that if it come to prohibiting, there is not ought more likely to be prohibited then truth it felf; whofe first appearance to our eyes blear'd and dimm'd with prejudice and cuftom, is more unfightly and unplaufible then many errors, ev'n as the perfon is of many a great man flight and contemptible to fee to. And what doe they tell us vainly of new opinions, when this very opinion of theirs, that none must be heard, but whom they like, is the worst and neweft opinion of all others; and is the chief cause why fects and fchifms doe. fo much abound, and true knowledge is kept at diftance from us; befides yet a greater danger which is in it. For when GOD fhakes a

ftrong and healthfull

Kingdome with

commotions to a generall reforming, 'tis not untrue that many fectaries and false teachers are then bufiest in seducing; but yet more true it is, that GOD then raises to his own work men of rare abilities, and more then common industry not only to look back and revise what hath bin taught heretofore, but to gain furder and goe on, fome new enlightn'd fteps in the discovery of truth. For fuch is the order of God's enlightning his Church, to dispense and deal out by degrees his beam, fo as our earthly eyes may best sustain it. Neither is GoD appointed and confin'd, where and out of what place these his chofen fhall be first heard to fpeak; for he fees not as man fees, chooses not as man chooses, left

we

we fhould devote our felves again to fet places, and affemblies, and outward callings of men; planting our faith one while in the old Convocation-house, and another while in the Chappell at Westminster; when all the faith and religion that shall be there canoniz'd, is not fufficient without plain convincement, and the charity of patient inftruction to fupple the leaft bruise of confcience, to edifie the meanest Christian, who defires to walk in the Spirit, and not in the letter of human truft, for all the number of voices that can be there made; no though Harry the 7. himself there, with all his leige tombs about him, fhould lend them voices from the dead, to fwell their number. And if

the

the men be erroneous who

appear to be the leading fchifmaticks, what witholds us but our floth, our felf-will, and diftruft in the right cause, that we doe not give them gentle meetings and gentle difmiffions, that we debate not and examin the matter throughly with liberall and frequent audience; if not for their fakes, yet for our own? feeing no man who hath tafted learning, but will confeffe the many waies of profiting by those who not contented with ftale receits are able to manage, and fet forth new pofitions to the world. And were they but as the duft and cinders of our feet, fo long as in that notion they may yet ferve to polish and brighten the armoury of Truth, ev'n for that respect

they were not utterly to be caft away. But if they be of those whom God hath fitted for the fpeciall use of these times with eminent and ample gifts, and those perhaps neither among the priefts, nor among the Pharifees, and we in the haft of a precipitant zeal fhall make no diftinction, but refolve to stop their mouths, because we fear they come with new and dangerous opinións, as we commonly forejudge them ere we underftand them, no leffe than woe to us, while thinking thus to defend the Gofpel, we are found the perfecutors.

There have bin not a few fince the beginning of this Parlament, both of the Presbytery and others who by their unlicen't books to the contempt of an

Im