this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel This phrase is frequent with Maymon in his Tract of Repentance cap. 8. sect 7. where he saith that the World passeth away only the Kingdom must first be restored unto Israel 10. 1 Cor. 7. 31. For the Fashion of this World passeth away So 1 John 2. 17. The World passeth away So Maymon in his Tract of Repent cap. 9. sect 2. saith That this World after his fashion passeth away And there he makes as it were a threefold World 1. This present World 2. The day of the Messiah And 3. the World to come or Everlasting Life And he explaineth himself That by this present World he means the Kingdoms and Monarchies which do captivate and afflict Israel the last of which being taken away then shall begin the World of the Messias he means as Rabby Abraham Tzebang a Spanish Jew hath expounded in his bundle of Myrth on the first of Gen. that after 5600 Years of the World expired and before the end of the 6000 Year in which they say the World shall end In this interim I say of 400 Years in which time we now live shall be the fall of Rome which they call Edom typically and that then Redemption shall come in to Israel And this is Maymon's meaning here when he saith That the first wise Men have said that between this World of the Monarchies viz. and the days or times of the Messiah there is not any space or let but only this that God causes first the Kingdoms to pass away that is the last of these Monarchies that afflicts Israel must pass away which is the Idolatry of Rome that hinders the Jews from believing in Christ. 11. 2 Cor. 11. 31. The God which is blessed for ever So Rom. 1. 25. The Creator blessed for ever So Rom. 9. 5. God over all blessed for ever This Epistle which St. Paul useth so frequently in his Epistles is infinitely used of Maymon and all the Rabbins and therefore is become one of their Rabbinical Abbreviatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God holy and blessed for ever 12. 2 Cor. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of Mercies So Maymon ends his Book of Knowledg Blessed be the God of Mercy it were more significantly translated the God of Commiserations as Drusius hath well observed for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Father of Mercies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Father of Commiserations answerable to Maymon's Syriac word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose fatherly Bowels yearn with a natural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Pity and Compassion towards his 13. Rev. 1. 20. 2. 1 8 12. He whom St. John calls so often in the Revelations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Angel of the Church is called by Maymon in his first Chap. of the Fundamentals of Moses's Law Sect. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Messenger Legate Legate Apostle Minister of the Church or Congregation There he saith that God appeared in Mount Sinai when he gave the Law like to the Angel or Minister of the Church or Congregation wrapped in Garments 14. Luke 3. Christ saith twice It is written and once It is said And so St. Paul often useth this Phrase The Scripture saith but they seldom or never tell you in what Book it is written or said or in what Chapter or in what Verse The same Phrase is as frequent with Maymon he saith It is said It is written or The Scripture saith whensoever he bringeth any place of Scripture for to prove his Assertion Now the reason why he never cites the Section Chapter or Book is for that the Jews have always been so ready and pregnant in the Scriptures as that they need not cite the Book Chapter or Verse For this their expertness in the Scriptures they were called Sopherim Seribes or Numberers of the Law They have told us that there be 54 Parashioths or Sections in Moses's Law of which they do here joyn together the two shortest and so in every year they read over Moses's Law ending on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles every Sabbath-day reading in the Synagogue a whole Section They set down the number of the Verses of every Book as namely Genesis hath in it 1534 Verses The midst of the Book is at these words And by thy Sword thou shalt live The Sections thereof be 12. The Sydrim or lesser Sections be 43. The number of the Letters of Genesis be 4395. And Hakmi tells us on the first of Genesis how many Alphabets there be in the Law viz. 1800. And so I could run through all the other Books But I must not be tedious Now methinks I hear some ignorant Scholar object such an one as Jude speaks of who condemns and speaks ill of those things which he knows not and corrupts those things he also knows To what end and purpose serves this great and needless labour of the Rabbies in numbring up of the Books Verses Sections Words and Letters I answer They serve us for exceeding great use especially in these our days in which God did foresee Popelings would go about to prove that the Scriptures were corrupted and that then we must of necessity have another Judg viz. the Pope If I should grant this Argument made by the Pope's Champion Pistorius That the Scriptures were corrupted and that therefore we must have another Judge Yet doth it not follow that the Pope must be he but contrary-wise that of all other the Pope must be excluded from being Judg for that he is a Party But we constantly deny the Corruption of the Scriptures which they affirm and endeavour to prove by the 848 variae Lectiones and by the Keries and the Cethists And we answer that variety of reading argues not any Corruption but Ingenuity and plentiful Fruit of the Spirit of God done only in obscure places for Illumination for we can prove out of the Nazarites and Sopherisms every word and letter to have been through God's singular Providence numbred up and so kept by them thereby from Corruption Upon which Point Pistorius the Pope's Champion durst not dispute with a Learned Man of our Land For howsoever the Jews were male Legis observatores yet were they boni servatores custodes true keepers of the Oracles of God committed unto them And how did they keep them but by numbring up every Word Letter and Verse that so it being left unto Posterity on Record we might prove the Purity of the Scriptures by their Nazaretical Books against the foisting Papists who do nothing but foist in and corrupt all things not only the Greek Fathers but even the Targums and Comments of the Rabbins in all those places and expressions that make against Rome in Buxtorffs Bible lately set forth As for Example Esay 34. 9. And her i. e. Edom's Rivers shall be turned into Pitch Jonathan the Chaldee Paraphrast that wrote long before Christ comments thus And the Rivers of Rome shall be turned into
so many oppose so falsly and so impudently I have written to his Grace by his Chaplains for helps necessary for the forwarding so great a Work as the Visibility and perpetual Succession of the Church There shall come nothing forth till I have viewed by my self or others under a publick Notaries hands all the Testimonies that do result out of the Manuscripts and printed Books of Papists But what can I poor weak Man do unless my Lord of Canterbury command Help and command Books and all things necessary to so great and requisite a Work which being well done will-serve to close up the Mouths of our deceived Papists This Question if I conceive aright is set afoot politickly by our Adversaries the Papists by especial Advice from Rome for it is plausible amongst the People and vulgar sort and impossible to be answered by every one but be it as it may I have willingly offered to answer one Smith a Lincolnshire-Man who insults upon us in the close of his Book in these words And if now they endeavour to answer them his Reasons it will yet more appear that they can no way answer them and that this kind of dealing with Protestants in matters of Fact out of their own Confessions is the fittest to stop all Mouths Upon occasion of these words I will make bold to write somewhat concerning this matter both to divert our Papists to other matters of Fact wherein they have hitherto declined the Question about the Controversie of their Bibles I mean of Sixtus and Clemens impossible to be answered I have heard their best Reasons about the number of the bastard Treatises which as false Writers have put them into Possession of their false Religion which amount unto five hundred reckoning none but such as are both condemned by some and urged by others as learned Papists touching the corrupting of all Authors and Records in all Ages both in their several Indices Expurgatorii and without especially of their Decretals and Gratian wherein the Soul and Life of Popery consists For the Decretals I have lighted upon a Manuscript that I trust to a clear eye will make the matter indubious and by the sight of this Manuscript which contains them not at large there are such Absurdities contain'd in them as I shame either in modesty as of Mice Turds in the Eucharist or in Grammar Epscopi si in fide erraverit are to be quitted but for all other matters whatsoever they are portandi a good Resolution set down in a good Phrase For the Canon Law I mean Gratian I have compared it from top to tae not without special Contentment to all Lovers of the Truth For by the Edition of the Canon Law so carefully set out by Greg. 13. Faber and Contius and I know not who must be imployed to that great business more care had of the printing of that than of the Bible it must be testified that the Edition doth agree exactly with the Roman Copy or else it of no worth they had the use of many Vatican Copies Now either this is untrue or their Copies are of no Credit For none of our Copies of as great Antiquity as theirs either have Constantine's Donation or the proof of it out of Gelasius Dist. If Gesta SS Martyrum S. Sylvestri this is proving of a thing that is ignotum by ignolius for both are wanting in all our Copies that are of as great Antiquity as theirs as long since Antoninus and other good Lawyers have observed Generally in the Edition of the Canon Law they have deceived us thus 1. Those which are Palea noted by them are indeed Palea that is Chaff in our old Copies But besides 2. There are a number of good Consequences that are Paleae which they have passed over in silence whereof our Manuscripts give good witness There are also a third sort which they have made Paleae to discredit them which are no Paleae as in the 8th Distinction touching Obedience to Princes Commandments for Religion this is in all our Manuscripts but censured and sentenced by them Lord What a world of Corruptions is contained in that Volume I mean not only of Gratians that is bad enough but of their Additions to and Perversions of Gratian's I mean to spend this next week wholly upon this Argument of Popish Fraâ—ds and to send up my abortive Labours to be submitted to your Lordship's grave Judgment I deal in matters of Fact and have little help God knoweth I will empty my self to your Lordship For Marianus Scotus God knows if I had compared it one of the first Books and both that and Matthew of Paris yea and Bedes History must be compared or vain will be our Labour in writing of the Visibility of the Church when we shall rely upon such sandy Proofs It is too true that Possevin observeth that there are whole Pages thrust into Marianus's Works he saith by Hereticks he lieth like a Varlet the cui bono will shew us that The Manuscript in our publick Library I have compared the Capita throughout doth hugely differ from the Printed and so doth another Copy of alike Goodness and Antiquity in C. C. C. To compare him exactly is to write him out anew Hoc opus hic labor est I doubt your Lordship's Leisure will not serve after this Fortnight mine shall and it will need the help both of Dr. Banbridge and Mr. Briggs To have the Copy out of the Library it is impossible for if the King should write for it it is Perjury for any Man to propose a Dispensation for the lending it forth but the Copy at C. C. C. upon a sufficient caution for the redelivery shall and may be sent up to your Lordship and I suppose Mr. Patrick Young hath one or two Copies in the Princes Library at St. James's Not only the Rabbins but the Thalmud in six Volumes at Rome hath felt the smart of the Popish Indices would God we were but half as diligent to restore as they abolish and put out the Truth I have restored 300 Citations and rescued them from Corruption in thirty quire of Paper Mr. Briggs will satisfie you in this Point and sundry other Projects of mine if they miscarry not for want of maintenance it would deserve a Prince's Purse If I was in Germany the Estates would defray all Charges cannot our Estates supply what is wanting If every Church-man that hath an 100 l. per Annum and upward will lay down but a Shilling for every hundred towards these publick Works I will undertake the reprinting of the Fathers and setting forth of five or six Volumes of Orthodox Writers comparing of Books printed with printed or written collating of Popish Translations in Greek and generally whosoever shall concern Books or the Purity of them I will take upon me to be a Magister S. Palatii in England if I shall be thereunto lawfully required I thank your Lordship for my poor Kinsman whom I leave to express
were wrested to a wrong sense And this he did not out of bare Curiosity but to confute the Arrogance of those men who will still appeal though with ill success to Antiquity and the Writings of the Fathers But these learned Collections of his being a large Volume and designed by him as the foundation of a more large and elaborate Work which might have been of great use to the Church were never finished but remain still in Manuscript though he fully intended had God afforded him life to have fallen upon this as the only considerable work he had left to do and which perhaps he had performed many years before his death had it not been for that unhappy Irish Rebellion which bereft him not only of that but of all his other Books for some time except those he brought over with him or furnished himself with here so that when at last this Manuscript together with the rest of his Library was brought over from Droghedah they found him engaged in that long and laborious Work of his Annals and when that was done he had as an Appendix thereunto his Chronologia Sacra to perfect though he never lived to make an end of it so that it is no wonder if he wanted opportunity and leisure to finish this great Task But that he intended to give his last hand to this Work will appear from this passage in his Epistle to the Reader before his answer to the Jesuite's Challenge in these words The exact discussion as well of the Authors Times as of the Censures of their Works I refer to my Theological Bibliothcque if God hereafter shall lend me life and leisure to make up that Work for the use of those that mean to give themselves to that Noble Study of the Doctrine and Rites of the Ancient Church And how much he desired it might be done may farther appear that being askt upon his Death-bed What his Will was concerning those Collections He answered to this effect That he desired they might be committed to his dear friend Dr. Langbaine Provost of Queens Colledge the only man on whose Learning as well as Friendship he could rely to cast them into such a Form as might render them fit for the Press According to which bequest they were put into the hands of that learned Dr. who in order thereunto had them transcribed and then set himself to fill up the breaches in the Original the quotations in the Margine being much defaced with Rats about which laborious Task that learned and good man studying in the publick Library at Oxford in a very severe Season got such an extreme cold as quickly to the great grief of all good men brought him to his end Feb. An. 1657. So that though that excellent Person Dr. Fell now Lord Bishop of Oxford who has deserved so well of Learning has endeavoured to get those Lacunae filled up yet these Collections still remain unfit to be published though the transcript from the Original with the Marginal quotations and additions are now in the Bodleyan Library as a lasting Monument of the Lord Primate's Learning and Industry and may be like wise useful to those learned Persons for whom they were designed and who will take the pains to consult them But the Original of the Authors hand writing is or was lately in the possession of the Reverend and Learned Anno 1612 Dr. Edward Stillingfleet Dean of St. Pauls He was now in the 32 d. year of his age in which he took the Degree of Dr. of Divinity in that University wherein he was bred and to which he was admitted by Dr. Hampton then Arch-Bishop of Armagh and Vice-Chancellor after he had performed the usual Exercises part of which was to read two Solemn Lectures on some places of Scripture which he then did on Dan. 9. 24. Of the Seventy Weeks And on Rev. 20. 4. Explaining those Texts so mis-applied Anno 1613 by the Millenaries both in Elder and Latter times The next year being at London he published his first Treatise De Ecclesiarum Christianarum Successione Statu being much magnified by Casaubon and Scultetus in their Greek and Latin Verses before it was solemnly presented by Arch-Bishop Abbot to King James as the eminent First-fruits of that Colledge of Dublin It is imperfect for about 300 years from Gregory XI to Leo X. i. e. from 1371. to 1513. and from thence to this last Century which he intended to have added had God afforded him longer life though he had lost very considerable assistances towards that design as you will find hereafter in the Series of this Relation This he wrote to answer that great Objection of the Papists when they ask us Where our Religion was before Luther And therefore the design of this Book was to prove from Authors of unquestionable Credit and Antiquity that Christ has always had a Visible Church of true Christians who had not been tainted with the Errours and Corruptions of the Romish Church and that even in the midst of the darkest and most ignorant times and that these Islands owe not their first Christianity to Rome About this time also he altered his condition changing a single for a married life marrying Phoebe only Daughter of Luke Challoner Doctor of Divinity of the Ancient Family of the Challoners in Yorkshire who had been a great Assister and Benefactor to the late Erected Colledge at Dublin having been appointed Overseer of the Building and Treasurer for the money raised to that purpose He was a Learned and Pious man and had such a friendship for Dr. Usher that he courted his Alliance and intended had he lived to have given him this his only Daughter with a considerable Estate in Land and Money but dying before he could see it concluded he charged her upon his Death-bed that if Dr. Usher would marry her she should think of no other person for a Husband which command of her dying Father she punctually obeyed and was married to him soon after and was his Wife for about forty years and was always treated by him with great kindness and conjugal affection until her death which preceded his about one year and a half He had by her one only Child the Lady Tyrrel yet living Thus he lived for several years in great reputation pursuing his Studies and following his Calling and whilst he sat at home endeavouring the advancement of Vertue and Learning his fame flew abroad almost all over Europe and divers learned men not only in England but foreign Countries made their applications to him by Letters as well to express the honour and respect they had for him as also for satisfaction in several doubtful points either in humane Learning or Divinity as the Reader may see in this ensuing Collection Anno 1615 There was now a Parliament at Dublin and so a Convocation of the Clergy when the Articles of Ireland were composed and published and he being a Member of the Synod was appointed to
