bulent thing, as well as innovation. A good husband is ever pruning in his vineyard or his field; not unseasonably, indeed, not unskilfully, but lightly; he findeth ever somewhat to do. We have heard of no offers of the bishops of bills in parliament; which, no doubt, proceeding from them to whom it properly belongeth, would have every where received acceptation. Their own constitutions and orders have reformed them little. Is nothing amiss? Can any man defend the use of excommunication as a base process to lackey up and down for duties and fees; it being a precursory judgment of the latter day?

Is there no mean to train and nurse up ministers, for the yield of the universities will not serve, though they were never so well governed; to train them, I say, not to preach, for that every man confidently adventureth to do, but to preach soundly, and to handle the Scriptures with wisdom and judgment? I know prophesying was subject to great abuse, and would be more abused now; because heat of contentions is increased: but I say the only reason of the abuse was, because there was admitted to it a popular auditory; and it was not contained within a private conference of ministers. Other things might be spoken of. I pray God to inspire the bishops with a fervent love and care of the people; and that they may not so much urge things in controversy, as things out of controversy, which all men confess to be gracious and good. And thus much for the second point.

Now, as to the third point, of unbrotherly pro

ceeding on either part, it is directly contrary to my purpose to amplify wrongs: it is enough to note and number them; which I do also, to move compassion and remorse on the offending side, and not to animate challengers and complaints on the other. And this point, as reason is, doth chiefly touch that side which can do most: "Injuriæ potentiorum sunt;" injuries come from them that have the upper hand.

The wrongs of them which are possessed of the government of the Church towards the other, may hardly be dissembled or excused: they have charged them as though they denied tribute to Cæsar, and withdrew from the civil magistrate the obedience which they have ever performed and taught. They have sorted and coupled them with the "Family of love," whose heresies they have laboured to destroy and confute. They have been swift of credit to receive accusations against them, from those that have quarrelled with them, but for speaking against sin and vice. Their accusations and inquisitions have been strict, swearing men to blanks and generalities, not included within compass of matter certain, which the party which is to take the oath may comprehend, which is a thing captious and strainable. Their urging of subscription to their own articles, is but " lacessere, et irritare morbos Ecclesiæ," which otherwise would spend and exercise themselves. "Non consensum quærit sed dissidium, qui, quod factis præstatur, in verbis exigit :" He seeketh not unity, but division, which exacteth that in words, which men are content to yield in action. And it is true,

there are some which, as I am persuaded, will not easily offend by inconformity, who notwithstanding make some conscience to subscribe; for they know this note of inconstancy and defection from that which they have long held, shall disable them to do that good which otherwise they might do for such is the weakness of many, that their ministry should be thereby discredited. As for their easy silencing of them, in such great scarcity of preachers, it is to punish the people, and not them. Ought they not, I mean the bishops, to keep one eye open, to look upon the good that those men do, not to fix them both upon the hurt that they suppose cometh by them? Indeed, such as are intemperate and incorrigible, God forbid they should be permitted to preach but shall every inconsiderate word, sometimes captiously watched, and for the most part hardly enforced, be as a forfeiture of their voice and gift in preaching? As for sundry particular molestations, I take no pleasure to recite them. If a minister shall be troubled for saying in baptism, "do you believe?" for, "dost thou believe?" another shall be called in question for praying for her majesty, without the additions of her stile; whereas the very form of prayer in the book of Common-Prayer hath, "Thy servant Elizabeth," and no more: If a third shall be accused, upon these words uttered touching the controversies, "tollatur lex, et fiat certamen," whereby was meant, that the prejudice of the law removed, either reasons should be equally compared, of calling the people to sedition

If

and mutiny, as if he had said, Away with the law, and try it out with force: If these and other like particulars be true, which I have but by rumour, and cannot affirm; it is to be lamented that they should labour amongst us with so little comfort. I know restrained governments are better than remiss; and I am of his mind that said, Better is it to live. where nothing is lawful, than where all things are lawful. I dislike that laws should not be continued, or disturbers be unpunished: but laws are likened to the grape, that being too much pressed yields an hard and unwholesome wine. Of these things I must say; "Ira viri non operatur justitiam Dei;" the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

As for the injuries of the other part, they be " ictus inermes;" as it were headless arrows; they be fiery and eager invectives, and, in some fond men, uncivil and irreverent behaviour towards their superiors. This last invention also, which exposeth them to derision and obloquy by libels, chargeth not, as I am persuaded, the whole side: neither doth that other, which is yet more odious, practised by the worst sort of them; which is, to call in, as it were to their aids, certain mercenary bands, which impugn bishops, and other ecclesiastical dignities, to have the spoil of their endowments and livings: of these I cannot speak too hardly. It is an intelligence between incendiaries and robbers, the one to fire the house, the other to rifle it.

The fourth point wholly pertaineth to them

which impugn the present ecclesiastical government; who although they have not cut themselves off from the body and communion of the Church, yet do they affect certain cognisances and differences, wherein they seek to correspond amongst themselves, and to be separate from others. And it is truly said, "tam sunt mores quidam schismatici, quam dogmata schismatica;" there be as well schismatical fashions as opinions. First, they have impropriated unto themselves the names of zealous, sincere, and reformed; as if all others were cold minglers of holy things and profane, and friends of abuses. Yea, be a man endued with great virtues, and fruitful in good works; yet if he concur not with them, they term him, in derogation, a civil and moral man, and compare him to Socrates, or some heathen philosopher : whereas the wisdom of the Scriptures teacheth us otherwise; namely, to judge and denominate men religious according to their works of the second table; because they of the first are often counterfeit, and practised in hypocrisy. So St. John saith, that "a man doth vainly boast of loving God whom he never saw, if he love not his brother whom he hath seen." And St. James saith, "This is true religion, to visit the fatherless and the widow." as that which is with them but philosophical and moral, is, in the apostle's phrase, “true religion and Christianity." As in affection they challenge the said virtues of zeal and the rest; so in knowledge they attribute unto themselves light and perfection, They say, the Church of England in King Edward's

So