chifm, and Chriftian walking.

This

may have much reafon to difcourage the Minifters when fuch a low conceit is had of all their exhortations, and the benefiting of their hearers, as that they are not thought fit to be turn'd loose to three fheets of paper without a licencer, that all the Sermons, all the Lectures preacht, printed, vented in fuch numbers, and fuch volumes, as have now well-nigh made all other books unfalable, fhould not be armor anough against one fingle enchiridian, without the caftle St. Angelo of an Imprimatur.

And left fom fhould perfwade ye,. Lords and Commons, that thefe arguments of lerned mens difcouragement at this your order, are meer flourishes, and

not reall, I could recount what I have feen and heard in other Countries, where this kind of inquifition tyrannizes; when I have fat among their learned men, for that honor I had, and bin counted happy to be born in fuch a place of Philofophic freedom, as they fuppos'd England was, while themselves did nothing but bemoan the fervil condition into which lerning amongst them was brought; that this was it which had dampt the

glory of Italian wits; that nothing had bin there writt'n now these many years but flattery and fuftian. There it was that I found and visited the famous Ga• lileo grown old, a prifner to the Inquifition, for thinking in Aftronomy otherwife than the Francifcan and Dominican licencers

licencers thought. And though I knew that England then was groaning loudeft, under the Prelaticall yoak, nevertheleffe I took it as a pledge of future happines, that other Nations were fo perfwaded of her liberty. Yet was it beyond my hope that thofe Worthies were then breathing in her air, who fhould be her leaders to fuch a deliverance, as fhall never be forgott'n by any revolution of time that this world hath to finish. When that was once begun, it was as little in my fear, that what words of complaint I heard among learned men of other parts utter'd against the Inquifition, the fame I fhou'd hear by as lerned men at home utterd in time of Parlament against an order of licencing; and that fo generally,

X 4

rally, that when I had disclos'd myself a companion of their discontent, I might fay, if without envy, that he whom an honeft quæftorship had indear'd to the Sicilians, was not more by them importun'd against Verres, then the favourable opinion which I had among many who honour ye, and are known and refpected by ye, loaded me with entreaties and perfwafions, that I would not despair to lay together that which just reason fhould bring into my mind, toward the removal of an undeferved thraldom upon learning. That this is not therefore the disburdning of a particular fancie, but the common grievance of all those who had prepar'd their minds and studies above the vulgar pitch to advance truth

in others, and from others to entertain it, thus much may fatisfie. And in their name I fhall for neither friend nor foe conceal what the generall murmur is; that if it come to inquifitioning again, and licencing, and that we are fo timorous of our felvs, and fo fufpicious of all men, as to fear each book, and the shaking of every leaf, before we know what the contents are, if fome who but of late were little better then filenc't from preaching, fhall come now to filence us from reading, except what they please, it cannot be guest what is intended by fom but a fecond tyranny over learning: and will foon put it out of controverfie that Bishops and Presbyters are the fame to us both name and thing. That those

evills