New Schemes and Models of Government were daily Fashion'd, some of which died in Embryo, others made a Blaze for a short Time, but no sooner had they turn'd themselves to the new-started Light, in hopes to be warm'd and directed by it, but the Airy Meteor disappear'd.
'Twas a common Thing then to see Servants on Horseback, whilst Princes walk'd on Foot, to see the meanest of the People in the highest Places; and one might have seen Jotham's Parable exactly verified, when instead of the Fatness of the Olive, and the Fruitfulness of the Vine; the Supreme Dominion was invested in the despicable, the useless, the hurtful Brambles.
Then as to Spirituals. Did the Authors of those Troubles find their Account in 'em? Were they able at last quietly to Establish their own Way of Worship, and had they not many contending Rivals? Were not their own Complaints against the Hierarchy, of taking too much upon 'em, imposing on the Lord's People, and depriving 'em of their Christian Liberty, return'd upon themselves? Was there a greater Advancement of Piety, whilst the Sacrament was rarely Administer'd, the Catechizing of Youth exceedingly neglected, and almost all Religion resolv'd into Hearing? Was there a greater Liberty of Conscience, when the prevailing Sect for the Time Condemn'd the Toleration of the rest as Anti-christian?
——En quo Discordia Cives
Perduxit miseros!
These were the Blessed Fruits of Discord and Rebellion. This was the Price of over-turning a legally and peacably settled Constitution.
As another bad Effect (but God be prais'd that's over too) of this Day's Cruelty, may be reckon'd the imminent Danger we were in, not many Years since, of the Return of Popish Superstition into this Nation, to which, in all human Probability, the greatest Part of it had in a little time relaps'd, had not Providence defeated the Designs that were form'd against our Holy Religion, by the late Happy Revolution.
That very Danger, I say, of Popery, may be imputed, in its Original, to those who, by Banishing the Royal Progeny, and obliging 'em to fly for shelter to the Court of a Popish Prince, expos'd 'em to the utmost Temptation of changing the Religion of the Country they had left, for that of the Place where they were Entertain'd. It did, in Fact, so happen, that they were earnestly solicited to that Effect, and one of 'em, we know, (and we had like to have known it at too dear a Rate) unhappily complied with the Temptation.