as the Jews believed and were obliged to believe of the God of their Fathers that he was the Lord and that there was none besides him none that might compare with him in Majesty Perfection or Power Exod. 20. 3. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me therefore the Scythians were used to shoot up towards heaven as it were in defiance when ever it thundred or lightened to show that whatever opinion any other of the Heathen Nations might have of those or any other Phoenomena of nature whose causes they could not explain they themselves notwithstanding had not any other opinion of them than as of dependent and created things that had nothing of Self-existence or Divinity in their nature and could not wound or annoy any thing whether men or houses or corn or beasts but either by chance or as they were directed by a Superiour power and skill they are the words of Herodotus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is and this part of the Thracians that is the Getae are used to shoot up towards heaven when ever it thunders and lightens threatning and affronting their supposed Divinity as thinking there is no other God but Zamolxis This Zamolxis therefore was El heljon Deus ille altissimus as the Socinians are used to speak in another case in opposition to all inferiour and dependent Beings and to all Images or material representations the works of nature or of art and it is manifest from this that these people were not Idolaters properly so called but that they worshipped the true God by his name Jah though after such a manner as he had not only not appointed but expresly forbidden by commanding the Israelites that they should not suffer their children to pass through the fire to Moloch as the Ammonites were used to do and by substituting the lives of Sheep and Oxen to be an expiation for the sins of men by both of which there is nothing more plain than that all humane sacrifices were forbidden Thirdly These Scythians were zealous assertors of the Doctrine of Transmigration which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the passing of the same soul through several humane bodies so as after they were gone to Zamolxis that is dissolved from that body to which they were last united they returned again into a new Scene or Stage of humane life to act their parts over again in a new suppositum or personality consisting of the same soul united to another body Fourthly They did not hold this of all departed souls but only of those that were good and vertuous or at least of such as had lived within some tolerable compass of sobriety and duty both of these are expresly asserted by Herodotus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it was the Doctrine of Zamolxis that neither he nor his companions or disciples nor any that were descended from them should ever dye but that they should return to the earth again from whence they were parted where they should always enjoy all manner of good things And in that I have translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in strictness of speech is those that were used to drink together with him by his companioâ—s or rather disciples in this I am warranted both by the thing it self eating and drinking together being an argument of their being in Covenant with him and that they were his servants and his followers which was the meaning of the peace-offerings among the Jews of which the Priests the People and God himself had each of them their share And I am further confirmed by the words of the Etymologist and Suidas out of Hellanicus relating the same Story 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that neither he nor those that were with him should ever dye those that were with him that is again his disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greeks would express it or in the Hebrew Idiom they that walked with God Now both of these Doctrines that is to say of the Transmigration and that it belonged only to good men or at least to such as were comparatively and tolerably so Both of these I say were the Doctrines of the Pharisees among the Jews in both of which because it is unlikely they would have jumped so exactly with one another if one had not received them from the other this is another argument that Zamolxis is Jah Moloc the name of the true God whom the Pharisees worshipped Joseph Antiq. l. 18. c. 2. speaking of the Pharisees says thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are of opinion that humane souls are of an immortal nature that the souls of the wicked are punished under ground and that those of the just are in a state of happiness and reward and that the first of these are under a perpetual restraint but the other do easily return to live over the wonted period upon earth again And in the second book de bello Judaico the same Authour delivers it as the Doctrine of the Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That every soul is immortal but that only those of the good and vertuous return to live over in another body From which places it is plain that the Doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Scythians the Worshippers of Zamolxis was the same only whereas the Scythians seem to have believed that only the souls of the good were immortal Josephus reports it as the Doctrine of the Pharisees that all souls were so yet since the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Herodotus is certainly the same with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Josephus that is the return of good men into new bodies this hinders not but that they are both of them for all this exactly agreed And that this was the opinion of the Jews that is of part of them for it could not be the Doctrine of the Sadducees who believed there was neither Angel nor Spirit is evident from several places of the Gospels Matth. 