in hope at last to warm their Hands at our Flames; O that we would now study the Ways of Peace, and Reconciliation! And not like the miferable Jews, fall out among our felves, while the Roman is at our Gates; for all the time we are contending in the Ship, our Enemy is boring a Hole in the Bottom; and while we are fomenting our unhappy Differences, and tearing our own Wounds wider, the Prieft and Jefuit are at work in our Doublets; who ever fince their Gunpowder - Treason was defeated, have been ftrewing Trains of Wild-fire among our felves, to make us our own Executioners, and blow us up by own Hands: For what else hath been their Business among us, but only to raise Se &s and Factions, and fow Discords, and Divifions in the Church of England, which they know is the only Bulwark of the Proteftant Religion among us. O would to God we would once heartily attempt to countermine them! As we might yet easily do, would we but once lay afide our unchristian Paffions and Prejudices, and study mutual Compliances, and pre fer fer Religion before a Faction, and abate fome little Punctilioes to the foberer, and more governable Diffenters: These things if they might obtain amongst us, would yet undoubtedly fecure us against all the Attempts of our Adversaries, and render their most hopeful Designs defperate, and unfeafible: But if we will be deaf to all the Arguments which our common Interests, and dangers fuggeft to us 5 if we will still fquander into Sects and Parties, and nothing will ferve our Turns but the Ruin of that poor Church which for fo many Years hath been the Shelter and Sanctuary of the Proteftant Religion; The time may come perhaps,when we may dearly repent of our own Follies, and remember, with Tears in our Eyes, that we had once an Opportunity to be happy. Let me therefore béfeech you, even by all that Love you bear to the Proteftant Religion, to your own Safety, and to the Lives and Souls of your Pofterity, to lay afide all Faction, Bitterness and Animofity; left by your unchriftian Divifions, you open the Flood-gates of Popery on your felves, and cut a Gap Gap to let in the Stygian Lake of Ignorance, Idolatry, Superftition, and Blood: Which God of his infinite Mercy avert: To whom be Honour, and Glory, and Power, and Dominion, For ever. A SER |