part whereof are still acknowledg'd to be genuin and the rest to be forg'd in neither of which Assertions I could be justly suppos'd to mean any Books of the N. Testament as I shall presently evince But Mr. BLACKHALL affirms That I must intend those now receiv'd by the whole Christian Church for he knows of no other A cogent Argument truly and clearly proves his Logic to be just of a Piece with his Reading I admire what this Gentleman has bin doing so long at the University that he should be such a great Stranger to these things But now I find a Man may be a very good Divine without knowing any thing of the Fathers tho' a Layman is always referr'd to 'em when he starts any Difficulties which makes him sooner acquiesce and swallow what he cannot chew than get Information at so dear a rate But had Mr. BLACKHALL been dispos'd to deal ingenuously 〈◊〉 me he might see without the help of the Fathers that I did not mean the Books of the New Testament when I mention'd Supposititious Piâ—ces under the Name of CHRIST since there is none ascrib'd to him in the whole Bible nor do we read there that ever he wrote any thing except once with his Finger on the Ground when he acquitted the Woman taken in Adultery And for ought appears to the contrary Mr. BLACKHALL may deny that to be any Writing because he knows not what it was yet som German Divines as well read as himself have presum'd to tell us the Contents of it and came almost to excommunicating one another in their solemn Disputes about this weighty Affair To this Negative Argument from the Silence of the New Testament we may add the Positive Testimony of St. AUGUSTIN and St. JEROM whereof the former affirms That the Lord himself wrote nothing which makes it necessary we should believe those who have written of him And the latter says That our Saviour left no Volum of his own Doctrin behind him as is extravagantly feign'd in most of the Apochryphal Pieces NOW to convince all the World that I did not intend by those Pieces the Books of the New Testament as well as to shew the Rashness and Uncharitableness of Mr. BLACKHALL's Assertion I shall here insert a large Catalogue of Books anciently ascrib'd to JESUS CHRIST his Apostles their Acquaintance Companions and Contemporaries Of these som remain still entirely extant which I shall mark in their Places We have several Fragments of others preserv'd by the Fathers and all that is left us of the rest are only their bare Titles I constantly refer to the Books wherein they are quoted that every body may inform himself of the Fact And after the Catalogue is ended I shall distinguish the Books which the Ancicients alledg'd as the genuin Works of the Apostles or Apostolic Men from those that they rejected as the Forgeries of Heretics which is a good Argument however that they were receiv'd by som Party of Christians to countenance their Opinions Next I design to name those Pieces of whose Spuriousness I doubted tho' their Authority is still receiv'd and so conclude this Point with som material Observations A Catalogue of Books mentioned by the Fathers and other Ancient Writers as truly or falsely ascrib'd to JESUS CHRIST his Apostles and other eminent Persons I. Of Books reported to be written by CHRIST himself or that particularly concern him 1. HIS Letter in answer to that of Abgarus King of Edessa Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l. 1. c. 13. You may also consult Cedrenus Nicephorus Constantinus Porphyrogennetus in the Manipulus of Combesisius p. 79 c. extant 2. The Epistle of Christ to Peter and Paul Augustin contra Faustum l. 28. c. 13. 3. The Parables and Sermons of Christ. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 39. 4. A Hymn which Christ secretly taught his Apostles and Disciples Augustin Epist. 253. ad Ceretum Episcopum 5. A Book of the Magic of Christ Augustin de consensu evangelico l. 1. c. 9 10. If it be not the same with the Epistle to Peter and Paul 6. A Book of the Nativity of our Savior of the Holy Virgin his Mother and her Midwife Gelasius apud Gratianum Decret 1. part Dist. 15. c. 3. But I believe this is the same with the Gospel of Iames whereof in its due Order II. MARY 1. An Epistle to Ignatius Which is now extant among his Works 2. Another Epistle to the Inhabitants of Messina To be read among the same Ignatius's Works 3. A Book of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Usually publishâ—d with St. Ierome's Works 4. Another Book about the Death of Mary is said by Lambecius to ly unpublish'd in the Emperor's Library T. 4. p. 131. 5. We shall not insist on the Book of Mary concerning the Miracles of Christ and the Ring of King Solomon III. PETER 1. The Gospel of Peter Origen T. 11. Comment in Mat. Hieron in Catalog Scriptor Eccles. c. 1. Euseb. Hist. Ecclâ—s l. 3. c. 3 25. Idem l. 6. c. 12. 2. The Acts of Peter Euscb. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 3. Hieronym in Catalogo Origen Tom. 21. Comment in Joan. Isidorus Pelusiota l. 2. Epist. 99. 3. The Revelation of Peter Clem. Alex. in Epitom Theodot Euseb Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 25. l. 6. c. 14. Idem l. 3. c. 3. Hieron in Catalago c. 1. Zozomen Hist. Eccles. l. 7. c. 19. 4. The Epistle of Peter to Clemens is still shewn in the Aethiopic Language by the Eastern Christians Tilmont Hist. Eccles. Tom. 1. part 2. pag. 497. And he has it from Cotelerius The Epistle of Clemens to James is publish'd in the Clementines 5. The Doctrine of Peter Origen in praefat ad libros principiorum Gregor Nazian epist. 16. Elias Levita in notis ad Nazianzeni Orationem ad cives trepidantes 6. The preaching of Peter if it be not the same with his Doctrin Origen Tom. 14. in Joan. Idem in praefat ad Libros principiorum Clem. Alex. Stromat l. 1. l. 6 c. Lactant. l. 4. c. 21. Autor libri de baptismo Haereticorum inter opera Cypriani Joan. Damascen l. 2. parallel c. 16. 7. The Liturgy of Peter publish'd by Lindanus at Antwerp in the Year 1588 and at Paris Anno 1595. 8. The Itinerary or Iournys of Peter mention'd by Epiphanius Haeres 30. n. 15. and by Athanasius in his Synopsis of the Scriptures I believe to be the same with the Recognitions of St. Clement still extant wherein we have a very particular Account of Peter's Voyages and Performances 9. The Iudgment of Peter Hieronym in Catalogo c. 1. IV. ANDREW 1. The Gospel of St. Andrew Gelasius in Decreto c. 2. The Acts of St. Andrew Euscb. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 25. Epiphan Haeres 47. n. 1. Item 61 63 47. Philastrius in Haeres 8. Gelasius in decreto Turribius Asturicensis apud Paschasium Quesnerum inter epistolas Leonis magni p. 459. V. IAMES 1. The Gospel of