16. 13. Jesus puts this question to his disciples Whom do men say that I the son of man am To which they return this answer v. 14. Some say that thou art John the Baptist some Elias and others Jeremias or one of the Prophets that is they supposed the Person of our Saviour by reason of the Miracles which he wrought and the admirable Doctrine which he communicated to the world to be the â—â—ul of one of these great and holy men united to that body which they saw So in the Story of Nicodemus Joh. 3. 3. Jusus said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God V. 4. Nicodemus saith unto him How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his Mothers womb and be born And v. 9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him How can these things be To which Jesus answered v. 10. Art thou a Master in Israel and
behave our selves humbly in the presence of the true and onely God to acknowledge our offences and repent us of our sins and give thanks to God for his mercy to pray that the Body and Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ may preserve our Body and Soul to everlasting life and to take that holy Sacrament to our unspeakable and eternal comfort meekly kneeling upon our knees But it would be infinite to say all that might be said upon so copious a subject in which I have all the way so plainly concurring with me the voice of reason of experience and of the wisest and best men of these and all times ever since the Reformation therefore I shall summ up all as I began with the words of the Apostle Let all things be done decently and in order THE END AN EXERCITATION CONCERNING The true Time of Our Saviour's Passover BEING PART of a DIGRESSION In the Additions to the SERMON Before Sir P. W. By John Turner late Fellow of Christ's College in Cambridge Stulta est clementia cùm tot ubique Vatibus occurras perituroe parcere Chartoe LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1684. Reverendo admodum Patri ET Antiqui Generis Morisque Viro HENDERICO Antistiti Meritissimo LONDINATVM c. JOANNES TVRNER ex voto ACcipias placido Praeful Clarissime vultu Quae tibi Grantigenoe fubvehit unde Cami. Namque Camus quondam sacros mihi praebuit haustus Fovit in blando Granta benigna sinu Ille quidem large Fluvius non labitur amne Nec vehit auriferas Gangis ad instar aquas Sed Camus Angliacis dat nomina docta Canonis Dat decus titulis surgit ubique novis Coulius hîc quondam est viridanti auditus in herba Tinnula Threiciis plectra ciere modis Hîc cecinit cassos Vates neglectus amores Subque tuo gemuit Cypria Diva jugo Traditur hîc vivos rosisse Barovius ungues Cui nihil arcani non patuisse ferunt Ille omnes linguas Musas calluit omnes Ah! nimium vitae prodigus ille suae Quid referam Heroas longo quos ordine monstrat Quae micat hâc Coeli fulgida luce dies Vix habet aequales Oxonia Mater alumnos Nec beat Isiacas laus magis alta domos Unum te nobis superi si fortè dedissent Vix superis dandum quod superesset erat Tu columen rerum tu lux tu sacra salutis Anchora Arctoi tu Cynosura poli Tu benè pacatis firmas altaria bellis Atque togae posito corripis arma sago Te Bellona suum te Pax agnoscit alumnum Condecorántque tuas LAURUS OLIVA Comas Martis habes animos linguam ingeniúmque Minervae Et tumet ancipiti mens cumulata Deo Non proavos jactas nec avita in stirpe superbis Nec genus in laudes cogitur ire tuas Sed facis egelidas in te revirescere manes Plusque refers genti quà m dedit illa tibi O quam te memorem COMPTONI nobilis Heros Lumen idem Patriae deliciaeque tuae O mihi si centum linguae centum ora fuissent Doctáque centenâ chorda sonare manu Omnis lingua tuos os omne sonaret honores Tactáque centeno pectine sacra chelys Quà m pulchrè excelsi cavit Moderator Olympi Ut benè res Patriae Relligionis eant Cùm Lambetha Parens GVLIELMO Principe gestit Et magnum HENRICI Numen in Vrbe viget Scilicet à tantis Ecclesia fulta columnis Non timet à rabido Schismate posse quati Sed secura sui longum jam pergit in aevum Pergat io auspiciis usque beata novis Tu quoque Patricio Pastor praefulgidus ortu Perge tuo populos pascere more tuos Perge salutiferam dextrâ numerare senectam Nestroris Pylios canus adire dies Quo tu plura animi possis monumenta verendi Spargere exemplis auctior esse bonis Hei mihi qui referens tanto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patri Non possim ex inopi promere digna penu Digna tuis meritis nostrâ digna parente Quae me Castaliis edidit alma jugis Tu tamen accipies animum pro thure colentis Digna relaturus si potuisset erat Accipies placido Praesul Clarissime vultu Quae tibi Grantigenoe subvehit unde Cami. J. T. THE CONTENTS THE Time of our Saviour's Passover assigned viz. upon the Evening of the Fourteenth of Nisan Page 98. Four places of Scripture produced to justifie this opinion p. 99 100. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what and the errour of Bochartus noted p. 101 102. