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House of Commons.

HERE be but two erroneous Opinions in the House of Commons; That the Lords fit only for themfelves, when the Truth is, they fit as well for the Commonwealth. The Knights and Burgeffes, fit for themselves and others, fome for more, fome for fewer, and what is the Reason? because the Room will not hold all; the Lords being few, they all come; and imagine the Room able to hold all the Commons of England, then the Lords and Burgeffes would fit no otherwife than the Lords do. The fecond Error is, that the Houfe of Commons are to begin to give Subfidics, yet, if the Lords diffent, they can give no Mo

ney.

2. The Houfe of Commons is called the Lower House, in twenty Acts of Parliament; but what are twenty Acts of Parliament amongst Friends?

3. The Form of a Charge runs thus, I Accufe in the Name of all the Commons of England, how then can any Man be as a Witnefs, when every Man is made the Accufer?

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Confeffion.

N time of Parliament it used to be one of the first things the House did, to Petition the King that his Confeffor might be removed, as fearing either his Power with the King, or elfe, left he fhould reveal to the Pope what the Houfe was in doing, as no doubt he did when the Catholick Caufe was concerned.

2. The Difference between us and the Papifts is, we both allow Contrition, but the Papifts make Confeffion a part of Contrition; they fay a Man is not fufficiently Contrite, till he confefs his Sins to a Priest.

3. Why fhould I think a Prieft will not reveal Confeffion? I am fure he will do any thing that is forbidden him, haply not fo often as I, the utmost Punishment is Deprivation; and how can it be proved, that ever any Man revealed Confeffion, when there is no Witnefs? and no Man can be Witness in his own Caufe. A meer Gullery. There was a time when 'twas publick in the Church, and that is much against their Auricular Confeffion.

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Competency.

HAT which is a Competency for one Man is not enough for another, no more than that which will keep one Man warm, will keep another Man warm; one Man can go in Doublet and Hofe, when another Man cannot be without a Cloak, and yet have no more Cloaths than is neceffary for him.

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Great Conjuntion.

HE greatest Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter therefore Aftrologers can make no experiments of it, nor foretel what it means, (not but that the Stars may mean fomething, but we cannot tell what) because we cannot come at them. Suppose a Planet were a Simple, or an Herb; how could a Phfiycian tell the Virtue of that Simple, unless he could come at it, to =apply it ?

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Conscience.

E that hath a fcrupulous Confcience, is like a Horfe that is not well weigh'd, he starts at every Bird that flies out of the Hedge.

2. A knowing Man will do that, which a tender Confcience Man dares not do, by reafon of his Ignorance, the other knows there is no hurt, as a Child is afraid to go into the Dark, when a Man is not, becaufe he knows there is no Danger.

3. If we once come to leave that out-loofe, as to pretend Confcience againft Law, who knows what inconvenience may follow? For thus; Suppose an Anabaptift comes and takes my Horse, I fue him, he tells me he did according to his Confcience, his Confcience tells him all things are common amongst the Saints; what is mine is his; therefore you do ill to make such a Law; If any Man takes another's Horfe he fhall be hang'd. What can I fay to this Man? He does according to his Confcience. Why is not he as honest a Man as he that pretends a Ceremony establish'd by Law, is against his Confcience? Generally to pretend Conscience againft Law, is dangerous; in fome Cafes haply we

may.

4. Some Men make it a cafe of Confcience, whe ther a Man may have à Pidgeon-Houfe: because his Pidgeons eat other Folks Corn. But there is no fuch thing as Confcience in the Bufinefs, the Matter is, whether he be a Man of fuch Quality, that the State allows him to have a Dove-Houfe? If fo, there's an end of the Bufinefs, his Pidgeons have a right to eat where they please themselves.

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Confecrated Places.

HE Jews had a peculiar way of confecrating things to God, which we have not.

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2. Under the Law, God, who was mafter of all, made choice of a Temple to worship in, where he was more especially prefent: Juft as the Mafter of the Houfe, who owns all the Houfe, makes choice of one Chamber to lie in, which is called the Mater's Chamber; but under the Gofpel there was no fuch thing, Temples and Churches are fet apart for the conveniency of Men to Worship in; they cannot meet upon the point of a Needle, but God himfelf makes no choice.

3. All things are God's already, we can give him no right by confecrating any, that he had not before, only we fet it apart for his Service. Juft as a Gardener brings his Lord and Mafter a Basket of Apricocks, and prefents them, his Lord thanks him, perhaps gives him fomething for his pains, and yet the Apricocks were as much his Lord's before as now.

4. What is Confecrated, is given to fome particular Man, to do God Service. not given to God, but given to Man, to ferve God: And there's not any thing, Lands, or Goods, but fome men or other have it in their Power to difpofe of as they pleafe. The faying. things Confecrated cannot be taken away, makes Men afraid of Confecration.

5. Yet Confecration has this Power, when a Man has Confecrated any thing to God, he cannot of himfelf take it away.

Contrads.

1. Four Fathers have loft their Liberty, why may not we labour to regain it? Anfwer. We must look to the Contract; if that be rightly made, we must fland to it; if we once grant we may recede from Contracts, upon any inconveniency that may afterwards happen, we shall have no Bargain kept. If I fell you a Horse, and do not like my Bargain, I will have my Horle again.

2. Keep your Contracts, fo far a Divine goes, but how to make our Contracts is left to ourselves; and as we agree upon the conveying of this Houfe, or that Land, fo it must be. If you offer me a hundred Pounds for my Glove, I tell you what my Glove is, a plain Glove, pretend no Virtue in it, the Glove is my own. I profefs not to fell Gloves, and we agree for an hundred Pounds; I do not know why I may not with a fafe Confcience take it. The want of that common obvious Distinction of Jus præceptivum, and Jus permiffivum, does much trouble Men.

3. Lady Kent articled with Sir Edward Herbert, that he fhould come to her when fhe fent for him, and flay with her as long as fhe would have him, to which he fet his Hand; then he articled with her, That he fhould go away when he pleas'd, and ftay away as long as he pleas'd, to which fhe fet her Hand. This is the Epitome of all the Contracts in the World betwixt Man and Man, betwixt Prince and Subject, they keep them as long as they like them, and no longer.

Council.