the Liturgy, and the laity no more clerkship than to save them from hanging. But now, since printing came into the world, such is the mischief, that a man cannot write a book but presently he is answered. Could the press but once be conjured to obey only an Imprimatur, our author might not disdain perhaps to be one of it's most zealous patrons. There have been ways found out to banish ministers, to fine not only the people, but even the grounds and fields where they assembled in conventicles: but no art yet could prevent these seditious meetings of letters. Two or three brawny fellows in a corner, with mere ink and elbow grease, do more harm than an hundred schismatical divines with their sweaty preaching. And, which is a strange thing, the very sponges, which one would think should rather deface and blot out the whole book, and were anciently used to that purpose, are become now the instruments to make things legible. Their ugly printing-letters, that look but like so many rotten teeth, how oft have they been pulled out by B. and L., the public tooth-drawers! and yet these rascally operators of the press have got a trick to fasten them again in a few minutes, that they grow as firm a set, and as biting and talkative O Printing! how hast thou disturbed the peace of mankind! that lead, when moulded into bullets, is not so mortal, as when founded into letters! There was a mistake, sure, in the story of Cadmus ; and the serpent's teeth, which he sowed, were nothing else but the letters which he invented. The first essay, that was made toward this art, was in single characters upon iron, wherewith of old they stigmatised slaves and remarkable offenders; and it was of good use, sometimes, to brand a schismatic. But a

as ever.

bulky Dutchman diverted it quite from it's first institution, and contriving those innumerable syntagms of alphabets, hath pestered the world ever since with the gross bodies of their German divinity. One would have thought in reason, that a Dutchman at least might have contented himself only with the wine-press.

But, next of all, our author beside his aversion from the press alleges, that "he is as much concerned as De Witt, or any of the high and mighty' burgo masters, in matters of a closer and more comfortable importance to himself and his own affairs." And yet whoever shall take the pains to read over his preface, will find that it intermeddles with the King, the succession, the Privy Council, Popery, Atheism, Bishops, Ecclesiastical government, and above all with nonconformity, and J. O.

*

It is, however, indeed a most glorious design, to reconcile all the churches to one doctrine and com munion (though some, that meddle in it, do it chiefly in order to fetter men straiter under the formal bondage of fictitious discipline); but it is a thing rather to be wished and prayed for, than to be expected from these kind of endeavours. It is so large a field, that no man can see to the end of it; and all, that have adventured to travel it, have been bewildered. That man must have a vast opinion of his own sufficiency, that can think he may by his oratory or reason, either in his own time, or at any of our author's more happy junctures of affairs, so far persuade and fascinate the Roman church (having by a regular contexture of continued policy for so many ages interwoven itself with the secular interest, and made itself

necessary to most princes, and having at last erected a throne of infallibility over the consciences) as to prevail with her to submit a power and empire, so acquired and established, in compromise to the arbitration of an humble proposer. God only in his own time, and by the inscrutable methods of his providence, is able to effect that alteration; though I think, too, he hath signified in part by what means he intends to accomplish it, and to range so considerable a church, and once so exemplary, into primitive unity and christian order. In the mean time, such projects are fit for pregnant scholars, that have nothing else to do, to go big with for forty years; and may qualify them to discourse with princes and statesmen, at their hours of leisure: but I never saw, that they came to use or possibility; no more than that of Alexander's architect, who proposed to make him a statue of the mountain Athos (and that was no molehill), and among other things, that statue to carry in it's hand a great habitable city. But the surveyor was gravelled, being asked whence that city should be supplied with water?' I would only have asked the Bishop, when he had carved and hammered the Romists and Protestants into one Collossian Church, How we should have done, as to matter of Bibles?' For the Bishop complains, that 'unqualified people should have a promiscuous licence to read the Scriptures:' and you may guess thence, if he had moreover the Pope to friend, how the laity should have been used. There have been attempts, in former ages, to dig through the separating Isthmus of Peloponnesus, and another to make communication between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean: both more easy, than to cut this Ecclesiastic Canal; and yet both laid by,

partly upon the difficulty of doing it, and partly upon the inconveniences if it had been effected.

6

"There sprang up a mighty bramble on the south side the Lake Lemane, that (such is the rankness of the soil) spread and flourished with such a sudden growth, that partly by the industry of his agents abroad, and partly by it's own indefatigable pains and pragmaticalness, it quite over-ran the whole Reformation." You must conceive, that Mr. Bayes was all this while in an ecstasy in Dodona's Grove; or else here is strange work, worse than explicating a post,' or 'examining a pillar!' A bramble, that had agents abroad!' and itself an indefatigable bramble!' But straight our bramble is transformed to a man, and he makes a chair of infallibity for himself, out of his own bramble-timber. Yet, all this while, we know not his name. One would suspect it might be a Bishop Bramble. But then "he made himself both Pope and Emperor too, of the greatest part of the reformed world." How near does this come to his commendation of Bishop Bramhall before? For our author seems copious, but is indeed very poor of expression: and, as smiling and frowning are performed in the face with the same muscles very little altered, so the changing of a line or two in Mr. Bayes at any time will make the same thing serve for a panegyric or a philippic. But what do you think of this man? Could Mistress Mopsa herself have furnished you with a more pleasant and worshipful tale? It wants nothing of perfection, but that it doth not begin with, "Once upon a time;" which Master Bayes, according to his accuracy, if he had thought on it, would never have omitted.

6

6

Yet some critical people, who will exact truth in falsehood, and tax up an old wife's fable to the punctuality of history, were blaming him the other day for placing this bramble on the south side of the Lake Lemane. I said, it was well and wisely done, that he chose a south sun for the better and more sudden growth of such a fruit-tree.' 'Aye,' said they, but he means Calvin by the bramble; and the rank soil on the south side the Lake Lemané is the city of Geneva, situate (as he would have it) on the south side of that Lake. Now it is strange that he, having travelled so well, should not have observed that the Lake lies east and west, and that Geneva is built at the west end of it.' • Pish,' said I, that is no such great matter, and as Mr. Bayes hath it upon another occasion, "Whether it be so or no, the fortunes of Cæsar and the Roman empire are not concerned ir it." One of the company would not let that pass, but told us if we looked in Cæsar's Commentaries, we should find their fortunes were concerned, for it was the Helvetian passage, and many mistakes might have risen in the marching of the army.' • Why then,' replied I again, whether it be east, west, north, or south, there is neither vice nor idolatry in it; and the Ecclesiastical Politician may command you to believe it, and you are bound to acquiesce in his judgement, whatsoever may be your private opinion.' Another, to continue the mirth, answered, 'that yet there might be some religious consider ation in building a town east and west, or north and south, and it was not a thing so indifferent as men thought it but because in the Church of England, where the table is set altar-wise, the Minister is nevertheless obliged to stand at the north side though

6