Church may still either by preaching or writing maintain any point of Doctrine contained in those Articles without being either Heterodox or Irregular It was likewise reported and has been since written by some with the like truth that the Lord Primate should have some dispute with Dr. Bramhall then Bishop of London-Derry concerning these Articles Whereas the contest between the Lord Primate and that Bishop was not about the Articles but the Book of Canons which were then to be established for the Church of Ireland and which the Bishop of Derry would have to be passed in the very same form and words with those in England which the Lord Primate with divers other of the Bishops opposed as somewhat prejudicial to the Liberties of the Church of Ireland and they so far prevailed herein that it was at last concluded That the Church of Ireland should not be tyed to that Book but that such Canons should be selected out of the same and such others added thereunto as the present Convocation should judge fit for the Government of that Church which was accordingly performed as any man may see that will take the pains to compare the two Books of the English and Irish Canons together And what the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury's judgment was on this affair you may see in a Letter of his to the Lord Primate published in this Collection About the end of this year the Lord Primate published his Anno 1639 long expected work entitled Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates In which also is inserted a History of Pelagius and his Heresie which Work I suppose my Lord kept so long unpublished because he still found fresh matter to add to it as you may see by the many Additions and Emendations at the latter end of it and as it was long in coming out so it did fully answer expectation when it came abroad into the World being the most exact account that ever yet was given of the British Church beginning with the earliest notices we can find in Ancient Authors of any credit concerning the first planting of Christianity in these Islands within twenty years after our Saviour's Crucifixion and bringing it down with the Succession of Bishops as far as they could be retreived not only in our Britain but in Ireland also as far as towards the end of the VII Century collected out of the best Authors either Printed or Manuscript and is so great a Treasure of this kind of Learning that all that have writ since with any success on this subject must own themselves beholding to him for his elaborate Collections The Lord Primate having now sate Arch-Bishop sixteen years Anno 1640 with great satisfaction and benefit to the Church about the beginning of this year came into England with his Wife and Family intending to stay here a year or two about his private Affairs and then to return again But it pleased God to disappoint him in those resolutions for he never saw his native Country again not long after his coming to London when he had kissed his Majesty's hand and been received by him with his wonted favour he went to Oxford as well to be absent from those heats and differences which then happened in that short Parliament as also with greater freedom to pursue his Studies in the Libraries there where he was accommodated with Lodgings in Christ-Church by Dr. Morice Canon of that House and Hebrew Professor and whilst he was there he conversed with the most Learned Persons in that famous University who used him with all due respect whilst he continued with them so after he had resided there some time he returned again to London where after the sitting of that long and unhappy Parliament he made it his business as well by preaching as writing to exhort them to Loyalty and Obedience to their Prince endeavouring to the utmost of his power to heal up those breaches and reconcile those differences that were ready to break out both in Church and State though it did not meet with that success he always desired This year there was published at Oxford among divers other Treatises of Bishop Andrews Mr. Hooker and other Learned men Anno 1641 concerning Church Government the Lord Primate's Original of Bishops and Metropolitans wherein he proves from Scripture as also the most Ancient Writings and Monuments of the Church that they owe their original to no less Authority than that of the Apostles and that they are the Stars in the right hand of Christ Apoc. 2. So that there was never any Christian Church founded in the Primitive Times without Bishops which discourse was not then nor I suppose ever will be answered by those of a contrary judgment That unhappy dispute between his Majesty and the two Houses concerning his passing the Bill for the Earl of Strafford's Attainder now arising and he much perplexed and divided between the clamour of a discontented People and an unsatisfied Conscience thought fit to advise with some of his Bishops what they thought he ought to do in point of Conscience as he had before consulted his Judges in matter of Law among which his Majesty thought fit to make choice of the Lord Primate for one though without his seeking or knowledge but since some men either out of spleen or because they would not retract what they had once written from vulgar report have thought fit to publish as if the Lord Primate should advise the King to sign the Bill for the said Earl's Attainder it will not be amiss to give you here that relation which Dr. Bernard had under his own hand and has printed in the Funeral Sermon by him published which is as followeth That Sunday morning wherein the King consulted with the four Bishops of London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle the Arch-Bishop of Armagh was not present being then preaching as he then accustomed every Sunday to do in the Church of Covent-Garden where a Message coming unto him from his Majesty he descended from the Pulpit and told him that brought it he was then as he saw imployed about God's business which as soon as he had done he would attend upon the King to understand his pleasure But the King spending the whole Afternoon in the serious debate of the Lord Strafford's Case with the Lords of his Council and the Judges of the Land he could not before Evening be admitted to his Majesty's presence There the Question was again agitated Whether the King in justice might pass the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford for that he might shew mercy to him was no question at all no man doubting but that the King without any Scruple of Conscience might have granted him a Pardon if other reasons of State in which the Bishops were made neither Judges nor Advisers did not hinder him The whole result therefore of the determination of the Bishops was to this effect That therein the matter of Fact and matter of Law were to be distinguished That of the
Learning for the first I shall say in general That he always adhered to and maintained the fundamental Catholick Truths observing that Golden Rule concerning Traditions Quod ubique quod ab omnibus quod semper Creditum est c. and never approved of any Religion under what pretence soever obtruded or introduced contrary to the Scriptures and Primitive Truths received and professed in the Church of Christ in all Ages and upon this account could never comply with nor approve of the new Doctrines and Worship obtruded and practised in the Church of Rome as now it is but always protested against their Innovations and humane Inventions as doth most evidently appear in his Writings bearing Testimony against their Corruptions False and Erroneous principles And as for the great Scholars and Leading Men of the Romish Church the Lord Primate usually said That it is no Marvel if they had a veil cast over their Eyes as St. Paul said of the Jews in the reading of the Scriptures for besides the several judgments of God upon them that have blinded their own Eyes their Minds are so prepossessed and Corrupted with false Principles Prejudices and Worldly interest that it is no wonder if they cannot perceive the most manifest and plainest Truths But as this good Mans judgment was sound and not byassed by prejudice or passion or worldly interest so did he heartily approve of the Religion professed and established in the Church of England as most Congruous to the Holy Scriptures and Primitive Christianity and in which if a Man keep the Faith and Lives according to its precepts persevering he need not doubt of his Salvation And in this Faith and Communion of the Church of England he lived Holily and died happily And this Holy Primate being fully perswaded in his own Mind laboured instantly to reduce Popish Recusants and Sectaries from their Errors and vain Conceits to inform them aright and to perswade them for their Souls good to comply with and embrace the Religion and Communion of the Church of England and this he aimed to bring about by his Writing Preaching and Conference upon all occasions and was successful in that enterprise But now for his Opinion in some nice points of Religion that do not touch the foundation of Faith he would not be rigorously Dogmatical in his own Opinions as to impose on others Learned and Pious Men of a different Apprehension in the more obscure points with whom nevertheless thô not altogether of his judgment he had a friendly Conversation and mutual Affection and Respect seeing they agreed in the points necessary Would to God That the Learned and Pious Men in these Days were of the like temper It will be needless here to mention any more particulars of his judgment in several points seeing there are so many instances of this kind in the Collection to which I refer the Reader Yet before I leave this matter I think fit to mind you of some Treatises published by Doctor Bernard after the Primates Death Intituled The judgment of the late Lord Primate on several Subjects 1. Of Spiritual Babylon on Rev. 18. 4. 2. Of Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. and the ancient form of Words in Ordination 3. Of a set form of Prayer in the Church Each being the judgment of the late Bishop of Armagh which being not set down in my Lord Primates own Words nor written by him in the Method and Order they are there put into cannot be reckoned being much enlarged by the Dr. as himself confesseth therefore cannot so well vouch them as if I had been certain that all he writes were purely the Lord Primate 's since the Papers out of which the Doctor says he Collected them were never restored to my Custody thô borrowed under that Trust that they should be so and therefore I desire that those into whose hands those Manuscripts are now fallen since the Drs. decease would restore them either to my self or the Lord Primates Relations And tho perhaps some of those Letters published by Dr. Bernard might have been as well omitted or at least some private reflections of them left out concerning a Person easily provoked to bitterness and ill words being provoked by the publishing those Letters writ an invective Book on purpose to answer to what was contained therein and not contented with this has likewise bestowed great part of that Book to tax my Lord Primates Opinions and Actions as differing from the Church of England only to lessen the Esteem and Veneration which he deservedly had with all those who loved the King and Church of England as also to maintain those old Stories broached before concerning the repeal of the Irish Articles and the Death of the Earl of Strafford to which last particulars I need say no more than what I have already spoken in the Lord Primate's Vindication and as to the former relating to my Lord's Opinions and Actions a near Relation of the Lord Primate's has I hope vindicated him sufficiently in an Appendix at the end of this Account so that I shall concern my self no farther therewith I have now no more to do than to give you a short account of his Opinions in some of the most difficult parts of Learning with some Observations which either my self or others that convers'd with him can remember we have received from him by way of discourse though not the Twentieth part of what might have been retrieved in this kind had this task been undertaken many years agone whilst these things were fresh in our memories and whilst many more of his learned friends were alive who must needs have received divers learned remarks from his excellent conversation As for the Lord Primate's Opinions in Critical Learning it is very well known as well by his Discourse as Writings that he still defended the certainty and purity of the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament before the Translation of the Septuagint since he doubted whether this we have were the true Translation of the LXX or not as you may see in his Epistle to Valesius and his Answer thereunto which controversie as it is a subject above my capacity to give a Judgment on having exercised as it still does both the Wits and Pens of the greatest Scholars in this present Age So I heartily wish That it may never tend to the disadvantage not only of our own but indeed of the whole Christian Religion with Prophane and Sceptical men for whilst one Party decry the Hebrew Text as obscure and corrupted by the Jews and the other side shew the failings and mistakes of the Greek Translation sufficient to prove that it was not performed by men Divinely Inspired it gives the Weak and more Prophane sort of Readers occasion to doubt of the Divine Authority of these Sacred Records though notwithstanding all the differences that have hitherto been shown between the Hebrew Original and Greek Translation do not God be thanked prove of greater moment than
stood in the Church of England at the time of the making this Homily and therefore he has put down the Proem of an Act of Parliament of the fifth and sixth years of Edward the 6th concerning Holy-days by which he would have the Lord's day to stand on no other ground but the Authority of the Church not as enjoyned by Christ or ordained by any of his Apostles Which Statute whosoever shall be pleased to peruse may easily see that this Proem he mentions relates only to Holy days and not to Sundays as you may observe from this passage viz. which holy Works as they may be called God's Service so the times especially appointed for the same are called Holy-days not for the matter or nature either of the time or day c. which title of Holy-days was never applied to Sundays either in a vulgar or legal acceptation And tho the Doctor fancied this Act was in force at the time when this Homily was made and therefore must by no means contradict so sacred an Authority as that of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons assembled in Parliament because this Act tho repealed by Queen Mary he would have to be revived again the first year of Queen Elizabeth and so to stand in force at the time of making this Homily whereas whoever consults our Statute-Book will find that this Statute of King Edward the 6th was not revived nor in force till the first of King James when the Repeal of this Statute was again repealed tho certainly the reviving of that or any other Statute does not make their Proems which are often very carelesly drawn to be in every clause either good Law or Gospel But tho the Doctor in other things abhors the Temporal Powers having any thing to do in matters of Religion yet if it make for his Opinion then the Authority of a Parliament shall be as good as that of a Convocation But I have dwelt too long upon this Head which I could not well contract if I spoke any thing at all to justifie the Lord Primat's Judgment in this so material a Doctrine The next Point that the Doctor lays to the Lord Primat's charge as not according to the Church of England is a passage in a Letter to Dr. Bernard and by him published in the Book intituled The Judgment of the late Primat of Ireland c. viz. That he ever declared his Opinion to be that Episcopus Presbyter gradu tantum differunt non ordine and consequently that in places where Bishops cannot be had the Ordination by Presbyters standeth valid And however saith he I must needs think that the Churches in France who living under a Popish Power and cannot do what they would are more excusable in that defect than those of the Low-Countries that live under a Free-State yet for the testifying my communion with these Churches which I do love and honour as true members of the Church Universal I do profess that with like affection I should receive the blessed Sacrament at the hands of the Dutch Ministers if I were in Holland as I should do at the hands of the French Ministers if I were at Charenton Which Opinion as I cannot deny to have been my Lord Primat's since I find the same written almost verbatim with his own hand dated Nov. 26. 1655 in a private Note-Book not many months before his death with the addition of this clause at the beginning viz. Yet on the other side holding as I do That a Bishop hath Superiority in degree above Presbyters you may easily judg that the Ordination made by such Presbyters as have severed themselves from their Bishops cannot possibly by me be excused from being schismatical And concluding with another clause viz. for the agreement or disagreement in radical and fundamental Doctrines not the consonancy or dissonancy in the particular points of Ecclesiastical Government is with me and I hope with every man that mindeth Peace the rule of adhering to or receding from the Communion of any Church And that the Lord Primate was always of this Opinion I find by another Note of his own hand written in another Book many years before this in these words viz. The intrinsecal power of Ordaining proceedeth not from Jurisdiction but only from Order But a Presbyter hath the same Order in specie with a Bishop Ergo A Presbyter hath equally an intrinsecal power to give Orders and is equal to him in the power of Order the Bishop having no higher degree in respect of intension or extention of the character of Order tho he hath an higher degree i. e. a more eminent place in respect of Authority and Jurisdiction in Spiritual Regiment Again The Papists teach that the confirmation of the Baptized is proper to a Bishop as proceeding from the Episcopal Character as well as Ordination and yet in some cases may be communicated to a Presbyter and much more therefore in regard of the over-ruling Commands of invincible necessity although the right of Baptising was given by Christ's own Commission to the Apostles and their Successors and yet in case of Necessity allowed to Lay-men even so Ordination might be devolved to Presbyters in case of Necessity These passages perhaps may seem to some Men inconsistent with what the Lord Primate hath written in some of his printed Treatises and particularly that of the Original of Episcopacy wherein he proves from Rev. 2. 1. that the Stars there described in our blessed Saviour's right hand to be the Angels of the seven Churches 2. That these Angels were the several Bishops of those Churches and not the whole Colledg of Presbyters as Mr. Brightman would have it 3. Nor has he proved Archbishops less ancient each of these seven Churches being at that time a Metropolis which had several Bishops under it and 4 that these Bishops and Archbishops were ordained by the Apostles as constant permanent Officers in the Church and so in some sort Jure Divino that is in St. Hierom's sence were ordained by the Apostles for the better conferring of Orders and for preventing of Schisms which would otherwise arise among Presbyters if they had been all left equal and independent to each other And that this may very well consist with their being in some cases of Necessity not absolutely necessary in some Churches is proved by the Learned Mr. Mason in his defence of the Ordination of Ministers beyond the Seas where there are no Bishops in which he proves at large against the Papists that make this Objection from their own Schoolmen and Canonists and that tho a Bishop receives a Sacred Office Eminency in Degree and a larger Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction than a Presbyter yet that all these do not confer an absolute distinct Order and yet that Bishops are still Jure Divino that is by the Ordinance of God since they were ordained by the Apostles and whereunto they were directed by God's Holy Spirit and in that sence are the Ordinance of