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Easter Sunday and why p. 102 103. Tessarescaidecatitae who p. 102. A fifth place of Scripture produced to confirm this notion concerning the true time of our Saviour's last Supper which yet does not prove so certainly as the other four p. 103. Vpon what account it was necessary that our blessed Lord should suffer at that very time when the Passover was to be killed among the Jews p. 103 104. Three places of Scripture alledged in favour of a contrary opinion that our Saviour's last Supper was celebrated upon the true time of the Jewish Passover and not the night before it as I have affirmed p. 104 105. A general answer to all these three places p. 105. A more particular answer ibid. Objection How comes it to pass that the Parasceue or preparation to the Passover is in the three places last mentioned called the first day of unleavened Bread and the day of unleavened Bread p. 106. Two Answers to the Objection the first not much relied upon but the second confirmed by an observation of Capellus and Grotius and by comparing of two testimonies alledged from Josephus p. 106 107. To the five places that have been mentioned above and which are all of them produced by Bochartus with a design to answer and elude their force there is a sixth added to strengthen my opinion p. 108. Bochartus his evasion of the first of those five places considered and refuted p. 108 109. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Dr. Lightfoot's evasion of this place though in it self false yet much more plausible than that of Bochartus p. 109. Grotius concurrs in opinion with me that this first place is to be interpreted of the last Supper in opposition to Dr. Lightfoot ibid. The word Passover in the second place cannot be understood of the Chagigah as Bochartus would have it proved at large p. 109 110 111. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the preparation of the Passover in the third place cannot be understood of the Passover it self but onely of the day before it proved p. 111 112. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the second Sabbath after the first what p. 112. Reasons given to strengthen my opinion from the nature of the Sacrifice of Christ compared with those types by which it was shadowed out under the Law p. 113 114.
I cannot imagine but I shall do in all so as notwithstanding the conceptions which are uttered may be materially different from one another yet they will all bear their part in the harmonious consort of our common design which is to perswade to communion and to peace this ought in reason to be looked upon since we have not at any time compared notes together nor have ever had any private conference at Sevill or Valadolid or any other place to be not so much the voice of prejudice as of nature which is every where uniform and like her self and being attentively and heedfully consulted will be sure to pronounce the same sentence where the cases themselves are not different from one another But though all other considerations and motives should desert me when I pretend to give a reason of publishing these papers yet this I am sure will not that if by the usefulness of my performance I cannot doe an immediate service to the cause it self yet that cannot possibly suffer any disparagement from so obscure a Champion for it and I shall at least doe a collateral service by giving an advantage to others upon the comparison and therefore I beg of Your Lordship if I am not so happy to make a succesfull attaque upon the enemies of our Church who hold out obstinately notwithstanding all their arguments are answered their trenches filled up and their bastions beat about their ears yet that at least I may be suffered to be a foil to its friends and to appear in the company of those for whom I have so great an honour and esteem Velut Hedera serpens inter victrices lauros But that which was the chief inducement to me to come abroad at this time or rather a provocation which I could not resist was that to frustrate the design of my competition when I appeared a candidate for the Salters favour the memory of this Sermon was by mine enemies made use of as an objection against me and though this stratageme was far from having that malevolent influence upon the success of my affairs which was intended it appearing after all that I had a very powerfull interest in that Loyal body yet I had reason to take it very ill that that which was an instance of my Loyalty and affection to the government and the Religion established and therefore ought in justice to have been an argument in my behalf should be made an article of impeachment against me And for that reason I was resolved to publish what I had written partly to vindicate my self and partly that being challenged at so bold a rate with that which was my duty and was indeed mine honour as if it had been an unpardonable fault not to publish it at such a critical juncture might be interpreted a disowning of what I had done which I abhor to think of and have taken this course to purge and vindicate my self in the best manner I can as well from the suspicion of so detestable a baseness as from the guilt and blackness of the crime it self And as I was firmly bent upon this honest resolution those words of our Saviour came into my mind which he spake to his Disciples in his Sermon on the mount and which have a particular reference to the Clergy in all ages Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt have lost its savour wherewith shall it be salted I considered that salt by naturallists was looked upon as the great principle of fixation and rest that by the ancients it was accounted a symbol of friendship and a