d Helena with much gold, Apolles, looking upon it, "Friend
(saith he), when you could not make her fair, you have made her rich."
Learning and competency do enrich. The Jesuits have enough of both, but
that which maketh a visible ministerial church to be "beautiful as Tizrah,
comely as Jerusalem," that which maketh fair the outward face of a church,
is _government_ and _discipline_, the removing of scandals, the preserving
of the ordinances from pollution. He had spoken more for the honour of God
and for the power of godliness, if he had said this in the behalf of the
ministry: It were better for us to want competency and helps to learning,
than to partake with other men's sins, by admitting the scandalous and
profane to the Lord's table. His way, which he adviseth, will perhaps "get
us an able ministry, and procure us honour enough," as he speaketh; but,
sure, it can neither preserve the purity, nor advance the power of
religion, because it putteth no black mark upon profaneness and scandal in
church-members more than in any others. The king of Sodom's speech cannot
serve his turn except it be turned over, and then it will serve him as
just as anything, thus: Give us the goods, take you the persons (or _the
souls_, as the Hebrew and the Chaldee hath it); "Give us a competency,"
saith he,--here he asketh the goods,--"take you the government,"--here he
quitteth the persons or souls to be governed only by the civil power.
However, as at that time Abraham would take nothing that was not his own,
insomuch as he answereth the king of Sodom: "I will not take from a thread
even to a shoe-latchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine,"
Gen. xiv. 23; so this Parliament, I trust, shall be so counselled and
guided of the Lord, that they will leave to the church what is the
church's, or rather to Christ what is Christ's. And as Abraham had lift up
his hand to the most high God to do that (ver. 32), so have the Honourable
Houses, with hands lift up to the most high God, promised to do this.

And now, seeing I have touched upon the covenant, I wish the reverend
brother may seriously consider whether he hath not violated the oath of
God in advising the Parliament to lay no burden of government upon
church-officers, but to take the government of the church wholly into
their own hands. In the first article of the solemn league and covenant,
there is thrice mention made of the government of the church; and namely,
That we shall