bird of Paradise in it is precious I look upon distinctions and ways of Separation as things of humane intercourse if not Diabolick Inventions Christiani esse desierunt qui Christi nomine amisso humana externa vocabula induerunt Lactant. l. 4. Guev p. 90. especially when they come in the whirlwind of an Enthusiasme and not in the fresh and gentle gale of an Evangelical simplicity and an humble submission but are poynted to pierce through by force what they upon lesse turbulent terms cannot work upon aut invenire sequacem aut facere to cut the Gordian knot if they cannot untye it like wilde Empericks who rescind that ligament which they cannot force against nature to their pleasures I can entercommon with any who hold Essentials and are not rapsodously confused though I do to al the world profess my double portion of veneration due to my Mother the holy Church of England and her Gospel-Government truely so called I am not ashamed to own her though among the Pots because yet shall she be as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold Yet I confesse I do not so admire her as to exclude all other Churches of Christ a Christian and dutifull Respect I know though she may be the most beautiful and best beloved of her Father yet is she not the Isaac that only must inherite God hath his Churches in other Angles and parts of the World tender to him as the apple of his eye and those must share in the inheritance of his care custody blessing and encrease I honour therefore their Customs and Rights giving them the Right hand of fellowship and I thank God I have seen some of them to my comfort and partaken here with others Presbyterians in hearing Sermons and receiving Sacraments and from sundry Congregationists or Independents heard Sermons of Piety and Comfort for which I blesse God and them and I wish there were lesse Animosity amongst them because I really judge many of both ways precious and amongst Gods jewels though I have kept close to my Conviction â—…s to the main conceiving Antiquity and the Practice of the Church not contrary to Piety or divine Precept warrant enough hereto therefore take heed ye Saints of what opinion soever for Government how ye censure one another It was a witty speech of Henry 8. That the Charity of Christians was lost in some mens being too stiff in their old Mumpsimus others too busie and curious in their new Sumpsimus me thinks we should all joyntly honour assemblies of Piety and Order in places and times convenient be the persons convening of what form or way soever so long as Christ is in the Church the glory is not departed from Israel while he makes no difference of Rich and Poor Bond and free Iew Gentile I see no warrant for any exception my prayer shal be to be found worthy my Calling and to judge none before the time because God hath reserved judgmeÌ„t for his peculiar and he will execute judgement saith Irenaeus upon all those who make divisions who are wild and have not the Charity of God in them considering more their own profit then the Churches Unity and who for little and light differences rend apieces and divide the great and glorious body of Christ yea as far as they are able kill the body of Christ speaking peace and intending nothing lesse straning at Gnats and passing by Camels I wish the Church of England had not cause to complain of her Children once so and I hope yet for the most part so as holy S. Bernard did of the Christians of his time Pax à paganis pax ab haereticis non pax à filiis Our late divisions have more advantaged our adversaries then all our Books confuted them they can laugh and grin when they see us turn our swords into one anothers bowels and every man as it were massacre his Neighbour when the difference is but for a Rite and a Humour which ought not to stand in competition with Charity Let me alter S. Ieroms words but not his sense Iungat amicitia quos jungit Sacerdotium immo non dividant verba quos Christi nectit amor Do men of Episcopal and Presbyterian or Independent judgement differ in Essentials I trow no. I am sure they did not differ but onely in Rituals the legal maintenance of which til somwhat in place thereof had been orderly introduced might have under favour kept the Church both pure and peaceable and the overturning of which by an over-sudden gust of popular Zeal hath made it what it is a By-word and what it may be feared to become a Chaos for as the Moralist says well in ruinam prona sunt quae sine fundamentis creverunt Tell me O ye Sons of Levi why since ye have one Father God and come from one common Mother the Church there is such contention amongst you are ye not Brethren Tell me why you speak such different dialects Is it not because ye have forsaken the Rules of Gospel-discourse which should not contaminate but minister grace to the hearer Why are ye so evil-eyed one to another that you cannot look upon the Cups of gold in your brethrens sacks mouths but ye must arraign them of falshood