Holy-days, Humility, Idolatry, Jews, Invincible Ignorance, Images, Imperial Constitutions, Imprisonment, Incendiaries, Independency, Things Indifferent, Publick Interest, Humane Invention, Judgements, Judge, Juggling, Jurisdiction, Jus Divinum, King, 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 50 51 52 53 Liturgy, Lords in the Parliament, Lords before the Parliament, Marriage, Marriage of Coufin-Germans, Measure of Things, Difference of Men, Minister Divine, Religion, Sabboth, Sacrament, Salvation, State, Superftition, Subfidies, Simony, Ship-Money, Synod, Affembly, Trade, Tradition, Transubstantiation, Traitor, Trinity, University, Vows, Ufury, Pious Ufes, War, Witches, Wife, Wifedom, Wit, Women, Year, Zelots, Mr. Justice Hales," One of the JUDGES OF THE Common-Pleas; And to the much Honoured Moft worthy Gentlemen, W Ere you not Executors to that Perfon, who (while he liv'd) was the Glory of the Nation; yet I am Confident any thing of his would find Acceptance with you, and truly the Senfe and Notion here is wholy his, and most of the words. I had the opportunity to hear his Difcourfe twenty Years together, and leaft all thofe Excellent things that ufually fell from him might be loft, fome of them from time to time I faithfully committed to Writing, where here digefted into this Method, I humbly prefent to your Hands; you will quickly perceive them to be his by the familiar Illuftrations wherewith they are fet off, and in which way you know he was fo happy, that (with a marvelous delight to thofe that heard him) he would prefently convey the highest Points of Religion, and the most important Affairs of State to an ordinary apprehenfion. In reading be pleas'd to diftinguish Times, and in your Fancy carry along with you, the When and the Why, many of these things were spoken; this will give them the more Life, and the fmarter Relish. 'Tis poffible the Entertainment you find in them, may render you the more inclinable to pardon the Prefumption of Your most Obliged and moft Humble Servant, RI: MILWARD. * Misprints for Mr. Justice Hale and Edward Heyward: ses p. 7. I. THE DISCOURSES OF John Selden, Efq; Τ Abbies, Priories, &c. HE unwillingness of the Monks to part with their Land, will fall out to be just nothing, because they were yielded up to the King by a Supream Hand (viz.) a Parliament. If a King conquer another Country, the People are loth to loose their Lands, yet no Divine will deny, but the King may give them to whom he please. If a Parliament make a Law concerning Leather, or any other Commodity, you and I for Example are Parliament Men, perhaps in respect to our own private Interests, we are against it, yet the Major part conclude it, we are then involv'd and the Law is good. 2. When the Founder of Abbies laid a Curse upon those that should take away those Lands, I would fain know what Power they had to curse me; 'Tis not the Curses that come from the Poor, or from any body, that hurt me, because they come from them, but because I do something ill against them that deferves God fhould curfe me for it. On the other fide 'tis not a man's Bleffing me that makes me bleffed, he only declares me to be fo, and if I do well I fhall be blessed, whether any bless me or not. 3. At the time of Diffolution, they were tender in taking from the Abbots and Priors their Lands and their Houses, till they furrendred them (as most of B them did) indeed the Prior of St. John's, Sir Richard Weflon, being a ftout Man, got into France, and stood out a whole year, at last submitted, and the King took in that Priory alfo, to which the Temple belonged, and many other Houfes in England, they did not then cry no Abbots, no Priors, as we do now no Bishops, no Bishops. 4. Henry the Fifth put away the Friars, Aliens, and feiz'd to himself 100000l. a year, and therefore they were not the Proteftants only that took away Church Lands. 5. In Queen Elizabeths time, when all the Abbies were pulled down, all good Works defaced, then the Preachers must cry up Juftification by Faith, not by good Works. I. T Articles. HE nine and thirty Articles are much another thing in Latin, (in which Tongue they were made) then they are tranflated into English, they were made at three feveral Convocations, and confirmed by Act of Parliament fix or seven times after. There is a Secret concerning them: Of late Ministers have fubfcribed to all of them, but by Act of Parliament that confirm'd them, they ought only to fubfcribe to thofe Articles which contain matter of Faith, and the Doctrine of the Sacraments, as appears by the first Subscriptions. But Bishop Bancroft (in the Convocation held in King James's days) he began it, that Ministers should subscribe to three things, to the Kings Supremacy, to the Common-prayer, and to the Thirty nine Articles; many of them do not contain matter of Faith. Is it matter of Faith how the Church should be govern'd? Whether Infants should be Baptized ? Whether we have any Property in our Goods? &c. I. T Baptism. Was a good way to perfwade men to be christned, to tell them that they had a Foulnefs about them, viz. Original Sin, that could not be washed away but by Baptism. 2. The Baptizing of Children with us, does only |