Forty yeares a goe it cost them much labour mony bloud time to get their armed Mirmidons about the Kings person within these four yeares few houres were enough to bring 20000. armed men to Temple Barre neere the King's Palace who knows but the next attempt will bring them to or within his gates Deus omen avertat say I as well as you But humanely speaking that can scarce be avoyded without God's opening your eyes to see the mischeife you promote or stirring vp publicke Authority to stop your mouths Otherwise You conceiue chaffe you bring forth stubble your spirit as fire will devour you Isayas 33.11 Now to your sermon In your 16. first pages I see little to the purpose The greatest part is De communi Sanctorum appliable to other things mingled with some slips through inadvertency such J take that to be p. 13. S. Paul saw it with his owne eyes when he says himself 1. cor 1.11 He heard it from those of Chloe 3. D. M. p. 17. This horrid conspiracy to which the Actors were prompted by some Doctrines of their Religion Rev. That it was a Horrid conspiracy J grant but not that the Doctrines of our Religion prompted the Actors vnto it Let experience decide the cause What Kings more absolute in their Dominions then Catholicks In England when were our Kings more honoured readily obeyed by their subjects than when Papists when more beloved by their freinds and Allyes when more feared by their Enemyes than when Papists Popery teachs to giue every one his due to God what is Gods to Caesar what is his that is it teaches to obey both Prelate Prince both spiritual temporal Magistrate Whereas your Reformation quite cast off obedience to the Prelate so weakened that to the Prince that this broke too And althô you haue endeavoured to piece it againe yet the common voice says that without a dose of Popery or Popish principles it can never arriue to its former vigour So different are the judgments of the world from your pretences But what are these Doctrines D. M. p. 19 That of the Popes supremacy not of order or precedency Only but of Authority jurisdiction Rev. That supremacy had been acknowledged 1000. yeares yet Monarchy remained in its vigour so it continues in Spaine France Germany without any bad effect to Monarchy But you lay the faults of your Reformation at our dore Then you cite some hard opinions out of Bellarmin Aug. Steucus who being no Rules of our Faith I passe by them D. M. p. 21. The Clergy was forbidden to marry that they myght haue no tye to their country exempted from secular jurisdiction that it myght depend only on the Pope Rev. You speake more dogmatically than the Pope for in doctrinal points he giues a Reason you giue none You may find other motiues for these two points if you consult our Divines or Controvertists D. M. p. 22. Oaths cannot bind them to their Allegiance Because 1. they take them with Aequivocation 2. The Pope can dispense in them 3. They keepe no faith with Hereticks Rev. Such stuffe myght passe in Oates's narratiue or rayling I. Philips before the Rabble but scarce in one of your degree before such an Auditory If Oaths to vs are such Cobwebs why do so many of vs loose their Estates their Libertys their Liues rather than take some Why doth the Parliament take the Paines to frame impose them You contradict experience I feare your owne Conscience D. M. p. 23. Another horrid Doctrine is the obligation of Preists to conceale what they heare in Confession And you mention Clement Ravaillac Rev. You myght with as much reason haue mentioned Brutus Pausanias for it doth not appeare that ether of these two ever discovered their designe in Confession The secret of Confession may bring a Ruffian to discover his damnable intention to a Preist by whome he may be diverted or the mischeife prevented Divines teach how without breaking the seale of Confession But it giues no advantage to a Preist to communicate bad designes because the obligation of secrecy binds not the Penitent D. M. p. 24. It is not enough to say these are not Doctrines of the Church of Rome but only of some particular Doctors of it because they never were condemned by the representatiue Body of that Church c. Rev. A discourse much below your self your Auditory yet you repeate it againe p. 30. What obligation is there that if one do a thing contrary to his duty all those of his Communion must by some publicke act declare against it Doth a man suspect his son of taking a purse if another doth so Or his wife of being vnfaithfull to him because his neyghbour's wife is so Or you your breth ren to be in a readinesse to take vp Armes against the King because a Bishop did so Because that man's son or wife or the Bishops never declared their abhorrence of those several Crimes Moreover some of the Doctrines you mention are censured by our Church in Santarelli Becanus In France Rome it self which you knew therefore say They were not condemned by the representatiue body of the Church that is a general Council But if you reade the last Chapter of S. Austins fourth book Contra duas Epistolas Pelagianorum you will find that generall Councils are not always necessary to condemne emergent errours that many more haue beene condemned out of than in Councils that without an absolute necessity all other meanes fayling the Church vses not to haue recours to a general Council Indeed were it not so such Councils must ether be perpetual so the cheife Pastors would be always absent from their flocks or be