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mife of his coming?" Against the creation, the ark, and divers other points, exceptions are faid to be taken; the ground whereof is fuperfluity of wit, without ground of learning and judgment. A fecond cause of Atheism is fenfuality, which maketh men defirous to remove all stops and impediments of their wicked life: among which because religion is the chiefeft, fo as neither in this life without fhame they can perfift therein, nor (if that be true) without torment in the life to come; they whet their wits to annihilate the joys of heaven, wherein they fee (if any fuch be) they can have no part, and likewife the pains of hell, wherein their portion They labour, therefore, not that they may not deferve those pains, but that, deferving them, there may be no fuch pains to feize upon them. But what conceit can be imagined more base than that man should ftrive to perfuade himself even against the secret instinct (no doubt) of his own mind, that his foul is as the foul of a beaft, mortal, and corruptible with the body.. Against which barbarous opinion their own Atheism is a very strong argument: For were not the foul a nature separable from the body, how could it enter into difcourfe of things merely fpiritual, and nothing at all pertaining to the body? Surely the foul were not able to conceive any thing of heaven, no not fo much as to dispute against heaven, and against God, if there were not in it fomewhat heavenly, and derived from God..

The last which have received strength and encouragement from the reformers are Papists; against whom, although they are most bitter enemies, yet unwittingly they have given them great advantage. For what can any enemy rather defire than the breach and diffenfion of those which are confederates against him? wherein they are to remember, that if our communion with Papists in fome few ceremonies do fo much ftrengthen them, as is pretended, how much more doth this divifion and rent among ourfelves, especially seeing it is maintained to be, not in light matters only, but even in matters of faith and falvation.. Which over-reaching speech of their's, because it is fo open to advantage both for the Barrowift and the Papist, we are to wish and hope for, that they will acknowledge it to have been spoken rather in heat of affection, than with foundness of judgment; and that through their exceeding love to that creature of discipline which

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themselves have bred, nourished and maintained, their mouth in commendation of her did fomewhat overflow.

From hence you may proceed (but the means of connexion I leave to yourself) to another difcourfe, which I think very meet to be handled either here or elsewhere at large; the parts whereof may be these :

1. That in this caufe between them and us, men are to fever the proper and effential points and controverfy, from those which are accidental. The most effential and proper are these two; overthrow of Epifcopal; erection of Prefbyterial authority. But in these two points whofoever joineth with them is accounted of their number; whofoever in all other points agreeth with them, yet thinketh the authority of bishops not unlawful, and of elders not neceffary, may justly be severed from their retinue. Those things, therefore, which either in the perfons, or in the laws and orders themselves, are faulty, may be complained on, acknowledged, and amended; yet they no whit the nearer their main purpose. For what if all errors by them fuppofed in our liturgy were amended, even according to their own hearts defire; if non-refidence, pluralities, and the like, were utterly taken away; are their lay-elders, therefore, presently authorised? their fovereign ecclesiastical jurisdiction established?

But even in their complaining against the outward and accidental matters in church-government, they are many ways faulty. 1. In their end which they propose to themselves. For in declaiming against abuses, their meaning is not to have them redressed, but, by difgracing the prefent ftate, to make way for their own difcipline. As, therefore, in Venice, if any fenator should discourse against the power of their fenate, as being either too fovereign, or too weak in government, with purpose to draw their authority to a moderation, it might well be fuffered; but not fo, if it fhould appear he spake with purpose to induce another state by depraving the present: fo, in all causes belonging either to church or commonwealth, we are to have regard what mind the complaining part doth bear, whether of amendment or of innovation; and accordingly either to fuffer or suppress it. Their objection therefore is frivolous, Why, may not men speak against abuses? Yes, but with defire to cure the part affected, not to destroy the whole. 2. A fecond fault is in their manner of complaining, not only because it is for the most

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part in bitter and reproachful terms, but also because it is unto the common people, judges incompetent and infufficient, both to determine any thing amifs, and for want of skill and authority to amend it. Which alfo difcovereth their intent and purpose to be rather deftructive than corrective.— 3dly, Those very exceptions which they take are frivolous and impertinent: Some things, indeed, they accuse as impious; which if they may appear to be fuch, God forbid they should be maintained.

