Country Fellows have a way to try if a Man be Changweak in the Hams, by coming behind him and ing Sides giving him a Blow unawares: if he bend once, he will bend again. 2. The Lords that fall from the King, after they have got Estates by base Flattery at Court, and now pretend Conscience, do as a Vintner, that when he first sets up, you may bring your Wench to his House, and do your things there; but when he grows Rich, he turns conscientious, and will sell no Wine upon the Sabbath-day. 3. Colonel Goring serving first the one side and then the other, did like a good Miller, that knows how to grind which way soever the Wind sits. 4. After Luther had made a Combustion in Germany about Religion, he was sent to by the Pope, to be taken off, and offer'd any Preferment in the Church, that he would make choice of: Luther answered, if he had offer'd half as much at first, he would have accepted it; but now he had gone so far, he could not come back. In Truth he had made himself a greater thing than they could make him; the German Princes courted him, he was become the Author of a Sect ever after to be called Lutherans. So have our Preachers done that are against the Bishops; they have made themselves greater with the people than they can be made the other way; and therefore there is the less probability of bringing them off. Charity CHA XIV Charity HARITY to Strangers is enjoin'd in the Text. By Strangers is there understood those that are not of our own Kin, Strangers to your Blood; not those you cannot tell whence they come; that is, be charitable to your Neighbours whom you know to be honest poor people. XV Christmas CHRISTMAS succeeds the Saturnalia, the same time, the same number of Holydays; then the Master waited upon the Servant like the Lord of Misrule. 2. Our Meats and our Sports, much of them, have Relation to Church-works. The Coffin of our Christmas-Pies, in shape long, is in Imitation of the Cratch; our choosing Kings and Queens on Twelfth-Night, hath reference to the three Kings. So likewise our eating of Fritters, whipping of Tops, roasting of Herrings, Jack of Lents, &c., they were all in imitation of Churchworks, Emblems of Martyrdom. Our Tansies at Easter have reference to the bitter Herbs ; though, at the same time, 'twas always the Fashion for a Man to have at his house a Gammon of Bacon to show himself to be no Jew. XVI Christians IN the High-Church of Jerusalem, the Chris tians were but another sect of Jews, that Idid believe the Messias was come. To be called, was nothing else, but to become a Christian, to have the Name of a Christian, it being their own Language; for amongst the Jews, when they made a Doctor of Law, 'twas said he was called. 2. The Turks tell their People of a Heaven where there is a sensible Pleasure, but of a Hell where they shall suffer they don't know what. The Christians quite invert this Order; they tell us of a Hell where we shall feel sensible Pain, but of a Heaven where we shall enjoy we can't tell what. 3. What did the Heathens object to the Christians, that they worship an Ass's Head? You must know, that to a Heathen, a Jew and a Christian were all one; that they regarded him not, so he was not one of them. Now that of the Ass's Head might proceed from such a Mistake as this; by the Jews' Law, all the Firstlings of Cattle were to be offered to God, except a young Ass, which was to be redeemed. Heathen being present, and seeing young Calves and young Lambs kill'd at their Sacrifices, only young Asses redeem'd, might very well think they had that silly Beast in some high Estimation, and thence might imagine they worshipped it as a God. A Christians Church XVII Church HERETOFORE the Kingdom let the Church alone, let them do what they would, because they had something else to think of, (viz.) Wars; but now in time of Peace, we begin to examine all things, will have nothing but what we like, grow dainty and wanton; just as in a Family, when the Heir uses to go a hunting, he never considers how his Meal is drest; takes a bit, and away; but when he stays within, then he grows curious; he does not like this, nor he does not like that; he will have his Meat drest his own way, or peradventure he will dress it himself. 2. It hath ever been the game of the Church, when the King will let the Church have no Power, to cry down the King and cry up the Church But when the Church can make use of the King's Power, then to bring all under the King's Prerogative. The Catholics of England go one way, and the Court-Clergy another. 3. A glorious Church is like a magnificent Feast; there is all the Variety that may be, but everyone chooses out a Dish or two that he likes, and lets the rest alone: how glorious soever the Church is, every one chooses out of it his own Religion, by which he governs himself, and lets the rest alone. 4. The Laws of the Church are most favourable to the Church, because they were the Church's own making; as the Heralds are the Church best Gentlemen, because they make their own Pedigree. 5. There is a question about that Article, concerning the Power of the Church, whether these Words [of having Power in Controversies of Faith] were not stolen in; but 'tis most certain they were in the Book of Articles that was confirm'd, though in some Editions they have been left out: But the Article before tells you, who the Church is; not the Clergy, but Catus fidelium. BE XVIII Church of Rome EFORE a Juggler's Tricks are discover'd we admire him, and give him Money, but afterwards we care not for them; so 'twas before the Discovery of the Juggling of the Church of Rome. 2. Catholics say, we out of our Charity believe they of the Church of Rome may be saved, but they do not believe so of us; therefore their Church is better according to ourselves. First, some of them, no doubt, believe as well of us as we do of them, but they must not say so. Besides, is that an Argument, their Church is better than ours because it has less Charity? 3. One of the Church of Rome will not come to our Prayers; does that argue he doth not like them? I would fain see a Catholic leave his Dinner, because a Nobleman's Chaplain says с |