token of peace and upon such accounts as these thought I within my self it cannot be that the Salters who are a Loyal body firm to the King and the Religion established who are desirous to promote that peace and good correspondence among men which is the very life of trade and the greatest blessing of life and by consequence are zealous for that uniformity of divine worship without which experience tells us there is no peace to be had it cannot be that they who are thus disposed should be displeased with me for being like themselves so that instead of losing any thing of my interest among them I did rather promise my self abundance of advantage from the honesty of this action which if it be not otherwise rewarded will sit down contented in the enjoyment of it self and will abundantly make up with inward satisfaction whatever it wants of any outward reward If the salt have lost its savour in the original it is if we may call the Greek the original of St. Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Your Lordship knows to be a Latinism as there are many such in the New Testament si sal infatuetur for this is the meaning of fatuus in Latin it signifies a pall'd and phlegmy substance that hath no taste nor relish no savour life or spirit in it it is a floating sediment and a liquid Caput mortuum and therefore it is very fitly applied in the metaphorical way to insignificant and useless persons the men of latitude and moderation that have not the courage nor the honesty to declare themselves but live in a Commonwealth with the same listless and unconcerned indifference as if they were not members of it which if it have any effect at all it must needs be a very bad one by keeping the disagreeing parties at a bay by casting a tacit and supposed reflexion upon such as dare stand up in defence of the Government and the Laws as if they were not so good or at least not so wise as they should be and by giving at the same time a secret encouragement to the disaffected interest and party as if their cause were such that all the moderate and sober sort would side with them if they durst but dare not in Conscience take part with the Laws against them And yet after all this is fatuum in both senses it is not onely insipid but it is foolish too and certainly for any man to sit still with his armes folded and his eyes dropping into a forgetfull slumber pretending neither to see nor feel any thing about him when his own interest which is involved in that of the publick lies at stake and when by declaring for his Country against a Faction he may ensure himself and get a great deal of deserved honour and reputation into the bargain is at once a most prodigious wickedness and a most despicable folly together for though they doe a present service to the Faction by it yet it is true with them as it is with us he that is not with us is against us and so it will be seen if ever they get the day that the indifferent standers by shall fare no better than he that made a stout and resolute resistence onely there will indeed be this difference between them that though the estates of the one and of the other are an equally tempting and inviting
Qui mihi which would have done me admirable service and that is Quis talia fando Myrmidonum Dolopum ve aut duri Miles Ulyssi Temperet à Lachrymis But these two being both of them prostitute citations which deny no authour that hath occasion for them I shall be content to say in homely downright English without the advantage of historical embellishments or Poetical flowers that it was impossible for me to be concerned as I am for the peace of the Church and the happiness of mankind without expressing an hearty indignation that we must be made miserable for the sake of trifles and by the bold artifices of conventicling varlets that are as ignorant as they are disloyal fellows that pretend to I know not what influences of the Spirit onely for that reason because they are unskilfull in Letters men that are so far from being qualifi'd to instruct the people that they understand not common sense themselves and are the most contemptible idiots under the cope of Heaven I appeal to Your Lordship and to all manking whether this be not sufficient to justifie a passion and whâ—ther it be not a man's duty to express himself after the example of our Saviour with the same severity and deserved sharpness with which he treated the Scribes and Pharisees and Hypocrites of his time nay it is still more our duty to imitate that example because there is greater cause and matter of indignation for the Pharisees though they were indeed Hypocrites and deceivers and as Josephus assures us a pragmatical Sect and very great medlers with affairs of State yet they were many of them admirable scholars and men of great understanding and though they may be justly upbraided with want of honesty yet with want of learning they could not they had that in abundance and that was one reason that made them despise the Gospel at that rate that they did as being preached by the Carpenter's Son and by a few poor Fishermen and illiterate people But we are fallen into the hands of Fools as well as Knaves men that have neither honesty nor sense nor learning that preach as with the same lowdness that the Thunder does or the Cataracts of Nile which is musick onely for Crocodiles and monsters so with no better eloquence or more intelligible meaning and they encourage and animate one another like Mariners weighing anchor they set their