The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio…

19. FOR have they any concern for Religion? do they take any care of the Church of God, who never regarded the Wrath of God, nor the Salvation of the People, nor any part of their Office? they say, let Pan take care of his Sheep. They in the mean time manage Wars, Hunt, take their Pleasures and fare deliciously. That I may not mention any thing that is more base. O immortal God! who can think that these men ever think on the Church of God or Religion? when or what Errors will these men ever remove? what Light will they afford to us? whatever you say, tho you could bring the Sun it self in your hands, yet they would never the more see. They excuse, paint, and comb as much as ever they can, the most manifest Errors, as Symachus or Porphyrius heretofore did the Heathen Errors and Follies. All their business is to persuade the World that they have not deceived the People, and that they have not erred in any thing; or if they sometimes prevail upon themselves to reform any thing, which they never, or very rarely and sparingly do, they imitate Alexander the Roman Emperor, who not being totally averse to the Christian Religion, is reported to have worshipped Christ and Orpheus in the same Chapel; or as the ancient Samaritans retained together the Worship of the true God, and the Service of Idols; so they will sometimes perhaps receive some part of the Gospel upon condition that they may at the same time retain their Superstition and their doting ⟨p. 168⟩Errors; they receive some Truths, upon condition they may hold some other things which are false; they do so approve ours, as not to disapprove their own; and so they do not take away Abuses, but colour them over, and only new case the old Pillars.

19. FOR have they any concern for Religion? do they take any care of the Church of God, who never regarded the Wrath of God, nor the Salvation of the People, nor any part of their Office? they say, let Pan take care of his Sheep. They in the mean time mannage Wars, Hunt, take their Pleasures and fare deliciously. That I may not mention any thing that is more base. O immortal God! who can think that these men ever think on the Church of God or Religion? when or what Errors will these men ever remove? what Light will they afford to us? whatever you say, tho you could bring the Sun it self in your hands, yet they would never the more see. They excuse, paint, and comb as much as ever they can, the most manifest Errors, as Symachus or Porphyrius heretofore did the Heathen Errors and Follies. All their business is to perswade the World that they have not deceived the People, and that they have not err'd in any thing; or if they sometimes prevail upon themselves to reform any thing, which they never, or very rarely and sparingly do, they imitate Alexander the Roman Emperor, who not being totally averse to the Christian Religion, is reported to have worshiped Christ and Orpheus in the same Chappel; or as the ancient Samaritans retained together the Worship of the true God, and the Service of Idols; so they will sometimes perhaps receive some part of the Gospel upon condition that they may at the same time retain their Superstition and their doting