ver. 23. vent fubterfuges and evafions, loofen the most folemn tyes and engagements, discharge kings from their duty to their fubjects, and abfolve fubjects from their allegiance to their king and country. They are the masters of the whole art of equivocations and mental reservations; and can exactly define and distinguish how a man may falfify without lying, and forfwear himfelf without perjury. The Scribes and Pharifees bypocrites were nothing to them in these refpects. The copy here infinitely furpaffes the original. 5, The fifth woe denounced against the Scribes and Pharifees is for paying tithe of mint and anife and cummin, for being fuperftitious and precife in the little rituals and ceremonials of religion, and at the fame time omitting the weightier matters of the law, judgment or justice, mercy or charity, Micah vi. and faith or truft in God, walking humbly with God as it is in the Luke xi. prophet Micah, the love of God as it is in the parallel place of St. 8. 42. Luke. Luke. And will not this denunciation affect all fuch chriftians, as are fcrupulously obfervant of pofitive inftitutions, and at the fame time negligent of moral duties? And will it not more particularly affect those christians, who are wonderfully exact in counting their beads and muttering over fo many Ave Mary's; but make no fcruple of fomenting rebellions, blowing up Parlaments, overturning kingdoms, and maffacring a whole people? who would not for ever fo much violate a vow of chastity by marriage, but are not fo nice and tender in violating the fame by fornication or adultery? who are very circumftantial in their forms and ceremonies, their croffings and gefticulations at the altar; but esteem it no manner of facrilege to take away the cup of bleffing, and the commmunion of the blood of Chrift from the people? who will hardly and not without impofing severe penances ab folve folve a man from the leaft offence committed against their holy mother the church; but in other cafes are as loose confeffors, as in these they are ftrict and rigid, and provided a man be but a zealot for their religion and rich withal and bountiful to churches and monafteries, they have ftore of pardons and indulgences for him, and tho' he hath lived ever fo profligate he may die in peace ? Surely it may be faid to fuch men with the greatest truth and juftice, ver. 24. Ye blind guides, who ftrain at a gnat, but fwallow a camel. 6. The fixth woe denounced against the Scribes and Pharifees is for ver. 25. their making clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but being within full of extortion and excefs, full of ravening and wickedness, as St. Luke Luke xi. expreffeth it. The Pharifees were 39. Mar. vii. 3, 4. very fuperftitious and exact in their washings and purifications; The Pharifees wash oft, fays St. Mark, bold ing the tradition of the elders; and many other things there be which they bave received to hold as the washing of cups and pots, brazen veffels and of tables. And are not the papists likewife very fuperftitious and exact in their washing and sprinkling of themfelves and the things which belong to them with their holy water? It would be ridiculous even to recite the wonderful virtues, which they attribute to this holy water, and the many fuperftitious uses to which they apply it. They hardly ever go into or out of a church, but they are sprinkled with fome of it. On folemn days the priest attends to perform that office, and at other times they ferve themselves with it from a font placed near the church-door for that purpose, like one of our fonts for baptism. Thus do they like the Pharifees make clean the outfide of the cup and of the platter; and whether they are not within too, like the Pharifees, D full full of extortion and excefs, of raven- might our Saviour fay, and well may ver. 26. we say, Thou blind Pharifee, Thou blind Papift, cleanfe first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outfide of them may be clean alfo; sprinkle thy heart with holy water; and let the thoughts of that be good, and the works of thy hands will be good alfo. 7. The feventh woe denounced against the Scribes and Pharifees is ver. 27. for being like unto whited fepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. Even fo ye alfo, fays our Saviour, outwardly appear righteous, unto men, but within are full of hypocrify and 2 Tim. iii. iniquity. In fhort they had a form 5. of |