without such a warrant from reason, as the clergy have in no age been yet able to produce. Wherefore, their hopes are in a manner buried as to the profits of England, and by consequence chil'd from any vigorous prosecution farther then concerns his holiness's honour, in seeming to desire the preservation of those catholickes that remaine: And this did not only facilitate the entrance of King James, but might occasion the discovery of the plot; which done to some prince, had drawne death or banishment upon them all them all; for at the bottome or top, either by contribution or prayers, the lawyers would not have stuck to find them all guilty so as he then wanted not perswasions to banish them, but his complection being more flegme then choler, he only suffered the parliament to sharpen lawe against them, that they might be the more obliged to him for stopping their execution; it being the general opinion of the court, that after this he was more tender of their pre

servations, they attaining by feare what no pity nor policy could procure.

15. To conclude: Whosoever revealed this conspiracy, it cost, as I have often been told, the king of France his life, not only by questioning the truth of his conversion, but did raise so high a suspicion of the immense treasure and mighty army he had with no lesse industry then secrecy gotten together (not one living owning to this day the knowledge of his designe) in the hearts of Spaine and Rome, as they procured his death; his freedome to the king of England rendering this silence the more suspected.

16. Now to take off the subjects eyes from observing the indulgency used by James in behalfe of the papists, whom, though he had no cause to love, he found reason enough to feare, a quarrell was revived, (now almost asleep, because it had long escaped persecution, the bellowes of schisme,) with a people stiled puritans, who meeting no neerer a definition then the

name, all the conscientious men in the nation shared the contempt: Since under that generall terme were comprehended not only those brain-sick fooles, as did oppose the discipline and ceremonies of the church, and made religion an umbrella to impiety, but such as out of meere honesty refrained the vices of the times were branded by this title; weaved of such a fashion, as it became a covering to the wicked, and no better then a fooles-coat to men truly conscientious. Neither was any charged with it, though in the best relation thought competent for preferment in church or common-weale: which made the bad glory in their impiety, and such as had not an extraordinary measure of grace ashamed of any outward profession of sanctity. Court sermons were fraught with bitter invectives against these people, whom they seated in a classe farre neerer the confines of hell then papists; yet the wisest durst not define them. The king called them protestants scared out of their wits, others lovers of

God, and haters of their neighbours; foolish and insignificant expressions: for, had they held them to the names of hypocrits, knowne and abominated by all, they would have been buried in contempt, and not risen, as since they have done, to the perpetuall detriment of church and state. But the bredth and newnesse of the name, together with the colour it hath, did not only delight and cover all that cheated under a pretence of sanctity, but stifled the seeds of goodnesse; so as probity was obstructed by deceit in the generall commerce, and religion, the guard of propriety, rendered uselesse, if not destructive to humane society.

Thus hath the divell quenched (for what was but a rivulet then is now swelled to a land-floud) that zeale with hypocrisy, and its concomitants shame and reproach, which in my fathers daies resisted the flames of the hottest persecution: For, to avoyd an imputation of puritanisme, (a greater rub in the way to preferment then vice,) our dis

vines, for the generality, did sacrifice more time to Bacchus then Minerva; and being excellent company, drew the most ingenious laity into a like excesse: And for their ordinary studies they were schoole points and passionate expressions; as more conversant with the fryars then the fathers, scórning in their ordinary discourse at Luther and Calvin, but especially at the last, so as I heard a bishop thank God he never (though a good poet himselfe) had read a line in him or Chaucer. The same used this simile in a sermon at court, that our religion, like the kings armes, stood between two beasts, the puritan and papist, which perhaps admitted of a better construction then he meant. The last being, like the lion, easily knowne; but the first, sutable to a unicorne, never seen but in painting. Nor was this schisme any waies dangerous, till King James, (more it may be thought out of ostentation, to shew such parts as are nothing necessary, then reason of state, only requisite in a prince,) made it consi