his hand on his mouth, and meddle with such reasonings as these no more. _Object._ But by this device you will have the clergy lawless, or, as the papists, exempt them from the magistrate's punishments, for fear of depriving the people of instruction. _Answ._ No such matter: it is the contrary that I am advising; I would have them punished more severely than other men, as their sins are more aggravated than other men's. Yea, and I would have them silenced when it is meet, and that is in two cases: viz. If they commit such capital crimes, as God and man would have punished with death, it is fit they die (and then they are silenced): for in this case it is supposed that their lives (by their impunity) are like to do more hurt than good. 2. If their heresy, insufficiency, scandal, or any fault whatever, do make them more hurtful than profitable to the church, it is fit they be cast out. If their ministry be not like to do more good than their faults to do harm, let them be silenced! But if it be otherwise, then let them be punished in their bodies or purses, rather than the people's souls should suffer. The laws have variety of penalties for other men! Will none of those suffice for ministers? But alas! what talk I of their faults? Search all church history, and observe whether in all ages ministers have not been silenced rather for their duties than their faults; or, for not subscribing to some unnecessary opinion or imposition of a prevailing party; or about some wrangling controversies which church disturbers set afoot! There is many a poor minister would work in Bridewell, or be tied to shovel the streets all the rest of the week, if he might but have liberty to preach the gospel! And would not such a penalty be sufficient for a dissent in some unnecessary point? As it is not every fault that a magistrate is deposed for by the sovereign, but such as make him unfit for the place, so is it also with the ministers.