George Stanhope

“ Whose Religion not only dares, but desires, to be seen without Disguise, and carefully examined by all its Professors. A Religion, that heartily embraces all the Counsel of God, but with a just Indignation rejects the additional Articles of Men; and will not submit to the Tyranny, of Idolatry in Practice, and Contradictions in Belief, being imposed as Terms necessary to Salvation. A Religion so exactly Calculated for the Perfection of all divine and human, moral and social, private and publick Virtues ”

“ On these Two Privilges then let us, alter the Example of Mosses, fix our Contemplation, and ground our Happiness. The Convenience of our Situation, The Benignity of our Climate, The various Productions of our Country, the Benefits of our Navigation, The Wealth of our People, The Wisdom of our Laws, The admirable Temper of our Constitution, The Terrour of our Arms by Sea and Land, And the shining Graces of our Queen, These are glorious Advantages, and an unexampled Concurrence of Blessings. ”

“ A Religion in Meekness and Innocence so like its Divine Author, that it will not allow Us to take Sanctuary in those infamous Means for our own Preservation, which our Adversaries, without any Scruple or Remorse, make choice of for our Destruction. ”

“ The Frequency and Solemnity of their Fasts, The Prohibition of sundry sorts of Meats, The Abstinence from Pleasures otherwise lawful and innocent, enjoined upon many Occasions, all tended to correct that Proneness to Luxury and Excess in sensual Enjoyments, so visible in, but withal so injurious to, the present corrupt State of Humane Nature. All helped to beget a just Contempt and Detestation of that Licentiousness which sinks Men into Brutes; and yet had gained such Credit with the rest of the degenerate World, as even to be adopted into their Offices of Religion ”

“ A Design so spightful and unprovoked, so cruel in the Intention, so secret in the Contrivance, so long under debate so speedy in the manner of Execution, and so dismal in its Consequences, as carried all the Marks of that Hell, where alone such a Monster could be engendred. ”

“ I cannot think Justice done to this First Head, till it be left upon You with one Reflection, to which the Words of my Text do naturally lead me. It is, That in the Two Advantages we have been treating of, the Greatness and peculiar Felicity of Israel did chiefly and properly consist. For thus we find Each of them introduced, What Nation is there so great that hath God so nigh unto them? And again, What Nation is there so great, that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous? ”

“ A People, whose vast Increase and Power was not, like that of Other Nations, owing to Foreign Growth of Numbers, ingrafted upon the Original Stock, but all Natural Branches springing from One and the same Root, A People, who, thro' various Revolutions, and differing Forms of Government, preserved their Constitution still entire: Who made a noble Figure for 2000 Years: Who survived Three most potent Monarchies and were not broken by the Fourth, till after Calamities and Devastations incomparably more dreadful, than any state besides was ever able to sustain. ”

“ Especially by a watchful Prevention of that unwearied and implacable Malice, which labours for Mischief from a Principle of Religion, and teaches our Ruin to be meritorious: That furious Zeal, which, when it cannot call down Fire from Heaven, is not ashamed to impregnate the Bowels of the Earth with it, thence to undermine, and scatter, and consume us. Above all, let no Divisions within (fomented industriously by them that are without) render us an easie and unthinking Prey. ”

“ For surely it is contrary to Reason, no less than to Nature and Blood, to look upon our selves as unconcerned in Their Fortunes of any kind of whose Substance we are a part and from whence our very Life and Being are derived to us.
2. The Condition of all publick Communities. Which is, that they do not die off like private Men, but continue in that Capacity the same, what Change soever may happen to the Individuals whereof they are composed. ”

“ Many, we charitably hope, are not so entirely at the Devotion of their intrigueing-Casuists, as by Their Sophistry to be argued out of the first and: brightest Maxims of Morality and common Honesty. But, whether we can think so favourably of one celebrated Order among them, and the governing part of their Church, let their own Conduct in this single point determine. ”

“ And here the Body Civil resembles the Natural, for the Particles of That too undergo daily and hourly Alterations: And yet the Man in one Case, and the Society in the other, is still to all intents and Purposes One, from the first Moment of Existence, to that of final Dissolution. ”

“ And sure we may have liberty to infer a Parity of good Reason, and good Acceptance with God, when published and important Mercies are in succeeding Ages celebrated by solemn and religious Acknowledgments. ”

“ So that one may venture to say, No Scheme of Gbvernment hath exceeded This in discountenancing a private and selfish, and incouraging generous and truly publick Spirit; in obliging Men to love and live like Brethren, and uniting them in an eager Zeal for the common Cause of their Country, and their God. ”

“ I begin with the First of Israel's Advantages. The V. 7.Having the Lord their God nigh unto them in all things that they called upon him for.
The Holy Scripture, which frequently condescends to our Capacity, by speaking of God after the manner of Men, hath done so in the Passage now before us. A Being by Nature Omnipresent cannot, in strict speaking, be capable of Local Distance or Approach. He therefore, with regard to his Power and General Providence, must needs be equally everywhere. ”

“ No Period of Time, since Miracles have ceased, can produce more remarkable Instances of this nature, than the English Church and Nation have been bless'd with, since rescued from the Bondage of their Romish Taskmasters. The Attempts to reduce us have been not only so numerous and subtle, but so bloody and barbarous, and, base ”