of the Christians and not of the Jews who when there 's occasion will afford as large a Catalogue XV. Of the Gospels of the Hebrews and the Egyptians with som general Pieces 1. The Gospel of the twelve Apostles Origen Homil. 1. in Luc. Ambros in Prooem Commentar in Luc. Theophylact. Comment in cap. 1. v. 1. secundum Lucam c. But this Piece was I believe Originally the same with 2. The Gospel of the Hebrews Ignat. in Epist. ad Smyrnaeos Clem. Alex l. 1. Stromat Origen tract 8. in Matt. Idem Homil. 14. in Jerem in Comment ad Joan. Epiphan Haeros 30. n. 13 22 c. Hieronym in Catalogo Script Eccles. c. 4. alibi Passim This Gospel several have maintain'd to be the Original of St. Matthew 3. The Gospel of the Egyptians Clem. Rom. Epist. 2. ad Corinth c. 12. Clem. Alex. l. 3. Stromat ld ibid. Origen Homil. in Luc. Epiphan Haeres 62. n. 2. 4. The Apostles Creed tho' of late Years it begins to be call'd in question 5. The Doctrine and Constitution of the Apostles Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 25. Athanas. in Synopsi Epiphan Haeres 80. n. 7. 45. n. 5. 70. n. 10. 75. n. 6. Idem in Compendiaria fidei expositione n. 22. Incertus de Aleatoribus inter Scripta Cypriani There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Doctrines both attributed to every one of the Apostles singly and also to their Companions and immediat Successors too long to insert particularly These Doctrins were bound with the other Books of the New Testament as appears by the Stichometry of Nâ—ephorus and Anastasius tho' it was not always pretended that they were Original Pieces but rather Collections of what the Companions and Successors of the Apostles either heard or pretended to hear from their own Mouths 6. We need not produce our Authorities for the Canons and Constitutions of the Apostles since so many learned Members of the Church of England have written large Volums to prove 'em genuin 7. The Precepts of Peter and Paul This Book lies in Manuscript in the Great Duke's Library in Florence if we believe Ludovicus Iacobus a Sancto Carolo in his Bibliotheca Pontificia l. 1. pag. 177. 8. The present Cophtic Christians have a Book of Doctrins which they believe was compos'd by the twelve Apostles with the Assistance of St. Paul c. 9. The Gospel of Perfection Epiphan Haeres 26. n. 2 10. The Acts of all the Apostles written by themselves Epiphan Haeres 30. n. 16. Isidor Pelus l. 2. epist. 99. Varadatus in epist. ad Leonem Imp. Tom. 4. Concil Labbaei col 978. Io. Malala Chronograph l. x. 11. The Itinerary of all the Apostles as well as of every one of â—em singly was formerly extant XVI Of the Writings of the Disciciples and Companions of the Apostles OF the Books ascrib'd to the Disciples and Companions of the Apostles and which are still extant som are thought genuin and of great Authority at this time Every one were approv'd at som time or by som Party And yet I am of Opinion that it is the easiest Task in the World next to that of shewing the Ignorance and Superstition of the Writers to prove them all Spurious and fraudulently impos'd on the Credulous Those I mean are the Epistles of Clemens Romanus to the Corinthians his Recognitions Decretals and other Pieces bearing his Name All the Epistles of Ignatius the Epistle of Polâ—carpus to the Philippians with his other Writings The Acts of the Martyrdom of Ignatius and Polycarpus The Pastor of Hermas The Epistle of Barnabas The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite The Epistle of Marcellus Peter's Disciple to Nereus and Achilleus and his Treatise of the Conflict of Peter and Simon Magus The Life of Saint Iohn by Prochorus The Petition of Veronica to Herod on the behalf of CHRIST The Passion of Timothy by Polycrates The Passions of Peter and Paul in two Books by Linus The two Epistles of Martial of Limousin and the Life of the same by Aurelianus The Gospel of Nicodemus The History of the Apostolical Conflict by Abdias who is said to be appointed first Bishop of Babylon by the Apostles The Passion of Saint Andrew written by the Presbyters of Achaia The Epistle of Evodius entitul'd the Light the Altercation of Iason and Papiscus The Acts of Titus compos'd by Zena St. Paul's Companion with a multitude of other Acts and Passions The Gospel of Barnabas the Revelation of Stephen the Passion of Barnabas and the Epistles of Ioseph the Arimathean to the Britons are quite lost and were they extant would probably appear to be as foolish and fabulous as the rest XVII Of Pieces alledg'd in favor of Christianity which were forg'd under the Name of Heathens 1. The Works of Trismegistus and Asclepius extant 2. The Books of Zoroaster and Hystaspes 3. The Sibyllin Oracles cited so frequently and with such Authority by the Primitive Fathers that Celsus takes occasion from thence to nick-name the Christians Sibyllists extant 4. The Letter of Pontius Pilat to Tiberius with the Speech of Tiberius to the Senat. extant 5. The Epistle of Lentulus giving a Description of the Person of CHRIST extant 6. The Epistles or Orders of Adrian Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius in favor of the Christians extant in Iustin Martyr c. c. c. HERE' 's a long List for Mr. BLACKHALL who 't is probable will not think the more meanly of himself for being unacquainted with these Pieces nor if that were all shoul'dâ— I be forward to think the worse of him on this Account but I think he is to blame for denying that there were any such because he knew nothing of 'em much less should he infer from thence that I deny'd the Scriptures which Scandal however because manifestly proceeding from Ignorance I heartily forgive him as every good Christian ought to do TO explain now therefore the several Members of the Passage in MILTON's Life In the first place by the spurious Pieces I meant tho' not all yet a good parcel of those Books in the Catalogue which I am persuaded were partly forg'd by som more zealous than discreet Christians to supply the brevity of the Apostolic Memoirs partly by designing Men to support their privat Opinions which they hop'd to effect by virtue of such respected Authorities And som of 'em I doubt were invented by Heathens and Jews to impose on the Credulity of many wel-dipos'd Persons who greedily swallow'd any Book for Divine Revelation that contain'd a great many Miracles mixt with a few good Morals while their Adversaries laught in their Sleeves all the while to see their Tricks succeed and were rivetted in their ancient Prejudices by the greater Superstition of such Enthusiasts IN the second place by the Books of whose Spuriousness I said the World was not yet convinc'd tho' in my privat Opinion I could not think 'em genuin I meant those of the other
