The National Register.
London, England, 1817-07-21 00:00:00

br litationaT Ut ti.

MR. BATES'S SERMON.

A Sermon preached in the Cathedral Church of St.
Paid, before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor,
the Juil.;cs, 4.c. on Sunday, the Bth June, 1817,
being Trinity Sunday.

the Rev. G1:011GE VERNE BATES, M.. 1.

CHAPLAIN TO HIS LORD:•IIIP.

4. Whosover will not do the law of thy (Ina, and the law of the
6. King, let jadm,..nt be executed speedily upon him, wheeler it
•` be unto de an, or to banishment, or Li .amtiaAtion of gliOdS •
.` or impriwoment."—Eara vii. Ver. 2,5.

From the above text, Mr. Bates rreaelted a sermon
on Trinity Sunday last, which has created mach dis-
cussion in two successive meetings of the Common
Council ; the one party deprecating it as containing
doctrines of passive obedience and divine right, while
the other applauds it as a manly and dispassionate
appeal to the good sense of the country, in a time of
no common danger. That our readers may be enabled
to form an opinion for themselves, we shall ex-
tract such portions, as have most excited the feelings of
the opposite parties.
The Reverend Preacher commences by a brief sketch
of the character and employment of Ezra, as recorded
in the 7th, and three following chapters of the Book
which bears his name. Having stated that he was
appointed by Ahasuerus to superintend those tribes, and
individuals of the Hebrew nation, who returned
with him to Jerusalem, and that he was invested by
the Persian monarch with ample authority; in the
words of the text, to requlate the chore!' according
to its ancient appointment, the Preacher pro-
ceeds:—

" I have already intimated, that this ite.,:ericl mandate confirms in I.
the fullest matinee that power which by the sovereign is vested in the
hands of judicial characters, for the pur.ishment of offences commit-
ted against the state or the community at large. The instance ap•
pears to be the best that can be adduced. It is that of a Penmen
sovereign, who had by lawful conquest obtained the right of govern-
Lig a certain class of persons, to whom, in his clemency, he tits-
poeell to exhibit acts of great kindness, arid to make inintediate
provision for their present as well as future pmsperity. That he was
not of their own anintry or kindred, and that they were his tributary
vassals, were circumstances very ill-suited to calm the minds of a
people naturally disposed to revolt. But as they were no longer
feoperly their own, they were bound to obey the will of chair law-
ul ruler. And if the argument be valid in such a case, it must be
tar more so in any other, where, by inheritance, by legitimate suc-
cession, and by the consent of a nation, a sovereign is called to pre-
side over a people. Mr. Addisou, with his usual accuracy and ele-
gence, has said, that the obedience of children to their parents, it the
ba,is of all government. and it set forth as the measure of that obe-
dience which we owe to those whom Providence has set over us.
"Scholar Armed., Vol. ii. p. ino.l By another able writer it has
Leen very justly observed, that though env man has no power over
the life of his fellow-creature, society have this right given to them
by (lira who hel.ereated man in his own iteage. [Scholia. Armed.,
Vol. ii. p. 2931 By Him. thciefore, all lawful goeermitcnts may
by virtue of this permission, and in the 'my add administration of
justice, inflict the ”ieliest as w ell as the minor penalties of the law.
A name unwarranted distinction has sometimes been attempted to be
set up lictwern the persons and authority of the magistrates, which
can only be producove of insurrections and rebellions. For ilkingly
or inasistorial authority be net resident in some one person, then
may any person seize upon it without offence against any other per.
sea. But the Divine permission on the one part, anal the generally
admitted authority on the other. totally pteclude the possibility of
such a false and dangerous supposition. But here it racy be suen.
gested. that in the lament care: the acquiescence of die people wit,
not from choke, but front inability to resist the dictates of so great a
warrior,who could easily enforce obedience to his cool:Panda. however •
ntnoons those commands might be. To this it may be replied, that •
though a heathen by birth and education, he was evidently disptoed,
from some cause or other, probably from his marriage with Queen
I :stber, goady to favour the cause of the Jews, over whom lie at this
time presided. In his first official act, he pays a just tribute of
hontege to .lehneeth as the God of heaven, destemating the prophet
Ezta as his acerelli.ed representative, to pen vide for the welfare of the
people. to sec that the laws both of God and of the king should be
d.ligently observed, and to punish those who fearlessly transgressed
than. Thoue.,h distinguished by his mighty deeds, and by she spleen •
deur of his court, he is even more remarkable for his wied.os as a
severeign, and his piety a a man : hence we find him pec scribing
such plans as were instrumental in raising the Jewish chutelt and
nation to some faint resemblance of their former grandeur. And if
it was no ways inconsistent with the exalted station of the noble.
minded Ezra to inculcate obedience to Goal and the king. it is surely
quite as expedient that a chriseian minister should adopt n similar
course, whenever the ta.ses or any particular occasion seem tu
de-
wand it-
" Although it might not be proper to dwell upoa thoo: topics on
which men do and will chair, and which they may continue to do.
provided such difference of opinion lead to no dangerous oonse-
qnences; it is, nevertheless, the duty of every minister, whether is
the eetabliehment or out of it, to use every lawful persuasirc to deter
men from the crimes of rel.4iiot, anarchy, and toriall. I have
spoken of them as crimes. fir as such the scripture cleatly efeccribes
t'arn ; and it is by Imo-nod:I; to view them in a less heinous view,
that so many are, through their more wikly associates. drawn in to
teemit things worthy of tantisionent, estwilsretfoo of goods,
or ono, isonnicnt. Men are ever aiming es separate those duties
*such God for wise purinrws has joined together by an indissoluble
compact. They intaeoste that to rise up in rebellion against the king,
or to endeavour to overturn the state, is merely wishing to bring
ass on a change inure consonant to their idene, and which they are et
foil liberty Ludo, whenever the ennuis are within their reach. Bat
as it would have been a crime to be punished by the judges, had
any Israelite disputed the right of Artaxerxes to rile over him; so in
a snitch higher degree must it be flagitious and stne%cal for any British
subject to dispute Ms authority of the sovereign of these dominions,

