R. H.

“ Whether must the Church's judgment be taken, or every mans own judgment? if the former, the Ground of Schism lies still in the Church's definitions, contrary to what Protestants affirm: if the latter; then no one can be a Schismatick, but he, that opposeth that of which he is, or may be convinced, that it is a Fundamental, or essential matter of Faith. If he be only a Schismatick, that opposeth that, of which he is convinced; then no man is a Schismatick, but he that goes against his present Judgment; and so there will be few Schismaticks in the world ”

“ And yet they fain would Fight; they came so near, Methought they meant into each other’s Ear To whisper Wounds; and when they could not rise, They lay and lookt Blows int’ each others Eyes, But now the Tragic Part! after this fit, When Norfolk Cock had got the best of it, And Wisbich lay a Dying, so that none, Tho’ sober but might venture Seven to One; Contracting, like a dying, Taper all His strength, intending with the Blow to fall: He struggles up, and having taken Wind, Ventures a Blow, and strikes the other blind. ”

“ So lively an Emblem of true Valour is the well bred-Cock, that he is not to be parall’d amongst the many Creatures which the Wise Creator of all things has been pleased to make Man the Lord and Master of.
No Bird can with the well-bred Cock compare, No Creature less than Man shall with him share; The Honour bravely won by dint of Sword, From fiercest Foes in open Field where Blood, Flowing from dying Warriours fatal Wounds. ”

“ Scriptures indeed are not so clear and perspicuous to every one [25] as that Art and subtilty may not be used to pervert the Catholick doctrine, and to wrest the plain places of Scripture which deliver it, so far from their proper meaning, that very few ordinary capacities may be able to clear themselves of such mists as are cast before their eyes, even in the great Articles of the Christian faith. Therefore why do not you submit your judgment, and assent to the sense of Scripture, in this point unanimously delivered by the consent of the Catholick Church ”

“ Fish in general take all such baits freely, as nature at that season affords in or near the places where you Angle, for being used to them they are not afraid of any deceit, but take them as their common food. And for flies in this case, in a Morning or Evening, when you go to Angle beat the bushes about the Rivers or Ponds, and such Flies as you rouse there, Fish with, either Natural, or imitate them by Art; as also see what Worms or other Insects fit for baits stick on the Leaves, Grass, or are in the Water; and in this Observation you cannot miss of good Sport ”

“ For the Choice of Hounds we are to rely much on their Colours, and accordingly make our Election. The Best and most Beautiful of all for a general Kennel, is, The White Hound, with black Ears, and a black spot at the setting on of the Tail, and is ever found to be both of good Scent, and good Condition, and will Hunt any Chace, but especially the Hare, Stag, Buck, Roe, or Otter, not sticking at Woods or Waters. ”

“ Winter time is the most proper for taking all manner of Small Birds, as flocking then promiscuosly together, Larks, Lennets, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Yellow-Hammers, &c. with this Bird-lime, Put to a quarter of a Pound of Bird-lime, an ounce of fresh Lard, or Capons-grease, and let it gently melt together over the Fire, but not Boyl; then take a quantity of Wheat-ears, as you think your use shall require, and cut the straw about a foot long besides the Ears, and from the Ear lime the straw six Inches; the warmer it is, the less discernible it will be. ”

“ I will take no mans liberty of judgment from him, neither shall any man take mine from me; for I am fully assured, that God doth not, and therefore that men ought not to require any more of any man than this; To believe the Scripture to be Gods Word, to endeavour to find the true sense of it ”

“ SO then, if you are desirous to breed a Cock of the Game, whose delicacy of Shape, and Excellency of Heels, whose admirable hardness, and most exquisite deportment in all respects, may not only prove pleasing, but also profitable to you: Imprint these subsequent Lines in your Memory: so that when you come to breed a Bird of this sort, you may not be wanting or unacquainted in those Misteries practised by the ablest Masters, in the World at this day, in the Noble Sport of Cocking. ”

“ For Raising a Peal of Bells true, the modern and best Practice recommends the swiftest and quickest possible, every one taking Assistance to raise his Bell, as its going requires: the lesser Bells as Treble, &c. being by main strength held down in their first Sway (or pull) to get time for the striking of the rest of larger Compass; and so continued to be strong pulled till Frame-high, and then may be slackned: The bigger, as Tenor, &c. must be pincht or checkt overhead, that the Notes may be hard to strike roundly and hansomely. ”

“ Dig it as big and large a Compass as the Ground will permit, throw your Earth amongst the said stakes, and ram it between them, hard and firm, till you have covered the stakes: Drive in as many new ones more besides the heads of the first stakes, and ram more Earth above them too: Do thus with stakes above stakes till the head-sides be of a convenient Height: Taking care, that the inside of your Banks be smooth, even, hard and strong, that you may not fear the wearing of the Earth off the stakes by any Current of the Water. ”