in the Catholic Church whose Authority must ever after serve to determin Matters of Faith neither were the spurious Pieces of Heretics yet rejected nor were the faithful admonisht to beware of them for the future Likewise the true Writings of the Apostles us'd to be so bound up in one Volum with the Apocryphal that it was not manifest by any Mark or public Censure of the Church which of 'em should be prefer'd to the other We have at this Day certain most authentic Ecclesiastic Writers of those times as CLEMENS ROMANUS BARNABAS HERMAS IGNATIUS and POLYCARPUS who wrote in this same Order wherein I have nam'd 'em and after all the other Writers of the New Testament except Iuâ—â— and the two JOHNS But in Hâ—RMâ—S you shall not meet with one Passage or any mention of the New Testament Nor in all the rest is any one of the Evangelists call'd by his own Name And if somtimes they cite any Passages like those we read in our Gospels yet you 'll find 'em so much chang'd and for the most part so interpolated that it cannot be known whether they produc'd them out of ours or som Apocryphal Gospels nay they somtimes cite Passages which it is most certain are not in the present Gospels From hence therefore it is evident that no difference was yet put by the Church between the Apochryphal and Canonical Books of the New Testament especially if it be consider'd that they pass no Censure on the Apochryphal nor leave any Mark whereby the Reader might discern that they attributed less Authority to the spurious than to the genuin Gospels from whence it may reasonably be suspected that if they cite somtimes any Passages conformable to ours it was not don thro' any certain design as if dubious things were to be confirm'd only by the Canonical Books so as it is very possible that both those and the like Passages may have bin borrow'd from other Gospels besides these we now have But what need I mention Books that were not Canonical when indeed it does not appear from those of our Canonical Books which were last written that the Church knew any thing of the Gospels or that Clergy-men themselves made a common use of ' em The Writers of those times do not chequer their Works with Texts of the New Testament which yet is the Custom of the Moderns and was also theirs in such Books as they acknowledg'd for Scripture for they most frequently cite the Books of the Old Testament and would doubtleâ—â— have don so by those of the New if they had then bin receiv'd as Canonical St. PAUL cites a Saying of our Lord in the Acts of the Apostles which if he had it out of any Writing was not certainly out of these we now have The Gospels continu'd so conceal'd in those Corners of the World where they were written that the latter Evangelists knew nothing of what the Precedent wrote Otherwise there had not bin so many apparent Contradictions which almost since the first Constitution of the Canon have exercis'd the Wits of learned Men. Surely if St. LUKE had seen that Genealogy of our Lord which is in St. MATTHEW he would not himself have produc'd one wholly different from the other without giving the least Reason for this Diversity And when in the Preface to his Gospel he tells the occasion of his Writing which is that he undertook it being furnisht with the Relations of such as were Eye-witnesses of what he writes he plainly intimats that the Authors of the Gospels which he had seen were destitute of this Help So that neither having seen themselves what they relate nor with any Care or Diligence consulted such as had seen them their Credit was therefore dubious and suspected whence it must necessarily follow that the Writers of those Gospels which LUKE had seen were not at all the same with our present Evangelists So far Mr. DODWELL and excepting the Genuinness of the Epistles of CLEMENS BARNABAS and the rest for they are incontestably ancient I agree with him that the Matters of Fact are all true tho' I am far from drawing the same Inference from 'em as he has don that there is an equal Proof for Episcopacy as for the Canon of Scripture which is the Testimony of the Fathers of the Second and Third Centuries and that the Disciplin was better known and preserv'd than the Doctrin of the Apostles Whoever has an Inclination to write on this Subject is furnisht from this Passage with a great many curious Disquisitions wherein to shew his Penetration and Judgment as how the immediat Successors and Disciples of the Apostles could so grossly confound the genuin Writings of their Masters with such as were falsly attributed to them or since they were in the dark about these Matters so early how came such as follow'd 'em by a better Light why all those Books which are cited by CLEMENS and the rest should not be counted equally Authentic and what stress should be laid on the Testimony of those Fathers who not only contradict one another but are often inconsistent with themselves in their Relations of the very same Facts with a great many other Difficulties which deserve a clear resolution from any capable Person tho' none may safely propose 'em but Mr. DODWELL who I heartily wish were always as free and unprejudic'd as he is really learned THUS have I defended and explain'd my self against Mr. BLACHALL's Accusation nor do I question but I have given entire Satisfaction to all impartial Men and lovers of Truth But there 's another sort of People whom I despair of ever contenting These never fail of finding in the Writings of their Adversary not what is there but what they have a mind should be so to represent him odious or dangerous All the Protestations in the World can signifie nothing with them nor is it more safe than otherwise to prove the contrary of what is laid to one's Charge for they are sagacious enough to discover the hidden Poyson of every Word and will be sure to give loud warning of the Danger to shew where the Snake lies in the Grass and to tell what 's in the Belly of the Trojan Horse But I shall not be in great pain how such People apprehend me if I have the Happiness to please the moderat and discerning part of Mankind The Complete HISTORY OF Icon Basilike MR. BLACKHALL who by a public Provocation would needs engage me in a Controversie about spurious Books has not confin'd me to expose the Impostures of Antiquity alone tho' it be pretty plain that this is Employment enough for one body but he likewise accuses me of not being more favorable to a Modern Saint as he is pleas'd to stile King CHARLES the First That excellent Book which he says was compos'd by himself in the time of his Distresses will he supposes be an everlasting Evidence of his profiting under his Sufferings to after Ages notwithstanding the Endeavours
