The other part, which maintaineth the present government of the Church, hath not kept one tenor neither. First, those ceremonies which were pretended to be corrupt, they maintained to be things indifferent, and opposed the examples of the good times of the Church to that challenge which was made unto them, because they were used in the later superstitious times. Then were they also content mildly to acknowledge many imperfections in the Church as tares come up amongst the corn; which yet, according to the wisdom taught by our Saviour, were not with strife to be pulled up, lest it might spoil and supplant the good corn, but to grow on together till the harvest. After, they grew to a more absolute defence and maintenance of all the orders of the Church, and stiffly to hold, that nothing was to be innovated; partly because it needed not, partly because it would make a breach upon the rest. Hence, exasperated through contentions, they are fallen to a direct condemnation of the contrary part, as of a sect. Yea, and some indiscreet persons have been bold in open preaching to use dishonourable and derogatory speech and censure of the churches abroad; and that so far, as some of our men, as I have heard, ordained in foreign parts, have been pronounced to be no lawful ministers. Thus we see the beginnings were modest, but the extremes are violent; so as there is almost as great a distance now of either side from itself, as was at the first of one from the other. And surely, though my meaning and scope be not, as I said before, to enter into

the controversies themselves, yet I do admonish the maintainers of the alone discipline, to weigh and consider seriously and attentively, how near they are unto them, with whom, I know, they will not join. It is very hard to affirm, that the discipline, which they say we want, is one of the essential parts of the worship of God; and not to affirm withal, that the people themselves, upon peril of salvation, without staying for the magistrate, are to gather themselves into it. I demand, if a civil state should receive the preaching of the word and baptism, and interdict and exclude the sacrament of the Lord's supper, were not men bound upon danger of their souls to draw themselves to congregations, wherein they might celebrate this mystery, and not to content themselves with that part of God's worship which the magistrate had authorised? This I speak, not to draw them into the mislike of others, but into a more deep consideration of themselves: "Fortasse non redeunt, quia suum progressum non intelligunt."

Again, to my lords the bishops I say, that it is hard for them to avoid blame, in the opinion of an indifferent person, in standing so precisely upon altering nothing: "leges, novis legibus non recreatæ, acescunt;" laws, not refreshed with new laws, wax sour. "Qui mala non permutat, in bonis non perseverat:" without change of ill, a man cannot continue the good. To take away many abuses, supplanteth not good orders, but establisheth them. "Morosa moris retentio, res turbulenta est, æque ac novitas;" a contentious retaining of custom is a tur

bulent thing, as well as innovation. A good husban is ever pruning in his vineyard or his field; not u seasonably, indeed, not unskilfully, but lightly; h findeth ever somewhat to do. We have heard of n offers of the bishops of bills in parliament; which no doubt, proceeding from them to whom it properl belongeth, would have every where received accep tation. Their own constitutions and orders hav reformed them little. Is nothing amiss? Can any man defend the use of excommunication as a base process to lackey up and down for duties and fees it being a precursory judgment of the latter day?

Is there no mean to train and nurse up ministers for the yield of the universities will not serve, though they were never so well governed; to train them, I say, not to preach, for that every man confidently adventureth to do, but to preach soundly, and to handle the Scriptures with wisdom and judgment? I know prophesying was subject to great abuse, and would be more abused now; because heat of contentions is increased: but I say the only reason of the abuse was, because there was admitted to it a popular auditory; and it was not contained within a private conference of ministers. Other things might be spoken of. I pray God to inspire the bishops with a fervent love and care of the people; and that they may not so much urge things in controversy, as things out of controversy, which all men confess to be gracious and good. And thus much for the second point.

Now, as to the third point, of unbrotherly pro

ceeding on either part, it is directly contrary to my purpose to amplify wrongs: it is enough to note and number them; which I do also, to move compassion and remorse on the offending side, and not to animate challengers and complaints on the other. And this point, as reason is, doth chiefly touch that side which can do most: "Injuriæ potentiorum sunt;" injuries come from them that have the upper hand.

The wrongs of them which are possessed of the government of the Church towards the other, may hardly be dissembled or excused: they have charged them as though they denied tribute to Cæsar, and withdrew from the civil magistrate the obedience which they have ever performed and taught. They have sorted and coupled them with the " Family of love," whose heresies they have laboured to destroy and confute. They have been swift of credit to receive accusations against them, from those that have quarrelled with them, but for speaking against sin and vice. Their accusations and inquisitions have been strict, swearing men to blanks and generalities, not included within compass of matter certain, which the party which is to take the oath may comprehend, which is a thing captious and strainable. Their urging of subscription to their own articles, is but " lacessere, et irritare morbos Ecclesiæ," which otherwise would spend and exercise themselves. "Non consensum quærit sed dissidium, qui, quod factis præstatur, in verbis exigit :" He seeketh not unity, but division, which exacteth that in words, which men are content to yield in action. And it is true,

there are some which, as I am persuaded, will not easily offend by inconformity, who notwithstanding make some conscience to subscribe; for they know this note of inconstancy and defection from that which they have long held, shall disable them to do that good which otherwise they might do: for such is the weakness of many, that their ministry should be thereby discredited. As for their easy silencing of them, in such great scarcity of preachers, it is to punish the people, and not them. Ought they not, I mean the bishops, to keep one eye open, to look upon the good that those men do, not to fix them both upon the hurt that they suppose cometh by them? Indeed, such as are intemperate and incorrigible, God forbid they should be permitted to preach but shall every inconsiderate word, sometimes captiously watched, and for the most part hardly enforced, be as a forfeiture of their voice and gift in preaching? As for sundry particular molestations, I take no pleasure to recite them. If a minister shall be troubled for saying in baptism, "do you believe?" for, "dost thou believe?" If another shall be called in question for praying for her majesty, without the additions of her stile: whereas the form of very in the book of Com mon-Prayer hath, "Thy servant Elizabeth," and no more: If a third shall be accused, upon these words uttered touching the controversies, "tollatur lex, e fiat certamen," whereby was meant, that the preju dice of the law removed, either reasons should be equally compared, of calling the people to sedition

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