ΠΕΡΙΑΜΜΑ' ΕΠΙΔΗ'ΜΙΟΝ: Or, VULGAR errors in Practice Censured. Also The Art of ORATORY▪ Composed for the benefit of young Students.  
LONDON, Printed for Richard Royston, at the angel in Ivy-lane. 1659.   

ΠΕΡΙΑΜΜΑ' ΕΠΙΔΗ'ΜΙΟΝ: Or, VULGAR errors in Practice Censured.  Tandem nequitiae pone modum tuae. Horat. 
LONDON, Printed for Richard Royston, at the angel in Ivy-lane. 1659.   

The EPISTLE to the READER.  
Reader,  
THou art here presented with a few talents, laid up formerly in a Napkin, and now laid out in Sheets. Thou hast an account of some unmolested hours and vacant intervals, spent, not in needless Controversies, but in necessary Censures. This Tre●tise meddles not with the times, but with the manners of men; though both may admit the Oratour's 
* O tempo●a! O mo●es! Cic. ●rat. in L. 〈◊〉.  O! It speaks no● evil of the Rulers of the people; and (with 
a Jude v. ●9.  Michael) it dares not bring a railing accusation against present Authority: For even all chief governors have as long Ears as Midas, which entertain intelligence of each particular negotiation. And as they have, with him, Golden Hands, to gratify pens steeped in oil, which flatter them: so also they have Iron Hands, to terrify pens dipped in gall, which flout them. The book abounds more with savoury then satirical Truths, and more with Instructions than Invectives. Although this Iron Age doth even extort a file: 
Cùm pars Niliacae plebis, 
Juven. sat. 1.  cùm verna Canopi  
Crispinus Tyrias humero revocante lacernas  
Ventilet aestivum digitis sudantibus aurum,  
Nec sufferre queat majoris pondera gemmae;  
Difficile est Satyram non scribere: nam quis iniqui  
Tam patiens orbis, tam ferreus, ut teneat se?  If thou believest not that the ensuing Myndus is answerable to these gates, that there is not in the succeeding Building what is promised in this Portal●; enter in, and trust thine eyes: and what thou seest propos●d in Words, follow with Works. The Father of Lights bestow his rays upon thee. To hi● Tuition I commend thy person; to which if thou once attainest, it wi●l be superfluous for me to bid thee Farewell.   

The Introduction.  
IN the microcosm few Comets are above the Moon: There Fire goes not beyond Light, but Knowledge surpasseth Zeal. Men abound in new Notions, but abstain not from their old Vices▪ Many of them can almost (with Berengarius) dispute de omni Scibili; but few comply with 
a Luc. 10. 42.  Mary in the choice of the unum neceslarium. They want not the eyes of Argus, but the hands of Briareus. The Disease with which they labour is the spiritual Rick●ts, whereby their Head swells beyond due proportion, but their Feet abate of their usual dimensions: their Conscience is not adequate to their Science, 
a Marc. 8. 24.  I see men as trees rooted in the earth, having their affections here below; and the longer they continue the deeper root they take. And it is a sad symptom of the decaying health of the Body politic, when, after so many meals made upon the meat which will make it perish, upon the forbidden fruit of the fruitless works of darkness, it becomes not cold; but is still ardent in its desires after the supposed delicacies of Iniquity. That men's Souls abound thus with peccant humours needs not proof more than a Proleptick notion; and That all the Extravagancies of which men are guilty deserve reproof, that all these unprofitable branches call for the pruning-hook, is as evident as if it were deciphered with a sunbeam: But to inveigh against the whole catalogue, were a work too difficult even for a single Hercules. I have contributed my weak endeavours towards the stopping of some of these muddy rivulets, which have not often been molested with Censures, but have passed on in an undisturbed current. I confess, what I have written came in collaterally and by accident not in the prosecution of the ordinary method of my studies; but I account that in no degree prejudicial. It is observed of Saint Augustine's Comments, that those Scriptures which come in occasionally, obtain a better gloss than those which are treated on professedly. The famed work of Erasmus was his By-work; his adages were his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}: and the Painter, by an immethodical dash of his pencil, made a lively representation of the horse's foam, which before he attempted in vain according to the rudiments of his Art. If the lines which I have drawn arrive at a centre where they may totally rest, if these my Censures pass uncensured, if this my Ink meets not with the Gall of Momus▪ I shall be fortunate beyond expectation: For he that spits against an epidemical wind, spits, for the most part, upon his own Face.   

Ad Librum.  
GO, blot out errors with thine Ink, and kill,  
Porcupine-like, those Monsters with thy Quill.  
Like Lightning, melt the Sword, but spare the Sheath.  
Spit on the Vice, don't on the Person breath.  
Kill not the harmless Bees with hurtful Drones.  
Tread not, like Dying men, on Pigeons.  
Into a lantern do thou frame thy Paper,  
Which may preserve the light of virtue's Taper.  
Thou Moonet tell fair Phoebus of his Spots,  
And Masters at the Tables of their blots.  
Thou Cubit, unto men of stature reach.  
Leontia may Theophrastus teach.  
If worms from th'teeth of Momus would thee eat,  
Tell ●hem Forbidden Leaves are no such meat.  
Or rather bid them welcome: envy's file  
Will give thine Innocence ● brighter smile.   

The Contents of the several Chapters.  
CHAP. I. 
A Censure of the epidemical practice of reproaching red-haired men, Pag. 1.  CHAP. II. 
A Censure of the general scandal of some Professions, especially that of the Profession of physic, 18  CHAP. III. 
A Censure of that common evil practice of reproaching the Feminine Sex, 38  CHAP. IV. 
A Censure of the practice of the many Writers amongst us, who even wholly neglect the defence of the Deity of Christ, notwithstanding the hellborn nature of the contrary Doctrine, and the potency of its maintainers, and spend their time in writing● upon needless Subjects, 53  CHAP. V▪ 
A Censure of the vanity of affecting Epitaphs, with a declaration of their uselesseness: where, by way of preamble, of the fitness of decent Sepulture, occasioned by the neglect of many Sectaries, who bury a Dog with as much solemnity as a Christian. 75  CHAP. VI. 
A Censure of the common evil practice of Pretenders to Religion, viz. their running to one extreme to avoid another, in Doctrine or Worship. 98  CHAP. VII. 
A Censure of the common evil practice of Railing against an Adversary in Opinion. 104    

CHAP. I.  
A Censure of the epidemical practice of reproaching red-haired Men.  
MEn take no rest in the point of reflection upon the credit o● each other. 
Sect. 1.  The tongue of 
a 2 Sam. 6, 20.  Michal is an epidemical member. As Vitiis, so Convitiis nemo sine nascitur. All, through the degeneracy of their nature, have putrid Lungs, whereby they mutually pollute their names with virulent spital. Each man disparageth his fellow-creature, and gratifies his haughty humour in the derision of his Brother. And this is often done upon such trivial grounds, that a due perpension would cause an abashment in the face of the Practiser. My present Instance shall be in a common, yet causeless Calumniation: viz. the vilifying of 
b Phanaretae ducet filia, rufam●illam virginem. Te●●●. He 〈◊〉 autont.  red-haired Men, the putting a disesteem upon Persons, merely because of the native colour of the Excrement of the Head. 
Scen. ult.   
It is scarce conjectural from whence this opprobrium should take its rise; there being no rational foundation for such a superstruction. Certainly it began {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} (as 
a Epict. Enchirid. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  Epictetus counselled in other cases) it had its original from some petite and slender consideration. Perhaps this usual practice oweth its producement to the mutual semblance betwixt the colour of the Hair, and some entities in nature of 
b As sand, &c.  no considerable value, which, without study, offer themselves to a mean capacity. Now although it might come into comparison with the most sparkling and precious created bodies; yet the soul of depraved man goes according to the byasse● of innate corru●tion, and like Medea in the 
c Medea apud Ovid.— video ●neli●ra ●roboque, De●eriora ●equor—  Poet, or the Conclusion in a syllogism, evermore followeth the worse part.  

2 §.  Although Lucian worthily scoffed at the artificial 
d Stoici e●an● t●nsi 〈…〉 Adr. Turneb. Advers. lib. 23. cap. 23.  baldness of the severe Stoics, and made them a byword with his 
a Turneb. ad. lib. 15. cap. 16.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, and likewise 
b Juv. Sat. 2.  Juvenal with his — Supercilio brevior coma— and 
c Suet. in vita C. J. Caes. non solum tonderetur diligenter ac rad●retur, sed etiam velleretur.  Caesar deserved an hiss, for doing violence to his hair by eradication: yet the deriding of a red-haired man comes within the compass of the 
d Ephes. 5. 4.  Apostles {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, foolish talking and jesting, which are not convenient.  
red-haired men are not, as such, branded with any signal and notable extravagancy above others: black-haired men are as well nigro carbone notandi; and 
e {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 〈◊〉 Homeru● in odies. & II. quàm saepissim●  gray-eyed Minerva may, with as much reason, be the mark of calumny. White hair, although it seems to have more of Innocency, yet it hath less of Modesty. The 
f In plag●● mundi gl●ciali, ca●●didâ 〈◊〉 sunt gen●tes, flav● promissae crinibus. Plin. 〈◊〉 hist. lib▪ cap. 78  Complexion of red-haired men is clear and masculine, and very serviceable to the superior faculty in laudable achievements. Those which the mouth of slander calls sandy heads, are seldom barren, but of pregnant intellectuals: and they that endeavour an extraction of poison out of Red heads, imitate the Spider, which sucks her venom out of the sweetest flowers.  
The water of separation, 
3. §.  a purification for sin, was 
a Numb. 19 9  made of the ashes of a Red Hei●er. This colour was once Gallia's delight: 
b Mart. lib. ●4. Epig. ● 29.  Roma magis fuscis vestit●r, Gallia ru●is. In Virgil's days the Women, who add all possible lustre to their ex●erior accoutrements, were decked with saffron. coloured raiment. 
c Virg. 9 En. ita ex●ristoph.  Vobis picta croco & splendenti murice vestis. The Carthaginian Zygantes esteemed this Colour far beyond that which they received from the hanc▪ of Nature, they coloured their bodies with Red Lead. The four ancient and primitive Painters, Apelles, Echion, Melanthius, Nicomachus, used but 
d R●nis, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  four colours, and 
e ●lbum, sieum, ru●●m, ni●●, Plin. 〈◊〉 c ●. ●ub. 〈…〉 ●il est g●nus pigme●ti, luteum colorem, quemad●odum ochra, 〈◊〉 Vide J. C. Buleng. de Pict. & stat. lib. 1. ca●. 4.  two of them are of this colour. Yellow, the highest step of which is the lowest stair of Red, was in Ovid's time an ingredient in the composition of a Beauty. 
a Ovid. l. 2. Fast.  Forma placet, niveúsque colour, flavique capilli. Clay-colour of old was 
b 
Turneb. l. 28. Adv. c. 21. Luteus colour nuptiis dicatus erat; & non solùm in delitiis erant rubra sandalia, ve●rùm etiam Lutei calcei.  
Catul. in Epithal. Iul.  
— Luteum pede socc●. Apul. As. Aur. lib. 9 cingulo sub. ligati pede●, Luteis indu●i call. ceis.   sacred at Nuptials, and they were much enamoured hereon; and not only Red Sandals were in use and esteem, but also Clay-coloured shoes. The 
c Plin. hist. lib. 15. cap. 22. Cortice earum ruffatur capillus, primùm prodeuntibus nucleis.  walnut gives the hair this colour, and therefore we may presume that it is not contemptible: for 
d Plin. ibid. H●nor hi● naturae peculi●●is, gemino protectis ope●imento, pulvinar● primùm calycis, mox lig●ei 〈◊〉: qu●e causa eas nuptiis fecit religiosas, 〈◊〉 modis 〈…〉.  Nature is a peculiar honourer of that fruit, protecting it with a double guard: whereupon it became venerable at matrimonial solemnities; being an adumbration of the like protection of the toe●us. The lacedaemonians made choice of this colour, for their warlike attire, out of a singular piece of Policy, viz. that in the effusion of their blood no tincture might be perceived, to the cowardice of themselves, or the courage of their enemies. The stately Sabina Poppaea, wise to Domitius Nero, had Amber▪ coloured hair, 
a Burton, in praef. to his Mel. p. 37. from Pliny.  and all the Roman Ladies followed her with an artificial imitation. This colour was of such repute in 
b Tert. lib. de Cultu foem. pag. 514. Video quasdam capillum croco vertere; malè ac pessimè ●ibi auspicantur flammeo capite.  Tertullian's and 
c Hier. ad Laetam de instit. filiae, Nec caput gemmis oneres, 〈◊〉 capillum erufes, & ei aliquid de Gehennae ignibus auspiceris.  Saint Hieromes' days, that artificial Red was deemed an ornament to the Hair. The 
d At si virgineum suffuderit ore ruborem. Virg. 1. Georg.  Virgin's blush is of this colour; and women are so delighted with it, that if their cheeks want natural, they add artificial Vermilion. The veil of Nature is died in Red; 
e Macrob. Saturnal. lib. 7. cap. 11.  Natura pudore tacta, sanguinem ante se p●o velamento tendit: and, without all peradventure, the Colour which that admits is not ridiculous. How dare any Palate disrelish that Colour, by which that matter was visible which went to the composing of the 
f Adam so called from Red earth.  Protoplast? Publius Lentulus Vice-Consul, in his Epistle to the Roman Senate written from Jerusalem, deciph●reth at large the body of our Saviour; and amongst many other particulars in his description, he inserteth this one, That the hairs of his Head and Beard were Red. And accordingly the profound Spaniard 
† Huart. in Exam. d● Ing c. 14▪ pag. 259.  interpreteth Isaiah 63. 1. Who is he that cometh from the Red Land?  

