but religion, they might be beaten out of it by reason; out of that they never can, for they will not believe you what

ever you say.

20. The very arcanum of pretending religion in all wars is, that something may be found out in which all men may have interest. In this the groom has as much interest as the lord. Were it for land, one has one thousand acres, and the other but one; he would not venture so far, as he that has a thousand. But religion is equal to both. Had all men land alike, by a lex agraria, then all 10 men would say they fought for land.

CXXII.

NON-RESIDENCY.

1. THE people thought they had a great victory over the clergy, when in Henry 8th's1 time they got their bill passed, that a clergyman should have but two livings; before, a man might have twenty or thirty; 'twas but getting a dispensation from the pope's limitor, or gatherer of the Peter

1 Henry 8th's, H. 2] H. 8th's in H.

of his Son, and the preservation of his church, was their aim, and the end which they had before their eyes.' Clarendon, Hist. ii. 667 ff.

1.4. The very arcanum &c.] 'The great pretences (in an alleged design against episcopacy and monarchy) were liberty, property and religion; for, as Mr. Hambden, one of the principal grandees of the faction, told a private friend, without that they could not draw the people to assist them.' Nalson, Collections, ii. 234.

1. 15. that a clergyman should have &c.] The Act against pluralities (21 Henry VIII, ch. 13) enacts that if a clerk, holding a living worth £8 a year, takes another cure, his original living becomes ipso facto void. But there are numerous exceptions to this rule. Vested rights are respected in the case of actual holders of not more than four cures ; and certain named classes and orders are allowed for the future to hold, some three, some two cures.

IO

pence, which was as easily got, as now you may have a licence to eat flesh.

2. As soon as a minister is made, he hath power to preach all over the world; but the civil power restrains him; he cannot preach in this parish or in that; there is one already appointed. Now if the state allows him two livings, then he has two places where he may exercise his function, and so has the more power to do his office, which he might do every where if he were not restrained.

CXXIII.

RETALIATION.

An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. That does not mean, that if I put out another man's eye, therefore I must lose one of my own, (for what is he the better for that?) though this be commonly received; but it means, that I shall give him what satisfaction an eye shall be judged to be worth.

CXXIV.

REVERENCE.

'Tis sometimes unreasonable to look after respect and reverence, either from a man's own servants, or from other 20 inferiors. A great lord and a gentleman talking together, there came a boy by, leading a calf with both his hands; says the lord to the gentleman, You shall see me make the boy let go his calf; with that he came towards him, thinking

1. 3. As soon as a minister is made &c.] See 'Minister Divine,' sec. 4.

the boy would have put off his hat, but the boy took no notice of him. The lord seeing that, Sirrah, says he, do not you know me, that you use no reverence? Yes, says the boy, if your lordship will hold my calf, I will put off my hat.

CXXV.

SABBATH.

WHY should I think all the fourth commandment belongs to me, when all the fifth does not? What land will

1. 7. Why should I think &c.] The right way of keeping Sunday was among the standing points of dispute between High and Low Church, between the Anglican party and the Puritans. Selden, who belonged to neither side, follows his usual rule—ñepì tavròs tǹv éλevOspíav, and pronounces against strict Sabbath observances. The controversy had become marked towards the latter part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, when Sunday, which used to be the regular day for games, dances and sports, began to be kept more precisely. The governing clergy exclaimed against the change. Archbishop Whitgift and Chief Justice Popham did what they could to put down current Sabbatarian writings, and declared that the Sabbath doctrine agreed neither with the teaching of the Church nor with the laws and orders of the kingdom. In 1618, James put out his declaration concerning lawful sports to be used on Sundays after divine service; and in 1635 it was ratified and republished by Charles, at Laud's instigation, and encouragement was given to May Games, Whitsun Ales, and the like. But with the rise of the Presbyterian party, all this was changed. On March 5, 1641, Dr. Bray was sent for to the bar of the House of Lords for having licensed Dr. Pocklington's books, called Sunday no Sabbath and Altare Christianum, and he acknowledged his offence and expressed regret for it. The obnoxious books were ordered to be publicly burned. On May 5, 1643, it was ordered by the Lords and Commons in Parliament that the book, concerning the enjoining and tolerating sports on the Lord's day, be forthwith burned by the hand of the common hangman in Cheapside and other usual places. That this was in agreement with the popular sentiment of the day is clear from Baxter's statement, that the publication of this book by the Bishops was one of the reasons why 'serious godly people had been alienated from them, and had thought that they concurred with the profane.' Laud's share in publishing this book and in punishing

the Lord give me for honouring my father?

It was spoken to the Jews with reference to the land of Canaan ; but the meaning is, if I honour my parents, God will also bless me. We read the commandments in the churchservice, as we do David's Psalms; not that all there concerns us, but a great deal of them does.

CXXVI.

SACRAMENT.

1. CHRIST suffered Judas to take the communion. Those ministers that keep their parishioners from it, beIo cause they will not do as they will have them, revenge, rather than reform.

2. No man living can tell whether I am fit to receive the sacrament; for though I were fit the day before, when he examined me, at least appeared so to him, yet how can he tell what sin I have committed that night, or the next morning, or what impious atheistical thoughts I may have about me, when I am approaching to the very table?

CXXVII.

SALVATION,

We may best understand the meaning of owrŋpía, salvaWE 20 tion, from the Jews, to whom the Saviour was promised. They held that themselves should have the chief place of happiness in the other world; but the gentiles that were

ministers for not reading it in church, was among the charges brought against him at his trial. See Rushworth, Collections, ii. 193, iv. 207, v. 317. Fuller, Hist. of Church, xvii. xi. 32. Baxter's Life, p. 33. Laud's Works, iv. 251-3.

good men, should likewise have their portion of bliss there too. Now by Christ the partition-wall is broken down, and the gentiles that believe in him, are admitted to the same place of bliss with the Jews. And why then should not that portion of happiness still remain to them who do not believe in Christ,, so they be morally good? This is a charitable opinion.

CXXVIII.

SHIP-MONEY.

1. MR. NOY brought in ship-money first for maritime towns; but that was like putting in a little auger, that 10 afterwards you may put in a greater. He that pulls down the first brick, does the main work, afterwards 'tis easy to pull down the wall.

2. They that at first would not pay ship-money, till it was decided, did like brave men, though perhaps they did no good by the trial; but they that stand out since, and suffer themselves to be distrained, never questioning those that do it, do pitifully; for so they only pay twice as much as they should.

CXXIX.

SIMONY.

THE name of simony was begot in the canon law: the

1. 9. Mr. Noy brought in &c.] 'The King required a loan of money and sent to London and the port towns to furnish ships for guard of the sea. Noy, his attorney, a great antiquary, had much to do in this business of ship-money.' Whitelock's Memorials, p. 7, in ann. 1626.

Next, 'by advice of his privy council and council learned, the King requires ship-money. The writ for it was at first but to maritime towns and counties; but that not sufficing, other writs were issued out to all counties to levy ship-money.' Ib., p. 22, in ann. 1634.