after conviction this only cenfure were adjudg'd him, that he should never henceforth write, but what were first examin'd by an appointed officer, whose hand fhould be annext to passe his credit for him, that now he might be safely read, it could not be apprehend leffe then a disgracefull punishment. Whence to include the whole Nation, and those that never yet thus offended, under fuch a diffident and fufpectfull prohibition, may plainly be understood what a disparagement it is. So much the more, when as dettors and delinquents may walk abroad without a keeper, but unoffensive books must not stirre forth without a visible jaylor in thir title. Nor is it to the common people lesse then a reproach; for if we so jealous over them, as that we dare not trust them with an English pamphlet, what doe we but cenfure them for a giddy, vitious, and ungrounded people; in fuch a fick and weak estate of faith and discretion, as to be able to take nothing down but through the pipe of a licencer. That this is care or love of them, we cannot pretend, whenas in those Popish places where the Laity are most hated and despis'd the same strictnes is us'd over them. Wisdom we cannot call it, because it stops but one breach of licence, nor that neither; whenas those corruptions which it seeks to prevent, break in faster at other dores which cannot be shut.

And in conclufion it reflects to the difrepute of our Ministers also, of whose labours we should hope better, and of the proficiencie which thir flock reaps by them, then that after all this light of the Gospel which is, and is to be, and all this continuall preaching, they should be ftill frequented with fuch an unprincipl'd, unedi sy'd, and laick rabble, as that the whiffe of every new pamphlet should stagger them out of their catechism, and Christian walking. This may have much reason to discourage the Ministers when fuch a low conceit is had of all their exhortations, and the benefiting of their hearers, as that they are not thought fit to be turn'd loose to three sheets of paper without a licencer, that all the Sermons, all the Lectures preacht, printed,

vented in fuch numbers, and fuch volumes, as have now wellnigh made all other books unsalable, should not be armor anough against one single enchiridion, without the caftle of St Angelo of an Imprimatur.

And left som should perswade ye, Lords and Com mons, that these arguments of lerned mens difcouragement at this your order, are meer flourishes, and not reall, I could recount what I have feen and heard in other Countries, where this kind of inquifition tyrannizes; when I have fat among their lerned men, for that honor I had, and bin counted happy to be born in fuch a place of Philofophic freedom, as they suppos'd England was, while themselvs did nothing but bemoan the fervil condition into which lerning amongst them was brought; that this was it which had dampt the glory of Italian wits; that nothing had bin there writt'n now these many years but flattery and fustian. There it was that I found and visited the famous Galileo grown old, a prifner to the Inquifition, for thinking in Aftronomy otherwise then the Franciscan and Dominican licencers thought. And though I knew that England then was groaning loudeft under the Prelaticall yoak, neverthelesse I tooke it as a pledge of future happines, that other Nations were fo perfwaded of her liberty. Yet was it beyond my hope that those Worthies were then breathing in her air, who fhould be her leaders to fuch a deliverance, as shall never be forgott'n by any revolution of time that this world hath to finish. When that was once begun, it was as little in my fear, that what words of complaint I heard among lerned men of other parts utter'd against the Inquifition, the fame I should hear by as lerned men at home utterd in time of Parlament against an order of licencing; and that fo generally, that when I disclos'd my self a companion of their discontent, I might fay, if without envy, that he whom an honeft quæftorship had indear'd to the Sicilians, was not more by them importun'd against Verres, then the favourable opinion which I had among many who honour ye, and are known and

respected by ye, loaded me with entreaties and perswasions, that I would not despair to lay together that which just reason should bring into my mind, toward the removal of an undeserved thraldom upon lerning. That this is not therefore the disburdning of a particular fancie, but the common grievance of all those who had prepar'd their minds and studies above the vulgar pitch to advance truth in others, and from others to entertain it, thus much may satisfie. And in their name I shall for neither friend nor foe conceal what the generall murmur is; that if it come to inquifitioning again, and licencing, and that we are so timorous of our selvs, and so suspicious of all men, as to fear each book, and the shaking of every leaf, before we know what the contents are, if some who but of late were little better then filenc't from preaching, fhall come now to filence us from reading, except what they please, it cannot be guest what is intended by som but a second tyranny over learning: and will foon put it out of controversie that Bishops and Presbyters are the same to us both name and thing. That those evills of Prelaty which before from five or fix and twenty Sees were diftributivly charg'd upon the whole people, will now light wholly upon learning, is not obscure to us: whenas now the Pastor of a small unlearned Parish, on the fudden shall be exalted Archbishop over a large dioces of books, and yet not remove, but keep his other cure too, a mysticall pluralift. He who but of late cry'd down the fole ordination of every novice Batchelor of Art, and deny'd fole jurifdiction over the simplest Parishioner, shall now at home in his privat chair assume both these over worthiest and excellentest books and ableft authors that write them. This is not, Yee Covenants and Proteftations that we have made, this is not to put down Prelaty, this is but to chop an Epifcopacy, this is but to tranflate the Palace Metropolitan from one kind of dominion into another, this is but an old cannonicall flight of commuting our penance. To startle thus betimes at a meer unlicenc't