a B. Hall moderate. lib. 2. p. 13  Innocent the Fourth, in the council of lions, graced the dignity of the cardinalship with a Red Hat; and 
b Budaeus de ass & partibus, 5 p. 77 ● sordere 〈◊〉 Francia prae mul● tudine ●●stantium &c.  Budaeus the French man had so high an opinion of it, that he passionately declaimed against its general usage, and judged its extension to a multitude, a diminution of its worth.  
The excellencies of the Creation resemble the Red Head as to its tincture. 
4. §.  The Fire, the most agile and aspiring body, the 
c {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Herodot. Thal. cap. 16.  false God of the Persians, and 
d ubi aliquid de igneo allegatur, Heraclitus intervenit. Tertul. de prescript. adv. pag. 98.  by Heraclitus ascribed to the true sovereign Majesty, is of a Ruddy Complexion. So is the rich 
a Cyprius vocatur in Cypro repertus, vergens in areum colorem, in medicina efficacissi●us. Plin. hist. l. 37. cap. 4.  Cyprian Adamant, which is medicinal without compare. Gold is of the like Colour, and that 
b Burton's Melancho●y, part. ●2. Sect. 4. Memb. 1. Subs. 3.  Physically c●res Melancholy, and is so precious, that it denotes 
c The Gol●en Age. Valer. ●axim.  happy and peace●●ll enjoyments: it makes Crowns and sceptres, and is adored by those that wear and manage them. Ptolemaeus King of Cyprus was 
d 9 cap. 4. ●●sulae Rex ●●ulo, sed ●im● pe ●niae ini●rabile ●ancipi●n.  taken captive by this Ruddy champion. The Genuine Spikenard, that Paradise of the smell, that by which the 
e Tibul. l. El. ●●opere.  venerable hairs of the ancient Romans were graced with a fragrant redolency, 
f ●art. Sincerum nardum levir●te deprehenditur & coloreruffo. Plin. Nar. 〈◊〉. lib. 12. cap. 12.  is of a Red and modest appearance. The re●plendency of Amber admits this tinct●re; and that is not to be ranked amongst the meanest entities. In marshal's judgement, the costly 
g Macrob. Sat. l. 3. c. 1●.  Cleopatra, she that in her life-time made, not Gold, but Pearls, potable, and after her death 
Illius puro distillent tempora Nardo.  
Jamdudum Tvrio mad●factus ●empora Na●do.  
Debueram se●tis implicuisse comas.  
Quòd madidis Nardo sp●sa corona comis.  obtained a proportionable monument, was not entombed so richly as the 
† Mart. lib. 4. ep. 59 de vipera electro inclusa.  Viper, enclosed alive in an Electrick sepulchre. 
Nè tibi Regali placeas, Cleopatra, sepulchro,  
Vipera si tumulo nobiliore jacet.  The Sun, whose very 
a Sol quasi solus.  name s●●aks it the singular artifice of the corporeal Creation, and whose excellency made it deified by the Heathen, 
b Erythr●us Solis equus, Gr●c●rubens significat quòd à matutino Sol lumine rubicundus exsurgat. Fulgent. Mythol. l. 1. in Fab. Apoll.  displays the glory of its radiancy in this Colour, especially at that time when the Persians do it homage, when it makes its appearance in the comfortable 
c Varro de Lingua Lat. l. 6. Aurora dicitur ab eo quod igne solis aure● a●r aure●s●it.  blush of the approaching morn. This Centre of the Planetick Vortex will cease to be such, as soon as it disrobes itself of its ruddiness: for that privation speaks the inactivity of its particles, and the over-prevaling of the Maculae, and consequently the absorption of its whirlpool; whereupon the whole Earth would be clad in Sables, and surrounded with Disconsolation.  
This mocking at Red Hair is a Declamation against Nature, 
5. §.  which is to be worshipped, nor worried; this is a grand affront put upon the supreme creator, it reflecteth unworthily upon his Power, and calleth into question his Contrivance: For such men are 
a Eph. 2. 10. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Homo factura Creatoris est. Tertul. adv. Marc. l. 5. p. 324.  his workmanship, 
b Psal. 100 2.  It is he tha● made them, and not they themselves: their slender performances cannot attain to the 
c Mat. 5. 36.  making of one Hair white or black. So that what 
d Tert. lib. de carne Christi.  Tertullian replied to the heretical Martion blaming the structure of the whole Body, may be propounded against the defaming of this single 
e For 'tis not properly a Part of the Body.  Appendix; Turpe hoc Deo, this derogates from the Divine Majesty, and is a base imputation: This is to speak the same language with him, (who, for his presumption beyond Lucifer's, shall be nameless) whose voice was the voice of a devil, not of a Man, Si ego creationi adfuissem, ego res meliùs ordinassem, Had I been at the Creation, things should have been put in a better posture. Now what is vile Dust, and Ashes that it dare thus fly in the face of its Maker through the windiness of pride? What is Man, that he should control the Artifice of God? when his understanding is so shallow and incomprehensive, that he is forced into admiration whilst he contemplates the workmanship of inferior Beings, even the spider's web, or the Hexagony of the honeycomb.  
If we suppose (which yet is in no wise to be granted) that Red Hair is a bodily defect and imperfection, 
6. §.  yet were it rather to be covered then carped at. It was allowable for Apelles, when he drew the Effigies of Alexander, to lay his finger upon his Scarre: and Alphonsus was not painted wrynecked, but his Picture was contrived so as if he was viewing the curtains of Heaven. Furthermore, as the casuistical 
a Lessiu● de just●● & alii●● virt.. li● 2. cap. ●●dub. 3.  Lessius determines, ob defectus naturales non censetur quis informis: a disgraceful Conclusion follows not from such premises; this is not ground sufficient to make it the mark of the arrows of Contumely. The ornament of the 
a Nobis non corporis cultus sed vigor animi quaeritur. Hieron. in Epist. ad Furiam de viduit. serv.  Mind, not of the Body, is to be looked upon, according to the practice of S. Jerome, 
b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Xenoph. in orat. de Agesilao Rege pag. 533.  and Agesilaus. And the man whose Mind is not decked with the pearl of great price, is, 
c Auro te ●●cet & ●emmis ●ondecores, ●ne Christi ●core de●rmis es. ●ypr. ser. de lapsis, ●g. 157.  notwithstanding all outward Ornament, deformed and ugly, according to the doctrine of S. Cyprian The Body is 
d Macrob. some  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and 
e ●ip. lib. 1. p. 11. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, a bond and a sepulchre, and who blames such things, if they have harshness and rottenness? A crooked Body may be the serviceable associate of an upright Soul: the conjunction of corporal blemishes and mental ornaments is an usual systasy. Cicero, if you will believe his 
f A Cicere in nasum. Vide Pl●tarchum in ●a Ciceronis.  Name, had a protuberancy on his Nose. The 
g Cicero ad Q. fra●rem de Oratore.  fluent Demosthenes had once a stammering tongue. 
h Nicias Gram●ticus Romae, familiaris Pompeio & Ciceroni. Sueton.  Nicias the renowned Grammarian, the familiar of Great Pompey and Good Tully, had such ill-shaped feet, that when one had stole his shoes, he wished the Thief no worse, then that they might fit him. Galba was eloquent and judicious, but deformed and crooked; whereupon it was said by 
a Apud Macrobium in Sat: l. 2. c. 6.  M. Lollius, Ingenium Galbae malè habitat, Galba's wit hath an ill habitation. Horace, whom S. Augustine thinks worthy the perusing above all others of his order, because of his ample commendations of virtues, and bitter invectives against Vices, who made a 
b Augustus.  Monarch his Heir, was almost of a 
c Suet. in vita Horat, habitu corporis brevis fuit atque ob●sus.  Pygmies stature; which was the cause of that satirical speech of Augustus to him, after the presenting of a small Book of his, Vereri mihi videris nè majores tui libelli sint quàm Ipse es, Thou seemest to me to fear that thy Books should become bigger than thy Body. He knows not Letters that is ignorant of the worth of Homer; his Works are of much repute, and comprehend 
d In Ilias he describeth strength and vigour of Body, in Odyssea, the perfect pattern of the Mind.  both parts of Man; his Name is of such credit, that the place of his Birth is deemed a national honour, and 
e homerun Col●phonii civem esse dicunt suum, Chii suum vendicant, Salaminii repetunt, Smyrn●● ver● suum esse confirmant. Cicero pro Archia▪ Sic disticho● apud Agelli●m Noct. At. lib. 3. c. 11. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  several have with earnestness pretended a title to his Nativity: yet was he not master of a comely Personage, yea he was deficient in the most delightful and useful of his exterior organs, he was blind, according to the importance of this his 
a Dictus priùs Melesigenes, natus ad Meletem fluvium, dein Homerꝰ quod apud Iones significat capium oculis.  second Name, and the common suffrage of Writers. Only 
b Suidas in Lex. in verbo {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  Suidas is somewhat singular, and must needs allegorise: he explains his blindness by an indisposition to Avarice, which thief makes its first 
c {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} qu. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Plotinus.  entrance at the window of the Eye. The 
d Ci●. lib. 1 de Nat. Deorum.  beauty of Roscius is preferred before that of the Gods themselves, and yet his organs of Sight were dull and deformed; erat pulchrior Deo, & tamen oculis perversissimis. If all these testimonies were concealed, there might be had sufficient proof from the Sacred Volume. Let this be established by the mouth of two witnesses. 
e Luc. 19 3, 5. 6.  Zachaeus is somewhat dwarfish; and the 
f Zachaeus Publ. ad ●nius horae conversionem hospitem habere mer●it Salvatorem. Hier. Epist. ad Lucinium: Vide dominum festinanter praecipientem, & hominem festinanter obedientem. Spera●z● de Z●chaeo, in script. select. punct.. 27.  shortness of his spiritual reparation doth recompense the shortness of his bodily stature. The Man that was born blind, Ioh. 9 was not 
a Job 3. 16. and Psal. 58. 8.  the untimely birth of a woman, although throughout his whole minority he never saw the Sun. He was happier than those, who in their own towering imaginations presumed they 
b Joh. 9 41.  were men of acute eyes: he at length obtained the view of a glorious Constellation, the sight of the heavenly fireballs, and 
c Omnis pulchritudo florum, hominum, angelorum, rerum pul●herrimarum, ad Dei pulchritudinem collata nox est 〈◊〉 te. nebrae. Draxel. Nicet. lib. 2. cap. 11.  that to which these Lights are a dark shadow, the light of God's countenance.  
Were Red Hair a disease of the Body, 
7. §.  (which is to give a further advantage to the cause, and to suppose a non supponendum) yet were it not to be derided. The Devil may 
d Marc. 9 22.  fling some into the fire of a Fever, and others into the water of a dropsy, and yet 
e Psal. 66. 12.  both in fire and water God may be with them. It is very observable, that of the innumerable company of diseased persons who had Christ for their Physician, 
a Except the nine ungrateful Leper●, Luc. 17. 17, 18. ●oh. 7. 23. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Qui foris ab infirmitate, Ipse etiam in●us fervavit à scelere. Beda in Ioh. 5. 14.  scarce any had only an exterior Cure, but almost as many as were healed in Body were cured in Soul. No man can loo● up to Heaven, and forget Job, who was so great a servant of the King of stars: yet even all men have heard of the diseases of God's servant Job: he had as many Diseases as Parts. He was visited with the Gout, 
b Job 13. 27. and 33. 11.  his feet were put in the stocks. He was tortured with a cruel Dysentery; 
c Job 16. 13.  God poured out his Gall upon the ground. He was afflicted with the dolour of the Reins; 
d Id. ibid.  God's archers compassed him about, and clave his Reins in sunder. He underwent the violence of an hectic Fever, 
e Job 19 20.  so that his bones cleaved to his skin and to his flesh, and he was escaped with the skin of his teeth. 'Twas even deat● to him to do that by which he lived, 'twas troublesome to breathe, for he was wonderfully asthmatic: he saith, in the Text, 
f Job 17. 1.  his breath was corrupt, and in the margin, his spirit was spen●. To omit particulars, take the sum total, 
g Job 2. 7.  Job was smitten by Satan with sore biles, from the sole of his foot unto his crown.  
It is then manifest, 
8 §.  that they that laugh at Red Hair are tickled ●y the devil: that they commit a greater outrage against the Head than the Scythians did, who 
a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. &c. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Herod. Melpom. c. 65.  converted into drinking-Cups the Skulls of the●r most ●refull Enemies. I could wish that the minds of men were of a more serene and Dovelike constitution: that what the ingenious 
b Car●esiu● in Meth●do, et in init. med. ●●t●phys.  Descartes abhors in Philosophy, might not take place in Morality, to wit, that men would not hoodwink themselves with their own prejudice; but take an impartial view of this their practice, and see whether it speaks not a contradiction to an Evangelical spirit: that so they might not irreverently accost the Manufacture of God, nor disrespectfully excite each other: that so they might not become ridiculous by deriding that which is not a capable subject of a real Defamation, and thereupon rebounds the Disgrace towards the place of its original.   

