A sermon preach'd at Cotenham, near Cambridge, on the 9th. of September, 1683 being the day set a-part for publick thanksgiving for the deliverance of His Sacred Majesty and the government from the late treasonable conspiracy / by John Fitz-William.

TO THE Right Reverend Father in GOD, And my most Honoured LORD, GEORGE, Lord BISHOP of Winchester, PRELATE of the most Noble Order of the GARTER.

My LORD,

THe Zeal I had for the present Government, even while it was meerly to be enjoy'd in hopes, and we could only wish it might be restored, filled me with a just Indignation to find It, after its Re-establishment, now again assault∣ed by Men of such restless turbulent Spirits, that it's probable they would scarce si•• quiet and still (or not long) under One of their own framing and devising; and that put me upon expressing my thoughts of Their late design••d Attempt against It: And had not This set me on the Work, I might plead the Command of Authority enjoyning a publick Thanksgiving to God for our Deliverance from it; in per∣forming which, the Priests being to be the Peoples Mouths, That seem'd to require, that I, one of that Order, should con∣sider well, take advice, and speak my mind of their Fact.

Accordingly I did, (i. e.) as well as the little leisure Wind∣sor and my attendance there afforded, would permit; and my Thoughts of it, rough drawn as they were, I shew'd them to Your Lordship at Farnham, desiring You to pass Judgment upon them; where meeting with your Approbation and Encou∣ragement, I was resolv'd, without moulding them into a more regular Figure and Order, to make them publick, and send them

into the World under the Protection of Your Name: conclu∣ding there was none fitter to countenance a Sermon against Change of Government, than ••ou, who have stood unalterable in the last great Vicissitudes and Changes here; was the same in them, as you were before, or are now after them; as great and faithful an Advocate for the Church afflicted and trod under foot, as you are a Father of it now, rais'd and re-flou∣rishing; as dutifully devoted to an Exil'd Prince then, as you are to Him now, restor'd, and seated on His Throne; whose Allegiance follow••d Caesar abroad, and attended on Him, not His Fortune, home again.

But there are other reasons, with reference to my self, why I praefix your Name to it: I was determin'd to take some oc∣casion of recognizing your Favours to me, in recommending me to that Person of singular perspicacity in Affairs of State, and unshaken Fidelity to the Crown, the late Lord Treasurer Southampton's Patronage; and after His Death, taking me into Your Own; and since my dismission from your Ser∣vice with a fair Reward, recommending me a-new to His Royal Highness's, where now I am, and was (as your Lord∣ship knows) as willing to be, when that Prince was in the grea∣test danger of being oppress'd by the Power of His Enemies,* 1.1 as ever M. Terentius was frank after the utter Rnine of Seja∣nus to own he had been his Friend,* 1.2 had coveted to be so, and glad he was admitted to that Relation.

I was determined, I say, to make some such recognition, which I could not with more satisfaction to my self, than by a Declaration as notorious as Print could make it, and addressing it to your Lordship, that I am,

My LORD,

Your Honours most Obliged, Affectionately Humble, and Obedient Servant, J. FITZ-WILLIAM.

Cotenham, Sept. 12. 1683.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tacit.
• * 1.2

  Annal. 6.