AN humble REMONSTRANCE TO The Right Honourable, the Lords in the High Court of Parliament. king's insignia LONDON. Piinted, and are to be fold by S. B. An Humble REMONSTRANCE To the right Honourable, the Lords in the High Court of Parliament. Most Honourable Lords, WHereas the late Petitioner Sir. Thomas Aston, Baronet, hath had access with his Petition, unto your presence, entitled, An humble Petition in the behalf of the County Palatine of Chester, which is( no doubt) discerned by your clear judgments, to be as far from Humility, as from Truth; which hath perplexed the minds of those honest men, whose names so great a Baronet hath much forgot himself, to use without their leave. Yet lest the Petitioner should glory in his prodigious policy: I humbly crave your Honors leave, to present to the world, a brief view of the ungrounded projects, discerned by your Honours discreet wisdoms, far more clearly. In which, Sir Thomas undertakes two things. First, to set up his own glory in his own Petition. And secondly, to triumph over us, and make us despicable in your eyes. 1. The Petitioner, Sir Thomas Aston, boasteth himself of the number, the honour, and the quality of the persons, subscribing to his Petition. Whereas testimony is ready to make it appear, that amongst sevenscore in two parishes of the said County, 100 and 18 of that number( whose names he useth) profess they never atested to any such Petition, and that their hands are forged without theit consent, or knowledge: and for their honour, such persons as are Recusants, I know your Lordships do well enough discern their endeavours, not to be for, but against Protestant religion. And if dead men, mad-men and children be of quality fit for such an attestation; behold hands, and if that will not serve, see feigned ones for them long since gone out of the land. But how forgetful is the Baronet in his passionate Rhetoriks, alleging, and traducing your honours, that your Lordships have approved thereof. 2. Sir Thomas Aston making his apology to your honours, to prevent us from having favour before your Lordships eyes, doth declare, that those are seditious persons, who put a scandal upon the county, forgetting that himself had brought before your honours such names to his own Petition, of whom many hundreds are ready( if occasion be) before your honours to protest against it: which S. Thomas himself confesseth, is against the laws of this land, and of your honourable Assembly: yet hath he troubled, and caused to be imprisoned, myself, & some others, who protest before your honours, that wee had no hand at all in it. Yet I deny not, right honourable, but I have else-where writ against that order of Bishops which Sir Thomas calls honourable, and noble; because they are placed in the temporal seats of temporal honour, and sit with the Nobility: whose honour ought rathet to depend on their faithful and constant preaching to their flock, and their Nobility to depend on heaven, being clothed with Christs righteousness, and preferring that above their linen rotchets. The honour not of Magistracy, or Lordly nobility doth not so well become them as the name of shepherd. And whereas the Petitioner hath laid the burden of the Anti-petition upon our shoulders, I know your Honours do well discern his Ignoble and unbecoming forgeries, and calumnies therein expressed. And though I am ignorant whose burden I bore I take it contentedly, for Christ himself did so bear mine. Yet herein will your Honours be pleased to give me leave to side with the Anti-petitioner in this( rather, then with Sir Thomas Aston) That the proceedings of our Bishops, and Prelates, do declare them to be the professed enemies of the gospel: as may appear by their Canons against the gospel itself, their tyranny over the faithful Preachers thereof, by their countenancing, and upholding the scurrilous and vild enemies against the same, and by their casting off of the laws of temporal Magistrates; according to the institution therein contained, which by many worthy men from time to time, hath been lamented: amongst the rest I onely touch upon that saying of Henry Stalbridge, in the dayes of King Henry the 8. Who saith in his Epistle printed at basil that not onely the bloody bear wolf of Rome, but other petty prollers; the prestigious Priests of Baal, especially the Bishops of England, do roar like hungry Lions, fret inwardly like angry bears, and bite like cruel Wolfes; clustering together in corners like a swarm of adders in a dunghill. Is their Institution jure divine who deny the Institution of Gods holy Sabbath so to be, how can such discipline have any shadow of Divinity in it, this is to deny the word of God, and to set up the inventions of men, but blessed be God they cannot so delude our nation: for God be thanked, we well know that though their hierarchy is not jure divino, yet the Sabbath of the Lord is holy and instituted of God himself. Were they one & the same with the preaching presbyters according to the Scripture it would then be granted that they were Divine, Or did they onely rule over the Presbyters by the willing assent, and consent of the Presbyters, it might be granted, that they were human. But being that they assume, & take to themselves the