“ If not for Combate, why was the Fighting-Cock created? why has he that extraordinary hardness and vallour peculiar to him alone given him? and for what other end was this Stout and Daring Champion made, if not to Fight? the common Dunghill Cock eats as well, and breeds as well, or better, and is as good about a house, and as useful in all other respects (Fighting only excepted;) so that if they were not made for that end, they had this excellency bestowed upon them in vain, and the Royal Bird that in valour so far excells all other penigerous Creatures must be but a useless thing at best. ”

“ The Church determining matter of faith (saith he) ought to manifest it out of God's Word: and we may expect such Churches, proof, before we yield absolute assent of belief. And so Dr. Stillingfleet saith [39] ——All men ought to be left to judge according to the Pandects of the divine Laws, because each member of this Society is bound to take care of his Soul, and of all things that tend thereto. Now I for my part see no solid ground out of the Scripture for Consubstantiality, but rather for the contrary; which several of our Writers have made appear to the world. ”

“ Now if you design to raise a Peal of Bells for Changes, you ought to raise them to a Set-Pull, as the most proper for commanding the Notes, and he who is not well skilled to manage his Bell at a Set-Pull, will be apt to drop or overturn it, be in a Wood, and fruitlessly toil and moil himself. ”

“ In taking Time, you must observe never to Thrust, but when you see a fair Opportunity, or otherwise it is the Thrusting at your Adversary when he is making the Feint, or the flipping of him, when you perceive him about to Bind or Bear your Sword. ”

“ Now then; what certainty the Guides of a particular Church may have, I hope may also those of the Church Catholick: and then, obedience being yielded to these by all their inferiors, this will restore all things to their right course. All this follows upon certainty, 1. That Scriptures are plain in Fundamentals; And 2. That due industry is used to understand them. But, if you should deny that men can have a certainty of their industry rightly used; then again, is all the fair security these men promise their followers of their not erring in necessaries quite vanished. ”

“ Cocking breeds courage where before was none, And makes men Stout and die that us’d to run, Cocking breeds cunning too, makes men contrive, And puts them in a way to live and thrive: And if the Pious Indians say true, It makes Men Witty, Good, and Godly too. ”

“ Observe to Angle with the Artificial Fly in Rivers disturbed somewhat by Rain, or in a Cloudy day, the 102 Wind blowing gently: If the Wind be not so high, but you may well guide your Tackle, in plain Deeps is to be found the best Fish, and best Sport: If small Wind breeze, in swift streams is best Angling: Be sure to keep your Fly in perpetual slow motion; and observe that the Weather suit the Colour of your Fly, as the light Colour’d in a Clear day, the Darkish in a dark, &c. As likewise according to the Waters Complexions, have your Fly suitable. ”

“ And therefore, as ’tis a most notorious Crime in a Cock of the Game to be wild or shie, so it is as weak and silly in a Master, to Fight such a Bird, before he be familiaris’d, and made bold and gentle. ”

“ Those not manifested by them to be such; then, before we can censure any Council for its Anathema's, or its requiring of assent, we must know, whether the point, to which assent is required, is, or is not, evident divine Revelation. And then, by whom, or how, shall this thing touching the evidence of the Divine Revelation be judged or decided? for those that judge this, whoever they be, do sit now upon the trial of the rightness, or mistake of the judgment of a General Council: Or when, think we, will those who judge this (i.e. every person for himself) agree in their sentence? ”

“ Procure a pair of Wheels, being of Light Wood, like that of a Spinning Wheel, fasten them on an Axel-tree, and place Rockets round them, as bands are fastened round a Wheel, and so primed at Tail and Head, that when one Expires the other may take fire, half of them placed with their Heads and Tails the contrary way to the first: So that when the first are spent, and the Wheels have run on plain Ground a great way, the other firing will turn them again, and bring them to the place where they first set out. ”

“ If the consent of the much major part is to be taken for the whole, then the Reformed cannot maintain their dissent from the much more numerous body of Christianity, that opposed their opinions, and sense of Scriptures at the beginning of the Reformation, and do still oppose them. ”

“ A Match in Strength, in Courage, and in Age, And with keen Weapons Arm’d, alike engage Each other they assault with furious Beaks, And their twin’d Plumes distain with Bloody streaks, Each nimble Warrior from the Mat-ment bounds, And wing’d with death, their heels deal ghastly Wounds By turns they take, by turns fierce stroaks they give, And with like Hopes, and Fears for Conquest strive. ”