WHEN God with an out-stretched Arm, and long series of Miracles, had brought his People Israel out of their temporal Slavery in Egypt, he commanded them to tell it to their Children, and affect their off-spring with me­morials of that Deliverance. The same God hav­ing no less wonderfully freed this Nation from the Spiritual Bondage, and worse then Egyptian Dark­ness of Popery, it may not be unfit for us to Reflect often with Gratitude upon that Blessing, which though long since bestow'd, yet we to this day injoy­ing the happy Fruits in the Light and Purity of the Gospel, are doubtless obliged to be thankful for the same, and Imprint on out Children and Posterity, as well a due sence of the greatness of that Mercy, as a just detestation of the Popal Errors, Idolatries, Cruelties, and Usurpations.

As for the Solid part of the Controversie, cer­tainly never was Cause so shamefully baffled or more deservedly Tryumph'd over, than Popery has been, by the unanswerable Labours of Sundry of our Learned Divines, of whom, some are still Living Glories of our Church; nor can we re­flect on the absurdities of Roman Doctrines with­out remembring the Cruelty of those Practices whereby they Endeavour'd to inforce them; and therefore our people have often given publick Te­stimonies of their Abhorrency against such a blood­dy Faction, and contempt of all their vain plots and devices, to bring their exploded trumperies a­gain into request, and Act over once more the Ma­rian Tragedies, but scarce have we known a more signal Emblem on this occasion, then what we now beheld; which though some Jesuited supercilious Criticks may censure as a light and vain piece of pa­pageantry, yet it sufficiently discovers the Genius of the multitude, yet untainted, and retayning a setled Aversion to the old rediculous superstitions; ex­pressed as follows,

On Fryday the 17th of this instant November, being the Birth-day of that Renowned Maiden Queen Eliz. It being customary in honour to her deserving memory, to make Bonfires in the E­vening; some Gentlemen were pleased to bring forth into the open street, in Broad-street, a very [Page 3]magnificent Effigies of a Pope, properly habited in all his pontificalibus, so curiously done, that it was judged by most to have cost a considerable Sum for materials and workmanship. The body was made of Past-bord covered over with painted Callicue, and set off with all necessary Lustre, his Triple Crown very large and fair, being all guilded over with fine Gold; under his feet was a Bible trampled on, and a Purse close hugg'd under his Lest Arm; he was placed siting in a Chair of State, with his Crosier, Keys, Bulls, Pardons, Indulgences, Agnus Dei, and other Implements about him, and to represent him compleatly as the Mystical Whore, they had put him on Artificial Locks, finely curled and powdered, with a vast Tower or Fruzz on his Forehead, but just behind him on his Right shoulder was a Devil lean­ing towards him, and sometimes whispering with his Holiness.

And thus being bourn up by men underneath un­seen, as Pageants are carried, he was conveyed into Cornhil, where neat Finch Lane end, there being a great Bonfire, they stopt for some time, the young­er Spectators divertising themselves with joques, merriment, and exclamations.

From thence they proceeded, as in a Solemn pro­cession, by the Exchange, through Cheapside and Pauls Church-yard, into Fleet-street, where at the Temple [Page 4]Gate was a Bon-fire of above a Load of Wood rea­dy to entertain him; his Holiness approaching the Flames, did several times start and much implore his Associate-Devil to preserve him, but in vain, for after some time of sport, they cast Pope, Devil, Chair and all into the midst of the Fire, which was followed by a shout for half an hour, so loud, as under the favour of a Metaphor, one might say, it might be heard to Rome it self; and a Terse of Claret, a Bar­rel of Beer, and a Barrel of Ale, given by some Per­sons of quallity on this occasion, was distributed a­mongst the croud.

Let not the old Gentleman of Italy complain for this Irreverence to his Image, he may remember his Ancestors jested more severely with us heretofore; Burning many of our Fore-Fathers, not in Effigie, but really, and with exquisite Torments, and though those barbarous usages are too much forgot by some, and excus'd and minc'd by others, who would fain represent Popery as a very Innocent toothless thing, yet we know full well, that a Tiger is still a Tiger though in a Cage, and that a Jesuite may seem a Saint in the Streets, but trace him to his Seminary, he is a Fox, and in the Inquisition a Lyon Rampant, since we are therefore freed from the Roman yoake, let us pray we may never Relapse into that slavery, and lick up those abominations which our Ancestors with so much Indignation spit out; let us not aban­don [Page 5]those Glorious Priviledges which they purchas­ed at the price of their Lives, nor turn Renegado's to those truths which they with a true Christian Gene­rosity Sealed with their Blood. Let us not heap upon our selves the Infamy of Apostates in the very same things whereby they won the Glory of Mar­tyrs. In a word,—let Popery (that painted Reli­gion) perish with this Picture-Pope, and not so much as its Ghost remain to Haunt and Disturb us, nor our Posterity.