CHAP. II.  
A Censure of the general scandal of some Professions, especially that of physic.  
IT is as easily experienced as asserted, 
1 §.  that many Professions are the perpetual Subjects of the tong●e of scandal. 'Tis almost proverbial with us, The first Commodity a young tradesman sets to sale is his own Honesty. There are some Occupations both lawful and useful, in which, notwithstanding, if 〈◊〉 man hath interest, he must always expect in the blaz●ning of his Credit, to have a Sed fo● part of his Motto: The Man is hones●, But he is of such a Calling. In like manner said he of old, 
a Anony●mus apud Tertull. in Apolog ad vers. Gent. pag. 810.  Bonus vir Caius Seius, sed malus tantum quòd Christianus, Caius Seius is a good man, but he's a Christian. 
b Bols. in vitâ Calvini.  Bolsecus tells tales of 
c Calvin, such in actual power, though not in name.  the Bishop of Geneva; he chargeth him with a large and black Catalogue of Enormities: and one grand Objection against his testimony is this, The man is a Physician, and therefore 'tis presumed that what he speaks is neither slander nor truth. Thus men of some Callings are exposed to the finger of the world; they are pointed at for their supposed Dishonesty, as 
a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  Demosthenes and 
b— monstror digito praetereunti●m Romanae Fidicen Lyrae. Hor. Carm. lib. 4. Od. 3.  Horace were for their known worth.  
The Spring-heads from whence this corrupt practice did at first issue, 
2 §.  and the Channels in which it hath successively been conveyed, may, in probability, be these two.  
First, the genial indisposition and natural averseness of many to these employments. 
— 
c Horat. Serm. lib▪ 1. sat. ●.  inseverit olim  
Natura—  It was thus with Maximinian, the Lord of an Empire, but the slave of Ignorance, who was a professed foe to all men of clarified intellectuals and learned attain●ments, because the Muses frowned upon his ow● dull capacity. Thus the Fox in the Fable sets a low estimate upon those Apples which were too high for his reach. 'Tis too common a Truth, Non ama● hic Artes qui non intelligit Artes. But such Ignorance ought not to be the mother of such Indevotion: for if a natural non-proclivity to a Profession be a sufficient ground of a quarrel with the Profession itself; then may the Christian Profession be j●stly disrelished by the whole progeny of Adam, because all 
a Per peccarum originis naturalia bona ●n ipso ho●ine sunt corrupta gratuitade●tracta. Lombard. l. 2. dist. 25  lost their appetite to Good by his eating of the Tree of Good and evil. 
b Cyprian. in p●ol. ad serm. de Nat. Christi, p. 290.  Omnino rarum est et difficile fieri bonum, facile et pronum est esse malum, & hâc, sine Magistro, sine Exemplo, doctrinâ statim à pubescentibus annis imbuimur & docemur. Then may 
c Act. 18. 17. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  Gallio be excused if he cares not for these things.  
Secondly, 
3. §.  the irregular and undecent practices of some professors. 
* Hor. ser. 1. I. sat. 3.  Turpia decipiunt caecum vitia— is as true here, as in the sense that Horace meant it. Thus the exactions of the publicans caused the office of Taxe-gathering to be evil spoken of. An honest Publican was accounted at Rome a fallacy of Composition. Quam honestus olim fuerit Publicanorum ordo apud Romanos, & pueri sciunt, illi saltem quibus nova Latinitas M. Tullium nondum è manibus excussit, 
a Is. Casa●. Exer●it ad Annal. Baronii, Ex. 13. p. 220.  saith a Learned critic. Every schoolboy whose Lesson is in Tully knows the usual cozenage of these men. Whereupon 
b Sueton. in Flav. Vesp. c. 1.  one Sabinus, for his discreet and punctual managing of this office, had certain Images erected to the immortality of his name, with this inscription, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Upon this account also the spirits of the Jews suffered such an exasperation against the publicans, that it became a rabbinical Proverb, 
c Casaub. ubi supr●, p. 221.  choose 〈◊〉 a Wife out of that family in which a publican hath his residence, for there all the rest are publicans; that is, (according to the 
a Casaub. ibid. omnes sunt Publicani, i. e. Latrones, scelerati, Peccatores, ut dicitur, Mat. 9 10.  exposition of the aforesaid Author All the rest are persons of rapacious hands, and wicked hearts. Yet notwithstanding all these obloquys, this was a Calling very influential upon the public good, and subservient to the maintenance of a Commonwealth. Neither were all those to whom its management was committed men whose names did swell big in the rolls of Satan. 
b Mat. 10. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  Matthew the Pub●icane made one of the catalogue of the twelve Apostles. And 
c Luc. 19 3.  Zachaeus, a man of great Faith, though of little stature, whose house had no meaner guests than 
d Luc. 19 9  Salvation and 
e Luc. 19 5.  its purchaser, was 
f Luc. 19 2.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a governor of a society of publicans. And that speech of Christ, 
g Mat. 21. 31. Vide Weems in 4. Degen. sons, on Mat. 18. 17. p. 36.  The publicans and Harl●ts go i●to the kingdom of Heaven before you, was not utte●●d as a reproach of the Calling of the publicans; for no guile was found in, or proceeded out of the mouth of the Lamb; the breath of Christ was pure and Crystalline, and admitted not the dross and mixture of Reviling: But it referred only to that ill opinion of the Publicans, which was cherished in the breasts of those to whom he did direct his speech.  
Now, if by reason of the bad Conversation of professors, the Profession be justly vilified and set at nought, and if— 
a Horat. Carm. lib. 3. Ode 2.  Incesto additur integer, if because of the iniquity of some, all the rest be worthily brought into a disrepute; then even the sacred Office of Apostleship, and the ministerial Function, is subject to the lash of lawful Censure, because Judas 
b Joh. 6. 70. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  was a Devil, and 
c 2 Tim▪ 4. 10. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}▪  Demas preferred the present world before him that did exist before the world.  
I shall confine my Discourse to the Profession of Physiok, 
4. §.  the most common centre of reproachful lines. This is evident from Chaucer's verses, 
Physicians know what is digestible,  
But their study is but little in the Bible.  All Man-curers may speak the same language with the 
a Timon {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. ●os, apud Horat. serm. l. 1. sat. 1.  Man-ha●er, — Populus me sibilat— But they have an Antidote against this poison: Almost each of them can comfortably go on with the verse, 
— at mihi plaudo  
Ipse domi, simul ac nummos contemplor in arca.  
The people flout abroad; but I myself  
Applaud at home, and smile upon my Pelf.  physic is accounted the mother of no less monstrous a birth then ●hat of atheism; and yet its 
b Medicin● Diis primùm inventores suos assignavit, et coelo dicavit. Plin. hist. lib. 29. cap. 1.  first founder was Aesculapius, a God. 'Tis as usual as an Adage, Ubi tres Medici, duo Athei, Where there are three physicians, there are two Atheists: which, notwithstanding, is but to sport at Artiasme, 
c Hor. ser. ●. 2. sat. 3.  Ludere par impar— 
d Scho●. Aristoph. ●●d Plutum.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, to play, like boys, at even and odd; Vox, & praeterea nihil, a Saying, and no reality. And I can no more rationally deduce from hence the physician's atheism, than I can collect the subordination of the Medick to the Mendicant, from that in 
a Plau●. Rudens Act. 5.  Plautus' Grip. Num Medicus quaeso es? Lab. imò aedepol unâ literâ plus sum quàm Medicus. Gr. Tùm tu Mendicus es? Lab. tetigisti acu.  
Religio Medici is not the product of the pen alone, but also of the practice of physicians. The rude Rabble of the world proclaims the contrary; but the words of dying men cry louder for attention then the others noise: and who ever heard a man in such a condition commit outrages against the credit of those from whom he expects the restauration of his Health? unless the man be in a frenzy, 
b Horat. Ser. lib. ●. sat. 3. — x sit Pugil & Medicum urget, and then how regardless are his words?  
It is true, 
5 §.  physicians often fail in their enterprises, and many of their Patients miscarry. One 
c B. Hall's contempl.. Pool of Bethesda.  Hebrew word signifies both physicians and dead men. The poor 
d Mark 5. 25, 26.  Haemorrhoissa was twelve years in the physician's hands, without profit to her body, and with detriment to her purse. 
a Xiphil. in Adriano.  Multitudo medicorum perdidit Caesarem, is in every one's mouth; and hereupon many curse them, because they cannot cure them. But if Nature hath resolved that the tenement of clay shall crumble into its primitive constitution, and return to its dust, who can imagine a physician can put a stop to its proceedings? physician's cannot sail beyond the ●ine of Humanity: 
— 
b Hor. Epist. l. 2. ep. 1.  quod medicorum est  
Promittunt Medici—  they cannot outrun their abilities: they can promise no more, than what is in that 
c Seneca in epist. 95. Iste versus et in pectore et in ore ●it, Homo sum, &c.  Verse which Seneca would have entertained in two rooms, in heart and mouth, Homo sum, alienum nil hominis à me puto. It was but 
d Paracelsus, who died at Salizburg in the 47. year of his age.  one of them who boasted of the performance of a contradiction, in his sense, To put a man into a state of Immortality.  
As for the Profession itself, 
6. §.  it is of as lawful, yea 
a Ecclus. 38.  necessary, as universal use: for man is bound by the Law of self-preservation to keep up his crazy cottage with all possible honest reparations; and the Soul is not to break prison, but it must wait till, in despite of means, death's violent approach gives it a Gaol-delivery. 
b Caussin. Polyhist. Symb. l. 1. sym. 28.  In the temple of Aesculapius there was a fountain of oil with a golden arch; the perfect symbol of physic, denoting by 
c— liquidi corrumpitur usus olivi.  oil its use, by 
d Au●um 〈◊〉 Graeco {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, quo● divitem 〈◊〉 potentem significat.  Gold its Honour. Osiris' King of Egypt thought it not below his crown to have commerce with physical rules; 
Virg. 2●Georg.  it was 
e Helvic. Chron. ad Annu● mun. 2200▪  he from whence physic received its first institution among the Germans. The 
f 2 King. 〈◊〉. 7.  Prophet was physician to Ezechias, and prescribed a lump of figs to be applied to his boil. Now that such a Cure should be effected by such a Cause, that such a Malady should be removed by such a Medicine, is agreeable to physical principles, and not wholly supernatural. 
g Galen. de arte 〈◊〉. l. 6.  Galen adviseth the same for the ripening of tumors and Impostumations in the flesh. The great physician of Souls was a great physician of Bodies; he that redeemed them, repaired them; he went about all Galilee 
a Mat. 4. 23.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. The Blessed Disciples derived strength from this Almighty physician 
b Lu●. 9 1.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, to heal Diseases. Why then do the generality of men accost that Profession with rudeness, and not with Reverence, which hath had no meaner Practitioners than the Head and Pillars of the universal Church?  
This Profession is so far from prompting Atheism, 
7 §.  that it is signally advantageous to an holy life. The 
c D. Brown●n Epist. Ded. ante Hydriot.  study of physicians is Life and Death: They of all men lest need artificial mementoes, or Coffins by their bedsides, to mind them of their Graves. Their frequent conversing with skeletons, and the farewell breath of their departing Patients, is as effectual to the true Philosophy, 
a Philosophy so defined by Plato.  the meditation of Death, as Philip's boy's Memento Mori. And what greater spur to our Christian race, then to be mindful or Mortality? 
b Hieron. ep. 〈◊〉. 3. conc. ep. Paulino.  Facilè contemnit omnia qui se semper cogitat moriturum, saith Saint Jerome. Hear the suffrage of an Heathen, 
c Epicte●. in Euchir. cap. 28.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is in brief thus, Daily fix thy meditation on difficult matters, and especially upon Death, and thou wilt contemn so low a thing as earth, and thy desires after its enjoyments will be curbed in the vehemency of their pursuit. 
d Speranz. Script. sell. punct.. 125. quod totum est de utilissimâ consideratione mortis.  Ex mortis oblivione omnia mala, saith Speranza; The forgetting of Death is the fountain of all the evils of Life. He that makes his bed in a Coffin, will scarce entertain an Harlot; he that drinks in a Death's-head, will scarce adventure to be drunk; he that hath Death in his contemplations, hath goodness in his actions. In the fourteenth of Proverbs v. 32. where we read, The righteous hath hope in his death, the Chaldee hath it, He that hopeth that he is about to die is righteous. He that taketh it into consideration, that the Knife of Atropos is never in its Sheath, that Death is always in readiness to put a period to his transitory breath, and that if the associate of his Body hath been faithful in returns of service to Him from whom it received its Being, it shall presently after disunion make its abode in an eternity of bliss, if otherwise, in an eternity of Woe, either in Paradise with Blessed Souls, or in Hell with cursed Serpents; this man will be any thing, in an ecstasy of being ever; he will abandon the pleasure of Dalilah's lap, in contemplation of the happiness of Abraham's bosom; he will forsake this present evil world, in a rapture of a joyous futurity.  
Knowledge in physic and ignorance of the existence of a God, 
8 §.  seem to me even incompossible: because physicians have, beyond all other men, a multiplicity of palpable proofs of a First Being, all-wise and potent, which continually attends them. In their botanical employments every smile and flourish of a Flower darts the mind up towards the Fountain of its Beauty, Praesentemque refert quaelibet Herba Deum. Every Herb hath a signature of a Divine majesty enstamped upon it. Their eyes are so far happified, as to be almost the only spectators of the most lively evidence of a Deity that the material Creation can produce; I mean their view of the 
a Psalm 139. 15. contextus sum, verbum Hebraeum {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} significat acu pingere.  needlework of heaven, of that exact model and harmonical composure of the Body of Man, in their Anatomical negotiations. In contemplation of this the Heathen called God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the best Artist. The Circulation of the blood is a Demonstration of an eternal Being. Galen was hushed into a wonder by some anatomical observations, and after his amazement for some space, he broke forth in an hymn to the praise of his creator, though formerly a professed Atheist. He that contemplates the Tunicles, Humours, and other parts of the Eye; the two orders of Teeth, which prepare the meat for the Stomach by mastication; the many Vertebrae of the Spina disposed most artificially; the Lungs which are spongious, and carry that air to the Heart which they had attracted through the Aspera Arteria, that so its heat might be attempered and allayed by a moderate ventilation; the many conjugations of Nerves arising from the Brain and Spinall Marrow, divided into several Fibres, and those at length into most slender Filaments, distributed after a most exact order throughout the whole Body, and serving to Motion and Sensation; the various bendings of the Intestina, the Membranes of which they consist, the right and transverse Villi, those serving for Extension, these for Contraction; the Rivulets tending towards the Liver, and conveying the exuccous Chyle; the multitude of little cells ordained for the retention of Ordure; lastly and especially, the stupendious disposition of the Heart; He must of necessity be enforced to cry out, Digitus Dei hic est, This is the Lord's doing.  
I must acknowledge that some physicians 
a Danda est Ellebori multo pars maxima avaris. Horat. serm. l. 2. sat 3.  want Hellebore, 
9 §.  and plant too many of their Simples upon the mountain of Potosi: and that there are those among them, to whom Application may be made in particular of what 
b Philomenis {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  he affirmed too generally, viz. That physicians are ill when none else are ill. Some of them, that they themselves may not want Gold, wish their neighbours may want Health; and we may dispatch another Pollux to them (after the example of 
c Lucian. in Dial. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  Diogenes ab inferis to rich men on the earth) with a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}; That is in effect, O vain men, why do you watch and ward your treasures, and set yourselves upon the rack, whilst you contrive to lay Pelion upon Ossa, to add one talon to another — 
a Hor. epist. lib. 2. ep. 2.  velut and a supervenit undam, as one wave is forced upon the back of its predecessor? when you must come to the grave, where one halfpenny is a sufficient treasure, yea a superfluity. But men of all Callings, yea even all men, are peccant as well in this as in all other extravagancies. 
— 
b Hor. Ser. l. 1. sat. 1.  bona pars hominum decepta cupidine falsâ,  
Nil satis est, inquit—  I confess that the physician 
c Eudemus Amicus ac Medicus Liviae, speci● artis frequens secretis, &c. Tacit. An. l. 4. c. ●  Eudemus was a manager of an adultery, and that in no meaner place than 
d In the house of Drusus Caesar.  the palace of a Prince, and that under colour of his art. I desire not to palliate the exorbitancies of Cardan and Paracelsus, although the latter was called Divinus vir by Johannes Montanus.  
What I now contend for is, that there are good as well as bad livers of this Profession. — 
a Hor. Ser l. 2. sat. 3.  Medicus multùm celer atque fidelis is not a Platonical Idea, a mere imaginary Chimaera. The physicians of 
b Tertul. l. de Anima, pag. 641.  Tertullian's time claimed a propriety in the doctrine of the Soul beyond Philosophers. Pliny, an hater of physicians, relates no unworthy Practice of Herophilus; and had there any been extant, he would not have spared his own venom, or the other's Credit: The worst he saith of him is good enough, 
c Plin. Nat. hist. lib. 29 cap. 1.  Deserta est haec secta, quoniam necesse erat in ea Literas scire; that is, He had few followers, because he put them upon a necessity of Learning. It was he 
d Herophilus apud Gaffendunin lib. 10. Diog. Laert. p. 457.  that at once cured Diodorus of his senseless Philosophy and his dislocated member. Diodorus denied local motion, and endeavoured to persuade others to espouse his opinion with this argument, Si quic▪ quam movetur, aut in loco quo est movetur, aut in loco quo non est. Sed neutrum dici potest: Ergo, &c. It chanced that his Shoulder-bone suffering a dislocation, he came to Herophilus for help; who told him that no such thing could possibly happen to him: for if there were no Motion there could be no Dislocation. Whereupon Diodoru● perceiving his Sarcasmus, and feeling by experience the falsity of his Opinion, desclaimed it with shame. Hippocrates in the 
a Graec. Epig. l. 1. tit. 39 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, etc  Greek epigram is allowed no less emphatical a title then, The light of men: and his 
b Translated by Sir Tho. More out of 3. book of Grae●. Ep.  Epitaph is proportionate, 
Thessalus Hippocrates, Cou● genere, hâ● jacet urnâ,  
Phoebi immortalis semine progenitus:  
Crebra trophaea tulit morborum, armis medicinae;  
Laus cui magna, nec id sorte, sed arte fuit.  Who dares blow upon the glittering name of the renowned Cyrus with reproachful breath? He was the monarch's mirror, one tha● practised nothing unworthy a diadem: and yet that physic was his usual employment, hath as much authority as the word of 
c Xen. de Instit. Cyri, lib. 8. pag▪ 167.  Xenophon can afford it; yea his 
† Xenophon. ibid. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  own hands did, in this kind, administer to the necessities of some decaying bodies.  
To conclude, 
10 §.  If all the professors of physic were beasts by degeneration, 
Conclusion.  and wallowers in sensuality, and Saint Luke the only Exception to that general Rule, it were abundantly enough to wash off all the Spots which the hand of Malice can cast upon the physical employment; he being 
* Colos. 4. 14.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the beloved physician; he being also (that wherein is the Emphasis of Emphasis) the Quill of the Holy Dove, even Heaven's Amanuensis.   