AMYNTOR OR A DEFENCE OF Milton's Life CONTAINING I. A general Apology for all Writings of that kind II. A Catalogue of Books attributed in the Primitive Times to JESUS CHRIST his Apostles and other eminent Persons With several important Remarks and Observations relating to the Canon of Scripture III. A Complete History of the Book Entitul'd Icon Basilike proving Dr. GAUDEN and not King CHARLES the First to be the Author of it With an Answer to all the Facts alledg'd by Mr. WAGSTAF to the contrary and to the Exceptions made against my Lord ANGLESEY's Memorandum Dr. WALKER's Book or Mrs. GAUDEN's Narrative which last Piece is now the first Time publish'd at large DI quibus imperium est animarum umbraeque Silentes Et Chaos Phlegethon Loca Nâ—cle tacentia late Sit mihi fas audit a loqui Sit numine vestro Pandere res alta terra caligine mersaâ— Virg. Aen. 6. London Printed and are to be Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster M. DC.XC.IX   Errors Amendments Page 5. line 1â— hose those 20. 5. Christ his Christ his 21. 4. Ceretum Ceretium 37. 19. Cophtic Coptic â—8 3. of of the 53. 15. Matâ—hies Matthias 57. 15. Ex mple â—xample 65. 15. may be be any 66. 17. â—ittgius â—â—itigius 101. 23. hop'd o hop'd to 105. 5. Consciences Conscience 113. 20. somtime Som time 131. 16. this his 137. 8. Mediations Meditations * In the Margin of Pag. 57 after Eusâ—bius 〈◊〉 lib. 3. and 〈◊〉 of first read fifth THE AUTHOR TO A FRIEND THE Public is so seldom interested in the Debates of privat Men and I am so little concern'd at the Malice or Mistakes of my Adversaries that without som better Motive I would never presume to trouble the World with any thing merely personal But if the Subject in question be of extraordinary Weight and Consequence and that on the certain Decision of it should depend the Tranquillity of a considerable number of People then I think a Man is indispensably oblig'd to appear for the Truth and so while he 's endeavoring to serve others no body will say he ought to neglect his own Defence Whether the Treatise I now send you be of this Nature is submitted to your equal Iudgment And unless I really design'd a Nobler End by it than the Iustification of one Person neither you nor any body else should lose your time in reading no more than I my self would be at the Pains of writing it which yet I 'll count the highest Pleasure if I understand it has never so little contributed to the Satisfaction of a Gentleman of such undisputed Learning and Merit March 30. 1699. J. T. AMYNTOR OR A DEFENCE OF Milton's Life WHEN I undertook to write the Life of the most celebrated MILTON I was far from imagining that I should ever much less so soon be oblig'd to make an Apology in justification of such a Work both harmless in it self and greatly desir'd by the World There was no positive Law or Custom against publishing the particular History of this extraordinary Person consider'd in any respect whatsoever for the Lives of Good Princes and Tyrants of Orthodox and Heretical Divines of Virtuous and Wicked of Public and Privat Men are indifferently perus'd by every body of which it would be superfluous to alledg Examples the thing being so commonly known by all that have learnt to read Nor without such a Liberty could we possibly form a true Taste or have any certain Knowledg of Affairs since the Excellence or Imperfection of all Matters best appears by opposing 'em to one another And I was sure which I find was no Mistake that the Learning and Sentiments of JOHN MILTON were too considerable not to deserve the highest Commendation or Dislike according to the Judgment or Affection of the Readers SINCE therefore it was equally lawful for me to write whose Life I pleas'd when my Hand was in the first Charge against me one would think should have bin that I had not fairly represented my Hero But very far from that the great Crime whereof I am arraign'd consists in telling more than som People would have me or discovering Truths not fit to be known and the Manner of my Relation is to them altogether as offensive and displeasing as the Matter of it 'T is strange that Men should be found of a Judgment weak enough to make a Crime of such Proceedings in a Writer who labors to keep himself wholly independent from the Fears or Engâ—â—â—ments of any Party and who â—â—ofess'd in the very beginning of his Book that being neither provok'd by Malice nor brib'd by Favor he would as well dare to say all that was true as scorn to write any Falshood But the rude Opposition with which I have met notwithstanding such plain Declarations convinces me more than ever how much I was in the Right by following the peculiar Method I propos'd to my self in compiling MILTON's Life and which I partly declar'd in these Terms In the Characters of Sects and Parties Books or Opinions I shall produce his own Words as I find 'em in his Works that those who approve his Reasons may owe all the Obligation to himself and that I may escape the Blame of such as may dislike what he says Now what could be more impartial than this or more likely to secure me from all Imputations whatever should be the Reception of MILTON from the Public Yet if by adhering religiously to this Rule so loud a Clamor was raised against me it is apparent how much worse I might expect to be treated had I trod in the common Road. For if like most Historians I had in my own Words tho' with never so much Candor related the Actions or Sentiments of my Author my Adversaries would presently have told the World that this was not the true MILTON but one of my own Creation whom I promted to speak what I durst not own and by whose Mouth I had publish'd all hose Opinions which I would recommend to other People Well knowing therefore the ordinary Temper and Artifices of these Men I did partly on that Account produce his own Words to obviat their Sophistry and Calumnies their two principal offensive Weapons and also to spare my self the Pains of Quotations afterwards to prove I had neither injur'd him nor abus'd my Readers Besides this particular Regard to them I am also of opinion that this is the best and only good way of writing the History of such a Man And had the Ancients always follow'd it our Modern Critics would have been less exercis'd to discern their real Sentiments nor wou'd they be so often oblig'd to examin whether they understood or mis-represented their Authors BUT instead of any Objections like these I am expresly told that I ought not to meddle with MILTON's Books nor to revive his Sentiments or the Memory of those Quarrel 's wherein he was engag'd which is only in other Words that I
