e<L.\ ' 7-S< \ «•" n R T 6 A Letter of EN Q Into The Grounds and Occafions OF THE CONTEMPT OF THE ^ LONDON, Printed for Nath. Ratiew, and f. the IC'ngs Arm1, in St. Pauls Church-yard, -^ 614671 THE PREFACE TO TT% 1 * , Reader*-; F I were not fd Civil to you as the Gentleman / Anfwer'^ and did not Court yon rvitb a Preface^ yon. rvonld have little to wonder "at ; for if yon believe the Cba~ ratter which he it pleafed to give of men of our Profefllon to be true : What can be expe$ed from fuch an ungentilt firi of a men. The Preface men ., whofe Education and Im* provemevts an fo pitifully poof and mean ? How fbould we be inftru&edin what belongs to good manner s^ who are fo unmannerly in the Pulpit ? where if any where^ it is to be prefutn'd we drefs up our Difcourfes in their Holiday Apparel , and deliver our felves in the beft Language that we have. And if that be fo blunt and defiicable , there is no great reafon to hope^ that elfe- where we JhaU better approve our f elves. I tytow not in how many of our Studies^ the Gentleman might finde Licofthenes and the fecond part of Wits Commonwealth, (glad am I that I have none of them. to the Reader. them, andfb thatfmmp dees not reach me ) by the help of which he feippofes we maJ^e our Ser* mons : But I dare be bold to be lieve y he flail finde the Acade my of Complements in very few y nor any fnch choice Boofa whereby we may render the Pre faces to the Books 5 which any ef HS are bold to put out, lefs ridi-> culoHS^ than he pre fames the Pre* faces we makg to our Sermons are. But Kinde, and Courteous and Gentle Readers (fo Ifinde yon have been called) I hope yon \rnve a better opinion ofus^ if not^ I muft needs pray yony out of pity to w to have as good an opinion of my on can. I am not * 3 The Preface ft foolijh as to boafk, that if yon will read over what I have writ- en yon will finde the Gentle- i § man mift align very much ^ and that he does us a great deal of wrong, and that we are as good men as himfelfc and that we have reafon to quarrel with the world, becaufe we are no more admird and honour d, or any the /% things : But honeftly and plain ly give me leave to fay what in good earnejl induced me, to under-* tafy what I have performed, viz. a Contemplation of fuch things as follow. Firft^ I confider 'the Service- ablenejs 'of the Clergy does much^ very much defend upon the Cre-> dit and Efteem that we can have in to the Reader. in the world. Where -we meet with any fo good naturd $s to bear any good Rejj>e& toward MS, though it be rather for the Honourablenefs of our Employ- went , than for any Worthinefs they can difcern in our Perfons ; this favourable Opinion they have of us, will greatly difpofe them, the more readily to receive the Inftru&ions we follow them with. But they who are preju diced at us , and entertain any vile thoughts of ws , will very hardly be perfwaded by w. It was not becaufe Micaiah's Pro- phejie was more unlikely than Ze- dekiah's 5 but becaufe Ahab had afore conceivd hatred againft him y that he would not yield to a 4 The Preface him. Wherefore it concerns &$ to finely what we can to preferve our Credit. The Gentleman hath done well in joyning our Credit and Serviceablenefs togc~ {her , it being undoubtenly true, that the fame thing which lejjens our Value^ will olfiruft GW Ser- viceablenefe* Now it feems to me^ (and I have given a -farther Account of it) that the Letter I enquire in to, will probably do us this un- i^ndnefs y to makg us more ob noxious and contemptible than yet we are. Jhe Style and wan ner of it is enough , to provoke willing Readers to makg us their Tafyle-tall^, not in order to our amendment > but to our farther dif- to the Reader. difgrace. ~fhcre are many of our Cmntrey Neighbours ^ who fel- dom or never fee any Playes : &ut I fancy \)'n Letter looks likffuch a piece of merriment fent among them into the Conn- trey. And pojfibly it hath been accounted none of the moft unfa- very Sawces to their late Chrift- mas Chear , even he Difcourfe that hath been created by this Letter among thofe who have read it . Wherefore that that lit tle Service which we are yet able to do among our people may not come to none at all , I have ad- ventur'd to enquire , whether a great part of our Contempt be not undeferved. I confider moreover , that it cannot The Preface cannot be reafonably faid, This is but an Innocent Piece of Mirth, and fuch as cannot without pee- vi/bnefs be quarrel? d at. Ory there is a great deal of Truth in it 5 and that which is not true may be born with, fuppojing the Defign be to wakg w more wary for the time to come. This may be I aid, and to this it may be re plied : That all things which are true , are not fit to be faid at all times. I fyow thofe that have been upbraided as lufy- warm men, and betrayers of the Truth^ &c. who have declard themfelves to be of this opinion, that fome Truths may fometimes for peace fakg be conceal' d. But it is not ondy tme^ but a truth of to the Reader. greet Impor in order o the good of the World. And if for that, then alfo for other reafons. Cui bono is a right good queftion for any man to profound to him/elf in all he undertakes. So that if all were truie , unlefs the Author could probably thinly he might do fomc good Service to the Church in t\m Ejjiy, he had better have been cracking of Nuts all the while , t hey would not fo much have hurt his teeth^ as his teeth have hurt us. But if he did fo thinly (for if I tyiow him at all, I know him to be an honeft Gen tleman) it may not be labour loft to difcover how unfucctfiful his Defign is likg to prove as to any good Ends. Tea again ^ if all were true^ yet the The Preface the wanner of it is fowewhat un* %indly and unhopeful. Who of us is like to be much the better for this kfnde of dealing ? and who among thofe that dejpife us, will be cured of that Humour by any thing he jball fnde in the Letter ? But when I farther conjider that all is not true , that we are not fo contemptible as is repre- fented^ I thought it fitting to fay what 1 thought might be faid in our Defence. They have a Pro- verb^ that if you tread but up on a worm, it will turn again, (though in truth there is little defign in that creature ) And wherein are we rvorfe than that it fiould not be, J 1 r 1 lawful to the Reader. lawful for us to labour our own Vindication ? So then^ that I have propound* ed a good end to my felf ^ I am fufficiently confident. If there be any thing wherein I am to beg the Readers pardon^ and to fear their Cenfure, it is in this^ that 1 did not let this Twl{ alone to be performed by fame better hand. It may befome of the Learned Cler gy will be fo tender of the Repu tation of their meaner Brethreny as to tafy the Gentleman to task* It may be a nimbler fen and a readier Wit than mine^ will con cern themfelves in this Affair. It may be fo^ but it is more than I know of. And therefore what I have done is //% my felf^ that The Preface is lik? one who is out of the world of Books, who do fo little tyow what Book* are coming out this next Tearm 5 that I know but few of thofe that are already ex tant. It may be alfo I have be tray d nty felf to be one who lit tle understands the temper of the World i and if I could imagine that what I have written would be fo little eriquird after, 'and fo meanly thought ofo as very poffi- bly it may be , I would have thought it enough to fuffer the Contempt under which (together with the reft of our Order) I already am ^ rather, than by my Indifcretions have mtide the Cafe ftill worfe. Be it as it ill, I look for but little Credit ± 7 ^ J 9 and to the Reader. and I fear no great Diferedit. But I mujl not forget i that a little Preface is lig enough for a little Bool^: Wherefore I forbear to tell my Reader how unexpett- edly I have been diverted fince I firft intended any thing in this k£nd j and what other things I have to fay in excufejvhy I have no more lictyit over. I have this only to fay; 1 thought it would fkafe the Stationer to have it expofcd to Sale this next Tearm : Therefore I have made ha&e^andlwijh it to be no more hafte than good fpeed. -' BYreafon of the Authours great diftance from thePrefs, 'tis likely Come Faults are dipt uncorreded ^ for which the Printer graves the Readers pardon. O1V i illlll-l if An Anfaer to a Letter of En quiry into the Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the CLERGY. SIR, THat the Clergy of England are un happily defpifed , either you do truly believe , and aflfe&ionately bewail, or you do very vainly, if not hypo critically too, enquire into the Grounds and Occafions of that Contempt, I do readily believe, ( notwithftanding your frequent Drtllings which might tempt forac feyere men to doubt ) that you are in good earned ; and I am fo welt perfwaded of the truth of many things you fay, that one defign of wh^t follows, is to adde acknowledgements in confirmation of them: But whether in all things you have faid well, may defer ve to be farther enquired into. I fay may deferve it ; but to fay whether or no ic do deferve it, is A 2 great great boldnefs in one, who for fevcral years hath had no higher Title than that of a Countrey Vicar. If we Conn trey Minifters be but half fo ignorant as you fuppofe , ic cannot be lefs *ttien prefumptuous Arro gance, for any of us to make a Judgement upon a Difcourfe fo Ingenious and Learned as you have bleft the world with. Yet be- caufe there is a certain Scribling Humour poflefTes fome men, with which I am now in- feded, I beg your leave to animadvert upon fome paflages in your Letter ^ yet alwayes fremifiHg, ( which is you know an old wont in our preachments ) that I (hall endeavour to fpeak with that modefty,, which becomes a poor ignorant Countrey Minifter^ not presuming to determine too refolutely, but only a little to enquire into fome things, which may poffibly be true, if I had Under- iianding enough co difcem the truth of them, You feem, Sir, to abufe us for dividing our Texts, and you may with as much rea- fon laugh at .my fiwdding a Letter. But every man in his own way. We have been u fed for the helping of our dull Underftandr jngs and weak Memories, to caft our thoughts into fome certain Method ; and if befides thist now and tjien-;a little Pulpit Language and, Phrafe cr^ep into a Letter , you will pardon (5) pardon a man that does not recedere ah ffta. Wherefore I fhall enquire ; Firft, Whether you have fuffidemly reckoned up the Grounds andOccafions of that Contempt under which we lye ? Secondly , Whether there be fo much ignorance in as as you fuppofe .? Thirdlv, Whether that Ignorance that is,: proceed from all thdfe things which you aflignastheCaufcsofit? Fourth! •>•, Whether all thofe Be faults that you do fo nimbly fquib us for ? Or if they be ; Whether we be guilty of all you reckon ? Fifthly, If fo, Whether you have taken £ likely courfe to deliver us from this Con tempt ? For the reft, we will agree as well as we can ; and if I can hit of the Tune", I will bear a p.ir t with you in Alt* poor Scho lar, &c. Sir, What reafbn have we to tbanlc you, that you take notice of no other Deca gons of the Contempt of the Clergy^ but the Ignorance of fome, and the Poverty of others of us? Nay, you plainly fay, that it pro ceeds from no other Caufe Page 3 Iflh dot very much miftaben, whatever hath hereto fore, or does At prefent^ /e (fen the value of our ^ or render it in any degree lefs fervice- to the World, then might be re A. 3 C<5) b&fe h may It cafitj refcrr'a to two very plain things ; the Ignorance of fame* and the Po verty of others of the Clergy. Do you noc hereby too much excufe thofe who defpife us ? Might not one piece of your Declama tion have fpent it felf upon the Untoward- nefs, and Peevifhnefs, and Prejudices of Vul gar people r Could you not have jearkt the Laity a little, and told them of their faults ? But there are two ends of a Profpedive- glafs • and when you had by one magnified cur Ignorance, and almoft infulted over our Poverty, you turn the other upon the peo ple i by which, if poffibly they may have fome faults, yet they become fo fmali, and ac fo great a diftance, that you would not eafily difcernthem. But I pray, Sir, though we defervc to be laught at for our Ignorance, yet do we not alfo defcrve to be pittied for our Poverty ? And had it not been civil for you to have blamed the people ( a little more plainly then you have any where done ) for their Inhumanity in trampling upon thofe who are already on the ground ? What if you had taken our part, and told the World, that it is the fate of Worthy men fometimes to be in Diftrefs and Poverty ; therefore where it happens that Ignorance and Poverty are noc joyn'd in the fame perfon, a little of yourHexaniraous Rhetorick might have been fpar'd, (7) fpar'd, to have inclin'd the hearts of oar Parishioners not to defpifc ut for that which we cannot help. Or if you had pleafed, yoii could hive turo'd your (tile, and appeared in Satyr againft thofe bafe-fpirited men, who will feek occaiions to reproach us : And while you had been doing this, you would have found fomewhat elfe, befidcs Jewels, in the raking of fuch Dunghills. The occa- (ions of the Cententpt of the Clerg j arc not only on our part Ignorance and Poverty, but on the pare of our contemners there is frcr- wardncfs and ill-will, and fomewhat elfebe- fide, which I ihall put you in mind of by and by. In the mean time, Sir, I mike no doubf, but you who fo well iinderfland the ftate of the mean and infcripur Clergy, as that in 4 wry little time ( p. 1 1 r. ) you could procure Hundreds thatfbeuld ride both Sun tnd Moon down,, and he everUftingly that Gentlema*s% that could procure them a Living but of 25 or 30!. a year , are much better acquainted with thofe of the better forr, who are fitter Com* pany for a Gentleman of your parts and learning. You know fbme who are neither Ignorant nor Poor , and what becomes of them ? Are they honoured as much as we are defpifed? Arc all fnens mouths fulf of their praifes? Have they that plurality of A 4 Honour; Honour which their double Excellency qua lifies them for? I fear you do not find it fo : The learned Do&or when he rides abroad to take the Air, may have a Cap and a Leg, and a fallen look over the left fhoulder to gether with it, and peradventure the ratling of his Coach may prefcrve him from hearing himfelf abufed, and the diftance that he keeps from his Neighbours, may hide the know ledge of it from him, but even beardlefs Boys fhall frump him, and the Rafcally Multitude (hall curfe him as foon as he is paft by. Say, Sir, do you not know in this prefent age, and have you not heard that in former ages, many learned and once wealthy Clergy-men, have been accounted, as well as the Holy jfpoft/es , t be filth and off-fcouring of the World? Do not their rude Pariftiioners ( think you ) in their Chimney- corners, over a Pot and a Pipe, liberally repro-.ch them, and it addes well to their mirth that they can, out of their hearing abufe their Minivers, Jf any fuch thing may be,then are we to feek for other occasions, of the Ccntempt of the Clergy , than Ignorance and Poverty •, for where neither of thefe are, where any of our Brethren are fo happy as to be rich enough to buy Books which have made them wife, and to be wife enough to grow rich ; yec have they not hereby purchafed afure tide to (9) to Reputation and Eftecm. There are thofe who do not lore our Coat , and will pick holes ink, though it be not thread-bare ^ and there arc dirty- mouth'd Fellows, will calumniate fo ftrongly, that all the Books in an llniver- fity Library fhall not teach a man wit enough to wipe it ort And then the ground and occafion of all this Contempt , is in thofe who are adtive, not in thofe who are paflive in it. You will tell me, Sir, it may be, that the Ignorance and Poverty of fome, reflects to the difparagement of the reft of the Clergy : But what reafon is there for this ? There is » Doctor or two in our Neighbourhood, very learned men, and well to live, ( as we fay in the CountreyJ divers of us that live near them are mean and inconfiderable, and feared worthy to be Readers to the Reverend Doctors-, do you think that they are the. more flighted for our fakes * In reifon one would think they {hould be the more ad mired, when the World fees by comparing of us together, what worthy men they are, and how few can equal them. Becaufe there may be a Dunce or two in Trinity Colledge, (h?.ll therefore the weftminfter Scholars be ftopt tbeir Degrees as if they were all fo ? If fuch a thing (hould happen, ic were the iniquity of the Pcfer, and not want of Scho lar (hip farfhip in rhe Lad, that does him tl)e injury. So chat ftill if fome men arc flighted for the Imperfe&ions of others, the evil temper of the contemners cakes cheoccafion, where the pcrfon contemned gives none. Bur, Sir, the truth is, there is fomewhat elfe in the Clergy befides Ignorance and Poverty, that expofef them to Contempt, which becaufe you are fo civil as not co mention, I will pafs over in filence too, and not betray the infirmities of my Brethren, We may yet fuppofe the cafe better* There is a great number of Glergy-men, who together with their Learning and E- fhtes, are more confiderable for fomewhat felfe, better than boch them, as being menof great Integrity, and of very good li ve$ ; and how goes the World with them ? Jf it appear thnc they arealfo Undemlaed, it muft re main evident, that there are other occafions of this Contempr, than what the Clergy give, and they are fuch as are out of their reach to remove. It is not beyond the memory 6f man , what deplorable fufife rings the Clergy of England hach 'laboured under. You have read ( I am to prefume ) Blfap JflalVs b*rd meafure, and know with what rddcnefsand infolencies, the pttience of his Co-temporary Prelates was tryed. When you confider how the Book of the incom. pambfc (II) th, was in a zealous con- tempt to his perfon, thrown into his Grave and buried with him, ( which I confefs I have only by Tradition ; ) when you read the raillery of one of the Defenders of SmettjmnuH* againft Bifiof Hall •, and a- boveall, the famous adventure of Lcighto** in his SMs Plea againfl the Prelacy, and many the like unworthy things ^ and adde to all this, with what contempt and fcorn an Epifcopal man, (a God- Almighty-man, as 1 have heard fame of them in dcnfion called) was almoft hooted at in the Streets ; you will confefs, that there have been Clergy-men moft excellently accomplifhed every way, who have yet been undervalued as the dirt of the Streets, though no defed on their part, gave any occafion for that Contempt. And ftill it continues, and fo is like to do, not. withftanding any remedy that your Letter directs to, to be the cafe of many men both wife and honcft, and if not rich, yet not poor neither, who happen amongft unman nerly and rude people, with whom though they take never fo much pains, and wait for the good effeft of it with a great deal of patience, yet are Clowniflily dealt with, and not fo much refpeded as a Greyhound or Spaniel, that their Neighbour-Farmer keeps for his Landlord, Nay, Nay, Sir, I will venture farther a little to make it appear, that Ignorance and Pevenj are not the only grounds of Contempt, for fome Clergy- men are as much flighted for their great Learning, as we of the worfer fort are for our as great Ignorance. Country people have fuch ftrange conceptions of Lear- nmg,that it is not much below a Proverb with many of them, that the grwtefi Scholars arc commonly the Voorft Preachers. And it often comes to pafs, that if an Univerfity man out of kindnefs and condefcention to a Country Parfon , gives him a Vifit and a Sermon, though it be not his humour to thunder out much LattneandGreek^i though he do not foar up towards the Third Heaven; for fub- lime Notions, nor difturb their ears with great and fuelling words, yet if he preach but an Univerfity- Sermon, which ( as it is to be foppofed they all are ) is neat and ele gant, and handfomly compofed, with clofe connexion of fence, and weight and ftrengch of reafon, fuch as requires a Scholar to make a judgement of it, fome of the common peo ple may admire him, and fa^, A great Scholar I'le warrant him •, but there is a fort of people who are not much capable of clofe reafomng?9 will flight fuch a Sermon ; and they who will do us the credit to write afcer us, with a great deal of buttle and eagernefs, will put up C'3) up their tackling, and think the ftrange Mi ni fter is much beholden to them, if they can forbear fleeping under >uch a dry Sermon. Sir, Things arc not judged of alwayes as they are ^ the tempers and humours of men are very divers one from another, and as many on the one hand are pittifully thought of for their want of Learning, fo fome times Learn- ing it felf is in difgrace. The World is well and comfortably amended fince Greece noffe fftfpettftm t?at , Hcbraice prope h^reticum: But there are particular men have as little kindnefs for Learning now, as the grcatelt part of men had in the dayes of old ; And we, can be even with the Univerfuy men when they come into the Country , for all the abufes their Prevaricators put upon us at Commencements ; fome of our Parifli (hall have as dry bobs for them, and Learning it felf (ha! 1 bear part of the burden together with Ignorance. If they are not borh equally guilty ,yet neither of them are quire free from being an occafion of the Contempt of the Clergy. I have not yet, Sir, waded very deep, nor enquired into the more remote and hidden caufcs of this Contempt. If you pleafe to let the fearch be continued yet a little farther, it will be found that whether Ignorance and Poverty be in the cafe or no, there are thof§ who (14) who do defignedly defpife us ; and as they have ordered the matter, it is for their in- tcreft fo to do. And firft, the Ch*rek of Rome hath forae- what to anfwer for in this cafe. They have Emifliries here in England, who firlt craf tily, and in a difguife befpatter us, and then perfwade the people to hifs at us. So fome men who are wifer then your ordinary (hal low Countrey Parfons, fuppofe that the new Lights of the Bakers came firft out of the dark Lanthorns of the Papifts. The Church of England refuming her juft Rights and antient Priviledges, and returning to her' priftine ftate of Independency upon the Church of Rome, hath continued in great glory, f excepting one Eclipfe) for more then this hundred years. The defence upon ail this Glory, next to the goodnefs of God, and the fucceflive vigihnce of our Soveraign Defenders of the Faith , and the renewed care of oar Renowned Parliaments, hath been the Learned Clergy of England, befidei what Foreign Divines have done, the Wri tings of f£ftefft whitaker, Reynolds, Latvd, Vfoer^ Morton, H*/l, Prideattx, Chitting" worth, and many others/ome dead, and fome ftill alive, ( whom our little holes over the Oven will not half hold,) have nobly fortified us againft att the RGWtn Batteries ; Where fore oo fore they have tried if by (inking a Mine they could blow us up, if they could blaft the Credit and Reputation of the Clergy, and thereby get fome advantages againff our Church. For which purpofe they havr en- deavoured to invalidate our Orders They would pcrfwade that fince the times of $£*** Mary, we have had no Regular Or* dmation. the firft BiOiopsof S^tnEti^. kth not being rightly Ordain d nor Confe- crated, had no Power to conferr that upon others which they had not themfclves Jf this dcfign had profper'd, they had done t'hcir bufincfs : The very foundations of our Ho nour, and Reputation, and Reverence, had been ruined, if our Clergyfhip had been de- Itroycd I - but this Mine was difcovered and nadcofckrs, as by others, focfpecwJiy by the Labours of the Induflrious Marojt ft* they tried to weaken the Repute of our Learning, and many odde tales they tell whatpittiful Universes, and wbac an Igno rant Clergy (if we willfo call them ) we have, in comparifon of theirs. But it is a foohfh thing to laugh at an Enemy before we knew the ilrength of his Weapon, or the skill of his hand. Our redoubted Knifes have vanquifhed the Giants. Our Ghampi- ons have met them in open field, and encoun- tred them by honcfl force, and by plain flrength rooc (17) root and branch. They kill and flay all Baals Priefls. Neither our black Coats, nor our white Surplice-s rind any favour with them. c* We are all hirelings , that preach cc for gain, dumb Dogs , unlefs Tythes open ct our mouths • *fhe light that enlightens every " man that comes unto the world , hath for- ' c faken us > for if we had the Spirit , we u (hould preach by the Spirit , and not by t; words written with Paper and Ink , which tc are all but a dead letter. wherefore bc- "caufe thus we deceive the people, they cc muft come out from among us , that they "may not be partakers of our plagues. Thus they talk , and thefe plagues would without doubt foon come upon us, if God would give tLem that power over us, which he gave their Father over Job* All this while, the crafty ]efuite who hath fet thefe men on work , Hands behind the Curtain to obfcrve the iiTue , and if by any means he can divide and weaken us, or by an/ Inrtruments throw dirt in the face of the Clergy , he claps his hands, and rejoyces and fays , HJC facit fro mltf : We (lull never gain upon England , till the Clergy by tome means or other grow deipifed. Sometimes they periwade a 2ealons Mi- niiler , who hath no moie Learning then will do him good , to undertake a difpute B with (18) with a fubtle Prieft , who perchance by fowe quirk or other baffles and nori-plufTes him , and then preterit ly this reflects tothcdiftio- nour of the whole Clergy ••> as if we had no more able Diiputants than they pick out from among us. I enquire after no more of their Devices , though more they have > by any ot which if they bring us into diffefteern, they ferve their own ends and hope to gain the more profelytesto their party. And it might , Sir , have entred into your imaginati on , confidering how fedulous they are , by all Artifices to promote their own ends , that we are not onely accefTary to our own fhame. Befides our Ignorance andPmrjy, we have Adversaries who make it their bufinefle t& leiTen our Value, and to obftrud our Service- ablencfs. You know , Sir, who they are that think 'Bmbolumcw-'Dyf deferves to be kept as a Fafiing-day^ and thefe alfo have an Interest to drive on , by our difcrcdit , though it be fiich as is little worthy of the Frofeiiion they make of a (evercr Sandity, and a ftrid:er Confcientioufnefs , then they will allow us to excel in. How happy do they think it would be for England ^ if they could per- fwa.de the Parliament, that there is need of them:, that the Work of the Minifkry can not be carried on as it ought to be 3 unlefTe they C f 9 > they be again taken info Employment. There is no great probability, that thcfcGen- tlemcn will believe all this, till they come to be more difpofed to favour Conventicles , or to go to them t© hear what is there (ecretly whifper'd to this purpofe. But that part of the people who have charmed their ears to! their tongues, and can hear them mutter in a eorner,when they do not like the man in the Surplice at Church, will bdieve that fuch and fuch things are true, becauie fuch & Good man at fuch a Friends houie the other day faid fo. And what do they fay ? " Oh the " Conformable Minifters, the Superfluous "Time-ferving Minifters that now are , will tc never do half fo much good by theirPreach- cc ing, as was done a dozen or twenty years " ago. There is nothing fuch Heartatfedt- " ing Preaching now, nothing fo much po<^- "erfull Prayer now as hath been in former " times. There are not fo many Converted " now *, the Power of Godlinefte is almoft " gone out of the Land. The Ark is a ga- u ingi Oh who will pray tor the itaying, or; cc rather for the returning of the Ark ! Oil " who will (et to a helping hand by thei r Prayers , that the faithful! Miniilers may. b» " reftor'd again ! Sir , I do not make my fclf merry, in fan^ cyiog that Idoapifhly imitate this kind of mca, Jt grieves my foul to think that they M 2 -(hould- (20) (hould thus labour to ingratiate themfelves into the affedions of the Vulgar , to the diG- couragement of us in our Work. But cither they who follow and admire them do them wrong , or elfe they do at this rate ftrive to raife their own Credit upon the mine of ours» I do not accufe them all, There is a good number of them who give us all fair refpedr, and comply with us a good wsy , and we thank them for it- But there are alfo iome who are a little peevifh, and do not onely ftriv6 to leflen our Value : but to hinder us alfo in oiir being terviceable among our peo ple •> both which you lay to the charge of cur Ignorance and Poverty, as if they were alone guilty. I think Sir , what ever our Poverty may, yet our Ignorance is never the greater for all this. But where our Credit is con- cern'd, it is not what we are 5 but what we are reprefentcd, and believed to be, that either greatens or lefTens it. And fo long as fuchdilfiti: factions remain , and feme men holdup their party firm to them, by dealing thus boldly with us, when you are pleas'd to enquire after every thing that lellbns our Va- lue,and hinders our Servkeablenefe>this might have been taken in, or if you had not car'd to mention it, you would have faid ciiouglvfc our Ignorance aad Poverty had been one ly fome, or the main of thole things that IdTen our Valwe^andnot the onely things. There f2l) There is- yet another Tort of men who do us great diftcrvice. They are your Blades y the fouly vitious and notorioufly debauch'd perfons, the Gallants that can damn and con found us in their Curfcs with as great plea-r fare , as we do with fadnefs admonifh them of their danger, according as the Holy Scriptures give us Authority. Some there are, who revolving never to be better by any good Inilrudtions, think it their Intereti to flight us-, becaufe by Idfening our Value, they may kiTen our ServiceablenefTe too. The meaner thoughts they have of' us , the more contentedly they may excufe themfelves in not praciiimg our Dodtrine , It is not al ways Ignorance or Poverty of the Preacher , it is fomerimcs the ff'ic'kedncfs ot the Hearer that Admniiiters the Occaiion of this Con tempt, when men refolve to walk on in the Coitxfel of the Vnzodly^ it facilitates their courie to lit down ibmetmies in the Scat ef ibe Scornful!. If it may happen once in a Moneth , rhat the preacher may make uie of fame Ungentle and not very Schclarlike piirafe or Companion , that (hall be re- membred and laught at (b long , till all that was fcrious and grave is flid away , without .making any impreffion. And I do much fear that from hence proceeds a great deal of that (corn that is cart upon us. Your B 3 Htftors C22) Hettors RampaKt are too cduragieus to be frighted by evtry puling Ptrfon. And I per. fwade my (elf, that if our blefled Saviour himfelf , (hould come again into the World , in the fame manner as he did before, though he (hould again (peak as never manjpea^ yet thtre would be found thofe who would de ride and fet him at naught now , as much as they did of old. Wickednefs is bold enough, but yet it is witty too : becaufe it is a great iiep to uncontrollable debauchery, to have an opinion, jthat the Preachers who recommend a holy life , are contemptible perfons, there fore by this method, do men pawn themfelves 'to the .Devil, viz. by being Devil ifhlydif- pofed toatfront any thing that is better than themfelves- Wherefore again feme what elfc is fomctimes the occalion of the Contempt of the Clergy , and not only our Ign raweznd Poverty. Sir, I could have let all this pafs, but that itieems tome, you have by thus ftating the cafe done us a grWt unkindntls, ifnotfome wrong. You (iippcfe we are contemn'd,it is too true v You concern your felt to enquire into the occationsot it, as if ycu were will ing to remedy it , but I doubt fo prepofte- rouily, that it iome body do not feek to kifen the value of your Letter, that will fo far as it isbelkv'dilili more Icifen our value. Me- thinks thinks I can without infpiration prophecy what greetings wemuft look for, from feme of thoiewhodo fo jollity contemn us, if we happen to meet them with your Letter in their hands* CL Look you hereParfbn, have « you feen this Book ? Here is a very learned « Gentleman that loves you well, and is ferry *c to fee you fo much defpifed > but ( then it <•<• is a great haizard if he do not ftammer out " an Oath ) it is all your own fault, he hatli « made it as plain as the Sun, that your own «• circumitances expofe. you to Contempt. ** He can rind nothing to blame us for, what- "ever leiTens