meditation might furnish him unspeakably to the performance of more then a weekly charge of fermoning: not to reck'n up the infinit helps of interlinearies, breviaries, fynopfes, and other loitering gear. But as for the multitude of Sermons ready printed and pil'd up, on every text that is not difficult, our London trading St. Thomas in his veftry, and adde to boot St. Martin, and St. Hugh, have not within their hallow'd limits more vendible ware of all forts ready made: fo that penury he never need fear of Pulpit provifion, having where fo plenteoufly to refresh his magazin. But if his rear and flanks be not impal'd, if his back dore be not fecur'd by the rigid licencer, but that a bold book may now

and

and then iffue forth, and give the affault to fome of his old collections in their trenches, it will concern him then to keep waking, to ftand in watch, to fet good guards and fentinells about his received opinions, to walk the round and counter-round with his fellow infpectors, fearing left any of his flock be feduc't, who alfo then would be better inftructed, better exercis'd and difciplin'd. And GOD fend that the fear of this diligence which must then be us'd, doe not make us affect the lazines of a licencing Church.

For if we be fure we are in the right, and doe not hold the truth guiltily, which becomes not, if we ourselves condemn not our own weak and frivolous teach

Y 3

teaching, and the people for an untaught and irreligious gadding rout, what can be more fair, then when a man judicious, learned, and of a confcience, for ought we know, as good as theirs that taught us what we know, fhall not privily from house to house, which is more dangerous, but openly by writing publifh to the world what his opinion is, what his reafons, and wherefore that which is now thought cannot be found. Chrift urg'd it as wherewith to juftifie himself, that he preacht in publick; yet writing is more publick then preaching; and more eafie to refutation, if need be, there being fo many whose bufineffe and profeffion meerly it is, to be the champions of Truth; which if they

neglect,

neglect, what can be imputed but their

floth, or unability?

Thus much we are hinder'd and difinur'd by this cours of licencing toward the true knowledge of what we feem to know. For how much it hurts and hinders the licencers themselves in the calling of their Miniftery, more then any fecular employment, if they will dif charge that office as they ought, fo that of neceffity they must neglect either the one duty or the other, I infift not, because it is a particular, but leave it to their own confcience, how they will decide it there.

There is yet behind of what I purpos'd to lay open, the incredible loffe, and detriment that this plot of licencing

puts us to, more then if fom enemy at fea fhould ftop up all our hav'ns and ports, and creeks, it hinders and retards the importation of our richest marchandize, Truth: nay it was firft eftab-. lisht and put in practice by Antichristian malice and mystery on set purpose to extinguish, if it were poffible, the light of Reformation, and to settle falfhood; little differing from that policie wherewith the Turk upholds his Alcoran, by the prohibition of Printing. "Tis not deny'd, but gladly confeft, we are to fend our thanks and vows to heav'n, louder then moft of Nations, for that great measure of truth which we enjoy, especially in thofe main points between us and the Pope, with his appertinences

the