Our tng, Colusti

anti it aW.

MONDAY, JULY 9.1, 1817.

Lo enforce obedienoc to those laws which the legislature, is conjunc-
ion with him, has thought lit to enact. Disobedience to the lawful
magistrate, implies much more than a simple act of disloyalty,
since it is a positive infraction of those precepts which have received
the express sanction of Aliniehty God. Let any impartial person
consider what is so constantly enjoined upon Christians in the New
'fest:anent, os the true mark of their discipleship, r.nd they will
find it to consist in fearing God, loving the brotherhood. and honour-
iog tie king. The religious. the lord. and the social duties must
each enipage their full :share of every real Christian's belief and prac-
tice, Take nway any One, and the test are perfectly useless: since
you have dissolved the union, iir.paited tlio authority, mid lessened
oho obligation to fulfil the rentemmg duties. He is guilty of the
!mach c.rati, who wilfully I eanesoresesbeititer. The doctrines, of the
011ouiel of the Ncw Testament are toton this as upon every other
topic. in poillet acasodience with each other. Even the decree of a
heathen sovereign runs purraliel wit! the will of the most High
iiks.
God: the siune res " ode is proposed un w; . lAct the sacred behests
of the our, and the imports} dictates ei .. other. New laws were
not framed. but the breakers of those ainagy in existence wen to
receive coudign punishment
'• How roundstely doss such en illustrious example, so much in
point, and so well faillowed up, at once set aside tit the flimsy argu-
Deems, subtle artifices, and daring insertions of self-constituted re-
formists. Their apparent love of justice, and presented hatted of
peculation: their bold and unqualified declarations of what they deem
gross evils in church and state. when aitkei by talents that would
grate a better eau" present much that is eaptivatiug to these who
cannot perceive the dengetous tendency of their hifinnimatory
speeches. Happily, as I had occasion formerly to notice, the extent
of the evil has sot been commensurate with the means which have
been used for its diseroinetion. The good old maxim of fearing
God, hotiouring the king, and not inedellingasith those who are given
to change, has been so deeply impresseet upon the minds of our
• honest and inelustrious poor, that tuniolt awl rebellion have in most
instances found in them nothing esuagenial or suited to the base pur-
poses of their zertious but mistaken ii tructors. Distress of various
kinds has Len very generally felt ; but it has been known to arise
not from men, or from any fortuitous muses, but from circumstances
beyond the control of human agents. The poor have been taught
to iniagir.e otherwise ; they have beer. even persuaded to think that
the benevolmt exertions which were suede in their behalf, because
they were not folly canal to thewants of the applicant', were intended
- rather to mock than relieve them . the insiretation howeves has been
thrown out in voin. One cause of this has been, I presume, because
they have long sat with delight under the grateful shadow of a tee°
constitution ; and though they may oat irate fully understood its
mature anal principles, they have shared ifs blessiags enjoyed its ad-
entn.ecs, and have been protected by ;ts esit!fable arrnea, muds, in as
ample as degree as any of their more wealthy superiors. Another
cause may be found in the benefits reatiOng from our established re-
ligion, in which the poorest have participnted in common with all
who in this good old way have worshipped the Cud of their fathers :
often have many hufrible but sincere l'hriatiaaa, is the lower walks of
life, felt the efficacy in their hearts, while their lips have responded to
thoso subiinie words of our liturgical service,We raise thee, Ott Goal ; we at-knowledge thee to be the Lo "
d: all the earth doth
tt worship thee, the Father everlasting." This exquisite composi-
tion, though introduced niter use. in the (liristiati church so early as
the shah century, has 100 nothing by frequent reps thion, much less
by any recent abominable attempts to lessen hs influence by bias-
pheniour parody. It still retains its acaus-tomed high veneration, in
