in merriment his Vicar of hell. By which compendious way all the contagion that foreine books can infufe, will finde a paffage to the people farre easier and shorter than an Indian voyage, though it

fhould be fail'd either by the North of Cataio Eastward, or of Canada Weftward, while our Spanish licencing gags the English Preffe never fo feverely. But on the other fide that infection which is from books of controverfie in Religion, is more doubtfull and dangerous to the learned, then to the ignorant; and yet thofe books must be permitted untoucht by the licencer. It will be hard to inftance where any ingnorant man hath bin ever feduc't by Papifticall book in English, unleffe it were commended

and

and expounded to him by fome of that Clergy and indeed all fuch tractats whether falfe or true are as the Prophefie of Isaiah was to the Eunuch, not to be underflood without a guide. But of our Priefts and Doctors how many have bin corrupted by studying the comments of Jefuits and Sorbonifts, and how faft they could transfuse that corruption into the people, our experience is both late and fad. It is not forgot, fince the acute and diftinct Arminius was perverted meerly by the perufing of a nameleffe difcours writt'n at Delf, which at first he took in hand to confute. Seeing therefore that those books, & thofe in great abundance which are likelieft to taint both life and doctrine, cannot be fup

preft

preft without the fall of learning, and of all ability in difputation, and that these books of either fort are most and fooneft catching to the learned, from whom to the common people what ever is hereticall or diffolute may quickly be convey'd, and that evill manners are as perfectly learnt without books a thousand other ways which cannot be ftopt, and evill doctrine not with books can propagate, except a teacher guide, which he might also doe without writing, and fo beyond prohibiting, I am not able to unfold, how this cautelous enterprise of licencing can be exempted from the number of vain and impoffible attempts. And he who were pleasantly difpos'd, could not well avoid to lik'n it to the exploit of

that gallant man who thought to pound up the crows by fhutting his Parkgate. Befides another inconvenience, if learned men be the firft receivers out of books & difpredders both of vice and error, how fhall the licencers themselves be confided in, unleffe we can conferr upon them, or they affume to themselves above all others in the Land, the grace of infallibility, and uncorruptedneffe? And again, if it be true, that a wife man like a good refiner can gather gold out of the droffieft volume, and that a fool will be a fool with the best book, yea or without book, there is no reason that we fhould deprive a wife man of any advantage to his wisdome, while we seek to restrain from a fool, that which being reftrain'd

reftrain'd will be no hindrance to his folly. For if there fhould be fo much exactneffe always us'd to keep that from him which is unfit for his reading, we fhould in the judgement of Ariftotle not only, but of Salomon, and of our Saviour, not voutsafe him good precepts, and by confequence not willingly admit him to good books; as being certain that a wife man will make better ufe of an idle pamphlet, than a fool will do of facred Scripture. "Tis next alleg'd we muft not expofe ourselves to temptations without neceffity, and next to that, not imploy our time in vain things. To both thefe objections one anfwer will ferve, out of the grounds already laid, that to all men fuch books are not temptations,