your value is in your felves* « You are a great many of you a company of "dull ignorant Blockheads , and poor mean " inconiiderable fellows : You think much " that yoii are not courted and rcvercnc'd , cc you may foon have as much as you deferve: cc If therefore you are flighted, link in your ccforrows, pity your felves, and do nqt cc blame us. If any fuch thing happen , I believe you love us fo well, that you will with you had reflected a little upon others. I am confident you do not excuic thole Who may thus abuib us. I would you had not faid whatever leiTens our value is our Ignorance or Poverty \ If it be our misfortune in which we can't help pur felves, yet we would have thank'd B 4. you you , if you would have chaftis'd the people a little , efpecially for their infolcncy in con temning thofe who are neither Ignorant nor Poor. Having thus far. Sir, given you your fay ing, it is now time to enquire. Secondly, whether the Clergy of England be fo Ignorant as you fuppofe. Ignorance is bold and afluming , and they who are given to it , do no where more betray it , than in their confident pretences to wit and learning. So peradventure while I am excuiing myBre- thren, I may do them no other good but tfeis, viz* adde to their company, by proving my felt" one of their number. But becaufc my hand is in , I will do my weak endeavour (6utalwayes with fubmiilion to your better Judgement ) to make it appear, that- the prefent Clergy of England is not fo Ignorant as you fuggett , at leaft not fo groily iimple as thereby to become ridiculoufly contempti ble 5 or to be rendred uncapable of doing f;;rvice. You acknowledge there are fome Learned men among us , but do not think it areaf enable that the Learning ofa few,'(heuld expiate for the Follies of the reft, or make iuch full fatisradlion, as that the whole num ber fiiould be reputed Learned. Good Sjr, allow rr.e the fame tavour , and I freely grant , Among the many i GOO Clergy-men that that are in E^gland^ divers may be d all and heavy , but vhy fhould this reflect more upon the whole bcdy of the Clergy to their diC- honour , than the Learning of fomcdoes to their honour. That which is to be confi- dered, is what the generality of us appear to be ••> fo I hope to offer fomewhat to your con- fiderstion , that may deliver the preient Clergy of England in the whole , take them one with another, from being accounted de- fpi:ably Ignorawt. And Hilt, Sir, it is manifeft that the Eng- ///frClerg; is much improv'd in Learning iince the beginning of <jheen Elizabeths Reign. The time was within lefe than theft i 20 years, when Oxford her felf was fo ill provided of men fit to Preach,that the Higly- SberiffLt the County being as the times then were a Learned man came up into St. frfarief Pulpit, and in charity to thofe who wanted .good ljreaching,gavethem a Sermon,w here of this is the molt excellent beginning. Arri ving at the M>mnt of St. Maries, in the ftony S^tage where I now ft and , I have brought ym jomefine Biskets, bakgd m the [Oven tf Cha rity ^ and' carefully cwf.rrfdfortbe .Chickens of tht. Church , the S farrows of the Spirit^and thefoeet Swallows of Salvation. What think you, Sir, have you ever a Story in all your Letter more ridiculous than thh would be , it if it were a Story but of two 01 three years old > No furely , t he meaneft of wr Clergy can out-do fome that were of grea-efi: repute in thofe blinder times. The way otPreach- ing was quite another thing in thofe dayes, than it is now. There was Learning n that age , but it run another way. Their mrnner of Preaching was much meaner. Andlfap- pofe the Ignorance which you bewail in us now , is that which we difcover in our rt.an- nc* of Preaching ^ for as to other things I do not obferve that you reckon us greater Fools than our Neighbours : But we want Learning fcr the purpofe for which we false H. Orders ,we do not Preach foas may pro bably obtain the end of Preaching, which is without doubt the welfare of the Souls of thofe that hear us. Thus you think. But what then will you fay to the ftate of the .Church as it was in Edward 6* and Qwm Elizabeths dayes ? ( for I will not go io far back as to bewail the (late of Religion in former times , when the Priefts did not fo well underftand Latin as to be able to pro nounce their Creed right, but when they had hobled over [from [Crcezum fimm patrem onitentcm anlcttm , to the end of the Creed ^ jnlkad of -vitam <eterttam Amen , they con clude with bitum & titrnum a\en* ) Among the Preachers of Edward ^tlVs daycs, few were were more famous than Ei[hop Latimer , a right honcft man indeed, and a learned man too j but how would you betickl'dif you (hould hear fuch things from any of us , as you [may find (in his Sermons* The odde Stories he brings in any how , the continual wandring from his Text to tell them what he had a mind to fay , the Tyburn Tippets > aud the Hangum tuums , and the drawing of mm round about the 'town witb a Pudding^ his playing at Cards in his Sermon , and ma king Hearts Trumps > and what great things his Father did in a Farm of 3, or 4 l.pcr ann* and a hundred fuch kind of things , which would not be thought at all grave now a- • dayes- Let our Sermons be compar'd to his, and let it be confider'd that he was a Preacher to the Court, and one of the prin cipal ot them •, and then if you feldom hear of any thing fo hcmely in a Countrey Village as that which was then very acceptable in a Princes Court , yield a little to the improve ment that is made of Preaching in thefc times. Though now and then a few unhandfomc palfages drop from fome men, without itudy and due conlide ration, yet Preachers w grcfs are worthy of fome regard now adayes, becaufe the Sermons that were of old,though more exceptionable than ours now , found good entertainment when they happen'd in ah (28) an age of little Preaching, Sir, I difparage. not the good Old man , who had Learning enough in Difputation to maintain the Pro- teftant Caufe , and had Chriftian confhncy enough to dye a Martyr in defence of it. I believe he might do much good by his man ner of Preaching, becaufe even when he run away from his Text, he went to meet his Hearers * nor do I wonder that he mould then be acceptable. That which 1 confider him for is, a little to vindicate the way of Preaching that now obtains, as lefs lyable to be defpifed than his was ^ and therefore though many of us are very Ignorant in cgrh- paiifon of our learned Brethren in City and Univerfity , yet tnethinks our Ignorance (hould not make our Peribns fo ddp;cable , fo long as our Preaching is ibmswhat refined beyond what it was an hundred years ago3 or thereabouts. Yea, Sir, we have this comfort farther , that however you reckon us Ignorant and pitiful Fellows, yet the Reverend Fathers of the Church have a better opinion ot thepre- fent Clergy over whom they exercife a Juri^ jdiclrion. The Canons and Articles ot our Church , which were eftablifhed in fome of the rirft Convocations after g^ecn Elizabeth began her Reign , fuppofe tnat thqre were1 in thofe dayes divers Unprcaching MinifteK , who who were not thought of Abilities fufficient to be permitted to open the Scriptures , but were therefore directed to the Reading of thofe Homilies which were compiled for the fnpply of this defed. I deny not but many of us may (bmetimes preach Sermons raw- arid undigested , and like to be tolefs pur- pofe,than if we read an Homily , if our peo ple would bear it. But methinks we may a little think well of our felves, and look upon our felves as got into a higher form than ma ny Divines of thofe times, becaufe no late Convocation hathdeclar'd fo mean an Opi nion of our prefcnt Clergy, as to refufe them Authority to preach, or to enjoyn them one- ly to read Homilies- Sir, I take you to be a wifer man than to have a very Superlative Opinion of your own W ifdom. You will give me leave to be* lieve-jthat myL W/^cB^pj, who have better advantages to know then private men > and arealfo more concern7 d to know the Quali ties of thole whom they Qrdaine % and Li- cenfe and Conf citute , dp better underftand what kind of Clergy does now Officiate in the Church of England^ then private per- ions. You will alib excufe me , if I gather from their manner of governing the Church, that thiy do not judge the Clergy fo fouly and contemptibly Ignorant ? as thereby to be be rrude little , if at all ierviccable in the places where they are. Yea , and the Opini on that Foreign Divines have of the Englijh Clergy , is not to be defpifed. The Writings of our Pra&ical Divines ( many of which arc very little more j Elaborate then when they were firft preached ) are in (b great efteem beyond the Seas, that it hath been much a Pradtice for Germans and *fr*nfilvanians , who intend to preach when they return back, to come into England , and learn e- nough of our Language for their purpofe ,. which is to tranilate Come of our Authours into their own Tongue ^ and when they get home , it is hard to (ay, whether they reckon to do more Honour to our Countrey , or more Service to their own. And I know where a Foreigner of good Note and Learn ing; C Sfxnhemius ) acknowledges to the cverlalting Credit of our Nation , thatfuch Books are Tranilated into other Languages : and that PradticalDivinity is in a manner pe culiar to England. It may be you will tell me , that if there be any Credit in all this , it concerns but a few, and a 'great number of the infcriour Clergy may yet be lamentably Ignorant. It may be fo , but when others abroad are pleafed upon a general Contem plation «f the manner which we Englijh take in Preaching , to honour as much , ~and to C3O to give us the prehcminence above the Prca* chers of other Countreys '•> it had not been uncivil in one among our felvcs , who alib may live to be a Coantrey Parfou himfelf one <foy , to have (poken * little more favourably for our Reputation. There is yet, SL , one Argument more, from whence may be at Icaft probably in- ferrM, that we are not fo ftupidly Ignorant as you prefume , ( i. e.) the great progrefs that the men of this age have made] in other kinds of Learning. What brave things have been done in Chymirtry, Anatomy 5 the Mathematicks , Aitronomy, and all other Sciences . even fuch as deicend to the great perfection of Trade , where Learning hath great influence,thoughTradefmen may not be aware of it. The Virtuosi have given ma ny degrees of Ennoblement to Learnings And if yon knew the gentleman, and will give any <£redit to him , who gives an Ac^ count of the new Se& of Latitude- men in a Letter to his Friend G. B. who I believe may be a kin to your Friend R. L. bothfdgn'd Parfons > he will tell you , that the World in" grown to an infinite defire of knowledge , and therefore prophefics the progrelTe of the New Philofiphy. Yea , yoa your ieif arc pleafed to iay , Wt are now *// an #ge of great Pbihfipbers* and men ofRtafen 7 and of great quick? C$2) qHic\neft andfancy^p. 36. Now Sir, is if not a ftrang thing , that tircy who have di verted to other Studies , fliould fora great part prove excellent in their kind , able Law yers, expert Phyiicians, yea and ingenious Poets too, yet only tney who fettle to Di vinity , (hould for the moft part be dry and dull, and good for little. I dare fay, that when Sophifters take their rirft Degrees, there is no fuch vilible difference among them , as that they who probabl'y will take to other Employments are ingenious and good Scholars > but they who are determin'd to Divinity , are Dunces, and fuch as have a great favour done them, that they are not ilopt. : Sir, by fuch Imaginations as thefe, a man who hath little convers'd with the Clergy of theCountrey, might judge tbat theymuft needs keep pace with Learned men cf other Faculties. And I was willing to (ay what by a few thoughts upon this matter came to my mind , to recover if k might be, fome tolerable opinion in the World concerning us. And I will be bold in good earnelt to hope , that the number of thofe who arc fhamcfully Ignorant is not fo great , as that it may reafonably retkd to the difparage- ment of the whole Clergy. Yet after all I U)uit acknowledge, that I do not fo little urn- demand derfbnd Iww things go, ( though I nevei underload much ) as not to believe that there are many , 'too many , of weak Parts and (mall Improvements , who have made a ft! ft to climb into the Pulpit, when any feat In the Church would better become them . We do fo much betray our want of Learn ing , both publickly, and in our private Con- vcrfcs , that there is no arguing againft Ex perience. But this you know at leaft well enough y and therefore , as alfo1 beeaufe I would fain Have fo much of a Wile man in me, as not to labour to prove my felf (among the reft of my Brethren) a Fool , I need noc take any pains to inform you of it. I goon therefore to examine the Caulcs and Ocean*- ons, and to enquire, Thirdly , Whether the Ignorance of the Clergy do pro'ceed from thofe Caufes whence you imagine ? Or whether inltead of them, lea ft in addition to them , there are not o- ther things worthy to be had in conliderati- on •, which if they do not deliver us from the imputation of Ignorance , yet they exte nuate the fault , and render us much rather Objects of Pity than Contempt ? The School-dames arc much eng^g'd to you, that you would not begin with them > for a Gen tleman of your \Vitcould ealily have made it out , as well as you have done many other C 'r tbings , that the pretty melodious Tones wherewith we recreate as wellasaifed our Hearers out of the Pulpit*, have their Ori ginal from the manner of our learning our A^ B« C. But it not being fit you (hould defcend to fo ignoble a quarrel , the firft that feel your lafh are the School-matters ^ a fort of men who are able to revenge them- felves upon you, and I will not undertake for fome of the Weftminfter Boys, what might come in their minds thefe laft Holy-dales. The Perfecution of a Poem is no light Af- fliftion ••> they are notable Lads at Squibs and Crackers ^ and you know there is a keen fort of Verfe, Which' Badger-likg bites till its teeth do meet. Ingenious Cowley could have done fuch a feat before he went to the Univerfity. You do therefore very wifely to remove Weft- winfter and St. Pauls out of the way of your indignation , that you may with Ids danger fall upon Country-Schools. Where truly , Sir ,1 have reatbn to yield fomewhat to you, but not all. Among the many W or- thy School-matters that are in England who make it as much their Recreation as their Bu- fmefs, to initrud Children, (and no man elfc is fit to be a School-matter , but they who take a pleafure in it) there is alfo a compasy of forry fouls , fitter to whittle to a Team of Horfcs, C35) Horfes , than to teach Boys ^ the greatefl part of whofe care, is to be fecure, that their Scholars do not pofe them in nextLdTon> and therefore they have the wit to itudy it thernfelves tirfh As once one of them told me, when I ask'd him how he mannag'd his bufinefs : Oh (fays he) well enough. Ikpow where they are to fay mxt , and I ftudy e- nough oner night to teach my Boys the next day. I think thefc may a little deierve your Contempt, as well as the Clergy* but while you let flye at thefe , you do alfo declare your dhTatistaclion in the whole Art of or dering Grammar-School. In which eafe I beg your pardon , if I am not of your opini on in all you iay, efpecially in that conceit of yours , which concerns the ftudy of the Tongues at School, before Lads are admitted at the Univcrfity : For I enquire, Sir, either learning the Latine and Greek^ Language is neccflfary or not s if it be, fome good profi- .ciencyisto be made in it at School,- or it may be let alone till afterwards. That there is a necdliryof having fome competent skill in theic , you. Sir, of all men (hould not de ny , who do fo much blame us Country Pai * ions for Ignorance, and want of Schplarihip.- Indeed you have acknowl.edg'd it fo much, that I cannot doubt of your fenfe : 3'here is much reafin to value, thefe "tongues before C a others? the left ofhuminc Lear/ling katb bctn delivered to w in tbofe Languages : And fincc you cared to fay no more,you nad a great deal of reaibn to make that acknowledge ment in honour of that kind of Study. But then, Sir, I aflumc and proceed. If Tongues are at any time to be itudied , why fhould you find fault with Schoolmaikrs for tying their Boys pretty clofe to it : You acknow ledge ( p. 4.) the natural inclinations of Boys to e.ife andidlentfs. Wherefore it mull tol- low , that they muft be a little task't if any good be done with them. But you would have them divert fometimesto other Studies, and k am the Principles of Arithmetic^ and Geo metry , &c+ Very good, Sir , let them learn as much as they arc capable of. But fhall this be done with intermitting the Study o Lttinc and Grefi^, or not ? It they have time to do all, let them go o;i : If not , it fecvs tome, that other Studies may better be de* ierr'd^ than the Study of the Tongues not brought to fome tolerable perfection, before they leave going to School v and that for this rcaibn : I believe you do not often find this observation contradided : When boys come up to Cambridge or Oxford raw in the know ledge ot Grtc.^ and Laiinc 7 they feldom at tain to any Excellency afterwards. The School is the propef place for this kind qf Study. (37) Study. When they come at the ColJedge to Logick and Pbilvfipby , and the ftudy of things. , they are fo taken up with being ia 3 new World , with phrafes and notions whi*h they never heard of before •> that they leave behind them Skill in Tongues , as a more jejune and barren kind of Employ ment. The more we grow towards men , the more we underfland , tha t Jf^urds are in vented only to ilgnitie 1'bings\ and while \vearefhidyingthe Nature of Things, we grudge the time that is (pent in hunting the Etymology of a word, to its ririt Theam, The Underftanding that is in man does in deed early <liicover it (elf, but Memory is the great Store-houfe of Underitanding. And if the Memory be fufficiently imployed at School , it will lay a good foundation for the perftdfcing the Underitanding after wards. Jf you complain that it is a great dulling to aquick-patcd Lad, to have no-- thing tile to do , but to reduce the Gram mar of his Leflbn to f >mc Rule in his Syn- taxisi as it th.ir Mailers jmp'oy'd them in nothing elfe , but cunningly *o fesrcb out tbs Antecedent and the Relative* &c. ( p- to. ) and did not by degrees inure or p re para them at kali to the knowledge of things, Under Correction , Sir, you aye much milta- C 3 kcn? ken : For the Poetry, and Hiftory, and Ora tory that is fludied at School , ( aud fuch things are read bcfides Janua Linguarttm ) are a moft excellent manududtion to a happy prugrefs in Learning in elder years. For there is fomewhat elfe in thefe Books , than accounts of Achilles Toes , and the Grecians Boots. There is together with the fabulous part of Poetry a great deal of ufeful Learn ing there to be found. You may fancy that, that little which is learnt in thefe things at School , is the rcafon why they are no more (hidy'd afterwards i and another may with as much reafon prefume , that Boys being well initiated in thefe Books then, will ear - ncftly covet to perfcdt their knowledge in thofe things which they began to receive an Impreffion of under tne Ferula. But then for the pleafure that maybe taken in thefe Studies, I am loath to warrant much , as not knowing what eve^y body finds > but if I may gue(s at others.by my (elf , then I am iatisncd , that there is fomewhat elfe befide a Play-day , will make a - School-boy cry Cratias. I remember ( though I took my Learning fo hardly , that I have ever fince been ht tor nothing , but to be one of the Ignorant Clergy ) that in many a LeiTbn out oi'f7i»r»j5 and Juvenal, and 3#//y, and fuch fetch kind of School-books , my Matter did more gratitie me by opening my Under/land- ing, and preparing tor greater degrees of knowledge , then I fnould have been pleas'd in playing all the week long ^ knowledge doth infenfibly creep upon thole who are de- firous of it. And while, Boys are in the Study of G/T£^and Latixe^lt comes in their way, and offers it fdf to thofe, who do not with fome violence refufe. to entertain it. Wherefore, Sir, do not think the time ill fpent , that is taken up in this kind of Stu dy j for according to my poor opinion , if Schoolmaftcrs are any thing chargeable for the Ignorance of the Clergy, it is rather be- caufe they fend their Scholars to the Uni- veifity , before they can well make a Verte, or form a Grcel^ Verb , or arc in ibmc good laieafureskill'd in the Idioms of the Latinc and Greek^ Languages, then becauiiethey bind them Apprentices to that which yon count a Slavery i the tircfjme Refetitioxs tf/Amo's and If I would make the worft Conftructtion of every thing, I might imagine by one thing you lay, f pi 16.) that thirteen or fourteen years of age is old enough for a Boy to be dubb'd a Frefhrnan in the Univer- fityrbut-it follows two pages after, that €4 twenty imnty tkreeis tbt nfitil age , xfa fivett years bnng at tbe Vnivcrftty s and if you think that time enough for a man to Commence Ai/frcr .of Arts', then I have nothing to quarrel in this cafc j but if you think this ufual Age is at the lateft , and that if School- mailers did their true intent to their Scho lars , they might at thirteen or fourteen years be fit to remove : then, Sir, give me leave to fuggeft , that I doubt you Jay as great a foundation tor an Ignorant Clergy, as any you defire to remove. I find Dodtor Hammond was admitted at thirteen » and being of very pregnant parts, did after rile to fomewhat a glorious degree ot Learn ing : And I think I know another very learned man admitted at that "age. But tor the main, Sir, mould School inatos turn off their Boys fofoon , it bein - true what you fuppoie, that many of their FrkcdsPtufes are too ihort to maintain them long at the Univerlity, I much tear that the Clergy would be ieis knowhfg then they arc, it they (hould be entred fo young into the more abftrufe parts of Learning. By that little Dbfervation I have mace 5 I think it is true , that C£tcrti ptribus , of two Lads ad mitted in the fame year , one of fourteen or Jifrepn > the other of iixtcen or fcventeen years C4O years of Age , the oldcft does fooner undcr- fland his bufmefs , and in leis time conquer the difficulties ot Logic^ than the younger > and but that I know the Circumflances of all Boys will not bear it, and the opportuni ties they have of advantaging themfelvcs by the favour of perfons of quality would be loll ^ I am of opinion, it would be better for the Church , if none or but few (the ripeneis of whofc parts may deferve it , becaufe of the extraordinarinefs of . their proficiency > were admitted till about fixtecn years of age into the llniverfity j whither when they come you follow them. And I, Sir, follow you to confider whether the reafon why the Clergy is fo. ignorant , be their being ill mannag'd at the UniverHty, You feem to wi(h that they may be well exa mined before their Admiflion ^ but I believe if you would concern your fclf fo far, you could ibllicite and procure (I fay no more,be- caule I think you undcriiand what I mean ) that a Lad to fave his year, (hould without to much as going up to be examined by the Ma- fter or Fellows of the Colledge, be admitted upon the bare recommendation of as igno rant a Country Miuiiter as my felf i yea, though it were likely he would not conic up tp continue of a twelve mgneth after. When When 'they are there, two things you think wsuld contribute fomewhat to make us Ids ignorant , which , becaufe you fliould not think me peeviihly willing to contradict and cavil , and carp at every thing you fay, I will not gain-fay. Only I leave thus much by way of Reflection upon them. One of them may he,. but it is doubtful whether it would do any good : The other might do much good , but it is not at all probable that it can beetfeded. If the Heads of the Uni- verfity fo pleafed , i* might with great eafe be brought to pds-, tkat Lads fhould now and then exercife their Evglifo , as well as their Latin? Tongue, but it alfo very proba bly may be found true, that after this Exer cife hath been Probationer a matter of a do zen or twenty year* , by experience it may appear, that it wiHiigniiie littleto the hand- fomer expreiling our ielvts in the Pulpit , or not more then half a dozen Sermons preach'd in little Country Churches, (where young be ginners commcnly fijft venture ) would do in the ca(e. For the other practice of quibling and joaking , it would be the great Interelt of us Country Parfons and Vicars, if ^ Law were made againft it. We (hould not then be fo much afraid of what ufes to follow , 0 vos Saocr- C4?) Saccrdotcs Rttftici , in the Fr fpecch. And in earneft I yield you , that it turns the tempers of many men into froth and vanity. A witty man they fay will ra ther lofe his Friend than a Jcfr. It is well if fometimes he do not lofe his difcretion too, if he do not lay a fide his IVifdomc to (how his Wit. But when an hundred men have complain'd of this as well as you and I, there is like to be little cure for ir. There is a Waggifh Knavery in young Scholars , they are fo full ot a merry conceit , that they will be ready to burft , if they be not furfer'd to give vent, and if the Exercife of the Fa culty be fropt in the Schools, yet the Faculty remains , and a Lad may (ooner be expell'd the Colledge , than this Habit expell'd out of him. It is an Evil of the nature of many others , it is well if it were not •, but there is little hopes but it will (till be. And yet, Sir , becaufe Wit is a thing out of the reach ot fitch an one as I am -> I will be bold to add , that as there is much evil in it which I know , fo there may be feme good in it which I know not. It doth not always ne- ceiTarily follow , that Twpe-daxars in. the Schools prove Jack^puddings in the Pulpit * fometimes they never- come there, their wit prefers them to more Gentile ( as the World c- ^accounts them) preferments. If they do. they behave themfelves very gravely and ferroufly there: As I could infuiice Jn more Pr£i>ari~ catorcs and 7r//>w's than one , buc you know them as well as I. That which follows in your Letter, is ra ther a difco very of the etfedh, than the caufes of our Ignorance , when you conilclerhow we behave our felves in the Pulpit. Where- .foreifthofe caufes which you have thought good to take notice of, give but an imperteCt account of that into which you enquire > It may be worth my while to add a Supplement to them. I will not trouble you by repre- (entinghow many of thole whole 'ignorance you bewail , have not thofe things you men tion to blame for the cautes of it. They were bred up in good Schools, and were well edu cated at the Univerlity, and werenevei guilty of making pretences to Wit, while they were Sophiikrs , but were as far, from being able to quibble then, as you think them to be from (peaking good Stnie now. It might therefore be added, that the dulnefs of (ome mens natural parts , together with the fliort itaythey make at the Uuiverfity, (which in truth you have great reafbn to take notice ot) are great reatbns of our ignorance : Yet be- is 3 there r fomewhat more to be (45) faid in the cafe : for it is manifeft, that divers of tho(e who are counted ignorant in the Country, before they left the Colledge , were better thought of, and had the repute, if not of excellent, yet of good Scholars. Where fore under hvour Sir , I think there arc three things, beyond what you have coniidercd in this part of your Letter, which do much con cur to the keeping of us low in Learning. Want of Books , want of time to ma&c the beft ufe of thofe few we have , and want of converfe with Learned men. The two rtrii are occailon'd by our Poverty , which you know is great -, the third by the places where we live , which hinders us from that cor- refpondence with Learned men , which m Univeriities and Cities does make (biue men Scholars , almolfc whether they will or no. Firft, Sir , what marvel is it if our know ledge be as fhort as our means to know are ? What can \vc do without Books, unkis kira- ing were infus'd and infpir d into us by * Miracle ? and how fhould we,wh(j(e Poverty you either pitty or laugh at, come by any number of Books > The little time we have (pent at the Univeriity , was not fo idly thrown away , but we'have heard of a gjenc number of Books that are in the World, and fosnctiintf fometimes out of curiofity ( if for no other reafon ) we would get a fight of feme of die publick Libraries. There are many Writers whom they call the Fathers of the Church , and there are fome Books ( whatever they are) that go by the name of Councils. There are a Jib Schoolmen and Commentators^ and abundance of Writers Ancient and Mo dern ., Foreigners and our own Country men v and if we can but get fuch a (matter ing inthtfe, as to be able todiftinguiihone fort of Waiters from another , and to talk a little of them when we come into the com pany of thofe who are more Learned than our felves , we acquit our (elves well. For alas Sir , how (hould we be able to go much farther ? If we had thefe Books, it is not im- poffible but we might underftand them , and we fhould be willing to read them. But poor we are not able to buy. If once in a quarter of a year , we make a hard fhift to ipare a fhilling to buy inch an excellent Piece as your Letter is, it is very fair : but* this rifes to little in (even years > we may live a great while before we have a well-furnillied Li brary. Nor if we had it , can we find any great time to make ulc o£ it. If we can turn to an Expoiitor or two ( if we have them ) to know (47) know the meaning of the Text, and be fure that we raife no Do&rincs but what do fas we uie to fay ) naturally flow from the words, and can then rind time to write down what we intend to fay, in giving the Reaforis of the Dodtrine , and the feveral Ufes that may be made of it > in the doing of all this, a great part of the Week will go away, and for the reft we (hall have imployment enough for it , in fending about for our Tythe : for by that time , that after ten or a dozen Met fagcswe have got enough o£ that fame, to go to Market with the next week, we reckon it a good weeks work. As for the reading of any thing die, than what may juftierve to help us make our Sermons > that is much out of our way. We do pretty equally want money to buy Books, and want time to read thofetew we have: fothn fome who are difpofed to think charitably of us, will rather wonder that we have fo much, than that we have (b littleJLearning. Yea I believe there are few or thofc whoddpife us tor our Igno rance , who fuppoilng they had the fame in- cumbrances that we have/wouldgo much be fore us in knowledge. As to skill in Con- trove-dial learning, it is little lels than irn- poiiible , we thould excel in it. we have talk ot Sosini*nifm-> and may under> itand fund the meaning of it: But thors art1 fo dear, that Slicbtingius, Crtllius, Volkelias * and two or three more , are of a* great price as fome of our whole Libraries. So Bdljrminfs Controverfies, and others thit concern the quarrel between us and the Church ofc Rome , and fuch other Books which I have heard learned men talk of among themLlves, arc of a great price. It is well that a fmali Germj* Syfhme or two, ( Books which (bme Tort of men can as little contain themielves from having a fling at, though they write but a Letter to a Friend, as the Nnn-conformlil can forbear inveigh ing againit Di&trcpbts ) and the Frsftice of Piety , and fome tew other good Books are not very dear, for if they were* Clcricu* abfitte lib?) would be our Motto. There are I Know fome of us in more happy circum- funccs, who have Books to read ., or money to buy , and if their Abundance does not, ta be fare their -ncceiiitics uo not hinder them trom {pending their time among good Books. II theie men be not more Learned , than vrc of the poorer fort , upon themielves 'be their tault. Yet neither are thefe of our Brethren to be wondred at , if though they have good Libraries, their learning does not equal theirs who (49) who daily converfe with living Libraries* Reading of Books will fignifie little without due meditation upon what we tead , nor will both together avail much, unldfe occafion be fbmetimes oifer'd, by the company we meet with to im prove and make ufe of what we have read. Again , by bare reading we mult rely upon our own fmgle Underitand-^ ing in the judgement we make of the Authors we read : Whereas if we could difcourfe, we (hould obferve the fenfe of others, and