so frequent that they would scarce ever reside with it Wherefore God hath appointed in the Church for ordinary more frequent occasions inferiour Tribunals some of which haue declared already their dislike of some of these Doctrines others they leaue as likely to wither of themselues Sicut foenum tectorum as hay on the house top some it may be are left as not being legally knowne to those Tribunalls How ever ether there is or is not an obligation to condemne all bad Doctrines If there is none why do you blame our Church for omitting it Jf there is one how can you excuse your owne Church which never complyed with that Duty In reality there is an obligation which being a positiue precept obliges in time place not alwais is so kept by vs not at all by you D. M. p. 25. Bishop Andrews tells vs that Paul IV. offred to confirme all that Q. Elisabeth had done in Church affayres vpon condition she would owne his supremacy Rev. This requires a better proofe than the bare word of one interessed man How ever if it were so the guilt of Schisme sticks closer to you you may see how much you were
of reason all considerations of Eternity And if they should be judged weyght by men will God judge so too At the greate day will it be a sufficient excuse for Schisme Heresy to say I was affrayd of loosing my estate of hindring my fortune of offending my freinds of giving advantage to my Enemys Will not Christ answer Seing You haue disowned me my Church before men I will disowne you before my father I will not deny but you haue given satisfaction as to what concernes your self that you are a Protestant Yet J must professe you giue little satisfaction as to your Church Nay I do declare that I would never desire other nor better grounds to vindicate the Truth of Catholick Religion the necessity of living in the Communion of the Catholick Church than what this letter affords For by it we may gather the condition of the Protestant Church to be like that of Laodicea Apoc. 3.17 Wretched miserable poore blind naked I hartily wish you those of your ranke were truly sensible of this Truth that you made a ryght vse of it by seeking ways to returne to the Communion of the Catholick Roman Church so put an end to this horrid Schisme Though the difficultyes to be overcome were greate yet greate difficultyes ought not to fryght vs from so greate so necessary a good as that of the Peace of the Church But in reality they are lesse then apprehended which you must say if you beleiue what you report after Bishop Andrews that the Pope was willing to confirme all that Q. Elizabeth had done in matter of Religion provided she would acknowledge his Supremacy This is then the grand nay the only obstacle Now all who haue been conversant in Catholick countryes see their customes even where that Supremacy is acknowledged see cleerly that this is no such formidable thing as to excuse justify a separation by consequence can be no just hindrance of Peace which the God of Peace grant vs giue all Schismaticks a tru desire of Amen SECTION XX. A Revision of his Letter to a Preist WHo this Regular Preist is you do not tell vs yet what you say of him he of himself describe him by infallible notes You endeavour to proue in this letter to him three things 1. That being so perswaded as he was he was bound in Conscience to leaue the Communion of the Roman Church 2. That he was bound to joine Communion with the Protestant Church of England 3. That he was bound to do it out of hand Which Propositions are built one vpon another the third on the second this on the first Which being Conditional not Absolute supposing his Present perswasion we must see what that is according to this Meridian we must calculate his Duty What this poore man's Perswasion is if he haue any setled is hard to judge of He hath vowed Obedience to his Regular Superiour will not keepe it He hath vowed Poverty breakes that vow He professe the Catholick Faith beleiues it full of Errors nay Heresyes He says he will remaine in the Communion of the Roman Catholick Church yet beleiues her to be Heretick Schismatick He hath beene ordred backe to his Convent he refuses to returne he hath been Canonically admonisht of his extravagances he slights it he hath been Excommunicated he Laughs at it In fine in him Hereticks find a constant freind Schismaticks a sure Advocate Apostates a certaine Patrone Catholicks an implacable Enemy yet he pretends he is nether Heretick nor Schismatick nor Apostata but a Catholick member of the Roman Church Who can square these circles reconcile these Contradictions betwixt his Declarations Actions that so a judgment may be framed of his Tru Persuasion Whither shall we giue credit to his declarations Or his Actions Those speake his being a Catholick he is nothing lesse These declare his hatred to Catholicks their Religion which yet he professeth So we must conclude him a Chimera one composed of contradictions his Religion is made vp of parts mutually destroying one another Or else that he hath no Religion for as a Chimera cannot haue a being In rerum naturâ so there can nether be an Entity composed of Contradictions nor a Religion for the same reason At least at the greate Audit he can never fayle to heare Discede a me c. Begon from me whither so ever Religion he be of his owne words will condemne him Ex ore tuo te judico serve nequam What can hence be gathered but that his Perswasion being so vncertain his Religion so dubious or