great Persons or the suppos'd Writings of certain Apostolic Men as they call 'em which are at this present as well as in ancient times read with extraordinary Veneration And they are the Epistle of BARNABAS the Pastor of HERMAS the Epistle of POLYCARPUS to the Philippians the first Epistle of CLEMENS ROMANUS to the Corinthians and the seven Epistles of IGNATIUS These are generally receiv'd in the Church of Rome and also by most Protestants but those of the Church of England have particularly signaliz'd themselves in their Defence and by publishing the correctest Impressions of them The Ancients paid them the highest Respect and reckon'd the first four of 'em especially as good as any part of the New Testament The Epistle of BARNABAS is by CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS and ORIGEN not only reckon'd genuin but cited as Scripture tho' he says in express Terms That the Apostles before their Conversion were the greatest Sinners in Nature which if believ'd would rob us of an Argument we draw from their Integrity and Simplicity against Infidels to say nothing now of the many other ridiculous Passages in BARNABAS The Pastor or Visions Precepts and Similitudes of HERMAS who is suppos'd to be the Person mention'd by PAUL in his Epistle to the Romans is cited as Canonical Scripture by IRENAEUS CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS ORIGEN and others and was for such receiv'd by several Churches tho' I think it the sillyest Book in the World The Epistle of POLYCARPUS the suppos'd Disciple of St. JOHN was read in the Churches of Asia and is quoted by IRENAEUS EUSEBIUS and others The Epistle of CLEMENS ROMANUS whom they would have to be the same that 's mention'd by PAUL in his Epistle to the Philippians is cited by IRENAEUS CLEMENS ALEXANRINUS ORIGEN EUSEBIUS and others The Epistles of IGNATIUS are quoted by IRENAEUS EUSEBIUS with several more but particularly by ORIGEN who says that in one of 'em he found it very elegantly written That the Virginity of MARY was a Secret to the Devil which Virginity with her Delivery and the Death of our Lord IGNATIUS says were Three famous Mysteries wrought in the Silence of God These Words may be now read in the Epistle of IGNATIUS to the Ephesians Now these are the Books of whose Genuinness and Authority I took the Liberty to doubt notwithstanding the better Opinion which is entertain'd of 'em by others My present Business is not to insist on this Subject but to clear my self of an Imputation which I thought no body could infer from my Words Yet since many were less knowing than I imagin'd tho' Mr. BLACKHALL alone has the Candor of publishing his Weakness to the World I assure 'em all that I alluded to these Books and I hope they will be just enough in allowing me best to explain my own meaning and prove so tender of their own Reputation as to consider well of it before they censure me another time BUT tho' I will not as I said enter now into a particular Discussion of these Writings yet I shall offer one thing to the Consideration of their Defenders Either they really believe the Epistles of BARNABAS and CLEMENS for Example to be theirs or to be supposititious If not theirs there 's a speedy end of the Dispute and I have attain'd my End without more Argumentation But if they think 'em genuin why do they not receive 'em into the Canon of Scriptures since they were the Companions and Fellow laborers of the Apostles as well as St. MARK or St. LUKE If this Quality was sufficient to entitle the two last to Inspiration why should it not do as much for the two first And if this be not all the Reason pray let us know the true one having never heard of any other To say that tho' the Books are authentic yet they ought not to be receiv'd now into the Canon because the Ancients did not think fit to approve 'em is but a mere Evasion For 't is well known that till after EUSEBIUS'S time neither the second Epistle of PETER nor that of JAMES or JUDE with som others were approv'd as Canonical and yet they were afterwards receiv'd by the whole Church Wherefore then may not we as well at this time establish the Epistles of CLEMENS and BARNABAS if they be undoubtedly theirs which I shall be persuaded their Patrons believe when they quote 'em as Scripture and then I know where to have them and how to deal with ' em But of this enough I SAID above that by the spurious Pieces I meant only a great part of the Books which are recited in the Catalogue for others of 'em do not seem to deserve so mean a Rank and I am so far from rejecting all those Books of the New Testament which we now receive that I am rather solicitous lest as in the dark Ages of Popery those we commonly call Apochryphal Books were added to the Bible so at the same time and in as ignorant Ages before several others might be taken away for not suiting all the Opinions of the strongest Party Nor is it unworthy observation that most of these Books are condemn'd by the Decree of Pope GELASIUS How many true and spurious Gospels or Histories of Câ—RIST were extant in St. LUKE's time God knows but that there were sâ—veral may be evidently infer'd from his own Words who tells THâ—OPHâ—LUS that many had undertaken the same Work before him and as if he alluded to som spurious Relations assures him that he 'll write nothing but what he receiv'd from such as had a perfect knowledg of thâ—se Matters from the beginning That there should be first and last but just the number of Four I never heard of any that wâ—nt about to demonstrat except 〈◊〉 the sam'd Successor of the Apostles and he positively affirms that there cannot be more nor fewer than Four Gospels Fo says he there be Four Regions oâ— this World wherein we live with Four principal Winds and the Church is spread over all the Earth But the Support and Foundation of the Church is the Gospel and the Spirit of Life Therefore it must follow that it has Four Pillars blowing Incorruptibility on all sides and giving Life to Men. Then he corroborats his Argument from the Four Cherubims and the Four Faces in EZEâ—Iâ—L's Vision to wit of a Lyon an Ox a Man and an Eagle which is the Reason by the way why the Four Evangelists are painted with these Emblems in the Mass-Book and in our Common Prayâ—r-Book So he concludes at last That they are all vain unlearn'd and impudent who after this would assert that there were more or sewer than 4 Gospels Where we may observe that Mr. BLACKHALL has the Warrant of an ancient Father for giving hard Names to such as contemn precarious Reasoning And indeed it is but too manifest to be dâ—ny'd that no Order of Men have more violated the Rules of Dâ—cency and Civility in their Writings