Lording power of their own wills, to tyramnize over Gods heritage; this is neither of God, nor of man. May your Honors then be pleased to consider, whether their institution * Magdeburg centuries, catalogue. testium veritatis, Theodori●us a Niem, &c. be Ethnicall, or diabolical, or both: for to such their predominacy, the holy Ghost moves them not, the presbyters desire not: though Satan and evil spirits set them on, and draw them to it. What their tyranny hath ever been, may appear in those many volumes written of their Acts, and Monuments: books of Martyrs, French and English, abbess Vsbergensis, St. Brides Revelations, matthew Paris, Alvarius Pelagius de Planetis Ecclesiae, Arctine, Guiciardine, Nicolaus de Clemangiis, Onus Ecclesiae, Marselinus patavinus de fensoris pacis M. tindal, &c, M, Turners hunting of the Romish Fox, &c. wherein their Lordly tyranny is declared at large, with their late Ex officio oaths, Excommunications, and unjust proceedings, suspensions, & imprisonments, and fines: their suppressing of the preaching of the gospel, and the havoc they from time to time have made of the flock of Iesus Christ. And that they have laboured to suppress the true Religion, & to bring in popery; may easily appear, in their crying down and silencing the godly, painful Ministers of Jesus Christ, terming them Puritans, factious men, &c. In their perverting the laws of God, and establishing their own Canons and inventions, their taking of rewards, and admitting unable men into ecclesiastical Offices; even such, whose filthiness, idleness, and Riot, made them live, more like Epicures, then Pastors: wasting their precious time in drinking, reveling, dancing, feasting, tabling, bouling, piping, carding, dicing: and having furfetted, & being drunk, quarrel, fight, & cause tumults, and profane the name of God by oaths, and curses, and sometimes even from the embracements of their Harlots, come into the Church to perform ecclesiastical duties, And how have they laboured in the bringing in of popish Ceremonies, Crucifixes, Altars, and Images. Tapers, &c. But all this while, how hath preaching been neglected in many dark corners of the Land. Now, may it please your Honours, what the Antipetition is, wherewith Sir Thomas Aston is so offended, I being altogether ignorant of, J therefore pass it over, onely what he saith of it. May your Lordships be pleased, to give me leave to return his own words into his own bosom, before your Honours; whose own expressions, will unmask the horrible abuses in his own proceedings, so fully, that J shall pass it over, onely leaving the consideration thereof; to your Lordships discretion: beseeching Almighty God to inspire your great Counsels, with all wisdom from above, with happy success to your joyful meeting; to the glory of God, and the comfort of us all, Amen. FINIS. To the truly Religious Reader. WHether Religion be a virtue, or the Mother, and bond of all virtues, I will not now dispute. This I am sure of, that it happens to it, as unto Divine and moral virtues, to be attended with two extremes, the one on the left hand, the other on the right; the one called profaneness, the other Superstition: the one whereof is the defect, the other the excess of Religion. That both of these are enemies to Religion, and odious to God, there is no question; but whether most, is yet uncertain, which we shall then resolve, when we have manifested these three things, 1. What Superstition is. 2. How common. 3. How great a sin it is. For the first; Superstition, in the general, is nothing else but the excess 1. What Superstition is. superstition est superstuus timor superstantium, 1. cal●stium qu● supra nos stant. Minsh. Dict. of Religion, or rather Religion run out of the wits, q. d. by a superfluous and slavish fear of the deity. Hence it is fitly by the Greekes, called 〈◇〉, Act. 25.19. a fear of the deity; And of the Athenians( otherwise profane enough) the Apostle says, he did perceive them to be 〈◇〉, too superstitious, too fearful of the Daimons, whom they ignorantly did worship, Act. 17.22. For the conscience of such men being terrified by its own guiltiness and profaneness, puts them upon such ways to please their God, and make him propitious, as best would please themselves, were they in his stead. And from hence proceeds that 〈◇〉, as it is called Col. 2.23. that will-worship, whereby men take upon them to prescribe to God, how he shall be served; every man according to his own fancy, and imagination of God. From whence it doth appear, that superstition is a sin Aquin 22 q. 92. ar. 2. against the second Commandement, and is rather a species of Idolatry, than the Genus of it, as the great schoolman seems to make it: For Idolatry is two ways committed, either by worshipping a false God, or the true God in a false manner: The first of these is prohibited in the first Commandement, the other in the second; The first was the sin of the Gentiles, the other was the sin of the Israelites, in the time of Jeroboam, who worshipped the true God, in the Image of a golden calf; and the sin of all those who worship God, with the inventions and traditions of men. Now when I say, that Superstition Ibid. ar. I. c. is the excess of Religion, we may not so take it, as if