ch Factious men steer their course in all
seditious Commotions.

I thank God, as no man lay more open to the sacrilegious temptation of
usurping the Churches Lands, and Revenues, (which issuing chiefly from
the Crown, are held of it, and legally can revert onely to the Crowne
with my Consent) so I have alwayes had such a perfect abhorrence of
it in my Soule, that I never found the least inclination to such
sacrilegious Reformings: yet no man hath a greater desire to have
Bishops and all Church-men, so reformed, that they may best deserve
and use, not onely what the pious munificence of My Predecessours
hath given to God and the Church, but all other additions of Christian
bounty.

But no necessity shall ever, I hope, drive me or Mine to invade
or sell the Priests Lands, which both _Pharaoh's_ divinity, and
_Joseph's_ true piety abhorred to do: So unjust I think it both in the
eye of Reason and Religion, to deprive the most sacred employment of
all due incouragements; and like that other hard-hearted _Pharaoh_, to
withdraw the Straw, and encrease the Task; so pursuing the oppressed
Church as some have done, to the red Sea of a Civill War, where
nothing but a miracle can save either it, or him, who esteems it
his greatest Title to be called, and his chiefest glory to be
_The defender of the Church, both in its true faith, and its just
fruitions; equally abhoring Sacriledge and Apostacy_.

I had rather live as my Predecessour _Henry_ the 3. sometime did, on
the Churches alms, then violently to take the bread out of Bishops and
Ministers mouths.

The next work will be _Jeroboam's_ reformation, consecrating the
meanest of the people to be Priests in _Israel_, to serve those Golden
_Calves_ who have enrich'd themselves with the Churches Patrimony and
Dowry; which how it thrived both with Prince, Priests and people, is
well enough known: And so it will be here, when from the tuition of
Kings and Queens, which have been nursing fathers and mothers of this
Church, it will be at their allowance, who have already discovered,
what hard fathers and step-mothers they will be.

If the poverty of _Scotland_ might, yet the plenty of _England_ cannot
excuse the envy and rapine of the Churches Rights and Revenues.

I cannot so much as pray God to prevent those sad consequences, which
will inevitably follow the parity and poverty of Ministers, both
in Church and State; since I think it no lesse then a mocking and
tempting of God, t