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"Duties which God hath thus united and joined together"

From what was most likely one of the last 30th January sermons commemorating the Royal Martyr in the Thirteen Colonies, words from the 1780 sermon by Charles Inglis, then Rector of Trinity Church, New York, on the text 'Fear God, honour the King':

THIS serves to point out the close Connection between those Duties; it also places our Obligation to Honour the King in a striking Light, however it may be disregarded by some People. Duties which God hath thus united and joined together, no Man should ever presume to put asunder.

THE tragical Event which we are enjoined by our Church to commemorate this Day, naturally suggests the Consideration of this Subject - particularly the latter Part of it, honouring the King. A Failure in this Duty did once involve our Nation in all the Horrors of Rebellion and Civil War. To such Lengths did the Phrenzy of Enthusiasm, and Republican Ambition push on the Sons of Rebellion at that Period, that they imbrued their Hands in the Blood of their most Excellent Sovereign; thereby intailing Guilt on our Nation, and staining our History with indelible Infamy.

TO raise a just Abhorrence for such atrocious Crimes - to preserve in our Minds a proper Sense of the Honour due to our Sovereign, by which the Blessings of Harmony and Peace are secured - to deprecate the Divine Displeasure for the Guilt then contracted, and that God would be pleased to avert similar Guilt and Calamities for the future: For these great Purposes, our Church hath wisely and piously set apart this Day, as a Day of public Humiliation and Prayer; and hath appointed the excellent Office, which you have now heard, to be annually used on the Occasion.

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