a man could properly be too religious, or give God more than is due to him, or he deserves: but in that a man gives that to God as part of worship, which he doth not require, which is indeed to give him less. For the affirmative part of the fourth Commandement being this, That God must bee worshipped with his own prescribed worship; he that shall now device a way of worship of his own, and tender this to God, to make him propitious( fearing that that is prescribed, will not do it sufficiently) this is that which stiles him superstitious. And this is that we call Superstition. For the second thing propounded, How common a sin this Superstition is, How common a sin Superstition ●s. as it doth appear by instances of all times and places; So also by the frequent and strict prohibitions given against it. The second Commandement is therefore propounded negatively, to imply, that men are apt to add,( which is Superstition, as we said) than to detract from the prescribed Rules of worship( which is profaneness.) certain it is indeed, that profaneness and Superstition have almost divided the world between them( there being few that find, or keep the golden mean of Religion) but whether of them hath the greator share is yet uncertain. The difficulty of deciding this doubt, is thus augmented; That the same parties( being not truly Religions) are oftentimes both profane and superstitious. profane without, in common life, and superstitious within the Church, when they come to tender their devotions. Nay the Scripture gives us instances enough, and too many of those kind of men, who were most notoriously profane and wicked, and yet exceeded in their formalities, and ceremonial services of God, Isa. 1. Jer. 7. Psal. 50. &c. And however profaneness in the very worship of God bee a common 'vice, and men be too propense unto it; yet, if I mistake not, men are more inclined to be superstitions in their worship, than profane, and that for these reasons. First, atheism, which is the Mother of profaneness, is not so common; few there be that say, There is no God; or if they say it, that really believe it. For this is a natural principle surviving the Fall of man, [ That there is a God] upon which depends this next conclusion, [ That this God must be worshipped] and that with Reverence; But there is no light left in man, How God will be worshipped, at least for the external part; whereas there are some relics of morality left, to keep men from extreme profaneness. Hereupon it comes to pass, that men are apt to think, that God is like themselves, to be pleased best, with free-will-offerings of their own, that is, with will-worship, and voluntary humility, Col. 2. 18. and that the highest, or rather the lowest expressions of Devotion are fittest for him: And thus( wanting light) they find out many inventions, to serve God withall, which is nothing else but Superstition. Secondly, because men are naturally proud, and conceited of their own wisdom, even to prescribe in the service of God. Hence wee may observe, that when the Apostle speaks of Will-worship and Superstition, he commonly intimates the cause and original thereof, to bee the 〈◇〉, the wisdom of the flesh. That humility, or demission of mind, that was pleaded for worshipping of Angels, using them as Mediators to God, Col. 2. 18. was the device of some, [ That were vainly puffed up in their fleshly mind.] And so in the following verses, those Traditions, [ Touch not, taste not, handle not] had the same original [ which things have a show of wisdom, &c.] The like is to be observed, Rom. 1.22.23. The Gentiles when they changed the glory of God, into Images of all sorts, thought themselves very wise: for so he says, [ professing themselves wise, they became fools.] The Israelites also, when they choose them places, and trees to worship God in, and under them( contrary to express command of God) wanted not pretence of reason for what they did, Hos. 4.13. [ They sacrifice upon the tops of the Mountaines, and burn Incense upon the Hills, under the oak, the Poplar three, and the elm, because the shadow thereof is good, &c.] Good in regard of Divine presence, more there than else-where: Good in regard of more Holinesse, as consecrated to such a deity: Good lastly, to stir up more devotion, for the former reasons, viz. the consideration of Divine presence, and more Holinesse there than in other places. Now, this proud conceited wisdom, keeps men so far from being profane in the service of God, that it rather precipitates them into the other extreme, and that is Superstition. Thirdly, that men may Supererogate with God is a natural piece of popery, born and bread up in the hearts of all men; by which men think either to merit of God, if less grossly vicious, or at least, to set off with him, and to quit the score of former arrears, by voluntary and uncommanded services. If they find they fail and come short in some thing commanded, they will overdoe, in some other thing not commanded, and so they take it, that God is satisfied. Now to foster and favour this opinion, the performance of required services will not serve the turn. For no man can dream to merit reward, or satisfy a debt, by a necessary and enjoined performance; Therefore, that he may