and Spiritual theft and make each other offenders for words Did Christ give you the Precept or President of Envying Reviling aggravating injuries Did he deny to do good to his enemies to pray for his Persecutors yea to sacrifice himself for the world and command you to follow his example in love holiness meeknesse patience and can you hope to have acceptance from him whose Dictates you disobey and contrapractise I know not what the matter is that Paul and Barnabas Ierom and Ruffinus Calvin and Melancthon the Episcopal Presbyterian and godly Congregationists may not agree against that adversary and accuser of the brethren yea I shrowdly suspect the this many years make-bate the Iesuite and the pragmatick Roman Priest I think the world is not to seek what the judgments of sober Episcopal men are as to things Religious their books and practices freely resolve all doubt if any there be but yet I hold it reasonable to give a short Character of such Principles as I my self and many others walk by and from which as I shall not warp without Conviction so to them or any of them shall I not adhere out of obstinacy First and above all we acknowledge the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost God and yet not three Gods but one God whom to know is life Eternal and whom to glorifie is the end of our Creation Next we desire to adore and worship with holy Reverence Fear our Lord Jesus the King Head Priest and Prophet of the Church and to prostrate â—…ll we have and are at his most sacred feet who hath we trust
of heavenly things nor so much of the nature of inferiour things as are necessary to judgments nor is their Art demonstrable but they deal upon experience and Vaticinie and back their deceit with Oratorick and Poetick fables and proofs And without doubt could Astrologers foretell any thing certainly there would not have been such follies committed by them as to their dishonour hath been by the just hand of God Nor would that famous Paulus Florentinus have been in the dark who openly professed that he calculated his Nativity and could finde nothing of longaevity in it yet 't is known he lived till 85 years of age which was five yeers above wondrous old in Davids account The Fathers of the Church have been marvellously clamorous against them and their fascinations Tertullian is very sharp and notably perstringes the Simonian Hereticks and Marcionites who both used these Arts adding As for Astrologers they deserve not once to be named they think God not to be consulted with but that we are ordered by the immutable influences of the Stars And in his Book of Idolatry he is so zealous against them that he saith That after the Gospel was received we cannot finde either Sophisters or Caldeans or Inchanters or Conjecturers or Magicians but they were ever severely punished Origen is not behind others in giving them the lash of his pen and he smites once for all he calls Enchanters the Divels Seducings the Divels pastime the dregs of Idolatry the infatuation of souls the scandal of Orders adding that those who follow them are forsaken of God and the holy Angels possessed by the Divell who not onely infatuates them but hardeneth their hearts against the Truth and maks them reprobate to every good word and work Saint Augustine is very smart against them as instrumentall to beguile men of Truth and to betray them to all evils of Atheism Idolatry profanenesse and what not lib. 5. de Civit. Dei So Saint Cyril lib. 10. cont Iulianum Theod. quaest 15. on Genesis Esychius upon the 7. chapter of Leviticus and chap. 19. So Alchymus Olympiodore and Cassiodore as I finde them quoted Hist. Magd. Cent. 6. c. 6. with infinite others which to mention would be needlesse The ancient Councels not onely abroad but at home decree against this or any thing like it in any degree as heathenish So I finde in the Synod of Saint Patrick here about the yeer 456. art 14. A Christian which commits Murder or Adultery or after the manner of the Heathen goeth to a Witch for every such fault let him be enjoyned and accordingly undergo a whole years penance Yea the Law of our Land punisheth a Witch or any one who converseth with an evill spirit with death See Sir Ed. Cook 3. part Instit. p. 44 45. And some of the Learned say That as Augurie Aruspicine and all Sorceries so Astrologick predictions are made by familiarity of evill spirits and that no particular events can be foreknown by any but by that unlawfull compact And for this besides strong Reasons they produce the Authorities of ingenuous Masters in that skil as Gauricus who saith Fieri nequit ut qui tantum sciens est particulares rerum formas praenunciet soli autem Numine afflati praedicunt particularia And therefore though there be difference in the Manner and Kinds of Witchcraft Divination Southsaying Fortune-telling and Astrologie as to exact definition yet they all agree in the end which is by vain impious means to know the future events of Men and Things for which cause the Scripture ranks them together Dan 2. 