equality among ministers, they have made way to their own purposes for devouring cathedral churches and bishops' livings. 3. By exclaiming against abuses in the church, they have carried their own corrupt dealings in the civil state more covertly. For such is the nature of the multitude, they are not able to apprehend many things at once, so as being possessed with dislike or liking of any one thing, many other in the mean time may escape them without being perceived. 4. They have sought to disgrace the clergy in entertaining a conceit in men's minds, and confirming it by continual practice, that men of learning, and especially of the clergy, which are employed in the chiefest kind of learning, are not to be admitted, or sparingly admitted, to matters of state; contrary to the practice of all well-governed commonwealths, and of our own till these late years.

A third sort of men there is, though not descended from the reformers, yet in part raised and greatly strengthened by them, namely, the cursed crew of Atheists. This also is one of those points, which I am desirous you should handle most effectually, and strain yourself therein to all points of motion and affection; as in that of the Brownists, to all strength and sinews of reason. This is a sort most damnable, and yet by the general suspicion of the world at this day most common. The causes of it, which are in the parties themselves, although you handle in the beginning of the fifth book, yet here again they may be touched; but the occasions of help and furtherance, which by the reformers have been yielded un

to them, are, as I conceive, two; senseless preachi and disgracing of the ministry: for how should men dare to impugn that which neither by forc reason nor by authority of persons is maintain But in the parties themselves these two causes I ceive of Atheism: 1. More abundance of wit t judgment, and of witty than judicious learni whereby they are more inclined to contradict thing, than willing to be informed of the truth. T are not therefore men of sound learning, for the part, but smatterers; neither is their kind of dis so much by force of argument, as by scoffing. W humor of scoffing and turning matters most ser into merriment is now become so common, as we not to marvel what the Prophet means by "the se scorners," nor what the Apostles by foretelling scorners to come;" our own age hath verified t speech unto us. Which also may be an argu against these scoffers and Atheists themselves, ing it hath been so many ages ago foretold, that men the latter days of the world should aff which could not be done by any other spirit that whereunto things future and present are a And even for the main question of the resurrec whereat they stick so mightily, was it not pl foretold, that men should in the latter times "Where is the promise of his coming?" Ag the creation, the ark, and divers other points, ex tions are said to be taken; the ground whereof i perfluity of wit, without ground of learning judgment. A second cause of Atheism is sensu which maketh men desirous to remove all stops

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impediments of their wicked life: among which because religion is the chiefest, so as neither in this life without shame they can persist therein, nor (if that be true) without torment in the life to come, they whet their wits to annihilate the joys of heaven, wherein they see (if any such be) they can have no part, and likewise the pains of hell, wherein their portion must needs be very great. They labor, therefore, not that they may not deserve those pains, but that, deserving them, there may be no such pains to seize upon them. But what conceit can be imagined more base than that man should strive to persuade himself even against the secret instinct (no doubt) of his own mind, that his soul is as the soul of a beast, mortal, and corruptible with the body? Against which barbarous opinion their own Atheism is a very strong argument: for were not the soul a nature separable from the body, how could it enter into discourse of things merely spiritual, and nothing at all pertaining to the body? Surely the soul were not able to conceive any thing of heaven, no not so much as to dispute against heaven, and against God, if there were not in it somewhat heavenly and derived from God.

The last which have received strength and encouragement from the reformers are Papists; against whom, although they are most bitter enemies, yet unwittingly they have given them great advantage. For what can any enemy rather desire than the breach and dissension of those which are confederates against him? wherein they are to remember, that if our communion with Papists in some few cere

monies do so much strengthen them, as is preter how much more doth this division and rent a ourselves, especially seeing it is maintained not in light matters only, but even in matters of and salvation. Which over-reaching speech of t because it is so open to advantage both for the rowist and the Papist, we are to wish and hop that they will acknowledge it to have been rather in heat of affection, than with soundn judgment; and that through their exceeding 1 that creature of discipline which themselves bred, nourished, and maintained, their mouth in mendation of her did somewhat overflow.

From hence you may proceed (but the me connexion I leave to yourself) to another dis which I think very meet to be handled eithe or elsewhere at large; the parts whereof these:

1. That in this cause between them and are to sever the proper and essential points a troversy, from those which are accidental. T essential and proper are these two; overth Episcopal; erection of Presbyterial authorit in these two points whosoever joineth with accounted of their number; whosoever in a points agreeth with them, yet thinketh the a of bishops not unlawful, and of elders not ne may justly be severed from their retinue. things, therefore, which either in the perso the laws and orders themselves, are faulty, complained on, acknowledged, and amend they no whit the nearer their main purpos

what if all errors by them supposed in our liturgy were amended, even according to their own heart's desire; if non-residence, pluralities, and the like were utterly taken away; are their lay-elders, therefore, presently authorized? their sovereign ecclesiastical jurisdiction established?

But even in their complaining against the outward and accidental matters in church government, they are many ways faulty. 1. In their end which they propose to themselves. For in declaiming against abuses, their meaning is not to have them redressed, but, by disgracing the present state, to make way for their own discipline. As, therefore, in Venice, if any senator should discourse against the power of their senate, as being either too sovereign, or too weak in government, with purpose to draw their authority to a moderation, it might well be suffered; but not so, if it should appear he spake with purpose to induce another state by depraving the present: so, in all causes belonging either to church or commonwealth, we are to have regard what mind the complaining part doth bear, whether of amendment or of innovation; and accordingly either to suffer or suppress it. Their objection therefore is frivolous, "Why, may not men speak against abuses?" Yes, but with desire to cure the part affected, not to destroy the whole. 2. A second fault is in their manner of complaining, not only because it is for the most part in bitter and reproachful terms, but also because it is unto the common people, judges incompetent and insufficient, both to determine any thing amiss, and, for want of skill and authority, to amend it. Which