such a Copy which he could not acknowledge to be his And for the Original being within his reach which is one of his great assurances 't is a great mistake For he having received an answer from the Nuncio and others to whom it was sent knows the contrary After this I came to the Doctors Arguments against Mr. Blacklow his Doctrine which because they hold some five or six leaves I must cut into divers parcels according as they were answered First was objected some Doctors opinions of Doway and Lovain As for Doway he replied he did not wonder for he supposed they perused not the books but took the Doctors information which was full of untruths In the Doctor of Lovains answer he noted that there was not a word of his own liking or disliking but onely that by others the Doctrine was better liked than he expected The next objection was that his Doctrine was injurious to Scripture For the Scripture was utilis ad coarguenda refellenda falsa dogmata but that Mr. Blacklow sayes it is no more proper ad refellenda falsa dogmata than a beetle is to cut The answer was that Mr. Blacklow hath not any such either words or sence The third objection was that he was injurious to Councels and to the definition of Pope Benedict the 11th The answer was that the Doctor conceived Mr. Blacklow could not construe a piece of Latin or knew not the signification of the word mox Wherefore he challenged him that if he could make any of his Grammer-School-boyes construe those words of the Councel Animas quae sunt purgatae in coelum mox recipi to signifie that the Souls are purged before the day of judgement he would yield his cause If not that the Doctor imposed upon and abused the Councel with his private spirit changing in it what he listed He added that those words condemned the Doctor's opinion which putteth nothing to be purged in the Souls of Purgatory and yet that they are not presently received into Heaven So unhappy is the Doctor in his citations As for the definition of Benedict the 11th 't is in substance the same in form lesse favourable to the Doctors opinion And whereas the Doctor citeth Benedict to say that John the 22th never held the opinion of no Saints going to Heaven before the last day it is absolutely false and ignorance in History for he onely testifieth that his Predecessour did not define it and there is extant his revocation of it at his death But the Doctor after he has put the question whether Pope John held the opinion changes it to defining which had been a great fault in one of his meanest Logicians He noted also that the Doctor thinks that to be Historically certain and Theologically certain is all one saying that it is Theologically evident that no Pope hath erred defining as Pastor Vniversalis Ecclesiae which depends purely on History and that obscurely enough He adds that it is maintained by the whole current of Catholick Doctors but the best is he appeals to them presently after who know it to be false and that the contrary opinion both is and ever was held for a probable opinion And if he pleased to dispute the Question he could produce quickly a dozen at least of great Authours whereof some were Popes or grave Cardinals for this opinion But the Doctors assertion is so notoriously false that 't is a shame to spend time about it After this he saith that 't is apparent to those who have perused Mr. Blacklow's books that he makes no use of Holy Scripture nor Authority By which is made apparent that he hath not perused them and therefore can be neither good censurer nor impugner of them And otherwise his assertion is beyond excuse a manifest untruth two of his books consisting in a manner wholly of Authority and that those two also which the Doctor most impugnes to wit those concerning Purgatory and the Pope's personal infallibility His other books are of such a nature as require to have no store of Authorities being but compendiums and therefore called Institutions yet even in those there are some So far Mr. Blacklow The fourth Objection was that he was injurious to the Vniversal practice of the Church which sets up priviledged Altars and to the particular of those who live by the Altar The answer was that the Doctor was mistaken in the signification of those words the practise of the Church which is far different from the practise of many in the Church even Church-men as is evident by the eating two meals in the day and such like practises generally used Likewise in saying the Office of our Lady dayly or Office of the dead or seven penitential Psalms in such dayes in which the Clergy is invited to them by Indulgences And the very name of priviledges and the bestowing them for graces and rewards which are specialties show that though many have them yet are they no general practise such as are those practises emergâ—nt out of faith In the second point he said the Doctor had maliciously and wilfully abused him applying those words of his to all those Priests who live by the Altar which he spoke onely of those who made the Altar their occasion to live idly and to apply themselves to nothing that becomes their function Of which kinde of Priests all good men much complain There followed a Discourse to shew that even in Divinity Mr. Bl. his opinion was false To which he answered that he would not examine his