likely to be prohibited than truth itself, even the very Bible; as we may see it is by the first inventors of this monopoly. To justify the suppres sion of books, some may cite the burning of those Ephesian books by St. Paul's converts; but that agrees not with our case, for there it was not the magistrate, but the owners of the books themselves who burnt them in remorse. Ninthly, and lastly, give me leave to tell you, that licensing and persecution of conscience are two sisters that ever go hand in hand toge. ther, being both founded upon one and the same principle: therefore, to asperse the one, permit me to defame the other. Now although I allow no difference to those religions whose principles destroy government, nor those religions that teach ill life (both which errors the papists are guilty of :) yet I cannot but wish, that all men would use one another so gently and so charitably, that no violent compulsion should introduce hypocrisy, and render sincerity as well troublesome as unsafe.' It would be hard measure for any man to blame that sur. geon who refused to cut off a man's head, only to cure a wart or pimple upon his chin or cheek: now the case is altogether the same, and we may as well decree a wart to be mortal, as a various opinion in re alioqui non necessaria to be capital and damnable. I would fain know why is not any vicious habit as bad or worse, than a false opinion? Why are we so zealous against the non-conformists, or hereticks, and yet at the same time dear friends with drunkards, fornicators, swearers, intemperate and idle persons? I am certain that a drunkard is as contrary to God, and lives as contrary to the laws of Christianity as any heretick; and I am also sure that I know what drunkenness is ; but I am not sure, that such an opinion is heresy, nor would any man else be so dogmatical in these matters, did he not mistake confidence for certainty. Faction and heresy were things unknown in the world, till the increase of interest, and abatement of Christian simplicity; when the church's fortune grew better, her sons worse, and her fathers worst of all. Why should I hate men, because their understandings have not been brought up like mine, have not had the same masters, have not met with the same books, nor the same company, or have not the same interest, or are not so wise, or are much wiser; and therefore do not determine their school-questions to the sense of my sect or interest? I think they are in an error, but they believe me to be in the wrong; if they err, they do it not through obstinacy, but ignorance; and if God affords them patience, why should we not lend them ours? It was nobly and bravely answered, for a heathen, of Tamerlain the Great; who, when his high priest desired him to reduce all that part of the world to one religion, replied: No, I will not; for that how, saith he, do I know but the same God, who hath delighted himself so 'much with the variety of all other things, as appears in men, beasts, birds, fish, trees, herbs, flowers, &c. may not also delight himself as 'much in variety of worship? Therefore I will punish none but such as deny either a God, or his providence, and him will I put to death.' Certainly 'tis very unreasonable for men to press and pretend every opi. Dr. Taylor's Liberty of Prophesying. nion in matters of religion, as necessary in so high a degree, that if they spoke truth, or indeed two of them in five-hundred sects which are now in the world (and, for aught I know, there may be five thousand) it is five hundred to one, but every man is damned; for every sect damns all but itself, and yet that is damned of four hundred and ninetynine, and it is excellent fortune then, if that escape. All wise princes heretofore, till they were overborne with faction, gave toleration to dif ferent sects, whose opinions did not disturb the publick interest: and not without reason; for that being restrained, and made miserable, mutually endears the discontented party, and so begets more hearty and dangerous confederations against the oppressing government. Now how unreasonable soever such kind of prosecutions may appear to all tender-hearted Christians; yet, if once a license prevails, when men shall not be permitted to justify their innocence to the world, 'tis greatly to be feared that these mischiefs, and worse than these, if possible, will be the consequence of it. Having therefore thus plainly and at large demonstrated the inconveniences of a licensing press, give me leave to write upon the square, and shew yon the objections of our adversaries, which, without wrong to their cause, may be justly comprehended under one head, and that is this. Objection. If, say they, a restraint be not laid upon printing, and some supervisors assigned over the press; how then can we be secured from libels against the king, the church, the state, and private men? As also from popish books of all sorts? Now this I take to be the only material objection, wherewith they can have any shew of a pretence to baffle and obstruct our design. To which I answer: first, that to expect any assurance, that no such books shall be written, is more than mortal man can give; since we see that during this late act, and should there be even a Spanish inquisition erected amongst us; yet there are some authors and some printers so bold, that the one to vent his humour, and the other for the lucre of money, would write and print such books in spight of the strictest enquiry, and in defiance of the severest penalty. And these are the authors that are most dangerous, and also most incorrigible; being persons, however, that are more likely to be silenced by liberty, than by restraint for experience hath already shewed, that all such acts will prove ineffectual as to them. Secondly, supposing any such authors are taken and discovered: why, we need no other new laws for the punishing of them, as I humbly conceive, than what are already in force; as for example, if any audacious villain shall publish treason, he is already liable to suffer as a traitor; or, if he writes scandalous reflexions upon the government, I presume he is, by the present laws of the land, subject to a fine and imprisonment. Again, if he publishes any atheism, heresy, or schism, he is liable to an excommunication, and to be proceeded against accordingly in the spiritual court: or, if in his writing he defames any particular person, he is obnoxious to a scandalum magnatum, if he be a peer; and to an action upon the case for slander, if he be a commoner. And last of all, for popish books, quere, whe ther there be not statutes already in force, for the abolishing them, made 3 and 4 of Ed. vi. For, although