testants they have very little; the reason whereof is, in the beginning of the reformation they were glad to get such to take livings as they could procure by any invitations, things of pitiful condition The nobility and gentry would not suffer their sons or kindred to meddle with the church, and therefore at this day, when they see a parson they think him to be such a thing still, and there they will keep him, and use him accordingly; if he be a gentleman, that is singled out, and he is used the more respectfully.

XI. The protestant minister is least regarded, appears by the old story of the keeper of the Clink. He had priests of several sorts sent unto him; as they came in, he asked them who they were. Who are you? to the first: I am a priest of the church of Rome. You are welcome, quoth the keeper, there are those will take care of you And who are you? A silenced minister. You are welcome too, I shall fare the better for you. And who are

you? A minister of the church of England. O God help me, quoth the keeper, I shall get no thing by you, I am sure you may lie and starve and rot, before any body will look after you.

XII. Methinks it is an ignorant thing for a churchman, to call himself the minister of Christ, because St. Paul, or the Apostles called themselves so. If one of them had a voice from heaven, as St. Paul had, I will grant he is a minister of Christ, I will call

him

him so too. Must they take upon them as the apostles did? Can they do as the apostles could? The apostles had a mark to be known by, spoke tongues, cured diseases, trod upon serpents, &c. Can they do this? If a gentleman tells me, he will send his man to me, and I did not know his man, but he gave me this mark to know him by, he should bring. in his hand a rich jewel; if a fellow came to me with a pebble stone, had I any reason to believe he was the gentleman's man.

MONEY.

A

I. MONEY makes a man laugh. blind fidler playing to a company, and playing scurvily, the company laughed at him; his boy that led him, perceived it, cried, "Father, "let us be gone, they do nothing but laugh 66 at you. Hold thy peace, boy," said the fidler, " we shall have their money presently, "and then we will laugh at them."

II. Euclid was beaten in Boccaline, for teaching his scholars a mathematical figure in his school, whereby he shewed that all the lives both of Princes and private men, tended to one center, con Gentilezza, handsomely to get money out of other men's pockets, and put it into their own.

III. The Pope us'd heretofore to send the Princes of Christendom to fight against the Turk, but Prince and Pope finely juggled to.

gether

gether, the monies were raised, and some men went out to the holy war; but commonly after they had got the money, the Turk was pretty quiet, and the Prince and the Pope shared it between them.

IV. In all times the Princes in England have done something illegal to get money: but then came a Parliament, and all was well; the People and the Prince kissed and were friends, and so things were quiet for a while. Afterwards there was another trick found out to get money, and after they had got it, anther Parliament was called to set all right, &c. But now they have so overrun the constable

MORAL HONESTY.

I. THEY that cry down moral honesty, cry down that which is a great part of religion, my duty towards God, and my duty towards man. What care I to see a man run after a sermon, if he couzens and cheats as soon as he comes home. On the other side, morality must not be without religion; for if so, it may change, as I see convenience. Religion must govern it. He that has not religion to govern his morality, is not a dram better than my mastiff dog; so long as you stroke him, and please him, and do not pinch him, he will play with you as finely as may be, he is a very good moral mastiff; but if you hurt him,

him, he will fly in your face, and tear your throat.

MORTGAGE.

I. IN case I receive a thousand pounds, and mortgage as much land as is worth twó thousand to you; if I do not pay the money at such a day, I fail, whether you may take my land and keep it, in point of conscience?

Answer. If you had my lands as security only for your money, then you are not to keep it; but if we bargained so, that if I did not repay your 1000l. my land should go for it, be it what it will, no doubt you may with a safe conscience keep it; for in these things all the obligation is fervare fidem..

NUMBER.

I. ALL those mysterious things they ob serve in numbers, come to nothing upon this very ground, because number in itself is nothing, has not to do with nature, but is merely of human imposition, a mere.sound. For example, when I cry one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, that is but man's division of time, the time itself goes on, and it had been all one in nature, if those hours had been called nine, ten, and eleven. So when they say the seventh son is fortunate, it means nothing, for if you count from the seventh

backward

backward, then the first is the seventh, why is not he likewise fortunate ?

OATHS.

I. SWEARING was another thing with the Jews than with us, because they might not pronounce the name of the Lord Jehovah.

II. There is no oath scarcely, but we swear to things we are ignorant of: for example, the oath of supremacy; how many know how the King is King? What are his right and prerogative? So how many know what are the privileges of the Parliament, and the liberty of the subject, when they take the protestation? But the meaning is, they will defend them when they know them. As if I should swear I would take part with all that wear red ribbands in their hats, it may be I do not know which colours is red; but when I do know, and see a red ribband in a man's hat, then will I take his part.

1

III. I cannot conceive how an oath is imposed, where there is a party, viz. in the House of Commons, they are all pares inter fe, only one brings paper, and shews it the rest; they look upon it, and in their own sense take it now they are not pares to me, who am none of the House, for I do not acknowledge myself their subject; if I did, then no question, I was bound by an oath of their

imposing.