IN the Primitive Christians Times Africa was held not to be more fertile in her production of Monsters, then of Hereſies: which uphappy fruitfulneſs if, with Astrologers, we may, with any appearance of Truth, aſcribe to the prevailing Influence of its ruling Planet; of later years we may as juſtly ſuſpect, that the Heavens have looked upon Europe alſo with as malign an Aſpect. For, if we conſider either thoſe Heretical Opinions, that firſt ſwarmed in the Low-Countries, through that Toleration and Indulgence they found there, after they had been baniſhed and drove from their Native Hives; or thoſe, that afterwards transplanted themſelves hither amidſt our late Diſtractions, which if they did not actually begin, they unhappily fomented and continued at leaſt: we have very little reaſon to account theſe Parts of Christendom leſs tainted at preſent, then that Quarter of the World was of old, with that Infection. Hereſie is of it ſelf impudent: and thoſe croaking Religions, that like Pharoah's Frogs creep into the Ovens and Kneading-Troughs at firſt for Bread only, will, if permitted once by the Civil Magistrate, go up in time into His Bed-Chamber, and, though they be Haereſin expellas ſurcà licèt, uſ que recurret. flang out with Shovels and Tongs over and over, yet with Importunity plead if not for a Settlement, at leaſt for a Toleration. Which Schiſms like that Egyptian Plague the Divine Providence never ſends of courteſie; but inflicts rather as a puniſhment. One would admire how ſpecious Pretenſes the primary Br • achers and Founders of Novel Opinions frame at firſt, and how different and unequal their Super-ſtructure is at laſt from their Foundation: which I ſhall not diſpute whether it be, becauſe thoſe, who ſucceed them, improve their Principles higher, then they were originally intended; or whether it be naturally incident to ſuch Spirits to pretend Liberty of Conſcience, and Religious Affairs, when their chiefeſt Aim is Innovation both in Church and State. It is therefore the beſt Prudence and Policy of a Prince, or State, to eradicate and root-up thoſe Weeds out of the Gardens of their Government, while young and tender; or, as we deal vvith Wolves, vvhen got at liberty, unkennel all the Mastiffs in a Country to worry them, e're they come to litter, and fill the ſoil vvith ſo peſtilent a Vermine: and not to hazard the future Peace of their Kingdomes by any ſeeming Political, or at-preſent-neceſſary Toleration. This Experience through continued Ages hath made good, and a late Example in the French State under the moſt Chriſtian King confirms. Which Church, as She retains Her antient and priſtine Privileges on one ſide free from the Papal Ʋſurpation; as appears by the late Cenſures and Decree of the Court of Parliament at Paris there paſt on the tvventy ſecond of January laſt againſt thoſe Concluſions, that were intended to have been aſſerted in the Sorbon, in defence of ſeveral Theſes, and Poſitions, aſſertive of the Popes Authority over the Church, and making Him equally infallible with Jeſus Chriſt: So doth She on the other hand keep back from Indulging and upstart Opinions, or novel Factions in Religion; which, though at firſt they may ſeem fooliſh and contemptible, yet having ſpread once, and gotten head, become oftentimes of dangerous Conſequence to a State, and not ſeldome venture to give Check-mate to the Prince Himſelf. To avoid which Evil there (in France I mean) ſince the Decree afore-mentioned againſt thoſe Poſitions of the Sorbon, there paſt a Sentence of In their Seſſ • ons-Houſe at Paris, like our Old-Beley Iudgments. Chastelet, confirmed by an Arrest of Parliament, by power whereof in the end of February laſt one called Simon Morin was burnt alive at Paris. He was born at Aumale, his Parentage but ordinary, his Education not greatly Learned, his Parts quick enough, but either by deferbeſcency or deſign brought into ſuch a ſubſerviency to a Religious and reſerved Temper, that he ſeemed to be ſo far Master of himſelſelf and his Endowments, that by that very Means he might be able to manage any Practice or Deſign for his own Repute: which (as it is thought) put him upon a Project of raiſing a new Sect by ways ſeemingly wilde enough; as if, becauſe the Turks account their Santons, or Fools, in the Catalogue of their Saints or Happy men, becauſe they paſs this Life without care for the things of this World, it were the nearest Cut to the acquiring of a