TwentyFour Sermons Author:Richard Lucas General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1735 Original Publisher: s.n. Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select fro... more »m more than a million books for free. Excerpt: SERMON I. Unity and Peace preferv'd, by Com. munion with our Church. EPHES. IV. Ver.2, 3. With all lowlinefs and meeknefs, with hng- fuffering, forbearing one another in Love. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Jpirit, in the bond of peace. H E N I haften'd laft Day to a Conclufion of my former || Subject, I did it with Defign to treat of the great Myftery of our Religion, Chrift made manifejl in thefejh, in this time of Advent. But contrary to my Purpofe, I "am forc'd to turn the Point of my Difcourfe another Way; being by the prefent Tranfactions of Affairs, necefiarily and unavoidably engag'd on a Subject very unpleafant to me, and to all fober and well-affefted Men, our prefent 2 DiviDivifions. You are not ignorant, I fuppofe, what Prefentments the Churchwardens have been oblig'd to make; and you know, as well as I, what the Method of the Law is towards thofe who fhall continue in their Separation from this Church. This, I know, will raife a great Cry againft the Government ; but efpecially, the greateft Share of popular Odium, and invidious Reflection, will light upon the Clergy. What are we to do in this Cafe ? Shall we difobey the lawful Commands of our lawful Governors, to humour a difcontented Party of the People ? And to humour them in that which we in our Confciences are perfuaded, is both hurtful to themfelves, and definitive to the Peace and Profperity of the Government ? This cannot be expected from us, becaufe we cannot do it with a good Confcience towards God, or towards Man. All that I can poffibly imagine to be in our Power, is both by private and ...« less