That the Word of God, whereby His will is revealed, continued in revelation and tradition until Moses; and that the Scriptures were from Mofes' times to the times of the Apostles and Evangelifts; in whose age, after the coming of the Holy Ghoft, the teacher of all Truth, the book of the Scriptures was fhut and closed, fo as not to receive any new addition; and that the Church hath no power over the Scriptures to teach or command anything contrary to the written Word, but is as the ark, wherein the tables of the firft Teftament were kept and preserved: that is to fay, the Church hath only the cuftody and delivering over of the Scriptures committed unto the fame, together with the interpretation of them; but fuch only as is conceived from themfelves.

That there is a univerfal or catholic Church of God, difperfed over the face of the earth; which is Chrift's Spouse and Chrift's body; being gathered of the fathers of the old world, of the Church of the Jews, of the spirits of the faithful diffolved, of the fpirits of the faithful militant, and of the names yet to be born, which are already written in the

book of life. That there is also a visible Church, diftinguished by the outward works of God's covenant and the receiving of the holy doctrine, with the ufe of the mysteries of God and the invocation and fanctification of His holy Name. That there is also a holy fucceffion in the prophets of the New Teftament and Fathers of the Church, from the time of the apoftles and difciples which faw our Saviour in the flesh, unto the confummation of the work of the miniftry; which perfons are called from God by gift, or inward anointing and the vocation of God, followed by an outward calling and ordination of the Church.

I believe that the fouls of those that die in the Lord are bleffed, and reft from their labours, and enjoy the fight of God, yet fo as they are in expectation of a further revelation of their glory in the last day; at which time all flesh of man fhall arise and be changed, and fhall appear and receive from Jefus Chrift His eternal judgment; and the glory of the faints fhall then be full, and the kingdom fhall be given up to God the Father from which time all things

:

fhall continue for ever in that being and ftate which they fhall receive; fo as there are three times (if times they may be called) or parts of eternity: the first, the time before beginnings, when the Godhead was only, without the being of any creature; the second, the time of the mystery, which continueth from the time of the creation to the diffolution of the world; and the third, the time of the revelation of the fons of God; which time is the last, and is everlasting without change.

THEOLOGICAL CONTRO

VERSIES.

Men ought to take heed of rending God's Church by two kinds of controverfies. The one is, when the matter of the point controverted is too small and light, not worth the heat and ftrife about it, kindled only by contradiction. For as it is noted by one of the Fathers, 'Chrift's coat indeed had no feam, but the Church's vefture was of divers colours': whereupon he faith, In vefte varietas

fit, fciffura non fit' [= let there be variety in the garment, but let there be no divifion]: they be two things, Unity and Uniformity. The other is, when the matter of the point controverted is great, but it is driven to an over-great fubtlety and obfcurity; fo that it becometh a thing rather ingenious than substantial. A man that is of judgment and understanding fhall fometimes hear ignorant men differ, and know well within himself that those which fo differ mean one thing, and yet they themfelves would never agree. And if it come fo to pass in that distance of judgment which is between man and man, shall we not think that God above, that knows the heart, doth not discern that frail men in fome of their contradictions intend the fame thing, and accepteth of both? (Efays, 1625: Of Unity in Religion, iii.)

CROWNING OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, WIFE OF HENRY VII.

The Queen was with great folemnity crowned at Westminster the 25th No

vember [1487], in the third year of his [Henry VII.'s] reign, which was about two years after the marriage (like an old christening that had stayed long for godfather); which strange and unusual distance of time made it subject to every man's note that it was an act against his ftomach, and put upon him by neceffity and reafon of State. (Life of Henry VII.)

Embally to Pope Innocent Herein.

At that time alfo the King sent an ambaffador unto Pope Innocent, fignifying unto him his marriage.

The ambaffador, making his oration to the Pope in the presence of the cardinals, did fo magnify the King and Queen, as was enough to glut the hearers. But then he did again fo extol and deify the Pope, as made all that he had faid in praise of his master and mistress seem temperate and passable. But he was very honourably entertained and extremely much made of by the Pope, who, knowing himself to be lazy