and Hose, when another Man cannot be without Coma Cloak, and yet have no more Clothes than is petency necessary for him.

XXVI

Great Conjunction

THE greatest Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter happens but once in eight Hundred Years, and therefore Astrologers can make no Experiments of it, nor foretel what it means; not but that the Stars may mean something, but we cannot tell what, because we cannot come at them. Suppose a Planet were a Simple, or an Herb, how could a Physician tell the Virtue of that Simple, unless he could come at it, to apply it?

XXVII

Conscience

HE that hath a Scrupulous Conscience, is like a Horse that is not well wayed; he starts at every Bird that flies out of the Hedge. 2. A knowing Man will do that, which a tender conscienced Man dares not do, by reason of his Ignorance; the other knows there is no hurt; as a Child is afraid to go in the dark, when a Man is not, because he knows there is no Danger.

3. If we once come to leave that outloose, as to pretend Conscience against Law, who knows what inconvenience may follow? For thus, Suppose an Anabaptist comes and takes my Horse; I Sue him; he tells me he did according

Con- to his Conscience; his Conscience tells him all science things are common amongst the Saints, what is

mine is his; therefore you do ill to make such a Law, "If any Man takes another's Horse he shall be hanged." What can I say to this Man? He does according to his Conscience. Why is not he as honest a Man as he that pretends a Ceremony established by Law is against his Conscience? Generally to pretend Conscience against Law is dangerous; in some Cases haply we may.

4. Some men make it Case of Conscience, whether a Man may have a Pigeon-house, because his Pigeons eat other Folks' Corn. But there is no such thing as Conscience in the Business; the Matter is, whether he be a Man of such Quality, that the State allows him to have a Dove-house; if so, there's an end of the busihis Pigeons have a right to eat where they please themselves.

ness;

XXVIII

Consecrated Places

THE Jenis had a pet why waye fave not

HE Jews had a peculiar way of consecrat

2. Under the Law, God, who was Master of all, made choice of a Temple to worship in, where he was more especially present; just as the Master of the House, who owns all the House, makes choice of one Chamber to lie in, which is called the Master's Chamber. But under the Gospel there is no such thing; Temples and Churches are set apart for the con

veniency of Men to Worship in; they cannot Consemeet upon the Point of a Needle; but God crated himself makes no choice.

3. All things are God's already; we can give him no right, by consecrating any, that he had not before, only we set it apart to his Service. Just as a Gardener brings his Lord and Master a Basket of Apricocks, and presents them; his Lord thanks him, perhaps gives him something for his pains, and yet the Apricocks were as much his Lord's before as now.

4. What is Consecrated, is given to some particular man, to do God Service, not given to God, but given to Man to serve God; and there's not anything, Lands, or Goods, but some Men or other have it in their Power to dispose of as they please. The saying things Consecrated cannot be taken away, makes men afraid of Consecration.

5. Yet Consecration has this Power; when a Man has Consecrated any thing to God, he cannot of himself take it away.

XXIX

Places

Contracts

IF

F our Fathers have lost their Liberty, why may not we labour to regain it? Answ. We must look to the Contract; if that be rightly made we must stand to it; if we once grant we may recede from Contracts upon any inconveniency that may afterwards happen, we shall have no Bargain kept. If I sell you a Horse,

Contracts and do not like my Bargain, I will have my Horse again.

2. Keep your Contracts. So far a Divine goes, but how to make our Contracts is left to ourselves; and as we agree upon the conveying of this House, or that Land, so it must be. If you offer me a Hundred Pounds for my Glove, I tell you what my Glove is, a plain Glove, pretend no Virtue in it, the Glove is my own, I profess not to sell Gloves, and we agree for an hundred Pounds, I do not know why I may not with a safe Conscience take it. The want of that common Obvious Distinction of Jus præceptivum, and Jus permissivum, does much trouble Men.

3. Lady Kent Articled with Sir Edward Herbert, that he should come to her when she sent for him, and stay with her as long as she would have him, to which he set his hand; then he Articled with her, That he should go away when he pleased, and stay away as long as he pleased, to which she set her hand. This is the Epitome of all the Contracts in the World, betwixt Man and Man, betwixt Prince and Subject; they keep them as long as they like them, and no longer.

THE

XXX

Council

HEY talk (but blasphemously enough) that the Holy Ghost is President of their General Councils, when the Truth is, the odd Man is still the Holy Ghost.

Convoca

WH

XXXI

Convocation

HEN the King sends his Writ for a Parliament, he sends for two Knights for a Shire, and two Burgesses for a Corporation; but when he sends for two Arch-bishops for a Convocation, he commands them to assemble the whole Clergy; but they, out of Custom amongst themselves, send to the Bishops of their Provinces to will them to bring two Clerks for a Diocese, the Dean, one for the Chapter, and the Arch-Deacons; but to the King every Clergyman is there present.

2. We have nothing so nearly expresses the Power of a Convocation, in respect of a Parliament, as a Court-Leet, where they have a Power to make By-Laws, as they call them; as that a Man shall put so many Cows or Sheep in the Common; but they can make nothing that is contrary to the Laws of the Kingdom.

XXXII

Creed

ATHANASIUS'S Creed is the shortest, take

away the Preface, and the Force, and the Conclusion, which are not part of the Creed. In the Nicene Creed it is εἰς ἐκκλησίαν, I believe in the Church; but now, as our Common-prayer has it, I believe one Catholic and Apostolic

tion