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whence returning at the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, many of them who had been in France, and at Geneva, brought back the rigid Opinions and imperious Difcipline of Calvin to graff upon our Reformation. Which though they cunningly conceal'd at firft, (as well knowing how nauseously that Drug wou'd go down in a lawful Monarchy, which was preforib d for a rebellious Common-wealth) yet they always kept it in referve; and were never wanting to themfelves either in Court or Parliament, when either they had any Profpect of a numerous Party of Fanatick Members in the one, or the Encouragement of any Favourite in the other, whofe Covetousness was gaping at the Patrimony of the Church They who will confult the Works of our venerable Hooker, or the account of his Life or more particularly the Letter written to him on this Subject by George Cranmer, may fee by what Gradations they proceeded; from the diflike of Cap and Surplice the very next Step was Admonitions to the Parliament against the whole Government Ecclefiaftical: then came out Volumes in English and Latine in Defence of their Tenets: and immediately Practices were (et on foot to erect their Difcipline without Authority. Thofe not fucceeding, Satyr and Railing was the next: And Martin Mar Prelate (the Marvel of thofe times) was the first Presbyterian Scribler, who fanctify'd Libels and Scurrility to the ufe of the Good Old Caufe. Which was done (fays my Author) upon this account; that (their ferious Treatifes having been fully answered and refuted) they might compass by railing what they had loft by reafoning; and when their Caufe was funk in Court and Parliament, they might at least hedge in a Stake amongst the Rabble: for to their Ignorance N 2

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all things are Wit which are abufive; but if Church and State were made the Theme, then the Doctoral Degree of Wit was to be taken at Billingsgate: even the meft Saint like of the Party though they durft not excufe this Contempt and vilifying of the Govern ment, yet were pleas'd, and grinn'd at it with a pious Smile; and call'd it a Judgment of God against the Hierarchy. Thus Sectaries, we may fee, were born with Teeth, foul mouth'd and fcurrilous from their Infancy: and if Spiritual Pride, Venome, Violence, Contempt of Superiours and Slander had been the Marks of Orthodox Belief; the Presbytery and the rest of our Schifmaticks. which are their Spawn, were always the most visible Church in the Christian World.

'Tis true the Government was too strong at that time for a Rebellion; but to fhew what Proficiency they bad made in Calvin's School even Then their Mouths water'd at it: for two of their gifted Brotherhood (Hacket and Coppinger) as the Story tells us, get up into a Peafe Cart and harangued the People, to difpofe them to an Infurrection, and to establish their Dif sipline by Force: fo that however it comes about that wow they celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Birth-night, as that of their Saint and Patronefs; yet then they were for doing the Work of the Lord by Arms against her; and in all probability, they wanted but a Fanatick Lord Mayor and two sheriffs of their Party to have compass'd it.

Our venerable Hooker, after many Admonitions which he had given them toward the end of his Preface, breaks out into this Prophetick Speech," There

is in every one of thefe Confiderations most juft Caufe to fear, left our haftinefs to embrace

"a thing of fo perilous Confequence (mean"ing the Presbyterian Difcipline) fhould caufe Pofterity to feel thofe Evils, which as yet are more eafie for us to prevent, than they would "be for them to remedy.

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How fatally this Caffandra has foretold, we know too well by fad Experience: The Seeds were fown in the time of Queen Elizabeth, the bloody Harveftri pened in the Reign of King Charles the Martyr: and because all the Sheaves could not be carried off without shedding fome of the loofe Grains, another Crop is too like to follow; nay I fear'tis unavoidable; if the Conventiclers be permitted still to scatter.

A Man may be fuffer'd to quote an Adversary to our Religion, when he speaks Truth: and 'tis the obfervation of Meimbourgh in his History of Calvinism, that where ever that Difcipline was planted and embrac'd, Rebellion, Civil-War and Mifery attended it. And how indeed fhould it happen otherwife? Reformation of Church and State has always been the ground of our Divifions in England. While we were Papifts, our Holy Father rid us. by pretending Authority out of the Scriptures to depofe Princes; when we shook off his Authority, the Sectaries furnish'd themfelves with the fame Weapons; and out of the fame Magazine, the Bible. So that the Scriptures, which are in themselves the greatest Security of Governours, as commanding exprefs Obedience to them, are now turn'd to their Defiruction; and never fince the Refor mation, has there wanted a Text of their interpreting to Authorize a Rebel. And 'tis to be noted by the way that the Doctrines of King-killing and Depofing, which have been taken up only by the worst Party of the Papifts, the most frontless Flatterers of the Pope's

Authority, have been espous'd, defended, and are still maintain'd by the whole Body of Nonconformists and Republicans. 'Tis but dubbing themselves the People of God, which 'tis the Intereft of their Preachers to tell them they are, and their own Interest to believe; and after that, they cannot dip into the Bible, but one Text or another will turn up for their Purpose: If they are under Perfecution (as they call it) then that is a Mark of their Election; if they flourish, then God works Miracles for their Deliverance, and the Saints are to poffefs the Earth.

They may think themfelves to be too roughly bandled in this Paper; but I who know best how far I could have gone on this Subject must be bold to tell them they are fpar'd: though at the fame time I am not ignorant, that they interpret the mildness of a W'ri. der to them, as they do the Mercy of the Government; in the one they think it Fear and conclude it Weaknefs in the other. The best way for them to confute me, is, as I before advis'd the Papifts, to disclaim their Principles and renounce their Practices. We Shall all be glad to think them true Englishmen, when they obey the King. and true Proteftants when they conform to the Church Difcipline.

It remains that I acquaint the Reader, that the Verfes were written for an ingenious young Gentleman, my Friend; upon his Tranflation of The Critical Hiftory of the Old Teftament, compos'd by the learn; ed Father Simon: The Verfes therefore are addressed to the Tranflator of that Work, and the Style of them is, what it ought to be, Epiftolary.

If any one be fo lamentable a Critick as to require the Smoothness, the Numbers and the Turn of He reick Poetry in this Poem; I must tell him, that if

he has not read Horace, I have studied him, and hope the Style of his Epiftles is not ill imitated here. The Expreffions of a Poem, defign'd purely for InAruction, ought to be Plain and Natural, and yet Majeftick; for here the Poet is prefum'd to be a kind of Lawgiver, and thofe three Qualities which I have nam'd, are proper to the Legislative Style. The Florid Elevated and Figurative way is for the Paffions; for Love and Hatred, Fear and Anger, are begotten in the Soul by fhewing their Objects out of their true Pro portion; either greater than the Life, or lefs; but Inftruction is to be given by fhewing them what they naturally are. A Man is to be cheated into Paffion, but to be reafon'd into Truth.

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