SERMON LV. 173 in a special manner, who worship God according to our conscien- ces, in a way something different from the national establishment: he knew the heartiness of our.zeal for the protestant succession, and our activity for his iñterest according to our limited anti nar- row powersbefore he yet arrived at the throne ; and the repeal of some hard and severe laws which stood in force against us, and the increase of our liberties, Which be.ascribed in some mea- sure to this generous principle i reigned in the heart of our deceased sovereign. And it must be said to the immortal honour of KingGEORGE, that this is no very common character among the princes of the earth. 7. Among his other excellent dispositions it ought never to be forgotten, that he had the common welfare of protestants much at heart, andupon every occasion interposed in their behalf. He could not bear to see his brethren, in the profession of the same faith, ill treated by popish princes, and unjustly burdenedby the persecutingpowers of this world. He knew conscience was a sacred thing, and that the empire of it belonged only to God ; and as he would not assume a power over it athome, nor impose yokes of bondage on any of his subjects, soneither was he patient to see this antichristian spirit prevail over mankind abroad, wheresoever it was possible for him to procure a redress of such grievances. His own counsels, his wise orders to his ministers, andhis royal letters to foreign princes, bear a glorious witness to this part of his character. It must be toldalso, to the immortal honour of his name and memory, with whatzeal he sought the union of protestants among themselves. . How readily he employed his good offices to relax the bonds of imposition and severity in some of the re- formed cantons of Switzerland, that conscience might have a larger liberty in the modes of professing the same faith and worship, Surely the man who laboured so gloriously to procure, this freedom for christians abroad, must be influenced by higher views than those which are merely political, to maintain and promote a just liberty of conscience among his own subjects. To conclude, he was a prince who sought to oblige all that he had to do with, and tomake them easy and happy ; but for those who would not be wrought upon by the condescensions of his love, he knew how to keep them in subjection. The church of God in the world, the protestant kingdoms, and the nation of Great Britain, have sustained agreat and certain loss, when such a governor, sucha benefactor, sueltan extensive blessingis taken from the earth. II. We proceed now to the second thing remarkable in the late event of providence, and that is to consider " What mercies is
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