supererogate in both, he must device and undertake something not commanded. Hence were and are, those counsels of perfection, of the old Papists, the Pharisees; and the New Pharisees, the Papists: Wee hear one of them bragging; I thank God, I pay Tithes of all I do possess, that was but his duty: but more than that, I fast twice a week, which God never required of him: implying, that either God was beholden to him, or at least, he was not beholden to God, or any ways behind-hand with him, though he had failed in other things; for in doing more than was commanded, he had made amends for what he had offended. Of this mind it seems were their Predecessors, Isay 58. who durst expostulate with God, as not observing their devotions: [ Wherefore have we fasted, and thou regardest it not?] They could not be so senseless, as not to see and know themselves to be faulty enough,( as God charges them presently upon it) but had they not thought, the satisfaction made by Fasting more than was requirea, they had not made that bold and saucy expostulation with God. It is the natural fashion of hypocrites, to ply God with ceremonials, for neglect of morals: and to make amends( as they think) for breach of Gods commands, by substitution of their own superstitious Traditions. And in this notion wee may say, that superstition springs from the ground of profaneness: none commonly being more ceremonious( that is superstitious) than they that are most profane. For knowing themselves indebted for moral transgressions, they labour to compensate God with Ceremonials, either of his commanding, or of their own devising. guiltiness( as I said) drives them to do something to appease an angry, and by profaneness provoked God; Duties commanded by God, when best performed, are but duties, and therefore pay no former debts: Onely Counsels of perfection, or devices of higher Devotion, seem to supererrogate, and this is Superstition. Fourthly, because there is more credit and applause from men, not onely more than can be looked for, in profaneness( which is liable to dishonour, and just hatred) but more than can be gotten, by doing things commanded. To do duties commanded by God,( at least for the outward act) is vulgar, and common to every professor of Religion: but he that transcends commands, and worships God, with voluntary worship, with greatest humility, and abjection of himself, this is the Saint of hypocrites, and the angel of ignorant men. This is easily observable, that those that were exactest in ceremonials( whether Gods, or their own, but rather their own) though guilty often in morals, carried away the credit of the world from them that were more exact in morals, and equally exact in Ceremonials of Gods prescribing. zachary and Eliz. that walked in all the Commandements, Ordinances and statutes of the Lord without rebuk, were not in half that reputation, that the Pharisees were, who did exceed in observation of their own Traditions. Nay, our blessed saviour himself, though most exact in all commands of God, could not win so much credit and applause as the Pharisees had in those times. And the Pharisees had no better way( as they thought) to suppress the growing famed of him and his Disciples, than to lay upon them this imputation of want of Devotion, in not observing the Traditions of the Elders. Fiftly, because as Ceremonials are easier to do than morals, so those Ceremonials which themselves invented, they can more easily, and more exactly perform, than those of Gods prescribing. How easy a thing it was, to Sacrifice a beast, how hard to mortify a lust? How easy a thing it was to wash their hands, and pots, and cups, and dishes; How hard to wash their hearts from rapine and extortion? How easy a thing it is to bow the body with several Postures and gesticulations, how hard to bend the soul to Gods commands? Now the truth is, Superstition, though it seem a busy, yet it is but a lazy thing. Like some lither and idle servants, who are very quick about lesser matters, but remiss enough in businesses of greater weight or labour. Nay, therefore double diligent in lesser, that they may exempt themselves from harder works: Just so it is, with Superstitious hypocrites, they sometimes tyre themselves, and weary God, with ritualls, that they may slip their necks from harder services. Besides, there is another thing in it. Their own devices, they can, and know they can, exactly perform; but things of Gods prescription, are very hard, if not for matter, yet for manner to be performed. Hence they find just cause to be humbled in their best performances of Gods commands, as failing and falling short of what was commanded, but they find cause to applaud themselves, and to glory in their own devised services, because they have exactly performed them. Lastly, because the most wicked and profane, desire not so to seem, but find out figg-leaves to cover their profaneness. Herod, though he intended murder, pretended worship unto Christ. jezabel that meant to swallow down Naboths Vineyard, proclaims a Fast. The Pharisees that devoured widows houses, did it with a pretence of long prayers. Now the more seemingly devout men are at Church, the less they are suspected to be wicked at home, or abroad. Who would imagine