ther off, or how suddenly the weather may change.

POPERY.

I. THE demanding a noble, for a dead body passing through a town, came from hence; in time of popery, they carried the dead body into the church, where the Priest said dirges; and twenty dirges at four pence a piece, comes to a noble; but now it is forbidden by an order from my Lord Marshal, the heralds carry his warrant about them.

II. We charge the prelatical clergy with popery, to make them odious, though we know they are guilty of no such thing: just as heretofore they called images, Mammets, and the adoration of images, mammetry; that is, Mahomet and mahometry; odious names, when all the world knows the Turks are for bidden images by their religon.

I. THERE is no stretching of power; it is a good rule, eat within your stomach, act within your commission.

II. They that, govern most,, make least - noise. You see when they row in a barge, they that do drudgery work, slash, and puff, and sweat ;- but: he that governs, sits quietly at the stern, and scarce is seen to stir.

III. Syl

III. Syllables govern the world.

IV. "All power is of God," means no more than fides est servanda. When St. Paul said this, the people had made Nero emperor. They agree, he to command, they to obey. Then God comes in, and casts a hook upon them, 66 keep your faith;" then comes in, "all power is of God." Never did King drop out of the clouds. God did not make a new Emperor, as the King makes a justice of peace.

V. Christ himself was a great observer of the civil power, and did many things only justifiable, because the state required it, which were things merely temporary for the time that state stood. But divine make use of them to gain power to themselves, as for example, that of die Ecclesiæ, tell the church there was then a Sanhedrim, a court to tell it to, and therefore they would have it so now.

VI. Divines ought to do no more than what the state permits. Before the state be came Christian, they made their own laws, and those that did not observe them, they excommunicated, naughty men, they suffered them to come no more amongst them; but if they would come amongst them, how could they hinder them? by what law? by what power? they were still subject to the state, which was heathen. Nothing better expresses the condition of Christians in those times, than one of the meetings you have in

London,

London, of men of the same county, of Sussex men, or Bedfordshire men; they appoint their meeting, and they agree, and make laws amongst themselves," He that is not "there shall pay double, &c " and if any one misbehave himself, they shut him out of their company: 'but can they recover a forfeiture made concerning their meeting, by any law? have they any power to compel one to pay? But afterwards, when the state became Christian, all power was in them, and they gave the church as much, or as little as they pleased; and took away when they pleased, and added what they pleased.

VII. The church is not only subject to the civil power with us that are protestants, but also in Spain; if the church does excommunicate a man for what it should not, the civil power will take him out of their hands. So in France, the bishop of Angiers altered something in the breviary; they complained to the Parliament at. Paris, that made him alter it again, with a comme abusé.

VIII. The Parliament of England has no arbitrary power in point of judicature, but in point of making law only.

IX. If the Prince be servus naturâ, of a servile base spirit, and the subjects liberi, free and ingenuous, oft times they depose their Prince, and govern themselves. On the contrary, if the People be servi naturâ, and some one amongst them of a free and inge

nuous

nuous spirit, he makes himself king of 'the rest; and this is the cause of all changes in the state, commonwealths into monarchies, and monarchies into commonwealths.

X. In a troubled state we must do as in foul weather upon the Thames, not think to cut directly through, so the boat may be quickly full of water, but rise and fall as the waves do, give as much as conveniently

we can.

PRAYER.

I. IF I were a minister, I should think myself most in my office, reading of prayers, and dispensing the sacraments; and it is ill done to put one to officiate in the church, whose person is contemptible out of it. Should a great lady, that was invited to be a goffip, in her place send her kitchen maid, it would be ill taken; yet she is a woman as well as she; let her send her woman at least.

II. “You shall pray," is the right way, because according as the church is settled, no man may make a prayer in public of his own head.

III. It is not the original Common-prayer book. Why? Shew me an original Bible, or an original Magna Charta.

IV. Admit the preacher prays by the spirit, yet that very prayer is common prayer to the people; they are tied as much to his

words,

words, as in saying "Almighty and moss merciful father :" Is it then unlawful in the minister, but not unlawful in the people?

IV. There were some mathematicians, that could with one fetch of their pen, make an exact circle, and with the next touch, point out the centre? is it therefore reasonable to

banish all use of the compasses. Set forms are a pair of compasses.

VI. "God hath given gifts unto men." General texts prove nothing; let him shew me John, William, or Thomas in the text, and then I will believe him. If a man hath a voluble tongue, we say, he hath the gift of prayer. His gift is to pray long, that I sec; but does he pray better?

VII. We take care what we speak to men, but to God we may say any thing.

VIII. The people must not think a thought towards God, but as their pastors will put it into their mouths; they will make right sheep of us.

IX. The English priests would do that in English, which the Romish do in Latin, keep the people in ignorance; but some of the peo. ple out do them at their own game.

X. Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why he should grant this, or that; he knows best what is good for If your boy should ask you a suit of clothes, and give you reasons, (otherwise he cannot wait upon you; he cannot go abroad

us.

but