make our {elves wife by their reading as well as our own. Now, Sir, though you have lived much in the company of learned men, yet if peradventure you might be born near a Countrey Village , or may fometimes have (bme Friends to viiit in fuch by- corners i then , I pray , the next time you ride through a Street remarkable tor nothing fomuch, as that haply the Church is not thatch't as well as molt of the Houfes : Confider with your felf, what comfortlefle Converie as to iruncrs of Learning, is the poor Par- fon of this Town condemn'd to ? How (hould a man be a Scholar here > or if D he (50) he had feme what of Sholarfhip in him before he came hither , how muft his Parts need ruft for want of ufe ? if he (\vill ftudy for his own pie afitre , he may, 6ut elfe he may as well call his Hogs in Latine-> as make any great ufe of his Learning among his Neighbours > or as well expecl: Inftrudions again from the fame Swine , as hope to advantage him- (elf by the Converfe of any of them, unlefTe it may happen that there be a v Gentleman or two, -or fome few inge nious perfons in his Parifli. Not that we defpiie our honeft Farmers D as you men of Learning cannot but do. If we can obtain the End for which we live among them , to make them better in this World , and to fit them for Hea ven hereafter, our fatisfadfcon in doing our Duty , and our hopes of accorrv- plifhing fo happy an End , renders our Countrey Lives as pleafurable to us , as yours maybe to you , whole Ingenuity and Wit makes all the Gentry in the Countrey when you come among them, admire your Perfon, and covet your Company. So that if you will give us kave to judge of our own ftate , we do not 05) hot think our felves altogether unhappy* But as to the purpofeof Learning, we acknowledge our felves under a difad- vantage- The two former are true of many of us, we want Books, and time .to read them if we had them. But the latter is true of almoft all- If Coun- trey Minifters are not fo learned as to free them from Contempt, it is notal- wayes , becaufe they begin amHs at School, or were unfortunately tutored at the Univerfity, the condition of life which the places we live in determine us to , is the great reafon why the Clergy is no more learned. When you have confider'd our Edu cation at the Univerfity, upon which you djfcourfe in fliort , proportionably to the fhcrt flay you fuppofe we make there , you look uppon us in our Bene fices , and require into the manner of our Behaviour in the Pulpit; Where one would think you had been fome Gatherer of Briefs , or fome fuch Iti nerant Gentleman , who hath had occa- fion often to vifit our Couptrey-Church* ' cs , you do fo well know how we en tertain owr Heanrs- You can tell what 0 a ftream of Rhetorick our Metaphor Merchants Tail in, Mho live in a Sea- Town. You know how we muiter •up our comparifons in the open and Champian Countreys. You remember too what Trade we drive in great Towns, If I could learn your marks , 1 would give notice to a couple of Ale- houfes in my Parifh, who I hope will do me word, if you chance tp come in of a Saturday night, (but that I doubt you xvillcottie difguHed, not like your felf, ( i. £•) a worthy Gentleman ) and I will cromife you one of the beft Sermons in my budget s for I do not love that «iy Brethren of the Clergy frould gene rally fuffer for an iiKonfiderateexpreffion or two, that may fall from me among my own people, who I know would take no offence at it. Many fuch things you take notice oU but fcch as make worke for another En- The .queftion is, Whether all thofc things you reckon be faults , awd whe ther we be guilty of all thde faults you Firil, it may be we are excufablc in fomc of thofe things which you make your felf and others fuch fport with, I do not fay in all of them , for I do ho- neitly acknowledge to you, that many of thofe things you have inftanced in , are unhandfome , not grave nor beco ming our place , When we pretend to fpeak from God to the people. The Pulpit is an unfeemely place wherein to ad: the part of Stage-players, and to be have our felves , as if our great defign were to exefcife the vifible rather than rational Faculty of our Hearers. The Salvation of the Souls of men is a very ferious things and the Endeavours that are addrefled for the obtaining of it , had need be ferious and proportionate. It is eafie to foar too high after fublime Notions, till we mount beyond the keen of vulgar Underftandings. We may alfo eafily fink too low into a dirty and unmannerly way of expreffing our felves unbecoming the Gravity of fo facred an Employment. Wherefore, Sir , the Complement we receive when we come out of the Church , I cquld in great earneft pafle upon you , D 3 apd and thank you for your great pains , if I thought it probable that the ftoJes you tell , would onely (hame us and make us more wary in what we do j and not over and above make the whole Clergy more contemptible than yet we are. Yea it might not have been amifs too , if you had whipt us for two other Child ifhneflcs of ours > the odde Tones and the inimi cal Geftures, whereby many of us fqueak and puppet it , and make our fdves ri diculous to our Hearers, by making as muchfport with the manner , as with the matter of our Sermons. But , Sir , while you were upon this Argument, was it well done to talk at that rate , as if you defign'd to bring the whole office of I reaching inta Contempt? If I had the rich vein of Wit , whereby you are fo admirably qualified , I might undertake to pick fomething out of the bcft Sermon that hath been preached anytime this hundred years, that may as well be laught at , as iome of thofc things which you feem fro me to abufe us for. If we would prepa re the attention ofc our Auditours, and by a Preface per- fwade C55) fwade them that we have fome what con- fiderable to fay •» then we run the hazard of your difpleafure , for though you do not bluntly condemn all Prefaces, (and you would not be overwife if you did ) yet with a certain ilinefs you infinuate , that there is fomewhat throughout the whole method of our Preaching, which makes us contemptible. And the firiV thing you take notice of , is* Before the *fext be divided , a Preface is to be made > and afterwards ,' Having made the way to the Text as "fmooth and -plain as any thing , with a Preface perhaps from Adam^ &c. p. 64, & 66* by which it feemsto me that our very Prefacings are flight ed and meanly fpoken of. Some men would have brought you twenty Au- th ours and more , to prove the Coi^ve- FJencyof this manner of beginning our Sermons, and would have concluded with the Example of Saint Luke. But I oncly fay , that it is more then I un- deritand , why a Preface may not do as well in the common Method of Preach ing 5 as it does in the common Method of other Oratory. And I dare be bold to promile for you , that if our generall D 4 Cuflom Cuftom were to begin thus. ftrine that if plainly contained In thefe words i #fM*,&c, you would make your felf mere merry with that Method , than yon do with this. Indeed, Sir, I think what courfc focver we take, you would find fault with us. But it is a cer tain fort of Prefaces at which you carp. It K a great chance if firft of aU we da notmakgour Text like fomewhat , p. 64. And is it not a fufficient Anfwer to fay , It # a great chance if we do ? For eve ry may be hath a may not be* I know a Mini/kr who tells me, he is not fo Idle as to look over all his Notes for this purpofe, yet he doth not call to mind, that in five hundred Sermons and above which he hath by him , he hath two beginnings withfuch a kind of Preface, But if our Text be indeed like any thing , why is it>abfurd to fay it is fo ? And now mcthin^s my 'text likg an Inge nious Pitture^ lookj upon all here pre* jfotf , &o p. 65. And what great harm, | pray , Sir, in all this ? Iffuch a thing as this make us defpifed , it is becaufe men have a mind to defpife us. Me- thinks, Sir, your Letter Ji-ke a difinge- niou* (57) mouf Sqnirtt * lookj with an evil Cye up on every thing mdoy and you feek cx> cafions to undervalue us. What iin- handfomenefle is there , if while I am prefacing to fuch'-a Text as this, 7ri£#- lation and anguifo to every foul of man that doth cvi^ &c. I ihould fay , My Text is like the Hand- writing upon the wall, that made Bclfljazzw tremble. Or if I (hould (Ignifie my good wi(hes that the words of my Text may be as goads and as nails faftrfd by the M*- fters of Affemblies-^ that they may ma-ka ibme impreffion upon my Hearers* Would yon not fcount this an har(h Compariibn ? It is well Solomon was a Wife man , who before us made fuch a Comparifon of the words of the Wife. Other likeneiTes may be as excufable as thefe , though I do not fay that all are. Nor is it fo Itrange a thing > that a Text towards the end of the Bible , {hould have a Preface from Adam; for there is a great affinity Jbetween the Old Te- ftament and the, A/en? : And divers Texts in the New Tefhment do plaia- ly referr to the Firft Adam- But be the JPreface what it will , y u arc fuffici- cnily (58) ently refoh'd to lau$> at it. If I am over- venturous in fo faying, it is you, Sir, that fet me the Example, who conclude that the Preacher , whatever his Text had been , was fufficiently refill d to mafy it like an Ingenious Picture. You follow us to the Dividing of our Jexts , and there you rind better fport. Whereas if you were a Pythagorean that abominated that which recedes from' Unity:, it is hard for us in this cafe to make u& of any manner of (peak ing ib innocent , but you will account it to our difad vantage. Though it be the Nature of a Propofition to confift of a Subjett and a Predicate, yet you will not give us leave to (ay that the words naturally fail tfunder. Jt is but rarely that our Texts drop and melt a- fimdtr , now and then it may be in a great thaw : And peradventure if we had not an unexceptionable Prefident , you would laugh at us for faying, Our Vottrine drops as the raifi* and dijMs as the T>ew* Nor is it any thing more ftrange that our Text ihould fometimes untwift , than that a propofition (hould be a Comflexe fheam. Yea, what it (59) they divide themfelves? For why may not words divide themielves as well as things fpeak : and who ever abus'd an Oratour , for faying in a plain cale, Re/ iff a loquitur? Sir, thefe are but forms of fpeaking, no more ridiculous than forms of Law , or Cuftornary ExpreG- (ions and Traditions in Latine Orati ons. Not that I take upon me to ex- cufe all we do in this cafe: You have men* tion'd fome things unhappy enough, but if you had pleas'd to have done us a k&nd* nefs ( if it be not right , you might have omitted making fuch general Reflexions upon all the Divifions we make , and you may charitably believe that fome- times we ihew as good Logick^ in divi ding a Text , as any your Tutor read to you at the Univerfity. If we mould not divide our Texts at all, what then? Would you not tel us , that we amufe our people with confufed unmethodical! Difcourfes? Certainly you would have as much reafon for it. Wherefore again it is our unhappinefs to fall into the bands of fo witty a Gcntlcman,who what courfe foever we take , will find fault with us. You You have taken too much notice of our Ignorance to believe , that we can raife any very cunning Doctrines and Observations 5 yet the truth is, we pleafe our (elves fometirnes in thinking we do (a, I {hall not trouble you with excafes for thofe ftories you have in- ftanced in , (though I am not altogether fo ignorant, as not to know that fcme- what may be faid in excufe for fome of them) now that you have fo friendly admoniflied us , I hope we (hall mend for the time to come. But if you jpkale ^ we will a little debate another point* Whether or no we do ill , although it be ra our Countrey Churches te» fprinkle a little Latine and Gr^j^fome- times about our Sermons. I am not lit to judge which is the beft manner of .the two , to preach nothing but En- glifh-i or to mix now and then a Latine Sentence. Old Mr. Thd I have been itold, ufed to fay, So much t^z«e,fo much ¥h{b in a Sermon > but all men are not altogether of that minde. If! inuft determine any thing, J would fay they are both beft. There may be yea* teafonS wliy It may be fornetlmes bell to do fo, and fometimes beft other- wife. It is enough if | can give any reafons, that may make it allowable,^ leaftfo far as that we do not make our fclves ridiculous in (b doing. And, rirft, Sir , you your felf have fur* nifhed us with one reafbn. If we may judge of others of your quality by your ielf, we may conclude , there is a num ber of Gentlemen in England of great parts , that have a mean opinion of us Miniiters, becaufe of our great Igno* ranee ^ wherefore why may we not be allowed now and then ( not often , foe you (hall very rarely HndeN that we bring in twenty Poets and Philofofbers into an hours tal^ and that we ff read, owe felves in abundance of Greel^andLx-* tint ) to difcover a little of that Learn ing that we have , that we may not be counted more ignorant than indeed we are. Now we finde how the world goes, that our Credit is low , why may you not judge, that what we do, is not forfimf lepbantaftick^ Glory , but ra ther for the preferving our Reputation among thofc who arc ready to kflenir- if If there were nothing elfe in if , yet is not this fomething ? Our learning is not great , but we a're abufed } and they who do not love us , fuppofe it to be letfe then it is> therefore it (lands us in hand to make the beft of our own cafe, when others reprefent it to the worft. But this is not all. There is you know in fome words, and in fome (ententes, a certain ilgni- ricancy and fulnefs of fenfe in one Lan guage , which cannot fo eafily nor fo fhortly be expreft in another, fuch as are many happily-compounded words in Plutarch, and many Proverbs and wife Sayings in both Languages. Now if there be but one or two Scholars in the Church, yet we may hereby con- veigh fome what to their underftand- ings with a greater clcarnefs and per- fpicuity 5 then if we were all in our own Language. Or if no body in the Con gregation look fo like a Scholar as our poor fel ves , yet may we do our felves a kindne(s , by helping our own Under- fiandings, and quickening our Memories as to fome Notions, which after the Sentence of Latm cr Greeks paft , our defcanr- defcantings upon may be as profitable to our hearers , as any part of our Ser mon i biAt if we had no fuch thing in our Notes , we might lofe fome of the fulneis of the fcnfe, for want of prefcrving it in the Original Proverb' And yet again it concerns us {bine- times to let our people know what Au thority we have for what we fay. We give our opinion concerning the meaning of fuch a Text , and we confirm it by the Expofition of fuch a Learned mam or we endeavour to prove the Jawfull- nefs of fome Uiages in the Church from the Authority of fome of the Fathers > or we have occafion to fpeak of the ftate of the primitive Church while under Per- (ecutiony or ette divers occasions offer them(elves to take notice of Heathen Au thors The Dodhine of the Gofpel, and the reafonablenefs of Chriftian Re ligion, and the equity of Moral Ver- tues are not new Inventions of this Age, they have been know and talkt of, and writ ^about many years ago : If now while we are quoting of an Author for the confirmation of what we fay, we quote him in hjs own language , though bui our people do not underftand it, till we Englilh it , yet it is a fatisfa&ion that we do not impofe upon them. And! have heard mean people, and as to mat ters of Scholarmip very ignorant, talk with a great deal of pleafure of St. Auftitt and other men , whom they have often heard of in the Pulpit,upon no other ac count , then becaufe they have heard us quote fornewhat coniiderable out of them. Together with all this , it is a Confi- deration not altogether unworthy of thcfe who do not think themfelves the onely wife men in the world , that many wife men have ufed this way of preach ing i fo wile and fo modeft withal 15 that it may be reafonably prefumed , they have not out of fimple phantajiick^ Glory onely ipakea little Latine' in the Pulpit ,* but they have judg'd it lit for them fo to do. Thefe things I have ofFcr'd,Sir,not much in my own defence =, for I am not greatly guilty in this kind. It may be thofe of my Brethren who are given to this way , can give better reafons than I have fug- in their own Vindication j how ever ever it feems to me that thefe are /ujfficienc :o deliver them from being defpis'd upon his account, unlefs they be very lavifh in his kind where there is little reafbn. For hough I would fay that this pra^Hce may "omecimes and in fome places be juftifi'd, jet I am far from falling into the other esu ream. You feem to condemn all mix- ures of other Languages, I have excufed brae, and yet do acknowledge , that we nay do very foolifhly, in talking abundance, if- Latine to thofe who fcarce undertone! ilain Englifr. There is another thing you reproach us or , •&•**,. The little Sentences we fome- imcs interpofe to mollifie what we are bout to fay, As it were, and of 1 may fo and with Reverence be it {pekcr* ; as if •ou thought we were the bolder to venture pon Blafphemy under the guard of thefe yords Blifter'd be that Tongue that will e bold to blafpheme, whether it be with >r without an excufe ; and fo far as we do n this manner uftier in any thing of that lature, fpare us not. But might yoU not tave acknowledged, that we may very in- jocently ufe fuch forms of words asthefc^ not good Oratours without any dif- wiragemenr to themfclves, often fay, Si it* E hni (66) lojtti lice at y and detur vcrto vewat and the like ? Why fliould this be more offenfive in Englifo than Latine. And is there not an Axitmt in Divinity, ( but may be you'l laugh at it, becaufe Syftematical Divines life it) g#&S/. Scriptura loquitur de Deo 'Ap0pa>7TDmy«$ detent intelligi 0go*-?£7r0f.- God himfelf fpeaks fomc things in his ho ly Word, which we may not repeat with out Reverence. There are Similitudes not very harfli • but the infinite diftance be-J tween the Almigktj God and us forry? Creatures, requires as well an Awe in our Undcrftandings , as the Reverence of our Bodies. But here alfo as well as elfe where the faults you find with us are without any juft limits, or any favourable acknow ledgements, that fuch words are fometimes becomingly and well ufed, as well as un- feemly and ill at other cimes. When you had reckoned up three things whereby we difparage our felves^ Harflu tJWetapbers, Childiftt Similitudes, and iH applied Talts, and had^tickled your fpleen With the two firft, you forgot to take no tice of the third : Wherefore you raay give me leave to follow your Example, andt omit any difcourfe o£ the other two. But; I will take fo much notice of them, as to yield ;Jrield to you, that many Of the inftanees you give in thefe, as well as thofe that fol low in the Obfervations , are fufficiemly to the difrepnte of thofe whom you quote for them. But if you had added many more to them, 1 do not fee why it fhould be any more to the difcredit of the Clergy in ge neral , then why 11 two or three Plumb- fellers in London (a word you have taught me) (hould fell rotten Plumbs, all the Gro cers in the City (honld thereby lofe their Trade and their Credit. The Clergy-men in England are very numerous, and you have taken the liberty to look backward taany years, ten or a dozen years to my knowledge, for fome of the (lories: Nay 4 there is one among the reft ("that of Abra hams begetting Ifaac) may be thirty or; fourty years old or more, for any thing I know -, for it was fuperannuated and altnoft out of'date above twenty years ago. And what if out of twenty or thirty years Ser mons, may be rak't up twenty or thirty pafTages not very acurate or Scholarlike, why {hould the reft that are learned and grave and fuch as become men in our Ca pacities to Preach, fuffer upon the account Of thofe few. Efpecially if it be confi- der'd that the diftempers and troubles of E % the (68) the late times, did influence, as upon many of che Laiety to make them poor, fo upon many of che Clergy alfo to difturb their Studies. It is well known how many raw men and unexperieac'd in this great Em- . ployment , skipt up without any controll into the Pulpit, without any fufficient 0r- der for fo doing. It ales alfo dcferve to be added, that you report things to their difadvantage : For thofe ftories whereby you tell us how fbme men pick out cun ning Texts to proveaDo&rine, which no body would think were contained in it , I cannot think are fo bad as you reprefent thera. For if I may guefs at the reft by one, you have done I doubt, fome wrong to the memory of that witty man , (for I think [ know who you mean^ whofe Text was about the multitude ot thoughts, Pf. 94. Probably enough he might glance a little upon Etettionand Refrebatio*^ for a man upon fuch a Text may wander far if he pleafe ^ but that he took that Text on purpofe to difcourfe upon that Argument, or that he rais'd that Dodrinc thence and did fpend any ccnfiderable time to follow it, I muchdouot and have a great deal of reafontodo fo; for I may doit, without bringing any fufpition upon your integrity in (69) in citing of it. For though you would have itbeliev'd that he fo faid, yet I per. ceivc thofc words , The Dottrine that na turally flotys fr«m theft vfords^ are not the Preachers words, but your own. But I fay no more in extenuation of any Extravagancies of Preachers, becaufe in earned i acknowledge that we are too of ten culpable, and the matter as well as man ner of our Preaching might be to better purpofe than it is, if we would take all due care to avoid thofe ridiculous Im perti nencies, which though not fo frequent as you fuppofe , yet are frequent enough to cxpofe us to fome Contempt among wife and under Handing men. Thus far, Sir, I have enquired whether all thofe things you charge us with, be in deed faults, or fo great faults as to make us contemptible.- It remains to confider whe ther we arc guilty of fomc other things which you do reckon up and reproach us for , of which fort I enquire but into two. Whether we be guilty of accom modating our felves to the humour of the $hief man of theParifti, without confider. ing the nectffities and capacities of our meaner people : And whether we be fo idle a snot to begin to ttudyour Sermons •E 3 tin tations fake (which may be quickly loft ) well confider what we intend to fay. He was no fool that (aid, Vwts mihipro papula : One Gentleman in the Parifti may efpy more fauhinefs in our Sermons, than all the parifh befide. It concerns us there fore fo far to preach to them , as to have fome peculiar regard to their Learning , fo as we may fay nothing but what we appre hend fit for an intelligent perfon to hear. Azjd while we are thus doing, we do not unworthily and crouchingly accommodate our felves to the Gentleman with whom we hope to dixc. Iti« fitting for us to defire to approve our felves to an underftanding Au-> ditour^ and. we do without any»Jfham$ own it, that we do fo far ftand in| awe of a fevere judgement, as that we believe ouc felves to preach the better, for having re- fpeft to what may be fit |to fay before fuch an one. Yea, I think it were happy for the Church, if allCountrey Mmifters that live in by-holes, had a Gentleman of worth and parts in their Parifli, not onely for the other favors which they may hope to receive from rhera, but upon this account , that our Sermons 'may be ftudied with more Care, and Breach*d with tefs Exception. I am willing to hope this is that you mean { • (73) in your Charge; which if you do, we contefs the faS, but deny the guilt. We Jiave this regard to the better fort of per- fons in our parifti, and we are not blame- able for it. But if you mean we have re- fpe& to the humours of the Gentlemen that hear us, as it is not proper for the place wherein you fpeak of it , fo we hope we do not deferve to be charged with it , and till you better prove it, in our Vindication I take the liberty to deny it. But if you mean as probably you do, that we ftrive Co preach learnedly, becaufe of one or r« o learned men that hear us , when the re- >f the people undcrftand nothing : this alto till it be better proved, may honcftly be De nied. We may have refpeft to their Ln- derftanding, upon the reafon which I have already given, although we do not labour to rife above the capacity of our mean;!' Audi tours. With the fame finenefs you ufe in other cafes , you bring us under a fufpition of preaching vencuroufly and rawly, but very little premeditating what we intend ro fay. There ate you fay very few Texts can be divided at fooneft before Friday nigh , find, fome there are tvi/l never be divided, but *f>on Sunday morning , and that not very early ; but (76) proved it, fand Affirmantis eftprobare) I have the confidence to deny it. It may be many of us do not fee our felves to write our Notes, till towards the end of the week -, but we can ftudy before we write, we may all the week long at fevera! times be cafting our thoughts upon our Textf^ intOh a certain method , and digefting into fomc good order, what we intend firft to write, and then to preach. If you had been difpofed to do us a kincM nefs, and to deliver us from Contempt, youj might have let this altogether alone ; and if you did not think good to commend us j for our Studioufnefs , yet you needed fiotl have blamed us for that, which it is impof-| fible you fbould have a certain knowledge of: for neither you nor any other man li ving canbcfo intimately acquainted with a matter of nine or ten thoufand Preach ers, (and fucha number there is in Eng land) as to know what time of the week they ufe to fet themfeives firft to ftudy their Sermons. You profefs your felf *» kontfi and hearty wi/ber y that we might be well tfttemd in our Profejfion. You might if you had pleafed , have contributed fome- what more then you have done to the fuc- ceis of thofe Wifties. You need not have repre- (77) •eprefented every thing to our difadvan- :agc. If there be faults in our Preaching, as there are too many) you might have nollifi'd them fomewhat without any dif- ionour to a Gentleman of your Quality tnd Wit } and you have a fair Prefidenc or it, in one who was accounted a Wit in lis time, and I think your modefly will al ow him fomewhat comparable to your elf: The Excellent Mr. Herbert (who (hall conclude this part of the trouble I give you ) even when he could find fault with our Coat, fpeaks thus in our Defence, Judge not the Preacher, for lie is thy ^udge9 Ifthou mi/like him thoti conceit ft him not ; Godcalleth Preaching /«?//;, do not grudge Topicl^oftt treafures from an earihtn Pot. The worft Jpeaksfvmethlng goodjf all want fitf*> God takes a Texty and Breaches Patience. Jeft not at Preachers language er exprej/fiott, How know* ft thott but ihy (ins made him wifcarry ? Then turn thy faults and his, into conftflion, Codfent him whatfoerc he be : O tarry And love him for hi* A4 after, his condition ; Tho^ffh it be tll^makes him no III Phjfici(.*if 5. I have, Sir, but one Enquiry more to make, Whether if we are as you reprefenc uSj and are therefore defpifed • you have taken a probable eourfe to heal our Wound, and co deliver us from that Contempt, which you profefs your felf forry for , be- caufe we lye under. You feem to me to write after fuch a manner , as will increafe our Contempt among thofe , who will do you the honour to have a favourable opini. on of your Undertaking. Who ever thought that SelJgns Hiflory of Tjthes did the Clergy a great kindnefs , though it bear a fair face, and may have much truth in it ? Or, there is another Book ^nearer a kin ,to yours, even that which is thought to give the provocation to Selden , ('how truly I know not^ who ever thought that the Co medy of Ignoramus would make the Law yers fpeak better Latine, or increafe their Credit. Such a kind of piece is your Let ter of Enquiry , a piece of Drollery and Fancy, a merry making at our misfortunes. You pretend to pitty us, but you do all the while laugh at us. Your Style is pungent, and enrers a little too deep- It is a grave Subject you enquire inro , and fuch as in fober fadnefs defer vcs to be enquired into; But the manner of your Enquiry is too fa. cetioss (79)" tetious and jocular, and too like a Pravan- ators fpeech, though in one place you falJ b foul upon chofc Exercifes of Wit in the Jniverfitics. I confefs there is ferae oddes Between a Sermon and a Letter - but as we ake a Text, fo you take a Theara to dif- :ourJfeon, The Groundt and Occafions of 'the lontempt of the Cltrgy • a weighty and fcrious Argument, if you had dealt with it accordingly. True it is that Sportivewfi and DroKerj is fo much the humour of the times , that if you had written after an other fafhion , fome hundreds of Copies might have lain upon the Bookfeliers hands. It may alfo be, that as A Verfe ntaj find him who a Sermon files ; So you may better laugh us out of what is indecorous, and adminifters Occafion ta our Contempt, than if you made an Ufe of (Reproof, and did fcverely chide us. But, ISir, after you have well confider'd the qua- Jlity of the perfons who flight us, will you ;fay plainly, which you think will firftcome ;to pafs? Shall you fooner laugh us out of | our Indecencies, or will you not much ifeoner laugh them into a greater difpofiti- |on of contemning us. You have, Sir, led the Dance, and fo many as follow your Meafures, will by your manner of fpeak- ing (So) ing be abundantly intruded to have us full more in dcnfion. When we are in Gowns and CafTocks gravely habited, we hope td be refpe&fully treated from our Neigh- bours for our gravity fake .- But you ha^ drawn the Pidurc of a Parfon in qtterfo^ and devefted us of all thofe things that were Ornamental about us, (nay verily you will hardly believe that we have Breeches under our Offocks) that our people may more fecurely jear at us. You blame ui much for harfi Metaphors, and in the mean time you exceed as much in ever -retching Hy perboles* Either you expedt your Reader iliould believe nothing you fay , and then you play the fool, and write to no purpofe, Or you would have him believe all , and then you do little better then nlay t\\e knave $ for you very well know, the Relation you give whether of our Ignorance or Poverty, is exceedingly Hyperbolical; or you leave it to the difcrecion of your Reader to make more favourable allowances to your ffj- ferbole's, then you do to our Metaphors. But you (hodd then have given them a better example , and not to have tempted them to fay that which themfelvesdo not believe : As I hope, Sir, you do not think &s fo ridiculous as you make us, whatever yosr (8*) take this trouble upon you, then flay a while before you abufe us any more If ever you are like to become one of us after ft feven years Exerdfe in our Sacred Em ployment, review your own Sermons, and if you can find nothing that a fcvere Judge ment or Critical Wit can find fault with then and not till then abufe us at your pleafure -Is is too late to fay now, Do not cafttke firfl flow at HS, till you know whether yourfdf be toitboHKM. But if you perfift ,r the fame humour of defpifing us, peradventurq it may be time to fay then, Cum ttiafervideasocHix mule lifpw inxnEfo Cur %n amtcorttm vitix tarn ctrnij tcntum. ' I wifh I could confute that part of your Letter which concerns our p<wnj • But (though you Hyperbolize grievoufly in that part of your Difcourfe; there is too much Truth in it to be contradicted. Yec upon farther confederation of the Matter I find 1 can't be as good a* my word You are in toopleafanc a vein for me to hit in with you. The Tune of At* poor Scholar is toe merry a Ditty. Inftead of a plea- font new Tune, [ think it may as well be come you to fall in with me, and to ac knowledge that as pur fot deferred better Com- (83) Comforter^ fo may thepoor defrii \fters expeft,. that to him that is afflicted, pit} fboutd be ficVoed from his friend. Sir, I have difcours'd with you all this while as with a Stranger , and have very little betray '4 tha£ I have any .knowledge of you ^ if I am not much miftaken, I know you well, and if I know you, I love you for old Acquaintance. But I have done that, which I think were well if other Writers would do in their Arguings with one an other -, not fo much ;difcover their know ledge of the Perfonthey undertake : for it often comesto pafs, that when two men write one againft another, the Caufe is laid afide, and (ome perfonal quarrels taken up, in which their Readers are no more con- cern'd , than we are in all the Duels that are fought in France. l£ my Information fai!