certainly none at all nothing can be thence gathered as to the Communion which he should enter into If you think him well disposed for your Church you discover what kind of men it is composed of Ours that is the Catholick Church doth not desire such nor tolerate them further than there is hopes of their amendment little or none at all being left of this man she hath cast him out by Excommunication As I learne from your owne letter So by what I see I conclude that You haue spoyled a Catholick not made a Protestant Yet to moue him to come quite over you very learnedly distinguish three ages of the Church The first whilest she continued in that Faith which was once delivered to Saints p. 31. The second p. 32. from the time the Pope tooke vpon him the title of vniversal Bishop Yet you are not resolved what time to allow to this Second age whither one thousand or eleven or twelue hundred yeares The third p. 42. from the two Councils of Lateran vnder LEO X. Trent jmplying that all were bound to communicate with the Church of Rome in its first age myght communicate with it in the second must not in the third Jn the first Communion with it was a necessary duty in the second it was lawfull but not necessary in the third vnlawfull a sin And these dreames take vp aboue 30. pages Rev. All this is a dreame for the second age which you speake of is yet to come the Pope never having taken the title of Vniversal Bishop Besides this Christ promist his assistance to the Church not for any determinate time but for all times assured her of his presence till the end of the world now when you shall proue that Christ hath broken or can or will breake his word we will think your second age possible not till then so the first age in which all are obliged to joine in Communion with the Church of Rome is not expired nor will nor can ever expire D. M. p. 62. Having quitted the Communion of the Roman Church he is bound to joine with that of England in Conscience it being the most perfectly reformed Church in the world in Prudence in order to the protection of his Person provision
some private men amongst you withstand yours What reason can you alleadge against a Tub preacher Some texts of scripture Canons of Councils Tradition of the Church Laws of the Realme All these stood in favour of our Clergy against the first Reformers as more evidtntly than for you against your dissenters So your Schisme Reformation hath deprived you of all meanes to preserue the Peace of the Church My 5. Is taken from the manner of your Reformation From Rome our Ancesters had received by the same hands a systeme of Faith a body of Ceremonys some Ecclesiastical Laws The whole Faith as necessary to be beleived the Ceremonys as decent to entertaine devotion The laws as convenient to government order And your first Reformers changed all Jn Faith they first rejected the whole vnwritten word Tradition a greate part of the written scripture They secondly perverted many places of this by new interpretations retaining the word without its sense The Ceremonys laws were treated as licentiously throwing out of dores whatsoever they pleased Now why may not another imitate these your Patriarks Cur non licebit Valentiniano quod licuit Valentino de arbitrio suo fidem innovare What was lawfull to Luther is sure lawfull to a Lutheran what was laudable in the sixteenth is not a sin in the seventeenth age to giue new interpretations to scripture abolish other ceremonys repeale more Canons Especially the motiues of reforming being common Which is My 6. Your first reformers rejected some Articles of Faith as being delivered by fallible men some Ceremonys as men's inventions some laws as contrary to Evangelical liberty Now all this holds as strongly against what they Keepe in as what they leaue out for all Canons were imposed by men all Ceremonys prescribed by men scripture it self brought to you continued amongst you by fallible men as much as the real presence Now as you blot this out of your creede why may not another strike out Baptisme a third the Trinity a fourth the Incarnation afifth the vnity of God a sixth the Deity it self so farewell all Faith What reason is there to say that our Roman Missioners sent by S. Gregory were infallible in delivering the mysterys of the Trinity or Incarnation fallible in speaking of Purgatory or the Real presence They say they pared away these Articles because they were not from the beginning were abuses But will not a Monothelit alleadge the same against the distinction of wills in Christ an Eutychian against the distinction of natures a Nestorian against the vnity of Person in him a Macedonian against the Divinity of the Holy ghost an Arrian against that of the son a Manichean against the vnity of the Divine nature a Iew against the new Testament a Libertin and Atheist against both old new God himself These are not wyre drawne conclusions by obscure mediums far fetched illations but natural obvious sequels of the fundamental principles of your Reformation which are inconsistent with any constancy in Faith and settlement in Church government So I must conclude that your Church building is such as no principles can beare your principles are such as can beare no building By which we may guesse from whome your reformers had their vocation from Abaddon Apollion the Destroyer seing their principles are good only to Destroy Churchs not at all to Build them In fine a prudent man without casting a