are to receive the Communion viz. Almighty God and heavenly Father c. have mercy upon you pardon you and deliver you from all your Sins c. Or else the first clause in the form of Absolution used at the Visitation of the Sick would have served the turn viz. Our Lord Jesus Christ who hath left Power to his Church to absolve all Sinners which truly repent and believe in him of his great Mercy forgive thee thine Offences And there could be no reason at all imaginable why the next clause should be superadded to this prayer viz. And by his Authority committed to me I absolve thee from all thy Sins c. if the Priest did not forgive Sins Authoritativè by such a delegated and commissionated power as before we spake of After all which tedious Charge of the Doctor 's against the Lord Primate which I have been forced to transcribe to let the impartial Reader see I shall not answer him by halves I doubt not but to prove that first the Doctor hath dealt very disingenuously with the Lord Primat's Book by him there cited out of which he hath culled some passages here and there on purpose to cavil and find fault For I shall shew you 1. that the Lord Primat doth there assert that whatsoever the Priest or Minister contributes in this great Work of Cleansing the Souls of Men they do it as God's Ministers and receiving a power from God so to do and that tho perhaps he does not make use of the Doctor 's distinction of authoritativè yet he speaks the same sence 2. That admit the Priest does absolve authoritativè Yet that this Absolution can only operate declarativè or optativè and not absolutely And 3dly That the Church of England in none of the three forms of Absolution above mentioned no not in the last which he so much insists upon does pretend to give any larger power to the Priest or Minister than this amounts to As for the first Head I have laid down I shall prove it from the Lord Primat's own words in the same Treatise before cited by the Doctor who agrees with the Lord Primat that the supream power of forgiving Sins is in God alone Next that the power given to the Priest is but a delegated power from God himself Now that the Lord Primat owns the Priest or Minister to be endowed with such a power I shall put down his own words in the said Book viz. Having thus reserved unto God his Prerogative Royal in Cleansing the Soul we give unto his under Officers their due when we account of them as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Not as Lords that have power to dispose of Spiritual Graces as they please but as Servants that are tied to follow their Master's prescriptions therein and in following thereof do but bring their external Ministry for which it self also they are beholden to God's Mercy and Goodness God conferring the inward Blessing of his Spirit thereupon when and where he will Who then is Paul saith St. Paul himself and who is Apollos but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every Man Therefore saith Optatus in all the Servants there is no Dominion but a Ministery Cui creditur ipse dat quod creditur non per quem creditur It is he who is believed that giveth the thing that is believed not he by whom we do believe Whereas our Saviour then saith unto his Apostles Joh. 20. Receive the holy Ghost Whose Sins ye forgive shall be forgiven St. Ambrose St. Augustine St. Chrysostom and St. Cyril make this Observation thereupon that this is not their work properly but the work of the holy Ghost who remitteth by them and therein performeth the works of the true God To forgive Sins therefore being thus proper to God only and to his Christ his Ministers must not be held to have this power communicated unto them but in an improper sence namely because God forgiveth by them and hath appointed them both to apply those means by which he useth to forgive Sins and to give notice unto Repentant Sinners of that Forgiveness For who can forgive Sins but God alone yet doth he forgive by them also unto whom he hath given power to forgive saith St. Ambrose And tho it be the proper work of God to remit Sins saith Ferus yet are the Apostles and their Successors said to remit also not simply but because they apply those means whereby God doth remit Sins After the Lord Primat had shewed in the pages before-going that the power of binding and loosing consists in exercising the Discipline of the Church in debarring or admitting Penitents from or to the Communion he proceeds thus That this Authority of loosing remaineth still in the Church we constantly maintain against the Heresie of the Montanists and Novations c. And after having confuted the uncharitableness of those Hereticks who denied that Penitents who had committed heinous Sins ought to be received into the Communion of the Church goes on thus That speech of his viz. St. Paul's is specially noted and pressed against the Hereticks by St. Ambrose To whom ye forgive any thing I forgive also for if I forgave any thing to whom I forgave it for your sakes I forgave it in the Person of Christ. For as in the Name and by the Power of our Lord Jesus Christ such a one was delivered to Satan for God having given unto him Repentance to recover himself out of the snare of the Devil in the same Name and in the same Power was he to be restored again the Ministers of Reconciliation standing in Christ's stead and Christ himself being in the midst of them that are thus gathered together in his Name will bind or loose in Heaven whatsoever they according to his Commission shall bind or loose on Earth Then after he has shewn that the power of the Priest or Ministers of the Gospel is only ministerial and declarative like that of the Priests under the Law of Moses Where the Laws are set down that concern the Leprosie which was a type of the pollution of Sin we meet often with these speeches The Priest shall cleanse him and The Priest shall pollute him and in vers 44. of the same chapter The Priest with pollution shall pollute him as it is in the Original Not saith St. Hierom that he is the author of the pollution but that he declareth him to be polluted who before did seem unto many to have been clean Whereupon the Master of the Sentences following herein St. Hierom and being afterwards therein followed himself by many others observeth that in remitting or retaining Sins the Priests of the Gospel have that Right and Office which the Legal Priests had of old under the Law in curing of the Lepers These therefore saith he forgive Sins or retain them whiles they shew and declare that they are forgiven or
that passage be left out of the present Article according as it passed in the Convocation of the Year 1562 yet cannot it be used as an Argument to prove that the Church hath altered her Judgment in that Point as some Men would have it that passage being left out for these Reasons following For first that passage was conceived to make the Article too inclinable to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome which makes the chief end of Christ's descent into Hell to be the fetching thence the Souls of the Fathers who died before and under the Law And secondly because it was conceived by some Learned Men that the Text was capable of some other construction than to be used for an Argument of this Descent The Judgment of the Church continues still the same as before it was and is as plain and positive for a Local Descent as ever she had not else left this Article in the same place in which she found it or given it the same distinct Title as before it had viz. De Descensu Christi ad Inferos in the Latin Copies of King Edward the 6th that is to say Of the going down of Christ into Hell as in the English Copies of Queen Elizabeth's Reign Nor indeed was there any reason why this Article should have any distinct place or title at all unless the maintenance of a Local Descent were intended by it For having spoken in the former Article of Christ's Suffering Crucifying Death and Burial it had been a very great Impertinency not to call it worse to make a distinct Article of his descending into Hell if to descend into Hell did signifie the same with this being buried as some Men then fancied or that there were not in it some further meaning which might deserve a place distinct from his Death and Burial The Article speaking thus viz. as Christ died for us and was buried so is it to be believed that he went down into Hell is either to be understood of a Local Descent or else we are tied to believe nothing by it but what was explicitly or implicitly comprehended in the former Article And lastly That Mr. Alex. Noel before mentioned who being Prolocutor of the Convocation in the Year 1562 when this Article was disputed approved and ratified cannot in reason be supposed to be ignorant of the true sence and meaning of this Church in that particular And he in his Catechism above mentioned declares that Christ descended in his Body into the bowels of the Earth and in his Soul separated from that Body he descended also into Hell by means whereof the power and efficacy of his Death was not made known only to the Dead but the Devils themselves insomuch that both the Souls of the Unbelievers did sensibly perceive that Condemnation which was most justly due to them for their Incredulity and Satan himself the Prince of Devils did as plainly see that his tyranny and all the Powers of Darkness were opprest ruined and destroyed But on the contrary the L. Primat allows not any such Local Descent as is maintained by the Church and defended by the most learned Members of it who have left us any thing in writing about this Article And yet he neither followeth the Opinion of Calvin himself nor of the generality of those of the Calvinian Party who herein differ from their Master but goes a new way of a later discovery in which although he had few Leaders he hath found many Followers By Christ's descending into Hell he would have nothing else to be understood but his continuing in the state of separation between the Body and the Soul his remaining under the power of Death during the time he lay buried in the Grave which is no more in effect tho it differ somewhat in the terms than to say that he died and was buried and rose not till the third day as the Creed instructs us In vindication of the Lord Primat's Judgment in the sence of this Article I shall lay down some previous Considerations to excuse him if perhaps he differed from the sence of the Church of England in this Article if it should appear that it ought to be understood in a strict and literal sence For first you must understand that this Article of Christ's Descent into Hell is not inserted amongst the Articles of the Church of Ireland which were the Confession of Faith of that Church when the Lord Primat writ this Answer to the Jesuit the Articles of the Church of England amongst which this of Christ's Descent into Hell is one not being received by the Church of Ireland till the Year 1634 ten years after the publishing of this Book so that he could not be accused for differing from those Articles which he was not then obliged to receive or subscribe to 2dly Had this Article been then inserted and expressed in the very same words as it is in those of the Church of England could he be accused of being Heterodox for not understanding it as the Doctor does of a Local Descent of Christ's Soul into Hell or the places of Torment since the Church of England is so modest as only to assert that it is to be believed that he went down into Hell without specifying in what sence she understand it For as the Lord Primat very learnedly proves in this Treatise the word Hell in old Saxon signifies no more than hidden or covered so that in the original propriety of the word our Hell doth exactly answer the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denotes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place which is unseen or removed from the sight of man So that the word Hell signifies the same with Hades in the Greek and Inferi in the Latin Concerning which St. Augustin gives us this Note The name of Hell in Latin Inferi is variously put in Scriptures and in many meanings according as the sence of the things which are intreated of do require And Mr. Casaubon who understood the property of Greek and Latin words as well as any this other They who think that Hades is properly the seat of the Damned be no less deceived than they who when they reade Inferos in Latin Writers do interpret it of the same place Whereupon the Lord Primat proceeds to shew That by Hell in divers places of Scripture is not to be understood the place of the Wicked or Damned but of the Dead in general as in Psal. 89. 48. What Man is he that liveth and shall not see Death shall he deliver his Soul from the hand of Hell And Esa. 38. 18 19. Hell cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee they that go down into the Pit cannot hope for thy Truth The Living the Living he shall praise thee as I do this day Where the opposition betwixt Hell and the state of Life in this World is to be observed Therefore since the word Hell does not necessarily imply a place of Torment either in Scriptures or
6 am Propositiones nee denique cujuscunque limae Versiones nostrae sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conscriptae ut patet ex 3 a appendice libri primi Ergo Sola Hebraica Veteris Instrumenti editio sicut Graeca Novi authentica est pura Vides methodum quam mihi proposui In animo etiam fuit difficultates quasdam tibi doctissime vir proposuisse in quibus exactissimum tuum judicium cognoscerem Sed sentio me jam modum epistolae excessisse vereor ne interpellem te nimis nugis meis à gravioribus negotiis Ignoscas quaeso Guilielmo tuo qui prolixè cordatè potiùs quam eleganter suaviter te compellare maluit Nactus jam tandem Tabellarii opportunitatem remisi ad te manu fidâ ejusdem Postelli Grammaticam unâ cum libello altero quem tibi benevolentiae ergô dicavi majorem daturus si Anglia nostra aliquid librorum non-vulgarium ad antiquitatem eruendam suppeditaret Nondum aliquid efficere potui in Arabicis quod dignum sit operâ forsan si Christmanno muto Magistro aut Bedwello Londinensi vel potiùs Ambrosio tuo Dubliniensi vivâ voce praeceptore uti liceret aliquid efficerem Sed non licet Velit jubeat clementissimus pater qui in coelis est ut Ecclesiae suae pomoeria dilatet nostras Ecclesias in verâ pace conservet tibÃque frater doctissime tuis omnibus in Christo benedicat Vale è Musaeo m Collegio Emmanuelis Cantabrigiae 9 o Kalendas Aprilis juxta veteres Fastos anno Domini 1607 juxta computum Ecclesiae Anglicanae Tuus in communi fide ac Ministerio Evangelii frater Amantissimus GUIL EYRE LETTER IV. A Letter from Mr. H. Briggs to Mr. James Usher afterward Arch-Bishop of Armagh Salutem in Christo. Good Mr. Usher PArdon me I pray you that I have not written unto you of late nor gotten the Book you gave me printed for now I cannot think it yours I received your Letter the other day and did the same day twice seek Mr. Rimay and your Books mentioned in the end of your Letter of all which Abraham could get none save one Catalogue of the last Mart which I have sent you within a Book of the Shires of England Ireland and Scotland which at length I send to Mr. D. Chaloner to whom I pray you commend me very kindly with many thanks and excuses for my long deferring my promise Abraham hath taken all the names of your Books and promiseth to get them for you at the next Mart. I was likewise with Mr. Crawshaw he hath not gotten nor cannot find Confes. Ambrosianam of whom I have now received your Book again because he saith it is impossible to get it printed here without the Author's name or without their Index Expurgatorius if any thing in it do sound suspiciously He hath not read it over himself and he is had in some Jealousie with some of our Bishops by reason of some points that have fallen from his Pen and his Tongue in the Pulpit I will keep your Book till you please to send me word what I shall do with it I think Sir J. Fullerton or Sir J. Hamilton may with one word speaking have it pass without name but I am now determined not to mention it to them until you give me some better Warrant Concerning Eclypses you see by your own experience that good purposes may in two years be honestly crossed and therefore till you send me your Tractate you promised the last year do not look for much from me for if another business may excuse it will serve me too Yet am I not idle in that kind for Kepler hath troubled all and erected a new frame for the Motions of all the Seven upon a new foundation making scarce any use of any former Hypotheses yet dare I not much blame him save that he is tedious and obscure and at length coming to the point he hath left out the principal Verb I mean his Tables both of Middle-motion and Prosthaphaereseων reserving all as it seemeth to his Tab. Rudolpheas setting down only a lame pattern in Mars But I think I shall scarce with patience expect his next Books unless he speed himself quickly I pray you salute from me your Brother Mr. Lydyat Mr. Kinge Mr. Martin Mr. Bourchier Mr. Lee. Macte Virtute Do not cease to help the building of Sion and the ruinating of Babel yet look to your health ut diu valide concutias hostium turres The Lord ever bless you and your labours and all that most worthy Society Farewel Tuus in Christo H. Briggs Aug. 1610. Concerning Sir R. Cotton's Letter I must crave pardon at this time for I am but very lately come home and full of business going out of the Town again I think to morrow and now if perhaps I find him I shall hardly get it copied But I pray you to what question of sound Divinity doth this appertain Yet do not think me so censorious but I can like you should sometimes descend to Toys for your Recreation My opinion is He that doth most good is the honestest man whosoever have precedence but if harm the less the better Pray for us The Lord ever bless his Church and us all in particular Mr. Bedwell is not well and keepeth altogether at his t'other Living at Totenham Farewel Yours ever in the Lord Henry Briggs LETTER V. A Letter from Mr. Thomas Lydyat to Mr. James Usher afterward Arch-Bishop of Armagh Mr. Usher I Received your Letter this Friday the 13th of March for which I thank you It had been broken open by Chester Searchers before it came to him but I thank God I have not lost any thing of moment for ought I find as yet The East-Indian Fleet is gone about six weeks since but I remain at London still a suiter unto you that the School of Armagh be not disposed of otherwise than I have hitherto requested you until I speak with you in Ireland or rather here in London where I shall be glad to see you The night before I received your Letter Mr. Crashaw acquainted me with a Letter from Mr. Cook wherein he seemed to doubt of divers things in Mr. James his English Book whereof you write signifying withal that he purposeth to be at London this Spring where I hope to see you all three meet to the better performing of that business Mr. Provost told me that he had sent you a Minister for Warberies Mr. I have forgot his name Mr. Provost being now out of Town with my Lord Arch-Bishop his Letters commendatory to my Lord Chancellor I think he is come to you ere this time Printing of Books especially Latin goeth hard here mine is not yet printed nevertheless I thank God mine honourable friends whom I have acquainted with the matter shew me still a friendly countenance with which I rest comforting my self with that pro captu lector is habent sua