high Divinity But that his Scripture seemed very pleasant For it would make a man think he apprehended the Devil has a pair of Leggs and goes locally out of a converted man and walks himself weary in dry and waterlesse grounds and hereupon changes his minde and gets a will of returning back and not that all this is spoken by our Saviour Allegorically and is performed meerly by the Devil 's watching his time to tempt Besides what change of minde is it in one who is violently cast out of his home to desire to return back which is truely to continue the same will and the same minde still In the second testimony he reflects not that it is a pure conjecture that the Devil did send those dreams to Pilate's wife and more likely that they were from God And if they were from the Devil yet must he prove they were from the same Devil ere he can prove hence that the Devil changes his minde which I believe no Commentary saith For his citing of the Thomists Doctrine he answered that in regard he cite's no Authour and there be divers sorts of Thomists it is of no account and signifies nothing There followed in the Doctors discourse how when he was Superiour in England one dying would leave no Alms to M. Bl. his adherents The reply was that the said party was abused and told that Mr. Bl. denied prayer for the dead whereas they who understand his
Mr. Blacklow's Reply to Dr. Layburn's Pamphlet against him SIR I Return to you with a second part of the same Tune a Pamphlet of Dr. Layburn's against Mr. Blacklow and his Reply Having gotten a Copy of it I carried it to Mr. Blacklow who as soon as I had told him what it was lamented himself saying to me You know my endeavours have ever been to make a clearnesse and show a rationality both in Faith and Divinity as St. Peter commands us to be ready to do and must I now when mine Ague gives me small or no leasure be employ'd in retorting the Pot-gunshot of this Drs. Well since it is God's disposition read what you bring But I professe my conscience being witnesse to my words that were it not that through ambition he seeks to ruine the Clergy hoping by such indirect and unhandsome means to make them stoop to accept him for their Superiour all his calumnies against my person should not make me open my mouth to answer them But this hath been our long quarrel that I have resisted his ambition and for this he seeks other pretences against me This being said he held his peace and I began to read nor had I read six lines but Mr. Blacklow exclamed Jesus what information hath this Dr. Or what insolence is it to publish so patent an untruth against seven or eight of your chief men about London upon pure ghesse For order to communicate my answer was neither granted nor asked but the hint which occasioned me to do so was taken out of his Letter in which he ordered that the said Letter should be sent to all your Brethren Nor was my answer kept from him by me but two Copies given by my self to a friend of his to the end to have them sent to him if his friend had not so much friendship for him as to send it it was not my fault Then I read some two leaves without farther reflexion than that Mr. Blacklow noted that they were spent in the commendation of his own patience the effects of which he desired to see in his actions saying that till that was done words were but winde Besides the good Dr. took Pilate for Christ in citing those words non es amicus Caesaris as a reproach against our Saviour which were spoken to Pilate as every Childe knows so that according to this learned mistake he calls Pilate here p. 5. his Divine master and very sadly and soberly tells us he will strive to imitate him in his injurious reproaches Being come to the 8th page the first objection presented it self which was that Mr. Bl. had approved divers scandalous opinions and would not recal his fact for the intreaties or reasons which were brought him Mr. Bl. reply'd that the story passed thus One of the learnedst and gravest Regulars of the Kingdom had written a book which clash't with another written by a Cosen of the Drs. and the Dr. thought by his friendship to make Mr. Bl. recal his subscription for his Cosen's credit and not being able to do it revenged himself by this groundlesse aspersion For the book hath been justified both in England and beyond Seas nay in Rome it self Wherefore the Dr. hath little reason to offend the party and all his order which maintains it by attributing to it divers scandalous opinions which is a notorius calumny I read farther how my Lord had commanded him to suppresse Mr. Bl. his new Divinity To which Mr. Bl. answered that this depended upon the proof For my Lord in his Letter to him which is yet in his hands dated June 22. hath these words I have been so far from commanding Mr. Laybourn to cry against your book I desired him to suppresse all speech against it as I assure you is true and I hope he will not deny And in his Letter of the 6th of July these what apparent ground you had to write that I had commanded Mr. Layburn to cry against your books was no true ground seeing I commanded him the contrary And afterwards in the Letter Divers Saints and Learned men have salvâ charitate dissented in their opinions even in matters of Divinity and so may you and I do if we will and God willing