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they were not utterly to be caft away. But if they be of those whom God hath fitted for the fpeciall use of these times with eminent and ample gifts, and thofe perhaps neither among the priests, nor among the Pharifees, and we in the haft of a precipitant zeal fhall make no diftinction, but resolve to stop their mouths, because we fear they come with new and dangerous opinions, as we commonly forejudge them ere we underftand them, no leffe than woe to us, while thinking thus to defend the Gofpel, we are found the perfecutors.

There have bin not a few fince the beginning of this Parlament, both of the Presbytery and others who by their unlicen't books to the contempt of an

Im

Imprimatur first broke that triple ice clung about our hearts, and taught the people to fee day: I hope that none of those were the perfwaders to renew upon us this bondage which they themselves have wrought fo much good by contemning. But if neither the check that Mofes gave to young Joshua, nor the countermand which our Saviour gave to young John, who was fo ready to prohibit those whom he thought unlicenc't, be not anough to admonish our Elders how unacceptable to God their tefty mood of prohibiting is, if neither their own remembrance what evil hath abounded in the Church by this lett of licencing, and what good they themfelves have begun by tranfgreffing it, be

not

not anough, but that they will perfwade, and execute the most Dominican part of the Inquifition over us, and are already with one foot in the ftirrup fo active at fuppreffing, it would be no unequall diftribution in the first place to fuppreffe the fuppreffors themselves; whom the change of their condition hath puft up, more then their late experience of harder times hath made wife.

And as for regulating the Preffe, let no man think to have the honour of advifing ye better then your felves have done in that Order publisht next before this, that no book be Printed, unleffe the Printers and the Authors name, or at least the Printers be register'd. Thofe

which otherwife come forth, if they be found mischievous and libellous, the fire and the executioner will be the timelieft and the most effectuall remedy, that mans prevention can ufe. For this authentic Spanish policy of licencing books, if I have faid ought, will prove the most unlicenc't book it felf within a fhort while; and was the immediat image of a Star-chamber decree to that purpose made in thofe very times when that court did the reft of thofe her pious works, for which fhe is now fall'n from the Starres with Lucifer. Whereby ye may gueffe what kinde of State prudence, what love of the people, what care of Religion, or good manners there was at the contriving, although with

fingular

fingular hypocrifie it pretended to bind books to their good behaviour. And how it got the upper hand of your precedent Order fo well conftituted before, if we may beleeve those men whose profeffion gives them caufe to enquire moft, it may be doubted there was in it the fraud of fome old patentees and monopolizers in the trade of book-felling; who under pretence of the poor in their Company not to be defrauded, and the just retaining of each man his feverall copy, which GOD forbid fhould be gainfaid, brought divers glofing colours. to the House, which were indeed but colours, and ferving to no end except it be to exercise a fuperiority over their

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