from you to pitch upon Dr. Chaloner thought good at Mr. Bernard's departure to try whether Mr. Storer a worthy Preacher might be drawn over to the place We look for answer very speedily of which we will not fail to certifie you with the first for if we speed not this way the care must lie upon Mr. Provost or your self to see us otherwise provided for wherein you shall not only do us a great pleasure but also procure a great blessing to this whole City I pray you remember me in all kindness to Mr. Provost and the rest of our friends there but especially remember me to God in your Prayers to whose good blessing I commend you and your Labours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jac. Usserius October the 4 th 1611. LETTER VIII Another Letter from Mr. James Usher late Arch-Bishop of Armagh to Doctor Chaloner Dear Sir I Know you greatly wonder at my long silence and much blame my negligence in that behalf But the truth is your Letters sent so long since by Mr. Cubbiche came not unto mine hands before the 26th of March neither could I have full time to sollicite my Lord of Canterbury in those businesses before the 5th of April What then after two or three hours serious conference had with me he resolved upon you may understand by his Letters written to my Lord Chancellor and to the Visitors Divers defects he observed in our Statutes as in that of the Election of Fellows though an order be taken therein for others to have a voice in that business yet it is said Electio sit penes magistrum which he said was absurd He observed that there was no order taken that the Scholars should come into the Chappel Clericaliter vestiti and took great exception against the Statute for the ordering of Common-placing which he affirmed to be flat Puritanical The Statutes had been sufficiently confirmed if the Visitors there had subscribed unto them without whose consent they could not afterwards have been altered by the Provost and Fellows who as the Arch-bishop our Chancellor saith have by the Charter of Foundation power to make Statutes but not to alter them after they be made Your Project for the general was well liked by the Arch-bishop but he excepted against it in divers particulars We should not look so much he said for a great number as to give some competency of maintenance unto those whom we did entertain That Batchelors of Art should have no more allowance than those that came newly into the House he misliked And for Masters of Art if every year there be a new Commencement of twenty of them according to your project then said he the twenty whom you would have to stay in the House to be ready to answer the Church Livings and Schools abroad must of force be dismissed at every years end to give place unto the new supply Therefore would he have a competent number of Fellows who might have a more setled abode in the Colledge and read Lectures by turns counting it a great inconvenience that there should be but about six Fellows constantly resident in the House and they so taken up with Lectures that they can have no time for themselves to grow up in further learning And you must look saith he to have some eminent men among you which may be deeply grounded in all manner of knowledge and not content your self with sending out a number of such as are but superficial Likewise for the proportion of Accates set down by you he said it was in vain to look that there should be in times to come the same prices of them which are at this present or have been heretofore And therefore if we would build upon any certainty we should take care that all our payments should not be brought in money but a certain reservation should be made for Provisions When my Lord Chancellor hath imparted unto you how far my Lord of Canterbury hath proceeded what you see remaineth fit to be further sollicited signifie unto me by the first that cometh from thence that I may move my Lord of Canterbury therein And I pray you withal send me a note of the most general and gross Defects or Abuses in our Church of Ireland with the means whereby they may be redressed if easily they may be redressed for in such matters I have good hope that my Lord of Canterbury may be wrought withal to do us good But I pray you be not too forward to have Statutes sent you from hence Dictum sapienti According to your direction I dealt with Mr. Cook to come over unto St. Warburghs and now that Mr. Hill is placed there I know not what to do or say You write unto me of an allowance of 30 l. which he might have from the Colledge let me know upon what consideration it shall be for he would understand what his imployment shall be before he resolve to leave his own Country The Provost hath sent me a Bill for 20 l. to discharge my Credit with the Stationers for the Books which Mr. Martin brought over You may do well to have a care that the English Popish Books be kept in a place by themselves and not placed among the rest in the Library for they may prove dangerous Purchase hath done nothing yet for the Religions of divers Churches having hitherto written not a word more in that intended work of his than you see printed Speed's Chronicle is at 3 l. 10. s. price Sir Henry Savil's Chrysostom in eight Volumes at 9 l. which prices are too great for me to deal withal unless I might put them upon Sir James Carol his score as you would have me put Pradus upon Ezekiel which is now discharged by Mr. Temple About the end of May I purpose God willing to see you I am now earnestly attending the Press and as much of my Book as is at this present printed I send unto you together with two small Treatises lately published here of some importance which also I would have you deliver unto my Lord Chancellor if he hath not already seen them That against Paulus V. is supposed to be written by Marta and one thing therein I think special worthy of observation what the intendment may be of those great sums of money which the Pope is said there daily to lay up The Parsonage of Trim for as much as I can learn here by the Common-Lawyers is like to fall to the King's Presentation And otherwise I suppose Sir James Carol hath lost his turn if he have not presented within the compass of his six months Mr. Briggs would willingly hear from you what Scholars you would entertain of his sending over Mr. Sherwood hath written to the Provost for one Increase Nowel of the Age of 19 years of good sufficiency in Learning and Religious he looketh to have your furtherance also in his admitting Mr. Hildersham remembreth himself unto you To morrow the Prince Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth
Lindanus Dionysius his Translation is extant in Monasterio S. Vedasti Atrebati where the Canons of the Council of Nice and of Sardica are joyned together as if they were but one Council But they may believe him who list The Words of Dionysius which I have already alledged put the Matter out of all question that in his Edition the Canons of the Council of Nice and Sardica were placed for enough asunder But where this Edition of Dionysius is to be had is not so easie to be told This only I conjecture That whereas Crab setteth down two old Editions of the Canons that which is different from Codex Moguntinus is likely for the most part to be that of Dionysius So Baronius testifieth ad an 314. § 81. 87. that the first Edition of the Ancyrane Council in Crab is of Dionysius his Translation but ad an 325. § 156. he sheweth That the first Edition of the Nicene Canons is not of Dionysius nor the second neither if we may give credit to his Relation But this I leave to your own Judgment who have better means to search out this Matter than I can possibly have in this Country After this cometh Codex Romanus to be considered which had nothing of Dionysius his Translation but only the Canons of the Apostles the rest being either of the old Translation which was before Dionysius or of some other done after his time For that there were many appeareth by the Preface of the counterfeit Isidorus to his Collection And Hincmarus Rhemensis Archiepisc. in libro de variis capitulis Ecclesiasticis cap. 27. De Translatione è Graeco Concilior Canonum where among other things he writeth thus of Isidorus his Collection Et beatus Isidorus in Collectario suo de Canonibus quatuor editiones Nicaeni Concilii compaginavit Although in the printed Collection of Isidorus we have but one Edition left unto us This Codex Romanus contained no more Councils than that of Dionysius but had in the end adjoyned the Epistles of some Bishops of Rome first of six viz. Siricius Innocentius Zosimus Celestinus Leo and Gelasius as is manifest by the Collection of Cresconius by some thought to be Corippus Grammaticus who using this Codex about 700 years after Christ alledgeth the Decrees of no other Bishops of Rome than these Then in the Roman Book were added the Constitutions of Bishops from Gelasius to Hormisda And afterwards to the time of Vigilius as I gather by Gregory lib. 7. epist. 53. From Gelasius to Gregorius junior the Decrees of five Popes you have in Codice Moguntino the true copy of Codex Romanus Quod volumen postea recognitum est Romae cohoerere cum aliis antiquis fideliter saith Possevinus And just so many are mentioned by Leo IV. in Gratian Distinct. 20 C. de libellis but that Silvester is by Error added of whose Decrees none were extant in the Body of the Canons according to the last Roman Edition for in the former Editions of Gratian I find the name of Symmachus written with great Letters Iste Codex est scriptus de illo authentico quem dominus Adrianus Apostolicus dedit gloriosissimo Carolo regi Francorum Longobardorum ac Patricio Romanorum quando fuit Romae And in this Book Eckius writeth were contained the Decrees of XV Bishops of Rome lib. 1. de primatu Petri cap. 20. But in other Copies which P. Pithoeus had of the same sort there appear to be no more than the Epistles of XI Popes as in Codice Moguntino I have great want of this Codex Moguntinus which I am very glad you have lighted upon I doubt not but it is wholly inserted into Crab his Edition but I know not how to distinguish it from the other Collections there I would intreat you therefore to send me a transcript of the Title of the Book and if any thing be worthy the noting in the Preface of him that set out the Book as also of the several Councils and Epistles with a direction in what page we may read the same in Crab or Nicolinus his Edition that so I might learn which of the two old Editions in Crab is that which is found in Codice Moguntino As also whether the subscriptions be the same And here especially desire I to be satisfied in the Sardican and African Councils The like would I now do unto you for Isidorus his Collection directing you how you might read it entirely in Crab if I had thought the Book were not to be found with you there And if you could spare for a time your Book hither which I would not willingly desire considering the great distance betwixt our dwellings I would send it back with all speed and send together with it Tilius his Edition of the Greek Canons if I might understand you wanted it at Cambridge But if by your good direction I may find it fully in Crab it shall suffice Now a word of that Collection which falsly is attributed unto Isidorus being compiled sometime betwixt the years 683. and 783. as in my Bibliotheca Theologicâ God willing I shall fully declare The Author of this Collection taking pattern by the Epistles fathered upon Clement coyned a number more of the same stamp giving them the superscription of The Names of the ancient Popes And not content by this means to advance only the Pope's Spiritual Jurisdiction for the enlarging of his Temporalties he counterfeiteth in the name of Constantine that ridiculous Donation which before this time was never heard of This forgery being first hammered in Spain was first of all uttered in France by Riculfus Bishop of Mentz viro erga S. sedem Romanam valdè devoto as a certain Author beareth witness of him produced by P. Pithoeus in his Testimonies prefixed before Ansegisus where what entertainment it had shall in his place be declared This Collection was first published in Print by Jacobus Merlinus Paris 1530. 80. and it is to be found in a manner wholly but enlarged with some Additions of Popes Epistles at the end in your Corpus Canonum of Benett Colledge § 361 and in the two great Volumes of the Popes Epistles in the Publick Library of your University § 235. in the beginning whereof are to be seen Provinciarum Regionum nomina which are wanting in the Printed Books but not in the Manuscripts as appeareth by Pithoeus lib. 11. Adversariorum Cap. 1. I would willingly understand whether it hath more or less than Provinciarum Imperii Romani Libellus set out by Ant. Sconhovius with Eutropius and Andr. Schottus with Antoninus his Itinerary Colon 1600. 80. In the Printed Copy of Isidorus there is 1. Origo Conciliorum generalium as in Crab taken in a manner verbatim out of the true Isidorus lib. 6. Orig. Cap. 16. and by him out of some former council-Council-Book as appeareth by those Words Sed siqua sunt Concilia quae Sancti Patres spiritu Dei pleni
literas mixtas scilicet Justitiae Misericordiae est B. Petrus Apostolus qui in palatio Dei est janitor constitutus ubi sunt duae portae viz. porta justitiae misericordiae Nam per portam justitiae ingrediuntur illi qui salvantur exoperibus justitiae per portam verò misericordiae ingrediuntur illi qui salvantur ex sola Dei misericordia gratia sine operibus Et istam differentiam tangit Apostolus ad Rom. 4. dicens Ei autem qui operatur merces non imputatur secundum gratiam sed secundum debitum ei verò qui non operatur credenti autem in eum qui justificat impium reputatur fides ejus ad justitiam c. Ideo Petrus pingitur cum duabus clavibus quia cum una aperit portam justitiae illis viz. qui dicere possunt cum Psal. 107. Aperite mihi portas justitiae ingressus in eas confitebor domino c. Cum alia verò aperit portam gratiae miserecordiae viz. illis quibus dicitur Eph. 2. Gratiâ servati estis per fidem hoc non ex vobis Dei enim donum est non ex operibus ne quis glorietur Tertius Cancellarius est ille ad quem spectat dare literas purae gratiae misericordiae hoc officium habet B. virgo c. I pray if your leisure serve and opportunity too let me know if you have read of like Divinity to that of the two Gates and of St. Peter's two Keys in any other Paper And besides I would gladly know whether you have not seen these words in the Title page of Arius Montanus his Interlineal Bible printed by Plantin An. 1584. viz. Accesserunt huic editioni libri Graece scripti quos Ecclesia Orthodoxa Hebroeorum Canonum sequuta inter Apocryphos recenset For if my memory deceive me not I have seen them there And yet a friend of mine hath that Bible bearing the same date wherein they are not and I have not opportunity to see more Copies I verily think the Papists have reprinted the first page whereby it comes to pass that in some they are and in some they are not I would be glad to see the other part of the Succession of the Church which you promise in that you have set out already And if I can hear when good occasion brings you to London I will make hard shift but I will meet you there The bearer hereof Mr. Foxcroft is an honest Gentleman and one of my Brother's neighbours by him you may send to us at your pleasure My Brother commends himself very kindly to you And so with remembrance of mine own love unto you I commend you and your Labours to God's gracious blessing Your unfeigned Well-willer Alexander Cook Leedes in Yorkshire July 2. 1614. Do not you think that Mr. Casaubon p. 305 306. mistook Baronius his opinion of Damascen for my part I do not believe his censure touched Damascen de Imaginibus LETTER XIII Another Letter from Mr. Sam. Ward to Mr. James Usher afterward Arch-Bishop of Armagh Salutem in Christo. Good Mr. Usher I Understood by a paper inclosed in a Letter to Mr. Winch that you were desirous of some information hence in sundry particulars therein mentioned And first for the place alledged out of Joachim Abbas in Mr. Perkins his Problem there is a little mistake for it is cited pag. 2. whereas it should have been Part. 2. pag. 119. facie 2. in the Edition which was An. Dom. 1527. There is in the allegation a word or two differing but in the place mentioned you shall find somewhat more to that purpose For that which is written touching Rabanus in the Preface of Guilielmus Malmesb. in abbreviatione Amularii it is verbatim the same with that which you have in your Book alledged out of the MS. in Collegio Omnium Animarum Oxon. As for the words which M. Plesseis alledgeth out of Claudius Seisellius contra Waldenses in commendation of the said Waldenses I have not exactly perused the Book but thus much I find fol. 9. Nonnihil etiam ad horum Waldensium confirmandam toler and amque sectam confert quod praeter haec quae contra fidem religionemque nostram assumunt in reliquis fermè puriorem quam coeteri Christiani vitam agunt Non enim nisi coacti jurant raroque nomen Dei in vanum proferunt promissaque sua bonâ fide implent in paupertate pars maxima degentes Apostolicam vitam doctrinamque servare se solos protestantur Touching the History of the Earls of Tholouse I have transcribed some part of that which concerneth the Waldenses and will finish the rest and send it you ere long It chiefly consisteth in a narration of Simon Mountiffort his attempt warranted by the great Council of Lateran for the suppressing of the Hereticks and their Abbettors chiefly Raymundus Earl of Tholouse But I will in some sort satisfie your request shortly by sending you the Transcript I doubt not but they which set forth the Council of Chalcedon for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus with my best wishes and kindest salutations and willingness to help you here in what I can out of our Libraries I commit you to the Protection of the highest In hast Your very loving Friend Sam. Ward Sidney Colledge July 28. 1614. We have lost and so hath the whole Church a great loss by Mr. Casaubon's untimely decease LETTER XIV A Letter from Mr. Samuel Ward to Mr. James Usher afterward Arch-Bishop of Armagh then in London Salutem Good Mr. Usher I Am sorry I had not opportunity to see you before my departure out of the City I pray you inform me what the Specialties are which are omitted in Mr. Mason's Book I would only know the heads I would know of you whether you have seen or heard of the second Tome of Councils Groeco-lat set out at Rome I hear it is alledged by Fronto Ducoeus Or whether you can remember out of the Reading of Catalogues of Manuscripts whether the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon be extant in any Library in Europe Graecè I have read of the Acts of the 1 Concilium Arelatense set forth by P. Pithoeus but could never come by them I would know whether they be extant in the late Paris Edition of Hilary or no 1605. I had no leisure when I was with you to inquire how Mr. Mason doth warrant the Vocation and Ordination of the Ministers of the Reformed Churches in Foreign Parts Thus with my best wishes and kindest salutations I commend your self and all your labours to God's blessing and the good of his Church and so rest Your assured loving Friend Samuel Ward Sidney Colledge April 14. 1615. I did hear that the King had given 600 l. per Annum to the Colledge in Ireland and that now the whole revenue of the same is 1100 l. per Annum which I am glad to hear of LETTER XV.
