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therefore this Scripture must be interpreted some other way, or else denied; and this is our condition, if the Scripture will not serve for our own ends to fulfil selfish desires, to uphold the old man in his fleshly honour, which belongeth to the magistrate only, whom God hath made a minister for thy wealth's sake, and doth not at all belong to innocency, nor Christ in the spirit; for there is small sign of the old man's dying or putting off, whilst he smites his fellows for the liberty of his fleshly desires; and this is our condition, that love the world, in whom the love of God cannot be, 1 John ii. 15, 16. Love not the world, neither the things of the world: If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him; for all that is in the world, as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world: These Scriptures have I endeavoured formerly to interpret some other way, by absurdities and consequences; how that, if we should not wear superfluous things, thousands of people would starve for want of trading, and so by consequence bring greater evil upon us: So I, being not willing to lose my pride and worldly pomp, I questioned the truth of the Scriptures, and even God himself, and all for want of some glimpse of spiritual light, which my natural eyes in reason could not discern. Therefore, the most High was pleased to convince me with natural forms, namely, birds of the air, which every day brought me intelligence according to my worldly occasions; for almost three years space I have observed them, for they would foretel me of any danger or cross, or any joy from friends; I mean any danger or dishonour to my person, or loss of cattle, or corn, or any other disadvantage to my advancement in the world; and this clearly convinced me, that there was a power above man. Then I considered the wise man's saying, Eccles. x. 20. Curse not the king, no not in thy thought, neither curse the rich in thy bed-chamber, for the fowls of heaven shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall declare the matter:' Also I considered that God made use of a bird to feed Elias the prophet; by this I saw, that he made use of natural causes to fulfil natural desires, so I came to know God in nature. Moreover, I considered the Scriptures where the Lord speaks against the sooth-sayers, and against astrologers, sorcerers, and wizards; all these I found to be the spirits of darkness, and will reach no further then the old man in the flesh, yet very necessary to be known, that we may avoid the evil thereof. Christ and the prophets knew all these things, or else they would never have spoken against them, but we in the old man have often spoken against things that we knew not, out of blind zeal, but not according to knowledge:

Therefore let the Scripture rule us, that we judge no man's heart, which belongeth to God only in the spirit, but our judgment must be external of every tree according to their fruits; for by their fruits we ought to know them. So to reprove every man his neighbour to his face, leave off backbiting and slandering one another, and making up our laughter in deriding the actions of others, which we cannot do, unless we think ourselves wiser than they. This sad thing have I observed in many families, when they have happened in any discourse, it seldom or never ended without backbiting, or deriding one another behind

their backs with their tongues, which causeth envy, and sets on fire every man that useth it against his neighbour, according to the Scripture, Jam. iii. and this cometh for want of mortifying the old man in the flesh, Rom. viii. 13. These and many other helps there are in the Scriptures, if we will believe it, to overcome the flesh; for Christ saith, Mat. vii. 8. Whosoever asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.' This Scripture seems to reach further than the disciples in some cases; for some that did not believe made use of his name to cast out devils, and it seems the power of God assisted them therein; for they could not do it by the power of the devil, for then they would not have made use of Christ's name. Again, Christ himself saith, 'If Satan cast out Satan, his kingdom cannot stand,' Mat. xii. 26. And it is contrary to any reason, that God should cast out God, or the devil cast out the devil. So we find according to the whole tenour of Scripture, that God answereth all sorts of people according to that dispensation they are under, if their desires are fervent, whether it be for their good, or their hurt, as I have proved sufficiently in my discourse concerning the flesh given to the children of Israel, 1 Sam. viii. 7. where God saith to Samuel, 'Hear the voice of the people in all that they shall say unto thee.' So God condescended to the desires of the people for the hurt of their bodies in granting them a king; but if any out of zeal towards God in the spirit will pray unto him, and yet would uphold the righteousness of God in the flesh; God answering them with such spirits as may dishonour them in this world, by lying or false prophesying, to destroy the honour of the old man in them, that they may be brought forth as tried in the fire, more pure in the spirit of light; but if any shall enquire after God at the mouth of his prophets, only to uphold the honour and ambition of the old man in this world, God will send them false spirits to preach lyes, on purpose to destroy them; and this will come upon those that are for their own ambitious ends, as you may see in 1 Kings xxii. where the false spirits wait on God for their message, and God sends them forth, and bids them prosper, to please Ahab in his request. Thus we see for the love of this world people are destroyed. Then let us conclude, that it is high time to cast off the old man with his rudiments, with his malice and envy, and entertain light, love, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. That this may be our treasure, leading us up to that throne of grace, full of unspeakable joys, where Christ sitteth in the council of his father, with all his angels, entertaining all with fulness of joy, that enter in at this narrow gate, wiping away all tears, and all desires shall cease, and sorrow shall never more come near them; and instead thereof such joy, that neither tongue of men or angels can express.