it shall be so on my part When he had read me these words he added you may by this see how true his pretence was of impugning me in obedience to my Lord's commands and whether my Lord moved him or he my Lord And I remember to have heard that when a friend objected this order of my Lord 's to him he answered my Lord is a weak man By these passages also in his Letters is seen clearly that my Lord judged my Tenets to be onely different opinions in Divinity not meriting such zealous impugnation which the defining Doctor like a new Law-giver to all Christians so confidently pronounces to be Heresies and makes that calumny of his own a seeming pretence for his zeal but in reality a Cloak for his too apparent malice I read farther how for executing this command of my Lords Mr. Bl. was so incensed against him that he cry'd him down in divers companies and the ordinary character he gave him was that he was an illiterate man not able to say Bo to a Goose Mr. Bl. reply'd that the Doctor cared not how unlikely his tales were so he said somewhat that might passe amongst those who knew no more of the businesse than they found in his paper For all that know Mr. Bl. know that he is so far from haunting either good tables or great companies that he can be drawn to neither and besides he is very sparing in his speeches of the Doctor by reason of the place he holds and rather ready to defend him against the many blames those who come from his house lay upon him unlesse it be to those to whom it belongs to see them amended As it happen'd in the Character he speaks of which he wrote to his Superiour and does not think that he used it in any other occasion I read further how he had written Mr. Bl. a civil Letter and put two places of St. Austin in it and concluded that that spirit was not from God which was opposite to St. Austin's spiri◠but that his good advice produced little fruit in Mr. Bl. Mr. Bl. answered that the Doctor took care he should not profit by it nor be troubled with answering it for whether perhaps he writ such a Letter or no to show up and down amongst his friends to let them see how gravely he could advise and how learnedly transcribe two places out of St. Austin for which he seems here to prize himself so much yet Mr. Bl. affirms that the Letter was never sent to him and that he should have shew'd how those places of St. Austin came to his purpose as well as have meerly transcribed them and then have left the application of them that is all they were brought for to his own
supposal But most of all he wonder'd that the Doctor living amongst Catholicks should think there is but one particular Spirit in the Church Is St. Hierome of the same Spirit with St. Austin or did he not use another way against those who opposed him irrationally than St. Austin did Doth not every Regular order pretend a several Spirit under the common Spirit of God How carelesse then and over-seeing is this Doctor in his Discourses I proceeded and read the Doctors words how he was forced in a manner out of England to engage in the Government of the Colledge affairs and how not long after an Army of accusations was forged against him and presented to the Nuncio at Paris and from him remitted to Brussels and he after mature examination acquitted Mr. Blacklow when the Doctor said he was forced to that Government smil'd and asked me whether I thought the Doctor knew not that we understood how both himself and his Agents at Rome did accuse an innocent man whom both my Lord and the Clergy desired for the Office of Jansenisme and hinder'd all satisfaction to be received though the party professed neither to have read Iansenius nor to know what his Doctrine was As for the army of accusations he speaks of Mr. Blacklow wonder'd at the strange information the Doctor hath or at his vein in forging For first the Letter was never sent to Paris Secondly there were no accusations in the Letter it meerly informing the Nuntio of certain reports cast out against him and very prejudicial to his Colledge withall desiring his Lord to seek out the truth and amend them if he found them as was reported But what is most to the purpose is that those who wrote had good information of the truth of what they inform'd and some things were so evident that there was no possible denying them However he found means to cast a mist before the Internuncio's eyes which useth to be by getting Letters from men of Quality who know not particulars but commend the person in common By which any sleight answers usher'd in easily finde acceptance I read further how he conjectures these accusations came out of a Letter he wrote to the Assembly of 1653. and takes thereby occasion to tax Mr. Blacklow of a Letter to one before a printed book Mr. Blacklow answered that he wonder'd he could descend to that scrupulosity as to say he could conjecture any thing who had hitherto been so confident of the falsest and most groundlesse assertions that imagination could stumble on and that if his assurances be false his conjectures must needs be weak and so is this For the information sent to the Nuntio proceeded from the reports of those who came from his house and from pure pity of the evil Government of a place so important which they who wrote the Letter apprehended deeply For what he talks of