CHAP. III.  
A Censure of that common evil practice of Reproaching the Feminine Sex.  
THe Protoplast, 
1. §.  by his Fall, broke in pieces the frame of evenness of spirit, and raised a disturbance in the serenity of the Soul. Ever since this Father eat sour Grapes, his children's teeth have been set on edge with reviling language. Since Adam came into compliance with the Serpent, the whole race of Mankind hath plentifully vented the poison of Reproach. My purpose is not to create a tedious Discourse, by evincing this in its latitude: But my present intention is to bring in evidence and inveig● against those arrows of Contumely with which Cedars pierce S●●rubs, with which men shoot at the reputation of the Feminine sex. Men erect the trophies of their ambition upon the ruins of the repute of Women. They draw their malice to the dregs, and pour it upon them with a flood of evil words: As if an universal malady possessed that Sex; as if all Women were of a bad complexion; as if those weaker vessels could not possibly contain any thing that is good. No man can plead ignorance in this particular, if he hath looked but so far as Mantuan or Aretine. If 
a Ch. Fon. seca cited by Burt. in Mel. par. 3. sect. 2. Memb. 5. Subsect. 3.  Fo●seca mistakes not, Non possunt invectivae omnes & Satyrae in Faeminas scriptae uno volumine comprehendi. The repute of Women hath been perplexed with Volumes of Invectives. According to Petronius, we may put more confidence in the inconstancy of a Wave then in the Promise of a Woman, 
— Animaan nè crede puellis,  
Namque est faemine â tutior unda fide.  And Ca●ullus is not of a different opinion, who averreth that Wind and Water are of sufficient stability to receive the speeches of a Woman to him who is amorous, and would captivate her affection, and sues to her for matrimonial entertainment. 
— 
a Catul. El. ●.  Mulier cupido quod dicit A. manti  
In vento aut rapida scri●ere oportet aqua.  One of our own Poets agrees with these, and with his hobbling feet thus tramples upon Female Credit: 

b Chaucer.  Half so boldly there can ●one  
Swear and lie as Wom●n can.  A woman is made by 
c Graec. Ep▪ lib 1. ●it▪ 19 ver. per Obsopaeum.  some the moral of Pandora's Box, the emphatical punishment of the over●bold Prometheus. 
Est mulier Iovis i●a ●gnis vice ●radita—   
No tongue is so impudent as to affirm that Adam's Rib abstracteth wholly from crookedness; 
2 §.  that there is no particular Woman whose merits hath not raised her above the reach of a just Reproof. I confess that many of the Daughters of Eve stretch forth their hands towards Forbidden Fruit. These Daughters of Venus have their deformed, as well as their beauty spots. Some Women are censurable for their practices. Some married ones are worthy rebuke for cutting off their own Heads, for their cruelty towards their Husbands: of this number was 
a Hom. odies. l. 4.  Clytaemnestra, of whom her husband Agamemnon complains in the 
b Graec. Ep. lib. 1. tit. 19 Ep. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, vers. per Obsop.  epigram, Uxor me occidit quem non ferus ●bstulit Hector. Some unmarried ones, although probably no Virgins, deserve a check for their artificial allurements, their rhetorical Attires, whereby they persuade and entice their servitors to Folly. This is intima●ed in the Question and Answer of Jovianus, 
Quid lacteolos sinus, & ipsas  
Prae ●e fers sine linteo papillas?  
Hoc est dicere, Posce, posce, trado.  Which may be thus rendered, without violence to the sense, 
Why do those fleshy pillows want a veil?  
This is to say, Ask and thou Mayst prevail.  But the reproach is not a single but a many-headed monster: it imitates the Tyrant Mezentius, tying the living and the dead together; Goo● and Bad are encompassed in general terms with the chain of Calumny. This dart of Satan strikes not against particular Women, but against the Feminine Sex, for so runs the language of the 
a Mant. Alph●s.  Woman-hater, Faemineum servile genus, crudele, superbum. Let him whose tongue is thus generally set on fire, quench it at the reproof of the sage Euripides, who bespeaks him in these words, 
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}  
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman},  
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.   
The Masculine Gender is the most worthy, 
3 §.  but the Feminine is not worthless. The 
b Aristot. l. 9 hist. Animal.  Great Naturalist makes this observation upon the cuttlefish, That the Female takes vengeance on the Adversary of its Male; but the Male exemplifies friends in Adversity, and departs with speed when the Female meets with Persecution. Modesty abounds most in Women, and where the habitation of Modesty is, there is the tabernacle of virtue. If the Man be the sun of the Creation, the Woman is the Ray. If the Man be 
a 1 Cor. 11. 7.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the glory of God, the Woman is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the glory of the Man: and how sordidly doth he degenerate from the innate dictate of self-preservation, that puts an Eclipse upon his own brightness? Woman is 
b Gen. 3. 20.  the mother of all Living; and shall not Men rather 
c Luk. 11▪ 27.  bless then curse the womb that bare them? Woman is the 
d Faemina viri por●io est, atque ex eo sumpta & formata. Cyprian. tract. 2. de hab. Virg. p. 106.  Rib of Man; and what an intense degree of folly possesseth him, who biteth in sunder his own Rib with the teeth of Slander? The 
e Intellexit sapientissimus omnium rerum opifex, in vi●â solitariâ non posse Adamum perfectâ f●ui felicitate. Bidembach. Prompt. Con. p. 10.  All-wise God judged Adam's felicity unaccomplished, until he enjoyed a meet help, or (as the 
a Heb. tale auxilium quod ●it veluti Alter ipse. Jun. & Trem. in not. brev.  Hebrew signifies) Another self: and dare presumptuous man account a Pearl of God's sending a S●one laid in his way, and so to be kicked at? dare he exclaim against a companion of God's choosing? Vile worm! thus to affront the wisdom of Heaven, and scorn the workmanship of God's Finger.  

b Tert. de Habitu mal. initio. Tu es Ianua Diabo●li, &c.  Tertullian indeed calls Eve the devil's gate, 
4 §.  but it was in reference to her Sin, not her Sex: and he afterward declares so much, when he addresseth his speech to her in this ●itter sarcasmus, 
c Tert. paul●infrd.  Tu es quae eum persuas●sti quem Diabolus aggredi non valuit, Thou art she who didst overcome him who was Temptation-proof against the Serpent. And whereas the 
d Tert. adv. Val. In coe ●o non Angelus & Angela, &c.  same Father makes it a part of heaven's happiness, to have Angels and not Angelicalls too, to have a God and not a goddess also, he speaketh not in relation to the Feminine Sex, but in relation to the diversity of Sex; which 
a Caus. Holy Court▪ 4. ●ome. Pass. of Amity, p. 9  the eloquent Caussin supposeth would alter something of heaven's Tranquillity. It is the Assertion of 
b Cujus cantu toll. rabilius est audire Bafiliscum sibilantem. Cyp. de Sing. Cleric. p. 273.  Saint Cyprian, that the hissing of a Basilisk is a more tolerable sound then the singing of a Woman. But (as the 
c Cypr. paulo su●pr●, nunc lacertos ac faemora, &c. nudat.  foregoing words evidence) he means this of such a Woman as Aretine's Lucretia, of one of a tempting carriage and wanton behaviour: and such words well become such a subject: such a woman's breath will blow up the sparks of Love into the fire of Lust. 
d Ep. to. 2. ad Ctesiph. adv. Pelag. p. 84.  S. Jerome hath a large catalogue of Women who were instrumental in the propagation of the designs of heretics: he relates how Helen was subservient this way to Simon Magus, and Prisca and Maximilla to Montanus: besides which he hath variety of Instances. But we may observe, that these Wolves were men, making use not of the Malice, but of the Facility of these Sheep, being Women.  
Instances of Good Women are very 
5 §.  numerous. Many of them are inwardly, as 
a Cardan. de Lis. prop.  Cardan's Wife was outwardly when he was first enamoured on her) all in white, surrounded with Innocency, and Candour of disposition. Socrates 
b Soc. Hist. Ec. l. 4. c. 14.  makes mention of a Wom●● who made a passage through a multitude to the place of Execution of Christians under Valentinian: which fire of zeal in her to suffer for Christianity, turned to water in the breast of that cruel Emperor, and made an abatement of his rage and malice for the future. 
c Evagrii Eccl. hist. l. 1. c. 20.  Eudocia the wife of Theodosius did so abound in honourable practices, that a most artificial brazen Statue was erected to the eternity of her memory: although she had consulted better for herself in that particular, 
d Evag. ib. c. 21, 22.  by erecting of Churches. 
e Soc. Hist. Ecc. l. 1. c. 13.  Helen the mother of Constantine, who, it seems, found the stage on which was acted the most terrible, and yet the most happy, Tragedy since the foundation of the world, to wit, the cross of Christ, together with the nails, was of an exemplary life and laudable conversation. 
a Euseb. Eccl. Hist. lib. 8. c. 17.  Eusebius reports of the Virgin Theodosia, not yet eighteen years of age, too tender a morsel for devouring fire, that with incredible constancy she endured martyrdom under Diocletian. 
b Ecc. Hist. l. 8. c. 24.  The same Author hath registered to after-Ages a pair of virgin's expiring by the same ●ate; and gives them this for an encomium, That the earth which they had trampled on was not worthy to bear them. 
c Hier. Ep. to. 1. Ep. ad Eustoch. virg. Epitaph. Paulae Mat●is, ad initium.  S. Jerome bestows an hyperbolical Hyperbole upon on the virtuous Paula, and speaks thus in her commendation, Si cuncta corporis mei membra verterentur in linguas, & omnes artus humanâ voce resonarent, nihil dignum Sanctae ac Venerabilis Paulae virtutibus dicerem: that is, Were all my Members so many Tongues, and all my joints endued with the gift of Elocution, the expressions which I could then utter would be frigid and diminutive, and come below the worth of the Venerable Paula. Have you not heard of the 
d Maffaeus Hist. Ind. lib. 16.  Patience of Eleonora? who with constancy endured commerce with Wolves and tigers, and with Men more savage than those untamed Beasts. Have you not read in 
a Xenop. Instit. Cyri l. 6. p. 121, 122.  Xenophon of Panthea, whom he styles {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, an excel●ent Woman? of whom he relates, that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, her Husband was at home when he was abroad, that she was a faithful Wife as well in his absence as in his presence. It was she that, as it were, 
b Xen. Inst. Cyri, p. 135 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, &c.  changed Sexes with her Husband, and infused courage and magnanimity into his faint●ng spirits. Women were once the best Soldiers of Xerxes, by his own confession, who after their valiant service uttered himself thus, 
c Herodot. Vran. cap. 88  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, The Men have turned their Swords into Distaffs and become women, the Women have turned their Distaffs into Swords and become men. 
d Euseb. in vita Constant. li. 1. cap. 3.  The hand of a Woman took away both the sceptre and the Soul of Cyr●s the peerless King of Persia. Amongst the 
e {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Herod. in Eut●rpe, cap. 35.  Egyptians of old the Women did negotiate abroad, and the men kept house, betaking themselves to diminutive labours. The Women were more serviceable in their generations; 
a Herodot: ibid. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  they carried burdens upon their shoulders, the men upon their heads. Two Women were mothers to Homer's offspring, they gave birth to the Issue of his Brain: we have his 
b Virgil.  Brother poet's word for it, 
Praestitit ergo una Iliadi muliercula causam,  
Fecil Odysseam scribere Penelope.  
c Vide Bu●t. Mel. part. 3. sec. 2. memb. ●. subsect. ●.  Admetus' King of Thessaly being ready to breathe out his last and farewell air, was told by the Oracle of Apollo, that he might still live in his own Person, if he could die by proxy. All his Friends denied to perform so much for him; even those that were aged, and ready to return to their primitive dust, would not anticipate their fates some few hours: only Alcestes his Wife, youthful and beautiful, too tender a Bud to be cropped by Death, took the burden upon her own shoulders with a joyous alacrity.  
But why do we wander thus far for Instances, when we are presented with a renowned example at home? that of the Puissant Queen ELIZABETH, one whose actions evidenced the irrationality of the Salic Law. To let my words run without the bias of partiality, I must acknowledge, with her 
a Camden in Elizab.  own servant, that she abandoned part of her Integrity in the business of Mary Queen of Scots, and Dowager of France. But notwithstanding this Scar in the face of Beauty, what was affirmed of 
b By John Speed in the Chron. of his Life.  Edward the third may likewise be spoken of Her without a deviation from the Truth, to wit, That few Princes that had so great and heroic virtues had fewer Vices.  
Had all the forementi●ned proofs been lo●ked up in silence, 
6 §.  yet were there confirmation sufficient by examples written in the Volume of God's Book. There are registered with honour 
c Jud. 4.  Deborah and 
d Ruth. 1. 16.  Ruth, 
e Mark 16 ●.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome, 
a Luc. 1.  Elizabeth and 
b Luc. 2. 36, 37.  Anna: and a multitude of others too tedious to insert. As 
c Job 2. 9  Job, being a good man, had an evil Wife, who bade him curse God; so 
d Mat. 27. 19  Pilate, being an evil man, had a Good Wife, who forbade him to crucify Christ. Women were more liberal 
e Luk. 23. 28.  in shedding of their tears then Men, when the Jews were a shedding their redeemer's blood. What fallen Man could ever come into comparison with the VIRGIN MOTHER? Although she was not without sin, yet was she without parallel; insomuch that the 
f Labata▪ Loc. come. tit. Mari● Excellen.  Jesuites expound those places of Scripture of Mary the Spouse of Joseph, which are spoken of the Church the Spouse of Christ.  
And now the success hoped for from these Lines is, 
Conclusion.  the drawing men from this fruitless Vanity, 
7 §.  this pernicious Folly. My hearty Option is, that the stream of men's words would run more clearly in this particular channel: that they would respect and not revile that Sex, the absence of which would cause a well-peopled Universe to become a so●itary wilderness: that they would show themselves Men by countenancing Women: that they would prove themselves of the worthier Sex, by defending the weaker Sex: that they wou●d, at length, bid adieu to this long-lived Cacoaethes, and no longer be constant to that vicious practice, in which Inconstancy is a virtue.   

