o desire him to hinder those mischiefs whose
occasions and remedies are in our own power; it being every mans sin
not to avoid the one, and not to use the other.

There are ways enough to repair the breaches of the State without the
ruins of the Church; as I would be a restorer of the one, so I would
not be an oppressor of the other under the pretence of publick Debts:
The occasions contracting them were bad enough, but such a discharging
of them would be much worse; I pray God neither I, nor mine, may be
accessary to either.

_To thee, O Lord, do I addresse my Prayer, beseeching thee to pardon
the rashness of my Subjects Swearings, and to quicken their sense and
observation of those just, morall and indispensable bonds, which thy
word and the Laws of this Kingdom have laid upon their Consciences;
From which no pretensions of Piety & reformation are sufficient to
absolve them; or to engage them to any contrary practises._

_Make them at length seriously to consider that nothing violent and
injurious can be religious._

_Thou allowest no mans committing Sacriledge under the zeal of
abhorring Idols._

_Suffer not sacrilegious designs to have the countenance of religious
ties._

_Thou hast taught us by the wisest of Kings, that it is a snare to
take things that are holy, and Vows to mak enquiry._

_Ever keep thy Servant from consenting to perjurious and sacraligeous
rapinei, that I may not have the brand and curse to all posterity of
robing Thee and thy Church, of what thy bounty hath given us, and thy
clemencie hath accepted from us, wherewith to encourage Learning and
Religion._

_Though My Treasures are Exhausted, My Revenues Diminished, and My
Debts Encreased, yet never suffer Me to be tempted to use such profane
Reparation; lest a coal from thine Altar set such a fire on My Throne
and Conscience as will hardly be quenched._

_Let not the Debts and Engagements of the Publique, which some mens
folly and prodigalitie hath contracted, be an occasion to impoverish
thy Church._

_The State may soon recover, by thy blessing of peace upon us; The
Church is never likely, in times, where the Charity of most men is
grown so cold, and their Religion so illiberall._

_Continue to those that serve Thee and thy Church all those
encouragements, which by the will of the pious Donours, and the
justice of the Laws are due unto them; and give them grace to deserve
and use them aright to thy glory, & the relief of the poo