A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and Court of Aldermen, at the Guild-Hall Chappel, the 16th of December, 1683 by John Scott ...

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE S^r Henry Tulce, LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LONDON.

My LORD,

IN Obedience to your Commands, I present this mean Performance to your Lordships perusal, which out of the known Candor and Goodness of your Nature,

you were pleased not only to pardon, but accept; and 'tis no wonder that a Discourse of this Nature, how defective soever in the Composure, should find Accep∣tance from such a Loyal Audience, as My Lord Mayor, and the Court of Aldermen, who had the Courage to be Loyal, when Loyalty was grown almost out of fashi∣on, and to stemm the overflowing Tide of a Popular Faction in the height of all its Fury and Violence. I profess to your Lordship▪ with the same Sincerity, that I would confess my Soul to God, that my Design in this Discourse, was only to promote the Peace and Happi∣ness of Men; for I thank God, I know no man in the World, whom I do not heartily wish well to, and whom how widely soever he may dissent from me in Matters of Religion I would not most willingly render any good Office I am able, so far as it consists with my Duty to the Church and Government; and had I not thought it an exceeding good Office to all, and particularly to the Dis∣senters and their Adherents (whose Discontents render them of all men most obnoxious to factious impressions) to warn them in such a Time and Juncture of Affairs

as this of the manifold Mischiefs of Faction, I had not troubled your Lordship, or the World with a Discourse of this Nature.

As for the Stile of it, if it be in some Places a little smart and severe, it's wholly Owing to the Matter it treats of, which cannot be naturally exprest without Se∣verity, and when men will do such things as cannot be represented in their own natural Colours, without re∣proaching and upbraiding them, they must blame them∣selves, and not the Expression; and yet all that looks severe in this Discourse, aims only at the Patrons and Agitators of Faction, whose Business it is, to seduce the Simple and well-meaning from their Duty and Safety; and in such a case the keenest Satyr is Charity; for how can it but move a Charitable Mind to see so many Inno∣cent Souls led by the Nose into Ruin by a Company of pretending Demagogues, who have no other Design in it, but to gratifie their own Revenge and Ambition, and if I should have been a little passionate in giving them warning of their danger, sure no wise man would be of∣fended

at me for indeavouring to pluck him out of the fire, though it be by the hair of the head▪ but if instead of taking this Charitable Warning, those whom it con∣cerns should be so disingenuous as to inveigh against it, I fear their own woful Experience of those mischievous Effects of Faction here discours'd of, will force them one day to repent of it, and God grant it be not too late; all that I shall farther add, is my hearty Prayers that God may prosper your Lordships Faithful Endeavour for the Peace and Happiness of this Renowned City, and render your Government a Blessing to all that are under its Influence. I remain,

My LORD,

Your Lordships most faithful and obedient Servant, JOHN SCOTT.