CHAP. IV.  
A Censure of the Practice of the many Writers amongst us who even wholly neglect the defence of Christ's Deity notwiths●anding the hellborn nature of the contrary Doctrine, and the potency of its maintainers, and sp●nd their time in writing upon needless Subj●cts.  
THe worm of Curiosity hath devoured much paper since the invention of the press. 
1. §.  The greatest number of Writers, throughout all Ages, have spent their Ink in curing Tetters, not Maladies of concernment in the Body of the Church. They have spent their pains in cutting of Cummin-seed, by their nice division▪ 
a Mat. 23. 23.  neglecting weightier things, and dealing with necessary Truths as if they laboured with a Noli me tangere. These Divines (like Aristotle's Commentators) have taken voluminous pains about matters very trivial and of no moment. Johannes de Rada hath filled two large Volumes with the needless Controversies in agitation betwixt the Thomists and Sc●tists. And the Dominicans and Jesuites have crowded whole Libraries with their endless quarrels about Grace and freewill. 
b Fr. Ribera in c. 14▪ Apocal.  Ribera and 
c Lessius l. 13. de Moribus divinis, ●. 24.  Lessius have spent many fruitless thoughts about the locality and extent of the fire of Hell. The latter contends, that one Dutch mile in diameter is sufficient for a local Hell, because that space cubically multiplied will make a sphere comprehensive of eight hundred thousand million of damned bodies (allowin● each body six foot square,) which (saith he) is abundantly capable, for there will not be an hundred thousand millions of them. How numberless are the Questions of schoolmen concerning the First Adam and the Mother of the Second; and the things possible in respect of God's Absolute Power? How many have raised such queries as these? How could Adam hear a Serpent speak, and yet be devoid of suspicion? How could he walk out of the Paradise of Innocence into the Wilderness of Sin? out of that spotless state of Life, into the chambers of Death? he having faculties not immersed in Ignorance, and therefore not to be imposed upon: and he must either be drawn into sin by deceit, or rush into it by wilfulness; and the latter speaks the depravity of his Will, which was good and innocent. How did his own Rib become such a Bow as killed him at the first shoot? he having no inward corruption ready to assent. How could Lazarus 
a Joh. 11. 44.  come forth, when his feet were bound with graveclothes? How can the body of a 
b Mat. 19 24.  camel, exceeding by infinite dimensions the compass of a needle's eye, be, in possibility, circumscribed by so narrow a superficies? or was not the original word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, which signifieth a cable, and not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}? and if so, whether so great a body, being untwisted and reduced to its constituting parts, cannot enter in at so narrow a gate? ●ith many more unnecessary Disquisi●ions, quae nec scientem juva●t, nec ignoranti nocent, which neither help him that knows them, nor hurt him that knows them not, (as the 
a Remonst. 〈◊〉 Prfae. ad Conf.  Remonstrants speak) and are only fit for 
b— pleno ●●idet Cal ●●hurnius 〈◊〉. Horat.  Calphurnius and Democritus to make merry with. Tannerus the Jesuite is in hot pursuit a●ter Toby's dog, and with earnestness averrs his existence to be an article of Faith. 
c Dave●antius de Iudice & ●orma ●i●ei, c. 5.  Tobiam Canem habuisse, esse. Fidei nostrae articulum magnis clamor●bus contendit. An English Divine once 
d In a Sermon at S. Mary's in ●amb. on 〈◊〉 Sam. 17. ●.  entertained his Auditory with a discourse concerning the dimensions of Goliah's beam: which extorted this expression ●rom one then present, The man hath not divinity enough to save the soul of a Gnat, About the year 1605. there was a great controversy betwixt master Broughton and Mas●●r A●●sworth, whether the lining o● 〈◊〉 Ephod was blue, or Sea-water-Gr●en.  
Thus Pebbles are ushered in by the hand of corrupt fancy, 
2 §.  and possess the place of Pearls: and Learned men (with the mighty Navy of Caligula) gather cockleshells, and neglect matters of greater value. Thus, by handling niceties, they endeavour to show their wit, for their own applause, and will not bring a drop towards the quenching of the fire of dangerous Heresies, whereby they may show their zeal for the glory of God. Thus most of our own Writers, of this present Generation, do bonas horas malè collocare, spend much paper de lana caprina, and scarce a single leaf toward the redemption of the Golden Fleece. Amidst the thousands of Books, there's scarce one Cover for the deity of Christ. If I should make enquiry after its Defenders, I should not be answered by one of a thousand. The Arian devil possesseth many; but how few do endeavour to cast him out? Numerous polemical pages have daily recourse to the press, which might be omitted without detriment to the Christian Cause; of which I mention none, lest I should seem to let slip any: but how few Quills fly the right way? How few hands of these ready writers are lifted up again●t the Giantlike heresy of Arius, which defieth and debaseth God's 
a Heb. 1. 9  Anointed, which hath many, and those lea●ned and crafty, abettors? This heresy is the main, if not the one thing necessary in doctrine to be opposed. This is even the whole Militia of the Prince of darkness, whereby he fortifies his black Territories; an Engine that strikes at the Ground●work of Christianity; as the ensuing Paragraph doth make manifest.  
As earthly Kings are said to be 
b Plato a●●ud Cau●. ●n Polyhist. Symb. l. 5. ●ymb. ●8.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, Gods amongst men: 
3§  so the Heavenly King Jesus was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} God-man. Now the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, the word of reconciliation of God and Man, having this truth for its foundation, the utter 
a Mat. 〈◊〉 25, 39 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  Enemy of Mankind, he who is neither God nor Man, hath endeavoured to possess the world with this destructive Opinion, That Christ is not God, but Man. It hath been the attempt of fallen Lucifer 
b Isa. 14. 12.  the son of the morning, in all Ages, to represent the 
c Malac. 4▪ 2.  Sun of righteousness not as an Heavenly Light, but as a Sublunary Meteor. This Red Dragon's tail hath been always instrumental, not only in 
d Rev. 12. 4.  drawing down the third part of the Stars, but even him that made them, and 
e i. e. only making him Man●Homo ab humo.  laying him level with the earth in the mind of credulous Mortality. He hath evermore made his assaults against the 
f Eph. 2 20.  chief cornerstone of Christianity, hereby laying a surer foundation for his strong holds. And what way more compendious? hâc itur ad Astra, by these means the Dominions of Hell are as highly exalted as those of Heaven. For victory over the kingdom of Satan being promised solely 
g 1 Cor. 15. 57  through Christ Jesus, if assent be yielded to this persuasion, that this 
a Heb. 2.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} this Captain of our Salvation is no more than human, Hell will still triumph, and march on in it● bloom and verdure, and say, O Christ, where is thy victory? whilst no greater strength than what a Man affords doth wield that Sword which pretends its overthrow. And 
b 1 Joh. 5. 5.  who is he that overcometh the world, bu● he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This fiery dart of Satan hath been the most pernicious incendiary in the Church of God: and we have no less testimony than that of 
c Eras. ●chol. in ●. Hier. 〈◊〉 2. ep. ●amaso.  Erasmus to confirm it, who, although a favourer of this Opinion, hath thus written, Nulla haeresis gra●ius afflixit totius orbis Ecclesias, quàm Arianorum: and, you know, the case is plain, when men are judged out of their own mouths. 
d Horat. 〈◊〉 Arte ●oet.  Intererit muli ùm, dauúsne loquatur Erós●e.  
The men of this Nation may, 
●4 §.  from the sad topic of Experie●ce, derive too many Arguments to evince that the Enemy hath sowed these Tares in this Land. It is true, when England was in its glory, a messenger sent out to find an Arian heretic might have returned with a vix est inventus, 
a Socrate●.  as he did with a non est, after search made for a Wiseman. Such traitorous principles against the King of Heaven were 
b Salvo Episcopo Salva pax est. Tertul. de Bapt. pag. 710.  kept in exile by the grave censure of episcopal jurisdiction. But since the glory departed from our Israel, since Head-pieces were in more request than Mitres, since ruder drums and Trumpets outvoyced the melody of more sacred Organs, the old Serpent hath cast his skin, and renewed the vigour of his youth, and hath vented this venom with too plentiful an effusion, and with too great success. We may utter the ●ame now which 
c Hier. ep. Damaso, p. 45.  Saint Jerome did of old, Ariana rabies fremit, The rage of the Arian heresy grows headstrong and tumultuous, it is even become a popular frenzy. Since the spiritual Courts were thrown down, this Concilium vanitatis (for 
d Cypr. Exp. symb.. p. 264.  so the doctrine of Arius is called by Saint Cyprian) is reared up. It is a sign the gardiner's Knife is in its sheath, when such venomous Weeds do riot in their growth.  
This Socinian heresy hath of late, 
5 §.  without much regret, found entertainment in the breasts of many, being ushered in by the plausible insinuation of a blameless life. Its professors pretend to be men of a pious conversation, and to be zealous for the Lord of Hosts: but it is evident that their zeal hath eaten him up; for they deny him who is the same with him whom they affirm they worship. But certainly opinions are not to be taken up merely upon the seeming, yea, or real holiness of those that hold them. The 
a Vide Petrum Bertium in vita Arminii.  orphans of Arminius, according to their duty and his deservings, afforded large Eulogies of the devout life of their deceased Father. Whereupon 
b Vind. Gratiae. Resp. ad praef. exam. lib Per●infiani.  one of our Learned Supralapsarians takes occasion to write thus, Quid superest agendum, quàm ut cujusvis Theologi, quantacunque eruditione fulti, quantacunque sanctitate celebra●i, dogmata 
a Isa. 8. 20.  ad Legem & testimonium, tanquam ad Lydium Lapidem, explorentur? i. e. The most learned and most religious mens' opinions are to be put upon their trial before the Scripture, the judge of Controversies. But I suppose that, without a transgression of the limits of Charity, I may affirm that the Socinians, for the most part, are good only in show, and bad in deed; that, like Harpies, they have the Face of an angel, but the Talons of an Eagle. For the consistence of the true Catholic Church with one fundamental error in all of its members, is as impossible to conceive, as to frame an Idea of God and Belial in a combination: and it is not ordinary, but barely possible to be a good Christian, and yet err in one fundamental Point of the Christian Doctrine. I add possible; for the 
b Mat. 20. 21.  Disciples of Christ, after much converse and numerous instructions, 
Act. 1. 6.  thought the gold of the New Jerusalem not re●ined from corporeal dross, they imagined that the kingdom of Christ was even like the Paradise of Mahomet, sensual, not spiritual. And 
a Act. 19 2  the holy Dove was not so much as arrived at the ears of the C●ristians of Ephesus, They had not so much as heard whether there were an Holy Ghost. And the good Synes●us, whom 
b Evagr. Ec. hist. l. 1. cap. 15. Phot. Myriobib. cod. 26.  ecclesiastical Story records as richly embellished with Christian graces, and whose life as well as learning advanced him to the dignity of a Bishop of the Catholic Church, ●id not fully embrace the doctrine of the Resurrection: although at length Heaven crowned his Soul with the belief of that necessary Article. And how much soever the modern Socinians have pretended to the maintenance of Piety, 'tis certain (as 
c D. Hammond in Fundam. p. 46, 47.  one of the Worthies of our Israel observes) they have taken out one principal Stone from the Foundation of it, the 
d 1 Tim. 3. 16. This could not be said, if he were not first God before he was thus made manifest by the means of his Inca●nation.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, God made manifest in or by the flesh. This, I am fully persuaded, is a great truth, that their heresy is a quencher of the spirit of true Piety. For if it were not the Son of God by eternal generation that was incarnate, the Love of God towards Mankind in Christ Jesus would wax cold: men might without an unholy boldness ask, what needs an 
a Joh. 3. 16.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, so God loved the world that he sent Christ? a sic without a sicut? What needs that expression beyond hyperbole, 
b Ephes. 2. 7.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, the excee●ing riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus? and 
c 1 Joh. 4. 9  parallel expressions running through the whole vein of Sacred Writ? Upon this account Men would apprehend God to be (as 
d Theod. Ecc. hist. l. 1. c. 14. Sozom. Eccl▪ hist. l. 2. c. 28.  Arius was by the just judgement of the Lord) without bowels; and so serve him as Slaves, out of fear, not as Sons, out of love. Again, The issue of the belef of Christ to be mere Man, is the Presumption of some, and the Despair of others. Many will presume, building heaven upon the quicksands of their own imaginary Righteousness, and considering that they are men, and Christ no more, will not give audience to the offer of an imputed merit. Many will despair; for they making a more exact enquiry than the former, will experimentally find that 
a Jam. 3. 2.  in many things they offend, and that these affronts against an Infinite Majesty cannot be expiated by a finite Man: whereupon they split presently against the Rock of Ages considered as Man, who might support them considered as God. Thus, by this heresy men make shipwreck of Faith in the very haven of Salvation, and stumble at him who should guide their feet in t●e way of peace.  
The weapons which heretics use in their encounters against the Deity of Christ are, 
6. §.  most of them, taken out of the armoury of carnal Reason. They cannot apprehend the consistence of a Trinity of Persons with an identity of Essence. If w● 〈◊〉 insanire (say they) we do insanire cum ratione, for our Reason tells us that it is a strange Paradox, that Christ ●hould be eternal, and yet begotten; that the Essence of the Father and the Son should not admit a numerical difference; with a volume of the like corrupt reasonings: whilst in the mean time they attend not to the dictates of sober and well-regulated Reason, whose language is, That 
a Quaedam sic subsunt fidei, quòd secundum communem cu●sum humanae cognitionis non suntdemonstr abilia, ut, De● unum in ess●ntia esse trinum in personis; et, Illud suppositum esse Deum & Hominem. Durand. in Prol. sent. qu. 1. num. 39  the things of God are above reason; That an Elephant may swim in the waters of the Sanctuary; That 
b Greg.  Fides non habet meritum ubi humana ratio quaerit experimentum; That an entity by participation hath not so comprehensive a capacity, as to have a distinct, clear, and full notion of a Being by essence. The incomparable 
c Gassend. in lib. 10. Diog. Laert p. 647.  Gassendus, to pluck the plumes and curb the Curiosity of some Philosophers, who would not content themselves with less than the indagation of whole nature, thus reasons against their irrationality; Qualis artifex esset Deus, si posset homuncio metiri comprehendereque ingeniolo suo opus Creationis? What a mean workman would God be, if so narrow an Intellect as that of Man could comprehend the whole frame of the work of his hands? And if this be so high a disparagement to his workmanship, what is the other to his Being? 
a B. Hall, Contem. Angel and Zach.  If Reason will be encroaching upon the bounds of Faith, she is presently taken captive by Infidelity. We are not fit to follow Christ if we have not denied ourselves, and the chief piece of ourselves is our Reason. Such objections which make Sarah serve Hagar, which make Faith the handmaid o● Reason, are unworthy a serious examination. No arguments are suggested to the Socinians by the Oracles of God: no such mud hath commerce with these Waters of Life: no such corrupt Fruit is brought forth by this Tree of Life: this Pot of Manna gives admission to no such Worm: the Word written testifies that Christ is the Word eternal. Yet these men endeavour to extract their poison ou● of this physic of the So●l; which I shall declare in examin●●● one of ●heir Objections from Scripture which I find 
b Fulgent. ●bject. Ar. discuss.  in Fulgentius, whereby will be discovered, that what the profane 
a Apud Episcop. El. Resp. ad Bellarm. apolog. pag. 260. Scriptura inst●r v●gin● est, quae quemlibet gladium admittit, etiam plumbeum vel ligneum.  Costerus asserted concerning the Scripture, they strive to verify; to wit, that it is a Sheath which will admit any kind of Sword, even a leaden or wooden one.  
Object. 
7 §.  What is Man that he should pry into the arcana of his Maker? If he will soar alo●t and face the Sun, the just recompense of his labour in vain is to be scorched and sent back headlong. What the Scripture proclaims as dubious, and not attainable by the most sublimated endeavours of mortality, that Man must not dare to resolve by a peremptory determination: But the Scripture speaks expressly, 
b Isa. 53. 8.  Who shall declare his Generation? therefore it is high presumption thus to determine, The Generation of Jesus Christ is an eternal Generation.  
Respons. Thus to determine is not with too curious an eye to peep into the Ark, or to encroach upon the mysteries of heaven: But this is to resound the common voice of Scripture. As for the place al●edged, it is sent of a wrong errand, and comes in here to no purpose. For to assert the eternal Generation of Christ, is not to declare his Generation: for that speaks a particular explication of the manner of his Generation, and denotes the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, whenas we contend only for the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Hear how the Elegant 
a Fulg. Obj. Ar. disc. Resp. ●d 1. ●bj.  Fulgentius defeats this weak enemy. Quia Filii generatio enarrabilis est, ignorabilis non est: neque enim consequens est, ut quod non potest enarrari non potest sciri; cùm nullus Deum val●at enarrare, nec impunè tamen liceat ali●ui ignorare. 
b Et paul●●●frd V●ram filii nativita te● datum vobis est cognoscere; licet datum non f●● qualiter na●us fuit enar●are. Propheta non dixit, Generationem ejus quis cogno●it? sed, quis decl●ravit?  'Tis not consequential arguing from a not-declaring to a not-knowing: A declaration of God is not possible with man; and yet an ignorance of God shall not go unpunished. We say then concerning the eternal Generation of Christ, what the Great 
c Tilen▪ syntag. Theolog. de Deo ess. uno perso●is ●●ino.  Tilenus hath written concerning the unsearchable trinunity, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} satìs perspicuè tradit Scriptura, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} verò ipsis quoque Angelis est {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. That it is so, we have the evidence of the Scripture; but in what manner it is, we have the Ignorance even of the Angels.  
By this single Instance it may appear, how the polluted breath of the Socinians soileth the lustre of the brightest steel, how their corrupt Glosses obscure the perspicuity of Scripture. And, in my opinion, in these 
a Jud. 16. 19  locks of their perverting God's volume, in their evasions of places which proclaim aloud the falsity of their tenants, lieth their chief strength. As the followers of the P●olemaicall system have, by their Cycles and Epicycles, eccentrics and concentrics, put the Planets into an heavenly labyrinth and a learned perplexity: so these men by their Distinctions and criticisms, and Shifts and quirks, make the most plain Scriptures inevident, and put a cloud upon the clearest Truths; making a Labyrinth of a clue, and a wilderness of a well-shaped Grove. Whereupon it is necessary that they be encountered by able Champions.  
Now you Lovers of Christ that are men of Learned strength, 
8 §.  come out to fight the battle of Jesus, to help the Lord against the mighty. Quit yourselves like men against this uncircumci●ed Goliath. Take 
a 1 Sam. 17. 40.  stones out of the Scripture, the brook of the water of Life, which may make this Monster surrender his being: fling them with so powerful an arm, that these dogs may not so much as snarl. Give these heretics no rest till you have led them captive. Men of that rank will construe your Silence, though out of contempt, an Overthrow. Fight 
b 1 King. ●2. 31.  neither with great errors, if they be buried in silence and not revived, (if such a supposition may take place in these days, wherein all Heresies of former Ages live again by a diabolical {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}) neither with small errors, they being not so malignly influential upon Christian practice: but principally pursue this King of heresy. Make no delay. 
a 2 Chron. 20. 17.  To morrow go out against him, and the Lord will be with you.  
Now if any man should call upon me with an Ede tua, 
9 §.  you who are thus zealous for this cause, make the attempt yourself; I must reply, by way of Apology, that my slender accomplishments are unfit for so weighty a work, my strength bears no proportion to my will. Yet although I am not of ability to perform the race, I have not been wholly wanting, but have brought this spur, to quicken men sufficient for these things. I have here brought this drop, making as ample a contribution towards the extinguishing of these unhappy flames as was producible by my weak Endeavours. The tribute of these lines is abundantly due unto the God of Caesar: Now 
b Greg. Epist. before his Observ.  Rays of incidency contract no warmth if they be not reflected back towards their original sun. And I should have manifestly declared, that the beamings of the Sun of Righteousness had not enkindled in me reciprocal flames, if I should have denied to rebound all my received talents towards the redemption of his honour. These poor mites, with the favourable influence of heaven, may tend to the advancement of the glory of my Saviour. For 
a Gazzi pia ●ilaria. adinit.  