Et stygio soboles carcere spurca fluens Fulgenti nuper cecidit tua gloria coelo Nunc eadem terris in loca nigra cadit LETTER XX. A Letter from Mr. Thomas Lydyat to Dr. James Usher at Dublin Colledge Reverend and Dear Dr. Usher I Received your Letter dated the sixth of October I am glad you received my Book and I thank you for yours which I received from Mr. Harris of Hanwell The former part of your Letter being in regard of the matter a Tragi-Comedy drave me almost into an ecstasie and afterwards brought to my mind that of the Psalmist Many are the troubles of the righteous but God delivereth him out of them all And therefore it is good to hold fast by him continually and to desire his direction and furtherance in all our Affairs and Businesses So although the beginning and middle thereof be never so troublesome we shall not need to doubt but that the end will be happy and prosperous The Astronomical Calculation of years in Ptolemy's Canons if it be Genuine is doubtless an excellent Monument of Antiquity which I would gladly see But yet it is not likely to make me to let go mine account of Darius his years firmly proved out of Thucydides and Ctesias compared with Diodorus I have endeavoured to satisfie you touching the objections you make in your Letter as also to satisfie your desire touching the distances of Taurus mentioned by Albategnius and touching the quantity of the Solar and Lunar year and disposition of the Grecian Calendar in Geminus Thus with remembrance of my dutiful commendations to your self Mr. Provost Temple D. Richardson and the rest of our friends with you I commit you your Studies and Affairs to the blessing of God to the behoof of your Country and the whole Church of Christ. Yours to be commanded in all Christian Duties Thomas Lydyat Alkerton Monday March 18. 1616. Excerpta ex Albatenio DE Epocharum distantiis I find no such express mention in Albategnius as that in the end of the 15 of Alfraganus of Christman's Edition neither are his 32 nor his 421 set down in the same method The 325 the Title whereof in the Indice Capitum before the Book is In scientiâ Tarec Arabum Romanorum ac Persarum atque Alkept alternatim hath three parts In the first part are set down their 4 sorts of Months thus Mensium quidem Arabum nomina sunt Almuhartan Saphar c. Romanorum autem mensium nomina secundùm Graecorum Egyptiorum principia sunt Elul Tisrin primus Tisrin Secundus c. Nomina verò mensium Persarum sunt Efrosometh Asdiasdmed c. Mensium autem Alkept nomina sunt Tut Bena Accur c. Whereunto is subjoyned a Clause directly concerning your purpose and that truly set down amidst the manifold errors about the Dates of Times both in the same Chapter and in the whole Book as appeareth by comparing the same with other places in these Words Principium autem à quo Romani incipiunt Alkept est à morte Alexandri Macedonis secundum Graecos Aegyptii verò Romani ab Ehahilcarnain annis numerant sunt inter eos 12 anni Aegyptiaci These are the very Words and without doubt Albatenius his meaning confirmed by the Dates of the most principal of his observations and the plain truth In the second part he sheweth how to find the beginnings of all those 4 sorts of Years and Months Where the Arabian and Alhegira radix is 5d The Roman from Alhilcarnain is 0d 7d The Persian from Jesdag 3d. The Alkept also from Adhilcarnain 5d Whereby is signified that the first year of Dhilcarnain began in the 436 year of Nabonazar and 12 à morte Alexandri almost ending to wit on the 8d Of Tisrin posterioris or November following In the 3. he sheweth how to find one sort of year by another and it hath 8 Sections 1. Romanorum i. e. Syre-Graecorum Constantinopolitana à die Septembris feria 7a anni periodi Julianae 4402. ab initio Octobris alii Arabes exteri Antiochiam deducunt ut à 1 o Tisri Hebraei in suâ aerâ contractuum Jason Cyrenaeus in 2o. lib. Maccab. vel 1 o die Octobris ejusdem anni feriâ 22 ut apud Alfraganum alios Arabas Hebraeos in suo 2. Alkept Alexandrinorum i. e. à 290 die Augusti feriâ anni periodi Julianae 4403. ut aera Chaldaeorum apud Ptolęmaeum Laodicenorum apud Scalig. p. 405. Nam Thoth Nabonass 436. incurrit in Novem. 9. seria 5a. Thoth verò 437 quod hic potius intelligendum quia à 12 Alexandri dessnente sit supputatio à Nov. ser. 6a. § 1. Si autem Romanorum Taric per Taric Alhegira scire volueris ita ut diem Romani mensis in quo fueris quot ad Hilcarnaim anni praeterierint deprehendas Arabicam radicem servatam accipe eique 317 dies superadde viz. as many as are from the first of Elul or September to the 15 of Themmur or Tamuz that is July quibus 933 superadde annos collectumque erunt anni ad Hilcarnaim This confirms the former account for being granted that there are 945 years inter Philippum sive mortem Alexandri Hegiram take away 12 there remain 933 between Dhilcarnaim and Hegira § 2. Cum autem Taric Alkept per Romanorum Taric nosse desideras annos ad Hilcarnaim cum anno in quo fueris etsi Elul per unum tantùm diem ingressus sit accipe post hoc ex eo 387 diem abjice c. et collecto tres semper dies adjunge et hi sunt dies in quibus Alkepin Elul Graecos ingressu quae est Tut proecedunt c. per hoc autem Taric stellarum ex Canonibus Theum abstrahuntur postquà m his annis 15 anni superadduntur eo quod sit à morte Alexandri Macedonis § 3. Romanorum autem Taric per Taric Alkept si nosse quaeris annos Alkept qui sunt anni ad Hilcarnaim Aegyptiaci perfecti sume ex quibus 387 abjice c. Et si perfectis annis Alkept 15 annos ut ab Alexandri Macedonis morte sic adhibueris Dehinc collecto 535 annos Aegyptiacos adjunxeris inde collectum annos libri Ptolemaei quibus stellarum motus abstrahuntur efficies quod est à principio regni Nabuchodonosor primi usque ad annum in quo fue is ex annis Alkept Here the last number 535 being by a manifest error of the first Figure put for 435 from the beginning of Nabonazar's Reign to the Alkept year in which oera Dhilcarnaim from the Syro-Graeco-Roman Month Elul Gorpioeus and September began doth as manifestly discover the error of 15 twice put for 11 and consequently of 387 days for 283 years from anno Nabonazari 436 to 719 as being the remains of 11 taken away from 294. à morte Alexandri in the 425 year ad regnum Aegyptiacum Augusti in
Parts wherein was certified of them ducentis abhinc annis ex regione Pedemontanâ profectos in provinciae partemillam commigrasse c. as may be seen in Crispin lib. 3 o Actionum Moniment Martyrum Thuanus hath here 300 Years but 200 of these times they were persecuted under the Name of the Beghardi I alledge the Testimony of Matthias Parisiensis who lived in Bohemia about the year 1390. Qui alienant se strenuè saith he in lib. de Sacerdotum Monachorum spiritualium abominatione Cap. 30. ab exercitio tulium à contubernio propter Domini Jesu timorem amorem mox à vulgo Christiano hujus mundi conviciantur confunduntur nota pessima singularitatum vel Hoeresum criminantur propter quod tales homines devoti qui similia vulgo profano non agunt Bechardi vel Turspinii lego Turebipini aut aliis nominibus blasphemis communiter jam nominantur quod figuratum est in illis primis in Babylone quibus alia nomina impofuerunt quà m habuerunt in terra Israel There cometh also unto my mind another place which is not common touching the Beghardi and Fratricelli out of the Book de squaloribus Romanae Curiae written by Matthew de Cracovia who was Bishop of Worms ab anno 1405 ad 1410. Thus he there complaineth Vadunt Beckardi Fratricelli Sectuarii suspectissimi de hoerefi clero infestissimi erectis capitibus absque ullo timore in urbe et seducunt liberè quotquot possunt And mark that this fell upon the time of Pope Gregory the XII who usually did send his Letters to the Princes and Bishops of Christendom per Lollardos seu Beguardos ad quos semper videbatur ejus affectio specialitèr inclinari As is affirmed by Theodoricus à Niem lib. 3. de Schism cap. 6. Whereby we see what Rest and Boldness the same Professors got by the great Schism in the Papacy agreeable to that which Wickliff writeth lib. 3. de Sermone Domini in monte You see when I begin I know not how to make an end and therefore that I prove not too tedious I will abruptly break off desiring you to remember in prayers Your most Assured Loving Friend and Brother James Usher Dublin Aug. 16. 1619. LETTER XXXIX A Letter of Dr. James Usher 's afterwards Arch-Bishop of Armagh Sir YOU hear I doubt not ere this of the lamentable news out of Bohemia how it pleased God on the 29th of October last to give victory to the Emperor's Army against the King of Bohemia His whole Army was routed 3000 flain on the ground others taken Prisoners who have yielded to save their lives to serve against him Himself and the chief Commanders fled with 2000 Horse came to Prague took away the poor Queen being with Child and some of his Councellors with such things as in that hast could be carried away and so left that Town it not being to be held and withdrew himself into Silesia where he hath another Army as also in Moravia though not without an Enemy there invading also How those of the Religion in Bohemia are like to be dealt with you may imagine and what other evil effects will follow God knoweth if he in mercy stay not the fury of the Enemy who in all likelihood intendeth to prosecute the Victory to the uttermost Spinola also prevaileth still in the Palatinate one Town or two more with two or three little Castles he hath gained and now we hear that a Cessation of Arms is on either side agreed upon for the space of five months The Spaniard hath made himself Master of the Passage betwixt Italy and Germany by getting Voltelina where he hath put down five Protestant Churches and Erected Idolatry in their places He hath so corrupted many among the Switzers as they cannot resolve on any good course how to help the mischief or how to prevent the further increasing of it The French that should protect them are Hispaniolized The Germans have their hands full at home And the Venetians that would dare not alone enter into the business And now newly while I am writing this addition we are certified here that the King of Bohemia hath quit Moravia and Silesia seeing all things there desperate and hath withdrawn himself unto Brandenburgh God grant we may lay this seriously to heart otherwise I fear the judgment that hath begun there will end heavily upon us and if all things deceive me not it is even now marching toward us with a swift pace And so much touching the Affairs of Germany which you desired me to impart unto you whether they were good or evil Concerning Mr. Southwick's departure although not only you but divers others also have advertised me yet I cannot as yet be perswaded that it is intended by him for both himself in his last Letter unto me and his Wife here no longer than yesterday hath signified unto me the plain contrary Your Son Downing wisheth the place unto Mr. Ward your neighbour Mr. Johnson unto Mr. Cook of Gawran and others unto one Mr. Neyle who hath lately preached there with good liking as I hear The last of these I know not with the first I have dealt and am able to draw him over into Ireland Your assured loving Friend James Usher 1619. LETTER XL. A Letter from Mr. Edward Browncker to the Right Reverend James Usher Lord Bishop of Meath SIR I Marvel much at the Deputy's exceptions he discovers a great deal of unworthy suspicion What answer I have made unto him you may here see I doubt not but he will rest satisfied with it unless he hath resolved to do me open wrong You may seal it up with any but your own Seal I pray you lend me your best furtherance it shall not go unacknowledged howsoever I speed As for the Manuscripts you desire to hear of neither one nor the other is to be found It is true according unto Dr. James his Catalogue there was one Gildas in Merton Colledge Library but he was Gildas Sapiens not Gildas Albanius whom Pitts says was the Author of the Book entituled De Victoria Aurelii Ambrosii neither is that Gildas Sapiens now to be seen in Merton Colledge he hath been cut out of the Book whereunto he was annexed Yet there is one in our Publick Library who writes a story De Gestis Britannorum in whom I find mention of King Lucius his Baptism His words be these Post 164 annos post adventum Christi Lucius Britannicus Rex cum Universis Regulis totius Britaniae Baptismum susceperunt missa legatione ab Imperatore Papa Romano Evaristo As for the Orations of Richard Fleming there be no such to be heard of in Lincoln Colledge Library Neither can I find or learn that the Junior Proctor's Book relates any passage of the Conversion of the Britains If you have any thing else to be search'd for I pray make no scruple of using me further So wishing you comfort in your
Lordship whither and by whom I may address my Letters I cannot forget your Lordships promise to get me a Book of the Irish Saints Lives and that Poem of Richard the Second your Honour told me of A love to these things I hope shall make excuse for my bold remembrance My service to your self I remain Your Lordships constant and assured to be ever Commanded Robert Cotton New Exchange Mar. 26. 1622. LETTER XLVIII A Letter from Sir Henry Bourgchier to the Right Reverend James Usher Lord Bishop of Meath Most Reverend in Christ I Must excuse my long silence partly by my long stay by the way and partly by my expectation of your Lordship here about this time Now being somewhat doubtful of your repair hither I have adventur'd these as an assured Testimony of my respect and observance to your Lordship Many of your good friends here were glad to hear of your health and hopeful to see you Sir Robert Cotton hath purchased a House in Westminster near the Parliament House which he is now repairing and there means to settle his Library by Feoffment to continue for the use of Posterity Mr. Camden is much decayed Et senio planè confectus in so much that I doubt his friends shall not enjoy him long Sir Henry Spelman is busie about the impression of his Glossary and Mr. Selden of his Eadmerus which will be finished within three or four days together with his Notes and the Laws of the Conqueror the comparing whereof with the Copy of Crowland was the cause of this long stay for they could not get the Book hither though they had many promises but were faign to send one to Crowland to compare things We have not yet the Catalogue of Frankfort nor any news but what you often hear The reports of the Princes entertainment in Spain fills the Mouths and Ears of all men and not so only but also set the Printers a work I should be very glad to know your Lordships resolution of coming into England that I might accordingly send you either Books or other news which we have here If your Lordship would be pleased to send me your Copy of Dionysius Exiguus I would willingly take some pains in the publication of him for I doubt your own labours take you up so much that you cannot attend him I desire to be most kindly remembred to Mr. Dean of Christ-Church I hear much murmurings among the Papists here especially those of our County against some new persecutions you know their Phrase lately raised in Ireland and particularly against some courses of your Lordships in the Diocess of Meath as namely in the case of Clandestine Christnings c. beyond all others of your rank I should be larger did I not doubt of my Letter 's finding your Lordship there but wheresoever God will dispose of us let it be I will ever approve myself Your Lordships true Affectionate Friend and Servant Henry Bourgchier London April 16. 1622. Your Colledge Statute of seven years continuance is much disliked here with some other things in that Society and some fault laid upon us that we did not take a more exact Survey of their Affairs LETTER XLIX A Letter from the Right Reverend James Usher Lord Bishop of Meath to Mr. John Selden Worthy Sir I Received your loving Letter sent unto me by Sir Henry Bourgchier and do heartily thank you for your kind remembrance of me Touching that which you move concerning the situation of Churches in the elder times of Christianity Walafridus Strabo De rebus Ecclesiasticis cap. 4. telleth us Non magnoperè curabant illius temporis justi quam in partem orationis loca converterent Yet his conclusion is Sed tamen usus frequentior rationi vicinior habet in Orientem orantes converti pluralitatem maximam Ecclesiarum eo tenore constitui Which doth further also appear by the Testimony of Paulinus Bishop of Nola in his twelfth Epistle to Severus Prospectus verò basilicae non ut usitatior mos Orientem spectat And particularly with us here in Ireland Joceline in the Life of St. Patrick observeth That a Church was built by him in Sabul hard by Downe in Ulster Ab aquilonali parte versus meridianam plagam Add hereunto that place of Socrates lib. 5. hist. Eccles. cap. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And compare it with that other place of Walafridus Strabo where he sheweth both in the Church that Constantine and Helena builded at Jerusalem and at Rome also in the Church of All-Saints which before was the Pantheon and St. Peters Altaria non tantum ad Orientem sed etiam in alias partes esse distributa I desire to have some news out of France concerning the Samaritan Pentateuch and how the numbers of the years of the Fathers noted therein do agree with those which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath in Graecis Eusebianis Scaligeri also whether Fronto Ducoeus his Edition of the Septuagint be yet published I would intreat you likewise if it be not too great a trouble to transcribe for me out of the Annals of Mailrose in Sir Robert Cotton's Library the Succession and Times of the Kings of Scotland So ceasing to be further troublesome unto you at this time I rest Your most assured loving Friend Ja. Mid. Dublin April 16. 1622. LETTER L. A Letter from Dr. Ward Margaret Professor at Cambridge to the Right Reverend James Usher Bishop of Meath My good Lord THe remembrance of our former love doth embolden me to present these lines to your Lordship which otherwise I would not presume to do I wish your Lordship in your great Place and Dignity all happiness and contentment still perswading my self That your Place and Dignity doth not so alter you but that you still do continue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no less than that Bishop of Durham R. Angervile was I hope therefore it will not be altogether ungrateful to write of things touching that argument I am right sorry to hear of that heavy news which was reported unto me upon Monday last of the taking of Heydelberg by Tilly the Commander of the Duke of Bavaria It is a great grief that the place where the purity of the Reformed Religion hath so long been maintained should now come into the hands of the Enemy I take it I have heard that out of fear it should be Besieged care was taken that the Manuscripts were conveyed into the Duke of Wirtemburg's Country I wish it were so if it be not It should grieve me if that famous Library too should come into their hands who are so faithless in setting them out Your Lordship was partly acquainted with a business which I had undertaken to answer one Chapter of Perron's latest work set out after his decease Since that time Petrus Bertius the Remonstrant is turned Roman Catholick and hath undertaken the Translation of that whole Book into Latin and hath in Specimen set forth the Translation