^ and I know you not, yet I honour you, becaufe I am perfwaded you mean well. I have done you no difhonour by any thing I havefaid • whether I have done any thing for the Honour of my Order, the Reader muft judge. Glad (hall I be if I can pre fer ve my Brethren from being farther de- fpifed. I never counted my felf , nor was any body elfe ever fo foolifh, as to count me witty • if 1 have now and then ventured F % upon (84) upon fome ludicrous Exprefiions, it hath not been becaufemy own Inclinations led me to them, but becaufe in few words I thought,to anfwer fuch a Difcourfeas yours is altogether morofely andfowerly, would not do well If I have not pleafed yon yet, I hope I (hall in what I have yet to fay which is onely this: I put an End totl trouble I give you, and am Sir, 1 670. Your Humble Servant IT. S. (8s; A Toflfcript. SIR, Ou may fee how hard it is for men to conti nue long in a good ininde. I thought I had done, but the toy took me to read over your Letter once a- Eln 3 and I finde upon a Review , that I ve omitted fome things which do as well deferve to be confider'd, as many of thofe which I have taken notice of. I am not of the humour that my Lord VtruUm reports fome perfons to be of, who when they write Letters , referve the moft im portant bufinefs for the Poftfcript. The fnain things I defigned I have difpatcht, but fome flipt from me : Which I fay, be- caufe I would neither have you nor my Readers think , that by vertue of an old F 3 Maxim, (86) Maxim, Quj, tacetconfentire vifLetttr, I ap prove of all that I do not cxprefly dif- allow i and having faid fo, I an} willing to lave you the labour cf following me in a Idng reckoning up of all thofe things I mean. I trouble you with a little Anj- madvcrfion upon one Paragraph of your Letter. That is p. 19. where you reflect ppon the Gentlemen that keep Chap* lains. It is not, Sir, to be denied* but fome of them may be a little too fcyerely and unhandfomely dealt with. But I wifh you hid fpoken a little more refpedfally and civilly both of thofe Gentlemen and their Chaplains too, for thefe Rca- fons. There are many Gentlemen will not trou* ble themfelves with fo idle a Piece of Houfr holdftuff as a Chaplain is ; none of the Fa mily can be better fpared, no Expences be better retrenched , than that needlcfs Wages which he receives. Now, Sir, if there be any of the Gentry of England fo inclinable to Debauchery, as that the pre- fence of a Chaplain would be burdenfome to them, and therefore they chufe to be without; you cannot but think you would have pleafed many men, if you had fpoken 9 little honourably of that kind of life -, an4 you you might have encouraged the Gentry to believe that a Chaplain would not devour fo much of their Eftates as a pack of Dogs will. And if you had done the Church no fervice in befpeaking fuch provipon for young Scholars, yet you might have done fomewhat to theCommonweahh,in being an inftrurnent to recover the Gentry fromfomc of their Excefles. You have taught them to flefpiieus, and you cannot but believe, that what we fay will be little effectual • but if a Gentleman of fo great Ingenuity and fo ad mirable Parts as your felf, ihould tell them ; it would b$ for the Honour of their Name- and Houfe, for the Encouragement of Learning and Piety, to haveintheirHoufes fome young Scholars of rare Parts and good Improvements, the*/ might liften to you, and you might thus do the world good fervice, Or if you had not thought it worth your while to have made this attempt , yec ac lead you might have acknowledged , that there arc fome Gentlemen in England (how few foever, who treat their Chaplains with all fair and good refped ^ who make them much their Companions and Friends ; who retain them upon no low and mean ac counts , but for excellent purpofes, vi* F 4 Tbac ft*) That the Eiercifc of Piety in their Fami lies may be performed with Gravity and Devotion, as becomes fuch holy Services : And collateral to this, that they may have the opportunity and fatisfo&ion, of train ing up Divines for more publick Service afterwards. When if it fhall happen, that they live to fee them wefl fixed in that Sacred Employment, the Cure of Souls ; it cannot but be a great Contentment and plcafure to them to reflet* upon what is part , and fay , There is fuch a Worthy Divine who was forc'd to leave the V*i- yerfty very young , and if I had not ta ken him into my Family, and given him leafure and Encouragement to follow his Studies, he might have hunted after a poor Curatefhip as foon as he was Barchelour of Arts i where a conftant Imployment fo foon , would have (poil'd his Growth in learning, that he (hould never have reach'd that Repute he now lives in. Neither, Sir, have every one of thefe Gentlemen, a Cozen Afogaittodifpofeof- or if they had, it is to be hoped they detefl that Sjynonj that goes under you know what opprobrious name, You may, Sir, fancy thofe of our Pro. feffion to be a Company of fucaking low- fpirited Dirked men, who know not what belongs to Honour and Reputation ; and therefore you may deal with u* as you pleafe : But you might have remembred that Gentlemen I are very tender in that point •, if they Ihould i! chance to enter the lifts with you, you I would find their Pens as (harp in this kind tfDttcl, as their Swrds arc in others We may write languidly and dully , and |the offers that we make may not come home, but they are able to make (harp ii tbrufts, and to wound your Reputation, it i! may be as much as you have done ours, t ij do not unfay what I have laid, you may be company fit for them, and they may com- i mend you for your Wir, yet chaftife you alfo for ufing it upon them. You have j heard of the Anfwer that Dr. Jegen of old gave to a knavifh Lad ofBtwct ColUdge ; KneVo but 1 the Lad that font Thefe Verfes in a bravery, 1 would commend him for his W\t% But whip him for his You defpife us as if we were not your ; match • wherefore we turn you over to fomewho are able to pay you in yourgwn. 1 Coyn , and to deal with you at your own , Weapon, I (90) I am forry I trcfpais upon your Patience, j for I am longer than I thought to have been ; I have but a word more, and fo con- ! jrlude. ( You fee, Sir, how naturally we fall \ into our old Road, this (hould have belong'd to my Sermon, which I haycalraoft finifh'd j for ne*t Sunday ^ but now 'tis here let it go) If you have no refpedtothe Gentleman,! yet have fome' pitty for the Chaplain. Doj! you know of never a Tutour in the Uni J verfity, that would be willing to prefer a j poor Scholar ( after he hath taken his firft j Degree ) to fome good Gentleraans houfe ; and do you not believe it would be a goocj refuge and convenience to him. Nay, Sir, fay, might it not be as probable a remedy to deliver the Clergy from Contempt, as any you have pointed at if Qe^ntlemen were commonly fo welj difpos'd , to entertain and accommodate fome who defign for Divinity, but arc di£ appointed of their Expectations, and dif. atyed from flaying fevcn y^ars or longer at the Univerfity. Surely the greateft part of thofe who prove mean Preachers, upon no other account fo much, as becaufe they begin too foon, would do the Church more Service, and the Clergy more Honour, if fhef had fuch a convenient Refting-place betweeq (91) rn the Univerfity and the Pulpit.' But, Sir, I never was a Ghaplain, thero I leave this Point to be debated thofe who have greater Experience this Matter. And once more I am Your humble ServaC FINIS. Stris Utelj Printed, and Soldty Natfu Ranew, and Jonathan Robinfon3 at the Kings Arms /VSf.Pauls Church- Yard. THe famous Hiftory of the Jews. By fofephut, in folio, Price bound 1 8*. A Eofy of Divinity > or the Sum and Sub- fiance of Ckriftian Religion^ Methodically \ and familiarly handled ; By the mod Reve- | tend fames Ufar, late Archbifhop of Ar- I m*gk. Whcreunto is added lmmannd, or jtheMyfleryof the incarnation of the Son I of God , by the fame Authour. Price bound 8 s. An excellent Trcatifc of Wifdom , in three Books* The firft Book teacheth the knowledge of our felves, and our humane condition, which I is the foundation of Wifdom, by five prin- | cipal Confiderations of Man. The fecond containeth the principal ! Rules of Wifdom, the priviledges and pro- ; per qualities of a wife man. 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VINDICATION OF THE CLERGY, From the Contempt impofed upon them by the Author of The Grounds and Qcct&om of the Con tempt of the Clergy and "Religion. WITH Some fliort Reflections UPON HIS Objemations. Facie Indignatio LONDON: Printed by Andr. Clarl^ for Hen^Bronte? at the Gun at the Weft-end of S.Paulf. 1672. To the Reader. , •" Mere came out not long fence, a Difcwrfe, un der this folloH>ing Ti- **.. tie. .,'.:•: ,-Vfff The GROUNDS and OC CASIONS of the CON TEMPT of the CLERGY and RELIGION Enquired in- to ; in a Letter Written to R. L. So that here is firft, a Con tempt , <PrtfHf>f>ofed ; tith a, fearch into The Grounds and Qccafions of it : and Then, a A i Rcfo- To the Reader Refolution upon the Queftion, $>agi. Wat Ignorance and Po verty are the Grounds and Oo cafions of that Contempt . jf- ter Vhich y tie Author of this Letter takes Wonderful fains to Prove the Clergy contempti ble, by Endeavouring to make them fo. Firft , he drejfes you up a Vicar in a Fools-Coat, •frith a Capons Feather in his Cap, and then laughs at him. But all this ttfeifej he tells us in Us Preface , T/;af he has a moft folemn Reverence for the Cler gy in General ; and Efpecially for that of England. Now hoV> to reconcile Ihe Clergy in the Preface, M the Clergy in the Text, To the Reader. Text, and Titlc-Page, 1 cannot imagine^ for be has a lolemn Re verence it/eems,fer tbeQne^and A Gontcmpt for the Other: linlefs he ^itt fay, that be fpeafa of an Utopian Clergy , Before, and After ; and of the Englifii Clergy in the Middle 5 or that by the Clergy in General, be In* tends the Clergy y>itb Reftridi- on. ©nt Without more ado - It is the Generality of the Englifh Clergy , that he is Pleafedto di- Vide into Fools and Beggerj* And Ibben he b& framed to bimfelf, out of Plays, Clubs, Old Stories, Phancy and Invention,** Pitiful, Comical > fencelefs Sir John, Without either Brains, Mode, or A 5 Mo- To the Reader. Money ; This * ity nbicb be de~ liters over to the World for the Character of That Clergy, jtn d it is as (Pleafantly Drawn &s if Sir Roger bimfejf bad /et for bis fpitture. We [hall refer the Merit of the Caufe to Its Proper place, and only offer a Tbord or two at tPrefent, ly tray of Enquiry into tbe Grounds and Occafions of bis Enquiry* Does be make tbis Enquiry, for tbe Information of Himfel£ or of Others ? If tbe former . J*by does be Publifli it ? If tbt latter 5 1 Tbould fain know , to Ttbat End, and Kith Tbbat defign tbe Jbing is done , unlefs it be to *Urihtn£f tbe government. Jbe firft To the Reader. firft Point in fynfiderathn , is This ; Whether lie Clergy be contemptible, or Not ? Where- upon, mofl Naturally follows , in the Very next Place , This Que- ftion, Whether or no (hall the Peo ple Believe their Teachers ; and follow their Guides ? for moft undoubtedly, they ipltt do, or not do, the one, and the other, accor ding to the opinion they have of them, or (Reverence for them. A- Ain : If he tells the People but What they knt^ before^ he might have faved himfelf that Labour : £«f if he Pretends to a further difcovery, It looks as if his Bufinefi "ben not fo much to fliew that the Clergy are contemptible, as t& A 4 To the Reader. (Procure that they may be thought fo ,• and in a word , to fit up the Church for a Jack-a-Lent, for every lAan to throw a Cudgel at : Efpecially confiderlng that the tyhole ffrojeft is Carried on tyitb the Spirit, and Liberty of a Farce^ and Calculated, fo<Patyto the Meridian of the Rabble • that if Merry Andrew bad but hit ufQn it tme Enough • 'Us forty to one Tfcfi fhould have feen the whole Story , ere this , in a (P#/>* pet*Tlay: And y>by all this to the People ? 'Alat ! They can not help it, unle/s they (hould fall to their old Trade of Reformation again , and om tyould Think *toe have had Enough of that Already. Nay, To the Reader. p M tie £afe , t bat t &e Monkey*" Tricks , Apes-faces , and Fooleries, vtncb be fafttns upon our Clergy, *toe re all True ; (The contrary whereof u as clear a* the Sun) He's but an ungra cious Child yet , that lays open the nakednefs of his Mother. Nor indeed does the ftrefs of tbis Imputation lie fo heavy upon the Illiterate, Imprudent or Ne- ceflicous part of the Clergy , as upon the Government it felf. for, Without difpute, thofe mife- rable Creatures tyhich be makes himfelf fo merry withal, would be Wifer, and Wealthier if they could : <But the Charge lies upon their Superiours , for Chufing and To the Reader. i and Providing no better : And this is no other than the old Trick over again , of bounding our Go- yernours through the fides of their Wnifters • and tearing the GQ* VernmentaH to Pieces , under £o- lour of mending it* Neither Tbill it much help the matter , to fay that this Enquiry *to<te not intended fo much for a Rcmonftrance to the People, of the deferable Faculties , and E- ftdte , of tbeir Spiritual Guides : as for a Hint to Authority , in order to tbeir better tprdVifion^and Jupply. For fir ft ; there is no pro - portion at aU betwixt the Dignity of the Subjefl, and the manner of handling it: lettyixt the folcmnity To the Reader. of the Pretence ; and the licentious freedom of tbe Stile : Tbbicb runs altogether in aVein of Popu lar Humour, and Drollery : and it is not u/ual for 1Atn to addrefs, to Kings , - or Parliaments in Raillery or Burlefque. J$eV> as there is a Certainty of Mif- chief on the one band, there is not jo mucb<M any Probability (f might have faict Poffibility ) of Benefit on the other. For, Secondly, Be fide the Indecency, and Incongruity of the Application, Tbe Inquifitor fecms to be no lefs Miftaken in his Expedient , than in his Method. For it may he Obferted , that nortoitbftanding hi$ dtftributivn into Fools, and Beg- To the Reader. Baggers - Ml Vis Beggers ] are Fools too over and above 5 and fubjetled indifferently upon both Accompts , to Derifion , and fcorn. So that unle/s be can find a Ibay to Cure Their Ignorance, 46 W/ M Their Poverty, y>h eur Governours (ball have done their hefl upon the Point 0/Main~ tenance and Revenue, ive [hall he ftillM miicb at a lojs M eVer upon the more material Points of Learning and Sufficiency , Ex cept he Would have the Clergy new-modell'd y and the Poor Fools he talks of, turnd to Grafs again by Hundreds, tyitb Whites Centuries of Scandalous and Infufficient Minifters , and then To the Reader. tlen tie fflork Tbere done. And yet after all tint ranceofJMifcbief, Intended, and Contrived, I have flill the Cba* rity to Pervade my felf tbat it is all but Chance-medley y and that tie gentleman b& no malice in Us Heart. Not only becaufe be Gives M tQ fUnderfland in bis Preface, (by way of Anticipation) tbat be is no Male-cqntent/itfcer Ecclefiaftical , or Civil , what* ever be may feem< to be ; but a man maygatler as rnucb}metlinfa, from the very Air of bis Writing Tbbicb favours more of a Droll, tlan of a Mutineer. £ut tbis does not acquit bimyet of Great Inadvertency, in a freedom of this nature* To the Reader. nature. Thefe Squibs ^Crac kers may do Tbell Enough, in a fit ting place, or feafon; butfuch aVamphlet to the Multitude, and in This Jun&ure too , is like a Fire-work into the Powder- Room, it bloV>s up all into £on* fufion : ^4nd though it may pro voke Laughter , and make fport for a Virile} yet in the End, it runs naturally into Sedition ancf Schilm. 1 kntfto Very f^ell , that in a fecond Letter of Obfer vat ions upon an Anfwer to the former ; our Author V>ould le thought t& take another Biafs j in turning the Point of the Satyr upon the Nonconforinifts : but that/bift To the Reader. not/qua™ at aU 'frith the f cope of his Pretenfions. For in ftead of fmall, and Beggerly Allow ances, they have juft none at all ; neither is their Ignorance , a fcandalfo ourMiniftry, but on the contrary , an Honour, and Advantage, upon the compari- fon* To Clofe up aU in a Syllable ; There's a pretty fardle of Tales bundled together , and they have had the hap to fall into fuch hands as had rather kfe a Friend (not to Jay their Country) than a Jeft. We (ball proceed noT* to a Con fide* ration of the Letter it felf. The . CO VINDICATION OF THE CLERGY,; He Gentleman our Author is pleafed to fpend fo much Ink and Complement upon in his doubty Letter, you muft fup- pofe to be & nfat-> fome Man of Parts > becaufe he tells us he hath al ways been a devout Admirtt , as well as ftrift Obfirver of bit Attions •> and hath conjlantly takgn a great delight to concur with Him in his very Thoughts ; And who do you guefs this may be ? Truly I am of the opinion he fo far Apes AntoninM, as that he writes <&&< kwtiv , and means his own dear Self in plain Englifti : # & and K. L. are intended only for Winds : B g*t CO jp>M nefclt dtfiimulare , nefcit vivere : So far let i'Tilm go' for a Politician. What* a Church-mm he is , he would next -in- fmuate by profeffing that he hath a greats kindnefs for our Mother of /<*#^, than for the painted Lady at or any Lfftxrutg-Goffip of Geneva , dam-t &c. But all this wMe he defires not to be called her Son , contenting himfelf to be only much her Sen'ant^ in divulging her pretended faults , and propounding Reform<rtiwt-»orkj as if he had been Secre tary to fome Committee of f lunderd Mi" ttijhrs in,thofe blefled Times. . That the value of our Clergy is or hath been lefleif d, he refers to two very plain things, the Ignorance of fomc of them, and the Poiwty of others. Thefe are the Ja- 'cbin and jte, the two Pillars or Poles on which his -^iVryGr/M hangs ••> which if we (hall chance to fubyert or, unhinge, let the Giant that built and fwaggers in't 5 look to himfdf. fjjluid-emm tentare nocebit ? (I can't forbear a fcrap of the Poet now and then, though I know it troubles him vilely »j . Now £3] Now that I may not be altogether with out method , I (hall lay down* three flam Propofitions, againft his two -plain Things, which ( I doubt not ) will make it as clear as any Demonft ration in Ez/c/z^that my Gentleman had better have employed his time , which lay fo much upon his hands5in pilling of Straws,®* catching Bztf- terflies^ than in picking of holes in a Ca nonical Coat. ;iq" The firft is this, That neither Ignorance nor "Poverty do always necefTarily infer contempt. The fecond , That Ignorance and Po~ •vmy are moft injuriously faften'd upon the prefent English Clergy. The third , That if the Knglijh Clergy be not duly valued , but lie under fomc contempt , it is to be attributed to other, and thofe far different reafons. And firft of the tirft , That neither &•* norance nor Poverty do always neceffariTy infer contempt. Not that I am much in love with either of them, or intend to write a Panegyrique in their Commenda tion > but only vindicate their innocence B 2 to [4] (o far, as to (how, that admitting my Ad- verCaries bold Hypothecs were true, viz. That the Englilh Clergy is both poor and ignorant , (which we are to examine in due time ) yet it would not follow that their contempt muft needs be derived from thole two fourccs : for it is well known to all that are vers'd in Things and Books bearing date a little before yefterday, that a great part of Mankind have and do ftill account Poverty a thing/k*W , and make Ignorance the Mother of their Devotion^ as well as Admiration* Firft, as for Igno rance, however it may render private men inconfiderable , yet it hath no fuch necef- fary influence and effed: on publick^ Per* fons, ( bating me that mortal fin of a Scbtol-'dijiwttitM ) whofe reputation and efteem is not ever built upon, or preferv'd by their Learning and Knowledge, but Ibmetimes to be attributed purely to the dignity of their Rank and Place. Though the Mayor of the Town be but a ffiatcbery and guilty of fo little Scholarfhip, that he goes about to read his CommilTion with the "wrong end upwards , yec by vertue of his Govon^ Mace, and other Enfigns.pf Power and Government , he (liall com mand mand an awe and refpeft from all the ^Neighbourhood under his Jurifdidion : And 'tis neither neceflary nor true dt fa- #0, that all Princes prove as Learned as Mr/ex, or as Wife as Solomon ; lome have had fuch ordinary natural or acquired per- fonal abilities, that they have been fain to leave the management of their Affairs wholly to the Wifdom of their Councils : yet all this while their Subjects have not withheld due Honour and Obedience from them , fince their jacred Funttion and So vereign Authority are of themfelves iuffi- cient Guards to the Imperial Crown. "Where the word of a King is, there is Power , ( faith Solomon} whether, like feme Alexander? he is wont to ileep'with Homer, or Plato under his Pillow, or fpend his moft ferious hours, with Domitlan^ in that malancholique employment of catch ing and fobbing of Flies. Now although Mofes ( by reafon of the advantage of his Education , as he was the reputed Son of Pharaoh's Daughter ) was learned in all the Wifdom of the Egyptians i yet we no where read that Aaron was any great Scholar , but only capacitated to be a Mouth to Mofit 7 whilft Mofes was to him B 3 i» CO in ftead of Go^ : And that he and his Pp~ Verity (upon whom that Priefthood was cntail'd) were had in great honour by the People, is to be attributed to their flu- pendioufly folemn Confecration , their rich Attire, and diftinguifhing Veflments, their Mitres md lioly Crowns , and their facred *DnftioKi defign'd on purpofe to beget and maintain a venerable efteem of them in Mei?s Minds, together with Gods exprefs command they fhould not be ev'%1 fpoken of, EW. 22.28. and his fevere Judg ments upon fuch as did not refpedt their 'ferjoiis-t Lam*$*i6. And I appeal to the whole Series of the Jewifh Dilpenfation, whether thofe Priefts muft needs be all profound Doftors and Rabbles, whbfe bu- fincfs was to rive Oxen, ( not J£exts} blow Trumpets , offer Incenie , and the like : here was no need of quick Parts, ample Faculties, or much-acquired Knowledge » and yet their Miniftry and Perfons ( for their Orders fakej were never fufpedled pi contempt. Again, if it were worth the while to rake in the Dunghil of Pagan I- dolatry, it would eafily appear what igno rant and ftupid Wretches their Priefts ge nerally were, and yet had the People in great [7] great awe. Not to infifi upoa the fal- vage, obfcene, and villanous Rites of the more barbarous Nations > their fkcrificing Men and Children to the Devil , and worshipping all manner ot things for Dei ties , excepting only the true Gad that made the World >. I (hall only note in tranfnu how things flood with the Ho- mans-> who pretended to be the civilized People : for whatever Pliny boafts to the contrary, their hands alfo were frequent ly dipp'd in Humane Blood, as 2&**jfc*tf and Laftantius have obferved , and their Superftitions were as nonfenfically ridictt* lorn-, as numerous- And however their Priefts by the Devils delufions feem'd to prefage future evens from the Entrails of Beafts, flight of Birds, and the like i yet they were not requir'd to be any great Conjurers at Learning : all the Accom- plirfiments their Curiones? Angwts , Fla- mims, Pontifices.j Salii^ Amfyices, and the reft of their Orders pretended to , were only fuch as thefe, That they were of Bo dy unmaimed, legal Years, <;ould butcher and drefs a "Bullock^ and it may be dance handfomly , and fing indifferently , and tat well * a fkady Hand., an acute Knifa B 4 agile ( c.81 agile Body , and wide ykroat, were then mighty Breeding : And a little Education qualiftcd their Veftal Virgins to trim up a Lamp , and worihip the Palladium , and thoie Penates laid to be brought from 'troy for a lucky Pawn of the Mingnefs of their Empire. S© far was Ignorance from breeding contempt, that the Politici ans in thofe days feem to me to ufe it as the great mean to preferve the refpeft of all their Religious Rites and Perfqns alfo. They knew the Vulgar do more earneftly admire little things and devices hid from them, thinking fome great vertue or my- ftery couched under whatfoever they un derhand not. And he that hath but half an eye may fee, that Rome Chrifthn C who will needs be Sovereign Lady of the Relt- glow, as her old Grandame was of the Heathen W'orldJ proceeds upon the very fame principle, having eftablifhed Igno rance by a Law , and requiring Map to be fiid conttantly in an ffejjjgtapi Tongue > wkpowni I fay, as well to the Priefl who reads it oftentimes , as to the People that hear it. What mean all their fictitious Jttliqites , thofe many Loads of 'timber? (fas they would makej faid to be pieces of of pur Saviour's Crofs > the infinite ber of forged Nails , vended fof thofe that pierced his Hands and Feet i j^;/.?# JfaptiJF$ Head preferv'd miraculouily in two or three feveral places, Jojepb's Hummy the Virgin Mary's A/?/^.? e^c. Thefe and a thouiand fuch little Inventions, and Le gendary Tales, as they arc undeniable Ar guments of a Catholick ftufidity amongfl them, fo they were never intended to ex- fofe their Clergy , who are believ'd to work mvp Miracles every day by a care ful application an<J management of the old* Laftly , To IppK a little more home wards : We are none of us fuch Fqols, but pur Miftriis Experience may inform us, that the molt rude and illiterate Men have fbmetimes beep admired and followed by the multitude , as the only powerful and heavenly Preachers , whilft in the interim a wife and very learned Clergy hath been defpifed, ejected, and put to iilence under pretence of Eij efficiency. What Parts or Learning were thofe Mountebank Divines guilty of in the late times of Rebellion, who yet made a fhift to Preach alinoit all England put of their Wits ? Were not . 'Confidence , and Ignorance , antique Gt- fturcs, piteous Faces^ canting Pbrafes^ and •earneft Tautologies ? all the Rhetoric}^ rnoft of them pretended to ? Did they not J<zR?£ miferably with untempered Mortar? and in ftead ot St. PauFs epdo7»pvp7E<) /rightly dividing^ did they not mangle and tear the good Word of God, and jum ble and da(h the facred 2f**j, thofe Orient Pearls, fo rudely one again!! another, till all were broke in pieces ? Did' they not give Gloffes at random , and make falfe Confcquences without fear or wit, often laying the whole weight of the Story upon fome llender Circumftance , as that Dives went to Hell becaufe he was IUc6, and the like > Yet theft1 were the only Boanerges in thofe days, who like a Land-flood car- lied all before them. Populus aliq^^ando wit decifi , efpecially when Authority ( though but ufurped ) favours the defign : For had they enquired into the Cheat,they might eafily have difcover'd that many of thefe painful Eawlers were no more Scho lars than thofe Geefe which fav'd the Ca~ fitol. Then how egregioufly is our wife Cler gy-mender miftaken I^erc in one moiety of his Hypothefis ? Alas ! Ignorance is fo far from expoling a public!^ Perfon, that ("allowing him Power and Authority with itj it is the only way to rear and ad vance his efteem amongft the generality of Mankind, who are themfelves unlearned -, and if the Preachers great bufinefs be to influence and engage the Peoples affecti ons for that end , he mutt be fare to med dle with none but ^fbimble and Eodkin Di vinity, he muft renounce his vain Philofo- j%, he mult beware ef all Carnal., though never fuch Rational Difcourles > take all his Books and bum them , fthere is a^r/- ^^Text for that, Aft. 19.) and teach wholly by the Spirit? and then his buiinefs is done, Never manfpake like this man. Secondly, That Csntempt was ever Po verties fatal Handmaid , is one D<;fiors judgment indeed i but if he be found fin- gular , what if he fhould talk rather like an Afotbecary in that too ? Surely the in telligent part of Mankind don't ufe to judge of things by their gaudy outfidc , to efteem the Horfe by his Trappings, the Afs by his burden , or the Mans Wotfb by his Wealth. HJhfantttm quifque jua nummo~ rum-~ is onely a miftake of the fe- duced duced Vulgar : And that end pf Latinc borrovyed of a certain Satyrift, Nil babet infelix paupertas duriut In ft quod ridiculos homines facit -- amounts to no more than this, that Povcrr ty C abftradly.confiderM without all in- trintlck Worth and PartsJ makes men ri diculous amongft flouting Heathen : ( for 'tis well known that the Principles of Chriftianity oblige us to make fuch Men objeds rather of our Pity and Charity : ) for even the fober Heathen had brains e- nough to diftinguifh between a Philofo- pher and an Idiot, a good Man and a bad i and none but Fools amongft them were wont to put the Man into one Scale, and the Money into the other , and thereby guefs at his juft price. You don't find any of their Learned Deifying tyoney, but aH-imanimoufl^ declaiming againft it, as an old Enemy of Vertue , by Mens abufe, as Eurlfides complains, fM'wp. TCI? f\£*n TtfTu c/l* ippj'nv Qtcuitnv &veu. PytbagorM in his Golden Precepts recommends not Gold to his Difciples, but pure beaten Vtr- tue 5 and a moderation of all extravagant Patfl- Paflions. And I remember a great Pro ficient in Epicurus his School, ("if yet he was not more his own Matter J doth not only, like an arch Wag, laugh at all the reft of the vulgar Deities? but profeffedly lafhes the blind God of Wealth fas if ho were a blind BearJ through many of his Dialogues , efpecially that ycleped Twww, where he tells you , that Pride, (Menta tion, Effeminacy, Violence and Fraud, do ever crowd in at the door with Pluttts i whereas Labour , Wifdom, Temperance, Fortitude , and a world of other Vertues, are wont to march under the Conduct of Poverty* Amongft the various Seels of Philosophers, only the Peripateticks feem to have a kindnefs for Money , as one ne- ceflary ingredient for making up . the Golden Calf of their SummumBonum: the reft generally declare againft it , and value a Philofopher in his thread-bare Cloak, or Cynical Tub , above Crxfiu and Mtdat* thofe gingling Pack-horfes, or Alexander that prodigious Robber,with all his fpoils* The 5fc»cj^fin particular profefsthemielves Volunteers for Poverty , and (peak more fenfe ("whether diflembling or in carneft^ is not a half-penny mattcrj to render K*- thes ['43 ekes contemptible , than feme body clfe can do Poverty , with all* the artifices he has. In a word , a man might be honcii, vertuous and wife in thofe days , though he was not Matter of both the Indies : nay, fuchan one, though brought to his fhirts by Tyranny or Chance , and forc'd to the fervile office of drawing water meerly tp get bread, fliould be gladly receiv'd, and eafily bdiev'd by the beft of Men. But we need not ftand to the verdict of thefe Ethnick Oracles, only , fmce Chrifts own Jury of Life and Death, his Apoftles, have given it againtf our Adverfaries falfc Indictment : St. Peter ^ their Fojce-man, (peaks the fenfe of all the reft, ("excepting only fadas , who for his love of Mam mon amongft other reafons fell from his place^l Silver and Gold bave I none • The Kingdom Chrift claimed was purely fpi- ritual, and that old Sopjiifters large offer not likely therefore to fucceed , when he fai d, AU tbfje will Igive thee, <&c. He re- quir'd the rirft Promulgers of his Gofpel, to forfake a 11 when they followed him , to carry neither purfe nor {crip in their jour ney, that the World might be convinced he flood not in need of any common helps and arid artifices to plant his holy Religion, and periwade Men to embrace it : for the more low and improbable means and in- itruments are, the more admirable certain ly is the effett: it made the arrogant Gnekj themfelves pluck in their horns,when they met with •#101*'$"* ****• '&& *"!** f*Ao«- ?«V7«> a poor Mechanick beating them at their own Weapon i that a parcel of mean illiterate Fifrier-men, and fuch like, ftiould reform a debauched World, and plant the Chriftian Faith in all Nations , is argu ment enough that the Hand of God was in all this , who works his Will to the more advantage fometimes by balking the affiftance of the Rich and Learned : And though when the Church was under per- fecution , thofc primitive Chriitians laid all their Eftates at the Apoftics feet ••> yet they employed them wholly for the Chur ches publick ufe , and are not bellcv'd to have lick'd their fingers , and enrich'd themfelves thereby. I never heard that St. Peter himfelf left one penny itock in his pretended Succeifours Coffer. 