2. Magicians Astrologers Sorcerers and Caldeans and Tully condemns them together as parts of one and the same pack whereby the Divell seduceth mans curiosity to dishonour God and his Truth by adhering to signes of future events good and evill which not warranted in the Word of God ought not to be rested on by Christians For as the School-men well say Omnes hujusmodi observationes superstitiosae sunt illiciâ—…ae videntur esse quaedam reliquiae Idololatriae See more of this in King Iames his Daemonologie cap. 3 4 5. c. and therefore 't was a good rule of Mariana while commending the study of Religion to a Prince he forbids resting on specious forms of mysterious superstition and on the Art of Divination if it be an Art and not rather a delusion of vain men as things which do misbecome the Majestie of a Governour and imbase the glory of Religion And therefore Cornelius Agrippa after he hath with great severity oppugned this Knowledg and asserted both Picus and Firmianus in their Arguments against it sayes Dignissima profectò Ars quam olim etiam Daemones profiterentur in fallaciam hominum in injuriam Divinitatis And as Religion is by these heathenish and indemonstrable Arts dishonoured so is the Civill Polity and Authority of the Magistrate hereby endammaged and imperill'd For such is the policy of Satan and the corruption of our nature that we give more heed usually to Doctrines of Divels then to the rules and dictates of true Religion And though the Scriptures be precise that obedience be given in all things according to the will of God to those that are placed over us or permitted by providence to have power amongst us and it rests a duty on us to give honour to whom honour and fear to whom fear is due yet how easily will those bonds be broken and that awe upon the conscience be discharged if mens recumbencies be on Prognosticators and their Charmes and mentitious Presages Many sad villanies may by the midwifry of this Impostor be perpetrated Which is confirmed by Tiberius of whom the Historian sayes That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Calculating the day and hour of their Nativities if he found in them any thing excellent or any good fortune or likelinesse to attaine the Empire he slew them Therefore Tacitus calls them Genus hominum Principibus infidum credentibus fallax à Civitate nostra semper prohibentur Which the wise Counsellor Agrippa forewarns Octavian hereof while he sayes Magicians are not to be endured for admit they speak some things true yet oftner do they by lying fool men into attempts dangerous and innovating I the rather enlarge on these hints because I see a notorious mischief coming in at this door the insolencies of the Astrologers and their Appendices being not onely great and bold like the sin of Sodom but also scandalous to Our Religion and much detractfull from the honour and successe of it For so bold are they grown that they court men from the Ordinances of Christ in the Church to their Dens of speculation and fascinating Vaults and with Simon Magus Acts 8. bewitch men with their sorceries perting themselves up and priding over the sacred Order of the Ministry under the disfavoured name of Presbytery as if
Minister no Statesman Learning is usefull to both A good and wise Governor must read the Rules and practices of former Governors and Governments and from them pick and chuse things of advantage to his own establishment and subjects peace and increase which without learned Tongues and Arts or learned Men to help him he cannot do Though we have many with Narcissus in love with their own shadows and enamoured with the smart and applauded contrivances of their Wits as they think condemning all for vanity and emptynesse which hath not paid duty to their conceits yet time wil shew we are no more born wise and intelligent here then in other parts nor no more now then in former times nay wel will it be for us if after-ages give us not this Motto They are wise to do evil but to do good they have no understanding which is directly contrary to the Apostles counsel to his Romans I would have you wise to that which is good and simple concerning evill Well fare former times wherein Science and Learning was the onely way to Fame and Rule Nazianzene tels us That Eloquence was a ready step to estimation and that it fixed a kind of Majesty on all that had it And Plutarch seconds it When saith he Kings honour Philosophers they adorn themselves as wel as those Philosophers Princes and Philosophers have been Synonima's and those thought most meet to rule others that had first subjected themselves which they found few men had but Philosophers whose riches was in poverty and contentation This made them acclamated to no mean degree Plutarch writing to an unlearned Prince quotes a saying of Theopompus King of Sparta That Philosophical Learning dwelling in a Prince and as it were his Keeper and Counsellor