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of　men；　planting　our　faith　one　while　in　the　old　Convocation　house；

and　another　while　in　the　Chapel　at　Westminster；　when　all　the　faith

and　religion　that　shall　be　there　canonized　is　not　sufficient

without　plain　convincement；　and　the　charity　of　patient　instruction

to　supple　the　least　bruise　of　conscience；　to　edify　the　meanest

Christian；　who　desires　to　walk　in　the　Spirit；　and　not　in　the　letter

of　human　trust；　for　all　the　number　of　voices　that　can　be　there

made；　no；　though　Harry　VII　himself　there；　with　all　his　liege　tombs

about　him；　should　lend　them　voices　from　the　dead；　to　swell　their

number。



And　if　the　men　be　erroneous　who　appear　to　be　the　leading

schismatics；　what　withholds　us　but　our　sloth；　our　self…will；　and

distrust　in　the　right　cause；　that　we　do　not　give　them　gentle

meetings　and　gentle　dismissions；　that　we　debate　not　and　examine　the

matter　thoroughly　with　liberal　and　frequent　audience；　if　not　for

their　sakes；　yet　for　our　own？　seeing　no　man　who　hath　tasted

learning；　but　will　confess　the　many　ways　of　profiting　by　those　who；

not　contented　with　stale　receipts；　are　able　to　manage　and　set　forth

new　positions　to　the　world。　　And　were　they　but　as　the　dust　and

cinders　of　our　feet；　so　long　as　in　that　notion　they　may　yet　serve

to　polish　and　brighten　the　armoury　of　Truth；　even　for　that　respect

they　were　not　utterly　to　be　cast　away。　　But　if　they　be　of　those

whom　God　hath　fitted　for　the　special　use　of　these　times　with

eminent　and　ample　gifts；　and　those　perhaps　neither　among　the

priests　nor　among　the　Pharisees；　and　we　in　the　haste　of　a

precipitant　zeal　shall　make　no　distinction；　but　resolve　to　stop

their　mouths；　because　we　fear　they　come　with　new　and　dangerous

opinions；　as　we　commonly　forejudge　them　ere　we　understand　them；　no

less　than　woe　to　us；　while；　thinking　thus　to　defend　the　Gospel；　we

are　found　the　persecutors。



There　have　been　not　a　few　since　the　beginning　of　this　Parliament；

both　of　the　presbytery　and　others；　who　by　their　unlicensed　books；

to　the　contempt　of　an　Imprimatur；　first　broke　that　triple　ice　clung

about　our　hearts；　and　taught　the　people　to　see　day：　I　hope　that

none　of　those　were　the　persuaders　to　renew　upon　us　this　bondage

which　they　themselves　have　wrought　so　much　good　by　contemning。　　But

if　neither　the　check　that　Moses　gave　to　young　Joshua；　nor　the

countermand　which　our　Saviour　gave　to　young　John；　who　was　so　ready

to　prohibit　those　whom　he　thought　unlicensed；　be　not　enough　to

admonish　our　elders　how　unacceptable　to　God　their　testy　mood　of

prohibiting　is；　if　neither　their　own　remembrance　what　evil　hath

abounded　in　the　Church　by　this　set　of　licensing；　and　what　good　they

themselves　have　begun　by　transgressing　it；　be　not　enough；　but　that

they　will　persuade　and　execute　the　most　Dominican　part　of　the

Inquisition　over　us；　and　are　already　with　one　foot　in　the　stirrup

so　active　at　suppressing；　it　would　be　no　unequal　distribution　in

the　first　place　to　suppress　the　suppressors　themselves：　whom　the

change　of　their　condition　hath　puffed　up；　more　than　their　late

experience　of　harder　times　hath　made　wise。



And　as　for　regulating　the　press；　let　no　man　think　to　have　the

honour　of　advising　ye　better　than　yourselves　have　done　in　that

Order　published　next　before　this；　〃that　no　book　be　printed；　unless

the　printer's　and　the　author's　name；　or　at　least　the　printer's；　be

registered。〃　　Those　which　otherwise　come　forth；　if　they　be　found

mischievous　and　libellous；　the　fire　and　the　executioner　will　be　the

timeliest　and　the　most　effectual　remedy　that　man's　prevention　can

use。　　For　this　authentic　Spanish　policy　of　licensing　books；　if　I

have　said　aught；　will　prove　the　most　unlicensed　book　itself　within

a　short　while；　and　was　the　immediate　image　of　a　Star　Chamber　decree

to　that　purpose　made　in　those　very　times　when　that　Court　did　the

rest　of　those　her　pious　works；　for　which　she　is　now　fallen　from　the

stars　with　Lucifer。　　Whereby　ye　may　guess　what　kind　of　state

prudence；　what　love　of　the　people；　what　care　of　religion　or　good

manners　there　was　at　the　contriving；　although　with　singular

hypocrisy　it　pretended　to　bind　books　to　their　good　behaviour。　　And

how　it　got　the　upper　hand　of　your　precedent　Order　so　well

constituted　before；　if　we　may　believe　those　men　whose　profession

gives　them　cause　to　inquire　most；　it　may　be　doubted　there　was　in　it

the　fraud　of　some　old　patentees　and　monopolizers　in　the　trade　of

bookselling；　who　under　pretence　of　the　poor　in　their　Company　not　to

be　defrauded；　and　the　just　retaining　of　each　man　his　several　copy；

which　God　forbid　should　be　gainsaid；　brought　divers　glossing

colours　to　the　House；　which　were　indeed　but　colours；　and　serving　to

no　end　except　it　be　to　exercise　a　superiority　over　their

neighbours；　men　who　do　not　therefore　labour　in　an　honest　profession

to　which　learning　is　indebted；　that　they　should　be　made　other　men's

vassals。　　Another　end　is　thought　was　aimed　at　by　some　of　them　in

procuring　by　petition　this　Order；　that；　having　power　in　their

hands；　malignant　books　might　the　easier　scape　abroad；　as　the　event

shows。



But　of　these　sophisms　and　elenchs　of　merchandise　I　skill　not。　

This　I　know；　that　errors　in　a　good　government　and　in　a　bad　are

equally　almost　incident；　for　what　magistrate　may　not　be

misinformed；　and　much　the　sooner；　if　liberty　of　printing　be　reduced

into　the　power　of　a　few？　　But　to　redress　willingly　and　speedily

what　hath　been　erred；　and　in　highest　authority　to　esteem　a　plain

advertisement　more　than　others　have　done　a　sumptuous　bride；　is　a

virtue　（honoured　Lords　and　Commons）　answerable　to　your　highest　actions；

and　whereof　none　can　participate　but　greatest　and　wisest　men。








End