A Cenfore ofTravell. A of their youth, but the proofc of their age lies bleeding. It is true, that as the Freneh Lawyers fay merrilyoftheNormans, which by a fpeciall priviledge are reputedoffull age at or. yeares, .whereas the other French fray f<;>r their five and twentieth, that .Maltti4[Npplet "late m; fo may I fay ofthe yonglmgs ofour lime, that Precocity ofunderfranding fupp!ieth ageand fiature: but as it is commonly feene, that thofe bloffomes whichover-runne theSpring,and will be looking forth upon aFebruary-Sun, arenipped foone afrer with anAprill-frofi when they fhould come to the knitting:l<>isi nolelfeordinary thatthefe rathe-ripe wits pre1•em their owne perfection, and after avaine wonde.r oftheir hafie, end either in fhame orobfcurity. And as it thus falls out even inour Univerfit!es(th~ mofi abfolute and famousSeminariesoftheWorld) wheretheTutorseye fupphes the Parents; fo 11 mufi it needs muchmore, in thofe free and honourable Innes (as thfy are called, for tieir liberty, Colledgcs for their ufe) ofour EnglifhGenrry, wherein each oneis his owne mafierinrefpeCl:ofhisprivateftudyandgovemment. Where there are many potsboyling, there cannot but be muchfcumme, the concourfeofa populous . City aJfords many brokersofvillany,which liveuponthefpoilesofyoung ho~, whofe very acquaintanceisdefrrullion. Howcan thefe novices that areturned loole inro the' maine, ere they know either coafi, or compaffe, avoid the(e Rocks and {helves, upon which both their efiates and foules are miferably wracked? Howcommonlydoe they learne to roare in fiead of pleading i and in fiead of knowing the !awes, leamehnwtocontemnethem? Wefee amlrue thismifchiefe, andyet 1 know not howcareleffewe are in preventing it. Howmuchmore defperate mufr it C then nccdsberofendforthourchildren intothofeplaceswhich are profeffedly in. feffious, whofe very goodneffe is either impiety or fuperfiition? Ifwee defired to have fons poifoned with milbeleefe, what couldwe doe otherwife? Or what elfe doethofeParenrs, whichhave bequeathed their children to Antichrifri,anifme?Our late journey into Fr411Ce informed me offot!le ordinary Factors of &me, whofe trade is the tranfporting and placingofour Popifh novices beyond theSeas ; one whereof(whnfe name I noted) bathbinobferved to carryover fix feverall charges inone yeare.Are we fo fuoli(h to go their way,whilcswe intend a contraryperiod? Doe wefendourfonsro learne to be cha(le in the midfrof S•d.md The world is wide and open ; but our ordinary travell is Southward, into the jawesofdanger : fur fo farre bath Satanspolicy prevailed, th•t thofe parrs which are onely thought 0 worth our viewing, aremoficontagious; and will notparr with either pleafure, or inform•tion, wirhout fome rang ofwickedneflC:. What can weplead for our confidence, but that there is an houfboldofrighreous Lot in themillfiofthar impure City, that there are houfes in this ']tricho, which havefcarlet rhreds fhining in their windowes, that in the moficOtTUpted ayre ofPopery, fome well reformed Chrifiians draw their breath, and fweetenitwitbtheir ;refpiration? Bleffed be God, that hath reared up the towers of Si M in the midfi of B•/J,Jio11. Wemullacknowledge,not without much gratulation to the Gofpell ofChri(\,that in the veryhottefi climatesofoppolition, it finds manyclients, butmore friends; and in thoCe places, where authority bathpleafed to give more ayre to the truth, would have hadmany more, ifthe reformed part had happily continued that correfpondcnce in IOme E circumfianceswith theRoman Church,which theChurchofE.og,.ndbath hitheno maintained. Godismy record howfreemyheartis both from partiality and prejudice.Mine eyes and earescanwitndfewith what approofeand applaufe diversof theCatholiques lloyall(asthey are tearmed) entertained the new tranllatedLiturgyofour Church, asmarvelling to fee fuchorderand regular devotionin them, whomtheywere 12ught ro condemnefor herericall. Wbofeallowances I well faw, might with alittle helpe havebeene raifedhigher, from the prac'liceofourChurch to fume/ointsofourjudgment. But iftruereligion were in thofepam yetberter ltttende , and ouryoungTraveller could find moreabetters and examples ofpieC)_'• on whomwe might relie, yer how fafecan it be totruO: young eycs withrhe Vt~w and cenfure ofrruthor filfehood in religion?e(peciallywhen rruthbrings nothmg to this barre, butexrreame fimplicity ; and contrarily, f.dfhood , agawdymal i i 3 gnilicence,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=