'Tis true indeed , inice the World is come into the Cbttrcfy , and Kings have embraced and undertaken to defend the the Face of things is moft feafonaSty alter'd, and a competent Patrimony fet- led upon the Church in general : That of Rome in particular is pretty well to live, as we fay , for matter of maintenance, and many of her Grandees may poifibly keep up their Reputation by their vaft Wealth, and out ward Splendour: but yet every body knows , that feveral of their Religious Orders are profefTed Mendi- c&nts-> and fworn Votaries to Poverty * and thefe are fo far from being laugh'd at, that they are had in raighty reverence and fix- perlative admiration by all of that Belief. Nor do I ice that accidental muft needs make a Clerick ridiculous, more than »//- ful Poverty > nay, without all peradverr- ture, the former deferves moft to be piti ed , as being fometimes many an honeft Mans inevitable doom , as well as JoV$ and Lazaruis, whilft the, latter is of mecr affedration, and fuperftitious choice. And therefore I would intreat our wife Author to fuppofea thing that may be for once, for you fee he is very prodigal of Hypothefes that may not be. Suppofe a Church under the perfect! tion of Rebels, facrilegious Uiurpers, where the rich and C'7] and fatteft Parfons are found the greateft Delinquents, jblunder'd, fequefterM, and brought to want of bread , having ' no Cloaths almoft left to their backs, except-' ing only a Stone-Doublet i imagine, I lay, fhey^re confined like St. Paul , and have no other work but to convert Jaylorf? fing Pfalms with their feet in the Stockj , and preach to the Spirits infrifiw: if .thefe learned and facred Perfons be deemed the <fei4»fwc of the World by an uncircumcifed Crew of Mifcreants, whofe fault is that ? Neither their Poverty , nor Exile ,- nor afl their -firings , impair their Reputation anaorigft fober, religious, and loyal Per fons, who rather admire and applaud their refolved Fidelity to God and the King, let Men and Devils do their worlt. BeHefa* cere &: male audire Regittm eft : the dirt and reproaches caft upon them by foul- mouth'd Men , rebounds all upon them- felves^ their unjuft flanders ar^oiif-fiigh- cft>o«««r, their detractions add to our efteem- i the blots and falfe afperfions they caft upon our good names , do but, as fo many^of/, fet off their beauty : indeed, if Cato, if L&lm , if the Sdptfs fhould contetriHand defame me, (faith Seneca} I C (hould fliould be moved > but let the Rabble fay what they will : Mean while , 'twere flrange to fay thefe worthy Men were thus defpis'd and handled becaufe they were poor, whereas the contrary is moft mani- feft j their fair Revenues, Lands and Dig nities , the Gold and Silver VefTels of the Temple, &c. were the undoubted baits that tempted the avarice of Men facrile- gioufly difpofed, to fall foully and falfly upon their Reputation. Now from the Premifes, every Novice in Logick may infer , that the Ignorance of a Clergy-man doth not neceflarily ren der him contemptible with the vulgar, „ nor his Poverty amongft the wife and learned i and confequently that my frjl Propofition is true. But what if it be ? will he fay ', if the fecoud be falfe , you are but where I left you. Not fo neither , .under favour , I conceive a little ground is gained of him C more perhaps than he can allow the Picar for his Glebe} thereby : for if publick Perfons are not always , nay very feldom, contemptible for their own either Igno rance or Poverty , then there is fome way made for my third Propofition3which will be be fure to meet with him at the long run, and inform him, that if our prefent Cler gy want an inch of that rcfpeft due to their Function , it is to be attributed to far different reafons, and neither of thofe two upon which he hath founded his pret ty little Chvrcb-Hifiory. But what his modefty fuppofeth and granteth to make himfelf merry , I (hall take the boldnels to deny , and maintain the contrary i which is my fecond Pro- pofition, ^bat Ignorance and Poverty are moft in- juriouflyfajhri'd upon the prcfint Eng~ 1$) Clergy. : In order to the clearing hereof, it mufl lie ftrfl ftated how far we are agreed, and wherein we differ \ and then I (hall leave it to impartial Keaders to believe ani judge who hath greateft reafon and truth of his fide. , We are agreed in the firft place (I pre- fume) whom we mean by the prefent Eng~ liflj Clergy > viz. fuch Bithops, Priefts, and Deacons, as are now for were at lead a* bout laft ' Mktatlwit-Tettn) aftually pre- C i ferr'4 Ol ferr'd in the Church of England. we exclude firft, all that having fometnne been of our Clergy , are fince dea'd ^ 'arixt (o cannot de jure render fuchas are now a- live contemptible : for what is that to rrie, if my Predeceffottr forty or tifty years ago could not fay his Commandments $ -or tjeH how many Afoftks our Lord had, ''or {fiat he baited a white Bear now and then in his Sermons , or talk'dbelide the Cufni6n> There's not the fame reafon for Preaching fure, as for Original Sin, that it fhouid'be! entail'd upon all Poflerity i and yet our Author is io ingenuous as to produce in- fiances before he was born ( the truth whereof might perhaps be quem'oii^itoo) to ferve his prefent purpofe , as you (hall fee anon.; Secondly, we exclude aMb all the Notf* conforming Brethren, of whatSe<5t qr-Pa*--' ty foever , who have indeed excluded themfelves to our hands , by departing • fchifmatically from our Communion. We intend not to anfwer for their ridiculous extravagancies in the Pulpit, more than their other faults : for what ,db their grofs' abttjesoi' Preaching concern the Orthodox I Clergy, who abhor to tread in their fleps? Men Men may as well charge upon us the old tylonVs Proof pf a plurality of Worlds^ from that Text , St. Lz/% 17? 1.7. ^//«0# decemfatti funt mundi ? or ;the ignorance of thofe two other Difputants, who ha ving refolved that ten thoufand Spirits might dance upon a Needles point, could not determine where the Piper mud ftand all this while. Yet this will be found too fome bodies clofe way of reafoningj fome fa&ious Separating have ufed foolifh Phrafes and childish Metaphors in their Preachments , ergo, the EngJiflj Clergy is Ignorant. Secondly ,We are agreed further againft the brain-lick Catharifts conceit , and ex- ped: not to fee a Clergy made up all of Saints and Worthies. It is fuppos'd on both fides, that every Vicar is not oblig'd to be as rich as the Vicar o^Rome j and that two or three in a County may be connived at , although they be not altogether as learned as Saint Auguftine. We know full well that there is no Profeffion in Na ture wherein all are improved to the fame Perfection: There was , and always will be an Ignoramus or two amongft the Law yers, feme «^*<% and C 3 [ 22 3 Tonne Idiots in the Schools of and Dunces in the number of pretended Scholars , (bme poor Gentry a- midft the rich? to make up the Harmony of things j and that it were a downright piece of Sophiftry to condemn any whole Profiffion and Order of Men, for the igno rance, miftakes', and abfurditJes of fome few Individuals thereunto belonging.Thus far I muft hold my Gentleman's Nofe to the Grind-ftone, and make him agreed whether he will or no > for other wife he fights with his own (hadow , and fathers faults upon the Clergy , which are either committed by thofe who are not of that rank, or are not a fufficient number to make a denomination. So that the great difference or Ball of contention between us , is, Whether the generality^, or at leaft a gnat fart of our prefent 'Englifh Clergy deferve the brands offoor and ignorant ^ or 'not ? He does not only take it for granted all along, but ^xprelly affirms it, and that with a JFit- nejs<> pag.Si. (as if the Lord's Lot were a rneer Lottery , wherein there are an hun dred Blanks for one Prize ) but my fe- cond Propofition doth with as much Con* Confidence and more Reafon deny it. Firft, As for Ignorance, I blufh for him, to think he could find no where to fatten that , but upon one of the moft learned Churches in the World j which as it hath always been able to deal with the formi dable Roman Giants on the one hand, and thofe undermining Separates on the o- ther, (for Papift and Puritan •> like Samp- fin's Foxes, though looking and running two feveral ways , yet are ever joyn'd to gether in the 'fall) fo I am bold to fay, it is now more plentifully furnifht with Men ©f fmgular Worth, univerfal Knowledge, and great Clerks, than ever it has been fince the Reformation. ' v Now although he can expect but little favour from me , yet I will do him the ;«- jlice to believe he never intended to bring our Reverend Prelates into his Indj&ment, nor yet the worthy Deans, and other Dig nitaries in the Church, Men generally of known Abilities,fome of whofe Works do not only praife them in the Gates, but arc alfo famous throughout the World. Nor do I think him fo ingrateful to our Vni- verfties, as to deny that they now flourifh more than heretofore with all forts of C 4 good good Literature , very learned Men,, ,and accurate Preachers. Nor do I believe he aims at the City* fmce they are fully fatifc tied in the Labours of their Paftours,. un- le(s they quarrel them fometimes for their too much Humane Learning, Reafon-, and Morality , as being hard words many of them were not brought up to. No, the Ignorance he upbraids us withj muft be a- mongft us in the Country , or no where. Now it is not probable there fhoujd be many Dunces amongft the Parfons^ confi- dering they hold their Jknerices either from the Broad Seal, (for obtaining which 'twere great rafhnefs to think they give not as ample 'fefllmony of their Parts, as a Man muftdo for his 'Truth and Honefyb^- fore lie can procure an ordinary Brief) of from fome Spiritual or Temporal Lord, (and it were fome what fawcy to think ei ther of them keeps a fool for his Chaplain} or fome Collegiate Society, (and 'twere as itrange they fhould fearch all about for an H^fl^when they have fo many good Scho lars at home unemployed, and fit to prc- fent) or fome Civil Incwpjration or Com-* fany, (and they are not ib eafily bribed, but wilj have their choice of feveral p^r-» fons fons all of good note; or laftly, from fome frivate Patron 5 and there lies all the dan ger, left he having an Oa^ree , or good Horfe to fell , fhpuld clofe with his beft Chapman , and require no more Latine skill in his Clerl^, than to render {j^uan- turn dab'tt ?~j into current Englifh Money. But I hope fuch foi did practices are very rare ^ I'm fure 'tis below the Spirit of a true Englifh Gentleman , ( who can facri- foe his, whole Eftate to ferve his King and Church) to ftoop to fuch a pitiful Bribe pr Bargain, forgetting Honour and Con- fcience both at once : Befides,'if any that \vear that Name be (b far degenerated, ' as to expofe a Benefice to Sale -, yet where is that bold Son of Simon? who fhall dare to be the 'Buyer ? He muft be a prodigious Sot indeed, who will pawn his own Soul, by living in a continued perjury, to be put into a capacity of favjng other mens : So improbable it is there (hould be many ig norant Parfons. And if I may guels at other Dlocejfes by this , I muft tell our pragmatical Author, that I know very few Parfons who will turn their backs of him in any folid piece of old Learning, many of them being aware of his new Philofo- |phy too. • But , But the whole ftrain of his Book tells us , he aims at a cowardly triumph over the little Vicars and Curates, though he is not likely to have his end of them neither. One of them has anfweVd him already, ( but that he was (b civij to his old Ac quaintance, as to be too too free and pro digal in his Conafions) and, for ought he (hail ever know the Contrary , I may be another. As for the Vicars and Curates in Cities and Corporations^ (which make a confide- rablc part of the Nation ) himfelf grants they are moftly very learned and jttdiciouf pcrfons : but then he tells us a piece of worfhipful News, that Chrift came not to fave Mayors and Aldermen-* and Merchants only, but Country-people alfo > whereby he requires me to follow him into the Vil lages , to find out that Ignorance we are Nofed withal , and hitherto are at a lofs for. And the truth is , I have made it more my bufinefs than ever he hath done, to enquire into thefe Men of a low Cbttrcb- Tijpenfation, ( as we muft phrafe it ) and will maintain it againft him or any other, be he never fo confidently ingenious , that many of them are Men of very confi- derablc derable Worth , and want nothing but a little of his boldnefs to (hew their Parts, and a Friend at Court to provide them of good Benefices. The generality of them C though perhaps they afpire not to be made the Kings Profeflottrs , nor can fplit the hair exactly in determining the fiv$ Points, or confuting franfitbftantiation^ yet) are very fufficiently qualified for the Sifcharge of their Cures. Nay , there's (carce any amongft 'um all, but preacheth once every Sunday , and that with good gravity , honed fobriety , and to the fa- tisfadion of hisParifhioners-, and if there be here and there one lefs knowing than others, you (hall be fure to find him at it 'tmce a day, Bifhop Andrews his old Rule being worn out in fome places , v*i7. He that f reaches twice every Sunday , ufaally $ rates once. In a word, if upon due exa mination our Author had found but ten men of worth amongft all the Vica rs of England^ had he been a merciful Chafti- fer, he might have found out a very good Precedent, to have J/^m/ the r<?Jf for their fakes : But fince he writes at random of Men he hath never ftudied , and hath ta ken fo much pains to impofe upon the World, C a?-] ^ with a parcel of prodigious Whi£- kers drefs'd a la mode , fince we defie him to pick out fm amongft us all who have not Learning enough to difcharge our places, let him hereafter keep his Igno rance to himfelf, for it belongs to very/? w of our Profeflion. Nor is he much more ingenuous in re- prefenting the 'Poverty of our inferiour Clergy, ( for them alone he muft mean ) by making it far more extream and defpe- race than in truth it is. For if any man hath fuch a miraculous Faith , as to take his word , rather than believe his own eyes, he muft needs fancy them a compa ny of fneaking Mendicant Friars, who live from hand to mouth , who are pincht with want of: the common neceflfaries of life, and (pend a}l their days in ftudying only to ftave off thofe two troublefom Creditors, the tacl^ and Belly. Indeed it muft be confeued that the Church of England is not now fo rich, fat, and well-liking , as (he was in dicbus itix his days, and confequently not able to fettle fuch plentitul Portions upon her younger Children as (he would : for (he loft a confiderable Collop by the (however our Author is fb civil to the old Genil&naxi as not to mention him ) who laid a fair foundation of Sacrilege, by rm~ propriatiiag 3845. of the p 2 84. Parifhes then in England , as Dodtor Bafire notes out of Cambden. And when (he had fomewhat pick'd up her crumbs again, by the aeceflion of new Revenues, King Hen ry the Eighth knowing as infallibly as the Pope himielf, that the Church-Lands were very good Lands , could not forbear wri ting after his Holinefs's Copy, but gave her fuch a tearing Purge , that (he hath never recover'd her Complexion fince. Not to mention how far Queen £//«. did patri- zare^ thanks be to God our Vicarages are not all fb poor as they left them •, for,how- ever our Author's memory fails him a- gain, he {peaks not a fyllable of any late Augmentations : No , he never heard that our Reverend Bifhops, and Deans, and Chapters, have ( by the gracious Intima tion , and to the eternal Honour of His prefent Majefty) competently augmented mod, if not all the fmall Vicarages belong ing to them refpedtively. And now I have told him, it would be a good jeft in deed if he (hould write art effectual piece to to make the Sky fall * I mean,to perfwade all other Impropriation-mongers to fol* low fo good an Example, and bring them to fome fatista<Sion however, for I de- fpair he fhould ever win them to refund the whole, and make us all Parfons again, although it be a grievance to OUT Confci- cnces , that Vicarages and Sacrilege came firft into England together from Rome?, and in the fame Cloa^-bag ; and bcfides,. Experience tells us , that Church-Lands (like the Ark^ of God amongft the Philip ftims) have been but a plague to the Fa milies, and scanty in theEftatesof their Purchafers, as faith the Heathen Prophet, Vix gaudct teriiw H#res» Now though we dare not be fo bold as to fay with my Lord facoy , that all Par liaments fince the 27 and 3 1 of King Hen ry the Eighth , (land obliged to God in Confcience to reduce the Patrimony of the Church, (to which he adds, that fince they have debarred Chrifts Spoufe of a great part of her Dowry , it were reafon they made her a competent Joynture) yet thus, much we dare boldly fay , that our graci ous Sovereign and this prefent Parliament have already given a fignal earneft of their pious [3O pious iatentionSj by reftoring that part of the Churches Patrimony which was bought and fold by thofe unhallowed Rumpcrs » and our little Hiftorian was unworthy to mention that Noble Acl: , ( referved for fome great Hand to record it) for which their Names (hall be had in tverlaftw&rc~ tnctnbrance. In the mean time , thofe Vicar s whofe Incomes are but fmall as yet , content themfelves to make a Venue of Necejjity^ and cut their Coat according to their Cloth. Enough fometimes is as good as a Feajl , and a Dinner of Herbs is more pleafant and acceptable to fome, than a itelled Ox attended with all varieties is to others. Not one of an hundred of the Clergy but is as well provided for as thofe the Poet cries up for the bappy Mcn> <j>Keif ~Deut parca dedit quod fails cftmanu. In deed I have oft admir'd to obferve how contentedly, yea, how plentifully feveral of them live upon a little '-> and though I have imputed it fomewhat to their own prudence, frugality, temperance, and cut- ling off many artificial necefficics others •create to themfelves > yet I could not but call to mind the Wiiom Crutft of Oyl,and Barrel Barrel of Meal that never confumed while they were feeding a Prophet , and almoff fancied God gave them Bleflings other Men know not of, and made fome fecret addition to theirtf ore : Nay,I have known fome of them grow infentibly into the number of the Rich , whilft many of their Neighbours have ( by their own impru dence , or fome unlucky accident ) lived to bury fair Eftatcs before them , and left nothing when they died but a Wife per haps, and rive or fix ; pretty Children-^ by way of Legacy to the Parifh. However, admitting they fteer but Ahfrfc middle courfe between the two extr earns all their lives , it is fufficient for my prefeht pur- pofe ', and I havereafon to conclude, that Poverty as well as Ignorance is moil injuri- oully attributed to the generalky of our prefent Englifh Clergy, <j)uod erat demon- jirandum. Now though I arn not obliged to take any notice of the Gentleman's whole fub- fequent Difcourfe, becaufe it is built upon a falfe foundation, viz. A pair ot Princi ples of his own forging * yet for diverii- ons fake, we'll give him his Hypothecs for once, provided he never ask it rnore, to fee [33] (ee>vhat work he makes o'n't : we'll allow him to ftand in, the Air with Archimedes* only to fee what Knacks and feats of A&ivity he is dexterous at. I When he hath told us with much mo- defty., that the generality of our Clergy are Fools and.E*gg#r/ , parti per fait , he '* proceeds to give iis a reafonable accompt both of their Ignorance and Poverty. A great part of .their pretended Igw- rrawe-, he lays upon the old-fajhioifd me thod^- and difcipline of Schooling^® afTure us he. is a well-wifher to fome new Model, lie knows .not what, but is content at pre- ferit tO be only fo far a Regulator •> as tb mention fome very mifchievous abitfif of Ypiulvn common Schools, whichl;(liall enqube into by arid by : for it were not amifs to inform him by the way , that all Men are not of the Fanatic}^ <$j$p*ifectfa mind, for new Models and Methods, (more than for new Moons , and ne& Gqdsj provided the old have been founc^ by Ipng experience neither uneertarn nor plpdding Arijlatle , and 'tis as true as if Cartes himfelf had faid it, That changing foundations is oftentimes of dangerous D [343 confluence. Hifioriaris do but laugh at the mighty devkes of projecting Newj fc& cut a Channel from the Lake &efitu$q& the mouth of liber •> and pierce the malfy tybmtts in Achaia, as vain attempts to flfor- ten Voyages , and ( as it were ) croftfttfc Sea by Land. Thus Nicanor Sekuciu went about to. cut the Streight between the Euxixe and Gaftiau Seas^v and Corner. - Ctfofatra •> that which divickth Medn. the Re^ ^^ frgrn E^* .* yer none of them brought ihei* dc- %n to cfTed:, but only made themf^Ives ridiculous^ for Men were ftill fain^lo go the old way- And truly the dtvfce iof trahiing up Boys after a new method,ff&^ be ingenious and plauiible in the '"fbtfty) but perhaps i^ot fo prtfticable and< f«C(?Hg- ful as the old. Good Counfelo have&ft*. times ba4 events^ and all Reformers Dingf^ to reflect: upon that famous Axiom of the Schools, BMUM ex causa 'Mtegtf-, Malum ^quolibet defeUu , fo far , as to remem ber , that all circumffances mufr concuir t.o make the Model compleat , (ince one con- fiderabledefed or miftake in Ichnpgraphy, mars the whole pro>ed : Old Method* may have their impcrfe^ions and fuper* fluitics. .. _ fluities, but ^ct it argues no great wifJom to abandon* them' for any new ones iui- pected to be guilty of as many more. I now proceed to confider the abufes our Author obferves in the old received way of School-Education. The rirtf is , That Boys are kept in pure flavery to Latine and Grecl^ words, till id or 1 7 years of age : fb that if you will believe him, aider's Dictionary and Scafulas Lexicon are the only Books they do, or at lead need converfe with for that purpofe. To remedy this abufe, (which yet is of his own making ) he ftarts the fancy of putting them upon Englifh Au thors : that doubtkfs would be as pleafing as T^tyruis Affks and Nuts to them who ate naturally inclined to eafe and idlenefs, but would not fo well fatisfie their Pa rents, who fend them to School chiefly to learn Arm's and TJ^o's , for fo we are taught to call the Grcc^ and Latine Tongues. But that they fhould fall upon Geometry and Pbilofopbical Difcourfes for that end, rather than Homer^ Virgil, fully^ &ct is fuch a monfter, as the teeming-^- file a ne^er brought forth the fellow of it : 'twere 7B%K«yS7>t7vr indeed, to put Boys D 2 up»n upon puzzling their tender Brains about crabbed Theories , and knotty Problems , fuch as grown Men of the profoundefi judgments can fcarcely fathom or under- Hand '•> as if Hercules's Shoes would fit a Pnw/, as if Lambs could wade where E- lepbattts are forc'd to fwim,and every little Pbiliftim could play at Quarter-flaff with There is indeed a fort of P which, as it was calculated for the nonage or the World , fo it is itill bell: accommo dated and fuited to younger Capacities, I mean, Poetry , the old Philofophy of all, flourilhing many Ages before driftotle was born. So M. Tyriitf calls it in one of hi? Sermons , ( and he was a pretty good Preacher for a Moral ManJ Kau $ -^wwi 77 a^O H $lM>ffV$let, id {* 'X.&VV mthcux T» & attut't* e^7p©- 5 &c. Arts arid Sciences were then in their infancy, and their way of teaching was not to tell downright truth, reafon home and bluntly, and make irrefiitable Demonftrations i but to infi- nnate Vertue and Knowledge by merry -Tales , and innocent Fictions j and if I miftake not, they borrowed that mode, as many other things , from the Hebrews, who . who ufed then to be inttru&ed about high and heavenly matters by Types and Sha dows taken from below. Now give me leave to (how our Author the difference even in his own flory of Phaeton , which he imagines to be fo tedious to Boys : but that's his errour , they naturally love fio- ries i and though they have not capacity enough to underhand a Logical Definition ofRaJhttefsi and conceive a- clear notion of Preemption *, yet they will eafily ap prehend the moral of that Fable^ and tell you the Young Man had better have taken his Fathers diflwafive, ("non eft mor- tale quod oft as} and that none but Fools will venture on difficult Tasks they are not able to manage i and confcquently I infer, that to put Boys upon themoft fub- lime and folid parts of Learning, were to make them hazard .Phaeton's deftirij , z. e. breaking the neck of all their parts : fo that let him be as fingularly wife as he will, and fpend his breath in vain, which might have better ferved to cool his Chic ken-broth , the Bocks ordinarily read in Schools , will ftill be found moft proper for Boys , in order to their gaining thofc two tamous Languages , and fowing the D 3 feeds feeds of Knowledge in their Minds. Another abufc of Youth', and lok ojf time, he reckons the Homeric^ rumblers, and large Repetitions of other Authors appointed fometimes for thqr Brcak^fafts^ which he will have to be as dreadful to thim as an old Pzrliamcnt-Faft , ( an odd ifimilitude by the way , and had the Par- fon ufcd it , 'twould have been laught at fufficiently > for let the World judge if , any Text in the Bible be not more like an ingenious Picture, than a Break-fail is like a Faft} whereas indeed they are not tire- fom to any but Volts and unhewen Eloc^ beads, who are never likely to be fa(hipn'4 into Mercuries* Now if he alone be ig norant that this pradife of common Schools is not only pardonable , but of very excellent ule, who can help it ? Eve ry body elfe knows , that Children have d rnpilt and fupplc Brain, like foft Wax, capable of any imprcffions^ and rhat.Jf<?- rftory is the moft early faculty of the Soul, which exerts it fclf in. the very dawning of Swfe and Cogitation, (whereupon PU- in calls it the Mother of the frbtjes) and is its prime and meridian vigour before o% or Fancy , much k& Vntkr- ftanding jk»**gaad Jud&ment, come perfc&ly to them j thefe requiring a much different, if not quite contrary temperature : And common experience tells us , that we re member nothmg.forkmly and laftingly as what we did and learnt in our younger years i and that Grammar and Languages are gotten chiefly by Memory , and there fore more eafily attained by toys than grown Men. The learned Spaniard in his trial of Was , obfe^ves very well, that k a Bifcain of thirty or forty years old conic to dwell in Caftilc, he will never mafter and fpeak that Language cleverly j where as if he comes a Bay, he grows fuch a pro ficient thereat in two or three years , that one would fwear he was born in $&& If Memory therefore be the fwft and princi pal faculty to be improv'd for gaining Languages, it was capriciouily done to blame the cuitom of common Schools tor what they ought rather to be commend- td , viz. as well for exercifing a Lad's memory often in the general, as for com mitting high and brjve-jens'd Poems to it m particular, fmceoutofthat, as the com mon Store-houfe, the Fancy is afterwards enrich'd and raiftd to an aptitude for Eftr D quencc [40] cuence and Poetry, and the Judgment alfo by degrees comes acquainted with the na ture of things, be they never fuch high Moralities* Nor do I know any fuch flly Academic^ as he dcfcribes, who upon reading Tutlfs Offices, and the bett Poets over again at their maturer years, cjo not take double delight and fatisfaclion to one that never faw them before. ^ As for that Objection in the clofe of his Pedagogical abufes , I fuppofe it was Parted more to dally and play with, than to^anfiver: for it is moft true flill, that all mifchiefs and faults in Schooling refer as well to other learned Profeflions, as to the Clergy , and it neither is by him, nor can be made out by all the Logic^s in Europe, how it mould come to pa(s that the very fame method of Schooling daily produces more learned Lawyers^moie eminent Phy- ftians, and yet more ignorant Divines than ever. The next complain the makes, is of the inconpdcratc finding aft forts of Lads to the Vniverfay ; which becaufe it is the firft truth he hath yet fpoken , I (hall be fo ci- ™ as to grant jt, (not abfolutcly, and for his ' - !> 3 his fake, but) upon condition I cd to interpofe iome Remarks and Ani* madverGon5.-upon his Difcourfc there-" of. Doubtlefs Socrates was in the right * that , as his Mother , though an expert Midwife, could not deliver a Woman who was not with Child \ lo neither could her Son make: his Scholars bring forth any Sci ence, unlefs they had underfhnding to conceive it. And Cicero might have been fo wife as to have examined his Son MarJ^s Parts before he lent him to Athens : for albeit he committed him to an able Tu- tour Cratippus his care , yet the Lad pro ved but a Cods-head, and the Oratour was forcM to copfefs at laft, that refitting Na ture was but like the Giants righting a- gainft the Gods* Galen's Father was bet ter advifed when he put him upon the ftu- dy of Pbyfick^-) perceiving he had a fingu- lar wit and i»clination for that Science > though Lucius Parents again were as much out , who concluded by the Bulls, Horfes, and Men of Wax he delighted to make in his Childhood , his Genius more fuited with being a Statuary? than a Phi- lofopber. Howeve^ it is a truth generally con- confcfs'd , that Laas ought to have Part? and Capacities tor thole Prqfdlions ta \vhich they arc refpeflivdy -defigned. What if a Boiifh Parent be fo partial or ig norant , as to think his great Head is an infallible fign the Boy will make a found fbilofipber , or able Tihtologue $ Other Men know, that the biggeft Oranges have the har deft and thickeft Sculls, and afford t^e kait quantity of Juice : And what if a fond Mother, by the advice of the fmall Pedant at the fign of the very fame little Houfs by the Cbwcb-yard-Rde* be refolvcd to make her Zon Pec^a Scholard, ( of all tfye reft ?) Certainly Tutours are neither bound to work Msracle/^ nor yet to accept of Htbfoifs choice: for ( whatever is fug- gefted to the contrary ) I have known divers returned by the next dra?rr as in- fufficient , to the place of Execution, from whence they came. But aH this while let Examinations in the Univerfity be never fo find, fomc will prove Drwices to the Worlds end, through their idlenefs* mil- placing their Studies., or decay of their Parts, and others fee rqe&ed who might have prov'd Miracles of the Age, though at prcfcnt they iccaied to be of .flow and heavy [43] heavy Parts : fox we have no infallible Standard whereby to know alTuredly this Lad will , and that other can never make 4 Scholar. My Spanijh Author ( honefl John Ku* <irte , who (eems to be as well skill'd io this affair as my Englijb one, yea, as 1". B. and JR. £. put together ) tells it me for a very truth, that there is fometimes a cer tain dulnefs in Children, which argues a greater wit in another age > and fomc Boys of quick Parts , and a ready Ingeny , like Summer-fruits, have flagg'd and wither'd in a fhort fpace, and according to the Pro verb , Soon rife , joon mttcn^ prov'd very ordinary and dull Men. And therefore I cannot but commend and recommend the pradife of the Jejmtes in this, who make not a ra(h judgment of Children's facul ties whilit they are conning their firit Ele ments , but (ray till they come to years of difcretion, and then make a clofe enquiry what they are, and which way their Parts lie, whether to Poetry, Phyllck, Oratory, Hiftory, Mathematicks, Law or Divinity j and then, by confining them to that par* ticular Study * bring them to a conliderable erein, whilft others gargling all - ,. , ^443 all manner of Books that come next^ con" tent themfelves with a fmattering of aft kinds of Learning, but prove excellent in none. To fum up this particular , it ap pears by the premifes , that though we may be (bmetimes deceived in guefling at a Lads Parts , yet moft certainly thofe Pa rents and Grammaticafters are blame-wor thy, who pitch upon the moft unlikely^of all the number for the Scholar } and Vni- verfties are not much more to be excufed if .they receive fuch an one upon their re- queft or commendation. After ability in reference to Parts , J i muft follow my Leader to examine the | Lad's abilities in Purfe : And 'tis denied to be any common pradHfe for Parents or Friends to {end a Boy to the Univerlity, who fit not down firft and count the cofl and charges, and intend not to contribute fomething at leaft to his fubfiftence : if they do, I would fain know what "ftttour will admit him , unlefs he refolvcs to be a Father to him , and adopting him for his own ., defigns to furnifh him with all ne- ceflaries for Bj^and Betty, as well as thofe for the Head. It muft be confefs'd in deed , that all have not fo large Incomes '*•:. as [-451 as fomc , but yet withal, that they whofc (applies arc two profufe, are ina-fairer way to mi (carry than fuch as have rather too little : many are forced , for want of that/wwe, to live in honeft fcrvitudc, and the narrow compafs of Sizers > what then ? Muft it therefore follow they are condem'd to fuch drudgeries as Chamber- faceting , Water-fetching , and buying of Bntter and Eggs ? That's as very a Flam as all the reft : No , the main duty requi red at their hands, is only to hold a *frm- cfor, and College-Commons will not keep them at that from morning till night, but afford them fufficient intervals as well for their Studies as Recreations. What Man is ignorant that too large Allowances often make Lads prove idle and debauched? whereas on the contrary , they whofe maintenance is fhorc , as knowing what they muft truft to r and being to lay the foundation of their own fortunes , and live by their wits , are ufually the clofefl Students , and make the moft eminent Scholars. Venter Magifter artif , Was?