Tertullus! that mistook the antidote for the poison, the remedy for the disease. But, had St. Paul been such as thy misprision supposed him, he had been such as thy unjust crimination now makes thyself, Mods, the plague of thy people.

A wicked man is a perfect contagion: he infects the world with sin, the very age with infamy. Malus vir, malum publicum, is not a more old than true word. Are there then, in any nation under heaven, lewd miscreants, whose hearts are atheists, whose tongues are blasphemers, whose bodies are stews, whose lips are nothing but a factory of close villiany? let them please themselves, and let others, if ye will, applaud them for their beneficial contributions to the public affairs, in the style of bonus civis," a good patriot," as men whose parts may be useful to the weal-public; yet, I say, such men are no better than the bane of their country, the stain of their age. Turpis est pars, quæ suo toti non convenit, as Gerson well: it is an ill member, for which all the body fares the worse.

Hear this then, ye Glorious Sinners, that brag of your good affections and faithful services to your dear country: your hearts, your heads, your purses, your hands, ye say, are pressed for the public good; yea, but are your hearts godless? are your lives filthy? let me tell you, your sins do more disservice to your na tion, than yourselves are worth. All your valour, wisdom, subsidiary helps cannot counterpoise one dram of your wickedness. Talk what ye will: Sin is a shame to any people, saith wise Solomon : ye bring both a curse and a dishonour upon your nation. It may thank you, for the hateful style of anodia yeveà, a froward generation. This for our First observation.

(2.) Never generation was so straight, as not to be distorted with some powerful sins: but there are differences and degrees in this distortion.

Even in the very first world were giants, as Moses tells us; Gen. vi. 4: which, as our mythologists add, did coμaxev, “bid battie to heaven." In the next, there were mighty hunters, proud Babelbuilders: after them, followed beastly Sodomites. It were easy to draw down the pedigree of evils through all times, till we come to these last, which the Holy Ghost marks out for perilous.

Yet some generation is more eminently sinful than other: as the sea is in perpetual agitation, yet the spring-tides rise higher than their fellows.

Hence St. Peter notes this his generation with an emphasis of mischief, TYEVεaç TRÚTYS: here is a transcendency of evil. What age may compare with that, which hath embrued their cruel hands in the blood of the Son of God?

That Roaring Lion is never still; but there are times, wherein he rageth more: as he did and doth, in the first, in the last days of the Gospel. The first, that he might block up the way of saving truth; the last, for that he knows his time is short. There are times, that are poisoned with more contagious heresies, with more remarkable villainies.

It is not my meaning to spend time in abridging the sacred

Chronologies of the Church; and to deduce along the cursed successions of damnable errors from their hellish original: only let me touch at the notable difference, betwixt the first and the last world. In the first, as Epiphanius observes, ἔπω ἑτεροδοξία, ἔπω ὄνομα αἱρέσεως, εἰδὲ εἰδωλολατρεία; there was “ neither diversity of opinion, nor mention of heresy, nor act of idolatry:" μóvov acéбaa nai évσéßeia; " only piety and impiety" divided the world: whereas now, in the last, which is the wrangling and techy dotage of the decrepit world, here is nothing, but unquiet clashings of opinion; nothing, but foul heresy, either maintained by the guilty, or imputed to the innocent; nothing, but gross idolatry, in paganism, in misbelieving Christianity; and, woe is me that I must say it! a coloured impiety shares too much of the rest.

(3.) My speech is glided, ere I was aware, into the Third head of our discourse; and is suddenly fallen upon the practice of that, which St. Peter's example here warrants, the censure of ill-deserving times which I must crave leave of your Honourable and Christian patience, with a holy and just freedom to prosecute.

It is the peevish humour of a factious eloquence, to aggravate the evils of the times: which, were they better than they are, would be therefore cried down in the ordinary language of malecontented spirits, because present. But, it is the warrantable and necessary duty of St. Peter and all his true Evangelical successors, when they meet with a froward generation, to call it so.

How commonly do we cry out of those querulous Micaiahs, that are still prophesying evil to us, and not good! No theme, but sins; no sauce, but vinegar.

Might not one of these galled Jews of St. Peter's auditory have started up, and have thus challenged him for this tartness; "What means this hard censure? why do you slander the time? Solomon was a wise man, and he says, Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this: this is but a needless rigour: this is but an envious calumny: the generation were not untoward, if your tongue were not uncharitable.”

