ABSTRACT
SEriously to consider the reason of your coming hither, Was it not rectifie a Prince that took false steps, which occasion’d the People to fear, that Church and State was in danger to be destroy’d by I’opery? But this was a great Defect, for God could have delivered his People from the power of a Popish King, as well as a Popish Queen, but they had not faith to trust him, but would have a God of their own making, under whose Wings they could trust both Church and State: And your Majesty has been very sincere hitherto, tho’ some would have persuaded me to the contrary, and said, it was impossible, because of your Education, which I thought was no Argument, and therefore I would not believe it; your Majesty gave such great assurance of your Fidelity both to Church and State by your Declaration when you first came to the Crown; wherein your Majesty was graciously pleas’d to declare, That the Church of England was the only support of the Protestant Religion? Which is a great Truth, and it was a great satisfaction for me to hear: For I did assure my self, that a Prince that had that belief, could not easily miscarry: And I hope, your Majesty will never alter this Belief; for God in his infinite mercy dispers’d the Clouds of Darkness, and brought his Church from under the Popish Yoke; and God did establish her, and hedg’d her about with Laws, that her Adversaries might not hurt her: But King James went to break down her Hedges, that the wild Boars of the Forest might come and destroy her; but had he been sincere, he need not have gone to France; but his declining from the Establish’d Worship, has brought this Destruction upon the Kingdom; for how happy might he have been and the Kingdom too, if he had not been misled; but he trusted in his Standing Army, and the Roman Catholicks being on his side, and the Dissenters being so numerous, and they Addressing him with their Lives and Fortunes, altho’ the Church stood in opposition, he thought Liberty of Conscience would weaken her; and so he contriv’d his own Ruin, which I would have prevented, altho’ I told him he was undone when he first went to Mass, and said, that he should never do what he design’d: yet I was not free that any evil should come upon him; I was in hopes your Majesty would have drawn him off from Popery by your kind usage; but when I saw that was not done, I did wish that the good Spirit might incline your Heart to send me like a Dove with an Olive branch in my Mouth to have seen whether he would have laid hold on the Lines of Life: but Death has put an end to all; but I have been very sorry to think he should die in Propery, to lose such a Prince that might have been so beneficial both to Church and State if he had not been corrupted. I wish we had never had neither Popish Kings nor Queens; for the marrying Roman-Catholick Queens has bred great Confusion; the Lord grant that Popery may have a total overthrow, and that it may never have any dominion here; nor I cou’d wish, in the whole Christian World; for it is Antichristian Worship. O that it may please God, that all may be true Worshippers, through the Merits of a Crucify’d Saviour. And how happy wou’d it be if all the Differences of Spain, France, and Holland, cou’d be made up without War; for I don’t love shedding of Blood, but Peace is lovely; O that we may obtain it both at home and abroad, that Church and State may be in Peace; for it is a sad thing when they can’t trust one another for want of sincerity: O that we were sincere to God and his Truth, and then we should be so to one another; and that wou’d awe our Adversaries that seek our Ruin; for I count Roman-Catholicks and Dissenters are all of one Opinion to overthrow the Establish’d Church; but they shan’t prosper that goes about it, for I hope God’s Hand will be against them: and it is not for the good of Mankind that they should come into Government, for it is as destructive to Church and State, as a Popish King in a Protestant Kingdom.