Est in tenuibus & pusillis reculis  
Laus Optimique Maxim●q●e maxima.   

Small matters do afford  
Great praise to the great Lord.   Now 
b M. Geo. Herbert in his Letter to the ●ranslat. of Jo. Valde●●. Div. Considera.  as the devout Herbert spoke concerning Valdesso's Considerations, which mention with reverence and frequency the name of Christ; I will say concerning these few pages which mention the Deity of Christ, with a desire to have that doctrine res●ued, that, Were there nothing else, I would print them, that with them the honour of my Lord might be p●blished.   

CHAP. V.  
A Censure of the vanity of affecting Epitaphs, with a declaration of their uselesseness: where, by way of preamble, of the fitness of decent Sepulture, occasioned by the neglect of many Sectaries, who bury a dog with as much solemnity as a Christian.  
IT is not the part of a Man to exercise care and vigilancy over but one Part of Man. 
1 §.  To be somewhat ceremonious about the Body, is neither Dotage nor Superstition: Dust requires a Grave, Ashes an urn. Let such as 
a Apud Te●t. ad● Marc. l. ● p. 324.  Martion declaim against their material part, and spit the venom of their malice against the handiwork of their creator. Let such as 
a Apud P. Gassend. in lib. 10. Diog. Laert. circa pag. 5●0.  Epicu●us, who terminate their hopes at the approach of Death, and ch●rish no after-considerations, expose the breathless Body to hardship and incivilities.  
Indeed, 
2 §.  the rude and Eth●ick inhabitants of the Scythian Province Bactra 
b Canes apud illos alunt quos sepulchrales vocant, quibus parents morbo aetateve confectos objiciunt dilacerandos. One●●crit.  have their sepulchral Dogs, and in their bellies do savagely en●omb the bodies of the Aged: at which customary Folly amongst these people I cannot cease to wonder, since they had a King, a man of sublimated reason, and the 
c Z●roa●tres Rex Bactriano●●um primus dicitur ar●es Magi●as inve●isse. Ju●tin. Hist. ●ib. 1.  Primitive searcher into the Arcana of Nature, which hath pregnant 
d As 1 Cor. 5. 36. in grain, and in the reviving a plant out of i●'s ashes, &c.  semblances of the Re●urrection. Maecenas also is wholly regardless of his en●errment, and must needs declare so much in a poetical line, Non tumulum curo, sepelit Natura relictos. And I wonder not at his careless mind, since he was practically ignorant of a future state, and by his debauched and dissolute carriage had 
a Teste Petro de Loier lib. de Spect●. & Appar. c. 6. p. 59  made his Body itself a Sepulchre containing nothing but corruption: since it was an object offensive to all the Senses, and a morsel ready prepared for the Palates of Worms. Diogenes throughout his whole life treated the companion of his Soul with harsh usage and severity: and at his death was not willing to gratify it with so much as a Tub for its protection. He desired no other 
b Cic. Tus. quaes. lib. 1. jussit cadaver suum inhumatum rejici.  Canopy besides the curtains of Heaven, and would not condescend so far as to lie below the superficies of the Earth. 
c Quaerentibus amicis, volucrib●sne & feris corpus suum dilaniandum vellet relin▪ qui, Minime, inquit, sed bacillum apud me, quo illos abigam, to●ito●e. Cic▪ ibid.  When his friends, out of a courteous intent, intimated to him how, by this means, he would expose his Body to the cruelty of Birds and Beasts; he replied in no fairer language than this scoff, Provide me a stick which I may have in readiness to prevent their approach. Neither is this worthy to be entertained with an admiring thought, for Dogs will bark at the Moon herself, and a cynic will snarl at the brightest actions.  
But true Christians have learned otherwise, 
3 §.  and allow that which Christ hath redeemed a civil deposition, a decent Repose. Adam had a worthy Sepulchre, which 
a D. Kellet in miscellan. of Div. videat●r c. 5. p. 13.  some affirm to have been Calvary, 
b Aquin. 3. pars qu. 46. art. 10. 3.  others in Hebron, but few deny to have been. Likewise Abraham and Isa●c had rich and stately sepulchers in 
c Erasm schol. in Epist. Hier. ad Marcellam.  Arbe in the tribe of Judah. 
d 2 Paral. 35. 24. sepul●us in Mausoleo patrum.  Josiah was buried in the Mausoleum of his Fathers, according to the Vulgar Translation. And Saint 
e Hier. Ep. ●o. 1. Epist. ad Ma●c. In David. ●rare mausoleo.  Jerome makes mention of the Mausoleum of David. Even the heathenish Babylonians were ceremonious about the dead body, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, according 
f Herod. Clio, cap. 198  to Herodotus, with much solemnity they buried it in honey. So likewise were the Egyptians, who buried it in 
g {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, Herod. Thalia, cap. 24.  glass; a perspicuous emblem of its frail constitution. What the crafty Vibulenus 
a Apud Tacit. Annal. l. 1. c. 22. ubi cadaver ●bj●ce●is? 〈◊〉 hostes quidem sepul. turam invident.  spoke pathetically to Blaesus is true and ancient, Even Enemies deny not burial to each other. The Jews, that denied their Messiah life, objected not a word, that we read of, against his having a Sepulchre. He was entombed by 
b Joseph of Ar. Mark 15. & Nicod. John 19  noble hands, and not without usual ceremonies: and laud abiliter commemor antur in Evangelio qui corpus ejus de cruce acceptum diligenter atque honorifice tegendum atque sepeliendum curarunt, their praise is in the gospel who were offious in this kind, according to 
c August. l. 1. de Civit. Dei, c. 13.  S. Augustine's observation. If we will credit 
d Plin. lib. 11. Nat. hist. c. 18.  Pliny, we may descend a step lower, and contemplate funeral Exequies in the Commonwealth of Bees: Apes defunctas progerunt, & funer more comitantur exequias. Christ pronounced 
e Mat. 23. 29.  a Woe against the Scribes and Pharisees building the sepulchers of the Prophets, and adorning the monuments of the just: thereby 
f Non reprehendit quod ●dificarent sepulchra prophetaru●●, sed quod hepocritic● animo ●oc facerent & ambi●ioso. Bredem●ach. in locum.  not reprehending the act simply considered, and in itself, which was good and warrantable; but that which attended it, to wit, their vanity and ostentation; they endeavouring to palliate their more secret crimes, and gild them over with exterior performances, and to seem to the world to be zealous followers of those whose very places of burial they so studiously preserved: which Christ, the searcher of their hearts, perceived, and intimated so much whilst he called them Hypocrites. Civil rites performed upon the Body after the dislodging of the Soul, speak aloud our hopes of their reunion. The acute Doctor of the Gentiles draws an Argument as powerful as a cloud of witnesses, to testify the Re●urrection, out of the 
a 1 Cor. 15. 29.  water in which the Corinthians immersed the body in their funeral solemnities. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman};  
But the affectation of Epitaphs is 
4 §.  justly censurable, and the practice trivial and useless. Most of those who have been so passionately transported as to write their own Epitaphs, have thereby eternised their Pride and Haughtyness, which above all things abhors a Register; and whereby to be immortal is to condescend to the design of the obscure Herostratus. For instance consider that in 
a Aul. Gel. Noct. Att. l, 1. c. 24.  A. Gellius of the Poet C. Naevius, 
Immortales Mortales flere si foret fas,  
Flerent Divae Camoenae Naevium Poetam.  Or that of 
b Graec. Epig. l. 3.  Julian, into which he thrust a verse out of the third of the Iliads, dedicated by the pen of Homer to the immortality of Agamemnon, who was 
c Agam. quem Alexander magnus pra●mnibus probavit. Obsopaeus  prized by Alexander the Great above all other Worthies. Or that upon the famed 
d Of Dr. Caius in his Coll. chapel.  lateral Monument of England, Fui Caius, I was Caius. Or that of him, who in good opinion of himself went beyond those of China, supposing himself to have two Eyes, and adjudging all the learned world besides to blindness, Scaligeri quod reliquum est, Here's all that remains of the great Scaliger. In all which the authors afford themselves most emphatical commendations.  
As for Epitaphs, 
5 §.  they were of 
a Their Orig. was from the Scholars of the Heathen Poet Li●us, upon their Master: whence Aelinus.  Pagan institution, and can ple●d nothing but prescription, and that more Heathenish than Christian. Throughout the whole Book of God honourable mention is made of Sepul●ure, none of Epitaphs. And Christians, whose monuments have been thus scribbled, for the most part have had their Epitaphs forced upon their executioners by some poetical Sycophant, some purse-milking rhymer; or else too willingly contributed by some stinging satirist, an avowed enemy of the deceased person. Indeed Epitaphs abstracted from the interest of persons, and considered without the bias of prejudice or officiousness, may pass ●olerably in a notion; but the practice will always be accompanied with the forementioned associates.  
The learned 
a M. Camden in his Remains.  Clarenceaux enumerates four uses of Epitaphs; 
6 §.  which, I suppose, he reckons according to the common opinion of those that affect them, and not according to his particular judgement: for than I should scarce presume so highly as to contradict that knowing worthy; although I am not ignorant, that a man may err by great Example, and that Nullum magnum ingenium est sine mixtura dementiae, is a Truth in reference to Principles as well as practices.  
The first pretended use is, 
7 §.  Love showed in them to the deceased. But composers of Epitaphs strive to show their Wit, not their Love. He showed neither, who made himself and his subject ridiculous to after-Ages by the composing of this Epitaph; 
Hic jacet in requie Woodcock John, vir generosus,  
Major Londoniae, Mercerus valde morosus.  Or the Author of that upon William Longspee base son to Hen. 2. by Rosamond daughter to Walter Lord Clifford, in a simple allusion to his name, 
Flos Comitum, Willielmus cognomine Longus  
Ensis, vaginam coepit habere brevem.  There be passages enough for thee to vent thy Love, and more perhaps than thou wilt willingly make use of; and those of a more noble strain. As by being pathetically ceremonious in the decent 
a Gen. 3. 19 Pulvis es, & in pulverem reverteris.  restitution of his Body; as did the Egyptian Queen towards the departed M. Anthony. By a vindication of his Credit, if called in question by malevolent tongues: As 
b Tertul. Apol. c. 38. Diog. Laert. l. 10. Seneca l. de vita beata.  many have showed kindness to Epicurus, in wiping off the aspersions of his sensuality and brutish behaviour, by showing his obedience to the 
c Hieron. Ep. to. 2. lib. 2. adv. Jovin. Epicurus' volupta●is assertor om●es libros suos replevit holeribus & po●is, & vilibus cibis dicit esse vivendum; qui● carnes & exquisitae epulae majorem poenam habent in inquirendo, quam usum in abutendo.  Stoics {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, and declaring that his pursuit was after Spirits, not Dregs; after the refined Pleasure of the Mind, not the feculent delight of the Body. By Liberality of head and hand, in counselling or relieving those of Consanguinity or Familiarity with thy deceased Friend: contrary to the practice of 
a Pedro Mexia, Hist. Rom. Imp. in Iust. 2.  Justinian the second, who having lost his kingdom and Nose by the cruelty of the Usurper Leontius, and being, after a tedious exile, repossessed of the former, caused some of the friends of Leontius to be put to death, as often as he would have wiped his Nose if he had had it. If thy friend was a good man, endeavour not to express thy love in Verse; for that will be a vain attempt, for thou wilt go beyond his worth, and turn Parasite: now Love and Flattery Non bene conveniunt, scarce admit of a mutual Copulation. Follow him, not with the feet of a poetical Fancy, but with the feet of a godly Conversation: and therein will be the expression of thy Love towards him and his; for so his Memory survives in thee, whilst thou treadest in his steps, and thou livest thy Friend over again. Herein will the fire of thy Love sparkle and shine forth, in that thou art so diffusive of thy goodness towards his friends, as to continue in thee the good example which was set before them in him; abolished by Death to their Detriment, but revived by thee to their Benefit. If thy Friend whom Death hath taken into possession was, whilst living, a whelp of the roaring Lion, a son of his father the devil, a drop belonging to the bottomless pit, when thou writest his Epitaph, thou blottest out thine own love. Thou she west not thy Affection, but thy Indiscretion, in the discovery of his nakedness, and in the exposing to public view of present and future times the deviations of his life. Now if thou writest, thou art bound to do this by the law of Sincerity, which lays an engagement upon thee to decipher him with the pencil of truth; and not, where he is defic●ent, to add colour of thine own: as Xenophon is supposed to have done in his Cyrus, and is therefore accounted by some a Painter rather than an Historian, a setter of a Pattern for a good Prince, not a writer of a Description of a Prince so good. The most sensible evidence of thy Love to such a person, which can come within the compass of imagination, is, not the writing of his Epitaph, but the not transcribing of so foul a Copy; the making him one of thine Antipodes, and not making him still live by thine imitation: for hereby, in probability, thou wilt cease from contributing more links to his everlasting chains, from heaping more coals upon his head, who is in the midst of an intolerable Furnace. For so some make conjecture from the importunity of 
a Luc. 16. 27.  Dives in the wilderness of Hell with Abraham in the typified Canaan for a Monitor for his Brethren, that, since there is not a spark of true Charity in the flames of Hell, and that they only harbour a self-respect, the Torments of the Damned receive addition according to the extensiveness of their bad Example in the practice of their followers.  
The second pretended use is, 
8 §.  that thereby the Memory is continued to Posterity. But how is this agreeable to Epitaphs in their minority? unto the custom in their first inst●tution? when they were only mournful Dirges sighed out with affectionate lungs at the interment of the dead, existing only viuâ voce, and dying with that breath which gave them life. Gordianus lives, and his memory is with us until this day, notwithstanding 
a It is pe●ished, though it was in 5. languages▪  the fivefold dissolution of his Epitaph. The memory of Adrian must needs be conveyed to us after a more comely manner then that of his Horse; and yet time hath spared the Beasts Epitaph, but not his Masters. Noble achievements and Learned accomplishments will transmit the Memory to after-ages, without the favour of the tongue of an Epitaph, and in despite of the teeth of Time; 
Nam neque Pyramidum sumptus ad sidera ducti, 
b Propert.   
Nec Iovis Elei coelum imitate domus,  
Nec Mausolei dives fortuna sepulchri,  
Mortis ab extrema conditione vacant.  
At non ingenio quaesitum nomen ab aevo  
Excidet: Ingenio stat sine morte decus.  To which may be joined that of the Lofty Virgil, 
Marmora Maeonii vincunt monumenta libelli: 
virg.   
Vivitur ingenio, caetera mortis erunt.  Caesar will live till the funeral of the world in his Commentaries: and Cardan, in his own opinion, 
a Stella Fomahan● immortalem da. bit. Card.  in his Fomahant. Horace was persuaded that his poetical feet would carry him to Immortality, and make his Name durable beyond brazen Statues and stately Pyramids. 