The Apostle fears none of these currish oblatrations; but, contemning all impotent misacceptions, calls them what he finds them, A froward generation.

And well might he do so: his Great Master did it before him, an evil and adulterous generation; and the Harbinger of that Great Master fore-ran him in that censure, O generation of vipers; Matt. iii. 7: and the prophets led the same way to him, in every page.

And why do not we follow Peter in the same steps, wherein Peter followed Christ, and Christ his fore-runner, and his forerunner the prophets? Who should tell the times of their sins, if we be silent? Pardon me, I beseech you, most Noble, Reverend, and Beloved Hearers: necessity is laid upon me. In this day of our public mourning, I may not be as a man in whose mouth are no reproofs. Oh, let us be thankful for our blessings, wherein

through the mercy of God, we outstrip all the nations under heaven; but, withal, let us bewail our sins, which are so much more grievous, because ours. Would to God, it were no less unjust than unpleasing, to complain of this as an untoward generation.

There be four things, that are wont both to make up and evince the pravity of any generation: woe is me that they are too apparently met in this! Multitude of sins, Magnitude of sin, Boldness of sin, Impunity of sinning. Take a short view of them all. You shall see, that the Multitude is such, as that it hath covered the earth; the Magnitude such, as hath reached to heaven; the Boldness such, as out-faceth the Gospel; the Impunity such, as frustrates the wholesome laws under which we live.

For the Multitude, where is the man, that makes true conscience of any the laws of his God? And, if every man violate all the laws of God, what do all put together? Our forefathers' sins were but as drops: ours, are as torrents. Instance in some few. Cannot we ourselves remember, since a debauched drunkard was an owl among birds, a beast of men, a monster of beasts, abhorred of men, shouted at by children? Is this sight now any news to us? Is not every tavern a sty of such swine? Is not every street indented with their shameful staggerings? Is there not now as much spent in wanton smoke, as our honest forefathers spent in substantial hospitality? Cannot we remember, since oaths were so geason and uncouth, that their sound startled the hearer; as amazed at the strange language of treason against the God of Heaven? Now, they fill every mouth; and beat every ear, in a neglected familiarity. What should I tell you of the overgrown frequence of oppressions, extortions, injurious and fraudulent transactions, malicious suits? The neighbour walls of this famous adjoining palace can too amply witness this truth; whose roof, if, as they say, it will admit of no spiders, I am sure the floor of it yields venom enough to poison a kingdom. What should I tell you of the sensible declination to our once-loathed superstitions; of the common trade of contemptuous disobediences to lawful authority; the scornful undervaluing of God's messengers; the ordinary neglect of his sacred ordinances? What speak I of these and thousands more? There are arithmeticians, that have taken upon them to count how many corns of sand would make up the bulk of heaven and earth; but no art can reckon up the multitude of our provoking sins.

Neither do they more exceed in number than Magnitude. Can there be a greater sin than idolatry? Is not this, besides all the rest, the sin of the present Romish generation? One of their own confesses, as he well may, that were not the bread transubstantiate, their idolatry were more gross than the heathenish. Lo, nothing excuses them, but an impossible figment. Know, O ye poor ignorant seduced Souls, that the bread can be no more turned into God, than God can be turned into bread, into nothing. The very Omnipotent Power of God bars these impious contradictions. My heart trembles, therefore, and bleeds to think of your highest,

your holiest devotions. Can there be a greater sin, than robbing of God? This is done by our sacrilegious patrons. Can there be a greater sin, than tearing God out of heaven, with our bloody and blasphemous oaths; than the famishing of souls, by a wilful or lazy silence; than rending in pieces the bowels of our dear Mother the Church, by our headstrong and frivolous dissensions; than furious murders; than affronts of authority? These, these are those huge mountains, which our giant-like presumption rolls upon each other, to war against heaven.

