might afk fomebody the Meaning. The Law was repealed in Edward the Sixth's Days.

6. Lay-men have best interpreted the hard Places in the Bible, fuch as Johannes Picus, Scaliger, Grotius, Salmafius, Heinfius, &c.

7. If you ask which of Erafmus, Beza, or Grotius did beft upon the New Teftament, 'tis an idle Question: For they all did well in their Way. Erasmus broke down the firft Brick, Beza added many things, and Grotius added much to him, in whom we have either fomething new, or fomething heightened, that was faid before, and fo 'twas neceffary to have them all three.

8. The Text ferves only to guefs by, we must satisfy ourselves fully out of the Authors that lived about thofe times.

9. In interpreting the Scripture, many do as if a Man fhould fee one have ten Pounds which he reckoned by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. meaning four was but four Unites, and five five Unites, &c. and that he had in all but ten Pounds; the other that fees him, takes not the Figuers together as he doth, but picks here and there, and thereupon reports, that he hath five Pounds in one Bag, and fix Pounds in another Bag, and nine Pounds in another Bag, &c. when as in truth he hath but ten Pounds in all. So we pick out a Text here and there to make it ferve our turn; whereas if we take it all together, and confider'd what went before and what followed after, we fhould find it meant no fuch thing.

10. Make no more Allegories in Scripture than needs muft; the Fathers were too frequent in them; they indeed, before they fully understood the literal Senfe, looked out for an Allegory. The Folly whereof you may conceive thus: Here at the first fight appears to me in my Window a Glafs and a Book; I take it for granted,

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granted, 'tis a Glafs and a Book, thereupon I go about to tell you what they fignify; afterwards upon nearer view, they prove no fuch thing; one is a Box made like a Book, the other is a Picture made like a Glafs: where's now my Allegory?

11. When Men meddle with the literal Text, the Queftion is, where they fhould flop: In this Cafe a Man muft venture his Difcretion and do his best to fatisfy himfelf and others in thofe Places where he doubts, for although we call the Scripture the Word of God (as it is) yet it was writ by a Man, a mercenary Man, whofe Copy, either might be falfe, or he might make it falfe: For Example, here were a thousand Bibles printed in England with the Text thus [Thou fbalt commit Adultery the Word [not] left out; might not this Text be mended ?

12. The Scripture may have more Senfes befides the Literal; becaufe God underftands all things at once; but a Man's Writing has but one true Senfe, which is that which the Author meant when he writ it.

13. When you meet with feveral Readings of the Text, take heed you admit nothing against the Tenets of your Church; but do as if you was a going over a Bridge, be fure you hold faft by the Rail, and then you may dance here and there as you pleafe; be fure you keep to what is fettled, and then you may flourish upon your various Lections.

14. The Apocrypha is bound with the Bibles of all Churches that have been hitherto. Why fhould we leave it out? The Church of Rome has her Apocrypha (viz.) Sujanna, and Bell and the Dragon, which the does not efteem equally with the reft of thofe Books that we call Apocrypha.

1.

A

Bishops before the Parliament.

Biflop as a Bishop, had never any Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiétion: For as foon as he was Electus Confirmatus, that is, after the three Proclamations in Bow-Church, he might exercife Jurifdiction, before he was confecrated, not till then, he was no Bishop, neither could he give Orders. Befides, Suffragans were Bishops, and they never claim'd any Jurifdiction.

2. Anciently the Noblemen lay within the City for Safety and Security. The Bifhops Houses were by the Water fide, because they were held facred Perfons which no body would hurt.

3. There was fome Senfe for Commendams at first, when there was a Living void, and never a Clerk to ferve it, the Bishops were to keep it till they found a fit Man, but now 'tis a Trick for the Bishop to keep it for himfelf.

4. For a Bifhop to preach, 'tis to do other Folks Office, as if the Steward of the Houfe fhould execute the Porter's or the Cook's Place: 'Tis his Bufinefs to fee that they and all others about the House perform their Duties.

5. That which is thought to have done the Bishops hurt, is their going about to bring Men to a blind Obedience, impofing things upon them [ though perhaps small and well enough ] without preparing them, and infinuating into their Reasons and Fancies; every Man loves to know his Commander. I wear thofe Gloves; but perhaps if an Alderman should command me, I fhould think much to do it: What has he to do with me? Or if he has, peradventure I do not know it. This jumping upon things at firft Dash will defroy all; To keep up Friendship, there must

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be little Addreffes and Applications, whereas Bluntnefs fpoils it quickly: To keep up the Hierarchy, there must be little Applications made to Men, they must be brought on by little and little: So in the Primitive Times the Power was gain'd, and fo it must be continued. Scaliger faid of Erajmus; Si minor effe voluerit, major fuiffet. So we may fay of the Bishops, Si minores effe voluerint, majores fuiffent.

6. The Bishops were too hafty, elfe with a difcreet Slownels they might have had what they aim'd at The old Story of the Fellow, that told the Gentleman, he might get to fuch a Place, if he did not ride too faft, would have fitted their turn.

7. For a Bifhop to cite an old Canon to strengthen his new Articles, is, as if a Lawyer fhould plead an old Statute that has been repeal'd God knows how long.

1.B

Bishops in the Parliament.

Ifhops have the fame Right to fit in Parliament as the beft Earls and Barons, that is, thofe that were made by Writ: If you ask one of them [Arundel, Oxford, Northumberland] why they fit in the Houfe? they can only fay, their Fathers fat there before them, and their Grandfather before him, &c. And fo fay the Bifhops, he that was a Bifhop of this Place before me, fat in the Houfe, and he that was a Bishop before him, &c. Indeed your latter Earls and Barons have it exprefs'd in their Patents, that they fhall be called to the Parliament. Objection, But the Lords fit there by Blood, the Bifhops not. Anfwer, 'Tis true, they fit not there both the fame way, yet that takes not away the Bishops Right: If I am a Parfon of a Parifh, I have as much Right to my Glebe and Tithe, as you have to your Land which

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your Ancestors have had in that Parish eight hundred Years.

2. The Bishops were not Barons, because they had Baronies annex'd to their Bifhopricks (for few of them had fo, unlefs the old ones, Canterbury, Winchefter, Durham, &c. the new erected we are fure had none, as Glocefter, Peterborough, &c. befides few of the Temporal Lords had any Baronies.) But they are barons, because they are called by Writ to the Parliament, and Bishops were in the Parliament ever fince there was any mention, or fign of a Parliament in England.

3. Bishops may be judged by the Peers, tho' in the time of Popery it never happened, because they pretended they were not obnoxious to a fecular Court; but their way was to cry Ego fum Frater Domini Papæ, I am Brother to my Lord the Pope, and therefore take not myself to be judged by you; in this Cafe they impanell'd a Middlefex-Jury, and dispatch'd the Bufinefs.

4. Whether may Bifhops be prefent in Cafes of Blood? Anfw. That they had a Right to give Votes, appears by this, always when they did go out, they left a Proxy, and in the time of the Abbots, one Man had 19, 20, or 30 Voices. In Richard the Second's time, there was a Proteftation against the Canons, by which they were forbidden to be present in Cafe of Blood. The Statute of 25th of Henry the Eighth may go a great way in this Bufinefs. The Clergy were for bidden to use or cite any Canon, &c. but in the latter End of the Statute, there was a Claufe, that fuch Canons that were in ufage in this Kingdom, fhould be in force till the thirty two Commiffioners appointed fhould make others, provided they were not contrary to the King's Supremacy. Now the Queftion will be, whether thefe Canons for. Blood were in ufe in this Kingdom or no? the contrary whereof may appear by

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