of Epicurus: in other great difputes it anfwers dubiously and darkly to the common reader: And ask a Talmudift what ails the modefty of his marginall Keri, that Mofes and all the Prophets cannot perfwade him to pronounce the textuall Chetiv. For thefe caufes we all know the Bible it felfe put by the Papift into the first rank of prohibited books. The ancienteft Fathers must be next remov'd, as Clement of Alexandria, and that Eufebian book of Evangelick preparation, tranfmitting our ears through a hoard of heathenifh obfcenities to receive the Gofpel. Who finds not that Irenæus, Epiphanius, Jerom, and others, discover more herefies then they will confute, and that oft for herefie which is the truer opinion. opinion. Nor boots it to fay for thefe, and all the heathen Writers of greatest infection, if it must be thought fo, with whom is bound up the life of human learning, that they writ in an unknown tongue, fo long as we are fure those languages are known as well to the worst of men, who are both moft able, and moft diligent to inftill the poison they fuck, first into the Courts of Princes, acquainting them with the choifeft delights, and criticisms of fin. As perhaps did that Petronius whom Nero call'd his Arbiter, the Master of his revels; and that notorions ribald of Arezzo, dreaded, and yet dear to the Italian Courtiers. I name not him for pofterities fake, whom Harry the 8. nam'd in merriment his Vicar of hell. By which compendious way all the contagion that foreine books can infufe, will finde a paffage to the people farre easier and shorter than an Indian voyage, though it fhould be fail'd either by the North of Cataio Eastward, or of Canada Westward, while our Spanish licencing gags the English Preffe never fo feverely. But on the other fide that infection which is from books of controverfie in Religion, is more doubtfull and dangerous to the learned, then to the ignorant; and yet thofe books must be permitted untoucht by the licencer. It will be hard to inftance where any ingnorant man hath bin ever feduc't by Papisticall book in English, unleffe it were commended and and expounded to him by fome of that Clergy and indeed all fuch tractats whether false or true are as the Prophefie of Ifaiah was to the Eunuch, not to be underflood without a guide. But of our Priefts and Doctors how many have bin corrupted by ftudying the comments of Jefuits and Sorbonifts, and how fast they could transfufe that corruption into the people, our experience is both late and fad. It is not forgot, fince the acute and diftinct Arminius was perverted meerly by the perufing of a nameleffe difcours writt'n at Delf, which at firft he took in hand to confute. Seeing therefore that those books, & thofe in great abundance which are likelieft to taint both life and doctrine, cannot be fup preft preft without the fall of learning, and of all ability in difputation, and that these books of either fort are most and fooneft catching to the learned, from whom to the common people what ever is hereticall or diffolute may quickly be convey'd, and that evill manners are as perfectly learnt without books a thousand other ways which cannot be ftopt, and evill doctrine not with books can propagate, except a teacher guide, which he might alfo doe without writing, and fo beyond prohibiting, I am not able to unfold, how this cautelous enterprise of licencing can be exempted from the number of vain and impoffible attempts. And. he who were pleasantly difpos'd, could not well avoid to lik'n it to the exploit of |