the opinion of all who can appreciate genuine piety, elevate(' feint-
went's, and fervent praise. It is no small advaetage connected with
our establishment, that while in the use of appropriate forms to lead
the devotional supplisaut when boning before the Most High, his
mind inipercesnibly acquires a fundot scriptural phraseology which
may ultimately had 1;i:n into all truth.
t• These will form his best safegueni against the crow of the times.
Our enemies were aware of this, as we may gather front their mode
of attack, which was indirectly made against the constitution, by
1 aiming to bring into contenipt the services of that church which is in
union with it. If stieeess had happened in the one case, (ha downfall
of the other would speedily have followed. 'Then of course every
man would have done wlso was right On his own eyes, anal neither
the law of God or of the king woold have beets of any avail. To
prevent such a state of anarchy and confusion, it is tile duty of every
welloe Ulla of his cowitry to keep dept of all questions or projects
whieb ceoertly or O.:reedy May base thie ultimate to nelency. It surely
is no proof of hole aft; coon woich a dild has for his potent. guar-
dian. or instructor, when he is constantly dwelling upon trivial de-
fects, some islets-Mary tokens of inisniaeogement.soine particular acts
which to not scorn with his erroncons ate( untried judgment ; more
esp ecial'? when he is at the same time oh-Nether silent shoot those
numbeliple instances of aroidtaity. tenderness. and fomthought.
which 1114ve mainly promoted his cemart and mooperity in the world.
If this hold true in the history of any private itoilvidual, it is equally
so as it respects the tot:duct of those who lays' to find fault with out
constitution, but who never by accident speak well of it ; who can
iragnify the slightest inadvettence to almost any extent• but who »-
fuse to admit numerous comosi of triumph and exultation produced,
under God, by etc on-if:hod eneraies and able neenagemeut of these
who sit at die head of &laths.
.° If, them our foothen be drawn within narrower bounds titan
formerly, W oar privilegre be diminished. or our comforts in some
measure invaded, every one n.ust or (sight to know that it is the
disafileted and refractory, those who will neither Oar God lair obey
mall, 8/Loin we have to thank for the esispension of over dear-bought
rights. 'they are Illbsole cruse of those measures which have been
judged expedient to prevent any recurrence of scenes recently wit-
mooed withiu this metropolis.
t• lot every one. cher, •• study to be quiet, and to do his own
business," uol not intermeddle with those things which are too high
for him. Let the inexperienced and impetuous, who are most sus-
ceptible of wrong impressions, call to mind the instructive fable of
antiquity, of that vain young mart; who, desirous of showing his
skill, requested that he might guidothe &mint of the sun, but who
in one day, by the oast of experience sail thress for the undertak-
ing, coated the peaces: mi.ery and !ssolatien: and would not si-
milar disastrous eflirts Sutton, shoulei the reirs of government ever
fill into the hands of the e, whose vain ambition, ontried skill, and
selfish purposes, pro Wee the hope of a more propitious issue to
their projects, than the cute just Aimed, el to :' Is it so easy a nuttier
to legislate for upwards of ten milli oes of people, t,.at they who are
but mere cotters in pertinent science sheuld feney themselves quash-
fi:.l to take situations of the greatest -estos.slsility ?
" Every Well-instituted mind :sat* F:: ensible of the danger of
entrusting the welfare of the netloo 7n the puiosnee of those persons
who arc more likely to involve us in rater calamities than on?: we
arc now sufferinguneler. We have Igoe esperienoed the blessings
of nMild and equitable i.;tiv, rr.mcnt, We Lave lived to see the termi-
nation of a protracted and most deetructive warfare, but we shall
have lived to little pun use. if intestine commotions end political
' stratagems ate ...tiered to embitter cur peaceful avocations As di-
vision isinoooet elOiiit who ought to be of use wised is the mat das-