than those whose Business it is to teach others Moderation Patience and Forgiveness nor was there ever any Cause more defended by the Dint of Calumny than that of Religion which least needed it of any other SEVERAL of these Books whereof I now treat are quoted to prove important Points of the Christian Religion by the most celebrated Fathers as of equal Authority with those we now receive and the Testimony of these Fathers was the principal Reason of establishing these in our present Cannon and is still alledg'd to that purpose by all that write in defence of the Scriptures Of so much weight is this Testimony that EUSEBIUS rejects the Acts Gospel Preaching and Revelation of PETER from being Authentic for no other Reason but because no Ancient or Modern Writer says he has quoted Proofs out of them But herein EUSEBâ—US was mistaken for the contrary appears by the Testimonies maâ—kt in the Catalogue and which any body may compare with the Originals In another place he says That the Gospels of PETER THOMAS MATTHIâ—S and such like with the Acts of ANDREW JOHN and the other Apostles are spurious because no Ecclesiastic Writer from the time of the Apostles down to his own has vouchsaf'd to quote them which is absolutely false of som as we have already shewn So that Mr. BLACKHALL is not the only Man I find who makes his own Reading the Measure of all 〈◊〉 and a Thousand to One but now 〈◊〉 justifies this Practice since he can prove it from Antiquity 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 got the Authority of 〈…〉 Had 〈…〉 Piecâ—s 〈◊〉 by 〈…〉 Orthodox Writâ—â—s he would have own'd them as the genuin Productions of the 〈◊〉 and admitted them as we say into the Canon but having mâ—t no sâ—ch Citations he presently 〈◊〉 there were none which made him reject those Books And I say what I have already 〈◊〉 that Proofs 〈◊〉 quoted out of som of 'em long before so thâ—â— they might still 〈…〉 to the Canon for all 〈◊〉 TO these Considerations two Objections may perhaps be made First It is unlikely theyâ—ll say that EUSEBIUS should not have read the Ancients nay that the contrary appears by his many Citations out of them and that consequently those Works of the Fathers which we have now in our Hands are not the same which were read in his time or that at least they are strangely adulterated and full of Interpolations With all my Heart But then let us not be urg'd by their Authority in other Points no more than in this since in one thing they may as well be altâ—r'd and corrupted as in another and indeed by a common Rulâ— of Equity being found charg'd in som places they ought to be So reputed in all the râ—st till the contrâ—ry be evidently prov'd THE 〈◊〉 Objection 〈◊〉 That altho' 〈…〉 have bin 〈…〉 the Writings of those Apostles whose Names they bear at certain times and in som Churches yet they were expresly rejected by others To this I answer That there is not one single Book in the New Testament which was not refus'd by som of the Ancients as unjustly father'd upon the Apostles and really forg'd by their Adversaries which as no body thinks it now a good Reason to disapprove them so I see not how it should any more conclude against my Opinion But because the various Sects of those early Days did like us condemn one another for damnable Heretics and the admitting or refusing the framing or corrupting of certain Books were som of the Crimes which were mutually imputed I shall nâ—w insist only on the Epistle to the Hebrews that of JAMES the second of PETER the second and third of JOHN the Epistle of JUDE and the Revelation These seven Pieces were a long time plainly doubted by the Ancients particularly by those whom we esteem the soundest part and yet they are receiv'd not without convincing Arguments by the Moderns Now I say by more than a Parity of Reason that the Preaching and Revelation of PETER for Exâ—mple were receiv'd by the Ancients and ought not therefore to be rejected by the Moderns if the Approbation of the Fathers be a proper Recommendation of any Books THE Council of Laodicea which was held about three hundred and sixty Years after CHRIST and is the first Assembly wherein the Canon of Scripture was establisht could not among so great a variety of Books as were then abroad in the World certainly determin which were the true Monuments of the Apostles but either by a particular Revelation from Heaven or by crediting the Testimony of their Ancestors which was always better preserv'd and convey'd by Writing than by Oral Tradition the most uncertain Rule in Nature witness the monstrous Fables of Papists Rabbins Turks and the Eastern Nations both Christians and Idolaters But of any extraordinary Revelation made to this Council we hear not a Word and for the Books I defend I have the same Testimony which is usually alledg'd in the behalf of others However I shall not be too hasty to make a final Decision of this 〈◊〉 with my self least I incur the 〈◊〉 Curse which the Authâ—r of the Revelation pronounces 〈◊〉 such as shall add or take away from that Book Let Mr. BLACKHALL be assur'd that if he must needs have me to be a Heretic I am not unteachable tho' I would not have it reputed Obstinacy if I should not surrrender without satisfactory Reasons Instead therefore of censuring and calumniating which ought not to be reckon'd Virtues in any Order of Men and least of all in the Ministers of the Gospel let such as are better enlighten'd endeavor to extricat the Erroneous out of these or the like Difficulties that they may be able to distinguish truly and that in such an extraordinary number of Books all pretending equally to a Divine Origin they may have som infallible Marks of discerning the proper 〈…〉 they unhappily misâ—â—ke the false one for the true HOW necessary it is to have the Canon of Scripture sâ—t in its due light we may 〈◊〉 from the Ancient as well as our Modern Unbelievers CELSUS exclaims against the too great Liberty which the Christians as if they were drunk says he took of changing the first writing of the Gospel three or four or more times that so they might deny whatever was urg'd against 'em as retracted before Nay as low down as St. AUGUSTIN's time was there not a very considerable Sect of the Christians themselves I mean the Manichaeans who shewed other Scriptures and deny'd the Genuinness of the whole New Testament One of these call'd FAUSTUS after shewing that his Adversaries disapprov'd of several things in the Old Testament thus pursues his Argument You think says he that of all Books in the World the Testament of the Son only could not be corrupted that it alone contains nothing which ought to be disallow'd especially when it appears that it was neither written by himself nor his Apostles but a
