232 APPENDIX. 



ness, and secular glory. But, my Lord, to come near, 

 when I saw kingdoms tottering, one nation reeling against 

 another, yea, one piece of a nation justling the other, and 

 split into so many parties, and petty enmities ; and each 

 of these quoting Bible to palliate his mad and exorbitant 

 opinions ; I sighed, and it grieved me to see popular 

 easiness and well meaning, abused by ambitious, self- 

 seeking men; for there is a generation that is born to be 

 the plague, and disquiet, and scourge of the age it lives 

 in; that gladly sacrifice the public peace to private inte- 

 rest: and when they see all fired, with joy warm their 

 hands at those unhappy flames which themselves kindle, 

 tuning their merry harps, when others are weeping over 

 a kingdom's funeral. 



But, above all, it pierced my heart to see the clergy in 

 such an high degree accessory to the civil distempers, and 

 contentions, that have every where shaken the foundations 

 of Church and State, so that (as the Catholic noted) 

 there hath been no flood of misery, but did spring from, 

 or at least was much swelled, by their holy-water. I 

 searched the Evangelical records; and there was nothing 

 but mild and soft doctrines: I inquired into the breath- 

 ings of the Spirit, and they were pacificatory. I won- 

 dered from what precedents and Scripture encourage- 

 ments these men deduced their practices, and at last was 

 forced to conclude, that they were only pretended chap- 

 lains to the Prince of Peace : those torches that should 

 have been for saving light, were degenerated into fire- 

 brands : those trumpets that should have sounded retreats 

 to popular furies, knew no other music but martial All- 

 arms. 



I have endeavoured in the sequel, to represent to you 