b Horat. Carm. l. 3. ode 30.  Exegi monumentum aere perennius,  
Regalique situ Pyramidum altius.  And Naso told the world, he should live to the end of it in his Metamorphosis: 
Jamque opus exegi quod nec Iovis ira● nec ignis,  
Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas.  Neither of them trusted to the courtesy of an Epitaph to enrol their names in an everlasting Register. If the party that hath felt the arrow of death, was o● a bad life and an inglorious Name, ways had need be invented to obliterate, not to perpetuate, his Memory. What well-regulated mind would desire to be●● remem●red like Thersites for his cowardice? or to exist like Herostratus to succeeding years (and as many subsist in this present Age) by the firing of a Temple?  
Some Epitaphs take notice only of an empty title, as that upon the tomb of that famous Rowland Nephew to Charles le magne, slain in the battle of Roncivalles, and interred at Blauz in Xantogne, which declared that he was 
a Selden. Tit. of Honour, part. 2. cap. 5.  Primus Comes Palatinus. And some make mention only of a bare Name, as that 
b Holland in vita ●jus.  of him who was called by those of his Sect, Angliae Res●aura●or Depositum Cardinalis Poli. And how doth the Memory of worthy mortals ride in triumph to futurity by such despicable supporters? Few Generous spirits are of Cardan's mind, 
a Cuperem notum esse quod sim▪ non opto u● scia●ur qualis sim Cardan. i● vita prop.  who desired only that it might be known That he was, not, What he was.  
The third pretended use is, 
9 §.  that hereby the Friends of the dead are comforted. Here every Epitaph is supposed to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} commendatory, which is therefore {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} consolatory, according to 
b Erasm. ● Epit. Ne● pot. Hie● ep. ad He●●iod. Na● aequiore ● nimo fer●● mus● mo● tem nostr●● rum▪ si cu●● laude d●● cesserint 〈◊〉 &c.  Erasmus; because the mind is the more calm and serene, when the departed hath left behind him a good Report. There is no mind so replenished with contradiction, as to d●ny that it is comfort to the surviving, 
c Lipsius● Epist. cem● 5. Ep. 7●● ad H. V. post matris obitum. Magna vobis consolatio (tibi ac s●● rori dico) quod piè vixerit, &c.  when their dead relations go out, not like a Candle, but leave a fragrancy and lustre behind them, when they go into the land of rottenness and the shadow of Death. But consider, that the Flowers strewed upon the Grave of the deceased are even always more beautiful than those to whom their Merits gave birth. It would have been imagined that the Epitaph of Cyrus could scarce have admitted an Hyperbole; and yet 
a Flattery the worst ●n manners. Selden in Epist. before Tit. ●f Honour.  that which is the worst in manners did take place in so high a degree, that 
b Quid am●lius prae ●tenti & ●m●ortali Deo tribui●us, fi quod 〈◊〉 propri●m est eri●imus? Bo●in. de Re. ●ub. lib. 1. ● ult.  God was debased in his exaltation: that what was attempted by 
c Isa. 14. ●4.  Lucifer, and commanded by 
d Domi●●m se ac ●eum ap●llari jus●● Domitianus. Xiph. & Suet. in vit●. Mart. ep. l. 5. ep. 8. Edictum ●omini Deique nostri.  Domitian, was ascribed to him, to be 
e 1 Tim. 6. 15. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  like the most High; for on his Tomb was 
f Eustath. ad Dionys. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Strabo Geogr. l. 15.  written for an Epitaph in Persian Characters {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Certainly this could not be a cordial to his fainting Friends; this wind of Ostentation could not blow over their showers of Tears; this fire of Pride would rather melt their cloudy thoughts into mournful waters. Could there possibly have been knowledge of this in the Grave, that modest Prince would not have lain dry. Parallel to this is the Epitaph of that Martel of France, mentioned by 
a Selden Tit. Hon. p●rt 1. c. 2. out of Hi●rom Bignon.  M. Selden out of a French Author, Non vult regnare, sed regibus imperat ipse. The Comfort administered to the living at the death of their beloved Friends is, their being registered in the book of God, not their being recorded with praise in an Epitaph by man. If the deceased was not a guilelesse Israelite, no lively branch of the true Vine, no sprig of the tree of Life, but a fruitless branch fit for unquenchable fire, his Epitaph will be a memorial of his evil, and so administer a conduit of tears for Sorrow, not a cruse of oil for Joy. 
b Isidor.  Illi deplorandi sunt in morte quos miseros infernus ex hac vita recipit.  
But what if thy deceased Friend meets with a 
c Fuit M●r●ialis ingen●o acri, et qui in scribendo et plurimum salis haberet et fellis. C. Plin. apud P. Crinitum in vita Mart.  Martial to write his Epitaph? How art thou comforted concerning him if he meets with ink which hath salt mixed with it? if the writer of his Epitaph hath in the place of a pen, the point of a Diamond, which cutteth glass, defaceth the perspicuity of his name? What if he meets with a Poet, who, Pilat-like, crucifies him with a Superscription? How comfortable to the pensive spirit of a Mourner is such an Epitaph as Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury obtained, who was notable only for a single exorbitancy, and that too such an one as, if laid in the balance of these times, would not be found too light, but pass for currant, to wit, his being a little sacrilegious, and a disciple to Simon Magus? His Epitaph was no other than this, 
Hic jacet Herodes Herode ferocior; hujus  
Inquinat infernum spiritus, oss a solum.  
Herod more fierce than Herod here doth dwell;  
His Body Earth defiles, his Spirit Hell.   
The fourth pretended use is, 
10 §.  that hereby the Reader is put in mind of human Frailty. But all Epitaphs have not mementoes of Mortality: as for instance, that of 
a Grae●. Ep. l. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, &c.  Q. Metellus is one of the number, rendered in Latin thus by 
b Obsop. Comm. in Graec. Ep.  Obsopaeus, 
Nè mea praeteriens culpes monumenta, Viator:  
Nil dignum lachrymis fata tulere mihi.  I acknowledge that some of them are spent in the discovery of the brittle estate of man, declaring that even in his pomp and bloom he may fade and wither. Where by the way I cannot but take notice how gross a solecism is committed in most of them which are in Villages: their beginnings, for the most part, are with a Siste, viator, or heus Peripatetice, by which are denoted travellers about their affairs, who pass by with speed, and taking small notice of things, being in transitu. Now how improper is this in Parish Churches? few roads lying through these temples, and few foot-paths through the King of Heaven's highway.  
I grant this, that Epitaphs have in them some characters representing a death's head, that they contain lessons of Mortality; and every man must grant also, that this is wholly needless, for the stones themselves with which the Monument is built will speak so much: the Monument itself is of the selfsame use, it being 
a Monumentum ●monendo nos esse mortales.  to admonish us of our Frailty. A Common Grave is of sufficient height to give a prospect of the confines of Mortality, to give a view of the transitory existence of mankind. The Sepulchre of what kind soever is sufficiently expressive of that▪ Now Colour upon Colour is ill Heraldry; and a super-addition, a superfluity.  
Thus having shaked these four branches, 
11. §.  I am not able to gather from thence those fruits which men of pregnant fancy have created to themselves. 
Conclusion.  And now, if herein I have transgressed the limits of a sober disquisition, and am blame-worthy for not exhibiting a less peremptory censure, (which my hope suggests will not be charged upon me) I crave the pardon of my judicious Reader, and am already upon my Knees: for it is not my Ambition to walk above others with an exalted crest, or to tread contrary to others with the foot of Singularity.   