to find a widows house, in the bowels of a long praying Pharisee? or to meet with rapine and extortion, in a washed and scoured dish? Who would think, that a man that bows constantly, devoutly, at the Name of Jesus, would commonly swear by the name of God, or Christ? Who would look to find those, that bow so much, so oft before the Altar, so stiff to yield obedience to the moral commands of God? In a word, to find men, who are religious even to Superstition, to be profane even to Admiration? Upon all these reasons, and perhaps more, it may appear, that men are more inclined to Superstition, than to profaneness; and consequently, that profaneness is not so common, as Superstition. And now wee come to the third, How great a sin Superstition is; For though it be true, that profaneness is an odious sin, and so esteemed by How great a sin Superstition is. men; yet sure it is, that Superstition is most abominable to God, notwithstanding those many specious pretences that it hath, of singular and special Devotion; which we shall thus demonstrate. First, it derogates from the infinite wisdom of God, as if he were not wise enough to prescribe his own worship: we said before, that Superstition wants not shows of wisdom, to make it plausible with men, and( as they think) well pleasing to God: Now for foolish man, to make himself wiser than God, in matter of his own worship, as it proceeds from intolerable pride and presumption, so it cannot choose but be abominable to God. No King, no Father, no Master on earth, would suffer such insolence from their inferiors, that they should take upon them to prescribe their manner of service; and shall God? Secondly, it detracts not onely from the perfection and truth of Scriptures by addition to the Rule of worship, but it belies both the Scripture, and God himself, making that his command, and a part of worship, which is the figment and device of man. The false, Prophets were of old charged with forgery, for saying, Thus saith the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken it. And of Ephraim, who was superstitious in the service of God, thus it is said; [ Ephraim compasses me about with lies, Hos. 12.1.] To this purpose is that of Solomon. Pro. 30. 6. [ Add not thou unto his words, lest he reprove them, and thou be found a liar,] for putting that upon God, as if it were his word, which is thine own invention. As not to believe what God testifies, is to make him a liar, 1 joh. 5. 10. So to make him say, what he says not, is also to put upon him a lie. Now we know how heinous a crime it is, to give the lie to a man, at least our superior: How great a sin then is it to put the lie upon the God of truth? Thirdly, whereas men pretend they do it out of their great respects and love of God, as thinking nothing too dear, too much for God; the truth is, it proceeds from hatred of God: This is evident in the second commandement, where those that keep Gods Commandements, that is, his prescriptions of worship, according to the second commandement, are said to love him, and keep his commandements. And on the contrary, they that break his commandements, either by defect, or by additions of their own, are said to hate him: [ Visiting the sins, &c. upon them that hate me:] Now there is nothing more odious, to God or men, than hatred masked under the pretences of love. Fourthly, it is Idolatry, not onely against the second commandement, worshipping God in a false manner, but even against the first commandement, either negatively, not having the true God for our God; or positively, setting up another God, in his stead. First, the first commandement requires, not onely that we have no other God, but also, that wee have the true God for our God. But he that worships God in a false manner, hath not the true God for his God, nor doth he worship him. This is evident in 2 King. 17.32.34. In the one verse it is said; They feared or served the Lord, that is, they intended so to do; but in the other, it is said, They feared not the Lord; and the reason joh 4 22 You worship, you know not what. is rendered, because they did not serve him according to the Law, and commandement, which the Lord commanded the sons of jacob, &c. For the other, that the Superstitious worshipper, sets up another God in the stead of the true God, will thus appear; because he sets up himself in the stead of God; and in serving God, he serves himself. This is easily collected from that speech of God himself, Zach 7.5. [ When you fasted and mourned, in the fifth and seventh month, as now these seventy yeares; did you fast at all to me, I say, to me? when you eat and drank, did you not eat to yourselves and drink to yourselves?] As if he should say, you fasted to yourselves, as well as you did eat and drink to yourselves. Those Fasts I required not, you devised them of your own heads, and observed them, as your own Traditions, and so in worshipping me, you worshipped yourselves. And this was in effect, to set up yourselves as God. As if a Subject or Servant shall prescribe laws, how they will serve their King or Master; is not this to set up themselves, in stead of their King and Master? So do all superstitious persons; they pull down God out of his Throne, and place themselves therein, and under pretence of worshipping God, they worship themselves, which is most gross Idolatry, against the first commandement. Lastly, it is the worst and highest degree of Idolatry, not onely the worshipping of an idol, but it is the worshipping of the devil, Gods greatest enemy, instead of God, placing him in the Throne of God. This is evident by the Scriptures; in many instances. The Gentiles first, intended no doubt to offer sacrifices to the true God, Rom. 1. 