*r- /7/tf's Motto , and Pythagoras his Golden Scrap — «/W«5*K $ ttvttjKHf iy}fo rtfi--— attributes a kind of Omnipotence to . teffhy* Pobr Lads may be fupposM td bring a conikkrable /^c^of Parts along ^ith them > though little clfe, and their owa wants will fpur up their indultry to improve them to the utmoft i and there fore to (hut oar School-doors againft all of iriferiour quality and low fortunes, were an incomparable device to advance all learned Profeflttns , or rather to ftock an Univerfity with a loytering kind of Catfel, Commonly call'd "Drones and !)##-' *?/. Indeed the projed: of maintaining all there till they come to be Mtftert iri Arts* I could like well , but that , upori <ron(ideration of the premifes, I find it e- qually impoilible with the reil of his eafa Propofals > What then ? Muft they down at four years end upon the top of the Pacl^ and therice skip into the Pulpit > More words to a bargain fnre » let the young Man fray till he be out of his time, before he fets up for himfelf : ttoW then tnuft he live till he come to be of Spirrtot-Al age? for Philofophy is a very idle thing when one is eddy and the (mall Syjhwe vtitt not fatisfic NatiTre: Is the BifiSop of the Uioccfs bound to gire him Orders to keep him from £arving,or being a Parriih charge ? No dan ger becaufchc is too young, bur chat we are told there is a thing calFd t Vifpenjaiiott to be got , which will make y$U as old as you pleafe. I thought he had been ojy enough without a Difpeafe* thn to have had more wit and manners than to, flander and revile Gods high frit fa by making the World believe every No* Vice may (pnu ml f ratio) procure hoiy Orders,; Doth not the Ca non of tlie Church fay> That QElit.ctih if any Bijhop Ordain a Maa Cb. i. 1597. either without a 7*We, or Bnder Age*, he is for every fuch default IH able toSajpenfon for a whole year? Then? is indeed a Provifo , that Fellows- of G//-* %{/ ('Who.are requir'd by tlieir local Sta- ttfej t» fee io Orders at fuch a preiixed timej be difpenfed with in rtfped of their want of Age > but what is that to Cofattry Pariflbc$ ? That there may be, or is a&in ally a fr-eipefct abufe in this particular,. (as he would .needs intimate ).. is no lefs thari a. downright forgery. Now whereas hd enquires how all thofe Strippluigs that commence yearly tmift live till they come CO an holy maturity, I aafvver firft in ge- thxt they dv> iivs force whae > ajid thoueh o- [48] thbugh we daily meet wit PolotiianS) Hungarians ^ Germany and ther Foreign Pretenders to Learning, beg* ging our Charity, either indircdily, by ad mitting our Names into their Calendar of great Men, or diredly in' their Latine Gibbeiifli , yet .( iuch provisions there arc made in England, that ) > tvr fcldom nnd onest thole hundreds of our own. Nat ion Brought to fuch ^'extremities. Secondly, an.d more particularly I anfwer , That many of thofe:Comrnencers defign no o- ther but the Gentleman^ Calling ; many more betake thcmfelves to the Law , Civil or Common > ; and toPhyficl^ V feveral who intend the b&iijlry , have coiupkcnt E- jiattj of their -own -, and himfelf granti that well nigh a fifth- fart arepreferred in Ac'Vhiverftty^ alLihefe dedi^ed out -of his two hundreds, the Remaneptwill not be^ very great, I ('and confidcririg they aref none of them more immortal vtfeo« other Men) if he pleafe, he may affign^them to be Governours of Grammar Cables, or re commend them to fome good Gentkmen's Houfes, to be their Childrens Tutours , and their own Companions. Indeed if our Gentry entertain Scholars to fave a Servants [49] Servants Wages, (fometimes crowding in the looking after a couple of Geldings into the Ten Pounds a year) and allow them little more fefpett than they do their Goofy and Butlers , or keep th£ young Le- rite againft thcfmafl Vicarage falls , to put my Coufi* Abigail fairly off with it, 1 rfiuft confeis it to be an intolerable fault. I confefs I've read of a certain Roman Lady, who received Ibcpnopolvs the Stalely into her Family, andtoteitilie thefingular re- fped: and kindnefs (he had for him, com mitted her beloved Bitch (I've quite for got her Name) now very pregnant, to his care and tuition ^ and who fb fit as the Philofopber to be trufted with fitch a Jewel in his bofom ? For, as they jour neyed , (he had the advantage of eating Nature againft his prominent-filver> Beard, and not long after, by his careful management of the Natural Caufes , de- pofited her precious Whelps in his learned Lap. Whether Luclan made the ftory to jeer the StoicJ^ or Lady* or both, or fells it fora true relation, it matters not, lihce he was but ameerStoicfc, and (he but a Hea then Madam. But there's as little wit as truth in that fetch, that any ChriftenM E Englijh Mrt Ettglijh Gentleman (hould make the fame perfon his own Confeffour ( or Companion at leaft) and the Groom of his Horfes Bed chamber. His Tales are not well Jaid together : for is it not extreamly proba-* bk, that one who ruts his Horfes fcabby IxtU •> (hould be fuch excellent company for Sir John , that he, forfooth, mult be call'd down to fay grace to every Health £ Tfo ctuwJW^l What a petulancy of hu mour is this , to invent fuch foppifh Chi- m&ras not only to abufe the Clergy and its Candidates? but to difoblige the Gentry alfo into the bargain ? But iTay ! whither will this Chevalier Emu* lead me ? for like a Dog that hath loft the fcent , he is continually roving about lor new Game. You fee what a Preacher he's likely, to make, if ever he be effe&ually called; by fomefat Benefit^ where Henry the Ejghth took no 2i/h for he is quite run from his 1*ext i and if you pleafe to call in about Jwen Pages backwards, you'll find him there only preparing his Lads for the V- vivfrfoy^ whereas here he hath pack'd them down into Country again , and makes them (land fgbixg and picking their nethy while the Knight and my Lady are at their Dain- [si 3 Dainties. And becaufc he is ufed to con- iefs every ones faults but his own, Imuft tell him he forgets himfelf much , and is prepofterous : for had he defign'd to treat us methodically, our rirft courfe (hould have been School-Butter , College-Common* the fecond, and the Chickens and 'farts re- ferved till the laft : and yet the Man is fo confident as to fay , he now pafTeth from Schooling to the Vniverfitits. Which, that he may not feem to do very abruptly ,he in* terlopes here one thing more to bring the Boys and his Difcourfe together, that is, a good conflitution of Body neceflary for Stu dents. Well ! how fhall we do to know this ? Why , repair to the Phyfitianf, cries he : Very good -, but the beft of them pretend to no more than good Gucffers^ whether at Health or Difeafes > and unlefs they had a Spirit of Prophefie, and could foretel a Boy's Quornodo valet (even years hence , or could fix a healthy constitution where they find it , or when they plea(ed> the whole fabrickof this advice will prove (fays toy Author) as thin as zfiece of Mf- tafbyficfy : for if it be lawful for us to be lieve our own SenfeS in this Sceptical Age, Conftittftiont arc as variable as the Moon, E a (fup- CsO (fuppofmg no change of Diet, Air, : or- wonted Ex^rcifes, tor thele make them vary more ftill ) and fickly puling Chil dren often prove the more healthy and ro- buft Men > and again, lufty promiiing "Boy* do as often grow Confumptivc and infirm at riper years , by reafon of fome inward defect in the vital parts , which the moft Microfcopical Pbyfician could never difco- ver , till he was fent for to diffeft the Nor (hould he have needed to argue fro and con , whether by following his idle Crotchets Vniverfities mould abate of their number and ancient fplendour : for if ever they be induced thereby to change theit laudable cuftoms , for his Eutopiatt Experiments, 111 venture to give him my Mother for a Maid. As for our*i he profefleth a great efkcm for them , and their Gomrnours Wifdom, Cjuit as he complemented 'the Clergy in the beginning of his Book ) and there fore he doth not prefcribe them any m K> Scheme of Education : but yet fuch a rare 4rcbitctt he is, that you'll find him build* ing prefently above the I'op-ftotie of Wif* own laying. Not that he doth de termine a: 533 termine pafitively whether the Old or New Pbilofopby be the befl, not he for the World j but only tells us in fhort , that Ariftotlis Monarchy is long fince at an end, ( and all the old moth-eaten Statutes ( which mention him honourably) out of date, together with a certain little Oath thereunto belonging) and we are atpre- fcnt abfolutely under the Government of a Democracy , or new Commonwealth of Atoms. To let that pafs, I (hall enquire into thofe two things that fo much ob- flru<3: Univerfity-improvements , and he intends to regulate perhaps , but not till the King makes him our Vifitour > one whereof he reckons a defeft , the other an abufe. The great defecl: is , that £#£/*> Exercifes are not impofed upon Lads,efpe- cially fuch as are defign'd for the Pulpit: A pretty piece of Reformation indeed, though he muftnot think to claim the honour of being its firft Inventor : for there was a time when thofe heavenly Reformers at Weftminfter voted down Latins for the Language of the Beafl , and were clearly for throwing the whole pra&ife of the Law into an Englijh Model. In imitati on of them, the famous Cttlpepper brought E 3 the [543 the defign to admirable eflfed in (Bonds, you fee, could oblige, and work^ then without Latine.J Nor was it xeafonable that Divinity (hould ftand out : for, to make a Through-Reformation, the Independents, Anabaftlfts, Antlnomlfts, and other Factions, fet up publick Schools in St. Pauls, and other places, (by the con nivence of one lyranmtf, but not him in the Atts} wherein they frequently held Declamations and Dictations in their M0- tber -Tongue, to train up the Old, and gain New Prolelytes to their feveral Parties : fo that he muft not have the credit of this project. But that he may go to work more like a Pbllofofber than they , he pre tends to back his defign with fome Re#- fins. The firft is , That the Language learned Men muft live by , is the EngHJh, there being no ufe of Latlne in the Coun try, but only to cbecquer Sermons,znd make Salveto's to fome Domlnatlo veftra. Bate me an Ace, quoth Bolton! The Language Plum-fellers indeed and Cheefe-mongers live J>y, is the Englijh, and 'tis enough for them to read Epglifh Hiffones , Romances and Plays, if not too much. But hath the Hath he none [55] none but the Affemblies Notes , and Eng- iijh Divines to confult ? Hath he neither Councils nor Fathers , Philofophtrs nor Hitforians , Oratours nor Poets , Com- mentatours nor Criticks , nor any Books in other Languages to advife with, to per- fed: his own Knowledge , and convince all Gainfayers ? If it be faid that Preach ing , Oh Preaching , that's the All of his bufinefs, the very Marrow-bone of the matter i yet there will be (bine ufe of Latine however, till Lycoftbevet, Polyan- ibta's , and the German Syflems be done into Englifli i for thefe are the only wor thy Authors a great part of our Clergy are allowed by him. But in earneft > what a ftrange Caprice is this, to put young Scho lars upon reading Englijb Writers , as if the Language of their Country would not be familiar to them as well as others with out all this ftir ? Thofe old Dotards^ our wife Founders and Fore-fathers , thought they rather ought to be interdi&cd Englijh Authors, and confined wholly to Latine i it being top (ad a truth , that many Lads of very good Parts, having (by their School-mailers negledj no great skill in the Greei^and Latin fit down at Englijh al- E 4 together. [5-53 (together , and by this means are perfe<5 Grangers to the moft learned Jf'ritcrs in the World. Thus much I 'could grant him, were it for his purpofe, that Engliih can't be throughly underfiood and mafterd with out a competent skill in Grammar,and the Greek and Latinc , from which many of our Englifh words have their orighie> which is the reafon that Boys and Wo men, though fpeaking indifferently well, yet feldom or never write true Englifli. Nor is there any thing but vain merriment in that obferve, that feme young conceit- ed Students write bombait and high-flown Epifiles into the Country. Is this for want of Englijh ? No, nor for want of Ignorance \ but a childifh affe&ation of being out of the vulgar road, and rather for want of Brjws and Latinc : for I ne ver yet met with a Lad that could give you an ingenious and pithy Difcourfe in .Ljfztff, but he could frame you the fame with eafe and advantage in his Njtii'e Di aled. Another Argument he brings to com mend Englilh "Exercifes , is, That they are fo far from hindring their Latino- " improve- [57] Improvement , that they tend very much to its advantage. Nay then, Gentlemen* look to your Pockets , and let them read Englifa EngUJhyEngliJkjo the end of the Chapter. And how is this Paradox pro ved f Why, by telling you a fmall flory of a certain Academic]^ Toting ft er* (Nicbo~ lot Nemo by name ) " who having finifht " his poftures at Table's end, made a filly " Oration in Latine , (though he gives it c< in Englijh , and who tyows whether it be "faithfully tranflated ?) wherein he com* <c plains that hisMufeand half ne'er drank cc above fize q. of Helicon > that he hath cc neither Stars nor Glories , Phrafes nor cc Pearls, nothing but a fhady Grove, or " purling ftream to defcribe , e^c. And fo, for fear of wounding your patience, he makes his Leg, and exit : fare him well ! Granting all this were as true as that the Sea burns , though 'tis hardly that, yet what doth it argue > Yes , he tells us, That if the Lad had firft determin'd in Englijh what he intended to fay in Latine^ he would have difcern'd and avoided all thefe impertinencies i which is nfollula- turn we do abfolutely deny : for had he t^ken that courfe, he could but have done his his bcfl, his wmoft ftili, although it rauft coft him double the pains j and 'tis a fond thing to imagine the Boy is wifer in Eng* ^ lljh than in Latine , fuppofing he under- itands both. The true reafon why he made iuch a Cbick^n-brotb Difcourfe, was, not for want of skill in Englifh or L^m«,but for want of fancy and m,Parts, Judgment and Years , for Child is but Cbild^ and Boy is but Bey ftill, however this Mans Geefe muft be all Swans , his imaginary Lads a- ble to declaim againft ^Hinillllan , and cope with Cicero himfelf at a folid and flelhy Oration : fo that if any one be fo childifh as to believe he comes to the Uni- verfity to learn Englifh, let him know he is abuled, and made to begin at the wrong end. Let him read and digeft the belt Greek and Latiae Authors for his purpofc Hrft.and lay in a flock of fubftantial Learn ing both Ancient and Modern > and then when he comes of age5 an4 years of difcre- tion , ( before he engage in the Pulpit ) we'll give him leave to read the choiceft Englifh Books to advance his ftile, and give him a perfect command of his Mo ther Tongue. The other Indidmeut he draws up a- gainft [SO Univerfities , is for retaining an ancient cuftom of Joining , as it himfelf were all this while grave and Jerioitf , or above thofe fmall Difpenfations. Like a- nother Beardlefs ApoUo 5 he fummons all ftripuis , Prevaricators , and lerrtfiliuf's to ParnaffUf , to give them iair warning that nothing muft henceforth go for Wit, but what is full meafure according to his • Standard. As for their little conceits, he knocks them all o'th3 head with one folid and ponderous Argument, *>**£. They are ufeful neither in Law^ Phyficl^ nor Divi nity , Ergo •> they arc good for nothing : *fanquam ex Tripode quidem AiUnm / But Sir J'ripuf would anfwer him with a non fequitur: for they are not only innocent Recreations of themfelves , ( when they quit their fubje&s indeed to fall foul upon Government s^ Perfons-> and Functions, like you know who, they expect to be called cor am Nobtf , and fent to Bocardo or the Blacl^ Rod , without Bail or Mainprife ) but of excellent ufe too if handfomly ma naged , it is to be coniidered that Lang^ ter is a great Promoter of Health in ge neral , and an eafie Amukt againft fomc diftempers that hang about fedentary Men in in particular : it unbends the Mind, loo- fans the diftended Nerves of the Soul, and revives its drooping Spirits after a won derful manner » and why then muft it be deemed a Capital Crime to interpofe one merry Scene? to fet off a fcrious and tedi ous A&) more refembling a Long-Parlia ment Faft than I know what ? And if Saint John diverted himfelf fometimes in playing with Partridges , whilft he was writing his myfterious Apocalyfft^ why may not grave Men have their Spleens tickled, though but with Straws and Fea- tbcrS) rather than crack their Sculls with Voluminous Pofitlons , long-winded S fet ches ^ and endlefs Difputcs about fomc Crofs-grain'd Theory ? Wherefore 'tis not material though thefe lighter and more airy kind of Exercifes are not, nor ever were intended to be ufeful in Law, Phyfick, or Divinity, fo long as they have a laudable end , and wjiolfom <£ffe<S of their own. Nor is it neceflary one that hath got the right knack ofjoqtfingjhould follow that trade all his life, more than he who happens to adt a Foofs part well in two or three Plays ^ may be fuppofed ne ver after to quit the Stage. T>ttlce eft de~ fftre fpm in loco > a prudent Man at different times and places knows when to be in jeft or earncft. No Man ever dreamt that King James made Dull-man in Ignoramus a Bifbofi for aft ing a Dull-man ail his life, but for being one of the wiieft Men in the company, as he afterwards approv'd him- felf. In the next place, (like fome Sir Toll- ticl^ Would-be) he traduces our T'err^fi- lias's and Prevaricators not a little, in re- prefenting them as Nibblcrs at an ambi- guous»W, and Quibblers upon ££#y'$ Poetry , or at beft but Toffers of an Ax iom out of Logickj with a HocMPocas^ &c. whereas they oftentimes produce as good fancy, ingenious humouis , lively adrion, well contriv'd Ironies , merry Fictions, mimical Geftures , and Burlefque Defcri- ptions, as any I rind in his link Letter, yea or the great Don of Mancba. -In a word , this difficult Province being ufu- ally alfigned to the choiceft \Vits, it is un- rcafonable to fancy they mult needs prove Jacfyuddings in the Pulpit or elfewhere, ^ipecially when we recount how many of them of late years have arrived at confi- derable Frefcrments both in Church and And . - Ariel now let the World judge if thefe two little things are not mighty Qblnru- &k>ns to a Clergy-man's improvement in Aeademick Studies ! Indeed if he could have impeacht our Vniverfities .of forrie real abufes, as that kiifing goes by £*vourv I mean, that a great number of the Youthr are committed to the care of fuch 7#r tours •> whofe ignorance hath made them fordjdly fervile •> and their flattery pre* ferr'd them to be Favourites > Or of (uch others who are of too large Principks and Pradifcs in their Religion , and own no Other v perhaps , but Hobbs's Creed ,. of could he have complained juftly, that our Degrees lie as open as the High-way for all Comersjthat Hands and Seals to Letters Titftimomal are common as Stones in the Streets , and never denied to the moft in corrigible Dunces, and the like,, he might have lighted on fomething that did really incommode all learned Profefftons^ efpeei- ally the Clergy •, but iince he could find. no fuch Camel-like faults amongft them worth the ..{pending , I wonder he ihould be fo Boyi(h as to make all this noife and drain ing meerly to catch a few Gnttu 033 From the Vniverfity he perfecutes the Clergy-man into the fulflt *, and though he confefles he has no Authority to give Rules of Preaching, yet you mull expe& him to be as free of his Cenfures there of, as if he were Arcbbifhof of the Pro* vince. Now as we advance to enquire into His abufes of Preaching , I muft needs whif- per an old advice into his ear, nt TZtulum Legat* For if I well remember, he is now inferring the Con tempt of the Clergy from the Topick of their Ignerance : And is it not ftrange any Man in his wits fhould go about to prove that, from the towring E- loqmme^ and profound Learning of feme, and the abundance of Latine, Greek^ and Hebrew, (aid to lard the Sermons- of others? Betides, 'tis ftrange any Man (hould be ib loftily eloquent, and deeply learned as to want common prudence , and not confi- dcr his audience , and diftinguilh between an Univerfity and a Country Pulpit. But the Plot is very viiible i for, refolving to hook in the whole Clergy into his Lob's Pound before he had done, he hath now divided them into two Reverend Clafles, of of learned Mad-men, and ignorant Fools* *Tis well his word is no llander. In the mean time, it's oft the People's more than Preacher's fault he is not clearly under- {food , who being either captious or ob noxious (like the old Pharifees} will (Hut their eyes againft Truths made out as clear as the Sun, becaufe againft the grain, and notfor their turn , and though with Saint Paul he reafon plainly of thole plain Do- brines , Rigbteoufncfi , Temperance , and Judgment to come > yet like Felix touch ed to the quick, they either bid him go bis way for this time , and ftay till they fend for him, or cry out with Feftitf, The Matt is certainly befidcs blmfclf. Now I know no Law he tranfgreffes if the Preacher now and then quote a Gra*^ or Latine Author in a vulgar Auditory ; None but Cilumny it fell would have diarg'd him at a venture with Ofteniatlon and Vanity. Why might he not rather do it to diftinguifh him From a Gifted Br6- ther in a Conventicle, who talks all of his own head in home-fpun Englifli ? And why not to fhow that very learned MerV are of his Opinion , and that he defires ziot his Auditours to believe it becaufe he faid' faid it, but becaufe it is true ? Authority is a more effectual Argument ad bominet^ than a Demonftration, becaufe feldom ta ken. What though few or none under- ftand him thofe very words , fb long as they apprehend him in much more than they can remember ? Should he dif- courfe all in Englifh, and like a Scholar, he muft not exped to be intelligible all along to common capacities, more than thole Jufvon-r* in a Chapter of St. Paul read in Englifh. There is a fort of Preaching our Author feems to favour , ( if he favour any ) by dividing a Text into one part, I mean, by making a long continued Harangue upon fome certain (ubjeft ^ which, if well ex amined, would be found more ufelefs and unprofitable than thofe faid to be fpi- ced full of Latine , partly for its Want of method and due helps of memory , and partly for being full of Latiniicd-affeded- Engliftu For Til allure you , the Vulgar underftand Saint Cbryfojlomc's eaiic Greek-; and Saint Auftinis ., nay fertJillian's Afri can Latine , as well as they do the parti cular pillages, and whole frame and drift of fuch a VifcoHrfi* They know not with- out an Interpreter what you mean by your rational Notions, ingenious Principles, and fublime Moralities* you* fervid Parturien- cits, parturient Agonies, and zealous Pre- fages of the People i. your Accommoda tions and interchangeable Ratification t of Peace i your adjujlmg differences be tween the Animal and Divine .Life, and a thoufand more fome of our pretended Matters' of Reafon have raked out of Ca rets and late Rodomontado Authors , to make them a Scbibboletb of difuridtion, whereby they would be thought wifer than the common Herd of Mortals. E- very Man in' his way j yet they are not always the wifer and more rational part of Mankind., who are fo charitable as to think themfelves fo. But the Greek and Latine Shreds are not always loll , for there is fometimes an all- wife Patron, or all-nnderjlanding Ju- ftice of Peace at Church. , Not to envy him his wonted happinefs in Efitbets, though he Jay it down dogmatically for a certain Maxim, That there is as great a future reward in faving one that takes Cullcttion , as the fa ft Man in the Parifh, and consequently they fliould be preacht at at both alike , yet other Men think tlky may warrantably take more pains to con vert a potent and public^Pert on, than any one of the little People , becaufe in gain ing him they ufually gain half a Parifti. Harmonldes the Minftrel being now Mafter of his Art, ask'd his Tutour Timothy what courfe he muft take to get him a Name and efteem all over Greece ? his anfwer was. That it would be a tedious and end- lefs piece of work to (how his skill to eve ry ordinary Mechanic^ befides that fuch are no competent Judges : But the molt compendious way to do his bufinefs, was to give a Specimen of his Art to fome few of the Potentates^ of the chief and leading Men in all Greece^ and when they are pof- fefs'd (faid he) with an Opinion of thy Excellency , all the World will prefently commend and admire theeby their exam* pie 5 as Lucian tells the Story. And we know that the World lives more by Ex ample than Precept , that the Farmer is or dinarily of his Landlord's Religion , and that 'tis fometime more in £fo than the Parforfs power to make his Tenant a good Church-man-i or an idle Settary* But our SavMtr'zndhis Afofiks (faith F 2 ' he; he) make no (uch diftincftion in their Dif- courfes. A Metaphor taken from the Fa~ natic]^ way of arguing •, becaufe they did not in Come Circumflances , we may not in any. What if our Saviouf s Auditors were all of a piece, all of the «; -T^MO/, or at lead the d <*\<*-£t $ the Text doth not fay any of the Learned^ or any Knights and Squires were there : Nay, another private Text asks the Queition, (which I take for little lefs than an univerfal Negative) Have any of the Ruler j, or of the Pharifees belie ved on him ? The Gofpel was firtf preacht to the Poor, and not many Wife, not many Noble were called , they being loth to ftoop from their Grandeur, and renounce all their Carnal Wifdom, as it required : but iince the Learned and Noble have em braced the Faith , furely there's more ufc of Learning and Eloquence to convert and confirm them, than the rude Vulgar. As for the fcquel of his Difcourfe about Preaching , an hundred to one if it be not likg fomething or other. It is not like the Pidure of a French Lady , who gave the Painter five Livres more than ordina ry to corred: the defects of Natures Pen- ciI3 and make her an exa& Beauty : But rather Ol rather like fomc Dutch ficce reprefenting a company of Antic^s and Apes-facts-* where every one fquincs or grins, (hears or mumps e'en as it pleasM the fainter* Or if you will, 'tis like a Pedler's Stall, I haveieen, managed by the little John of all Trades in his narrow-brimm'd Beaver pincht to a point i how bufily he ftruts a- bout, crying, ( Come buy my ratling Me taphors, my Ginger-bread Similitudes^ my dainty laced Prefaces , ingenious Pictures, exaft Compafles , Jews-frumps , Hobby- Horfes , Thimbles and Bodkins, Divine Knicknacks and Conceits ; Here's your A- qua fortis , Sal Armoniack , Tcf/, Pears, and Pomegranates , Violins 5 'frebbles and Gingles , new Songs •> new Mvons^ new Al- manackj, new \fee here? what tftyou lack?^ till all the Infantry in Town flock about him to gaze at his little lefs than Tra/ex- J^#-variety of Miracles. Even fo — - But in earneft , let's enquire ferioufly into the main things he fays make Prea chers ridiculous , i. e. Harfh Metaphors, childifh Similitudes, foolifh Prefaces, affe cted Divifions, cunning Dodhmes, odd Expreifions , and fuch like, and how far they are true,or concern the prefentClergy- F 3 In t in tine fail place , we are much obliged t£> the Gentleman that he doth not con fine and tie us up ib ftricftly , as that we tmiri upon all occafions call a Spade a Spade , ( at our peril ) but allows us the common priviledge of all Oratours, to ufe improprieties fometimes^ whether Simi le's at large, or Metaphors? which are the fame thing contracted into one word, provided they be graveydecent, flgnificant and perriil&rt : and had he denied us, the rafe would not have teen much alter'd > for we are not to learn from him what fegular -ufc there may be of them many times for informing Vulgar Judgments^ and influencing their Afftttious \ which is a rcafon fpeci^l enough why our Savi* eur uitxl this way of Preaching. But fecondly, We deny all thofe inflan- t?es to be ridiculous which he is plea(ed to vend for fuch. For what if a Text fhould chance to bt li-i^e an -ingenious Pittttre , or Mofes's Ji&d^ :or Noah's Dove , yea or like f he very Man going to Jericho? Where's the falle Lrtwall this while,provided the Application be natural and appofite ? E- very Mechanick can tell him, that Simili tudes arc not defign'd to agree as one Plain doth doth with another s if they touch bin in one point, as a Globe upon a Plain , it js fufficient. And if he quarrel with thefe and fuch like Companions, he is in a fair way to fajl foul upon the moft (pber and even facred Writings. What if the Prea cher (hould uponoccafion compare a Cloud- to a Mans Hand, wife fpeeches to Apples of Gold in pittures of Silver , ( provided they be not ingenious Pictures ) Ifiael to the duft of the Earth , Job to a Cruddled Cbeefe , Man to a wild AtTes Colt, and his own dung , Confidence to a broken tooth, Spirits to Frogs , the Soul to the Chariots of Amminadab, Hezekiabto a Weaver^ a Crane and Swallow , the Jews to roaring Bears, the Word of God to Fire,* Hammer and a Sword , the Kingdom of Heaven to .a Gram of Muftard-feed , a little Leaven* a Net, a loft Groat , the Son of Man him- felf to a Sbefbcrd, a Lamb, a Lyon, a Vine, a Branch, with hundreds more of that na ture ? Fll afTure you it may be done fo- berly and figniricantly/or it has been done*, and none but a profaneWrt would dare to play with the leaft and fmalleft things when once made /km/. Procvl 0 prowl ite Frofani. F 4 But [72] But amongft the reft of his Prefaces , I wonder he could not light upon one grown too common of late , and is per haps more needleis ( to fay no more) than any he hath mention 3d > I mean , a long conceived Prayer before Sermon v wherein the Preacher prefents God Almighty with a large train of Titles , and recommends feveral perfons to him under, the notion of Right Honourable , Reverend , Jfarjhip- /«/, Learned and Worthy, Earls, Bifhops, Knights, Doctors, Efquires, Gentlemen, Mr. Prottours, Mr. T'axers, frc. He could have told them that God Almighty need ed not to be informed of any Mans Worth or §)uality, and that thofe Titles were im proper to be offer'd up to God in a fo\emn Prayer, but to be directed to the People in an Exhortation (according to the LV Ca non} to mind them of thajt. due refpedl they owe to their Superiours. But be- •caufe he fays nothing hereof for fome -reafons beft known to himfelf, I (hall for others fay no more. Thirdly, You muft know that our in- •genuous Author hath lately been with the Man among the 'fombs •> and raked in dead Mens A(hes for ieveral of the Stories he [733 he entertains you with. For in/lance 7 :that Text againft Non-refidence and the device of the Triangular Heart , are both as old as Pauls. He that could not run without fief? was a famous Divine in his time-, (he tells you) but that was long be fore himfelf was out o'th' (hell. Parfoii Slip-flocking , and the Author of the Dif- coveries? and many others whofe Ghoft/ he brings in , have long fince quitted the Stage ••> and admitting they were once of our Church, and did any ot them ad: their parts ridiculoufly, yet what is that to the prefent Clergy ? If he can't find in his heart to fpeak well of the Dead? and bury their infirmities with them , yet 'tis the heighth of injuftice to charge the Living with their perfonal faults. Fourthly , You may guefs he was once of Mr. Nye's , or Mr. Calamy^s , or fome fuch Reformado Congregation, or at leaft hath frequented Conventicles ilnce more than the Church , by a great deal of the idle fturT, and lamentable fooleries he hath the honour to bring to light > it being well known, that canting expreflions, and all that way of talktng^ is the prdper and Chara&eriiticaliiQte of a Scfaratifl: And if [74] if he had been as ingenuous as the worthy Author of the Friendly Debates^ he would have fet the faddle upon the right Horfe, and not have pinn'd the extemporary etfii- fions, fanchfied nonfenfe, and intolerable fooleries of thofe factious Pulpiteers and Intruders , upon that Church they made it their whole bufinefs to pluck down by way of Reformation. It is no news to tell how inftrumental many of the preci ous Authors he cites , were in that Great Work. Nor is it any Miracle that Preach ing was abufed in thofe days , when a learned Orthodox Clergy was filenced for their malignant Loyalty? and their Pulpits filled with Shoe-makers , Taylors, Wea vers, Threfhers, Coblers, Tinkers, Brew ers, Bakers, Fifhmongers, Wool-Combers, and all manner of Ruflet-Rabbies, and Mechanick Divines : No wonder if there was rare work made with fexts and Preachments , when everyone borrowed his Similitudes and Language from his own Trade, comparing Jacob to a J'hrcjk- ^-J^n^Repentance to a Btt//-n//7; ..Man's Body to an Apple , liis Soul to an Oyfter-> <^c. But to lay their grievous extravagan cies at the door of the prefent Church , is done [753 done fo like a faithful Hiftoriatt , as if the Sacrilege, Murders, Treafons and Regi cide of thofe black-fouFd jumpers fhould be unreafonably w relied to refk& upon this prefent mod Loyal and Renowned Parliament* Laiily, The refidue of thofe little paf- fages and ftories he laughs at , are either purely of his own invention , or abufed and perverted into ridiculous by his Addi tions or Explications : Whereby it ap pears his Genius inclines him to Plays, Poetry and Romances , rather than Hifto- ly : in thofe indeed he hath no Law, but to write what he and his Mufts pleafe •> but in this he muft expect to be confined wholly to €frutb* Now I demand what mortal Man ever heard fuch terms as Star-board and L*r- board, Stern f and Forc-caftles in a Sermon, iince Pulpits made of Ships Beak* have been out of fafhion ? No , no, they are his own, as well as the rmng^flan^g-, in- trencbing and florming a Text , together with thofe touches of Ptolemy's Syfteme, folid Orbs, and the points of the Compafs* and comparing the Moon? Mercury and Ve- Violins and T^nbbks-, all his own, de- vifed O3 vifed mccrly to give us fome hints of his general Accomplifhments. Fir ft he gives you a talk of his skill in Navigation, then in Military Difcipline i for I can allure you he hath fan a Ship, and heard of a Fight : but for Agronomy , Oh Ajlrone- my i jet him alone \ and yet, if he make no better ufc on't , it is to be fear'd he was born under a three-penny Planet? ( whether according to the Old or Ner* Hypothefis it matters not ) however he talks fometimes of keeping fen Foot-boys, and being Secretary of State, Again, Thofe choice Phrafes of hack? ing, hewing, and fplitting of Texts, (foft and gentle Metaphors taken from riving. a tender Oa}^) making Faith , Hope and Chanty a little Ring of Bells , together with the Latine Materials, Hie labor, hoc opM flveflretn tenui — — — are all his own flill. And if he be fo good at the Forge, and can beat you an entire Fi&ion. out of his own Brain, no wonder he hath a little dexterity at the File and Hammer, to work his matter into what fhape he pleafe, to add or detrad, bend or Itraigh- ten it as occafion ferves. Indeed he wre(ts Mens Sermons like a Nofe of Wax, a$ Here- [77] Hereticks deal by the holy Scriptures, and makes the poor Parfon wind and turn all manner of ways , as a Rider would do his Sfanijh Jennet. For inftance , the ftory ot making Chrift a Shop-keeper, (however it comes not in hobbling with a reverence be it fpoken ) is molt mamefully mif-re- prefentcd , the greateft part of it owning no other Author but bimfilf. He mult pardon me if I credit my own Ears more than his lavifh Pen , and any Man that will believe his own Eyes , may find the truth of what I fay by confulting the Copy. Another he brings in Preaching about Epifcopacy , from that Text A&s 16.30. Sirs , What muft I do to be favcd ? And this ( I muft tell yeu ) is nothing more than a confident Calumny : for Epijcopacy was not the buimefs of that Sermon. 