Prophecies concerning the return of popery into England, Scotland and IrelandProphecys concerning the return of popery into England, Scotland and Ireland

As for the return of you (my noble Country-men) and your Posterity to the Roman Subjection and Superstition. I doubt not but many of you, most of you, all of you, that are persons of judicious and conscientious Piety, do heartily deprecate it, and would seriously avoid it to the best of your skill and power, as indeed you have great cause, both in Prudence and Conscience, in Piety and Policy: yet I believe none of you can flatter your selves, that the next Century shall defend the Reformed Religion in England from Romish Pretensions, Persuasions and Prevalencies, as the last hath done, while the Dignity, Order and Authority of the Ministry, the Government of excellent Bishops, the Majesty and Unity of this Reformed Church and its Religion, were all maintained by the unanimous vote, consent and Power of all Estates.

As for the return of you (my noble Countrey-men) and your Posterity to the Roman Subjection and Superstition. I doubt not but many of you, most of you, all of you, that are persons of judicious and conscientious Piety, do heartily deprecate it, and would seriously avoid it to the best of your skill and power, as indeed you have great cause, both in Prudence and Conscience, in Piety and Policy: yet I believe none of you can flatter your selves, that the next Century shall defend the Reformed Religion in England from Romish Pretensions, Perswasions and Prevalencies, as the last hath done, while the Dignity, Order and Authority of the Ministry, the Government of excellent Bishops, the Majesty and Unity of this Reformed Church and its Religion, were all maintained by the unanimous vote, consent and Power of all Estates.

Nay, the Dilemma and distressed choice of Religion is now reduced to this, that many peaceable and well-minded Christians, having been so long harassed, bitten and worried with novel Factions and pretended Reformations, would rather choose that there Posterity (if they may but have the excuse of ignorance in the main controversies, to plead for Gods mercy ⟨p. 30⟩in their joining to that Communion which hath so strong a relish of Egyptian Leeks and Onions, of Idolatry and Superstition, besides unchristian Arrogancy and intolerable Ambition; that their Posterity, (I say) shall return to the Roman party, which hath something among them settled, orderly and uniform, becoming Religion, than to have them ever turning and tortured upon Ixion's wheel, catching in vain at fanciful Reformations, as Tantalus at the deceitful waters, rolling with infinite pains and hazard the Reformed Religion, like Sisyphus his Stone, sometimes asserting it by Law and Power, otherwhile exposing it to popular Liberty and Looseness; than to have them tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine, with the Faedities, Blasphemies, Animosities, Anarchies, Dangers and confusions, attending fanatic Fancies and quotidian Reformations, which like botches or boils from surfeited and unwholesome bodies, do daily break out among those Christians, who have made no rule of Religion but their own humours, and no bounds of their Reformations but their own Interests; the first makes them ridiculous, the second pernicious to all sober Christians.