Neither are the sins of men more great than Audacious: yea, it is their impudency, that makes them heinous: bashful offences rise not to extremity of evil. The sins of excess, as they are opera tenebrarum, so they had wont to be night-works: They, that are drunken, are drunk in the night, saith the Apostle: now they dare, with Absalom's beastliness, call the sun to record. St. Bernard tells us of a demon meridianus, a "noon-devil," out of the Vulgate mistranslation of the xcth Psalm. Surely, that ill spirit walks about busily, and haunts the licentious conversation of inordinate men. Unjust exactions of griping officers had wont to creep in under the modest cloak of voluntary courtesy, or fair considerations of a befriended expedition: now they come, like Eli's sons, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now; and, if not, I will take it by force; 1 Sam. ii. 16. The legal thefts of professed usurers and the crafty compacts of sly oppressors dare throw down the gauntlet to justice: and insolent disobediences do so to authority. And, when we denounce the fearful judgments of God against all these abominable wickednesses, the obdured sinner dares jeer us in the face; and, in a worse sense, ask the disciples' question, Domine, quando fient hæc? Master, when shall these things be? Yea, their selfflattering incredulity dares say to their soul, as Peter did to his Master, Favour thyself, for these things shall not happen to thee.

Neither, lastly, would sin dare to be so impudent, if it were not for Impunity. It cannot be but cowardly, where it sees cause of fear. Every hand is not to be laid upon evil. If an error should arise in the Church, it is not for every unlearned tradesman, to cast away his yard-wand, and take up his pen. Wherefore serve Universities, if every blue apron may, at his pleasure, turn Licenciate of Divinity: and talk of theological questions, which he understands not, as if they were to be measured by the ell? O times! Lord, whither will this presumption grow? Deus omen, &c. If folly, if villainy be committed in our Israel, it is not for every man to be an officer. Who made thee a Judge? was a good question, though ill asked. But I would to God we had more cause to complain, of the presumption of them who meddle with what they should not, than the neglect of them who meddle not with what they should. Woe is me! the flood-gates of evil are, as it were, lift open, and the full stream gusheth upon us. Not that I would cast any aspersion upon Sacred Sovereignty: no; blessed be God for his dear Anointed; of whom we may truly and joyfully say, that, in imitation of him whom he represents, he loves justice and

hates iniquity. It is the partiality or slackness of the subordinate inferior executions, that is guiity of this prevalence of sin. What can the head do, where the hands are wanting? To what use is the water derived from the cistern into the pipes, if the cock be not turned? What avails it, if children are brought to the birth, if they want a midwifery to deliver them? Can there possibly be better laws, than have in our times been enacted against drunkenness ? where or when are they executed? Can there be a better law made for the restraint of too-too common oaths? who urges, who pays that just mulct? Can there be better laws against wilful recusancy, against simony, against sacrilege? how are they eluded by fraudulent evasions! Against neglect of Divine Service? yet how are they slighted! Against the lawless wandering of lazy vagabonds? yet how full are our streets, how empty our correctionhouses! Lastly, for it were easy to be endless, can there be better laws, than are made for the punishment of fornications, adulteries, and all other fleshly inordinatenesses? how doth bribery and corruption smother these offences! as if the sins of men served only to enrich covetous officers.

Now, put all these together, the Multitude, the Magnitude, the Boldness, the Impunity of sin; and tell me whether all these do not make this of ours generationem pravam; a froward generation. So as we may too well take up Isaiah's complaint, Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters; Isaiah i. 4.

Honourable and Beloved, how should we be humbled under the hand of our God, in the sense of our many, great, bold, and lawless sins! What sackcloth, what ashes can be enough for us? Oh, that our faces could be covered with confusion; that we could rend our hearts, and not our garments! Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, and thus Save yourselves from this froward generation.

II. And so, from St. Peter's Attestation to their wickedness, we descend to his OBTESTATION of their redress; Save yourselves.

We must be so much shorter in the remedy, as we have been longer in the disease. The remedy is but of a short sound, but of a long extent; ESTE. I urge not the passiveness of this advice; that it is not, Save yourselves, but, Be ye saved. God is jealous of ascribing to us any power unto good: we have ability, we have will enough to undo ourselves; scope enough to hell-ward; neither motion nor will to do good: that must be put into us by him, that gives both posse, et velle, et posse velle; "power to will, and will to do." This Saving comprises in it three great duties: Repentance for our sin; Avoidance of sinners; Reluctation to sin and sinners.

1. REPENTANCE. Perhaps, as St. Chrysostom and Cyrill think, some of these were the personal executioners of Christ. If so, they were the worst of this generation: and yet they may, they must save themselves from this generation, by their unfeigned repentance; howsoever they made up no small piece of the evil times, and had need to be saved from themselves by their hearty con