takes away that power which exceeds right and disturbs the Body politick as peccant humours do the Body naturall and leaves onely behinde what is sound Ignorance and unletterdnesse ill becomes any man who bears the Image of God but worst of all a Governor Vegetius to this purpose It befits no man to know more better things then a Prince whose Learning may profit all his subjects And I have read of a notable speech Rex illiteratus est asinus Coronatus I know the Vulgar are more in love with a Ferreum latus then an Aureum caput and the Orator was safe enough when for his Clyent he said Councels must give way to Camps Peace to War the Pen to the Sword and the shadow to the Sun It is Pardonable in the Barbarous Goths to desire their Queen not to educate her Son and there to be King Alaricus learnedly Lest he should degenerate and not prove a Divel of Ruine as were the people of that Nation though they gave their request a better dress That hee might not be unfit for Politick Manageries I have read indeed of a French complement to the same tune the learned King Lewis the 11. would have his Son Charles to be wholly unlearned and under Favour he gives a Reason unlike his Character of Learned That he might not be pertinacious in Councels but it fell so out that his own ignorance made him rely upon those who to his great damage and dishonour misguided him it being in a kind unnatural for any man to chuse that virtue in another which he hath not in some degree first in himself and almost impossible to Rule and Counsel well where the Laws and Methods of Government and Politick affairs are not to an eminent degree Imbibed Which occasioned that learned Lord Bacon to press so much the necessity of Learning in all States-men as that with which they might serve to great purposes of good For it is rare saith he and almost without example that any State was unhappily governed where learned men were at helm and gave order for the steerage To this assents Prudentius l. 1. Cont. Sym. And as Religion and Government will be claudicated in the decay of Learning so will there be no expectation of mens abilities for the future to do those necessarie Offices to humane nature and humane Societies either of preservation or restoration the benefit of which is now every day found Physicians will grow scarce we shall need no other enemies but diseases which will thrive like Vermin in an unhabited house whence they are never chased Mans body like other compounds will corrupt in time the knowledge of proper Remedies and Restoratives lyes in the Cause and seat of the Disease fore-known Learning must conduct the Physician to this for without Tongues under the lock of which all their Aphorismes and Rules of Art are they can but ghess at Distempers as Quaks do and prescribe things no more proper to the cures of them then starving is to growth poyson to long life or prodigality to thrift yea the Hermetick secrets and Occult qualities which Nature hath in her and the use whereof is not to be deliniated in a short Panegyrick will be quite estranged to us if Arts be stifled and Artists in stead of Honour and encouragement have no other recompence but censure of Time and Money spent by them in needless and impertinent Curiosities And believe me he that knows the Proficiencies every day made by our Physicians in discoveries of helps and cures will not deny them their regard or think them deservers of it at cheap rates they travel far studie close make many chargable and intricate searches into Natures work and way that thereby they may with more speed and certaintie prevent her miscariage and surprisal by noysom and pestilential diseases The Body then is concerned to advance their interest as are the Goods and property of men to promote the Lawyers being and well-being which decay and discontinuance of Learning will hazard For a compleat Lawyer must not onely be made up of Presidents and Methodick forms like Country Curats who have but one or few Sermons for all Congregations and occasions but instructed and read in the body of the Law versed in the subtilities of pleadings and judicious defences able to distinguish of Titles and state and resolve their niceties A good Lawyer must be every way accomplished apt to Counsel quick of tongue patient to hear and prompt to remember and conceive the arguments of his Opponent knowing where Fallacies are lodged and how best to redeem right from her Wardship and this well he cannot do without Tongues learned and books throughly consulted with There are many that follow the Bar as the people did Christ Onely for the loaves and gain of mony John 6. 26. being curious rather to accumulate Fees then Law and more obliged to their Gowns and Calls to practise then to acquirements by study and Adaptations thereto in regard of Intellectual abilities these do so torment Science and ingender Monsters in practise that the noble profession of Law is grown a burthen in many mens opinions not to be