this, if nothing else, plainly accuses them to be no lawful members of the House, if they thus perpetually mutiny against their own body. And though they pretend, like Solomon's harlot, that they have right thereto, by the same judgment that Solomon gave, it cannot belong to them, whenas it is not only their assent but their endeavour continually to divide Parliaments in twain; and not only by dividing, but by all other means to abolish and destroy the free use of them to all posterity. For the which, and for all their former misdeeds, whereof this book and many volumes more cannot contain the moiety, I shall move ye, Lords, in the behalf I dare say of many thousand good Christians, to let your justice and speedy sentence pass against this great malefactor, prelaty. And yet in the midst of rigour I would beseech ye to think of mercy; and such a mercy (I fear I shall overshoot with a desire to save this falling prelaty), such a mercy (if I may venture to say it) as may exceed that which for only ten righteous persons would have saved Sodom. Not that I dare advise ye to contend with God, whether he or you shall be more merciful, but in your wise esteems to balance the offences of those peccant cities with these enormous riots of ungodly misrule that prelaty hath wrought both in the Church of Christ, and in the State of this Kingdom. And if ye think ye may with a pious presumption strive to go beyond God in mercy, I shall not be one now that would dissuade ye. Though God for less than ten just persons would not spare Sodom, yet if you can find, after due search, but only one good thing in prelaty, either to religion or civil government, to king or parliament, to prince or people, to law, liberty, wealth, or learning, spare her, let her live, let her spread among ye, till with her shadow all your dignities and honours and all the glory of the land be darkened and obscured. But on the contrary, if she be found to be malignant, hostile, destructive to all these, as nothing can be surer, then let your severe and impartial doom imitate the divine vengeance. Rain down your punishing force upon this godless and oppressing government, and bring such a Dead Sea of subversion upon her, that she may never in this land rise more to afflict the holy Reformed Church, and the elect people of God.

MAN AND WIFE.

THE DOCTRINE AND DISCIPLINE

OF DIVORCE;

Restored to the good of both Sexes, from the Bondage of Canon Law, and other Mistakes, to the True Meaning of Scripture in the Law and Gospel compared.

Wherein also are set down the bad consequences of Abolishing, or Condemning as Sin, that which the Law of God allows, and Christ abolished not.

NOW THE SECOND TIME REVISED AND MUCH AUGMENTED.

IN TWO BOOKS.

TO THE PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND, WITH THE ASSEMBLY.

MATT. xiii. 52: Every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house, which bringeth out of his treasury things new and old." PROV. xviii. 13: "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him,'

To the Parliament of England, with the Assembly.

If it were seriously asked, and it would be no untimely question, renowned Parliament, select Assembly, who of all teachers and masters that have ever taught, hath drawn the most disciples after him, both in religion and in manners, it might be not untruly answered, Custom. Though virtue be commended for the most persuasive in her theory, and conscience in the plain demonstration of the spirit finds most evincing; yet whether it be the secret of divine will or the original blindness we are born in, so it happens for the most part that Custom still is silently received for the best instructor. Except it be because her method

is so glib and easy; in some manner like to that vision of Ezekiel rolling up her sudden book of implicit knowledge for him that will to take and swallow down at pleasure, which proving but of bad nourishment in the concoction as it was heedless in the devouring, puffs up unhealthily a certain big face of pretended learning, mistaken among credulous men for the wholesome habit of soundness and good constitution but is indeed no other than that swoln visage of counterfeit knowledge and literature which not only in private mars our education but also in public is the common climber into every chair where either religion is preached or law reported, filling each estate of life and profession with abject and servile principles, depressing the high and heaven-born spirit of man far beneath the condition wherein either God created him or sin hath sunk him. To pursue the allegory, Custom being but a mere face, as echo is a mere voice, rests not in her unaccomplishment until by secret inclination she accorporate herself with Error, who being a blind and serpentine body without a head, willingly accepts what he wants, and supplies what her incompleteness went seeking, Hence it is, that Error supports Custom, Custom countenances Error; and these two between them would persecute and chase away all Truth and solid Wisdom out of human life, were it not that God, rather than man, once in many ages calls together the prudent and religious counsels of men, deputed to repress the incroachments and to work off the inveterate blots and obscurities wrought upon our minds by the subtle insinuating of Error and Custom, who, with the numerous and vulgar train of their followers, make it their chief design to envy and cry down the industry of free reasoning, under the terms of humour and innovation; as if the womb of teeming Truth were to be closed up if she presume to bring forth aught that sorts not with their unchewed notions and suppositions. Against which notorious injury and abuse of man's free soul, to testify and oppose the utmost that study and true labour can attain, heretofore the incitement of men reputed grave hath led me among others; and now the duty and the right of an instructed Christian calls me,