God's terrible voice in the city

My business is not to speak of the hand of man; which was made use of in the beginning and carrying on of this Fire. The beginning of the Fire at such a time, when there had been so much hot weather, which had dried the houses, and made them: the more fit for fuel; the beginning of it in such a place, where there were so many Timber houses, and the shops filled with so much combustible matter; and the beginning of it just when the Wind did blow so fiercely upon that corner towards the rest of the City, which then was like Tinder to the Sparks; this doth smell of a Popish design so hatched in the same place where the Gunpowder plot was contrived, only that this was more successful. The world sufficiently knows how correspondent this is to Popish principles and practises; those, who could intentionally blow up King and Parliament by Gunpowder, might (without any scruple of their kinds of conscience) actually burn an heretical City (as they count it) into ashes: for besides the Dispensations they can ⟨p. 56⟩have from his Holiness, or rather his Wickedness the Pope, for the most horrid crimes of Murder, Incest, and the like; It is not unlikely but they count such an action as this meritorious (in their kind of merit) which, in the issue, they will find to merit the flames of eternal Fine, instead of a Crown of Glory, which I wonder that in their way they can have the least hopes of. I believe that the people will now take more heed of them and their ways; and instead of promoting their cause, I hope that a contrary effect is produced; and that the before Indifferency of a generation more newly sprung up, who did not know them, is now turned into loathing and detestation of such a religion, as can allow of such practises▪ My work is not to declare what hath been proved against the Papists before the Honourable Committee of Parliament appointed to enquire into their insolencies; and the proofs which have been given in concerning the Fire, and who have been accessory thereunto.

My business is not to speak of the hand of man; which was made use of in the beginning and carrying on of this Fire. The beginning of the Fire at such a time, when there had been so much hot weather, which had dried the houses, and made them: the more fit for fuel; the beginning of it in such a place, where there were so many Timber houses, and the shops filled with so much combustible matter; and the beginning of it just when the Winde did blow so fiercely upon that corner towards the rest of the City, which then was like Tinder to the Sparks; this doth smell of aPopish design so hatcht in the same place where the Gunpowder plot was contriv'd, only that this was more successful. The world sufficiently knows how correspondent this is to Popish principles and practises; those, who could intentionally blow up King and Parliament by Gunpowder, might (without any scruple of their kinds of conscience) actually burn an heretical City (as they count it) into ashes: for besides the Dispensations they can