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aloof off, and see the end of it, and loath to quench the spirit? No doubt these mad practitioners were of their society, with whom before, and in the practice of their madness, they had most affinity. Hereof read Dr. Bancroft's book.

A third inducement may be to dislike of the discipline, if we consider not only how far the reformers themselves have proceeded, but what others upon their foundation have built. Here come the Brownists in the first rank, their lineal descendants, who have seized upon a number of strange opinions; whereof although their ancestors the reformers were never actually possessed, yet by right and interest from them derived, the Brownists and Barrowists have taken possession of them; for if the positions of the reformers be true, I cannot see how the main and general conclusions of Brownism should be false; for upon these two points, as I conceive, they stand.

1. That, because we have no church they are to sever themselves from us.

2. That without civil authority they are to erect a church of their own.

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And if the former of these be true, the latter I suppose will follow for if above all things men be to regard their salvation; and if out of the church there be no salvation; it followeth, that, if we have no church, we have no means of salvation: and therefore separation from us, in that respect, is both lawful and necessary. As also, that men so separated from the false and counterfeit church are to associate themselves unto some church; not to ours; to the popish much less; therefore to one of their own making. Now the ground of all these inferences being this, "that in our church there is no means of salvation, is out of the reformers' principles most clearly to be proved. For wheresoever any matter of faith unto salvation necessary is denied, there can be no means of salvation: but in the church of England, the discipline by them accounted a matter of faith, and necessary to salvation, is not only denied, but impugned, and the professors thereof oppressed. Ergo

Again (but this reason perhaps is weak), every true church of Christ acknowledgeth the whole gospel of Christ: the discipline, in their opinion, is a part of the gospel, and yet by our church resisted. Ergo.

Again, the discipline is essentially united to the church: by which term essentially, they must mean either an essential part, or an essential property. Both which ways it must needs be, that where that essential discipline is not, neither is there any church. If therefore between them and the Brownists there should be appoint. ed a solemn disputation, whereof with us they have been oftentimes so earnest challengers; it doth not yet appear what other answer

they could possibly frame to these and the like arguments, wherewith they might be pressed, but fairly to deny the conclusion (for all the premises are their own), or rather ingeniously to verse their own principles before laid, whereon so foul absurdities have been so firmly built.

What farther proofs you can bring out of their high words, magnifying the discipline, I leave to your better remembrance: but above all points, I am desirous this one should be strongly enforced against them, because it wringeth them most of all, and is of all others (for aught I see) the most unanswerable; you may notwithstanding say, that you would be heartily glad these their positions might so be salved, as the Brownists might not appear to have issued out of their loins; but until that be done, they must give us leave to think, that they had cast the seed whereout these tares are grown.

Another sort of men there are, which have been content to run on with the reformers for a time, and to make them poor instruments of their own designs. These are a sort of godless politics, who perceiving the plot of discipline to consist of these two parts, the overthrow of episcopal, and the erection of presbyterial authority; and that this latter can take no place till the former be removed, are content to join with them in the destructive part of discipline, bearing them in hand, that in the other also they shall find them as ready. But when time shall come, it may be they would be as loath to be yoked with that kind of regiment, as now they are willing to be released from this. These men's ends in all their actions is distraction; their pretence and colour, reformation. Those things which under this colour they have affected to their own good, are, 1. By maintaining a contrary faction, they have kept the clergy always in awe ; and thereby made them more pliable and willing to buy their peace. 2. By maintaining an opinion of equality among ministers, they have made way to their own purposes for devouring cathedral churches, and bishops' livings. 3. By exclaiming against abuses in the church they have carried their own corrupt dealings in the civil state more covertly; for such is the nature of the multitude, they are not able to apprehend many things at once, so as being possessed with a dislike or liking of any one thing, many other, in the mean time, may ecape them without being perceived. 4. They have sought to disgrace the clergy, in entertaining a conceit in men's minds, and confirming it by continual practice, that men of learning, and especially of the clergy, which are employed in the chiefest kind of learning, are not to be admitted, or sparingly admitted to matters of state; contrary to the practice of all well-governed commonwealths, and of our own, till these late years.

A third sort of men there are, though not descended from the reformers, yet in part raised and greatly strengthened by them,

namely, the cursed crew of atheists. This also is one of those points which I am desirous you should handle most effectually, and strain yourself therein to all points of motion and affection, as in that of the Brownists, to all strength and sinews of reason. This is a sort most damnable, and yet by the general suspicion of the world at this day most common. The causes of it, which are in the parties themselves, although you handle in the beginning of the fifth book, yet here again they may be touched: but the occasions of help and furtherance, which by the reformers have been yielded unto them, are, as I conceive, two; senseless preaching, and disgracing of the ministry; for how should not men dare to impugn that, which neither by force of reason nor by authority of persons is maintained? But in the parties themselves, these two causes I conceive of atheism. 1. More abundance of wit than judgment, and of witty than judicious learn. ing, whereby they are more inclined to contradict any thing, than willing to be informed of the truth. They are not therefore men of sound learning for the most part, but smatterers; neither is their kind of dispute so much by force of argument, as by scoffing: which humour of scoffing, and turning matters most serious into merriment, is now become so common, as we are not to marvel what the pro. phet means by the seat of scorners, nor what the apostles by fore. telling of scorners to come; our own age hath verified their speech unto us; which also may be an argument against these scoffers and atheists themselves, seeing it hath been so many ages ago foretold, that such men the latter days of the world should afford, which could not be done by any other spirit, save that whereunto things future and present are alike. And even for the main question of the resurection, whereat they stick so mightily, was it not plainly foretold, that men should in the latter times say, "Where is the promise of his coming?" Against the creation, the ark, and divers other points, exceptions are said to be taken; the ground whereof is superfluity of wit, without ground of learning and judgment.

