firmed by consideration of the silliness and poorness of those suggestions, and partly of the apparent vanity and falsehood of them, which you offer in justification of this wicked calumny. For what, if our devotion towards God out of a desire, that he should be worshipped as in spirit and in truth in the first place, so also in the beauty of holiness? What if out of fear, that too much simplicity and nakedness in the public service of God, may beget in the ordinary sort of men a dull and stupid irreverence; and out of hope, that the outward state and glory of it, being well disposed, and wisely moderated, may engender, quicken, increase, and nourish the inward reverence, respect, and devotion, which is due unto God's sovereign majesty and power? What if out of a persuasion and desire that papists may be won over to us the sooner, by the removing of this scandal out of their way; and out of an holy jealousy, that the weaker sort of protestants might be the easier seduced to them by the magnificence and pomp of their church-service, in case it were not removed? say, what if out of these considerations, the governors of our church, more of late than formerly, have set themselves to adorn and beautify the places where God's honour dwells, and to make them as heaven-like as they can with earthly ornaments? Is this a sign, that they are warping towards popery? Is this devotion in the church of England an argument that she is coming over to the church of Rome? Sir Edwin Sands, I presume, every man will grant, had no inclination that way; yet he, forty years since, highly commended this part of devotion in papists, and makes no scruple of proposing it to the imitation of pro

testants; little thinking, that they who would follow his counsel, and endeavour to take away this disparagement of protestants, and this glorying of papists, should have been censured for it, as making way and inclining to popery. His* words to this purpose are excellent words; and because they shew plainly, that what is now practised was approved by zealous protestants so long ago, I will here set them down.

23." This one thing I cannot but highly comTM mend in that sort and order: they spare nothing which cost can perform in enriching, or skill in adorning, the temple of God; or to set out his service with the greatest pomp and magnificence that can be devised. And although, for the most part, much baseness and childishness is predominant in the masters and contrivers of their ceremonies, yet this outward state and glory, being well disposed, doth engender, quicken, increase; and nourish the inward reverence, respect, and devotion, which is due unto sovereign majesty and power. And although I am not ignorant, that many men well reputed have embraced the thrifty opinion of that disciple, who thought all to be wasted that was bestowed upon Christ in that sort, and that it were much better bestowed on the poor (yet with an eye perhaps that themselves would be his quarter-almoners); notwithstanding, I must confess, it will never sink into my heart, that in proportion of reason, the allowance for furnishing out of the service of God should be measured by the scant and strict rule of mere necessity (a proportion so low, that na

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türe to other most bountiful, in matter of necessity hath not failed, no not the most ignoble creatures of the world); and that for ourselves, no measure of heaping, but the most we can get; no rule of expense, but to the utmost pomp we list: or that God himself had so enriched the lower parts of the world with such wonderful varieties of beauty and glory, that they might serve only to the pampering of mortal man in his pride; and that in the service of the high Creator, Lord, and Giver (the outward glory of whose higher palace may appear by the very lamps that we see so far off burning gloriously in it) only the simpler, baser, cheaper, less noble, less beautiful, less glorious things should be employed: especially seeing, as in princes' courts, so in the service of God also, this outward state and glory, being well disposed, doth (as I have said) engender, quicken, increase, and nourish the inward reverence, respect, and devotion, which is due to sovereign majesty and power: which those whom the use thereof cannot persuade into, would easily, by the want of it, be brought to confess. For which cause, I crave leave to be excused by them herein, if in zeal to the common Lord of all, I choose rather to commend the virtue of an enemy, than to flatter the vice and imbecility of a friend." And so much for this matter.

24. Again; what if the names of priests and altars, so frequent in the ancient fathers, though not now in the popish sense, be now resumed and more commonly used in England than of late times they were; that so the colourable argument. of their conformity, which is but nominal, with the ancient church, and our inconformity, which

the governors of the church would not have so much as nominal, may be taken away from them; and the church of England may be put in a state, in this regard more justifiable against the Roman than formerly it was, being hereby enabled to say to papists (whensoever these names are obs jected), we also use the names of priests and altars, and yet believe neither the corporal presence, nor any proper and propitiatory sacrifice?

25. What if protestants be now put in mind, that for exposition of Scripture, they are bound by a canon to follow the ancient fathers; which whosoever doth with sincerity, it is utterly im possible he should be a papist? And it is most falsely said by you, that you know, that to some protestants I clearly demonstrated, or ever so much as undertook, or went about to demonstrate the contrary. What if the centurists be censured somewhat roundly by a protestant divine, for affirming, that the keeping of the Lord's day was a thing indifferent for two hundred years? Is there in all this, or any part of it, any kind of proof of this scandalous calumny? Certainly, if you can make no better arguments than these, and have so little judgment, as to think these any, you have great reason to decline conferences, and Signior Con to prohibit you from writing books any more!

26. As for the points of doctrine, wherein you pretend that these divines begin of late to faulter, and to comply with the church of Rome; upon a due examination of particulars, it will presently appear; first, that part of them always have been, and now are, held constantly one way by them; as the authority of the church in determining controversies of faith, though not the infallibility

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of it: that there is inherent justice, though so imperfect, that it cannot justify; that there are traditions, though none necessary: that charity is to be preferred before knowledge: that good works are not properly meritorious: and, lastly, that faith alone justifies; though that faith justifies not which is alone. And, secondly, for the remainder, that they every one of them have been anciently, without breach of charity, disputed among protestants; such, for example, were the questions about the pope's being the antichrist; the lawfulness of some kind of prayers for the dead: the estate of the fathers' souls before Christ's ascension; free-will, predestination, universal grace; the possibility of keeping God's commandments: the use of pictures in the church: wherein that there hath been anciently diversity of opinion amongst protestants, it is justified to my hand by a witness with you, beyond exception, even your great friend, Mr. Breerly, "whose care, exactness, and fidelity (you say in your preface) is so extraordinary great." Consult him, therefore, Tract 3. Sect. 7. of his Apology, and in the 9, 10, 11, 14. 24. 26, 27, 37 subdivisions of that Section, you shall see, as in a mirror, yourself proved an egregious calumniator, for charging protestants with innovation, and inclining to popery, under pretenee, forsooth, that their doctrine begins of late to be altered in these points, Whereas Mr. Breerly will inform you, they have been anciently, and even from the beginning of the Reformation, controverted amongst them, though perhaps the stream and current of their doctors run one way, and only some brook or rivulet of them the others.

27. And thus, my friends, I suppose, are clearly