I.

THE

Superstition.

HEY that are against Superstition oftentimes run into it of the wrong fide. If I will wear all colours but black, then I am Superftitious in not wearing black.

2. They pretend not to abide the Crofs, becaufe 'tis fuperftitious; for my part I will believe them, when I see them throw their Money out of their Pockets, and not till then.

3. If there be any Superftition truly and properly fo called, 'tis their observing the Sabbath after the Jewish Manner:

1.

Subsidies.

Eretofore the Parliament was wary what Sub

"Hadice they gave to the King, because they had

no account; but now they care not how much they give of the Subje&s Money, because they give it with one Hand, and receive it with the other; and fo upon the matter give it themselves. In the mean time what a cafe the Subjects of England are in; if the Men they have fent to the Parliament mis-behave themselves, they cannot help it, because the Parliament is Eternal.

2. A Subfidy was counted the fifth part of a Man's Eftate, and fo fifty Subfidies is five and forty times more than a Man is Worth.

Simony.

I.

Simony.

HE Name of Simony was begot in the Canon

1. Law; the firft Statute against it was in Queen

Elizabeth's time. Since the Reformation, Simony has been frequent: One reason why it was not practised in time of Popery, was the Pope's provifion; no Man was fure to beftow his own Benefice.

Ship-Money.

R. Noy brought in Ship-money first for Maritime Towns; but that was like putting in a little Augur, that afterwards you may put in a greater: He that pulls down the first Brick, does the main Work, afterwards 'tis eafie to pull down the Wall.

2. They that at firft would not pay Ship-money till 'twas decided, did like brave Men, (though perhaps they did no good by the Trial) but they that ftand out fince, and fuffer themselves to be distrained, never questioning those that do it, do pitifully, for fe they only pay twice as much as they should.

Synod

I.

Synod-Assembly.

WE have had no national Synod fince the King.

dom hath been fettled, as now it is, only Provincial; and there will be this inconveniency, to call fo many Divines together; 'twill be to put Power in their Hands, who are too apt to ufurp it, as if the Laity were bound by their Determination. No, let the Laity confult with Divines on all fides, hear what they fay, and make themselves Masters of their Reafons; as they do by any other profeffion, when they have a Difference before them. For Example, Goldfmiths, they enquire of them, if fuch a Jewel be of fuch a Value, and fuch a Stone of fuch a Value, hear them, and then being rational Men judge themselves.

2. Why should you have a Synod, when you have a Convocation already, which is a Synod? Would you have a superfetation of another Synod? The Clergy of England, when they caft off the Pope, submitted themfelves to the Civil Power, and fo have continued; but these challenge to be Jure Divino, and fo to be above the Civil Power; these challenge Power to call before their Presbyteries all Perfons for all Sins directly against the Law of God, as proved to be Sins by necesfary Confequence. If you would buy Gloves, fend for a Glover or two, not Glovers-Hall; confult with fome Divines, not fend for a Body.

3. There must be fome Laymen in the Synod, to overlook the Clergy, left they spoil the civil Work: Juft as when the good Woman puts a Cat into the Milk-Houfe to kill a Moufe, fhe fends her Maid to look after the Cat, leaft the Cat fhould eat up the Cream.

4. In the Ordinance for the Affembly, the Lords and Commons go under the Names of learned, godly, and judicious Divines; there is no Difference put betwixt them, and the Ministers in the Context.

5. 'Tis not unusual in the Affembly to revoke their Votes, by reason they make fo much hafte, but 'tis that will make them fcorn'd. You never heard of a Council revok'd an Act of its own making; they have been wary in that, to keep up their Infallibility; if they did any thing, they took away the Council, and yet we would be thought Infallible as any Body. 'Tis not enough to fay, the House of Commons revoke their Votes, for theirs are but Civil Truths, which they by agreement create, and uncreate, as they please. But the Truths the Synod deals in are Divine; and when they have voted a thing, if it be then true, 'twas true before; not true because they voted it, nor does it ceafe to be true, because they voted otherwise.

6. Subfcribing in a Synod, or to the Articles of a Synod, is no fuch terrible thing as they make it; because, If I am of a Synod, 'tis agreed, either tacitely or exprefly, That which the major part determines, the reft are involv'd in; and therefore I fubfcribe, though my own private Opinion be otherwife; and up, on the fame Ground, I may without fcruple subscribe to what those have determin'd, whom I fent, though my private Opinion be otherwise, having respect to that which is the Ground of all affemblies, the Major part carries it.

Thanksgiving.

"A%

Thanksgiving.

T firft we gave Thanks for every Victory as foon as ever 'twas obtain'd; but fince we have had many, now we can stay a good while. We are just like a Child; give him a Plum, he makes his Leg; give him a fecond Plum, he makes another Leg: At laft when his Belly is full, he forgets what he ought to do; then his Nurse, or fome body else that stands by him, puts him in mind of his Duty, Where's your Leg?

· Τ

Cpthes.

TTHES are more paid in kind in England,

have had Impropriations a long time; we had none in England till Henry the Eighth.

2. To make an Impropriation, there was to be the Confent of the Incumbent, the Patron, and the King; then 'twas confirm'd by the Pope: Without all this, the Pope could make no Impropriation.

3. Or what if the Pope gave the Tythes to any Man, muft they therefore be taken away? If the Pope gives me a Jewel, will you therefore take it away from

me?

4. Abraham paid Tythes to Melchizedeck, what then? 'Twas very well done of him: It does not follow therefore that I must pay Tythes, no more than I am bound to imitate any other A&tion of Abraham's.

5. 'Tis ridiculous to fay the Tythes are God's Part, and therefore the Clergy muft have them: Why, fo

they