God will also have Ecclesiasticall Reformation now, or nothing: And here he stands not upon Kings, Parliaments or Assemblies, but upon his own Termes. I feare hee will have all drosse and base metalls throughly melted away by these combustions, before Hee quenches them; all his Ordinances and vessells cast into his owne fashion, in his own mould, to his own amussim, before he restores peace. There was not a stone left upon a stone of the old Temple, before the new was erected. If this first worke bee throughly and throughoutly dispatched as I hope it is, the great Remora is removed. If the Parliament and Assembly be pleased to be as curious and industrious as I have seen a great Popish Bishop in execcrating
a Protestant Parish Church one day, and consecrating it the next; they may adjourn awhile with leave enough.
Some ten or twelve years before these Wars there came to my view these two Predictions.
1. When God shall purge this Land with soap and nitre,
Woe be to the Crowne, woe be to the Mitre.
The accent of the blow shall fall there.
He that pities not the Crowne, pities not his owne soule. Hee that pities not those that wore the Mitre, more than they pitied themselves, or the Churches over which they insulted, or the State then corrupted and now Corruined by their pride and negligence, is to blame.
2. There is a set of Bishops comming next behind,
Will ride the devill off his legs, and break his wind.
Poore men! they might have kept his backe till this time for ought I know, had they not put him beyond his pace: but Schollers must gallop, though they tumble for it. Yet I commend them for this, they gave him such straynes as made him blow short ever since. I doubt the Assembly troubles him; and I doubt he troubles them. Well, the Bishops are gone: If they have carried away with them all that was in the pockets of their Holliday hose, fare them well; let them come againe when I give them a new Conge d' slier, or send a Pursuivant for them; which if I doe, I shall never trust myselfe more, though they
have often done it for me, who never deserved that honour. Some of them I confesse were very honest men, and would have been honester if they dared for their fellows.
The sad worke now, is to institute better things in their Roome, and to induct better men in their roome; rather where, and how to finde those things, they having cunningy laid them so farre out of the way; I doubt some good men cannot see them, when they look full upon them: it is like, the Bishops carryed away their eyes with them, but I feare they left their Spectacles behind them. I use no spectacles, yet my eyes are not fine enough, nor my hand steady enough to cut by such fine threads as are now spun. I am I know not what; I cannot tell what to make of my selfe, nor I think no body else: My Trade is to finde more faults than others will mend; and I am very diligent at it; yet it scarce findes me a living, though the Country findes me more worke than I can turne my hand to.