thing, and both meant and practis'd ano&rehy;ther. These indeed are the principles that ruin'd both our Church and State, that Murther'd the best of Kings, and voted our house of Peers useless in the last Century; but thanks be to God, we have no need of such helps as these to justify our Nations later deliverance from Popery, Arbitrary and Foreign Pow&rehy;er. I should be in hopes to prove this very suffici&rehy;ently, would the time, which I have already almost trespassed upon, admit of it; and at present shall only observe, that in the Act made at the Revolution for settling the Crown, the States of our Realm do declare, That practises had been set on foot, which tended to the Extirpation of our Religion, Laws, and Liberties, which is indeed the Extirpation of our whole Constitution; that the Government was Abdi&rehy;cated, and the Throne thereby vacant; and therefore, to prevent Anarchy and Confusion, it was necessary for them, the only Power in being that could do it, to make provision for the Settlement of the Nation in its ancient Constitution, Rights and Liberties. Primo. V. & M. This was no appeal to the People as Supreme Judge; but the joint Act of all the parts of our legal Civil Power that could then be had; and that too in the greatest Extremity, as the Wisdom of the Nation judg'd it; all which is allow'd by the Learned Grotius, and o&rehy;ther Authors; who long before these events among us, wrote in defence of the Rights of Princes against this Supreme Power in the People. Grot. de Jure, &c. 1. I c. 4. I 9. & 13.

And thus having finished what I had to offer con&rehy;cerning these two great Duties which we all owe to Cæsar and God; I am oblig'd to detain you only whilst I make an Application of the whole, that may be suitable both with this Assembly and the occasion of it.

And First, I shall beg leave to observe from what has been said, with particular regard to our own Country, how much it becomes Persons of Rank and Education to promote the Honour of the Na&rehy;tional Church.

I am sensible how much the present Congregation, and others that have met in this Place upon this So&rehy;lemnity, are living instances of this truth; and that the mention of what ought to be, is the commendation of what actually is, in this respect. But it can&rehy;not be amiss to confirm worthy persons in worthy practises, especially since we cannot boast, that the World is very apt to imitate such fair Patterns. Is Scripture true? Is the Divine Institution of the Church there contained? Is this our National, a Sound and Orthodox part of the Catholick Church? If so, are not those in the highest degree oblig'd, to make their Actions speak their sense of these things, whose Edu&rehy;cation gives them opportunities of knowing them to be true more perfectly than others? Our Doctrine, our Canons, our Articles, our Homilies, and our Publick Forms of religious Worship, do all give to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, as sure as Scripture its self does. 'Tis manifest then, that those persons whose Rank, Influence or Authority qualifies, and therefore obliges them to be more serviceable to their Prince than those of a meaner Station can be, are in the highest degree concerned to maintain and assert these things of God; and besides the common Obligation of Christianity, have a particular one to their Prince and Country in this respect. We are at present, and God grant that we may long be so, bless'd with a Queen, who, if any Prince can possibly be, might be safe, even upon that loose and dangerous Princi&rehy;ple, that the Supreme Power is in the People; so much does She not only merit, but possess the Hearts and Wills of Her Subjects to defend and serve Her; but this encreases, not lessons our duty of promoting the Reverence due to those Truths, that will make Her sit most secure upon Her Throne: if these be the Doctrines of Scripture, and the Primitive Apostolical Times; and if our National Church maintains these Doctrines; if it has suffered for them; if the Crown has suffered in the Church's Sufferings, and in the contempt and neglect of these its Principles in the Nation; if all this be matter of fact, as no person can deny it to be that knows any thing of this Na&rehy;tion: Then I must presume to say, the Church and Queen ought to be inseparable in our Affections and our Prayers; our Duties to God, and those to Cæsar are really inseparable; and as 'tis certain we cannot be dutiful to God; so neither can we be truly serviceable to our Country, unless we make it our conscientious endeavour to promote the practice of both these in conjunction with each other.

But Secondly, I must observe from what has been said, how much we are concerned to prevent the corruption of our Youth in their Notions of these great Duties to Church and State.

