[L] The darling errors of late years were all of them stones of the old Babel, closing and coupling with that tre- mendous fabric, which the man of sin had erected to de- throne Jesus Christ; came out of the belly of that Trojan horse, that fatal engine, which was framed to betray the city of God. They were popish errors, such as whereof that apostacy did consist, which only is to be looked upon as the great adverse state of the kingdom of the Lord Christ. For a man to be disorderly in a civil state, yea, oftentimes through tuibulency to break tlie peace, is nothing to an un- derhand combination with some formidable enemy, for the utter subversion of it. Heedless and headless errors may breed disturbance enough, in scattered individuals, unto the people of God ; but such as tend to a peace and associa- tion, 'cum ecclesia malignantium,' tending to a total subver- sion of the sacred state, are far more dangerous. Now such were the innovations of the late hierarchists. In worship, their paintings,'' crossings, crucifixes, bowings, cringings, altars, tapers, wafers, organs, anthems, litany, rails, images, copes, vestments, what were they but Roman varnish, an Italian dress for our devotion, to draw on conformity with that enemy of the Lord Jesus ? In doctrine, the divinity of episcopacy, auricular confession, freewill, predestination on faith, yea, works foreseen, ' limbus patrum,' justification by works, falling from grace, authority of a church, which
•> See Canterljurian self-conviction. See Ld. Dee. Coll. &e. VOL. XV. D
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none knew what it was, canonical obedience, holiness of churches, and the like innumerable, what were they but helps to Sancta Clara, to make all our articles of religion speak good Roman Catholic? How did their old father of Rome refresh his spirit, to see such chariots as those provided to bring England again unto him ? This closing with popery was the sting in the errors of those days, which cause pining, if not death in the episcopal pot.
[2.] They were such as raked up the ashes of the an- cient worthies, whose spirits God stirred up to reform his church, and rendered them contemptible before all, espe- cially those of England, the most whereof died in giving their witness against the blind figment of the real presence,' and that abominable blasphemy of the cursed mass. In especial, how did England, heretofore termed ass, turn ape to the pope, having set up a stage, and furnished it with all things necessary for an unbloody sacrifice,'' ready to set up the abomination of a desolation, and close with the god Maozim, who hath all their peculiar devotion at Rome?
[3.] They were in the management of men which had divers dangerous and pernicious qualifications : as
1st. A false repute of learning ; I say, a false repute for the greater part, especially of the greatest; and yet, taking advantage of vulgar esteem, they bare out as though they had engrossed a monopoly of it ; though I presume the world was never deceived by more empty pretenders, espe- cially in respect of any solid knowledge in divinity or anti- quity ; but yet their great preferments had got them a great repute of great deservings, enough to blind the eyes of poor mortals adoring them at a distance, and to persuade them, that all was not only law, but gospel too, which they broached ; and this rendered the infection dangerous.
2dly, A great hatred of godliness in the power thereof, or any thing beyond a form, in whomsoever it was found ; yea, how many ' odious appellations were invented for bare profession, to render it contemptible? Especially in the
' Coal from the altar. '' Altare Christianum. Antidotura Lincoln. Case of Greg. ' Sapientior sis Socrate; doctior Augustino, &c. Calvinianus si niodo dicare clam vel propalani, mox Tartaris, Moscis, Afris Turcisque ssevientibus et jacebis execratior, &G.
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exercise of their jurisdiction, thundering their censures against all appearance of zeal, and closing with all profane impieties ; for were a man a drunkard, a swearer, a sabbath- breaker, an unclean person, so he were no puritan, and had money, ' patet atri janua ditis,' the episcopal heaven was open for them all. Now this was a dangerous and destruc- tive qualification, which I believe is not professedly found in any party amongst us.
3dly. Which was worst of all, they had centred in their bosoms an unfathomable depth of power, civil and ecclesi- astical, to stamp their apostolical errors with authority, giving them not only the countenance of greatness, but the strength of power, violently urging obedience; and to me the sword of error never cuts dangerously, but when it is managed with such a hand. This I am sure, that errors in such are not recoverable, without the utmost danger of the civil state.
Let now, I beseech you, these and the like things be considered, especially the strong combination that was throughout the"' papal world for the seducing of this poor nation (that I say nothing, how this vial was poured out upon the very throne"), and then let us all be ashamed and confounded in ourselves, that we should so undervalue and slight the free mercy of God in breaking such a snare, and setting the gospel at liberty in England. My intent was, having before asserted this restoration of Jerusalem to the good pleasure of God, to have stirred you up to thankful- ness unto him, and self-humiliation in consideration of our great undeserving of such mercy ; but alas ! as far as I can see, it will scarce pass for a mercy ; and unless every man's persuasion may be a Joseph's sheaf, the goodness of God shall scarce be acknowledged. But yet let all the world know, and let the house of England know this day, that we lie unthankfully under as full a dispensation of mercy and grace, as ever nation in the world enjoyed, and that with- out a lively acknowledgment thereof, with our own unwor- thiness of it, we shall one day know whatit is (being taught with briers and thorns) to undervalue the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus. Good Lord ! what would helpless Ma-