the effects of the Letter to the Assembly concerning Mr. Blacklow he answered that they pleased him very well for they were these that they would not meddle with his Doctrine particularly because my Lord had forbidden them to do so till it were censured at Rome As for his Letter to the joynt-party who subscribed with Dr. Layburn whosoever reads the Epistle it self which he subscribed and Dr. Layburn has put in his Pamphlet will finde that he deserved a sharp reprehension which in the Letter sent to him is tempered with love and honour and so the party himself said by it that he had punished him sufficiently yet forsook not his friendship nor Mr. Blacklow his for he was a man capable of reprehension of wisdom worth and if the Doctor had been such he had had his share in it but taking him for a wilfull man and obstinate in his ambitious way he thought a touch of neglect was fitter for him I read farther concerning a Letter Mr. Blacklow wrote to my Lord some part concerning the Doctor and some part an Irish Bishop who lived and died here to which my Lord made answer and sent him a Copy of the answer some passages of which the Doctor hath set down here He added also a Letter which he conceived to be written against my Lord by Mr. Blacklow and sayes the Original is within his reach and that Mr. Blacklow denied the Letter to be his To these Mr. Blacklow replied that he should have set down the occasion of his Letter to my Lord which was that the Doctor had calumniated the whole Assembly of 1653. to my Lord of being contrary to his Authority and procured a Decree of dissolution without any former inquisition and after that he knew his information to be false yet by his Letters he maintained my Lord in the same opinion and so far inveigled him by his continual Calumnies that generally he neglected the advice of all others to follow his and waving to employ his Officers which were grave men employ'd young men whom the Doctor appointed him This was the occasion of the Letter Now judge you whether in this case he were not bound to speak plainly both to my Lord and his sentiments which by long experience he had of the Doctor which would not have seemed so harsh had the Letter appeared but my Lord as prejudiced gathered out those passages which set alone were invidious and in his Letter to him shewed some effects of passion more as he hoped than he had who was bound to expresse his sentiments in a private Letter to the Doctors Superiour Another piece of Legerdemain is that the Doctor having calumniated the whole Assembly and his Letter relating to this onely he layes disconformity in Doctrine to have been the ground of the difference between them about which there was no controversie between my Lord and him after the Letters above cited As for the Irish Bishop Mr. Blacklow said I wrote what he was informed of him and it was at his first coming when he as yet understood not the wayes of living in this place nor was in good correspondence with his own Order but after some time being better informed he changed his course and lived and died in the respects and love of all who knew him and particularly disliked my Lord's proceeding in publishing a private Letter of information to the parties of whom it was written saying it could not stand with good Government As for the Letter to the Nuncio he wish'd the Doctor had exprest what fault he findes in it Did it little concerne all all the Catholicks of England whether he had Authority over them or no Or was not Mr. Blacklow bound in conscience to get the difficulty cleared if he could Or did he presse any thing but to know the truth of a matter already passed Where then lay his blame His objection concerning his denying the Letter is answered thus He was informed by ocular witnesses that the Copy sent by the Doctor into England was corrupted and so had no reason to engage himself in quarrels upon
Again that he made or compiled his conclusions himself is no proof that he understood them for he might take them out of other mens writings But because nothing can passe without some untruth in this Doctors writings he was pleased here to tell us that Mr. Bl. made certain conclusions for a friend of his in Paris which contained both erroneous opinions and false Latin The report is absolutely false that he either made them or saw them before they were printed nor was in Paris sure he is he was not at the Act. Secondly the Doctor insolently censures what the Censors of Paris approved and was well accepted of in the University Thirdly he wonders the Doctor should at least charge him with false Latin in so plain a piece as Theses ought to be which should have been an Argument to him if passion had permitted of the untruth of his report This falshood he said was accompanied with a greater about Mr. Bl. his flying suddenly out of Portugal for his Theses terrified at the Inquisitions proceeding's against them For though it be true they were put in the Inquisition by malice the very day they should have been defended to affront him Yet this was done after they had been approved five several times by several men appointed by the Inquisition which argues the other was onely a trick put upon him Besides the information was never follow'd and the Theses were approved afterwards in the University