Page:Tetrachordon - Milton (1645).djvu/14

 ; ''which I shall pardon him, if he can deny, without shaking his own composition to peeces. The impudence therfore, since he waigh'd so little what a grosse revile that was to give his equall, I send him back again for a phylactery to stitch upon his arrogance, that censures not onely before conviction so bitterly without so much as one reason giv'n, but censures the Congregation of his Governors to their faces, for not being so hasty as himself to censure''.

And whereas my other crime is, that I address'd the Dedication of what I had studied, to the Parlament, how could I better declare the loyalty which I owe to that supreme and majestick Tribunal, and the opinion which I have of the high-entrusted judgment, and personall worth assembl'd in that place. With the same affections therfore, and the same addicted fidelity, Parlament of England, I here again have brought to your perusal on the same argument these following Expositions of Scripture. The former book, as pleas'd some to think, who were thought judicious, had of reason in it to a sufficiencie; what they requir'd, was that the Scriptures there alleg'd might be discuss'd more fully. To their desires, thus much furder hath been labour'd in the Scriptures. Another sort also who wanted more autorities, and citations, have not been here unthought of. If all this attain not to satisfie them, as I am confident that none of those our great controversies at this day, hath had a more demonstrative explaining, I must confesse to admire what it is; for doubtlesse it is not reason now adayes that satisfies, or suborns the common credence of men, to yeeld so easily, and grow so vehement in matters much more disputable, and farre lesse conducing to the daily good and peace of life. Some whose necessary shifts have long enur'd them to cloak the defects of their unstudied yeers, and hatred now to learn, under the appearance of a grave solidity, which estimation they have gain'd among weak perceivers, find the ease of slighting what they cannot refute, and are determin'd, as I hear, to hold it not worth the answering. In which number I must be forc'd to reck'n that Doctor, who in a late equivocating Treatise plausibly set afloat against the Dippers, diving the while himself with a more deep prelatical malignance against the present state, & Church-government, mentions with ignominy the Tractate of Divorce; yet answers nothing, but instead therof (for which I do not commend his marshalling) sets Moses also among the crew of his Anabaptists, as one who to a holy Nation, the Commonwealth of Israel, gave Laws breaking the bonds of mariage to inordinate lust. These are no mean surges of blasphemy, not onely dipping Moses the divine Lawgiver, but dashing with a high hand against the justice and purity of God himself; as these ensuing Scriptures plainly and freely handl'd shall verifie to the launcing of that old apostemated error. Him therefore I leave now to his repentance.

Rh