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ly according to the model of Trent and Sevil, which I know ye abhorre to doe. Yet though ye fhould condiscend to this, which God forbid, the order still would be but fruitleffe and defective to that end whereto ye meant it. If to prevent fects and schisms, who is fo unread or fo uncatechis'd in story, that hath not heard of many fects refufing books as a hindrance, and preferving their doctrine. unmixt for many ages, only by unwritten traditions. The Chriftian faith, for that was once a fchifin, is not unknown to have spread all over Afia, ere any Gofpel or Epiftle was feen in writing. If the amendment of manners be aym'd at, look into Italy and Spain, whether those places be öne fcruple the better, the honester,

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honefter, the wifer, the chafter, fince all, the inquifitionall rigor that hath bin executed upon books.

Another reafon, whereby to make it plain that this order will miffe the end it feeks, confider by the quality which ought to be in every licencer. It cannot be deny'd but that he who is made judge to fit upon the birth, or death of books whether they may be wafted into this world, or not, had need to be a man above the common measure, both studious, learned, and judicious; there may be elfe no mean mistakes in the cenfure of what is paffable or not; which. is alfo no mean injury. If he be of fuch worth as behoovs him, there cannot be a more tedious and unpleafing Journeyw ork

work, a greater loffe of time levied upon his head, then to be made the perpetuall reader, of unchofen books and pamphlets, oftimes huge volumes. There is no book that is acceptable unleffe at certain feafons; but to be enjoyn'd the reading of that at all times, and in a hand fcars legible, whereof three pages would not down at any time in the fairest Print, is an impofition which I cannot beleeve how he that values time, and his own ftudies, or is but of a fenfible noftrill fhould be able to endure. In this one thing I crave leave of the prefent licencers to be pardon'd for fo thinking: who doubtleffe took this office up, looking on it through their obedience to the Parlament, whofe command perhaps

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made all things feem eafie and unlaborious to them; but that this fhort triall

hath wearied them out already, their

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own expreffions and excufes to them who make fo many journeys to follicit their licence, are teftimony anough. Seeing therefore thofe who now poffeffe the imployment, by all evident figns with themselves well ridd of it, and that no man of worth, none that is not a plain unthrift of his own hours is ever likely to fucceed them, except he mean to put himself to the falary of a Preffe-corrector, we may eafily forefee what kind of licencers we are to expect hereafter, either ignorant, imperious, and remiffe, or bafely pecuniary. This is what I had to fhew wherein this order cannot conduce

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to that end, whereof it bears the inten

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I laftly proceed from the no good it can do, to the manifeft hurt it caufes, in being first the greateft difcouragement | and affront, that can be offered to learning and to learned men. It was the complaint and lamentation of Prelats, upon every leaft breath of a motion to remove pluralities, and diftribute more equally Church revenu's, that then all learning would be for ever dafht and difcourag'd. But as for that opinion, I never found caufe to think that the tenth part of learning ftood or fell with the Clergy: nor could I ever but hold it for a fordid and unworthy fpeech of any Churchman who had a competency left

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