of that Chapter which I had undertaken to answer as a principal motive of his Conversion to them which he hath added to the Oration of the motives to his Conversion I suppose you have seen the Book Now having been lately chosen upon my Lord of Sarum his promotion to be Reader of the Margaret Lecture in our University Lam advised by my good friends and namely the Lords Bishops of Wells and Sarum to read those Controversies mentioned in that Chapter And upon more mature advice have resolved to set down positively the Fathers Doctrine not barely by Thesis but with their several proofs and the Vindication of them from the Adversaries cavils I will be bold to communicate with you the special difficulties which I shall observe if it be not troublesome unto your Lordship In the first Controversie touching the Real Presence they except against the testimony produced by P. Martyr of Chrysostom ad Caesarium Monachum I have heard your Lordship say it is alledged by Leontius but by what Leontius and where I remember not I cannot find it in such Tractates of Leontius as I find in Bibliotheca Patrum I desire your Lordship in a word to certifie me It seemeth P. Martyr read it in Latin for otherwise it is probable he would have alledged the Greek Text if originally he had it out of the Greek I suppose your Lordship hath seen the third Tome of Spalatensis containing his VII and IX Book I fear me he may do some harm with the Treatise which he hath lib. 7. c. 11. touching the matter of Predestination wherein he goeth about to shew That both Opinions may be Tolerated both that of St. Austin's which makes Predestination to be gratuita and that other which maketh Predestination to be Ex proevisis fide operibus But chiefly he goeth about to invalidate St. Austin's Opinion It will confirm the Remonstrants in their Error for he hath said more than any of them but all in vain for doubtless St. Austin's Opinion is the truth and no doubt but it is special Grace which doth distinguish Peter from Judas and not solum liberum arbitrium It is great pity the man was so carried away with Ambition and Avarice otherwise I think he is not inferior to Bellarmine for the Controversies I write this Letter upon my way being at Sarum where my Lord Bishop of Sarum doth salute you I cannot now dilate further but with my best service and wishes commend your Lordship to the Highest Majesty and so rest Your Lordships in all service Samuel Ward Sarum Sept. 25. 1622. I intreat your Lordship that I may know where Leontius doth alledge that Tractate of Chrysostom LETTER LI. A Letter from the Right Reverend James Usher Lord Bishop of Meath to the Right Honourable Oliver Lord Grandison My very good Lord I Had purposed with my self long ere now to have seen your Honour in England which was one reason among others why I did forbear to trouble you hitherto with any Letters But seeing I think now it will fall out that I shall remain here this Winter I thought it my duty both to tender my thankfulness unto your Lordship for all the honourable favours which I have received at your hands and withal to acquaint you with a certain particular which partly doth concern my self and in some sort also the state of the Church in this poor Nation The day that my Lord of Falkland received the Sword I preached at Christ-Church and fitting my self to the present occasion took for my Text those words in the 13th to the Romans He beareth not the Sword in vain There I shewed 1. What was meant by this Sword 2. The Subject wherein that power rested 3. The matters wherein it was exercised 4. Thereupon what it was to bear the Sword in vain Whereupon falling upon the Duty of the Magistrate in seeing those Laws executed that were made for the furtherance of God's Service I first declared That no more was to be expected herein from the subordinate Magistrate than he had received in Commission from the Supreme in whose power it lay to limit the other at his pleasure Secondly I wished That if his Majesty who is under God our Supreme Governour were pleased to extend his clemency toward his Subjects that were Recusants some order notwithstanding might be taken with them that they should not give us publick affronts and take possession of our Churches before our Faces And that it might appear that it was not without cause that I made this motion I instanced in two particulars that had lately fallen out in mine own Diocess The one certified unto me by Mr. John Ankers Preacher of Athloane a man well known unto your Lordship who wrote unto me That going to read Prayers at Kilkenny in West-Meath he found an old Priest and about 40 with him in the Church who was so bold as to require him the said Ankers to depart until he had done his business The other concerning the Friars who not content to possess the House of Multifernan alone whence your Lordship had dislodged them went about to make Collections for the re-edifying of another Abby near Molengarre for the entertaining of another swarm of Locusts These things I touched only in general not mentioning any circumstances of Persons or Places Thirdly I did intreat That whatsoever connivance were used unto others the Laws might be strictly executed against such as revolted from us that we might at least-wise keep our own and not suffer them without all fear to fall away from us Lastly I made a publick Protestation That it was far from my mind to excite the Magistrate unto any violent courses against them as one that naturally did abhor all cruel dealings and wished that effusion of blood might be held rather the Badge of the Whore of Babylon than of the Church of God These points howsoever they were delivered by me with such limitations as in moderate mens judgments might seem rather to intimate an allowance of a Toleration in respect of the general than to exasperate the State unto any extraordinary severity yet did the Popish Priests perswade their followers that I had said The Sword had rusted too long in the Sheath whereas in my whole Sermon I never made mention either of Rust or Sheath yea some also did not stick to give out That I did thereby closely tax your self for being too remiss in prosecuting of the Papists in the time of your Government I have not such diffidence in your Lordships good opinion of me neither will I wrong my self so much as to spend time in refelling so lewd a calumniation Only I thought good to mention these things unto your Lordship that if any occasion should be offered hereafter to speak of them you might be informed in the truth of matters Wherein if I have been too troublesome unto you I humbly crave pardon and rest Your Honours in all Duty ever ready to be commanded Jac.
Judgment of the Church of Christ from the beginning of the Gospel unto this day and that of old they were condemned for heretical in the Nazarites But finding that for the present he was not to be wrought upon by any reasoning and that long a dies was the only means to cure him of this Sickness I remembred what course I had heretofore held with another in this Country who was so far ingaged in this Opinion of the calling of the Jews tho not of the revoking of Judaism that he was strongly perswaded he himself should be the Man that should effect this great Work and to this purpose wrote an Hebrew Epistle which I have still in my hands directed to the dispersed Jews To reason the matter with him I found it bootless I advised him therefore that until the Jews did gather themselves together and make choice of him for their Captain he should labour to benefit his Country-men at home with that Skill he had attained unto in the Hebrew Tongue I wished him therefore to give us an exact Translation of the Old Testament out of the Hebrew Verity which he accordingly undertook and performed The Translation I have still by me but before he had finished that Task his Conceit of the calling of the Jews and his Captainship over them vanished clean away and was never heard of after In like manner I dealt with Mr. Whitehall that forasmuch as he himself acknowledged that the Mosaical Rites were not to be practised unto the general calling of the Jews he might do well I said to let that matter rest till then and in the mean time keep his Opinion to himself and not bring needless Trouble upon himself and others by divulging it out of season And whereas he had intended to write an historical Discourse of the retaining of Judaism under Christianity I counselled him rather to spend his pains in setting down the History of Purgatory or Invocation of Saints or some of the other Points in controversy betwixt the Church of Rome and Us. So far I prevailed with him herein that he intreated me to become a Suitor unto your Lordship in his behalf that the loss of his Living and those other Troubles which he hath already sustained might be accepted for a sufficient Punishment of his former Offence and that he might have the Favour to be restored only unto his Fellowship in Oxford where he would bind himself to forbare intermedling any way with his former Opinions either in publick or in private and spend his time in any other Employment that should be imposed upon him How far it will be fitting to give way unto this motion I wholly leave unto your own grave Consideration Thus much only I have presumed to propound unto your Lordship in discharge of my Promise made unto Mr. Whitehall with whom I could have no long Communication by reason I way presently to begin my Journey for the visitation of the Diocess of Meath Until my return from thence I have stayed the printing of the rest of mine Answer unto the Jesuits Challenge the former part whereof I humbly make bold to present unto your Lordship's view as unto whom above all others I most desire my simple Labours in this kind may be approved And so craving pardon for my boldness in troubling you thus far I rest Your Lordship's in all Christian Duty ready to be commanded Ja. Midensis Dublin Sept. 28. 1621. LETTER LXVIII A Letter from Dr. Thomas James to the Right Reverend James Usher Lord Bishop of Meath MY Duty remembred unto your Lordship I am much beholden to your Lordship for your last Book which I received before the Act by my good Friend Mr. Calendrine I have punctually perused it and do render unto your Lordship both common and private thanks for the same and expect your Lordship 's of the Britains ancient Religion wherein as I see no difficulty so I would be glad to assist with my Pains if any thing were worthy yet of my Cousin Mr. Rich. Jame's who remembreth himself most dutifully to your Lordship I send a Taste or Essay of what may be done by him I will say no more of him or it but this That I know no Man living more fit to be imployed by your Lordship in this kind than himself his Pains incredible and his Zeal as great and his Judgment in Manuscripts such as I doubt not but your Lordship may use to the great benefit of the Church and ease of your Lordship may there be but some course taken that he may have victum vestitum independant from any one This if he may have from your Lordship or by your Lordships means I know his Deserts and Willingness to deserve well of the Church For my own Business I know not what to say whether to go onward or to stay Guil. de s. Amore is transcribed and wants but the three Books from your Lordship whereof Mr. Calendrine hath given me good hopes Wickleph de Veritate is the better part done I have hitherto laid out the Money but my Purse will hold out no longer to defray the Charges If it would be so that I may receive the Money to recompence their pains I would not doubt before the next Session but to have most of Wickleph's Works transcribed but I fail in the burden and refer all to God's Providence and your Lordship's Direction being not idle in these Businesses And so in haste with my own and my Cousin's Duty to you I end and rest Your Lordship 's in all Duty Tho. James Oxon the 27 July 1624. LETTER LXIX A Letter from Thomas Davies to the Right Reverend James Usher Bishop of Meath Right Reverend MAY it please your Lordship to take notice that your Letter of the 24th of January in London came to my hands the 14th of July unto which I have given due perusal and perceiving your Lordship's pleasure thereby omitted no opportunity neither any time but the very day that I received it began to lay out for those Books you writ for The five Books of Moses in the Samaritan Character I have found by a meer accident with the rest of the Old Testament joyned with them but the mischief is there wants two or three leaves of the beginning of Genesis and as many in the Psalms which notwithstanding I purpose to send by this Ship lest I meet not with another yet I have sent to Damascus and if not there to be had to Mount Gerazim so that in time I hope to procure another which shall contain the five Books of Moses perfectly I sent a Messenger on purpose to Mount Libanus and Tripoly for the Old Testament in the Syriack Tongue but he returned without it and brought word that there I might have one after two months but could not have it time enough to send by this Ship The reason why they sent it not was that they wanted Parchment to copy one of the Books and so not being perfect
Pitch Rabbi David Kimchy cites this Chaldaical Exposition and confirms it saying That all the Section is spoken against Edom that is Rome And Elias Levita in his Methurgaman in the word Roma cites the Chaldee Paraphrast so against Rome and so doth Munster All these follow the true and best Bumberges Bibles But in Buxtorffs Bibles lately set forth which follows the third Edition of Bumberg's Bibles that be purged there the word Rome is left forth in the Targum and in Kimchy's Comment and four times in Rabby Shelemaes and Kimchies Comments instead of the word Edom by which they mean Rome they have put the word Javan that is Greece and once the word Cuthith that is Samaria And in the 35th Chapter four times the word Cuthith Samaria So Rome is both Samaria and Greece and in other places Persia and a mess of Wax And on the 16th Verse of the 34th of Esay Kimchy comments thus Whosoever will see into the Destruction of Rome let him search over the Book of Jehova and wade in c. in Bumbergs Bibles But in Buxtorffs Bible you have no more but these words whosoever will see into leaving out the words of Kimchy the Destruction of Rome and doth not tell one that he must see for that they would have the Reader blind and not to see Rome's Fall which for all this their Legerdemain with Scholars must yet in the end be sacked with Sword and burnt with Fire for her Idolatry and Filthiness Rev. 17. Now for that the Romans came of the Edomites as himself saith on Obadiah And the Edomites came of Esun Gen. 36. 9. otherwise called Edom of his red Pottage Therefore they by Edom mean Rome and the Roman Antichrist whereof Esan was the type of his Brother Jacob the type to the Elect which agrees with that of the Apostles Rom. 9. Heb. 11. And again what can be plainer in Mysteries then to wrap up the thing typified in the name of the Type it self as is done in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edom that is Rome the two Letters D and R which is very frequent in the Scripture being changed 15. Mat. 12. 36. But I say unto you That of every idle word that Men shall speak they shall give an account in the day of Judgment Maymon saith The Wise have said even the light and idle or wanton Speech that is in secret or private between the Husband and his Wife the Lord will give even Judgment upon that And Maymon saith that this was a Cabbala grounded on the 4th of Amos ver 13. Who declareth unto Man what is his secret Thought or Speech Mameshico the 70 have on purpose by a Metathesis or Transposition of Letters made thereof one word Hammeshico and translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewing unto Man that his Messiah or Christ. For that the Agadah Annunciation Evangelization of the Messiah to the Gentiles was one of the greatest Secrets of God reckoned up there by Annas It is one of the 13 places of Scripture which the 70 did of purpose change for the reason alledged as I conjecture It is not therefore a Corruption of the place as some do unjustly accuse them but a witty mutation and signification done by them of purpose to teach us Gentiles to know the Messiah who then when they translated this was unknown to us Mark how Christ still confutes the Rabbies of the Jews by the saying still of their own Talmudicks and here by an Argument taken à minore ad majus thus If a Man by the saying of your Doctors must give an account of every idle word much more for a Blasphemy but the first is true out of your Doctors ergo the second For Mat. 12. 24. they had spoken Blasphemy against Christ that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub which was the occasion Christ alledged this Talmudical Sentence against them 16. Mat. 5. 37. Christ having condemned the Jewish Rabbins for swearing teacheth them out of their own Books of Ethicks that swearing was forbidden in a Rabbi saying But let yoar Communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil So James 5. 12. But above all things my Brethren swear not but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest you fall into Condemnation Maymon in his Tractate of the Manners of the Rabbies Cap. 5. § 13. saith The Contracts or Commerce of the Scholar of a wise Man are in Truth and Fidelity he saith of that which is not so that it is not so and of that which is so that it is so he saith I I or No No Yea Yea or Nay Nay or of a negative No and of an affirmitive 1. 17. Acts 22. 3. I was brought up in this City saith Paul at the feet of Gamaliel and taught c. The latter expounds the former for Scholars were wont to sit on lower Seats at the Feet of their Masters Maymon in his Tractate of the Manners c. Cap. 6. Sect. 2. saith The Wise have charged saying Dust thy self in the dust of their Feet and drink with thirst their Words The Hebrew Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in pulvere seu arenam descendere as Virgil saith Fulva luctatur arena It is a Metaphor borrowed from Antagonists of the Olympian Games wrestling and striving together for Victory till they lay in the dust as Jacob did wrestle with God Gen. 32. 25. where this word is used he wrestled and strove with God till he lay in the dust again which also is interpreted of Prayer Hosea 12. 5. which overcomes God invincible Be ye holy as I am holy be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful Maymon in his Tract Ethics Cap. 1. § 6. saith The wise Men have taught us thus what is meant by this that is called holy even this that thou shouldst be holy What is meant by this that God is called merciful◠even this that thou shouldst be also merciful Acts 2. 10. Mat. 23. 15. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compass Sea and Land to make one Proselite and when he is made ye make him twofold more the Child of Hell then your selves Maymon in his Tractate of Idolatry cap. 10. sect 4 6. tells us of the difference between 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Israelite 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Stranger and 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Proselite who is also of two sorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselite of Righteousness a true Israelite indeed one of the Covenant who receiveth the 613 Precepts of Moses's Law and was received at all times after and was circumcised such were Shemagjah and Abtalian saith Maymon in his Preface 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Proselites of Righteousness and Rabby Maiir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Son of a righteous and true Proselite Such were the Sichemites Urias Hettaeus Achor
