Eugenia's tears for Great Britons distractions, or, Some slender observations reflecting on those sad…Evgenia's teares for Great Brittaynes distractions, or, Some slender observations reflecting on those sad…

the incomparable Fabric of this Church and State, perfected by the assiduous endeavours of Pious Princes, religious Martyrs, & unparalleled Councils, could never have thus far been erected (to the admiration and envy of other Nations) without the well qualified materials of stable heads, & the continual blessing of a Supreme providence, which hath thus long supported it; and shall we now rent all in a moment? either through the ambition of dissenting, if not discontented spirits, or under the specious pretences of a larger freedom. It is not (I confess) to be denied but that the frame of this Kingdom so admirably supported, and thus long continued, may (like a distempered body) want a Physician, yet ought the Apothecary to qualify the materials, or else they will miss of a good operation: some lenitive oil may soften a solid matter, when a harder substance will not pierce it, and certainly as that state cannot long subsist which is full of broils, so what likelihood can there be of a prosperous Church amongst so many divisions: be it so (and too true it is) that needless Ceremonies have of late too much crept into the Church, in so much that S. Pauls complaint might well be in force, ^*Men and Brethren I see that in all things you are too superstitious; and with Averroes sit anima mea cum Philosophis quia Christiani adorant id quod edunt; what though? have we not sufficiently been miserable in the one but must we needs make our selves unfortunate in the other; Oh that Religion were once ⟨p. 25⟩purged from the Lees of the Romish Grape: and for my own part I wish that (as with the Papists) we make not more account of Ceremonies then the substance of Religion, so on the other side we wrong not our consciences by admitting a disconformity in matters beseeming & indifferent; (mistake me not) I drive not to quench the smallest spark of zeal against the Romish Midianites; no, go on for the Lord and for Gideon, let these assembled Worthies prove happy I•siasses to free the Land of Idolatrous worship, and live for ever to extirpate that brood of bloodsucking […], but yet cast back their eyes and reflect on that thousand shaped Proteus, whose cruelty and non-conformity equalizeth their too much superstition; O let it not be said they have taken away the Lord out of the Church, and we know not where they have laid him!

the incomparable Fabrick of this Church and State, perfected by the assiduous indeavours of Pious Princes, religious Martyrs, & unparralel'd Councells, could never have thus far beene erected (to the admiration and envy of other Nations) without the well quallified materialls of stable heades, & the continuall blessing of a Supreame providence, which hath thus long supported it; and shall we now rent all in a moment? either through the ambition of discenting, if not discontented spirits, or under the specious pretents of a larger freedome. It is not (I confesse) to be denied but that the frame of this Kingdome so admirably supported, and thus long continued, may (like a distempered body) want a Physitian, yet ought the Apothecary to quallifie the materialls, or else they will misse of a good operation: some lenitive oyle may soften a sollid matter, when a harder substance will not peirce it, and certainely as that state cannot long subsist which is full of broyles, so what likelihood can there be of a prosperous Church amongst so many divisions: be it so (and too true it is) that needlesse Ceremonies have of late too much crept into the Church, in so much that S. Paules complaint might well be in force,