BAINBRIGG. 403 laws demand. - Offences, indeed, against positive laws must needs be punished, lest others, by too much lenity, be encouraged to do evil ; yet with great prudence, especially in the case of a minister, lest the innocent be oppressed and injured. There must be great care, that the church be not deprived of the word, which is so excellent a treasure, and which the Lord bath committed to his ministers. 3. That there is extremity used, especially in the execu- tion of laws. Ans. I did not say there was extremity in the execution of laws. It seems that they who thus accuse me, wholly misunderstood my meaning when I recommended mutual forbearance; but especially in inferiors towards their superiors. 4. The fire of the word is put out, by stopping the mouths of those who bring it. Ans. I never used the words, putting out thefire, nor stopping their mouths. 5. If you mind, indeed, to awake : As if he meant to reflect upon the sleepiness of the doctors' sermons usually delivered there. Ans. I said thus, directing myself to the doctors, If you desire, indeed, that they (meaning the townsmen) should awake out of sleep ; if you would have them forsake the works of darkness, and have Jesus Christ heard among them, provide that Jesus Christ may be more frequently preached among them. G. That eloquence is base. Ans. I did not speak against good eloquence ; because, I said, of all gifts, there were none more excellent in itself, nor more profitable to society. But I spoke against the ridiculous eloquence ofsome in our days, which consisteth principally in an outward shew, and is disgraceful to the majesty of the word of God. 7. That ceremonies are no sooner spoken of, than they are snatched at. Ans. I said, I could not help wondering that those men, who, hearing theceremonies spoken of without distinction, would snatch at the word of God, in order to make a minister a transgressor. Whereas the Lord himself bath spoken against idle and unprofitable ceremonies, both in the Old and the New Testament.. From the above statement, the reader will be able to Strype's Annals, vol. iii, Appen. p. 266, 26T.
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