NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 261 



the descent of fire from heaven to kindle it : that 

 man that acts by the law of his lust, imprisons 

 his faith, and murders his reason. There is a ge- 

 neration of men that call the Sacred Scriptures a 

 scare-crow of religion, to frighten people from 

 the duties of Christianity ; nay they'l tell you, 

 that Faith, Hope, and Charity are useless instru- 

 ments and arguments to explain the mind of 

 God : but such men approve themselves profi- 

 cients of hell, that run besides the text to become 

 disobedient to all the commandments. Man 

 blown up with the blast of ambition, makes it a 

 rule of faith to study revenge ; so puts a sword 

 to his own throat, and yet cries out some other 

 hurts him. Hypocrites of all men are dip'd in 

 the deepest die, and doom'd to a lower hell than 

 either Scribe or Pharisee : whilst the more reli- 

 gious contemplate vision, and seek the seraphick 

 life of angels, which inclines me to an hermetick 

 life, that speaks more piety than pageantry ; 

 more religion than prophaneness ; more services 

 than sacrifices ; more adoration to God, than to 

 temples built with hands. But where are we 

 now ? see here, Theophilus. 



TJieoph. What shall I see ? 



Am. Beggarly Belgrade, the first post stage 

 in England. 



Theoph. Indeed I took it for a remnant of 