figure might haue seene the fate of the late troubles in their principles which were inconsistent with any setled forme of civil gouvernment would ruin them all successively as they did without any hopes of rest vnlesse these were layd aside the just ancient government restored The like conjecture may be made of Protestantisme its principles being inconsistent with any setled forme of Faith Church government will destroy them all by Schisme Heresyes no probability of a settlement vnlesse these be renounced the Ancient Catholick Apostolical Faith Government restored For a further proofe of this I appeale to experience which is a demonstration A posteriori as the former is A priori which is My 7. Experience shews that t is much easier to destroy than to settle a government ether in Church or State Nothing of Art or Power was wanting to the establishment of the Prelatical Church in England She appeared first with the plausible colours of an Apostolical Reformation was cherisht by Royal favour armed the severest laws imaginable Yet one age had not past over her head when the peccant humours bread within her layd her in the dust the crowne it self with her which it was hoped she would vp hold Both were againe restored yet how soone was the joy of that over both brought againe into a like danger Seeke no where abroade the spring of these mischeifes they rise from the Reformation are inseparable from the Protestant Church My 8. And last reason is drawne from the Protestant Clergy it self which as it is modelled principled can never sufficiently influence the Nation to preserue its vnion in the Worship of God its duty to the King to prevent Schisme in the Church Faction in the State This appeares by experience The reasons I reserue till some further occasion be given 3. D. M. so we shall hereafter call my Lord of Winton says in his Preface pag. 11. A french Iesuit called Mainbourg publisht something as writen by her late R. H. he repeates afterwards four times in the Preface once in his post script Mainbourg the Iusuit when it was Mainbourg the secular Preist who printed it Which that booke of his tells all the world so did the publike Gazets containing his dismission out of the society His superiors did never permit him to print it whilest he was a Iesuit knowing how sacred the secrets of Princes ought to be So that paper crept about only in written copyes seene by few of these not many beleiving it to be hers whose name it beares Now D. M. hath spreade it the rumor of her Change in Religion for his owne vindication so prejudiced his mother the Church of England for I doubt not but her R. H. example will moue more Powerfully to leaue that Church than D. M. S. judgment to retaine men in it He questions the Conference betwixt her R. H. the Bishop which being a matter of Fact must rely on the deposition of witnesses their credit interest She is positiue he conjectural she had no motiue but Truth he concerned for the honour of his Church his owne His topick is if the Bishop answered so he was nether so Learned nor Conscientious nor Prudent as he ought to be Which many will easier grant then that her R. H. in a matter of fact would wittingly tell an vntruth He relates many things in his Preface to little purpose v. c. His coming out of
countenanced Libertinisme Atheisme Scepticisme you Charge them on vs just as the late long Parliament charged the civil wars that Iliad of miserys caused by themselues on King Charles 1. Keepe to your selues those deformed brats they are yours the essential Principles of your first Reformers are evident Premisses to these vnavoidable conclusions Your Luther your Calvin your Zuinglius your Ivel eate the sowre grapes which set at all your teeth on edge They layd the egges out of which these cockatrices are hatcht And while you retaine your owne Principles you must expect the same odious encrease of mischeif 5. E. M. p. 21. If there be no certainty of Senses how know they that it is the Body Bloud of Christ By immediate Inspiration or by Seing the Scripture or Hearing the Church They pretend to no immediate Jnspiration Seing the Scriptures hearing the Church cannot be relyed on because there is no certainty of Senses Revisor The first part I admit that we do not rely on any immediate mediate Revelation or jnspiration The rest that we cannot rely on what we See in Scripture and Heare from the Church you know is contrary to our sentiments absolutely false Haec si imprudens facis nihil coecius si prudens nihil sceleratius S. Austin l. cont Adam c. 15. If you reproach vs that Paradox not knowing we abhorre it What is more blind than you If you know we renounce it yet charge it on vs what more wicked than you 6. D. M. p. 21.22 Their Interpretation of this place of Scripture must needs frustrate make voyde the vse end of all Scripture of the Church it self also consequently it is not a tru one Rev. Here is a lame jllation out of two false Premisses as J haue shewed And J appeale to any man who hath but common sense to decide whither make voyde the Scripture we who subscribe to it or you who contradict it Scripture says That is Christ's Body Catholicks say That is Christ's Body Non-Catholicks say That is not Christ's Body Credit your eyes for whome you pleade see whither part Frustrates the end of Scripture we subscribe to Scripture we defend it if we are deceived God hath deceived vs. But he cannot deceiue vs so we are sure we are not deceived