3Tis true, the Preacher did by the way reflect upon the word Ku&tot •> (for it doth ilgni- fie Lords in plain Englifh) and theace in- finuate what refped: and honour was gi ven to the Apoftles and Paftours of the Church by thofe Primitive Converts : but that he mould infer , that Bijkops were formerly fecrs of the Realm, and did here by [78] by claim their priviledge of fitting in the Houfe of Lords , is fuch a raonfirous for gery as you can fcarce match it in all L«- dan , though he is fo civil as to tell us be forehand his true Hiftories are all falfc. And yet when his hand was in , he could not forbear ilandering another perfon of Worth, with another of the fame > who, though he did from that Text in St. M**- tben>) Seej^ye the Kingdom of God • Obfervc in tranftu, that Monarchy was the beft of Governments , as bearing a nearer lefemblance to that of God himfelf, than any Ariftocrjtcy or Commonwealth > yet that he fhould ufe any fuch ridiculous Ex- preffions as thofc, — It is notfaid the Par liament of God , the Army of God , or tbe Committee of Safety ofGodr-z~ is a great Untruth , fccond to none but that I told you of before ^ fo eafie a thing it is for a Splenetick -Momtu to take every thing by the wrong handle, and make that look ri- diculous which was fpokcn never fo well andfoberly. Now (as we ufe to fay, ex fcde Herculem) by thefe inflances you may jude of the reft , and guefs at the Mans Ingenuity, the greateft part of all thofe Abfurdities charged upon Preaching being either [7*3 cither his own, or none of ottrs-t who have but the leaft relation (fo much as that of Journey-men ) to the prefent Clergy. Wherefore, to {hut up this Stage, though we account of fuch as tell us ot our- faults truly, modeftly, and in private, as of our beft Friends > yet we {hall beware of them that do not only publilh and divulge our private failings to reproach and upbraid us, but make them ten times more than we acknowledge, as of the moft ill-natu red and pernicious of all our Enemies* Andfo I pafs on to his fecond Topick, the Clergy's Poverty ^ to examine whether he hath betray'd more integrity in repre- fenting that. And becaufe I have already (hewed that the generality even of our In- feriour Clergy are not fodifrnally^wrrand (hrimped things as he makes them, I (hall content my felf with fome (bort Remarks nponhimnow, to leave a little room for my third and laft Propofition , which , I prefume, will end the whole Contro- verfie. And here he proceeds to talk after the old wild rate, and hath fet thefecond Part to the fame Tune exactly with the fifo taking [8o'j taking the fame extravagant liberty in his Expreffions,Fjgures and Forgeries. There is the never-enough-to-be-commendcd I- rony, that difpatcheth one half of the bufV nefs , and what remains is made good by the prodigious ati-confoundmg Hyperbole, by which he can blow up a Fly into the full proportion of rive hundred Camels put to gether. When he feems to commend, he moftly jeers > what he pities , he abufeth : when he would deplore his Clergies rui nous Circumftances , he only laughs till the tears (land in his eyes. Take him at one end of his Clafs , and he'll (ho w you a Mole-hill grown up into a Mountain i and if there be occaiion to look at the o- ther, bigb jingo, tanutu* the old ma fly Mountain dwindles prefently into a young Mole-hill. At rirft he makes a formal face like fbme piteous Statue in the Wall, that would have us believe it bears up the whole Fabrick by its (hrugging } as if it were a burden to his little Conscience that our Clergy is not (b well provided for as the Pricjlhoodof old : but all he drives at in the end , is only to let off a Querk or two, and certifie Mankind that the Souls of Men a*c a greater charge than Sbetf and C *« 3 and Oxett $ and that Money and Vi&uafs were not Types and Shadows to ceaie with the Ceremonial Law. At length he (hows upon the High Rope^ and advances to the top of his defign, his elaborate Defcripti- on of the Vtcar '•> which, that it might be to the life , he hath ranfack'd all the Ro mances and Plays written fince the King came in, for Accoutrements to make him themoft defpicable Lazarillo in Nature: u For he difcovjers him walking penfively •** alone in his Church-yard , either with- " out a Caflbck, or without Breeches, (ao cc cording as it happened to be the Breeches tc or Cajjock^year ) and ftudying meerly tc how to live •> cafting with himfelf what •" Piggs , Geefe and Apples are towards, " who is likely to marry or die next , and "fadly remembring that the laft Kilder- tc kin of Drink is near departed ? and that ^ all his Treafure is reduced to one imgle "Groat. Returning to the little Hut, " his Manfion-houfe , he meets with new cc4ifafters to enhance his forrows, a fcur- <c vy Mole had plough'd up moft of his -"Glebe, and the malicious Crows tram- " pled do\vn the remaining Grafs : then " fweep comes the Kite, and robs him of G "the *c the moft hopeful Chick in all the brood : <cAnd to make up the Scene and ruine .*' him quite, the Jack-daws and Starlings «c (idle Birds that they are I) fcatterM and " carried away forty or fifty of the belt "Straws from his Thin-thatch'd Roof. tc Thus rack'd and tortur'd , he tries to iC weather out his melancholy by retiring cc into the little hole over the Oven, calr " led his Study, (contrived tbere^ Ifappofe, ct to fave firing ) a pretty little Vatican , 0 the whole furniture whereof is aGer- tc man Syfteme, a Geneva Bible and Con- . " cordance of the fame, a Boudget of old " ftitchM Sermons , fomc broken' Girts, cc with two or three yards of Whip-cord " behind the door , and a Saw and Ham- <cmer to prevent Dilapidations. But " finding his Family cannot be maintain'd " with Texts and Contexts , ( the Child cc in the Cradle crying all this while for " want of Milk ) down he creeps again, " and betakes himfelf to thofe Heavenly *c employments, of filling the Dung-Cart " in dry weather, pilling of Hemp, and <c heating the Oven in wet > and , to evi- ;<€ dence his willingnefs to turn a Penny in uan honeft way, one day he went to Mar- "kct tc ket upon a Pannier with. Turkies and " Geefe bobbing out their heads under his " Canonical Coat : but alas , alas , in his cc abfence the beloved Duck mifcarries, dr " the never-failing Hen forfakesher wont- c; ed Neft , at which he either runs raving " about the Yard like a Lunatic^ or elfc cc confines himfelf to the little Hole afore- " faid, being e'en overwhelmed with grief " and defpair. Now did you ever meet with fuch a Romantick Whimfie as this in all your Travails ? Do you believe he really think^ this is a Man of God he thus fets out, and makes fo bold with ? Doth he not fully betray that mighty re verence he has for the holy Profeffion, thus to prevaricate, and coyn an Eutofian tfiear meerly to laugh at'? Befides, granting there ever was fuch a forlorn Creature as he defcribes , yet how ridiculous a thin is this new way of Argumentation whic concludes from Particulars ? For if you will take his word for good Logkt^ one inftance or two refledts dlfparagement, and procures a general difefteem to ^rffthat Order of holy Men, fag.$$. As much as to fay,that,if fome of the Gentry otEnglaaJ, being decayed hi their Eftatc* through Q a 1843 their Loyalty to the King, or by their own imprudence , their Children come to be Tapftcrs or Hoftlers , or any other fervile Officers, there muft needs be a blot in the Scutcheons of all the reit, though never (b flourifhing, till Dooms-day. Now I fhall not undertake to anfwer his mad Defcription , but only crave leave to tell you a Story ^ and give him the ho nour of bearing a confiderable part in it, which (though it be a meer Fidiion, and you are requeued beforehand not to be lieve it, yet) mayfeem perhaps as pro bable and plaufible as that he makes no fcruple to publifh for true. . i c Spending fome time in my Travails c at the famous 'Hecdecapofa , I was con- * dueled tp a certain Covent of the Elcu- who are faid to have been former- * ly a Religious Order , and I guefs they c might,by the ruinesof aChappel I found * there , ( looking, now like a decayed * Dove-Cote ,, from which the Inhabi tants <are fled for felf-prefervation ) and emany ancient Infcriptions in the Walls * and -Windows : but lince they are irre- *gular and free from all Laws, Vows and Du- [8s] c Duties, (however it came to pafs) ha- c ving no Obligations upon them but to clive as their own Genius (hall prompt c them. In habit they difier not much e from other Covents in Greece, excepting * only this, that they more referable forne cof the old conceited Phi lofophers by c their Beards > which are above a Cubit e long, and fet accurately in mood and fi- c gure. But left I be miitakcn , you muft c know they hate to be very like thofe Old c Men cither in their Opinions or Beards > cfor whereas they ufed to hang their c Beards before in the natural place , thefe c wear them moft behind in oppofition : c befides, their Beards were truly and pro- c perly their own } but thefe by keeping c their Heads too hot, have none of their c own , C 40 or 50 Straws of natural c Thatch growing upon the place , being c with them almotf a Miracle; but make c them artificial ones of the Manes of cer- c tain Sbe-Affes ^ cut off once in fo many c years for that purpofe. As for Diet, I c know no Covent in Europe which out* 4 does them *, for rejecting all the old me* c thods of living upon Bread, Water and c Herbs > and fuch mean Difpenfations , G 3 cthcy 1 they are plentifully furnifht with all forts 4 of provihons, from the Wing of an Ox * to the Leg of a Lark, all manner ofva- 4rietiesSeas or Rivers produce , together 4 with all kinds of Vehicles , commonly 4 call'd Liquors , from the moil Chymi- ' cally prepaid and fpirituous , down to 4 thofe of the inferiour Brew-houfe. Nor 4 do I fpeak all this by conjecture or hear- 4 fay, but as I found by experiences for 1 one of the Fraternity perceiving me cu- 4 rious and inquifitive, as Grangers ufe to 4 be, would needs engage me to eat at their 4 common Table to iee their fafhions , * which I was eatily perfwaded to, as well 4 to gratifie my hunger as curiofity : the 4 manner whereof was briefly thus ; We 4 being fummon'd together by their Auto- 4 maton or Clock , and the Table fpread, 4 Proclamation was prefently made by one 4 of the Machines or Novices, in this (hort 4 Grace, E^, Elbe-) Lude, and then down 4 fate every one as he pkafed , and fell to * where he liked befl. But they had the * flrangeft names for their Meats as well * as all things elfe, that, had not I kept to 4 my old rule of believing my fenfes, had I f not feen and fcented good ftore of real * Provender [873 '.Provender before me , I (hould have c thought my fclf decoyed to fome Magi- c cat Banquet : for they calPd a good round * Pudding, a folid Orb , ( the Plumbs re- 4 fembling fixt Stars >) a Collar of Brawn, *" a Callous Cylinder '•> a Shoulder of Mut- 4 ton , a Trfangle i a couple of Capons, * Platonick Eunuchs '•> aVealPye, aPenta- 'gone *•> a French Quelque Chofe, a fortui* * tous cottcourfi of delicious Atoms j and * the Chafing-Di(h under it, an Hypotbefu 5 'Saufages, aDifli of Circles j a heap of c wild Fowl , a Pyramid , to mention no ' more. If they want any thing, they dif- *• dain to ask it in the Language other Men * ufe, but one cries , Transfufe me fomc * brisk Lyaean Blood into that fame Flute > 4 another, Reach hither a few of thofe Sa- 4 line Particles i a third, Pray anatomize * that Quadrupede , and accommodate 4 me with a quantum of the Spina dorfi i and ' .much more I either underflood not , or 1 was not then at leiiure to remember. 1 When they had taken a free Dofe of the * Creature, as they call it, and their Bellies 4 were grown hard as Drums , the Room * began to eccho with their fwaggering ' and bidding defiance to all the Learned G 4 4Mca [88] 4 Men that ever were in the World, always * excepting themfelves. One calls the 1 Stoickj Fools for refitting Natural Cau- * fes , and .curbing their Appetites > and 4 the Pythagoreans Mad-men tor abftaining ' fuperititioufly from good wholfom Flefli: c another doth but name Ariftoth with 4 -his green Bag of Occult Qualities under '-his Cloak, and all the Company laugh c jout right, as if they had found a Mart's- 4 Neft : a third brags of the antiquity of < itheii Order , pretending with thofe Ar- ' cadians they are elder than the Moon,and c had a ttate of Prt-cxiftence : a fourth re- * lates his Teleicope-Travels , how many r Stars he found out that never were feen *, before , and peopled with Inhabitants : '-another jeers Ptolemy's Sylleme off the 4 Hinges , for by this time it was a De- 'monftration that all the World turn'd 4 .round. But I took fpecial notice of one 4 above the reft , ( call'd Boccaline Junior, '.Secretary to the Order; who in lefs than Tan hours {pace, beginning with a Preface 4 from Adam , ran through all Ages, Na- 4 tions, and Orders of Men 5 and abuf ed * them pleafantly as he went : At firft I 1 took him for a Conjurer , for he could * raife 4 raiie the Ghofts of a hundred old Philo- *fophers , and make them all dance after * his Pipe , he could make a Cat to fpeak > 4 he could transform a Man into an A(s i 4 drefs the wifeft up like Fools > and play * with Religion it felf, as if it were an old * Dotage i but afterwards I underftood he 4 did all this by the Art of Memory , and * only repeated the feveral A&s, Dogmes, 'Refolves, and Philofophical Decrees * f clubb'd and agreed upon by a Grand * Committee of the whole Houfe) which * he is to keep by his place. Thus when 4 they had rill'd their Bellies with Laugh- <ter, and other good Chear, theCompa- * ny broke up 5 and each retired to their Vfeveral apartments : only my friendly 4 Guardian took me afide , and honour'd 4 me further with a fight of their Publick 4 Library^ which I wondred to find fothin ' of Books, their whole ftore being only c Epicurus* s Works , Lncian's Dialogues, c Cartes , Hobbs , and two or three more * modern Authors , with two large Files, * one of GazetS) and the other of Philofo- '• phical News-Books *5 but he foon refolv'd 4 me , by informing me that thofe Shelves * were not long fince crowded with all * forts !> J ' forts of ancient Authors, but by a corn- * mon decree they had lately Voted them * all to be burnt, as fo much ufekfs Lum- « ter obihudingthe growth and perte&i- * on of Arts and Sciences > and were a- * greed upon a new Model of Learning, * more compendious and demonftrative ' than the old, which was fiiortly to be 1 publifhed. At the far end of the Room c he (hewed me a pair of fair Glebes, full of * Atoms as they could hold,which (he cold * me in my ear ) were Materials to make c new Worlds : for if one take never fo * many Bufhels out , they ftill continue ' top-full , being fupplied , he faid , by a * conftant Effluvium from fome inviiible i Rock or Mine. The Gaffes formerly < rtll'd with Books , were now taken up « with all forts of Mathematical Inilru- < ments^lafTes^Pot-Guns^Crucibles, Pow- *' der of Experience, Loufe-Traps, Sche- <letons of Ants, Fleas, and other little « Gentlefolk , Tubes for Transfufion, the * the Spleens of Gnats yet alive , - feveral « Limbs of Chimsera's, divers pairs of U- c nicorn's Horns, Phoenix's Feathers, Re- 1 mora's Fins , and ten thoufand Media-1 1 nical Knacks I cannot reckon. When I 'had . 4 had fufficiently admir'dall thefe Rarities, 1 1 defired to be^ fatisried what Principles * .their Order owned . ? He was fome^ * what fhie m anfweringit rirft, but when 4 1 importun'd him, he told me, they env- *brac'd few of thofe vulgarly received, 4fome of their main and fundamental 4 ones being to doubt of all things that arc 4 not demonftrated , gratifie their appe- 4 tuts , preferve themfelves , Philofophize ''freely , laugh at all the World for their ' ignorance, and clofe with no Sett of Re- 4 ligion, but comply outwardly with that 4 which is moft in iafhion, with this pro- 4 vifo. That they may abftain from Super- 4 ftitious fafting-days and fjjHng-mgbts 5 ^4 and all other morofe means of Mortifica- '* tion ) they acknowledging no other but c the prefent Life. And thus in (hort, ha ving thank'd him for all his Civilities, I took folemn leave of him at his Cwtnt- Gate-> and now return home again to my little Voftor of Atoms, ( not doubting but he will candidly interpret Tr/cj^for Iricfc, and fwallow one Pill himlelf for thofe many he hath offered a whole Clergy) who by this time finds it to his purpofe fp cautipn us , that we have a fpccial care of of 'comparing Ours with the Primitive1 Church under PerCecution, or the prefent fmall-preferr'd Clergy in that of Rome : for if we do, it is a plain cafe that Pover ty doth not always expofe to Contempt, for then they were more obnoxious than we> it was not Money, but fbmething elfe that preferv'd their efteem , the want whereof may poffibly lefTen ours, as I fhall prove before I have done. And though he be feldom or never in , yet by and by he is ftill farther out, in giving us a reafon why our Liturgy hath not its juft eftima- tion in Cities and Corporations > namely, becaufe it is fometimes read there by un learned Men : for he muft either make us believe , that there .were never any fuch Cattelin England as the famous Sme&ym- nuans , whole task it was to Pray and Preach it out of reputation, to make room for their goodly Vircttory , or that the whole Tribe of Adm&am are fince cut off and extinct , and don't carry on the fame work ftill in their private Meetings , or at leaft that their giddy Followers would quickly forfake Conventicles, if they could hear the Churches Prayers read conftantly by fome Reverend Prelate, or Learned Prkft. Prieft. • — *-credat Jud&w apefla! His kit complaint is , that 'tis a great hazard if fo Poor a Clergy be not idle, in temperate and fcandalous. This indeed was an old Article devifed by foul-mouth'd Sequeftrators, againft fuch as were fat and full, whofe very Benefices were fcandalous, but never urg'd before againft the twenty or thirty pound Men : And all Calumnies ought to have fome little probability in them, or the Devil himfelf cannot believe them. He told you before that his Vicar Jhad but one Groat in the Houfe, and who can imagine he (hould break an entire Sum to fpend his Penny, efpecially when there is an Execution out againfi it too for Milk and Eggs ? Nor is it likely thofe ParifrV ioners mould be (b bountiful as to bear ' him out , whom he had delcribed before to cheat him of his Gcefe and Pigs-, and have fb dcfpicable an opinion; of him for his tatter'd old fafhion'd Habit. Tfeus he has done with his Grounds of the Cler gies difefteem, Ignorance and Poverty , be fore I proceed to mine , I muft confider a little thofe particular Occafions (he fays) concur to make them fo pitifully Poor and Contemptible* The The firft whereof he makes the great fcartity of Livings in refpeft of that infi nite number who either poft, or (tofhoW the "vigilance of our Paflours ) fteal into Holy Orders > there being fcarce employ ment for half of thofe that undertake that My Office : (b tha,t, unlefs they fhould take up the Romiflv Tricks of rambling up and down to cry hardens , Indulgences^ €*rr. or unlefs we had fome vent for our Learned ones beyond Sea , as we have for other Commodities with which the Nati on is over-ftoc}{d, one moiety of the Clergy muft be condemned to beg or ftarve. But art thou in earnen\my excellent Contriver? Is the holy Function grown fuch a meer Drug in England., that it lies fo much up on our hands ? Have we fo many 'fun of Divines to (pare? fa mannerly Compari- fon, pardonable from none but an empty Hogs-head :) fo many hundreds ready to rftount upon Pegafw , and tide down SMI and Moon for 2 5 or 3 o /. a year ? If this be true ., then certainly it is not probable, that, having fo great choice, we mould be fo meanly provided at home 5 as he hath been lamenting all along , but rather (fmall Preferments being better than none) that 0 that all our Churches and Chappels are.fil- led with Perfbns of no infcriour Worth. But is it fo in very deed v that we have fcarce employment for half their number? What then becomes of the other half ? Who maintains them ? or do they live upon the Camelion's Diet ? or how got they into Orders ? Either they were Or- dain'd to a Title , or not > if to a Title, ( be it Spiritual or Temporal ) there is fomewhat to live on i if to none , their Spiritual Fathers are bound to provide for and maintain them by Law : fo that here is yet no vifible neceflity of recurring to the Old Ordinance of clapping under Pccj^ again for Iranffiortatiott. But that one half of the Priefts and Deacons now in England are Ordain'd to no manner of Title (as he would perfwade the World to the great difparagement of our Prelacy) is a wild fuppofal favouring neither of Wit nor. ftxth. All that the greateft candour can fay in his excufe, is only this, That upon the Kings Return poffibly there were fuller Ordinations than before or fince, the Bifhops not knowing but there might be a (carcity and want of Clergy men to fupply the places of thofe intru ding Ol ding Lay-brethren, befides that the Chut* ches Lands lately alienated were now re4 ftored , and the holy Profefllon began to retrieve its former Reputation : And if we be at prefent over-ftocked , I have gi ven the true reafon of it, the only ill con- fequence whereof will be this, that unlefs our Reverend BHhops (hall pleafe to hold their hands awhile, the old ones are not likely to be worn out tirft •> I mean, many Perfons of good Worth and Learning will be fain to fpin out their days in a College Cell, who might have done better (ervice abroad in their Generation. The next thing fo much concurring to heighten our Clergies Poverty and Dif- cfteem,he laies at the Gentries door, where in he (hews himfelf as much a Gentleman, as a Matter of Reafon. Indeed I thought he owed abundance of thanks to his Stars, if he came off fairly in the bufinefs of my Coufin Abigail : But in fpr a thoufand, in for fifteen hundred •, and having alrea dy fet out the Clergy , he now proceeds to render the Gentry alfo ridiculous. But have not the Gentry and Nobility too de- ferved better at our hands, than thus to be traduced > for dedicating fome of thtk Sons [>7J Sons to Gods Service ? Is this fo ready away to bring more Contempt upon the 'Clergy , and not rather a mean to redeem their credit , to make Church and State a compacted Body of One common intereft, and keep a fair correfpondence between Clergy and Laity , and prevent all future quarrels between them , which uled to be grounded upon an old miftake , that they are naturally as little related , as the outward and the inward Man, or the Flejk and Spirit ? c Yea , but ( he fays ) they c defign the wcak^ lame? and moft ill- favour- c ed of their Children for the Miniilry, ha- *' ving juft limbs enough to climb the Pul- 4/>z>, and an eye or two to find out the day c of the moneth , a^id then leave them to * Gods blefling and the warm Sun, without c one penny of Money, or inch of Land, c excepting only a fmall ftock to buy a Plat at fecond hand , and a fmall ' Syfteme or two of Faith, whereupon you c (hall meet with few of them worth above * two Spoons and a Pepper-Box^ beiides their Spiritualities. And now, Gentlemen? as you. were. A very pretty Relation in deed ! which if it were true, I would fain ask our little-mighty Oracle whether it H rcfledb refleds more upon the Clergy or Gentry? Oh ! without doubt it adds a great luitre to the Family , and commends his Pater nal Wifdom, Care, and impartial Provi dence , when a Father leaves a thoufand Pounds per annum to his eldejt Son , and and plentiful Portions to all the reft of the Brethren 5 excepting only the "Divinity Tiring^ who is left fo poor it can but juit creep, having nothing but two Spoons and a Peppcr-Box to keep it from ftarving. But the World is grown too wife to accompt all Gold that glitters, or to (hut their eyes till they be trapann'd into the belief of a falfhood , though never fo plauiibly var- nifiVd o'er with fpecious Whimfies , and nierry-mad Conceits. In the little refiduc of his Letter , he plays the meer Child , and takes great pains to blow up a few Bubbles and Chry- ftalline Globuli into the Air , ftanding at gaze after them till they burft and vanifh : only in the clofe of all , he reminds his Reader , that fye found the word Religion in the Title : And how much he hath be trayed in the whole Bool^, let other Men judge, andhimfelf confider whether he be not obliged to a fecond Epiftle , to beg pardon pardon of God and Man for writing the Name of Religion upon fqch a F tirdel of fcandalous Petu}ancies and Legendary Tales, unlefs he will be fo ingenuous (now the Higb-Commffion-Court is afleep) to undergo a voluntary Penance at fome con venient Market-Crofs , with the Title of his Accufation written under him, 'fhe Author of the Contempt of the Clergy and $f Religion. Where I (hall leave him, and proceed to my third and laft Proportion, which is this, tfhat if the Englijh Clergy be not truly valued , it If to be attributed to 0- tbcr-) and thofefar different Reafws : which once demonftrated and made good, it will appear evidently that his Letter being built upon a wrong Foundation , falls of it felf, and may be burnt without any pre judice to Truth or Reafon, and confe* qucntly I hope the deluded World will be undeceived. We muft confefs to our forrow more than (hame, that the holy Function hath been little fet by , nay much difparaged and affronted of late years amongft us? (for by the Grace of (Sod they have defer- ved better at the hands of Men than cvtry raih young Shimti will allow them) the H 2 true [ioo] true Rcafons whereof will foon appear, if we confider who and what manner of Perfons they are who do moft indufiri- joufly throw Contempt upon them , and they mufl be .either our profeffed Enemks-, or pretended Friends* Now our Churches ' Enemies are reducible to three principal Herds or Bands ; The firfl whereof are the ' openly debauched, profane, and Men A- theiflically difpofed, who think they were -born at all adventures, and came into th* .World , as the Leviathan was lent into the . Tkep, meerly to fport and take their pa- :itime therein ^ who are as wife in their own eyes as David's Fool, and fay in their hearts, *fbe re is no God •, who laugh at all ' things facred , as being out of their Ele- -ment, and make no more accompt of JR.<?- -liglon than of an ordinary piece of State- Policy. It may be they wear the name of Chriftians at large, and own themfelves of ours rather than any other Church for fa- fliions fake, or faving their credit, or fomc fecular intereft : but if you examine their Principles and Pradifes more narrowly, they will be found to belong rather to the Devil's Chaff el. For were they hearty • and in earneft, they could not poilibly dif fer [10.1] fer from all Sefts of TLdtgionifts in the World, who do conftantly admire and re verence thtir refpedtive friefts and Prea~ chers in what quality or circumftances fo- ever they be. But the Grandees and moft robuft among thefe modern .