CHAP. VI.  
A Censure of the common evil Practice of pretenders to Religion, viz, their running to one Extreme to avoid another, in Doctrine or Worship▪  
AN eye less sparkling than that of Lynceus is quick enough to discern the woeful desolation of our English Zion. 
1 §.  Our magnificent Diana is too apparently laid in ashes, and it's Lovers clad in sackcloth, by the followers of Herostratus. England had a Church which was the most exact transcript of the original, the most lively pattern of Primitive constitution: but its native lustre is ●efaced by the envious Galliardize of a titular Reformation. We may take up the assertion of 
a Hier. Ep. ad Heliodorum. Epit. Nepot.  S. Jerome concerning the calamities of the Church in general, and apply it in particular to the miseries of our own. 
b Duos historiae Principes nominat, alterum Graecae, alterum Roma, nae; & Fabius Thucydidi oppenit Salustium, Herodoto Livium. Erasm▪ Schol. in locum.  Ad haec meritò explicanda & Thucydides & Salustius muti sint, If a complete narration were required, both Thucydides and Sallust might become tongue-tied.  
If Ambition and Avarice be excepted, 
2 §.  that which hath acted the largest part in these tragical Combustions hath been the fiery zeal of some pretending Reformers, whereby they endeavoured not to purge, but burn up the Romish Church; to frame a new Church which was not, and not to repair the Church which was: they would be parents to beget a Church, not physicians to heal one: they, like 
a Novis●● ma verb●Plut. de super.. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} &c.  those in Plutarch's time, embraced atheism and Profanation, to avoid Superstition. Happy had been their eyes, if they had not overlooked the decency observable in the Church of England, wherein some 
b Init. Pre Com.  Ceremonies were abolished, and some retained; wherein flourished the happy mediocrity betwixt the 
c Prov. 3● 8.  riches of ceremonious vanity, and the poverty of atheistical rudeness. It would have been worth their animadversion to have considered, That in the Geography of Religion, the Torrid zone is not under the Aequator but under the Poles; That the Extremes are dangerous, and the Mean amiable; That as he that is in a 
d Aurea● quisquis mediocritatem Diligit, tut● caret obs● leti Sord●bus tecti, caret invi dendâ Sobrius aulâ. Hor. Ca● l. 2. od. 1▪  middle condition, is neither the object of the finger nor of the envy of the world; so he is with Jesus, that is betwixt two Thieves, neither of which can ever challenge the Epithet of Good. But these men make no Isthmus betwixt Scylla and Charybdis: they walk not as strangers, but as Antipodes to the Pope. Because the Papist calls upon Saints, the Puritan will not call them Saints. Because the Papist sometimes even 
a ● MS. hist ●S. Walst.  prefers Saints before God, the Puritan abaseth Saints even below men. Thus Chin●s hat defies the Courtship of Tartary's shoe. Thus if the 
b— By ●ean of ●alston ●d God's ●●ace. Hor. ser. ●. sat. 2.  raiment of Malthinus covers all, and sweeps the superficies of the earth, the rest will so epitomise their garb, that those parts of the body at whose non-concealment nature blu●●eth will be destitute of a veil. 
Malthinus tunicis demissis ambu●at, est qu●  
Inguen ad obscaenum subductis usque facetꝰ.  Thus is one affecteth only Matrons, the others arms are closed to all but the maintainers of a Brothel-hou●e. 

c Horat. ●d.  Nil medium est; sunt qui nolint tetigisse nis●illas  
Quarum subsut à talos tegat instita veste;  
Contrà, alias nullam nisi olen●i in fornice stantem.  Thus folly runs against a Rock to escape the violence of a Wave. Stulti dum vitant vitia in contraria currunt. One party must be Antarctick to the other, and the mean neglected. 
a Hier. ad●Vigilant. Episcopos Vigilantiu sui sceler● dicitur h●●ere consortes, si 〈◊〉 men Episcopi nomi nandi su● qui non ordinant Di aconos ni● pris uxo● res duxe rint.  Vigilantius is of this opinion, that Deacons must of necessity have she-Associates: whilst he thus imposeth a wife upon the clergyman, the Romanist denies him the solace of a meet help, and will sooner allow him an 
b Turpissimum est quod Officiales permittunt Clericos cum Cencubinis▪ meretricibus & pellicibus co●abitare, liberos procreare sinunt, accepto ab iis certo quotannis censu. Espen●aeus in Tits. cap. primo.  Harlot than an Espouse: whilst the true doctrine hath its situation in the middle, and gives a liberty to live in a virginal or matrimonial estate, according to every man's 
c 1 Cor. 7. 7.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, his proper gift and capacity. True Christian liberty stands — partes ubi se via findit in ambas, betwixt wild licentiousness, and tyrannical Restraint. 
d Remonst. Conf. Fidei in Praefal.  Libertate abutitur tam qui ejus fibulam nimis licenter laxat, quàm qui nimis arctè astringit: Extrema omnia vitanda sunt, & mediocritati litandum, quae tyrannidem inter & vagam atque effraenem licentia● media consistit. The true doctrine of providence is in the middle, and hath on one hand the blind fortune of Epicureans, and on the other the irony fatality of the Stoics and 
a Rem. ib. p. 6. de rovid. p. 3.  Praedestinarians. The learned 
b Bellarm. ontrov. to. Praef. ● 2. Conov. Gen. ●nto●ar●re in ●tanca●m invehuntur, ut interim ad scopulum ipsi longè duriorem navicu●m suam allidant; dum enim utrique naturae Christi M●diatoris of●cia tribuunt, divinam Christi naturam et à Patris n●tura distin●unt, et rem creatam cum Arianis faciunt.  Bellarmine chargeth the Tigurine and Geneva Ministers with complying with Arius, out of a passionate vehemency against Stancarus: But this is judged to be a causeless exprobration.  
If these Reformers proclaim Rome wholly Babel, 
3 §.  and to have nothing of Bethel; wholly Whore, and to have nothing of the Spouse; a den of Thieves, and not at all to ●e called the house of Prayer; If they be hot, and Rome cold; they fire, and Rome water; If they not only go but run from Rome, it will be a means, ut si veritas occultata jampridem sit, in aeternum jaceat consepulta, (as 
a Gassend Exerc. Pa●radox. Ex● 2●. p. 24▪  Gassendus spoke of Authority in Philosophy) to keep the Candle eternally under a bushel, to hide the light of Truth from the eyes of both. Whereas if these would abate of their Presbyterian Anarchy, those of their papal Supremacy; these of their Extemporary Service, those of the superfluities and vanities of their mass; these of their solifidianness, those of their meritorious works; these of their 
b Hos. 13 9  perditio tua ex Deo, their absolute Reprobation, those of their salus tua ex te, their Condignities, Congruities and Super-erogations; these of their Irreverence, those of their ceremoniousness in God's house, and so in other Extreme particulars; there might be an hopeful Reconciliation of Parties and Opinions, and a gladsome resurrection of the buried glory of the Church of England.   

CHAP. VII.  
A Censure of the common evil practice of Railing against an Adversary in Opinion.  
TRuth is so radiant in itself, 
1 §.  that it needs not fetch lustre from the disgrace of another. Flinging dirt upon an error tends not to the beautifying of the face of Truth. He that blots his adversary's name, may defame his Person, but not de●ace his Opinion. The fire of Contumely will not burn up a falsehood, but it serves only to make the spirit of the maintainer so much the more to boil over. Rancour in dispute is as oil poured upon the flame, which is so far from an extinguishing, that it is an increasing of its rage. As an uttering of some Truths to an Enemy 
a Veritas o●●um parit. Gal. 4. 16.  brings an odium upon the speaker: so the Obloquy of the speaker brings an odium upon every Truth. The violent striking of the tongues of Luther and the Pope against each other, was a way too irregular to produce the sparks of Truth, and a practice which deserved a reprehension. Ill language proceeds not with decency out of a David's mouth, though he be a man of war: and 
b Zach. 14. 20.  holiness to the Lord is a Motto to be engraven upon the bridle of the Horse, though a warlike beast. The Ministers duty 
c Tit. 1. 9  is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, to confute a Gainsayer with Arguments, not with obloquys. 
d 1 Sam. 17. 40.  Smooth stones are most likely to give an overthrow to the Goliath of heresy.  
The razor cuts not the better for its rough edge. In the Act kept betwixt the archangel and the evil angel, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, the Champion of Truth dares not adventure upon foul terms wherewith to asperse the Patron of falsehood; his proceeding is with modesty, not with malice; he 
a Jude 9  implores an increpation from the Almighty, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, The Father of Lights rebuke thee the father of lies. If the 
b Cynegirus amputatâ dextrâ, navem finistrâ comprehendit: quam et i●sam c●m amisisset, po●tremùm navem norsu detinuit. Justin. lib. 2.  hands of Arguments will not do, 'tis in vain to endeavour to hold the ship of Truth by the teeth of Rancour.  
If a man errs in fundamentals, 
2. §.  and yet deserves not to be called by the worst name imaginable, to wit, an heretic, that is, if he hath not so passionately espoused his 
c Errare potero, haereticus no● ero. Aug. Haeres●s ab haerendo dicitur; ideo siquis ex levitate sentiat in aliquo oppositum Fidei, non dicitur haereticus, nis● vehementer seu ex electione (quae etiam Prohaerefis dicitur) inhaere● suae opinioni. Durand. in Sent. l. 4. dist. 13. qu. 5.  Opinion, but that he will give it a divorce, if by a clear conviction he find it Adulterate; he is to be assaulted with Shot out of reason's armoury, with palpable Demonstration, at the appearance of which he resolves to surrender; and not with the Flashes out of Passions furnace, at the approach of which he is forced into a suspicion of his adversary's weakness: for that Cause may justly be deemed to want the patronage of Arguments, and consequently of Truth, which is pleaded for only with a multiplicity of words, and those unsavoury. If the man be somewhat scurrilous, the way to make him a Proselyte is by the Courtship of fair language. And it is the most compendious way, to invite a man of a serene spirit to a closer embrace of what he holds, to urge against him no stronger Arguments than those which are deduced from the topic of a virulent Tongue: to have no other weapons brought against him then what every weak 
a Convitiis & diris He●culem vincet muliercula. Clam. Reg. sang. ad coel. pag. 20.  Woman, every Xantippe, can afford, to wit, the Sword of the Tongue, 
b Psal. 57 5.  and the Arrows of bitter words.  
It will be surmised, that these feet of Clay are not the attendants on an head of Gold, yea, that there is no Head, where there is so much Foot; no Reason that can prove, where there is nothing but kicking, which can nothing but provoke; that these Maculae contrary to the 
a Descartes.  Philosopher's, are inconsistent with solid particles: and what 
b Amb. in Psal. 118.  S. Ambrose hath delivered, will be rightly objected, Quem Veritate non potest, lacerate Convitiis.  

c In his Cathol. Eng. against the Apol. of K. James, parag. 1.  Parsons, notwithstanding he wanted nothing but a glass at any time to view the Effigies of a Rai●er, yet he censureth this practice as unworthy; and makes use of an instance of the lowest degree, taxing King James with an Incivility, for calling the Romish Champion, Master Bellarmine.  
If a man errs in fundamentals, 
3 §.  and superadds Contumacy to his Mistake; if he be one quem non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris; if he be adder-eared, and hath attained to the extremity of deafness that he will not hear; if he stops his ears against persuasions advancing soberly under evident Reason; if he will not attend to those of the 
d N●que a● liunde haereses obortae sunt aut nata sunt sehismata, quàm indè, quod sacerdoti Dei non obtem. peratur. Cyprian. Epist. l. 1. Ep. 3. Corn. ●ra●ri, p. 6.  Tribe of Levi when they lift up their voices as trumpets in Exhortations and Rebu●es, or to the thunder of a delivery to Satan; if after all these Batteries he stands out without remorse, and lays out the utmost of his ability that others may join with his heretical conceptions, and that Truth may not be struck at only with his single hand; to this man reproachful words will be no Bridles to restrain, but spurs to hasten him in his mad career.  
Such ill-composed souls, like well-built Vaults, are by so much the stronger, by how much the more pressure they sustain. Here virulent spital is an eyesore, not an 
a Joh. 9 6.  eyesalve. The fire of the Tongue will make such stony hearts fly out with speed and violence. Such impetuous minds are like boisterous torrents, which meeting with a stoppage grow the more loud and clamorous. The only logic against such a man is argumentum à fustibus: the only Law is, 
b Possunt haere●ici ab ecclesia damnati temp-poenis, et etiam morte mulctari. Bellarm. Cont. tom. 2. c. 21. de Laicis, l. 3. p. 547. Igne & fuste potiùs agendum cum haereticis quàm cum disputationibus. Ber●. Ep. 190.  Breve de haereti●o comburendo.  
If a man errs not in fundamentals, but is only of a contrary ●●rsuasion to you in some few Superstructions, 
4 §.  which depend upon deduction, what Reproaches you cast upon him, may by the same equity be retorted against you, seeing these are dubi●us, and not generally determined: he may embrace Juno, and you a Cloud; he may as justly be offended with you, because you comply not with his judgement and apprehension. Be candid, and use ingenuous and rational persuasions, not peremptory Threats; and by so doing, if he hath unadvisedly led Truth captive, you may redeem both it and him. Thus Cecilius the Presbyter turned Cyprian from a Pagan Rhetorician to an eloquent Christian. So 
a Hier. Cat. script. Eccls in Cyp●iano.  S. Jerome witnesseth, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. If you attend without prejudice to sober discourse, and oppose not Reviling to Reasoning, you may in time see that to be erroneous which at present you judge Orthodox: you may (li●e Saint Augustine) write the Retractations of your junior years, and (like 
b In Apoc. de mille an. nis.  Brightman) you may live to confu●e yourself.  
This corrupt practice of railing against 
5 §.  a supposed error is not of yesterday. Saint Jerome, the father of Fathers, though not in time, yet in the tongues, (as 
a Vide Erasmum in vita ejus ante Epist.  Erasmus relates, and his a 
b viz.. ers. bibl. Quae●t. & trad.. Heb. Catal. script▪ 〈◊〉. &c.  Works demonstrate) was too ready a Practitioner in this Art. Take a single instance, and by that foot you may guess at the too ample stature of this Christian Hercules. 'Tis in the beginning of his Treatise adversus Vigilantium; where he falls soul upon his name, Exortus est subitò Vigilantius, seu potiùs Dormitantius: where also he lays down a catalogue of fourteen Monsters, and then brings in Vigilantius as the worst at the bottom. Upon which place Erasmus speaks thus, Mirè à convitiis auspicatur, idque suo more. To labour in the proof of this practice in these days, in the men of this Nation, were to show light to the sun, or to suppose my Readers wanted Ears or Eyes to give them intelligence from the Pulpit and Press. 'Tis too true that England hath of late abounded more with Firebrands then shining Lights: England hath granted to 
c Megaera qu. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Fulg. Myth. l. 1.  Megaera too large dominions. In the court of controversial Divinity, there are few who stand not in need of a Pulch●'è placitando: we may bespeak almost each of them with the language of Croesus to Solon in the Dialogue, 
a Luc. dialog. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, Good words, O Man. I wish that, at length, men's breasts would entertain calmer thoughts; that difference in Judgement may not be a cause of alienation in Affection; that Adversaries in Opinion would be free from Animosity and wrathful discomposure, 
b Eph. 4. 15.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that the hearts of both Parties in a controversy were tuned up to a melodious Unison; that controversial Divines would cease to be stinging satirists; that they had more of the Pigeon and less of the Gall; that the meekness of Moses were more exemplified than the Railing of Michal; that men would tip their tongues with Reason, not with rashness. A mild spirit ●equires a modest refute: and it is better to remai● indebted to a Reviler, then to repa● him in his own Coin.  
FINIS.