If men and angels do prove silent, then
Why should not I, an inferior man;
Now am I silent, and indite no more,
Pray use no violence then against the poor.

Mortal form, what dost thou mean,
To make such long delay;
Keeping thy soul so poor and lean,
Against the dreadful day?

To which we all must once appear,
To receive our sentence deep;
The sorrowing heart, and terrible fears,
Making our souls to weep.

Two things there are to us propos'd,
Whilst we on earth do dwell;
In chusing one, the other's lost,
Let it be heaven or hell.

Then must our choice be circumspect,

Without a worldly mind:

Lest God one day do us reject,

And we no mercy find.

If heaven we choose, then hell is lost,
We cannot it embrace;

But to the glory of joy we must,
Swallowed be in endless grace.
If hell we choose, the world is gain'd,
Which is that flesh desires:
Then need we nothing to refrain,
That pride and lust requires.
Such are our lusts and covetousness,
The belly and back to please;

With selling and buying, dissembling and lying,
Yet we cannot live at ease.

But still in discontent abide,

Desiring after more:

Our envy would that all had died,

That loved not the whore.

Her merchants they do howl and weep,
Their traffick none will buy:
They wishing now to sow or reap,
One year before they die.
In Revelation, Chap. nineteen,
In truth there you may read;
Who 'tis shall bear the scepter,
When the old whore is dead.
Thus to the wise in their conceit,
As I myself have been:

They now shall know that once they might,
Have left the greatest sin.

O England then repent

For the misery thou art in,
Which have all, by consent,
Liv'd on each others sin.

If pride should banish'd be away,
Then tradesmen out would cry,

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Of such inventions, as at present I can call to mind to have tried and perfected, which, my former notes being lost, I have, at the instance of a powerful friend, endeavoured now, in the year 1655, to set these down in such a way as may sufficiently instruct me to put any of them in practice.

Artis & naturæ proles.

London, printed by J. Grismond in 1663. Twenty-fours, containing ninetyone pages.

SIR,

To the King's most excellent Majesty.

Scire meum nihil est, nisi me scire hoc sciat alter, saith the poet, and I most justly in order to please your majesty, whose satisfaction is my

happiness, and whom to serve is my only aim, placing therein my summum bonum in this world: Be therefore pleased to cast your gracious eye over this summary collection, and then to pick and chuse. I confess I made it but for the superficial satisfaction of a friend's curiosity, according as it is set down; and if it might now serve to give aim to your majesty, how to make use of my poor endeavours, it would crown my thoughts, who am neither covetous nor ambitious, but of deserving your majesty's favour upon my own cost and charges; yet, according to the old English proverb, 'It is a poor dog that is not worth whistling after.' Let but your majesty approve, and I will effectually perform, to the height of my undertaking: Vouchsafe but to command, and with my life and fortune, I shall chearfully obey, and maugre envy, ignorance, and malice, ever appear

Your majesty's

Passionately devoted,

Or otherwise disinterested,

Subject and servant,

WORCESTER.

To the right honourable, the lords spiritual and temporal, and to the knights, citizens, and burgesses of the honourable House of Commons, now assembled in parliament.

My lords and gentlemen,

BE not startled if I address to all, and every of you, this century of summary heads of wonderful things, even after the dedication of them to his most excellent majesty; since it is with his most gracious and particular consent, as well as indeed no ways derogating from my duty to his sacred self, but rather in further order unto it, since your lordships, who are his great council, and you gentlemen, his whole kingdom's representative, most worthily welcome unto him, may fitly receive into your wise and serious considerations, what doth, or may publickly concern both his majesty, and his tenderly beloved people.

Pardon me if I say, my lords and gentlemen, that it is jointly your parts to digest to his hand these ensuing particulars, fitting them to his palate, and ordering how to reduce them into practice in a way useful and beneficial, both to his majesty and his kingdom.

Neither do I esteem it less proper for me to present them to you, in order to his majesty's service, than it is to give into the hands of a faithful and provident steward, whatsoever dainties and provisions are intended for the master's diet; the knowing and faithful steward being best able to make use thereof to his master's contentment, and greatest profit, keeping for the morrow, whatever should be overplus, or needless for the present day, or at least to save something else in lieu thereof. In a word, my lords and gentlemen, I humbly conceive this simile not

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