$ adduces don't level their feoffs and reproaches fo low as the inferiour Clergy , the little Z7*-- cars and Curates (that were impar con- grt$us , and a fitter task for fome young beginner 5 fome Novice in Raillery, who hath juft parts and skill enough to make a Cobweb-Net that will take the lefler FliesJ) but aim rather at the chiefeft.of our Church-Governors, it being a more noble Conqucft,a more fure and expedite way to wound Religion, (that's the great project) through their (ides. They are fo far from accompting the Elders that rule never fo well worthy of dottble-> nxyfingle Honour, that they fear not to revile Gods highcft Priefls , to deride , ilander and lampoon the moft renowned Prelate, even when he hath his moft folemn audience , when he is delivering his Embalfie from the great Monarch of Heaven, to his Vicegerent here on Earth. So that it is no fault of our Religion, or of the frnniftry thereof, but - H 3 -\ the niinous decay of 'Cbrijtian Piety fupplanted of late by Unchriftian Practife, (for the .true Caufes whereof, I refer my Readers to that excellent T'rattate-) whofe Author's Jslarne the World is hitherto unworthy of) which prompts this Herd of brutifh He- &ors to detie and contemn our Clergy and fidigion both. A fecond Band of our Churches Ene-* mies are the Popijh Recufants , who , ta- King the advantage of our late inteflinc differences , and having learnt of St. Pe ter's pretended SuccefTour to fi(h moft ad- vantagioufly in troubled wate r/^have much augmented , if not doubled their ancient number. And he that made fuch a grie vous complaint of our being fo much ovcr-ftockM with Divine j,had never heard of the Jcfuites brags beyond Sea fure , Sir Ed&yn Sandys tells us of, that the Englifh Seminaries abroad fend forth more Priefls than our two Univerfities at home do Mi- mfters : And where Chould the Scene of their Adlion be laid more properly than in their own Country > What greater fer- vice can they do the Court of K0we, than to infe<S and poifon their Native Air with apoujs > Who more fit to throw the C the Kingdom into a Church-relapfe, than they who are fo well acquainted with the Temper, Language, Manners, CUBOIDS, Laws and Religion of the Country > It is not to be qucftion'd but they , and all the Profely tes they either find, or make a- mongft us, are no Favourers of our Reli* gion or Clergy^ but do privately and open ly (when they dare) calumniate and de cry both, as deftrudive to the Game and Intereft they are to manage > and the true and only reafon of their contemning and vilifying us, is an eager defire of enlarging their own Territories , that the Romans. might come in once again, and take away both our Place and Nation* And there- tore that our Church neither is , nor ex- ptds to be prized by them, more than o- thers they are pleas'd to call Heretic^ fbecaufe they cannot digeft their corrupt Innovations for current GofpelJ is their Goodncfs more than our Defert. The third and laft Body of our Chur ches Enemies,are the FanatickJLeeufants in the other extream : for though Manaffeb declares fiercely againft Efhraim , and E- fhraim exclaims as much againft ManaJJeb* yet both combine and unite their forces H 4 againft [io4] again ft the Common Enemy , poor And truly to (peak freely , and give thefe latter their due,I muft needs fay the Church of England hath fufter'd very much of late in her Reputation by their means : for they are a fort of clamorous Zealots , refilefs aed troublefom Saints , as ever pretended to be of Chrijis retinue , who are for re forming Church and State , and all things but themfelves and their own pernicious Opinions, Seneca s character of un (table Men feems to be calculated particularly for them , Nihil liber e volunt , nihil abfo- lute , nihil femper : for they know not what they would have •> and if you grant all their unreafbnable demands , they are not fatisfied , but frill crying with the Daughters of the Horfi-leech^ Give-, giw* They had too precife thoughts of them felves to continue in our Communion , and therefore , like the young brood of Viftrs>> made their way, through their Mothers Bowels to procure their own li berty : And that there might be room for a uew Model of Government , necefiity obliged them to pluck down the old one firft. To this end all their artifices, efpe- $\zlly Preachments , were directed , they crying [ 105 T crying out agai.nit Efifiopacy , as thercliil- dren okEdom did of old againft Jentfalem^ Down with it , down with it , even to the ground '•> making nothing to call it oppro- biouily the Prclatical faction , ( though themfelves are forc'd to confeis it is fuch a faUwn as hath troubled the Church ever iince the Apoflles timesj and by this means they quickly begat an odium in Mens Minds as well againit the ancient Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, as againft the Ferfons of the Bifhops and Orthodox Clergy for their fakes. To them we owe all that Anarchy in Spiritual and Civil Matters, which , like a thick Cloud, did fb long overfpread us , and broke out at length into Thunder and Lightning about our ears ', 'twas the fruit of their worthy Labours that our Gofhen was turned into an Epyft by Ufurping Tyrants who knew not Jofefb , and the Hod of Aaron ferved for no other ufe a long time but to fcourge the Sons of Lsvi. Nor is it any wonder that the prejudices they raifed againft our Liturgy and its AfTertours are not yet worn out , confidering how prefumptu- ouily and in defpight of all Law both Sa cred and Civil, the Nonconformifts frill keep keep up their private Conventicles to con firm the Brethren in all the falfe Notions they hid formerly imbibed. But all this while the true reafon that this whole Par* ty f taking in all its fub-divifionsj defpife andLoppole our Reverend Clergy, is, for their conftant and approved Loyalty to God and the King , and flicking clofe to both in all Weathers , it being their mofl facred Principle , Not to meddle with them that are given to Change. How great a part of the Nation thefe three Squadrons of our Churches Enemies make, is too fed a Theme for me to en large upon •, they have over-fpread the Land like Locufts , and 'twould puzzle a very good Arithmetician to compute them : it is fufficient for my prefent pur- pofe that none of them diilike our Clergy either fox thc'it Ignorance or Poverty , (for the more Rich and Learned it is,the worfe they hate or envy it) but upon vaftly dif ferent Motives > the tirft (peak evil of them C and all things facred 3 purely on the accompt of their own irreligion i the fecond , for their oppoiing the corrupted Do&rine and Difcipline of Row v the third, for their malignant Loyalty and re* foly'd f>7] folv'd Obedience to God and his Church, maugre all Scotifh Covenants or Geneva Models. The refidue of the Nation we (hall al low to be either in reality or pretence at leaft fo far the Churches Friends, as that they are not likely to be tempted in hade to throw off her Communion upon any fcore ', and yet I muft freely grant , that neither have many of them fo juft an cfteem and value for the holy Funftion as they ought to have. However , if we find out a more pro bable and fubftantial Reafon why they are alfo wanting in their due eftimation of the Priefthood , than either of thofe two our fmall Conjedurer hath hit upon , hi* bufmefs , I prefume , will be compleatly done > he may e'en (it him down and gu«fs again,or rather take the Poets advice along with him for the future, Sumitt materiam veftrK qyi fcribiw Viribw and chufe fome fitter fubje& for him and his idle Mufes to play with next timc.and not ipCallefr) not intrude into thofe things be mderjlands not, ^ C "8 ] Now if we would fpeak out 5 and an- fwer plainly and truly how it comes to pafs that fo many of our pretended Friends give us not due re(peft and honour , we rnuft fay it is btcaufe cur Clergy are not publickly allowed the Authority due to their Function , and neceflary for execu ting the power of the Keys > I mean, the want of that godly Difcipline of Con- fijfion and Penance in the Primitive Church, which our Church of England hath long fince wilhed for, and Sir Edwyn Sandys faith might have been better reftored in all the reformed Churches to its Primitive fincerity, than utterly abolifhed and neg- ledled as in moft places it is : for although we do juftly charge the prefcnt Church of Rome for corrupting and degenerating from this ancient holy Difcipline by their Notorious abufes of it, particularly by their layingthe mainflrefsand efficacy of it, up on the definitive fentence of Abfohttien^ ( which, according to the I'nnt Council, is given before any fruits of Repentance are produced, and requires no after penance, but a few Aw Mirks and Pater Nojlers^ with k>me eatie Alms to them that are a- J&, and a Iktlc faftlng to (uch as are rvil- [zop] ling > and fometimes for horrible Blaf- phemies, and other lewdnefTes , impofeth only the bare faying of their Beads thrice over, which they may difpatch too as they go in the facets :J their believing and teaching that by fuch like Penances the debt ot temporal punimment is redeemed after the fin is pardoned , the people all this while making accompt of Confiffion as profeiTed Drunkards do of vomiting, and the Prieft ufing it as a Pick-lock to tyrannize over, and torture Mens Con- fciences, and make way for the dangerous delufions ot Indulgences > yet, I fay, no Reformed Church can excufe it felt,which to avoid their extravagant abufcs , is fain into the other extream, and lets the fober ufe of fo excellent a piece of Difcipline grow into utter defuetude and negjed : tor it mult not, it cannot be denied in the rirCt place, but that the power ot" the Keys ( to be executed not only in admitting Dif- ciplcs to Church-mtmberfhipby BaptiCm, but allp in rejedting Heretical, Schiimati- cal and immoral ProfefTours,and then ab- fblvingand re- admitting them into Com munion, upon their unfeigned (ubmiifion, and demontf rations of fincerc Repentance) is is Founded immediately upon our Lords own Inititution > and the Apoftles and their StKcdfours to the Worlds end, de<- rive their Authority from, and adt by the fame Commidion given them, St. Mattk. 18. 1 8. Wlwtfoever ye bind on earth , fljaU be bound in heaven '-> and rebatfotver ye loofe on earth jhdl be looftd in heaven '•> or as it is explained and renewed , St. John 20.23. Jf^hflje fins foever ye rettnt^ they are remitted nnto them \ and wbofe fins joever- ye retain, they art retained* Nor , Secondly , can it be denied by any Man that is acquainted with the Sects of the Montanifis , Novations ^ Donatijljy *nd Mtletiansi and undcrftands the pra- dice of the Primitive Church , legible in the Writings of the Apoftles, ancient Fa thers and Councils, f particularly that of "Elvira in Spam , held divers years before that at Nictx; and therefore counted as ancient as any the Church hath ) but that the cure of iin by penance is an unquefti- onable Tradition of the Apoftles. Not to mention many other obvious Texts to that purpofe, the moft natural and prima ry meaning of St. p^w/'s charge to 'fimo- *ky-> I TiM«. 5. 22. Lay hands fxddtnly on [til,] no man , neither be partakgr of other tnens /f«/,muft needs be fetcht from that known Apoftolical Cuftom, of admitting lapfcd .Chiiftians to penance and the Prayers of she Church by impolition of hands. Thirdly and laitty , Secret Confeflion of Sins Cotherwife not notorious) in or der to their cure , hath been the inviolate practice of the Weftern (bating their abu- fes aforefaid ) and alfo of the Eaftern Churches ^ particularly that of Cwftanti- nople, even to this day , and it is recom mended and prefled as a duty incumbent on the generality of Chriftians, as well by the ancient Fathers as modern Authors both of the Roman Church , and alfo of the Reformation. The Auguftine Con- feffion fays peremptorily , Impium cffet ex Ecclefla tolkre privatam Mfolutianem^ That it were an ungodly , a facrilegious thing to rob the Church of Chrift of private Abfolution. And Gbtmnitius in his Exa- men Cvncil* Trid. gives a fivefold accompt of the ufe and profitabknefs of this Dif- cipline of private ConfelTion. i. For the information of the igno rant concerning the true knowledge, the degrees and frrinpufiiefs of fin , and the right [1,2] right way of performing repentance. 2. For Phytick , viz. how each fin is fo to be cured and mortified, that it may be avoided for the future , and what a- mendment of life is to be oppofed to fudi and fuch fins* 3. For Counfel , that in doubtful cafes Paiiours may advife and inltrufl their Hocks out of Gods Word. 4* For Spiritual Comfort, to relieve • disturbed Conferences. Lafily , ( bccaufe Abfolution is to be .given only to fuch as appear truly peni* tcntj that the Pallour himfelf may be at* lured whether he ought to bind or loofet Our Church of England in particular -itfufcth the benefit of it to none, urgcth it in extremis*, and requires -it for quieting .of troubled Conferences, as is manifelt in her feveral Offices of the Carnvntnim^ and the Visitation of the lick. Notwithftand- ing all this, woful experience tdls USD thatv the practice of this holy Diicipline hath -been declining every day more and more ever imce that defperate opinion was firft •broacht in the World, That Meri-are ;w/iff- fid by bditv'mg tlxy are prcdeftinated to life^ (which refolvesall Chnliian Duties into a a new notion ofFaitb, little different frorn * firong fancy) and is now grown almoft utterly out of faftiion amongft us, and ne ver (I fear; likely to recover its ancient pra&ifo Now the want of this moft reafonable and neceflary Difcipline, is at* tended with very many dangerous confe- <juenees, fuch as thcfe : The pra&ife of religious Duties in general runs to decay : Men grow accuftomed to ? and at length hardned in their fins, by fatisfying tbem- felves with a fuperficial repentancepr none at all : They content themfelves with a palliative cure oft-times in ftead of a found one , by reafon of their own ignorance or partiality j for every Man hath not skill enough to be his own Phyfitian:, and they that have, do wilfully miftake fometimes a Cordial for a Corrofive : They rufh un worthily upon that Tremendum Evangelii Myflerium , f as Saint Auguftine calls the Sacrament of the Eucharift ) without due preparation : They fall into Herefies and Errours by leaning to their own under- (landing, by mif-interpreting or mif-ap- plying the holy Scriptures, and not con- fulting with , and fubmitting to better Judgments : Their Confcienccs are feldora quiet, but like the troubled Sea , boyling up defpairing thoughts , becaufe they ap- ply not themlelvcs to the Delegates and Commiffaries of Him , whom the Winds and the Sea obey eh I mean, the Priefts of the living God : They venture their Sal vation upon flender and uncertain Evi dences, and hinder their Paftour from do ing the bed Offices he can for them, (and moft likely to fucceed ) in order thereun to : All that they will allow him,is,to (hoot at rovers, and preach his heart out in cha- itifing fin in general, whereas an occafio- nal private conference with Him now and then , were much more probable to effect their particular cure. No Man ever doubted, but -one good remedy well ap plied by a skilful Hand, is more likely to cure a. Man of the Gout or Dropfie, than the hearing of five hundred Anatomy-Le ft u res to that purpofe. And amougft ma- uy other ill conferences', this is evidently om^ That the power of the Keys is in part taken away, the due Authority of the Priefthood retrained and impaired, and confequently their efteem leffen'd , their Function not valued as it ought to be by thePeople, and their Perfons fometimes cxpofed expofed to Contempt : And therefore let but this ancient holy Difcipline be ceftpred amongft us, either by a publiclc Acl: of the Church , or by the unanimous pra&ife of thofe that profefs themfelves of our Com-* munion, and then let common fenfe judge if thefe eflfedts will not neceiTarily follow upon it : The Life of Religion will quick* ly grow more into fafhion : Men will be more careful of difcharging their Bapti£ mal Vow , more afraid of iin , more fin- cere in their Repentance, Failings, Pray ers, and Works of Charity, andconfe- qucntly the People muft needs believe that their Paftours belong to God more than er* dmary Folly \ they cannot but have a hearty refpedr, and honourable eftcem for their Spiritual Guides and Phyfitians, who watch daily over their Souls, by whofc prudent Condud, faithful Advices , and gholtly Comfort , they live quietly and peaceably here in all Godlinefs and Hone- fty, and in the end attain to Everl^fting Life. N The Ow having fo fair an occafion offer^ _,_ ^ ed, give me leave to expoftulate a while with all thofe who profefs them- felves of our Communion , and yet do not heartily refped and value the holy Function , meerly becaufe they negkct the ufeof that Catholick and Apoltolick Dii- cipline aforefaid, and I have done. : When our Emmies reproach us, we can bear it cheerfully, rejoycing (with the A- poftles, Atis 5.41-) that we are counted worthy to fuffer Jhame for h'x Name, But if you that are our Companions and dear brethren , who wal!^ together with w to the Houfi of God as Friends , Pfal. 55. . wh.Q have eaten frequently C not of our 'Bread perhaps, as David complains, but) of the freadot tife adminiftred by us i if T^« alfo undervalue our Perfons or Office whui we deferve it not, (ib far we are compelled to boaft of our Infirmities) Forgive wrwg. K* . ferved flight from her own Sons is the greateft ;C»73 greatcft flab you can make at your indul gent Mothers Heart. Wherefore let me bcfeech you in Her Name to take thele few fhort particulars into your moft feri- x>us and impartial thoughts. Confider, Firfl, that whilft you con tinue unkind towards us, you are all this while much more cruel to your felves : for we lofe only a Temporal Good, your -favour , but you deprive your felves of many Spiritual Comforts, and poffibly ha,- zard your Eternal too. Confider, Secondly, that you are eafily perfwaded to fend for a Phyfitian when you lie fick of a malignant Feaver, and to conceive a good opinion of him when CunderGod) he refiores you from Death to Life, and . what (hould be the reafon that a mortal Bady is prized fo highly a- bove an immortal Sinl.? or what pru dence is it to be more ibllicitous for pre- ferving a Temporal , than for fecuring an Eternal Life ? Neither Phyfitian is like ly to do you much fervia: , if you defer confulting them till the laft gafp upon your Death-bed , as the manner of fomc is i and if you be (hie of difcovenng your Difeafe to either? what expecSaaons I 3 can [Ji8] can you reafonably have of being cured ? Si qrubefiat tgrotits Medico vulnw confite- rf, qmd, ignorat Mcdicina, non curat^ faith St. Hierome upon this very fubjed: : Al though our Lord and Mafter hath com mitted the power of the Keys to us, yet you muft give us power to exercife them up©n you by your own voluntary act , or ybu cannot reap due advantage by them. Confidcr , Thirdly , that the Apoftles cxprefs command is general,that ye mould confefs your fins one to another-) St. James 5. 1 6. Now the reafon of that command is clear both by the Context and the rea fon of the thing , viz* that ye may have the benefit of the Prayers , and Chriftian advice of others , no Man being a compe tent judge in his own caufe. Much more then ought you to unbofom your felves, and difclofe your grievances to your Pa- ftours^ who are prefumcd to be beft able to folve your doubts , and fupply your fpiritual wants, and who only are intruft- cd by Chrift as his Delegates to abfolve Cncere Penitents from all their fins. Confider, Fourthly, that you have been often importuned in the tormer Exhor- #tion before the Communion^ to repair to your 0»#, or (in cafe of his ficknefs , im potent age, or any like infirmity ) (bme otbfr difcreet and learned Minijler of God > Word) and to of en your grief to Him, that ye may receive gbojily comfort^ counfel ant. Ablution fir the relief of your diftreffed Confciences* And how many fad inihm- ces did our late Times produce of thofe, who by negleding this fveryj old Chri- ftian Duty, and puzzling their Brains with ne» Notions of Gods unfearchable Decrees, not only loft their Wits, but fell into utter defpair of ever being faved ? Confider , Laftly , how provident and tender your Mother the Church is , left your /ecrtf jjhould be at any time betray ed, your privacies made fublic^ by an un faithful or imprudent Confifftur : for in her 113 Canon (he pronounces fuch an one Irregular iffofatto : that is to fay, the party fo offending doth not only tbrfeic all the Ecclefaftical Preferments which he hath at the prefent , but renders himfelf uncapable of receiving any other for the time to come : and Confeffion made upon fuch fecurity, will be as faving to the fame of the Penitent , as the Absolution to his Sculi as the Learned Dodcr H. wellob- fejves, I 4 And [120] And fo I conclude all with my hearty Prayers to God for you, that He would enlighten and quit your Minds from all Prejudices , and incline your Wills to the unanimous and fpeedy practice of fo im portant a ChrilVian Duty ^ (or Priviledge rather ) fo immediately concerning the ad vancement of Gods Glory 5 the redeeming the Honout of His Priefts, and the eternal Salvation of your own goals 9 through Chrift our Lord. Amm* Amen. POSTSCRIPT.' THefe Papers had long fince been in the Prcfs 3 but that I heard of a fccondPart of the Contempt of the Clergy coming out, by i\\zfame Aiithor, which I was willing to fee and perufe before I publiflied them* And although I find it to be another mans Province to make a Reply to that, (if yer fuch a trifling piece of Impertinence be worthy ofany) and am refolved not to be fo pragmatical, as to thruft my Side into another mans Field ; yet I think my felf con cerned briefly to animadvert upon thofe particular paffages therein , whereby the Author feems to mince the matter 5 and excufe himfelf^ or put by the thrufts, and weaken any Argument I have made againft his firft Let- Letter. I begin with thole , where he alters the fcene , and com mends the Learning and vrtflomvivut Clergy ,which (faith he, fag. j j.) the whole world have always admired, and have reafonfttt to do, And our (^fdver- faries to dread, And again, fag. 3 j. / know HO reafon to deny that the Clergy of the Land doth daily considerably im- frove. And again, fag. !84. // ,> A £gn of nothing hut perfect madnefs, ignorance^ andflttfidity not to acknow ledge that the prefect Church of Eng land affords as confiderable Scholars, and as fob A and eloquent Preachers , M are any where to be found in the whole Chriftian world. This is fomewhat like ; I hope we fliall bring him to (peak truth in time. Now our Clergy is either ftrangely improved in a very fhort fpace, or elfe T. 73. hath chan^ ged his mind ; for ic is not a year a- go fince he laid the imputation of ig* norance and Folly upon the very fame Clergy Clergy to which he now attributes fo much Learning and wifdom. I have already (hewn that his firft Letter is built upon a falfe foundation , and confequently, that the fuperftru&ure thereof is as weak and fenflefs, as if he had fpoil*d fo much paper to give us an account of the grounds and rea- fons why a Tub fhould hold as much water with a Carp of twenty inches long in it, as without it, when all this while, upon experiment, there is no fuch matter : and I have only this to fay now, that he makes us but a poor requital in this ^ He firft breaks our head , and then pretends to give us a Plaifter.He calls us all at naught, and then fays he did not Aejign or in tend us harm : He wounds and ftabs our Reputation fo deep, that it's pad his skill to cure it fuddenly (as good a Mountebanck as he would be thought) without leaving a dreadful skar behind ^ and he is much obji- ged gdi to the world , if they will rather credit thefc his fecond thoughts, and take them to be as unalterable as his laft Will and Teftament. In the next place he is forced to confefs what I had urged at lame a- gainft him, by acquainting us (p.6z.) who they were he chiefly intended to charge with rude, tmmodeft , and al- moft blafphemo&s difcourfes in the Pul pit, and putting them off with thofe little mollifying fentences, as it were* as Imayfo fay, and with reverence he it fyokcn^ they were thofe (fays he) whom the late times (and have not as yet left it off) called themfehes God's fpecial Saint sy hi* Favour ites^ and (as I may fo fay) his Intimados^ hut in rea lity -were more Oliver's jhan Gods ; (meaning, I fuppofe5St. Hugh Peters^ whowascanoniz'd at charing-Crofs, and the reft of thofe Trumpeters of Sedition who were Chaplains to that Grand Vfurfer,) And again, to ftop the the Non-Con formijls mouth 5 he tells them (/?• lo I.) that their dear Bre thren are as much concerned as any body dfe (in his firft Letter) and have as great a {bare in thofe Inflames that are produced out of idle Sermons: So thac his way of arguing is moft prodigi- oufly clear and convincing (as I have formerly intimated.) Peters and^r- ry, &c. preacht Rebellion and Trea- fon, and Blafphemies : ergo^ the pre- fent Clergy did cut off the Kings Head. Now I appeal to all mankind, if it be fair play to make a Ltnfey- woolfey Htftory of Conformifts and Non-conformiftSj of the Loyal and Orthodox Sons ofLevi) and thofe perfidious Apoftated Sons of Korab, without all manner of diftin&ion, (they being of more irreconcilable Principles and Practices, than a Pro- teftant and aPapift.,) and then father the faults of the guilty upon the inno cent ; as Nero charged the Chriftian* with with firing of Rome , when he knew it was done by himfelf, and his ownFa- ftion. Nay 5 he is not content to do it himfelf only, but brings in the reve rend Mr. Thorndike to bear falfe wit- nefs for hrm (pag. 81. of the firft Let ter) by wrefting his words from their intended and plain fenfe , as his man ner is : for the ufuat Preaching Mr. Tk. chaftifeth as a binder time rather of Salvation, \s that of the fa&ious Separatifts, (not of our Orthodox Clergy) whom he there calls their Preachers, and charges them further with their iVill-worfhip Prayers after Sermon, where by evil Doctrine (faith he) is repeated to God } for a hlefflng cf hu Spirit upon it, as you may fee at large in his Book of fuft Weights 4ndMeafures,czp.2Z. pag. iji,i$j. And therefore this ingenuous Gentle man muft not think to flielter himfel£ under the fober Author of the Friend ly Debate his wing ( although he would would fain make him his Voucher andParalel, page 8 j.) for the comfa- rifw (as 1 may fofay) is very odi ous. A Garment fuited to the fickle Moon^ cannot well fit the conftant Sun. Surely there is fome fmall dif ference between cne that relates the true and red abfurdities of fdfe Bre thren 5 fpurious Church-men , who have renounc'd the Faith of Englilh Chriftians ; and Another 3 that pre- fumes to pin falfe ftories and fooleries upon our true genuine and learned Clergy: as much as to fay 5 bccaufe tbAt Author calls it murder to kill a man upon the Kings High way 3 ours may be allowed to fay itisalfo mur der for a Judge to fentence a Felon to die, upon Convi&ion, or for the Exe cutioner to do his Office. . In other places he makes a face as if he had a mind to commence Mo- defty, eat his words ^ repent of his manner of cxprcflion, and perfwade us [128] Us of his good meaning , and honeft intentions at the bottom : for he fays (fag. %i.)Iam not. yet come to that de gree of felf-conceit and confidence, as to recommend my own words > phrafe, or fiyle i and I had rather the Anfaerer jbould find fault with the manner of my exprefflm, and delight him fe If in think ing, that it is not fuitable to the fub- jett, than be guilty of fo much folly and impudence, as vigor ou fly to maintain or Magmjie the fame : \ Only thus mnch Sir (fpeaking to R. L. his endeared Friend) way poflihlj be believed by you, and per haps by feme few be fides > that I did not put in one idle or extravagant word m furpofe to render Any of the Clergy contemptible 5 but did only juft endeavour to keep people awake till they readit. And again (pag.yi.) In my fir (I Letter 1 did rather make it my bu- jinefs-to give a fljort Hiftoryofvthat teas derided or blamed, than ftudie to invent or complain of vphtt might be re* represented unprofitable , or And fpag. 101.) It was altogether dgainfl my defyn to bring any of the Clergy into contempt, &c. A fair pro- feffion one would think, butitmuft be examined with much tendernefs and charity , or there will be found very little of reality in it : For if it be folly and Impudence to maintain the flyle and manner of exprejfion in the fir ft Letter, as not fuitable to the fab- jeff> why does he carry on the Meta phor, and continue the fame drain in thefecond? He fays further , he did not put in one idle or extravagant word (into thefirfl part) onpurfofe to make any of the Clergy Contemptible ; and 'tis ftrange men will not believe him, when they find it one great bu- finefs of his fecond Ad venture, to keef people awake ftill, that is , to rake up fome hundreds of idle extravagant** words, meerly to expofe his Atfvper- *. flr5 who is one of the Clergy. No que- '; K ftion 4 C'30] ftion it was altogether tgtinft hi fign to bring his Anfoerev (and the reft of his Brethren) into Contempt^ when he laughs all along, rather than writes at hima and only tickles the skirts of the buiinefs with affe&ed flourishes, anfwering his moft mate rial obje&ions, with fine ftories of a Cock and a Bull^ and HeyteTeytes , or to morrow morning I found a Horfe- faooe-^ but I tnuft tell him 3 that, to perfwade rhe world we intend no hurt, and deiign honeftly 3 when our actions vifiDly run counter3 is an old, 311 anriquaced cheat that will not down with wife men now ad ays, being fit to be owned by none but fuch ungodly mifcreants, as could rake up Arms a- gainft ? and at length tnurder their lawful Sovereign , under pretence of meaning well all this while , and in tending only tp make him a glorious King. To proceed ; better l$te than ne? ver. 3 never, (/. 86.) he takes notice that the Bifhops have augmented the yicar- ages in their gift^ (and who knows butht intended to put in the -Deans and Chapters too) and tells us of fttms of money employed towards the redeeming of the great Tithes ^ of Impropriations rejlored, and of t\\zgood Inclinations of this prefent Parlia ment-^ &c. but this (hould have been done in his firft Letter by right, and perhaps he had done it there5but that he did not think on't ; or rather be- caufe be did think on't : for it would have taken off fomewhat from the Po verty and flirimpednefs of his Cler gy, he was then defcribing. However he falls to falving again at the foot of this page, faying, I hope I have [aid nothing to abate the charity y or good furpofesof piou* Benefactor s i or to flop the ajfifting hands of our prefeni Co- vernours. No ? then he is infinitely obliged to them that they don't be- K z Hcve lievc him ; for if all thofc he calls the Poor Clergy ) be fo Ignorant as he makes them, ( aligning the particular reafons to (hew it impoflible it fliould be other wife, viz,, their mean Education, want of Money , 'Books ^ Time, and fuch other things, without which few men prove very great Scholars) 'Tis pity their maintenance fliould be made better 5 jo /. per an. being rather too large and magnifi cent an allowance for fuch pitiful fel lows as he moft invidioufly and falfly makes them, But thanks be to God, our prefent Governours and Benefa- 6tors don't take all for current Gofpel that every gifted Lay-Brother talks at rovers, knowing full well that the generality even of our infqriour Cler gy are of good worth and note ; and fee no fhadow of reafon in both his Letters ( nor ever will in an hundred more of the fame ftamp) to alter their not lew& plow Intentions. Laft- [133] Laftly 3 whereas he fancies (page 101.) that, if any are foweak<> andfo tegardlefs as to miftake him-> (viz. by thinking his defign was to bring the Clergy into Contempt) they are ei ther fome of the giddy and ft ft- headed 2^on-Conformifts 3 or fome of the idle and inconfiderable Laity, I mufl aflure him that a very great part of the Or thodox Clergy and moft confiderable Laity too are very much of the fame opinion 3 it being paft their skill to find out any more rational and plau- fible end that fhould prompt him to make fuch an Adventure in Engli[by fince, had he clothed his Difcourfe in ( that fo much defpifed thing called) Latinc 5 it could not have been half fo obnoxious. And albeit ia the fequel of his difcourfe he bids the Papifts, Ifyn-ConformiftS) conceited new Philofophifts , modifh Gattavts, Hetfors, and Atheifts of the age hold thek tongues, (bowing he can make the [134] thebcftof them all ridiculous if he pleafe; yet what fatisfa&ion is this to the injured Clergy ? he fends them more company indeed , but fuch as they never much delighted in ,• and he muft not think he can undeceive fuch men with as much eafe as he hath deceived them : for (let him write till Doomfday to the contrary) they will take him at his firft word, and believe he hath given them fuf- fficient reafon 5 grounds , and occafion to blafpheme the holy fuvftion. In the mean time, fince* a man of this Au thors parts and confidence may play with any other fubjeft in the world as well as /te, and abufe any pro- feffionof men whether Gentry^ Law yers 3 Phyficians 3 Citizens 5 &c. whilft he takes the liberty of fay ing what he pleafes , by inventing falfe ftories, adding to, pervert* ing"5 and wrefting fuch as are , in part, true 3 and carrying on the whole whole work of a Romancer, I hope all fober Chriftians, will think ne ver the worfe of, but rather increafe their efteem and good opinion of & Reverend and Learned a Clergy. F / A / S. fcf