this statute was once repealed by the 1 M. 2. yet that of the 1 M. 2. was likewise afterwards repealed by the 1 Jac. 28. So that I cannot apprehend wherein we have need of any other new law of this nature, unless it be to preserve to the poor booksellers their just and undoubted property of their copies, which is their house and land, they having the same title for the one, as we have for the other. POSTSCRIPT. Having thus, therefore, my lords and gentlemen, tendered to your serious consideration these few reasons against any such inquisition upon the press, I shall presume to offer but this one proposal to your judgment, and so conclude, viz. That, if these forementioned arguments prove so ineffectual, as that your prudence shall think fit to take some further care, about the regulating of the press; then, if it be enacted, that any book may be printed without a license, provided that the printer's, and the author's name, or, at least, the printer's be registered, whether or no this will not have all the good, but none of the bad consequence of a licenser? And that those, which otherwise come forth, if they be found mischievous and libellous, shall be committed to the flames, as also the author to condign punishment; but in this, as in all other things, I most humbly submit myself to your supreme wisdom and judicature. DAY-FATALITY: OR, SOME OBSERVATION OF DAYS LUCKY AND UNLUCKY; Concluding with some Remarks upon the Fourteenth of October, The auspicious Birth-day of his Royal Highness James Duke of York. THAT The fourteenth day of the first month was a memorable and blessed day amongst the children of Israel: see Exod. xii. 18, 40, 41, 42, 51. and xiii. 4. Levit. xxiii. 5. Numb. xxviii. 16. Four hundred and hirty years being expired of their dwelling in Egypt, even in the selfme day departed they thence. saA thing somewhat parallel to this we read in the Roman Histories: That, that very day four years that the civil wars were begun by Pompey the father, Cæsar made an end of them with his sons; Cneus Pompeius being then slain, and it being also the last battle Cæsar was ever in. [Heylin in the kingdom of Corduba.] The calendar to Ovid's Fastorum says, Aprilis erat mensis Græcis auspicatissimus, a most auspicious month to the Græcians. As to evil days and times, see Amos v. 13. and vi. 3. Eccles. ix. 12. Psalm xxxvii. 19. Obad. 12. Jer. xlvi. 21. And Job hints it, in cursing his birth-day, chap. iii. ver. 1 to 11. old rhymes deriding the Scots. Ery in a morneuing, In an evil tyming, See Weaver, p. 458. the Went they from Dunbarre: Horace, Lib. II. Ode 13, cursing the tree that had like to have fallen upon him, says, Ille nefasto te posuit die; intimating, that it was planted in an unlucky day. The Romans counted February the thirteenth an unlucky day, and therefore then never attempted any business of importance; for on that day they were overthrown at Allia by the Gauls; and the Fabii, attacking the city of the Veil, were all slain save one. [Heylin speaking of St. Peter's patrimony.] And see the calendar annexed to Ovid's Fastorum, as to the last circumstance. The Jews counted August the tenth an unfortunate day; for on that the temple was destroyed by Titus, the son of Vespasian; on which day also the first temple was consumed with fire by Nebuchadnezzar. [Heylin.] The Treasury of the times says, the eighth of Loyon (August) the very same day six hundred seventy-nine years one after another. And not only among the Romans and Jews, but also among Christians, a like custom of observing such days is used, especially Childermas or Innocents day. Comines tells us, that Lewis the Eleventh used not to debate any matter, but accounted it a sign of great misfortune towards him, if any man communed with him of his affairs; and would be very angry with those about him, if they troubled him in any matter whatsoever upon this day. But I will descend to more particular instances of lucky and unlucky days. Upon the sixth of April, Alexander the Great was born: upon the same day he conquered Darius, won a great victory at sea, and died the same day. Neither was this day less fortunate to his father Philip; for on the same he took Potidea; Parmenio, his general, gave a great overthrow to the Illyrians; and his horse was victor at the Olympick Games. Therefore his prophets foretold to him, filium cujus natalis, &c. That a son, whose birth-day was accompanied with three victories, should prove invincible. Pezelius in Mellificio Historico. Upon the thirtieth of September, Pompey the Great was born: upon that day he triumphed for his Asian conquest; and on that day The nineteenth of August was the day of Augustus's adoption: on the same day he began his consulship: he conquered the Triumviri; and on the same day he died. Hitherto out of the Memoirs of King Charles the First's Heroes. If Solomon count the day of one's death better than the day of one's birth, there can be no objection why that also may not be numbered amongst one's remarkable and happy days. And therefore I will insert here, That the eleventh of February was the noted day of Elisabeth, wife to Henry the Seventh, who was born and died that day. Weaver, p. 476. Brook in Henry the Seventh's Marriage. Stowe in anno 1466. 1503. As also that the twenty-third of November was the observable day of Francis Duke of Lunenburgh, who was born on that day, and died upon the same, 1549; as says the French author of the Journal History, who adds, upon particular remark, and observable curiosity: Ipsa dies vitam contulit, ipsa necem. The same day life did give, And made him cease to live. Sir Kenelm Digby, that renowned knight, great linguist, and maga. zine of arts, was born and died on the eleventh of June; and also fought fortunately at Scanderoon the same day. Hear his epitaph, composed by Mr. Farrar, and recited in the aforesaid memoirs: Under this stone the matchless Digby lies, I had a maternal uncle, that died the third of March last, 1678, which was the anniversary of his birth; and, which is a truth exceeding strange, many years ago he foretold the day of his death to be that of his birth; and he also averred the same but about a week before his departure. This third of March is the day of St. Eutropius (of which hereafter) and, as to my uncle, it was significative; it turned well to him, according to that of Rev. xiv. 13. Blessed are the dead, &c. and that of Ovid, Metam. Lib. III. The sixth of January was five times auspicious to Charles Duke of Anjou. Ibid. in the Life of the Earl of Sunderland. The twenty-fourth of February was happy to Charles the Fifth four times. Ibid. Heylin, speaking of the Temple of Jerusalem, hints |