As for you you contradict the scripture your Senses delude you you fyght against the scripture or if for it it is only as your Tru protestants fought for the King D. M. p. 22 If there be no Transubstantiation the Papists are as grosse Jdolaters as the Heathens says Costerus a Iesuit Revisor If the Heavens fall we may catch larkes And if an Asse flyes he will moue swiftly But what do these conditional Propositions signify while the conditions ramble in the imaginary spaces of impossible Beings are only the objects of fancifull heads You will go hungry to bed if for your supper you rely on those Larkes you will as soon performe your journy riding on a snayle as if you expect the winged Asse And Papists neede not feare Hell or Purgatory if they haue no other sin to Answer for than beleiving Christ's Body to be where he says it is and Adoring him there solely because they firmely beleiue that he is there having his owne expresse words for their warrant Conclusion of this Book An appeale from the sole competent judge which knoweth can determine to one in competent who nether knoweth the thing in question nor can decide it is an evident signe of a desperate Cause You appeale from the sole competent judge God his Church to one incompetent the Senses which nether know the thing in question the meaning of the words of Christ nor can pronounce sentence in it Therefore your Cause is desperate Otherwise thus A sentence of an incompetent judge is insignificant The Sensations are a sentence of incompetent judges therefore they are insignificant THE THIRD BOOK A REVISION OF THE VINDICATION OF THE ARGVMENT FROM SENSE THE PREFACE I Do not professe my selfe a common champion for all Catholicks that either Attacke Protestants or are Attackt by them Had God called me to that taske he would haue endowed me with a greater strength of mind Body a larger extent of knowledge more leasure from other employments then I haue Wherefore I confine my selfe to a much narrower sphere more proportioned to my abilityes viz to that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Iude verse 3. for which seing all are obliged Earnestly to contend I see my self vnder that general obligation As also to the defence of our Holy mother the Curch by whome we receiue this Faith without whose assistance Faith it self that precious gif of our bountifull lord would fayle As for the sentiments of other private persons the being of the Church the jnnocency of our Doctrine the purity of our Faith not depending on them I think it no necessary duty to make good all they say further than that cannot be destroyed without weakning Faith And in alike manner I do not expect nor desire any should concerne themselues for what I say but only on like occasions that it be such as Faith would receiue some dammage werer it confuted If any one out of an opinion that J go astray or am in an errour in what J write in defense of the Church will take the paines to shew it me with Charity meekenesse J shall thank him for his labour either acknowledge my personal errour if it be such or giue a reason why I do not Hence I was for some time doubtfull whither I should review this Vindication no body being concerned in it besides the namelesse Authour of an obsure Pamphlet whose merits are as obscure as his person namelesse especially some of his opinions being far different from what the Church her felf as well as divines hold if his meaning be sincerely represented by my freind D. M. ryghtly vnderstood by me And I think the Argument from sense low enough whither this Anonimus stand or fall althô M. Doctor page 4. is pleased to say that if this Pamphlet falls his Argument remaines not only vnanswered but vnanswerable as if that anonimus were our Hector our Troy were to be defended by his hand or by none at all Yet I am of opinion that my Reader will find something in my Review of the Argument to which what is here sayd will not giue full satisfaction probably it will scarce be brought within canon shot of it So my Review of this Treatise is a worke of supererogation which J vndertake meerely because there is occasion giuen to handle some few material points which further confirme what I haue sayd if well vnderstood SECTION XIV 1. Division of Miracles 2. Some insensible out of scripture 3. Arguments from Aetymology of words or names frivolous 1. WHo that man was whome p. 1. you call Namelesse is not material but why you
against Mr. Cressey of owning a thing as his owne which he knew was not his owne was to boote false The 3 against them all againe for not permitting that vntruth to be corrected whereas Mr Cressey says expressely He would haue corrected them but his corrections come too late to the printer He sent them than to the printer this he would not have done but by consent of his superiours Wherefore they consented to that correction contrary to what you say The meane while these Crimes are charged by you vpon that ancient graue order not a word of proofe offred I will not say they are Calumnyes but J desire you to Act the God father giue them convenient names SECTION XVIII Revision of the Sermon nou 5. 