pamphlet will after a while be afraid of every conventicle, and a while after will make a conventicle of every Christian meeting. But I am certain that a State govern'd by the rules of juftice and fortitude, or a Church built and founded upon the rock of faith and true knowledge, cannot be fo pufillanimous. While things are yet not constituted in Religion, that freedom of writing should be restrain'd by a discipline imitated from the Prelats, and learnt by them from the Inquifition to shut us up all again into the breft of a licencer, must needs give cause of doubt and discouragement to all learned and religious men. Who cannot but difcern the finenes of this politic drift, and who are the contrivers; that while Bishops were to be baited down, then all Preffes might be open; it was the people's birthright and priviledge in time of Parlament, it was the breaking forth of light. But now the Bishops abrogated and voided out of the Church, as if our Reformation fought no more, but to make room for others into their feats under another name, the Episcopall arts begin to bud again, the crufe of truth must run no more oyle, liberty of Printing must be enthrall'd again under a Prelaticall commiffion of twenty, the privilege of the people nullify'd, and which is wors, the freedom of learning must groan again, and to her old fetters; all this the Parlament yet fitting. Although their own late arguments and defences against the Prelats might remember them that this obftructing violence meets for the most part with an event utterly opposite to the end which it drives at : instead of fuppreffing fects and schisms, it raises them and invests them with a reputation: The punishing of wits enhaunces their autority, faith the Vicount St. Albans, and a forbidd'n writing is thought to be a certain spark of truth that flies up in the faces of them who feeke to tread it out. This order therefore may prove a nursing mother to fects, but I fhall easily fhew how it will be a ftep-dame to Truth: and first by difinabling us to the maintenance of what is known already.

Well knows he who ufes to confider, that our faith

and knowledge thrives by exercise, as well as our limbs and complexion. Truth is compar'd in Scripture to a streaming fountain; if her waters flow not in a perpetuall progreffion, they fick'n into a muddy pool of conformity and tradition. A man may be a heretick in the truth; and if he beleeve things only because his Paftor fayes fo, or the Affembly fo determins, without knowing other reason, though his belief be true, yet the very truth he holds, becomes his herefie. There is not any burden that som would gladier post off to another, then the charge and care of their Religion. There be, who knows not that there be of Proteftants and profeffors who live and dye in as arrant an implicit faith, as any lay Papist of Loretto. A wealthy man addicted to his pleasure and to his profits, finds Religion to be a traffick fo entangl'd, and of fo many piddling accounts, that of all mysteries he cannot skill to keep a stock going upon that trade. What shoulde he doe? fain he would have the name to be religous, fain he would bear up with his neighbours in that. What does he therefore, but refolvs to give over toyling, and to find himself out fom factor, to whofe care and credit he may commit the whole managing of his religous affairs; fom Divine of note and estimation that must be. To him he adheres, resigns the whole ware-house of his religion, with all the locks and keyes into his cuftody; and indeed makes the very person of that man his religion; esteems his affociating with him a sufficient evidence and commendatory of his own piety. So that a man may say his religion is now no more within himself, but is becom a dividuall movable, and goes and comes neer him, according as that good man frequents the house. He entertains him, gives him gifts, feasts him, lodges him; his religion comes home at night, praies, is liberally fupt, and sumptuously laid to fleep, rifes, is faluted, and after the malmsey, or some well spic't bruage, and better breakfafted then he whofe morning appetite would have gladly fed on green figs between Bethany and Ierufalem, his Religion walks abroad at eight, and