21. Act. 17.23 Yet the Apostle says expressly, 1 Cor. 10. 20. The things which the Gentiles offer, they offer to Devils and not to God. Aaron and the Israelites, intended also to worship the true God, Exod. 32.5. These be thy Gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of Egypt: Yet Levit. 17.7. they are forbidden to sacrifice any more( as they had done) to Devils. The 10 Tribes had the same good intentions, 1 King. 12.28. Yet 2 Chron. 11.15. It is said of jeroboam.[ He ordained him Priests— for the Devils, and for the calves which he made.] Because they worshipped the true God, in a false manner, therefore they are said to worship the devil instead of God. In a word, The Papists, that worship God, in Images of gold, silver, brass, ston, and wood, &c. suppose that they worship the true God; but S. John says, they worship Devils. Rev. 9.20. By all which hath binsaid, it now appears, that however Superstition makes a faire show of honouring God, and is of high esteem with men; yet it is an heinous sin, and most justly, for the former reasons, most abominable to God. To apply this a little to our present purpose. This Age of ours is profane enough, there is no question to be made of that. It cannot also be denied, but profaneness began to creep apace upon the service of God; But I dare say, that Superstition, like a gangrene, hath crept further in a few yeares, than profaneness did in many, and had it not been maturely checked, it might, for ought I know, by this time have carried us near to Rome. Amongst other particulars, wherein Superstition began to revive, some are here presented to thy view( good Reader) as leaders of the rest. Apparent it is, that some men began to put so much holinesse in Churches, and things thereto belonging, that they had almost lost all holinesse in themselves: and the holinesse of places had wellnigh eat up all the holinesse of Times, unless they were Times of mens devising. For first, is it not evident, that the Holy dayes so called, had thrust out almost the holinesse of the Lords Day, or gotten to themselves equal honour with it? The Holy dayes of Saints were as strictly pressed to be observed, and by themselves observed, with more devotion, with more solemn services, than the Lords Day; On them men might not work, in their honest callings, but presently they were presented; On this,( the Lords Day) they gave them liberty, without sin, not onely to labour, but to play, and that such plays, as scarce beseem a common, much less, an Holy day. For the places also of human consecration, how sacred and holy were they esteemed, not onely in their public use, but extra usum. No vessel, no burden, might pass through them, no business secular might be done in them; whereas the Lords Day was counted holy, no longer than the public Service lasted. From the Altar to the Bell-ropes, all were Sacred; no coming in to the Church, no going out, without uncovering, adoration, prostration, once, twice, thrice, forward, backward; and he that would not do so, was held, little better than profane. The very Churchyards were grown so holy, that if a beast did but touch them, they were held by some profaned. Hence those Holy Articles, given to inquire, whether any kind of cattle were suffered to feed therein. Such is the spreading nature of Superstition, that though the Churchyard bounds be known, yet Superstition once gotten into the Church, knows no limits. I will make bold to borrow the words of another, altering onely the Subject whereof he spake, to this in hand, and adding some few words besides. [ Of the two great enemies of Gods holy worship, although profaneness, in itself, be the more offensive; yet Superstition is more Hist of Sab. epist. d●d. spreading, and more quick of growth. In such a Church as this, so settled, in a constant practise of Religious offices, and so confirmed by godly Canons, for the performance of the same there was no fear, that ever the public worship of God would have been overrun by the profane neglect of any pious reverence, then required. Rather the danger was, lest by the violent torrent of some mens affections, it might have be●ne overflowne by those Superstitions, wherewith, in imitation of the Iewes,( or Papists) they began to charge it: and thereby made it, as burdensome to their brethren, as was the ceremonial Law to the Israelites, by the Law of Moses. Nor know wee, where they would have stayed, had not the Honourable Parliament now assembled, been pleased, out of a tender care of the worship of God, and safety of Religion, to give a check to their proceedings.] But I may not enlarge my Epistle too far, lest my Porch grow too bog for my house. I leave what ever hath, or shall be said, to the candide censure of the godly and judicious Reader. Farewell.