shoulders to the government and muster all the strength and all the noise they can make and resolve with themselves to unhinge the Kingdom and overturn the world by importunity and clamour Wherefore let any expression be never so severe yet I desire no allowance to be made me onely let men consider whether what I say be true or no for upon supposition that I speak no more than the truth the things are of that consequence that wonderfull and yet that manifest and plain importance that there can be no severity too much no zeal too fierce nor any Steliteutick or Satry too invective David in his time said it of himself that That zeal of God's house had eaten him up but we have lived to see the Phrase inverted and seem to have eaten up the zeal of God's house and if there be any thing that can excuse those bitter imprecations which David showrs in such plenty upon his enemies which cannot well be done by any thing but by saying that they were enemies to God and to Religion as well as to him then certainly we shall still be more excusable or rather it will be highly commendable and praise-worthy in us if without the curses of David we onely give a due character of the seducers of our times the disturbers of our peace and the most dangerous enemies of manking that the people may avoid them and leave them as they do very well deserve to be a curse and calamity to themselves Let any man judge if a concern for any thing be in any case excusable whether it be fit to talk of matters of this nature and importance with the same indifference as if he were demonstrating a dry proposition in Euclid or making out a crabbed probleme in Apollonius Pergeus being very well satisfied nay and perhaps overjoyed as Archimedes was when he leap'd out of the Bath and Pythagoras when he offered an Hecatomb for a discovery that he hath found the truth himself and so sleeps quietly with an opinion of his skill and with the satisfaction of a sober mathematical assurance but is not at all concerned whether any body else either know or believe as he does and whether they do or no yet the discovery may be such however difficult and intricate in it self that it may be of little or no consequence to humane life Nay I am so far from repenting the severity of any expression I have used that though it should happen to me as it did to him in Horace Populus me sibilat the Mobile are displeased and angry at me yet notwithstanding I would go on as he did at mihi plaudo Ipse domi and I shall be glad when it seems good to fate to walk along with him to the end of the verse tacita nummos contemplor in Arca. But if any of that party shall pretend to take up the Quarter-staff against me though he will doe well to follow my example and take the advice of Horace along with him Sumite materiam vestris qui scribitis aequam Viribus versate diu quid ferre recusent Quid valeant humeri yet if he behave himself with civility towards me I will either not answer him at all or I will doe it with respect according as his performance is but if he have a mind to shew his angry parts I will set him such a copy of Satyr as neither he nor any of his party shall be able to follow and I will let him see that I can doe what Isaac Vossius once threatned in a case of small moment in comparison of this Vtimur nunc leni flabello usuri etiam flagro si porrò molesti esse pergant I will shew him that I have Scorpions as well as Whips and that without translating Ovid against Ibis I shall find matter enough at home to make him asham'd of himself and his performance and without putting my self to the drudgery of imprecation a thing very inconsistent with the goodness of my nature which enclines me very strongly to wish well to all mankind all I shall doe is to turn him upon himself if he dare own his name otherwise I have neither the patience to beat the air to no purpose nor the courage and hardiness to fight with Goblins that vanish out of sight and assault a man behind and before and on all sides at once without any possibility of being hit themselves but let him own himself as an authour ought to do and let him write so as to deserve an answer and then let us have a clear stage and fair
so it is to be feared that in not many more the animosities between a Calvinist and whoever differs from him being irreconcileable and everlasting it will prâ—ve the ruin of that once powerfull but now declining State Neither was there any thing in the late unhappy times next to the Title of an incomparable Prince to whom the Sceptre of these Kingdoms did of right belong and the Affections of a loyal Party which all the republican Cruelties were not able to extinguish that contributed so much to put a period to the Usurpation which was never establish'd upon any certain bottom as the bandying of the several Factions against one another which made it both necessary for the Usurpers to support their power by the Sword and that Sword it self not being all of it of the same metal and the Army that was to wield it being it self canton'd into Sects and Factions they began at length not to understand one anothers language but were forced to leave working any longer and to desist from building that Babel of Religion cemented with bloud instead of mortar which is inconsistent with the quiet of the Earth and by which men in vain expect to climbe to Heaven It is a prodigious thing for a man to consider what irreconcileable feuds the smallest differences in Religion have created and still the smaller those differences