"I must confess that I had once as great a veneration for you as for any one [of] your figure in the church; but then you preach'd honestly, and liv'd peaceably; but since pride or ambitious discontent, or some particular respects to some special friends of the adverse party, or something I know not what else, has thrust you upon scribbling, and a design of being popular; since you had forsaken your first love (if ever you had any) to our church and establishment, and appear to be running over _ad partem Donati_, to the disturbers of our church and peace, you must needs pardon this short reflection, though from an old friend, and sometimes a great admirer of you. "As for the present establishment, you have (you conclude) as much already from that as you are likely to have, but you claw the democratical party, hoping at long run to see an (_English_) Parliament; that is, we must know, one that has no _French_ pensioners shuffled into it to blast the whole business, such as will be govern'd by your instructions; and then Presbytery (you trust) will be turn'd up Trump, the Directory once more take place of the Liturgy, and God knows what become of the Monarchy, and Mr. C. be made a great man. "What an excellent design was that of your Stipulation, which I heard one say was like a new modell'd Independency. 'Twas intended, I suppose, as an expedient to reduce the sheep of your own flock, which through your default chiefly (as is commonly reported) were gone astray; but because this tool could not work, without the force of a law to move it, therefore by law it must have been establisht, and the whole nation forsooth comprehended under it, and all must have set their instruments to your key, and their voices to the tune of _B--ley_. Oh! had this engine but met with firm footings in Parliament, as was hoped, our _English_ world had been lifted off its pillars long before this day; it had gone round, and in the church all old things had been done away, and everything had appeared new. But, Sir, I trust the foundations of our church stand more sure than to need such silly props as your _Catholicon_ (as you vainly call it) to support 'em. "What an excellent thing too is your book of Patronage? 'Twere no living for _Simon Magus_, or any of his disciples here, if those rules you there lay down were but duly attended to.