1.

Prophecies.

REAMS and Prophecies do thus much good;

DREAMS

a

rage, upon a Danger or a Mistress; if he obtains, he attributes much to them; if he miscarries, he thinks no more of them, or is no more thought of himself.

1.

T

Proverbs.

HE Proverbs of feveral Nations were much ftudied by Bishop Andrews, and the Reason he gave was, becaufe by them he knew the Minds of feveral Nations, which is a brave thing; as we count him a wife Man, that knows the minds and infides of Men, which is done by knowing what is habitual to them. Proverbs are habitual to a Nation, being tranfmitted from Father to Son.

1.

W

Dueftion.

HEN a doubt is propounded, you must learn to diftinguish, and fhow wherein a thing holds, and wherein it doth not hold: Ay, or no, never anfwered any Question. The not distinguishing where things should be diftinguished, and the not confounding, where things fhould be confounded, is the cause of all the Miftakes in the World.

Reason.

Reason.

1. 'N giving Reasons, Men commonly do with us as

to Market about her Business, fhe tells it fhe goes to buy it a fine Thing, to buy it a Cake or fome Plums. They give us fuch Reafons as they think we will be catched withal, but never let us know the Truth.

2. When the School-Men talk of Recta Ratio in Morals, either they understand Reason as it is governed by a command from above; or elfe they fay no more than a Woman, when fhe fays a thing is fo, because it is fo; that is, her Reafon perfuades her 'tis fo. The other Acception has Senfe in it. As take a Law of the Land, I must not depopulate, my Reafon tells me fo. Why? Because if I do, I incur the detriment.

3. The Reafon of a Thing is not to be inquired after, till you are fure the thing itfelf be fo. We commonly are at [What's the Reafon of it?] before we are fure of the Thing. 'Twas an excellent Queflion of my Lady Cotten, when Sir Robert Cotten was magnifying of a Shoe, which was Mofes's or Noah's, and wond'ring at the ftrange Shape and Fashion of it; But Mr. Cotten, (fays fhe,) are you fure it is a shoe?

"AN

Retaliation.

N Eye for an Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth; That doth not mean, that if I put out another Man's Eye, therefore I must lose one of my own: (for what is he the better for that?) though this be commonly received; but it means, I fhall give him what Satisfaction an Eye fhall be judged to be worth.

1.

T

Reverence.

OIS fometimes unreasonable to look after Refpect and Reverence, either from a Man's own Servant, or other Inferiors. A great Lord and a Gentleman talking together, there came a Boy by, leading a Calf with both his Hands; fays the Lord to the Gentleman, You shall see me make the Boy let go his Calf; with that he came towards him, thinking the Boy would have put off his Hat, but the Boy took no notice of him. The Lord feeing that, Sirrah, fays he, do you not know me that you use no Reverence? Yes, fays the Boy, if your Lordship will hold my Calf, I will put off my Hat.

Pon

Non-Residency.

1. HE People thought they had a great Victory

time they got their Bill paffed, That a Clergy-Man fhould have but two Livings; before, a Man might have Twenty or Thirty; 'twas but getting a Difpenfation from the Pope's Limiter, or Gatherer of the Peter Pence, which was as cafily got, as now you may have a Licence to eat Flesh.

2. As foon as a Minifter is made, he hath Power to preach all over the World, but the Civil-Power refrains him; he cannot preach in this Parish, or in that; there is one already appointed. Now if the State allows him Two Livings, then he hath Two Places where he may Exercife his Function, and fo has the more Power to do his Office, which he might do every where if he were not reftrained.

1.

Religion.

KING James faid to the Fly, Have I Three

Kingdoms, and thou must needs fly into my Eye? Is there not enough to meddle with upon the Stage, or in Love, or at the Table, but Religion?

2. Religion amongst Men appears to me like the Learning they got at School. Some Men forget all they learned, others fpend upon the Stock, and fome improve it. So fome Men forget all the Religion that was taught them when they were Young, others fpend upon that Stock, and fome improve it. 3 Religion

E 7

3. Religion is like the Fashion, one Man wears his Doublet flashed, another laced, another plain; but every Man has a Doublet; So every Man has his Religion. We differ about Trimming.

4. Men fay they are of the fame Religion for Quietness fake; but, if the Matter were well examined, you would scarce find Three any where of the fame Religion in all Points.

5. Every Religion is a getting Religion, for though I myself get nothing, I am fubordinate to thofe that do. So you may find a Lawyer in the Temple that gets little for the prefent, but he is fitting himself to be in time one of those great Ones that do get.

6. Alteration of Religion is dangerous, because we know not where it will ftay; 'tis like a Milftone that lies upon the top of a pair of Stairs; 'tis hard to remove it, but if once it be thrust off the first Stair, it never ftays till it comes to the bottom.

7. Question. Whether is the Church or the Scripture Judge of Religion? Anfw. In truth neither, but the State. I am troubled with a Boil: I call a Company of Chirurgeons about me; one prescribes one thing, another another: I fingle out fomething I like, and afk you that ftand by, and are no Chirurgeon, what you think of it. You like it too; you and I are Judges of the Plafter, and we bid them prepare it, and there's an end. Thus 'tis in Religion; the Proteftants fay they will be judged by the Scriptures; the Papists say so too; but that cannot speak. A Judge is no Judge, except he can both speak and command Execution; but the truth is they never intend to agree. No doubt the Pope, where he is fupreme, is to be Judge; if he fay we in England ought to be subject to him, then he muft draw his Sword and make it good.

8. By the Law was the Manual received into the Church before the Reformation; not by the Civil Law,

that