A second cause of atheism is sensuality, which maketh men desirous to remove all stops and impediments of their wicked life; amongst which, because religion is the chiefest, so as neither in this life without shame they can persist therein, nor (if that be true) without torment in the life to come; they whet their wits to annihilate the joys of heaven, wherein they see (if any such be) they can have no part; and likewise the pains of hell, wherein their portion must needs be very great. They labour therefore, not that they may not deserve those pains, but that, deserving them, there may be no such pains to seize upon them. But what conceit can be imagined more base, than that man should strive to persuade himself, even against the secret instinct (no doubt) of his own mind, that his soul is as the soul of a beast, mortal and corruptible with the body?

Against which barbarous opinion, their own atheism is a very strong argument; for were not the soul a nature separable from the body, how could it enter into discourse of things merely spiritual, and nothing at all pertaining to the body? Surely the soul were not able to conceive any thing of heaven, no, not so much as to dispute against heaven and against God, if there were not in it somewhat heavenly, and derived from God.

The last which have received strength and encouragement from the reformers, are papists; against whom, although they are most bitter enemies, yet unwittingly they have given them great advantage. For what can any enemy rather desire, than the breach and dissension of those which are confederates against him? Wherein they are to remember, that if our communion with papists in some few ceremonies do so much strengthen them, as is pretended, how much more doth this division and rent among ourselves; especially seeing it is maintained to be, not in light matters only, but even in matters of faith and salvation? Which overreaching speech of theirs, because it is so open to advantage for the Barrowists and the papists, we are to wish and hope for, that they will acknowledge it to have been spoken rather in heat of affection, than with soundness of judgment; and that through their exceeding love to that creature of discipline which themselves have bred, nourished, and maintained, their mouth in commendation of her did soon overflow.

From hence you may proceed (but the means of connexion I leave to yourself) to another discourse, which I think very meet to be handled, either here or elsewhere at large; the parts whereof may be these.

1. That in this cause between them and us, men are to sever the proper and essential points in controversy, from those which are accidental. The most essential and proper are these two: overthrow of episcopal, erection of presbyterial authority. But in these two points whosoever joineth with them, is accounted of their number; whosoever in all other points agreeth with them, yet thinketh the authority of bishops not unlawful, and of elders not necessary, may justly be severed from their retinue. Those things therefore which either in the persons, or in the laws and orders themselves, are faulty, may be complained of, acknowledged, and amended; yet they no whit the nearer their main purpose. For what if all errors by them supposed in our Liturgy were amended, even according to their own heart's desire; if nonresidents, pluralities, and the like, were utterly taken away; are their lay-elders therefore presently authorized, or their sovereign ecclesiastical jurisdiction established?

But even in their complaining against the outward and accidental matters in church-government, they are many ways faulty. 1. In their end which they propose to themselves. For in declaiming

against abuses, their meaning is not to have them redressed, but by disgracing the present state, to make way for their own discipline. As therefore in Venice, if any senator should discourse against the power of their senate, as being either too sovereign or too weak in government, with purpose to draw their authority to a moderation, it might well be suffered; but not so, if it should appear he spake with purpose to induce another state by depraving the present: so in all causes belonging either to church or commonwealth, we are to have regard what mind the complaining part doth bear, whether of amendment or innovation, and accordingly, either to suffer or suppress it. Their objection therefore is frivolous, "Why may not men speak against abuses?" Yes, but with desire to cure the part affected, and not to destroy the whole. 2. A second fault is in their manner of complaining, not only because it is for the most part in bitter and reproachful terms, but also it is to the common people, who are judges incompetent and insufficient, both to determine any thing amiss; and for want of skill and authority to amend it. Which also discovereth their intent and purpose to be rather destructive than corrective. 3. Thirdly, Those very exceptions which they take, are frivolous and impertinent. Some things indeed they accuse as impious, which if they may appear to be such, God forbid they should be maintained.

Against the rest it is only alleged, that they are idle ceremonies without use, and that better and more profitable might be devised; wherein they are doubly deceived: for neither is it a sufficient plea to say this must give place, because a better may be devised; because in our judgments of better and worse, we oftentimes conceive amiss, when we compare those things which are in device, with those which are in practice: for the imperfections of the one are hid, till by time and trial they be discovered; the others are already manifest and open to all. But last of all (which is a point in my opinion of great regard, and which I am desirous to have enlarged), they do not see that for the most part when they strike at the state ecclesiastical, they secretly wound the civil state: for personal faults, what can be said against the church, which may not also agree to the commonwealth? In both, statesmen have always been and will be always, men, sometimes blinded with error, most commonly perverted by passions: many unworthy have been and are advanced in both, many worthy not regarded. And as for abuses which they pretend to be in the laws themselves, when they inveigh against nonresidence, do they take it a matter lawful or expedient in the civil state, for a man to have a great and gainful office in the north, and himself continually remaining in the south? He that hath an office, let him attend his office. When they condemn plurality of livings spiritual to the pit of hell; what think

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