bear to your Person and to the eminence of your place in the Church have moved us to make choice of your Lordship to preach here before this State on the Day whereon we purpose to perform those Ceremonies of Thankfulness due from us which we have thought fit to make known unto you purposing shortly to let you know the day when we desire your presence Yet if you shall find by your late Sickness any indisposition in your Body or danger to your Health to perform this Charge which we know would otherwise be very acceptable to you we do not in such case so strictly require your presence with us but that we do freely leave it to your own choice to come or stay as you shall find the disposition of your Body to enable you Only we desire to understand from you whether we shall then expect you or not to the end we may make choice of another if you may not come And so we bid your Lordship very heartily farewel From his Majesty's Castle of Dublin Junii 18. 1630. Your Lordship 's very loving Friends R. Cork Ad. Loftus Canc. In imitation of the like sent us out of England we have caused the inclosed to be imprinted here LETTER CLXVI A Letter from the Right Reverend William Laud Bishop of London to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh Salutem in Christo. My very good Lord I Hope your Grace will pardon me that in all this time I have not written unto you For though I thank God I have recovered my Health in a measure beyond expectation yet I have been so overlaid with Business that I have not been able to give you any account or at least not such as I desired Your Lordship's first Letters for I owe you an answer to two bear date April the 5th and your later June the 4th 1630. The Main of both Letters is concerning Sir John Bathe And though in your last Letters you be confident that Sir John's Grant is not past the Seals as he hath avouched it is yet I must acquaint your Grace that you are mistaken therein for it appeared at the last sitting of the Committee that the Seal was put to his Grant at the beginning of April last Of which Doctrine you may make this Use what close conveyance and carriage there may be when the Church is to be spoiled I understand by Mr. Hamilton that the Lord Chancellor of Ireland is in Holy Orders and that being Deacon he holds an Arch-Deaconry yet of good value Surely my Lord if this be so there is somewhat in it that I will not express by Letter but were I his Superior in Ordinary I know what I would do and that I have plainly expressed both to his Majesty and the Lords Committees But my Lord for the Business I have stuck so close unto it both with his Majesty and with the Lords especially the Lord Treasurer who hath been and is very noble to the Church that I hope Sir John Bathe will see his Error and pitch upon some other Reward for his Services and surrender this Patent though seal'd that we may go on with the King 's Royal and Pious Grant to the Church Things being thus far onward once more there are two things which stick with the Lords 1. One is They like not the placing of these Impropriations upon any Incorporations Dublin or other To this I answered That neither did I like it and that it must be alter'd because it is against Law So it is resolved that we shall hereafter take not only that but all other material Passages of the Grant into consideration and therefore I think neither your old nor your new Letter will stand Some thought it fittest that these Impropriations should be left to the King to give To this I replied That that course would by the Suit of the Clergy and their Journeys over take off a great part of the Benefit intended them And to leave them in the Power of the Lord Deputy that might be but to enrich his Secretaries and expose the Church to that which I will not speak 2. The other Difficulty is That this Grant to the Church is too much against the King's Profit in these difficult Times because in the Lay-way the King's Rent may be improved which according to this Grant cannot be This Blow I looked not for but answered upon the sudden That I thought the Church of Ireland would be glad to take the King's Grant though it were with some improvement upon such Impropriations as might well bear it This I did partly to bear off the shock for the time and partly to gain opportunity to write to you who understand that Business better And I pray you by your next Letters give me all the help you can towards this Business One thing more and then I have done with Sir John Bathe Upon occasion of his Speech That the Clergy had a third part of that Kingdom I represented to the Lords the Paper which you sent me concerning the State of the County of Louth It was a miserable spectacle to them all yet at the last some Doubt arose whether those Values there expressed were the Rate in the King's Books or the uttermost value to the Incumbent To this I was not able to make a resolute Answer yet I feared they were Rates to the utmost value Hereupon the Lords required of me to write unto you to desire you to send me word with all the speed you can what value that Note of yours contain'd of which I pray fail not Your Grace is pleased in another Passage to desire me not to be too strict to my Rule in chusing Deans only to be Bishops My Lord it is true Deans are or should be the likeliest Men to be fitted for Bishopricks but they and no other was never any Rule of mine to my remembrance My Rule was and is and to that I shall ever be strict not to suffer any Bishop to hold any Deanery in Commendam if it lie in my power to hinder it For that which concerns the Bishop of Clonfert and Killmacduagh I have read the inclosed Papers you sent and see cause more than enough to pity but the way for remedy will be full of difficulty And for Killâ—anora there will be time enough to think upon Annexation For the Colledg and their Chauntry-Lands c. when they come for their Patent they shall not need to doubt all the lawful assistance that I can give them And now my Lord for as my Business stands 't is time to make an end I must needs thank you that you make it a matter of Joy to hear of my late Honour in being chosen Chancellor of Oxford My Lord I speak really it was beyond my deserts and contrary to my desires but since it hath pleased God by their Love to lay it upon me I must undergo the Burden as I may My honourable Predecessor enriched his Name by the Greek Manuscripts
he gave and it gives me much content that I was the means of it And now for the Bargain which you mention of Ancient Coins to the number of 5500 I cannot upon the sudden say any things for my own Purse is too shallow and my Lords the Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Pembrook are dead You say they are a great Bargain at 600 l. I pray therefore if you have so much Interest in the Seller send me word as soon as you can how many Ounces the Gold Coin comes unto and how many the Silver and then I shall be able to judg of the Copper and then upon my return to those your Letters I will give you answer where I can find any noble Spirit that will deal for them or no. You may judg by these Letters I am not in haste but indeed I am and yet in the fulness of my Business more troubled a great deal that I cannot remedy what I see amiss than at any disproportion between the weakness of my Shoulder and the weight of my Load Let me have your Prayers and in them and God's Grace I shall rest Your Grace's very loving Friend and Brother Guil. London Fulham-house July 5. 1630. LETTER CLXVII A Letter from the King's Council in Ireland to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh After our very hearty Commendations to your Lordship HIS Majesty by his Letters of the 5th of June last hath been graciously pleased to signify unto us that it hath pleased God of his infinite Grace and Goodness to vouchsafe his Majesty a Son and us a Prince born at the Palace of St. James's the 29th day of May last A Copy of which Letters together with some of the Prayers framed in England upon this occasion and lately imprinted here we have thought fit to send you here inclosed that by timely order from you the same may be communicated unto your Clergy as to those who with all Duty and loving Affection will embrace whatsoever may make for the prosperous advancement of the Publick Good wherein all of us have Interest The Joy and Gladness we apprehend in this great Blessing hath justly moved as to set apart one Day to be jointly and unanimously celebrated as a Festival throughout the whole Kingdom in expression of the thankfulness due from us all upon this happy occasion which Day we have resolved shall be the 15th Day of this Instant whereof we give your Lordship notice to the end you may cause the same to be notified to your Clergy and that on that day there be publick Prayers Thanksgivings and Sermons in the several Churches of your Diocess and that the said Prayers be then publickly read in the time of Divine Service and that afterwards ringing of Bells making of Bone-fires and all other expressions of Joy may be made to testify the general Joy and Gladness of that Day And we pray and require you to be with us here at that time to the end all of us who are partakers of this Benefit may join in the Solemnities of this intended Festival And so we bid your Lordship very heartily farewel From his Majesty's Castle of Dublin July 5. 1630. Your Lordship 's very loving Friends A. Loftus Canc. R. Corke Grandison Hen. Valentia W. Caulfeild Hen. Docwra Fra. Mountnorris W. Shurley W. Parsons J. Erskyne Cha. Coote Thory Duttoy Ad. Loftus LETTER CLXVIII A Letter from the Right Reverend William Bedell Bishop of Kilmore to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh at his House at Termonfeckin Most Reverend Father my Honourable good Lord I Cannot easily express what contentment I received at my late being with your Grace at Termonfeckin There had nothing hapned to me I will not say since I came into Ireland but as far as I can call to remembrance in my whole Life which did so much affect me in this kind as the hazard of your good Opinion For loving and honouring you in Truth for the Truth 's sake which is in us and shall abide with us for ever without any private Interest and receiving so unlooked for a blow from your own hand which I expected should have tenderly applied some Remedy to me being smitten by others I had not present the defences of Reason and Grace And although I knew it to be a fault in my self since in the performance of our Duties the judgment of our Master even alone ought to suffice us yet I could not be so much Master of mine Affections as to cast out this weakness But blessed be God which as I began to say at my being with you refreshed my Spirit by your kind renewing and confirming your love to me And all humble thanks to you that gave me place to make my defence and took upon you the cognizance of mine Innocency And as for mine Accuser whose hatred I have incurred only by not giving way to his covetous desire of heaping Living upon Living to the evident damage not only of other Souls committed to me but of his own Truly I am glad and do give God thanks that his Malignicy which a while masked it self in the pretence of Friendship hath at last discovered it self by publick opposition It hath not and I hope it shall not be in his power to hurt me at all he hath rather shamed himself and although his high Heart cannot give his Tongue leave to acknowledg his Folly his Understanding is not so weak and blind as not to see it Whom I could be very well content to leave to taste the Fruit of it also without being further trouble some to your Grace save that I do not despair but your Grace's Authority will pull him out of the Snare of Satan whose Instrument he hath been to cross the Work of God and give me more occasion of joy by his amendment than I had grief by his perversion and opposition Your Grace's Letters of August 23. were not delivered to me till the â—9th In the mean space what effect those that accompanied them had with Mr. Dean you shall perceive by the inclosed which were sent me the 28th the Evening before our Communion I answered them the next Morning as is here annexed As I was at the Lord's Table beginning the Service of the Communion before the Sermon he came in and after the Sermon was done those that communicated not being departed he stood forth and spoke to his purpose That where as the Book of Common Prayer requires that before the Lord's Supper if there be any 〈…〉 there should be to conciliation this was 〈…〉 because they all knew that there was been 〈…〉 he did profess that he 〈…〉 no 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 me in any thing he was â—orry I answered That he had good reason to be sorry considering how he had behaved himself For my part I bare him no malice and if it were in my power would not make so much as his finger ake Grieved I had been that he in whom I knew there
aut acta fuerit gratia Ante annum quod excurrit Appendicem meam Ignatianam ac de Macedonum ac Asianorum anno solari dissertationem mittere ad te memini sed quid tantilla illa ad justos hosce poëticae tuae tanta diligentia industriâ elucubratos commentarios Majoris fortasse operis pretii usus certè aliquandò uberioris futuri sunt Annales nostri sacri Cum Asiatico Aegyptiaco Olympiadum exordio usque ad Vespasiani imperium ex scriptoribus exteris deducto chronico Quamprimum opus absolutum fuerit quod ante finem proximae aestatis futurum spero consendum ad te sum missurus Si lucis hujus usuram saevitia temporum tantisper mihi permiserit Intereò literarum harum latorem D. Johannem Priceum insignis eruditionis probitatis virum quem ex scriptis notum tibi esse non dubito sui praecipuè mei etià m cui amicissimus est causâ finu complexuque tuo recipe me licet id parum commerentem amare non cessa Tui Cupidissimus Ja. Usserius Armachanus Londini xvii Kalend. April anno 1648 9. LETTER CCXL A Letter from the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh to the Learned Johan Hevelius Viro Clarissimo D. Johanni Hevelio Dantiscano Gedanum Vir Praestantissime SElenographiam tuam admirandam ostendit mihi Hartlibius noster Splendidissimum munus Dubliniensi nostrae Bibliothecae benignissime à te donatum Cui inter tumultus bellicos jam animam penè agenti Academiae inter primos in illam admissos ego jam unicus superstes relictus filius officii mei esse duxi gratias quantum possum maximas dulcissimae matris nomine tibi persolvere atque privati mei insuper in te affectus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asiaticum Aegyptiacum nostrum chronicon à mundi primâ origine ad Antiochi Epiphanis Maccabaica tempora deductum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qualiscunque vicem suppleturum ad te transmittere Quod ut boni consulas oro ut profectum ab homine Tui amantissimo J. U. Armachanus Londini pridie Kalend. Novemb. Julian anno aerae Christianae MDCL LETTER CCXLI. A Letter from the Reverend Dr. Hammond to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh My Lord SOme few Dissertations I have put together with some purpose to adventure them to the Press But first desire to offer them to your Grace's view to receive your judgment of the fitness of so doing If the whole do bring too great a trouble to your Grace you may then read over the Lemmata and thereby be directed to read where you think there will be most hazard of my running any Error And if upon survey your Grace shall find cause to send back the Book again for my further thoughts it will be welcome if accompanied with your Directions But if there be no more dangerous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than what your Pen may without much trouble correct I desire it may then be returned to Mr. Royston this Bearer with a word of notice to him that he may proceed But I must desire from your Grace the favour of perfect secrecy till the Book be printed and then it shall visit your Grace again From Your Graces most humble Servant H. Hammond Dec. 6. LETTER CCXLII. A Letter from the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh to the Reverend Dr. Hammond Good Doctor I Received heretofore by your direction from Mr. Allestree the Greek Passage of Irenaeus and yesterday your most accurate descanting upon the same for which I return unto you very hearty thanks being very glad also to understand by your Letter of the 20th of August therewith received that you have a thought of making an entire dissertation for the vindicating of Ignatius his Epistles Which together with your Treatise of Episcopacy in Latin enlarged with such additions as you mention of Act. 20. and the Ancyran Canon I hold would be to exceeding good purpose The new Title wherewith you were dubbed of Sir Knave is in the railing Book writ expresly against Desiderius Heraldus which having but look'd on I sent to young Heraldus the other 's Son who hath not hitherto restor'd the same to me I pray God to bless you in all your Godly Endeavours in whom I ever more rest Your very loving Brother Ja. Armachanus Rigate in Surry Apr. 30. 1649. LETTER CCXLIII A Letter from the Reverend Dr. Hammond to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh My Lord I Must not omit to render my most humble Acknowledgments for the favour of your last Book of Chronology added to the many former Obligations laid on me by your Grace I could not but smile when I was of late required by the London-Minsters to answer the Objections which you had made to the Epistles of Ignatius The Printer will shortly give you an account of the Return I have made to it I find now in another Caviller against those Epistles a Testimony out of St. Jerom Dial. 3. cont Pelag. Jgnatius vir Apostolicus Martyr Scribit audacter Elegit Dominus Apostolos qui super omnes homines peccatores erant which I find not in his Epistles Doth your Grace remember any thing of it If it be not troublesome I beseech you impart one word concerning it to Your most humble Servant H. Hammond May 16. LETTER CCXLIV A Letter from the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh to the Reverend Dr. Hammond Good Doctor I Have read with great delight and content your accurate Answer to the Objections made against the Credit of Ignatius his Epistles for which as I do most heartily thank you so am I moved thereby further to entreat you to publish to the World in Latin what you have already written in English against this Objector and that other who for your pains hath rudely requited you with the bare appellation of Nebulo for the assertion of Episcopacy to the end it may no longer be credited abroad that these two have so beaten down this Calling that the defence thereof is now deserted by all Men as by Lud. Capellus is intimated in his Theses of Church-Government at Sedan lately published Which I leave to your serious consideration and all your Godly Labours to the blessing of our God in whom I evermore rest Your very loving Friend and Brother Ja. Armachanus July 21. LETTER CCXLV A Letter from the Reverend Dr. Hammond to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh My Lord TO the trouble that I lately offered your Grace I beseech your pardon if I present this Addition in desiring a view of your Variae Lectiones of the New Testament which I conceive fit to be look'd on to prepare those Notes for the Press which I have now in good part done If this Favour be uncivil for me to ask or inconvenient for your Grace to grant I shall by your least word be kept from farther importuning it but