1. Festiual days for Thanks givimg good yet sometimes abused 2. That of the 5. of nou notoriously 3. No seditious Doctrines in the Church of Rome 4. Of the gunpowder Plotters 5. Of the penal Laws against Papists 1. TO returne thanks to Almyghty God for the Benefits received of him especially when they are greate signal deliveryes is a duty enjoined by the law of nature that some singular favours should be acknowledged with annual solemnityes is prescribed both in the old new law Such were in the old the Phase the Phurim the Encoenia the New moones the Sabboth In the new Christ masse Easter with suntide the sundays That these Anniversary Feasts were gratefull to God when duly kept is evident seing he commanded them exacted their being kept checked punisht such as broke or prophaned them by any servile worke Yet that they were sometimes offensiue to him is as evident as any thing in Scripture Amos 5.21 I hate I despise your feast days I will not smell in your solemne Assemblyes And Amos 8.10 I will turne your Feasts into mourning And Malachy 2.3 I will corrupt your seede spread dung vpon your faces even the dung of your solemne Feasts it shall take you away with it There is then dung in solemne Feasts for which God hates despises them for which he will turne them into mourning which he will spread on men's faces destroy them as well as Flowers or Fruit gratefull to God men What is this Dung What the Fruit or Flowers The Feasts are as pleasant as Flowers or Fruit when they are spent in considering the danger men were in their inability to avoyde it Gods mercys in discovering disappointing it Then than king God for his helpe in over coming it praying him to continu his Protection To make themselues worthy of this Blessing men must be sorry for their offences resolue not to offend againe These Feasts so kept would entayle the like Blessings vpon vs. But they become as odious as Dung when they are occasions not to prayse God but curse his servants when men in them in lieu of magnifying his mercy provoke his justice deserue the mischeif they haue escaped by vncharitable invectives against jnnocents to satisfy their Passion What is this but to turne God's Blessings into curses to dry vp the fountaine of his mercy stir vp his Anger to draw vpon their heads those or greater punishments than those they escaped In fine to make themselues vnworthy of his Protection 2. How little Fruit what a prodigious quantity of this Dung is found in your Gun powder solemnity is evident to any man who sees the sermons made on that occasion This which J now Review containes 37. pages yet all it containes of the delivery from the plot it self myght be sayd in one The rest excepting some commonly knowne Truths at the beginning as that There is a God c. is spent in charging that horrid plot on Persons certainly or at least probably jnnocent our Religion it selfe Now if you D. Morley one of the most moderate of your coate in presence of his Majesty whose mercifull disposition aversion to violent courses is knowne haue so much of this Dung what can we guesse of your hot headed Prophets amongst their furious blind Zealots And now o ye Preists Parsons this commandment is for you I vse the words of Malachy 2. If ye will not heare if ye will not lay to hart to giue glory to my name sayth the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse vpon you I will curse your Blessings yea I haue cursed them already because you do not lay to hart Behold I will reproue your seede your whole Ministry spread dung vpon your faces even the dung of your solemne Feasts 5. noven it shall take you away with it Which words are soe cleerly verifyed in our days of your Gunpowder Feast in England that they seeme not an Obscure Prophecy of a thing to come but a Relation of a thing past or description of one present How little you glorify God's name on this day I haue sayd already That God Hath cursed these your Blessings spread the dung of this solemnity vpon the face of the whole English Protestant Church is evident for from the yeare 1641. that fyery Zeale against Popery which your selues had kindled entertained fell on your owne Church as Popish tooke it away with it Monarchy also leaving scarce any hopes of restoring either And againe with in these last fiue yeares how neere it brought both again to subversion vtter ruin you cannot but know And how greate was the danger of this Feast Being turned into mourning as Amos foretold c. 8.10 is evident whence our vigilant Magistrates were moved to forbid Bone fires those ordinary signes of joy as the best meanes to prevent some dismall effects of that Malice which you of the Ministry keepe still vp at heygth althô you haue found it fatal to both Church State Yet I am not convinced that Prohibiting bone fires is a remedy proportioned to the evil that is feared or rather felt as long as you by your reproaches invectiues are permitted to entertaine that hatred of Popery it is only to cut off a branch leaue the tree to skin a wound leaue the Arrow head in it not to quench but to cover a fire which when least expected will breake out into new flames For if you are permitted to sound the Allarme what wonder those who deferre too much to your words should take it being fryghted out of their wits by your representation of their danger they mistake a Troyan for a Grecian some blows levelled at Papists fall on Papists in Masquerade In fine your Gunpowder sermons preach the People into gunpowder then a little sparke is enough to set them on fire blow all to pieces And at whose dore must this lye but yours who dispose all to it One observation more I passe this point Factious men who make vse of your labours to your destruction are greate proficients in the Art of promoting mischeife