And if these Duties be Essential both to the Chri&rehy;stian Religion, and the Security of our Government, as I hope I have prov'd them to be; then it must be own'd, that the present Age gives but too great occasion for this concern. Young Gentlemen cannot go abroad into the World, but they will meet with Persons that, even in their earliest Years, will endea&rehy;vour to instil into them these Principles; that the Church is but what the State, and the State but what the People please to make it. No notice is taken of what God has made either, neither is Scripture called into the debate. They are amused only with a vain Notion of Liberty, Scurrilous Declamations against all Holy Orders, and misapplied passages out of our Ci&rehy;vil, and perhaps Ecclesiastical Laws. Now as 'tis not I fear generally to be expected, that very young Persons should be at the pains of searching these things to the bottom, and thereby detecting the fallacy and falshood; so that freedom from all manner of re&rehy;straint, which these Doctrines carry a long with them, must appear very desireable, and be apt to gain a great deal of ground, unless where there is a very religi&rehy;ous regard to Scripture upon the Mind, which must be own'd to be too much wanting amongst us. Should our Youth in this Age by this means be corrupted; our Nation in general must be so in the next. Could the Son of Man then find faith upon the Earth? Could either God or Cæsar expect his due? Were Religion and Conscience, and our Duty to the present excellent Constitution of this Realm, thus enervated and un&rehy;hing'd; the Church its self would not suffer more in the contempt of its Divine, than our Princes, our No&rehy;bility and Gentry would do, in the precariousness and instability of their Civil Rights: this is undenia&rehy;bly a very melancholly prospect, and as undeniable 'tis, that the highest obligation lies upon all Estates a&rehy;mongst us, to take the utmost care that it may never come to be more than a prospect. If it be ask'd how this may be done; I must presume to answer by taking care of the Education of our Youth; that they may be put into no hands but where we may be secure, there will be no endeavours to corrupt them; but where they will, in their first years of Knowledge, be put in mind of Religion, be made acquainted with Scripture, be accustomed to their duty to God, and be made sensible, that 'tis no abridgment of their na&rehy;tural Liberty to be subject to the Divine Laws.

That such an Education as this may be depended upon in our publick Grammar Schools, as these early years grow capable of it, is apparent to all Persons that know any thing of the manner of them. That our Universities do more particularly aim at these great ends, where young Persons are of riper Judgments and come from the study of Languages to that of things, will I hope be denied by none, but those whose Principles we oppose, and endeavour to keep those under our Care from being infected with. For 'tis undeniable, that all Persons amongst us are oblig'd to be constant at Religious Worship, to be instructed in Divine as well as Human Knowledge, in the Do&rehy;ctrines of our Establish'd Church, and in their Du&rehy;ties both to that and the State; that Vertue is en&rehy;couraged and Vice censured; nay I will add, that we actually have as few breaches of good manners amongst us, as any considering Person can expect in such nu&rehy;merous Bodies. Besides these things of the greatest moment; 'tis matter of fact, that Young Persons, in our Schools and Universities, do make, at least, as great Improvements in all parts of Human Learning as in any other places whatsoever; so that whoever puts all these Considerations together, and none can be a fair Judge in this Case that does not, must allow that our Quality and Gentry may much better expect to make their Sons Ornaments to their Country, by means of this our publick Education, than by put&rehy;ting them into any particular hands, where they are generally uncertain what Religion, what Morals or what Politicks will be infus'd into them.

To conclude with something yet nearer to the oc&rehy;casion of our present Meeting; as 'tis designed to pay a respect to Learning, and this sort of Education which I have mentioned; so 'tis certainly a most commendable instance of the Unanimity and good Correspondence between the Gentry and Clergy, for which this part of the Country is so deservedly Celebrated: 'tis an expres&rehy;sion of our agreement, in approving and encouraging the best Service both to Church and State, the Instruction of Youth in the Rudiments of Learning, and the accustoming of them betimes to Religion. I may add, that one design of this Meeting is, our united endea&rehy;vour to make the World take a just Notice of the Excellent and Successful care of this kind that's taken in this Place.

May God Almighty encrease in us all a publick Spirit, and an Affection for such good designs as these. May we never separate a Learned and Religious Edu&rehy;cation from each other; and always remember this great Truth, that our Temporal and Eternal Welfare, and the Interest of our Country, entirely depends up&rehy;on our Observance of the great Precept in my Text, Of giving to Cæsar, the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's.

Which that we may all Conscientiously do, God of his Grace and Mercy grant, for the sake of our most blessed Saviour; To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all Honour, Glory and Praise, both now and for ever. Amen.