Pastor sayes so, or the Assembly so determins, without knowing other reason, though his belief be true, yet the very truth he holds becomes his heresie. There is not any burden that som would gladier post off to another 5 then the charge and care of their Religion. There be, who knows not that there be, of Protestants and professors who live and dye in as arrant an implicit faith as any lay Papist of Loretto. A wealthy man addicted to his pleasure and to his profits finds Religion to be a traffick IO SO entangl'd and of so many piddling accounts, that of all mysteries he cannot skill to keep a stock going upon that trade. What shoulde he doe? Fain he would have the name to be religious, fain he would bear up with his neighbours in that. What does he therefore but 15 resolvs to give over toyling, and to find himself out som factor, to whose care and credit he may commit the whole managing of his religous affairs, som Divine of note and estimation that must be. To him he adheres, resigns the whole ware-house of his religion with 20 all the locks and keyes into his custody; and indeed makes the very person of that man his religion; esteems his associating with him a sufficient evidence and commendatory of his own piety. So that a man may say his religion is now no more within himself, but is be25 com a dividuall movable, and goes and comes neer him according as that good man frequents the house. He entertains him, gives him gifts, feasts him, lodges him; his religion comes home at night, praies, is liberally supt, and sumptuously laid to sleep, rises, is saluted, 30 and after the malmsey, or some well spic't bruage, and better breakfasted then he whose morning appetite would have gladly fed on green figs between Bethany and Ierusalem, his Religion walks abroad at eight, and leavs his

kind entertainer in the shop trading all day without his religion.

Another sort there be who when they hear that all things shall be order'd, all things regulated and setl'd, 5 nothing writt❜n but what passes through the customhouse of certain Publicans that have the tunaging and the poundaging of all free spok'n truth, will strait give themselvs up into your hands, mak'em and cut'em out what religion ye please. There be delights, there be 10 recreations and jolly pastimes that will fetch the day about from sun to sun, and rock the tedious year as in a delightfull dream. What need they torture their heads with that which others have tak'n so strictly and so unalterably into their own pourveying? These are 15 the fruits which a dull ease and cessation of our knowledge will bring forth among the people. How goodly, and how to be wisht were such an obedient unanimity as this, what a fine conformity would it starch us all into? Doubtles a stanch and solid peece of framework 20 as any January could freeze together.

Nor much better will be the consequence ev'n among the Clergy themselvs. It is no new thing never heard of before for a parochiall Minister, who has his reward and is at his Hercules pillars in a warm benefice, to be 25 easily inclinable, if he have nothing else that may rouse up his studies, to finish his circuit in an English concordance and a topic folio, the gatherings and savings of a sober graduatship, a Harmony and a Catena, treading the constant round of certain common doctrinall heads, 30 attended with their uses, motives, marks and means, out of which as out of an alphabet or sol fa by forming and transforming, joyning and disjoyning variously a little book-craft, and two hours meditation might furnish him

unspeakably to the performance of more then a weekly charge of sermoning, not to reck'n up the infinit helps of interlinearies, breviaries, synopses, and other loitering gear. But as for the multitude of Sermons ready printed 5 and pil'd up, on every text that is not difficult, our London trading St. Thomas in his vestry, and adde to boot St. Martin, and St. Hugh, have not within their hallow'd limits more vendible ware of all sorts ready made; so that penury he never need fear of Pulpit pro10 vision, having where so plenteously to refresh his magazin. But if his rear and flanks be not impal'd, if his back dore be not secur'd by the rigid licencer, but that a bold book may now and then issue forth, and give the assault to some of his old collections in their 15 trenches, it will concern him then to keep waking, to stand in watch, to set good guards and sentinells about his receiv'd opinions, to walk the round and counterround with his fellow inspectors, fearing lest any of his flock be seduc't, who also then would be better in20 structed, better exercis'd and disciplin'd. And God fend. that the fear of this diligence which must then be us'd, doe not make us affect the lazines of a licencing Church.

For if we be sure we are in the right, and doe not hold the truth guiltily, which becomes not, if we our25 selves condemn not our own weak and frivolous teaching, and the people for an untaught and irreligious gadding rout, what can be more fair then when a man judicious, learned, and of a conscience, for ought we know, as good as theirs that taught us what we know, 30 shall not privily from house to house, which is more

dangerous, but openly by writing publish to the world what his opinion is, what his reasons, and wherefore that which is now thought cannot be sound? Christ

urg'd it as wherewith to justifie himself, that he preacht in publick; yet writing is more publick then preaching, and more easie to refutation, if need be, there being so many whose businesse and profession meerly it is, to be 5 the champions of Truth; which if they neglect, what can be imputed but their sloth, or inabilty?

Thus much we are hinder'd and dis-inur'd by this cours of licencing towards the true knowledge of what we seem to know. For how much it hurts and hinders 10 the licencers themselves in the calling of their Ministery, more then any secular employment, if they will discharge that office as they ought, so that of necessity they must neglect either the one duty or the other, I insist not, because it is a particular, but leave it to their own con15 science, how they will decide it there.

There is yet behind of what I purpos'd to lay open, the incredible losse and detriment that this plot of licencing puts us to. More then if som enemy at sea should stop up all our hav'ns and ports and creeks, it hinders 20 and retards the importation of our richest Marchandize, Truth; nay, it was first establisht and put in practice by Antichristian malice and mystery on set purpose to extinguish, if it were possible, the light of Reformation, and to settle falshood, little differing from that policie 25 wherewith the Turk upholds his Alcoran by the prohibition of Printing. 'Tis not deny'd, but gladly confest, we are to send our thanks and vows to heav'n louder then most of Nations for that great measure of truth which we enjoy, especially in those main points between. 30 us and the Pope with his appertinences the Prelats; but he who thinks we are to pitch our tent here, and have attain'd the utmost prospect of reformation, that the mortalle glasse wherein we contemplate can shew us, till

we come to beatific vision, that man by this very opinion declares that he is yet farre short of Truth.

Truth indeed came once into the world with her divine Master, and was a perfect shape most glorious 5 to look on; but when he ascended, and his Apostles after him were laid asleep, then strait arose a wicked race of deceivers, who, as that story goes of the Egyptian Typhon with his conspirators how they dealt with the good Osiris, took the virgin Truth, hewd her lovely 10 form into a thousand peeces, and scatter'd them to the four winds. From that time ever since, the sad friends of Truth, such as durst appear, imitating the carefull search that Isis made for the mangl'd body of Osiris, went up and down gathering up limb by limb still as 15 they could find them. We have not yet found them

all, Lords and Commons, nor ever shall doe, till her Masters second comming; he shall bring together every joynt and member, and shall mould them into an immortall feature of loveliness and perfection. Suffer not 20 these licencing prohibitions to stand at every place of opportunity forbidding and disturbing them that continue seeking, that continue to do our obsequies to the torn body of our martyr'd Saint. We boast our light; but if we look not wisely on the Sun it self, it 25 smites us into darknes. Who can discern those planets that are oft Combust, and those stars of brightest magnitude that rise and set with the Sun, untill the opposite motion of their orbs bring them to such a place in the firmament, where they may be seen evning or morning? 30 The light which we have gain'd, was giv'n us, not to

be ever staring on, but by it to discover onward things more remote from our knowledge. It is not the unfrocking of a Priest, the unmitring of a Bishop, and the