seal'd it giving him cautionary Directions how to deliver it which he did on Saturday the 23d of December 1648. for Mr. ROYSTON the Printer to Mr. PEACOCK Brother to Dr. GAUDEN's Steward who after the Impression was finish'd gave him for his Trouble six BOOKS whereof he always kept one by him To these Particulars Dr. WALKER adds that the Reason why the Covenant is more favorably mention'd in Ikon Basilike than the King or any other of his Party would do was because Dr. GAUDEN himself had taken it That in the Devotional part of this Book there occur several Expressions which were habitual to GAUDEN in his Prayers which always in privat and public were conceiv'd or extemporary and that to his Knowledge it was Dr. GAUDEN being best acquainted with the Beauty of his own Sayings who made that Collection of Sentences out of Ikon Basilike intitul'd Apophthegmata Caroliniana These and som Observations about the same individual Persons variation of Stile on different Subjects with the facility and frequency of personating others may be futher consider'd in Dr. WALKERS Original Account In this condition stood the Reputation of this Book till the last and finishing discovery of the Imposture was made after this manner Mr. ARTHUR NORTH a Merchant now living on Tower hill London a Man of good Credit and a Member of the Church of England marry'd the Sister of her that was Wife to the Doctor 's Son CHARLES GAUDEN who dying left som Papers with his Widow among which Mr. NORTH being concern'd about his Sister in Law 's Affairs found a whole Bundle relating to Ikon Basilike These Papers old Mrs. GAUDEN left to her darling Son JOHN and he to his Brother CHARLES There is first a Letter from Secretary NICHOLAS to Dr. GAUDEN 2. The Copy of a Letter from Bishop GAUDEN to Chancellor HYDE where among his other Deserts he pleads that what was don like a King should have a Kinglike Retribution and that his design in it was to comfort and incourage the King's Friends to expose his Enemies and to convert c. There is 3. The Copy of a Letter from the Bishop to the Duke of York wherin he strongly urges his Services 4. A Letter under Chancellor HYDE's own Hand dated the 13th of March 1661. wherein he expresses his uneasiness under the Bishop's importunity and excuses his inability yet to serve him but towards the Conclusion it contains these remarkable Words The Particular you mention has indeed bin imparted to me as a Secret I am sorry I ever knew it and when it ceases to be a Secret it will please none but Mr. MILTON There are other Papers in this Bundle but particularly a long Narrative of Mrs. GAUDEN's own writing irrefragably shewing her Husband to be Author of Ikon Basilike It intirely confirms Dr. WALKER's Account and contains most of the Facts we have hitherto related with many other curious Circumstances too long to be here inserted yet too extraordinary not to be known wherfore I refer the Reader to the Original Paper or to the faithful Extract made out of it before several learned and worthy Persons and which is printed in a Paper intitul'd Truth brought to Light Thus came all the World to be convinc'd of this notorious Imposture which as it was dexterously contriv'd and most cunningly improv'd by a Party whose Interest oblig'd 'em to keep the Secret so it happen'd to be discover'd by very nice and unforeseen Accidents Had not GAUDEN bin disappointed of Winchester he had never pleaded his Merit in this Affair nor would his Wife have written her Narrative had King CHARLES the Second bestow'd one half Years Rent on her after her Husband's decease which upon her Petition and considering her numerous Family none could imagin should be refus'd It was a slighter Accident that begot a a Confession from two Kings and CHARLES's own Sons And I doubt if any other than one of Mr. MILLINGTON's great Curiosity and no Bigotry had the disposal of my Lord ANGLESEY's Books we should never have heard of the Memorandum Had not Dr. HOLLINGWORTH's indiscreet Zeal provok'd the only Man then alive who had any personal knowledg of this Business Dr. WALKER had never publish'd his Account nor would the whole Discovery be so complete without the least Intricacy or Question without Mr. NORTH's Papers THIS is the complete History of Ikon Basilike as it is suppos'd to be a Forgery and we must next proceed to examin the Exceptions made to it as they are collected by Mr. WAGSTAF in his Vindicatiof King CHARLES the Martyr To begin with my Lord ANGLESEY's Memorandum 't is urg'd that it does not particularly express by the Date whether it meant the last Session of Parliament before the writing of it or the last Session of the Year 75. when it is plain that he meant the last or Winter Session and that it was therefore the immediat Session preceding the writing of this Memorandum To say that there is no Witness to it is a very singular sort of Objection when his Lordships Relations and all that have seen this and his other Writings own it to be his Hand It is not likely that there were any Witnesses of the Royal Brother's telling him their Opinion of Icon Basilike Nor is there any thing more common than for learned or great Men to leave such Memorandums in a Book concerning the Author of it when it was a Question or about any other Secret relating to it which they thought they had discover'd and yet 't is a thing unheard till now that they were deny'd to be theirs whose Names they bear because the Day of the Month was not mention'd nor the Names of any Witnesses added when the Hand was confest to be the same with their other Writings Many instances of this kind appear in the Books of Mr. HAMDEN lately sold and whereof I have som to shew as in the Book intitul'd Apollonii Grallae he writes that LANSBERGIUS was the Author of it of whom he there gives a Character IT is no just Exception to this Memorandum that my Lord ANGLESEY did not communicat the Contents of it to any of his Friends or Relations for tho' the Two Royal Brothers imparted the Secret to him it does by no means follow that they intended he should publish it to the World And supposing they did not oblige him to silence yet 't is probable that his Lordship was not very fond of being disturb'd by the Clamors of som Churchmen who carry'd things so high at that time that I do not believe they would pardon such a Discovery to either of the Brothers themselves There was never any poor Prince more notoriously abus'd by many of those he took for his best Friends than CHARLES the First They put him on all those unhappy Measures which prov'd his Ruin in the end And as they made use of his Temper to serve their own Purposes when he was alive so they did of his Name for the same
