Page images
PDF
EPUB

vised to my History of Tithes, a book so much cried down by them formerly; in which I dare boldly say, there are more arguments for them than are extant together any where. Upon this, one writ me word, That my History of Tithes was now become like Peleus's Hasta, to wound and to heal. I told him in my answer, I thought I could fit him with a better instance. It was possible it might undergo the same fate that Aristotle, Avicen, and Averroes did in France, some five hundred years ago; which were excommunicated by Stephen, bishop of Paris (by that very name, excommunicated), because that kind of learning puzzled and troubled their divinity. But finding themselves at a loss, some forty years after, which is much about the time since I writ my history, they were called in again, and so have continued ever since.

TRADE.

1. THERE is no prince in Christendom but is directly a tradesman, though in another way than an ordinary tradesman. For the purpose: I have a man; I bid him lay out twenty shillings in such commodities, but I tell him

for every shilling he lays out I will have a penny. I trade as well as he. This every prince does in his customs.

2. That which a man is bred up in, he thinks no cheating; as your tradesman thinks not so of his profession, but calls it a mystery. Whereas if you would teach a mercer to make his silks heavier than what he has been used to, he would peradventure think that to be cheating.

3. Every tradesman professes to cheat me, that asks for his commodity twice as much as it is worth.

TRADITION.

SAY what you will against tradition, we know the signification of words by nothing but tradition. You will say the Scripture was written by the Holy Spirit; but do you understand that language it was writ in? No. Then for example, take these words, In principio erat verbum. How do you know those words signify, In the beginning was the word, but by tradition, because somebody has told you so?

TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

1. THE fathers using to speak rhetorically brought up transubstantiation; as if because it is commonly said, Amicus est alter idem, one should go about to prove a man and his friend are all one. That opinion is only rhetoric turned into logic.

2. There is no greater argument, though not used, against transubstantiation, than the apostles at their first council, forbidding blood and suffocation. Would they forbid blood, and yet enjoin the eating of blood too?

3. The best way for a pious man, is to address himself to the sacrament with that reverence and devotion, as if Christ were really there present.

TRAITOR.

IT is not seasonable to call a man traitor that has an army at his heels. One with an army is a gallant man. My lady Cotton was in the right, when she laughed at the duchess of Richmond for taking such state upon her, when she could command no forces. She a duchess! there is in Flanders a duchess indeed; meaning the arch-duchess.

TRINITY.

THE second person is made of a piece of bread by the Papist, the third person is made of his own frenzy, malice, ignorance, and folly, by the roundhead. To all these the Spirit is intituled. One the baker makes, the other the cobbler; and betwixt those two, I think the first person is sufficiently abused.

TRUTH.

1. THE Aristotelians say, All truth is contained in Aristotle in one place or another. Galileo makes Simplicius say so, but shows the absurdity of that speech, by answering, All truth is contained in a lesser compass; viz. in the alphabet. Aristotle is not blamed for mistaking sometimes; but Aristotelians for maintaining those mistakes. They should acknowledge the good they have from him, and leave him when he is in the wrong. There never breathed that person to whom mankind was more beholden.

2. The way to find out the truth is by others' mistakings. For if I was to go to such a place, and one had gone before me on the right-hand, and he was out; another had gone

on the left-hand, and he was out; this would direct me to keep the middle way, that peradventure would bring me to the place I desired to go.

3. In troubled water you can scarce see your face; or see it very little, till the water be quiet and stand still. So in troubled times you can see little truth; when times are quiet and settled, then truth appears.

TRIAL.

1. TRIALS are by one of these three ways; by confession, or by demurrer; that is, confessing the fact, but denying it to be that, wherewith a man is charged. For example, denying it to be treason, if a man be charged with treason; or by a jury.

2. Ordalium was a trial; and was either by going over nine red hot ploughshares, (as in the case of queen Emma, accused for lying with the bishop of Winchester, over which she being led blindfold, and having passed all her irons, asked when she should come to her trial;) or it was by taking a red hot coulter in a man's hand, and carrying it so many steps, and then casting it from him. As soon as this was done, the hands or the feet were to

« PreviousContinue »