Sermons Preached on Several Occasions, Dedication
TO THE Right Honourable ELIZABETH COUNTESSE DOWAGER OF JOCELIN Late EARLE of Northumberland.
Madam,
AMONG the number of those who congratulate Your safe return into Your own Countrey, wherein Your Ladiship is so justly beloved and esteemed by all that honour Vertue and Goodness, Give me leave to express my Duty in an Address more agreeable to my own Profession, than some perhaps will think it is to Your Quality and Condition. Those I mean who measure their Greatness by their contempt of Religion, and all that belong to it: Who know nothing of Wit or Vertue beyond the Stage, or think the Leviathan contains in it the Whole Duty of Man. The utmost these Persons will allow us whose Honour and Imployment lyes in asserting the Truth of Religion, and perswading to the practice of it, is, that we are men of a Profession, and speak for the things we are to live by. As though Reason and Religion were such contemptible Wares, as scarce any would enquire after, if it were not some mens Trade to put them off: and were of less force in themselves, because it is our Duty and Interest to maintain them. Is it any disparagement to a Prince to have Subjects obliged to defend his Honour, and Servants to attend his Person? and must not what they say or do be at all minded, because their own Interest is joyned with his? Why then should Religion suffer in the esteem of any, because she hath servants of her own to defend her Cause? As if it had alwayes been a received Principle with mankind, that no man is to be trusted in his own Profession. According to this the Lawyers ought to preach, and the Divines plead Causes; because the one gets nothing by Divinity, nor the other by Law; the Merchant should visit Patients, and the Physicians attend the Committees of Trade; because it is dangerous trusting men in what they are most concerned to understand. When once I see these persons for bear to consult the Lawyers about setling their Estates, and Physicians for their health, meerly because they get by their Professions, I shall then think it is something else besides a Pique at Religion, which makes them so ready to contemn whatever is said by us in behalf of it, because, forsooth, it is our Trade to defend it. I wish it were theirs as much to practise it; and then we should not be troubled with removing these and such like prejudices against all the Discourses of Religion, which are spoken and published by us. But in these matters which we conceive to be of so high concernment to Mankind, we desire nothing may be considered besides the force of reason, and weight of argument; and surely none that own themselves to be men, will despise that, by whomsoever it is brought. It is not every ridiculous story, or vulgar prejudice, or common infirmities, or different opinions in smaller things, which ought to render Religion ridiculous, or make the Practice of it be thought mean and contemptible. But however they are resolved to think of Us, let not Religion suffer for our sakes. Indeed if they did as truly love Religion as they despise us, we might then have reason to suspect our selves; but when we suffer meerly upon her account, we have cause to rejoyce in our dishonour; and ought to suspect our selves if such persons did speak well of Us.
Madam, The main design of these following Discourses is to recommend the great matters of Religion, from their Truth and Certainty, their Power and Efficacy, the Benefit and Advantage, which comes by them: and to disswade from the Practice of Sin, from the folly and reproach, the present dissatisfaction and suture punishment which attends it. If they may be of Use to the World, and any wayes serviceable to Your Ladiship in Your retirements, I have the end I aimed at. And I have therefore presumed to dedicate them to Your Ladiship, not only because of the great Obligations which I have to Your Self and Family, which were first laid upon me, by that Excellent Person, the late Lord Treasurer, Your Father; but likewise because You have so well followed so worthy an Example in joyning Greatness and Goodness together. Were it my design to publish Your just and due Character, I should not need to find fault with the Age to give the greater advantage to Your Vertue: All the harm I wish the Age, is, that there were many more Persons of Your Condition, that did as little need, and as much despise the meanness of Flattery. I am
Madam, Your Ladiships most obliged and humble Servant, ED. STILLINGFLEET.