Against the rest it is only alleged, that they are idle ceremonies without ufe, and that better and more profitable might be devifed. Wherein they are doubly deceived: for neither is it a fufficient plea to fay, This must give place, becaufe a better may be devised: and in our judgments of better and worse, we oftentimes conceive amifs, when we compare thofe things which are in devife with those which are in practice; for the imperfections of the one are hid, till by time and trial they be difcovered: the others are already manifeft and open to all. But laft of all (which is a point in my opinion of great regard, and which I am defirous to have enlarged), they do not fee, that for the moft part when they ftrike at the ftate ecclefiaftical, they fecretly wound the civil ftate. For perfonal faults, what can be faid against the church, which may not alfo agree to the commonwealth? In both statesmen have always been, and will be always men, fometimes blinded' with error, most commonly perverted by paffions: many unworthy have been and are advanced in both, many worthy not regarded. As for abuses which they pretend to be in the laws themselves; when they inveigh against non-refidence, do they take it a matter lawful or expedient in the civil ftate,, for a man to have a great and gainful office in the north, himself continually remaining in the fouth? He that hath an office, let him attend his office. When they condemn plurality of livings spiritual to the pit of hell, what think they of infinite, of temporal promotions? By the great philofopher, it is forbidden as a thing moft dangerous to commonwealths, that by the fame man many great offices fhould be exercifed*.. When they

* Φαῦλον δ' αν δόξειεν είναι και το πλείες αρχας αυτον άρχειν· ὅπερ ευδοκιμεί παρά τοις Καρχηδονίοις,ἵν γαρ ἔφ ̓ ἕνος ἀριστ ̓ ἀποτελειται· δει δ ̓ ὅπως γίνηται τεθ ̓ ὅξαν τον νομοθέτην και μη προσταττειν τον αυτον άυλειν και σκυτοτομείν, ὥσθ ̓ ὅπε μη μικρά πόλις πολιτικώτερον πλείονας κατέχειν των αρχών, και δημοτικωτερον. x. T. λ. (Arift. de Republicâ, Lib. ii. c. 9. Edit. Heinf.)

they deride our ceremonies as vain and frivolous, were it hard to apply their exceptions even to thofe civil ceremonies, which at the coronation, in Parliament, and all courts of justice are used? Were it hard to argue even against circumcifion, the ordinance of God, as being a cruel ceremony? against the paffover, as being ridiculous-fhod, girt, a staff in their hand, to eat a lamb' ?

To conclude, you may exhort the clergy (or what if you direct your conclufion, not to the clergy in general, but only to the learned in, or of both universities), you may exhort them to a due confideration of all things, and to a right esteem and valuing of each thing in that degree wherein it ought to ftand: for it oftentimes falleth out, what men have either devised themselves, or greatly delighted in, the price and excellency thereof they do admire above defert. The chiefeft labour of a Chriftian should be to know, of a minister to preach Chrift crucified: in regard whereof not only wordly things, but even things otherwife precious, even the discipline itself is vile and bafe. Whereas now, by the heat of contention, and violence of affection, the zeal of men towards the one hath greatly decayed their love to the other. Hereunto, therefore, they are to be exhorted, to preach Chrift crucified, the mortification of the flesh, the renewing of the fpirit; not those things which in time of ftrife feem precious, but, paffions being allayed, are vain and childish.

THIS

A strange reading is found in all the subsequent editions: "Against the passover as being ridiculous; fhould be girt, a staff in their hand, to eat a lamb.”

THIS EPITAPH was long fince presented to the world in memory of

Mr. HOOKER, by Sir WILLIAM COWPER; who alfo built him a fair Monument in Borne Church, and acknowledges him to have been his spiritual father.

THOUGH nothing can be spoke worthy his fame,
Or the remembrance of that precious name,
Judicious HOOKER; though this cost be spent
On him that hath a lafting monument

In his own books; yet ought we to express,
If not his worth, yet our respectfulness.
Church-ceremonies he maintained: then why,
Without all ceremony, should he die?
Was it because his life and death fhould be

Both equal patterns of humility?

Or that perhaps this only glorious one
Was above all, to afk, why had he none?

Yet he that lay fo long obfcurely low

Doth now preferred to greater honours go.

Ambitious men, learn hence to be more wife:
Humility is the true way to rife:

And God in me this leffon did inspire,

To bid this humble man-" Friend, fit up higher."

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