Sanctified Repute to purchaſe it by Projects abſolutely mad, or purely ridiculous. Such certainly his Attempt of boasting and profeſſing himſelf to be Jeſus Chriſt will ſeem at firſt: but when we conſider how that King's Army was then intended; and withall how commonly when Princes are upon forein Deſigns Rebellions are fomented at home, and thoſe commonly begin either with the Ring-leader of a new Sect, or an Innovation in Religion (as it is manifeſt from our own Home Histories both in the Time of King John, and other Kings) we may not improbably ſuſpect, that his Deſign was rather to arrive at Canonization the way that John Clemens and Ravilliack had done before him. To back his Project, his Viſage Hair, and Beard (which, it is ſaid, he wore bi-partite, or two-forked, according to the common Pictures of Jeſus Chriſt) were ſuited and formed as near as he could, to the imitation of our Saviour; and a negligence in Apparel ſtudiously affected, and all other Things ſuitable to the ſtirring up a Belief in the minds of his Diſciples, that he was the ſame indeed he would be taken for. His Life is for the greateſt part unknown to us, it having been obſcure and unſetled, while he travelled far and near to gain Proſelytes; of whom within the ſpace of twenty years a very conſiderable number, and too great to be truſted by the Magiſtrate, was infected with his Errors: which (as we are informed from France) were found at his Conviction to be many more, and his Practices very dangerous, both to the Church, and to the State; he having (as we ſaid) engaged ſo great a number of Perſons within ſo ſmall a ſpace of time, that it was more then ſeaſonable for the Prince to look after him in that Conjuncture of Affairs, and purge his Countrey of ſuch a Monster, that might in time produce ſuch deadly effects. He was therefore ſeized, and committed to theThe publick Gaol at Paris, like our Newgate. Conciergery, where little ſign of amendment or repentance appearing, but greater danger rather of the ſpreading his Errors by the concourſe of his Diſciples thither, he was after Tryal condemned, and publickly burnt; his Errors at the ſame time ſuffering the ſame Condemnation, and forbidden to be propagated, or publiſhed; a Book, wrote by him, entituled Penſées du MORIN, (or, The Opinions of MONRIN) containing, as it ſhould ſeem, the ſubſtance of his Erroneous Doctrine being burnt together with him: for which reaſon it is impoſſible to give you an exact Catalogue of his other Errors; but it may be ſufficient to know, that they were ſo monſtrous, that the Civil Magistrate thought them not fit to come to the knowledge of any elſe, leſt they might be liable to the ſame Infection. To put a final end to ſuch an Imposture, and the farther ſpreading of his Errors, his Diſciples, which we have ſaid were numerous, were every where impriſoned, and enjoyned to recant, or be baniſhed, and ſent to the Gallies; and among the others thoſe two Priests, whom he had ſeduced, and who (we are informed) attended him, beſides thoſe appointed by the Magistrate, to his Execution. This was His Beginning, Progreſs, and End; who might probably, if he had not been ſtopt here, have in time produced Troubles, which would not quickly have found an end: So pestilent a Thing is Hereſie and Error, when it once gets Head, for to be rebated; and is much eaſilier prevented in the growth, then cut-off when grown-up. For, as we had in our memories the ſame Game plaid here in England by James Naylor; ſo, had not the timely ſeverity of the then temporary Powers curbed him, I do not doubt, but had he continued, and been ſtill on foot, he would have put in, as well as his Party do, for a Toleration. But (thanks be to God) it is not France onely, which in this late Example, or thoſe former ones of Caeſar Vaninus and others at Tholouze; nor the State of Geneva in that of Servetus, burnt there on October 27, 1553. for denying the Divinity of our Saviour, and other Errors; that can make ſhew of their oppoſing all ſuch erroneous and novel Opinions, as might diſturb the Peace of the Church, and ſerenity of their Government: But England may as juſtly boaſt of Her conſtant extirpation of Hereſie and Schiſm, as of Her purging out Superstition; and may She continue in that Mean, neither inclining to the right Hand nor to the left, but keep inviolate that mediocrity, whereon, as on Her true Baſis, Her Intereſt is ſo certainly grounded and eſtabliſhed.