are the higher usually are those animosities that are produced by them as if it were the nature and genius of mankind to make up in passion what they want in reason as the Turks and Persians though agreeing in all other parts of the Maâ—ometan Superstition yet about a very small Punctilio they are at mortal jars with one another and being so near neighbours as they are they never want an opportunity of expressing their resentments by the frequent and bloudy Wars betwixt those two formidable Empires The Calvinists pursue the Lutherans and Arminians who on their own parts are not wanting to retaliate the kindness with every whit as great if not greater hatred than those who do toto coelo errare the Popish I mean the Mahometan and the Pagan World nay so apt are men to fall out with one another that the most inconsiderable niceties of difference that can be conceived when they are used as marks of distinction when men shall obstinately persist in such discriminations and when they shall place an opinion or affectation in them will produce in them a dislike and aversation for one another and let the difference be never so small yet it will alwaies be true to the World's end that Birds of a feather will flock together so many distinctions as there are bating those distinctions which Trade and Functions and the Necessities of humane life have made for the mutual support and maintenance of each other so many several Parties and Factions you shall have in that Common-wealth or Kingdom where those distinctions are found Though in this case it will alwaies happen that the smaller Fishes will associate and unite together against the Leviathan or prevailing Party that overballances the rest but when that King of the Waters is destroy'd they will then begin to prey upon one another and contend which of them shall ingross the Dominion of the Seas which is the case of all the Republican Factions against the Church of England at this day though as well reason as former sad experience may instruct us when they have obtained their end if ever they do obtain it which God forbid what miserable work they will make of it among themselves It is to be confess'd indeed that there are abroad very great heats and contentions to be found which are not of such dangerous consequence to the publick Peace such as are those feuds which will never be extinguish'd betwixt the Seculars and the Regulars and betwixt the regular Fraternities with one another and I believe there are but very few monastick Societies will be found that are at peace within themselves of which and of the causes of it which I have well considered I could say more if it would not be a digression but whether it be that common obedience which they pay their Holy Father the Pope which keeps them in somewhat better order or that being men of a single life not encumbred with any secular interest or concern their animosities cannot so easily embroile the State as those who have a greater interest in it and who may with a better countenance pursue secular designs than they can doe or whether it be that the Laiety think it not worth their while any further than it is matter of common entertainment and discourse to take any part in the quarrels of Beadesmen and of Beggars or whether it be that their contentions are not of such a popular nature as to have an influence upon any but themselves who make them or that the perpetual austerities of their respective rules which are a constant emploiment to them hinder them from being capable of prosecuting any dangerous design with that address and diligence which is requisite to its success or that all the heat of these contentions is spent by men that know better how to use their tongues than swords in complaints to the Pope and in writing against and censuring one another or lastly whether it be that their way of life in the retirement of their cloysters and in the little formalitie of their cells and convents renders them unexperienc'd in affairs listless and unactive in business and unfit to doe any great good or mischief in the World or whatever the true reason be there is no question but they are found by long experience by giving an example of poverty and contentment and by the reputation of their sanctity and holyness of life to be rather an advantage than detriment to the places where they are suffered and they make sufficient amends for their intestine divisions by their being united together in the Papal Interest and in the support of the Romish Tyranny over the Consciences of men But let the reason be what it will it is certain that no reason can justifie the lawfullness of separate and independent Congregations in a Christian Commonwealth or Kingdome which are in their own nature and have been found so by experience to be so destructive to the welfare and happiness of the World which are so big with inconveniences not to be foreseen till they are felt which are surrounded on every side with infinite and unspeakable dangers to which no possible remedy can be apply'd but by the removal of their necessary cause and by destroying the Independencie it self that I make no scruple to pronounce it as a self-evident Maxim that an aggregate of separate and disunited Congregations unaccountable to one another or to any superior temporal Head invested with a power of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Censure is contrary to the Law of Nature destructive of the Peace of the World and of the design of Christianity