that I heard of; and, to tell you what I think, I fear this name belongs to you more properly than you are willing we fhould think it doth.

By-ends. Well, if you will thus imagine, I cannot help it: You will find me a fair company keeper, if you will still admit me your affociate.

Chr. If you will go with us, you muft go against wind and tide; the which I perceive, is against your opinion. You muft alfo own religion in his rags, as well as when in his filver Dippers, and ftand by him too when bound in irons, as well as when he walketh the streets with applaufe.

By-ends. You must not impofe, nor lard it over my faith; leave me to my liberty, and let me go with you.

Chr. Not a ftep farther, unless you will do in what I propound, as we

Then faid By-ends, I will never defert my old principles, fince they are harmless and profitable. if I may not go with you, 1 mulk do as I did before you overtook me, even go by my felf, until some overtake me, that will be glad of my company.

.

Then I faw in my dream that Christian and Hopeful forfook him, and kept their distance before him; but one of them looked back, faw three men following Mr Byends; and behold, as they came up with him, he made a very low congee; and they alfo gave him a compliment. The men's names were Mr Hold-the-world, Mr Money-love, and Mr Save-all; men that Mr Byends had formerly been acquainted with; for

their minority they were fchool fellows, and taught by one Mr Gripe-man, a fchool-mafter in Love-gain, which is a market town in the country of Coveting, in the north. This fchool-mafter taught them the art of getting, either by violence, cozenage, flattery, lying, or by putting on a guife of religion; and these four gentlemen had attained much of the art of their master, so, that they, could each of them have kept fuch a fchool themselves.

Well, when they had, as I faid, thus faluted each other. Mr Money-love faid to Mr. By-ends, who are they upon the road before us? For Chriftian and Hopeful were yet within view.

By-ends. They are a couple of far countrymen, that after their mode, are going on a pilgrimage.

Money-love. Alas! why did not they lay that we might have had their good company; for they, and we, and you, Sir, I hope, are going on pilgrimage.

By ends. We are fo, indeed; but the men before us are fo rigid, and love fo much their own notions, and do alfo fo lightly esteem the opinions of others, that let a man be ever fo godly, yet if he jumps not with them in all things, they thruft him quite out of their company.

Save-all. That is bad; but we read of fome that are righteous over-much; and fuch men's rigidness prevails with them to judge and condemn all but themselves. But, I pray, what and how many were the things wherein you Tered?

By ends.

By-ends. Why they, after their headstrong manner, conclude, that it is their duty to rufb on their journey all weathers, and I am for waiting for wind and tide. They are for hazarding all for God at a clap, and I am for taking all advantages to fecure my life and eftate. They are for holding their notions, though all other men be against them; but I am for religion, in what, and fo far as the times and my fafety will bear it. They are for religion when in rags and contempt; but I am for him when he walks in his filver flippers, in sunshine, and with applause.

Hold-the-world. Ay, and hold you there ftill, good Mr By-ends; for, for my part, I can count him but a fool, that having the liberty to keep what he has, fhall be fo unwife as to lofe it. Let us be wife as ferpents. It is best to make hay while the fun fhines. You see how the bee lieth ftill all winter, and beftirs her only when fhe can have profit with pleasure. God fends fometimes rain, and sometimes funfhine: if they be fuch fools as to go through the first, yet let us be content to take fair weather along with us. For my part, I like that religion beft, that will ftand with the fecurity of God's good bleffings unto us: for who can imagine, that is ruled by his reafon, fince God has bestowed upon us the good things of this life, but that he would have us keep them for his fake? Abraham and Solomon grew rich in religion, and Job fays, that a good man fhall lay up gold as duft. But he muft not be fuch as the men before us, if they be you have defcribed them.

Save-all. I think that we are all agreed in this matter, and therefore there needs no more words about it.

Money-love. No, there needs no more words about this matter indeed; for he that believes neither fcripture nor reafou, (and you fee we have both on our fide,) neither knows his own liberty, nor feeks his own fafety.

By-ends. My brethren, we are, as you fee, going all on pilgrimage; and for our better diverfion from things that are bad, give me leave to propound to you this question.

Suppofe a man, a minifter, or a tradesman, &c. fhould have an advantage lie before him, to get the good ble flings of this life, fo as that he can by no means come by them, except in appearance, at least, he becomes extraordinary zealous in fome points of religion that he meddled not with before; may he not ufe efe means to attain his end, and yet be a right honeft man?

Money-ove I fee the bottom of your queftion; and with thofe gentlemen's good leave, I will endeavour to fhape you an antwer. And, first, to fpeak to your queftion as it concerns a minifter himself: Suppofe a minifter a worthy man, poffeffed but of a very fmall benefice, and has in his eye a greater, more fat and plump by far; he has alfo now an opportunity of get ting it, yet so as by being more ftudious, by preaching more frequently and zealously, and, because the temper of the people requires it, by altering fome of his principles: for my part, I

no reafon but a man may do this, (provided has a call,) ay, and a great deal more be

fides, and yet be an honest man. For why?

1. His defire of a greater benefice is lawful, (this cannot be contradicted,) fince it is fet before him by Providence; fo then he may get it if he can, making no question for confcience fake, 2. Besides, his defire after that benefice makes him more ftudious, a more zealous preacher, &c. and fo makes him a better man, yea, makes him better improve his parts, which is according to the mind of God.

3. Now, as for his complying with the temper of his people, by deferting, (to ferve them,) fome of his principles, this argueth, r. That he is of a felf-denying temper: 2. Of a fweet and winning deportment: 3. And fo more fit for the minifterial function.

4. I conclude then, that a minifter that changes a fmall for a great, fhould not, for fo doing, be judged as covetous; but rather, fince he is improved in his parts and induftry thereby, be counted as one that purfues his call, and the opportunity put into his hand to do good..

And now to the fecond part of the queftion, which concerns the tradefman you mentioned: Suppofe fuch a one to have but a poor employ in the world, but by becoming religious, he may mend his market, perhaps get a rich wife, or more and far better customers to his fhop; for my part I fee no reafon but this may be lawfully done. For why,

1. To become religions is a virtue, by what means foever a man becomes fo.

2. Nor is it unlawful to get a rich wife, more custom to mv fhop.