of Conimbra As for his flying away or quitting the place suddenly which was the second part of the Doctors tale let him inform himself of any that was there and he may know that he stay'd afterwards till the Founder sent him to the Court of Spain about a businesse of great consequence which being dispatch'd with successe he returned to Portugal and stay'd again there till the Founder sent him again into England about another businesse with expresse charge not to return if he perform'd not his errand which he professed to him before-hand he could not do All which Mr. Bl. declared to his Assistants who intreated him to get them also away if he returned not himself and so declaring the Founder's minde to the Inquitour took his leave of him and came away publickly Nor was he blamed for coming away but for not returning to defend Theses in causing which the Doctor had his share For Mr. Bl. his chief errand being to carry Divines from Doway thither and some opposition being made in the consult at London at which the Doctor was present it was resolved that Mr. Bl. should carry a Letter from the Consult to Doway in his favour yet should accept of Humanists if he could not obtain Divines and expresse command given that this clause should be kept from Dr. Kellison But our obedient Doctor against the command and bond of silence and truth to the Clergy writ to Dr. Kellison how the Clergy would be content though he sent no Divines Which Letter Dr. Kellison read to Mr. Bl. untill he came to these words This to your self which closed that businesse by which taking himself in the surprize he read no farther So that Mr. Bl. was forced to accept of Humanists and not to return by the Founder's order The Doctor saith his conference with shame is a dream but let him know that those who carried him thither are yet alive He objects Mr. Bl. his conference with Chillingworth who peradventure vaunted himself for self-conceit and interest push't him thereto but Catholicks who were present were so well satisfied as that they desired another after Dinner and Chillingworth's own party reported that he was too hard for all others but that Mr. Bl. held him to it and hereupon he was in credit with them ever after The ensuing part contain'd the Doctors impugnations of two points of the Souls durance in Purgatory the Pope's personal infallibility When I had read it Mr. Bl. answered that he did well to begin with an untruth to Usher in a like Discourse For the man he impudently named for Mr. Bl. his Secretary was neither asked advice nor knew any thing farther than in publick he had profest untill he saw it finished So that the Dr. casts about his calumnies at random light they where they will Yet he thought the Dr. had had so much knowledge in humanity Books as to understand that men frame the fashion of their writings according to their occasions and this the rather because he findes that the Dr. hath herein imitated him Neither yet doth he believe he had a Secretary notwithstanding the like frame of his Discourse though he entitle his Treatise a summe of his Answer whereas Mr. Bl. called his his own Answer for that he seeth the Doctors weaknesse and humour and phrase throughout it all Neverthelesse if he did he would not be so uncivil as to name him in print as the Doctor most indiscreetly does friends and foes without respect where his occasion serves As concerning the Doctors impugnation of Mr. Bl. sayings about the Pope's personal infallibility he said they were meer flashes of words against experience therefore would spend no time in answering them And as for his objecting to Mr. Bl. his comparison of deflouring sacred Virgins upon an Altar he said it still more and more show'd the Doctors weaknesse For who can doubt but the corruption of all Christian faith in the root and the making all our faith uncertain is greater than any particular sin Besides there were other comparisons of greater force than this which the Dr. neglects to take notice of one whose force consists in a vulgar apprehension As for the second point Mr. Blacklow affirmed that if the Doctor had any friend who perused his books he might know that the places of St. Austin for Souls not being perfectly purged till the day of judgement be recorded in his Treatise de medio statu. But how ignorant the Dr. is in St. Austin he could not chuse but shew who cites first a place out of his 15th book de Trin. where the Saint teacheth nothing but that they who dy without sin go immediately to Heaven without any thought of Purgatory as appears there by these words Ad agnum pertinentes quando fine hujus vitae resolvuntur a corpore jus in eis retinendis non habent invidae potestates Promde liberi a Diaboli potestate suscipiuntur ab Angelis sanctis c. Constituuntur autem purgati ab omni cogitatione corruptionis in placidis sedibus donec recipiant corpora sua He added that the Doctors interpretation of this place was perfect non-sence For what can this mean that St. Austin or any body else should place those Souls which immediately go to Heaven out of their bodies of which he plainly speaks to expect their bodies after their purgation Be Souls in Heaven to be purged or the bodies which being turned into other Creatures have now no foulnesse in them His next Testimony is none of St.