the Church by his Parents and Friends and his Own Refolutions. and, as he had an Early Religious Turn of Mind, that he perfifted in it throughout the Whole Course of his Life is Apparent by his Writings, and Otherwise.

His Rule was the Holy Scripture. This was his Guide in Faith and Practice; but Interpreted by his Own Judgment Ultimately. What Better, what Other can Any of Us Have, Defire or Pretend to? How This led Him is not our present Business. This was his Sole Rule, not Humane Authority, as is Remarkably declar'd in the Beginning of his Difcourfe on Prelatical Epifcopacy, where he says, not contented with the Plentiful and WholJom Fountains of the Gospel, they began after their Own Lufts to heap to Themfelves Teachers; and as if the Divine Scripture wanted a Supplement, and were to be eek't out, they cannot think any Doubt refolv'd, and any Doctrine confirm'd, unless they run to that Indigefted heap and frie of Authors which they call Antiquity. Whatfoever Time, or the Heedlefs Hand of Blind Chance, hath drawn down from of Old to this Prefent, in her huge Drag-net, whether Fish, or Sea-Weed, or Shells, or Shrubbs, Unpick'd, Unchofen, thofe are the Fathers. Thus he goes on till a little after he concludes this Point by saying that he thought he could do Religion and his Country no better Service for the time, then doing his Utmoft Endeavour to recall the People of God from this vain Forraging after Straw,

and

and to reduce them to their Firm Stations under the Standard of the Gospel; by making appear to them, First the Infufficiency, Next the Inconveniency; and Laftly, the Impiety of these Gay Teftimonies, that their great Doctors would bring them to dote on. Concerning the Scripture, he Writes Thus in his Preface to the Reafon of Church-Government.God having to this End Ordain'd his Gospel to be the Revelation of his Power and Wisdom in Chrift fefus. and This is One Depth of his Wifdom, that he could fo plainly Reveal fo great a MeaJure of it to the Grofs, Distorted Apprehenfions of Decay'd Mankind. Let Others therefore Dread and Shun the Scriptures for their Darkness, Į fhall Wish I may deferve to be reckon'd among Thofe who Admire and Dwell upon them for their Clearness. and This feems to be the Caufe, why in thofe places of Holy Writ, wherein is Treated of Church-Government, the Reasons thereof are not Formally, and Profeftly fet down, becaufe to Him that Heeds attentively the Drift and Scope of Chriftian Profeffion, they eafily imply Themfelves.

This then was Milton's Only Rule, or if you please, his own Reafon Inform'd and Govern'd by it. but whatever it led him to, that he had Charity for all Others, Honestly Endeavouring, as He, to Worship God Aright, is feen by a Fine Paffage in One of the. Laft of his Works [of True Relig.&c. fol. 808,] where he fays, It is a Human Frailty to Err,

and

and no Man is Infallible here on Earth. but jo long as all Thefe, (he was fpeaking of Lutherans, Calvinifts, Anabaptifts, Socinians, Arminians,) profefs to fet the Word of God Only before them as the Rule of their Faith and Obedience; and ufe all Diligence and Sincerity of Heart by Reading, by Learning, by Study, by Prayer for the Illumination of the Holy Spirit to Understand This Rule and Obey it, they have done whatever Men can do. God will Affuredly Pardon them, as he did the Friends of Job, Good and Pious Men, though Much Miftaken, as there it appears, in fome Points of Doctrine.

His Contempt for a Lazy Adherence to What Men Implicitely Receive, and his Approbation of an Honeft and Free Exercife of the Understanding in Finding Out, and making Use of what Helps are to be Had from Without, or the Dictates of Internal Reason, is seen in what he fays, Addreffing Himself to the Parliament and Affembly, with his Treatife on Divorce (printed 1644.)

If it were Seriously ask'd, and it would be no Untimely Question, Renowned Parliament, Select Affembly, who of all Teachers and Mafters that have ever taught, hath drawn the Moft Difciples after him, both in Religion and in Manners, it might be not Untruly Anfwer'd, Cuftome. though Vertue be commended for the moft Perfuafrve in Theory, and Confcience in the plain Demonftration of the Spirit, finds moft Evincing, yet whether it be the Secret if

Divine

Divine Will, or the Original Blindness we are born in, So it happens, for the Moft part, that Cuftome fill is Silently receiv'd for the Best InAtructor, Except it be, becaufe her Method is fo Glib and Eafy, in fome manner like to that Vifion of Ezekiel, rowling up her Sudden Book of Implicit Knowledge, for Him that Will, to Take and Swallow down at Pleasure; which proving but of Bad Nourishment in the Concoction, as it was Heedlefs in the Devouring, Puffs up Unhealthily, a certain Big Face of pretended Learning, Miftaken among Credulous Men, for the Wholefom Habit of a Soundness and good Conftitution; but is indeed no other than the Swol'n Vifage of Counterfeit Knowledge and Literature, which not only in Private Marrs our Education, but also in Publick is the Common Climer into every Chair, where either Religion is Preach'd, or Law Reported: filling each Eftate of Life and Profeffion, with Abject and Servile Principles; Depreffing the High and Heaven-born Spirit of Man, Far beneath the Condition wherein either God Created him, or Sin bath Sunk him. To perfue the Allegory, Cuftom being but a meer Face, as Eccho is a meer Voice, refts not in her Unaccomplishment, until by a Secret Inclination, She Accorporate berfelf with Error, who being a Blind and Serpentine Body without a Head, willingly Accepts what He Wants, and Supplies what Her Uncompleatneffe went Seeking. Hence it is that Error Supports Cuftome, Cuftome Count'nances

Error.

Error. and thefe Two between them would Perfecute, and Chafe away all Truth and Solid· Wifdome out of Humane Life, were it not that God, rather then Man, Once in many Ages cals together the Prudent and Religious Counfels of Men deputed to repreffe the Encroachments, and to worke off the Inveterate Blots and Obfcurities wrought upon our Mindes by Suttle Infinuating of Error and Cuftome: Who with the Numerous and Vulgar Train of Their Followers make it Their Chiefe Defigne to Envie and Cry-Down the Industry of Free Reasoning under the terms of Humor and Innovation; as if the Womb of Teeming Truth were to be Clos'd up if She PreJume to bring forth ought, that Sorts not with Their Unchew'd Notions and Suppofitions. Against which Notorious Injury and Abufe of Mans Free Soule, to Teftifie and Oppofe the Utmoft that Study and true Labour can attaine, Heretofore the Incitement of Men reputed Grave bath led Me among Others: and Now the Duty and the Right of an Inftructed Chriftian cals Me through the Chance of Good and Evil Report to be the Sole Advocate of a Discount nanc't Truth; a High Enterprife Lords and Commons, a High Enterprife, and a Hard, and Such as Every Seventh Son of a Seventh Son does not Venture on. Nor have I amidst the Clamor of So much Envie and Impertinence, Whether to Appeal but to the Concourfe of So much Piety and Wildom bere Affembled. bringing in my bands an Ancient and moft Neceffary, most Charitable,