Maximus Venerandae Dignissimae Amplitudini Tuae tuisque in Ecclesiâ suâ magnis laboribus abunde benedicere pergat Vale. Tuae Excellentiae Observantissimus cultor Gothofredus Hotton Propria manu Dabam xxviii Januarii 1652. Amstelodami LETTER CCLXX. A Letter from R. Vaughan to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh Reverend Father MY Duty most humbly remembred unto you with thanks for your Opinion of King Cadwalader which hereafter shall be unto me a Tract to follow as best agreeing with Reason and Truth I hope you have received your Books in November last and if they are any way impaired in the carriage if you please to send them me I will have them fairly written again for you What I omitted in my last Letter by reason of the Bearers haste is that in your Giraldus his first Book Laudabilium and 8. Cap. I observe that my Countrymen in his time used to yoke their Oxen for the Plow and Cart four in a breast in these words Boves ad aratra vel plaustra non binos jungunt sed quaternos c. which I find not in the printed Book This may happily give some light and help to understand a clause in our ancient British Laws treating of Measures made as is there alleged by Dyfrewal Moel-mud King of Britain where it is said that the Britains in his time used four kinds of Yokes for Oxen the first was four foot long the second eight foot the third twelve and the fourth was sixteen foot long The first was such as we use now a-days for a couple of Oxen the second was that mentioned by Giraldus serving for four Oxen the third as I suppose suitable with those two for six Oxen and the fourth consequently for eight Oxen. The two last are clean forgotten with us and not as much as a word heard of them saving what is in that old Law but of the second mentioned by Giraldus we have a Tradition that such was in use with us about sixscore Years ago and I heard how true I know not that in Ireland the People in some places do yet or very lately did use the same I pray you call to your mind whether that be true or whether you have heard or read any thing of the use of the other two in any Country and be pleased to let me know thereof The Copy of Ninnius you sent me hath holpen me well to correct mine but finding such difference between the three Manuscript Books which the Scribe confesseth to have made use of I presume your Transcript comprehends much more in regard you have had the benefit of eleven Copies as you confess to help you which Differences are very requisite to be known of such as love Antiquity And also where those several Copies that you have seen are extant and to be found at present and how many of those Copies bear the name of Gildas before them and how many the name of Ninnius And what those of Gildas do comprehend more or less in them than those of Ninnius And whether the Notes of Samuel Beulan are found in any of those of Gildas or yet in every one of the Copies of Ninnius and whether the name of Samuel be added to those Notes in any of those Copies and to which of them All which with the antiquity of the Character of those several Copies are very necessary to be known and may easily be discovered by you and very hardly by any other ever after you Moreover about three Years ago I sent a Copy of the Tract concerning the Saxon Genealogies extant if I mistake not in Gildas and Ninnius unto you to be corrected by your Book and Sir Simon D'Ewes undertaking that charge for you as Mr. Dr. Ellis told me returned me only this Answer upon the back of my own Papers viz. The eldest Copy of this Anonymon Chron. doth in some places agree with the Notes sent up but in others differs so much as there can be no collation made of it c. But those my Notes do agree very well with the Book you sent me and differs not in twenty words in all the Tract whereof either many are only Letters wanting or abounding and therefore I marvel what he meant in saying so unless he had seen a larger Copy of the same than that I had but your last Letter unto me tells that it is only extant in Sir Thomas Cotton's two Books and wanting in all the other Books that bear the name either of Gildas or Ninnius and that Book you sent me was copied out of one of Sir Thomas Cotton's Books and examined by the other He further addeth that the Author of that Tract being as he saith an English-Saxon lived in the Year of our Lord 620 upon what ground I know not Yet I cannot think otherwise but that Sir Simon D'Ewes had some grounds for the same and it may be the very same that Leland the famous Antiquary had to say that Ninnius lived tempore inclinationis Britannici imperii and Jo. Bale who more plainly saith that he lived in the Year 620 just as Sir Simon D'Ewes hath And for that Sir Simon is dead I desire to know of you whether the said Tract be not more copious in one of Sir Thomas Cottom's Books than it is in the other Or whether Sir Simon D'Ewes might not find a larger Copy of the same elsewhere for if it be not the work of Ninnius nor Samuel Beulan it may as well be in other Books as in those especially if an English-Saxon was Author of it But if it be not found elsewhere I pray you tell me upon what grounds is the Author of it said by Sir Simon to live Anno 620 and Ninnius by Leland and Bale likewise said to live in the same Time when by the first Chapter of some Copies of Ninnius his Book it seemeth he wrote not two hundred Years after Moreover in regard you prefer that small Tract so much spoken of by me before all the rest of the Book it were a deed of Charity for you to paraphrase a little upon it whereby such as are but meanly skilled in Antiquity may reap some profit by it Truly some remarhable Passages from the Reign of Ida to the Death of Oswi Kings of Northumberland are contained in it which being well understood would add a greater luster to the British History Lastly Most Reverend Father I pray you be pleased to lend me your Copy of that Fragment of the Welch Annals sent by the Bishop of St. David's Rich. Davies to Matthew Parker Arch-bishop of Canterbury who bestowed a Copy thereof upon the Library in Bennet-Colledg in Cambridg or your Copy of the Book of Landaff and I shall rest most heartily thankful unto you and I do hereby faithfully promise to return whatsoever you shall send me as soon as I shall have done writing of it I have already taken order to provide a little Trunk or Box for the safe carrying of
opinion I hold of your noble disposition and of the freedom in these Cases that you will afford your special Friends which hath induced me to do it Now though I my self like a Carriers Horse cannot blauch the beaten way in which I was trained yet such is my censure of your Cogitata that I must tell you to be plain you have much wronged your self and the World to smother such a Treasure so long in your Coffer for though I stand well assured touching the tenour and subject of your main discourse you are not able to impannel a substantiall Jury in any University that will give up a Verdict to acquit you of error yet it cannot be gain-said that all your Treatise over doth abound which choice Conceits of the present state of Learning and with so worthy Contemplations of the Means to procure it as may perswade with any Student to look more narrowly to his business not only by aspiring to the greatest persection of that which is now-adays divulged in the Sciences but by diving yet deeper as it were into the Bowels and Secrets of Nature and by Inforcing the power of his Judgment and Wit to learn of St. Paul consectari meliora dona which course would to God to whisper so much in your ears you had followed at first when you fell to the study of such a Study as was not worthy such a Student nevertheless being as it is that your were therein setled and your Country soundly served I can but wish with al my Heart as I do very often that you may gain a fit reward to the full of your deserts which I hope will come with heaps of Happiness and Honour Yours to be used and commanded Thomas Bodleigh Fullham Feb. 19. 1607. POST-SCRIPT SIR One kind of boldness doth draw on another insomuch that me-thinks I should offend not to signify that before the Transcript of your Book be fitted for the Press it will be requisite for you to cast a Censors Eye upon the Stile and Elocution which in the frame of your Periods and in divers Words and Phrases will hardly go for currant if the Copy brought to me be just the same that you would publish Novum Organum LETTER XV. A Letter from Sir Henry Sydney to his Son Sir Philip Sydney Son Philip I Have received two Letters from you the one written in Latin the other in French which I take in good part and will you to exercise that Practise of learning often for it will stand you in stead in that profession of Life which you are born to live in And now since that this is my first Letter that ever I did write to you I will not that it be all empty of some Advices which my natural care of you provoketh me to wish you to follow as Documents to you in this your tender Age. 1. Let your first Action be the lifting up of your Hands and Mind to Almighty God by hearty Prayer and feelingly digest the words you speak in Prayer with continual meditation and thinking of him to whom you pray and use this at an ordinary hour whereby the time it self will put you in remembrance to do that thing which you are accustomed in that time 2. Apply your study such hours as your discreet Master doth assign you earnestly and the time I know he will so limit as shall be both sufficient for your Learning and safe for your Health And mark the sence and matter of that you read as well as the words so shall you both enrich your Tongue with Words and your Wit with Matter and Judgment will grow as Years grow on you 3. Be humble and obedient to your Master For unless you frame your self to obey yea and to feel in your self what Obedience is you shall never be able to teach others how to obey you hereafter 4. Be courteous of gesture and affable to all Men with universality of Reverence according to the dignity of the Person there is nothing that winneth so much with so little cost 5. Use moderate Diet so as after your meat you may find your Wit fresher and not duller and your Body more lively and not more heavy 6. Seldom drink Wine and yet sometime do lest being enforced to drink upon the sudden you should find your self enflamed 7. Use exercise of Body but such as is without peril of your Bones or Joints it will much encrease your Force and inlarge your Breath 8. Delight to be cleanly as well in all parts of your Body as in your Garments it shall make you grateful in each Company and otherwise loathsom 9. Give your self to be merry for you degenerate from your Father if you find not your self most able in Wit and Body to do any thing when you be most merry But let your Mirth be ever void of all scurrility and biting words to any Man for a Wound given by a Word is harder to be cured than that which is given by a Sword 10. Be you rather a hearer and bearer away of other Mens Talk than a beginner or procurer of Speech otherwise you shall be accounted to delight to hear your self speak 11. Be modest in each Assembly and rather be rebuked of light Fellows for a maiden-like Shame-facedness than of your sober Friends for pert Boldness 12. Think upon every word you will speak before you utter it and remember how Nature hath as it were rampir'd up the Tongue with Teeth Lips yea and Hair without the Lips and all betoken Reins and Bridles to the restraining the use of that Member 13. Above all things tell no Untruth no not in Trifles the custom of it is naught And let it not satisfy you that the hearers for a time take it for a Truth for afterwards it will be known as it is to your Shame And there cannot be a greater Reproach to a Gentleman than to be accounted a Liar 14. Study and endeavour your self to be vertuously occupied so shall you make such a habit of well-doing as you shall not know how to do evil tho you would 15. Remember my Son the Noble Blood you are descended of by your Mothers side and think that only by a vertuous Life and good Actions you may be an Ornament to your Illustrious Family and otherwise through Vice and Sloth you may be esteemed labes generis one of the greatest Curses that can happen to a Man Well my little Philip this is enough for me and I fear too much for you at this time but yet if I find that this light meat of digestion do nourish any thing the weak stomach of your young Capacity I will as I find the same grow stronger feed it with tougher Food Farewel Your Mother and I send you our Blessing and Almighty God grant you his nourish you with his Fear guide you with his Grace and make you a good Servant to your Prince and Country Your Loving Father Henry Sydney LETTER XVI A Letter from Sir Henry
forma P. 14. l. 1. r. tristissimam l. 20. f. ex r. l. 35. r. quassatas l. 37. ocellus P. 16. l. 5. r. audacia l. 18. r. tentatas ADVERTISEMENT LEtter 3. was from an imperfect Copy of the Bishops The Marginal Note p. 4 and 417. and so often after is Bishop Ushers The Letters mentioned p. 511. l. ult are in the Appendix p. 7 and 9. Letter 229. should be placed after Letter 230. and Letter 232. should be before Letter 226. Letter 247. should be placed at p. 510. and the Letters p. 599 c. should be placed about An. 1615. when U. A. B. was Bishop of Meath The skilful Reader will perceive that often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are confounded as p. 359 c. and we must be forced to remit the Hebrew Letters to his Correction the faults being too many to be here inserted The Book being printed at different Presses there is a mis-paging page 92. to which succeeds pag. 301. but without any defect in the Book William Juxon Bishop of London and Lord High Treasurer in a Letter Anno 1639. 1 Tim. 3. 15 16. Vide ejus Praefat. ad Britanno-Machiam c. * Which was the Title he intended to give these Collections Dr. Heylin 's Respondet Petrus St. Augustine's Confession lib. 6. cap. 3. a 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. b Joh. 20. 23. c 1 Tim. 5. 17. d Tit. 2. 15. e Matth. 16. 19. 18. 18. f Rom. 13. 4. g Ezra 7. 26. h Mat. 26. 52. i 2 Chron. 26. 18. k 1 Tim. 2. 2. * As on the other side that a Spiritual or Ecclesiastical government is exercised in causes Civil or Temporal For is not Excommunication a main part of Ecclesiastical government and Forest laws a special branch of causes Temporal yet we see in Sententiâ lat â super chartas anno 12. R. H. 3. that the Bishops of England pronounce a solemn sentence of Excommunication against the-infringers of the liberties contained in Chartâ de Forestâ l Mark 16. 15. m Act. 1. 25 26. Matth. 22. 21. Mal. 3. 8. See Mr. Davis's Letter from Aleppo where the MSS. are specified Vid. Marm. Arundel Edit Lond. Praefat in Bibl. Polyglot * Vide Respondet Petrus Sect. IX Ibid. Sect. XII * In the Life of Arch-Bishop Laud. Blondellus 2 Cor. 11. * See His Majesty's Message sent by Capt. Titus 1648. And Whitlock's Mem. p. 337. See his Majesty's Message by Major Cromwal 21. Nov. 1648. See his Message by Sir Peter Killigrew in Whitlock's Mem. p. 339. P. 141. Edit Magut 1648. Ib. pag. 138. Pag. 166. Ro. 13. 1 2. * Mr. James Tyrrel †Before the late Edition of the Body of Divinity Col. 3. 12. †Drawn by Mr. Lilly after Knighted Eccles. 11. 7. Jam. 3. 17. Dr. Heylin 's Respondet Petrus Not. ad Mat. 6. Observat. in Willeram pag. 248. Praefat in Caedâ—â— Pag. 14. Ib. Sect. 7. Resp. Pet. Sect. 10. The Lord Primat's Judgment * He adds the word real which is not in the Latin vid. Dr Burnet 's Hist. of the Reformation Part 2. p. 405. Answer to the Jesuits Challenge See the places cited at large in the Book p. 118. P. 127. P. 128. P. 135 Lev. 13. P. 136. Bellarmin de Poenitent lib. 3. cap. 2. sect ult P. 137. P. 119. P. 123. That all the antient forms of Absolution in the Greek Church were till of late only declarative or optative and always in the 3d not first person See Dr. Smith 's learned Account of the Gr. Church p. 180 181. Respon Petrus Sect. 10. § 7. P. 287 288. P. 341. P. 342. P. 343. P. 345 346. P. 310. * Vid. Jobi Ludolfi lib. 311. c. 5. 19. Hist. Aethiop * Qui mihi ad sedem Armachanam translato anno 1625. in Midensi Episcopatu successit anno 1650. mortem obiit * Of these Fulgentius Ferrandus seemeth to be one in Dionysius his Days for he never citeth those Canons * Unless in the 5th Canon of the fifth Council of Carthage of which we may further inquire * There are more * Also of the Councils Antioch Laodicen Constantinopolit Ephes. Chalcedon * In Codice Moguntino are 14. * Edit Colon. An. 1551. †Edit Venet. An. 1585. But so in Notitia Episc. Galliae propetiâ—â—m * Hec praesatio extat in Edit per Crab. p. 328. * From Turrian vid. Epist. Pontif Arabic Nomo-Canonum * Another Collector Canon Caroli M. Temporib in 3 Tom. rerum Alamannicarum Goldasti XII Vid. Summam Gratian Cod. 37. qu. 1. c. 9. 10. ex Codice Canâ—num Bernardinus de Biâ—sto in Marcul part 12. Ser. 2. de Coronatione Mariae Lit. V. 1 Aera Dhilkarnain est 2 x apud Albategnium viz. 2 Potiùs 9. 3 Quod caput est arae Dhilk. 4 Quod caput est Hegirae * i. e. aequabiles †complito ‖ 287. Crus pag. 35. * 1205 anni die 297. in anno aequabili ineunte verò an 1206. qui hic intelligitur ut ex collatione Eclipsis luminaris liquet †Vagis non fixis ‖ For though it did well agree with the observation of the Aequinoctial yet it cannot with the first Lunar Eclipse which was in the same year 1194. †i. e. Jul. esse diem 365 sed Alkept non diffâ—rt à Juliano quod etiam provâ—tur ex aerâ Philippicâ in Historiâ mescella * Aegyptiae †i. e. Julian * Why of the Flight rather than of the Ostracism which he principally relates in that place †Thucydides tamen in Attica clà m humatum dicit reserente Attico apud Cic. in Brut. ‖ But that was anno 40. Olymp. 75. according to Diodorus * But he saith that he was made Admiral Archonte Demotione though Plutarch doth make him Admiral before that Pag. 96. * Upon Eusebius's Chronicle 1800 Of the other side * He stiles him Gildas Sapiens also as Bishop Usher noted in the margin M S S. Vid. Abb. c. Qualiter tit de electo electi potestate c. Avaritiae in 6. Gregor Tholosan in Syntagm utriusque Juris alios passim * Tom. 5. Biblioth Patr. Part 1. p. 171. Edit Colon. Your Lordship may by private Instructions and his discretion free your self of this fear Mat. 4. 19. Prov. 11. 30. Mat. 13. 48. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 7. 11. * M. Tract Fund 1. c. 3. §. 9 †M. Tr. Fund 2. c. 10. §. 4. ‖ M. Tr. Fund c. 9. §. 1. * M. Tr. Repent c. 5. §. 1 2 3 4 c. †M. Tr. Repent c. 8. §. 7. c. 9. §. 2. 1 John 5. 20. * M. Tr. Repent cap. 7. §. 6. Luke 3. 27. John 6. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 1. 22. * M. Tr. Repent cap. 3. §. 3. I would then wast hot or cold but seeing thou art lukewarm I will spuâ— thee out of my mouth