Reason after his Death They were not concern'd so much for his Honor as their own Interest and having contriv'd this Forgery to carry their Cause they thought themselves afterwards oblig'd to support it Mr. WAGSTAF affirms that there is no presumtion that the Royal Brothers communicated this Affair to any other Person besides my Lord ANGELSEY which is a negative Argument and proves nothing 'T is possible enough that my Lord ANGLESEY himself told of this to others tho' they may be since dead or are not willing to tell it again If the Royal Brothers had spoke of it to no body else it follows not that a Secret was never committed to one because it was not to more as if it were necessary for a Man to call Witnesses that he imparted a Secret to his Friend But we shall presently alledge more than a Presumtion that both King CHARLES the Second and the late King JAMES declar'd thier Opinion to other People besides my Lord ANGLESEY that Icon Basilike was not their Father's Book By such nice Cavils against the Memorandum we can easily judg of the Exceptions we may expect to Dr. WALKER's Account That GAUDEN hop'd o make a Fortune by this Book as well as to promote the Cause of the Church ought by no means to be counted strange for who is it pray that serves the King any more than God for nought Have not most of the Bishops and other Clergymen of those times that either liv'd depriv'd here in England or that accompany'd CHARLES the Second in his Exile pleaded their Loyalty and magnify'd their Services at the Restoration as many others would questionless do if King JAMES should ever return again Were not great Persons employ'd to solicit and make an Interest for them And in a Word are not Divines observ'd to make the same Steps and take the same Measures that all other sorts of Men do to get Preferment I should rather doubt that Dr. GAUDEN was not the Author of this Forgery if he had not expected a Reward for it from CHARLES the Second for 't is certain that the Credit of Icon Basilike contributed more to his Establishment than any other single Motive whatsoever But 't is well known that this Prince was not the kindest in the World to his Father's Friends who would too often forget his own and that it was not the Interest of som People to have this business unravell'd tho' their impolitic Conduct has bin since the occasion of divulging what every body suspected before THE Immorality of this Forgery is urg'd as an Argument against it and if it could by any means hold Water is indeed an Argument worth a Million Then it would clearly follow that because it was a most immoral thing to ly for God and to forge Books Epistles or the like under the Names of CHRIST and his Apostles there were therefore never any such Pieces and that because it was an ill thing to feign Miracles or to destroy Mens Lives for the Advancement of Religion there never was therefore any Priestcraft nor any of these infamous Practices known in the World But if the contrary be as clear as the Day I believe Men might be found that would make as bold with the Name of King CHARLES as others have don with that of King JESUS Mr. WAGSTAF knows tho' Mr. BLACKHALL does not that TERTULLIAN tells us of a certain Presbyter of Asia who when he was accus'd of having forg'd a Book containing the Travels of PAUL and THECLA confest the Fact and alledg'd that he did it for the love of PAUL and I say that Dr. GAUDEN wrote Icon Basilike for the Church's sake the King 's and his own AS for the plausible Accounts given in that Book of the King 's Secret Intentions his particular Trobles his Remorses of Consciences and the like it is very ridiculous to alledge 'em as an Argument of the Genuinness of it when the Book was written for that very end For the Design of the Author was to give such a Color to all the King's Actions and to tell such fine things of his gracious Purposes as would beget a better Opinion of him in the Readers Mind and move his Indignation against the Parliament or Compassion of his Misfortunes But that Dr. GAUDEN has frequently made the King's Thoughts to contradict his Actions is evident to any Man that has both read Icon Basilike and the History of those times And this Subject is thro'ly handled by JOHN MILTON in his Iconoclastes to which I refer those who want Satisfaction BUT there is an Objection still behind and as strong be sure as any of the rest which is that Dr. WALKER did not see Dr. GAUDEN write this Book nor tells us that it was in his own Hand But I believe Mr. WAGSTAF is the only Man living that questions whether Dr. WALKER meant Dr. GAUDEN's own Writing when he says that before the whole was finisht Dr. GAUDEN was pleas'd to acquaint him with his Design and shew him the Heads of diverse Chapters with som of the Discourses written of them and that Mr. GIFFORD transcrib'd a Copy of it This is all that can be said of any Author in the World and if Dr. WALKER had said more expresly or rather superfluously that it was likewise D. GAUDEN's Hand-writing we should then have bin told that it was a Transcript from the King's Copy in the Hands of Mr. SYMMONDS of which more hereafter WE proceed now to those Pieces commonly call'd Mr. NORTH's Papers he being the Discoverer Chancellor HYDE in his Letter to Dr. GAUDEN tells him as was said before That the Particular he mention'd had indeed bin imparted to him as a Secret which he was sorry he ever knew and that when it ceast to be a Secret it would please none but Mr. MILTON Was there no other Secret in the World but this says Mr. WAGSTAF that the divulging of it would gratify Mr. MILTON Yes doubtless but I believe not one that would please none but Mr. MILTON as the Chancellor expresses it For he having particularly question'd the Genuinness of this Book and offer'd a fair Proof of the Spuriousness thereof from intrinsic Evidence only without any further Light would be extreamly pleas'd to find his Reasonings and Judgment confirm'd by undeniable Matters of Fact Nor does any indifferent Person in the World understand this Passage otherwise that weighs Dr. GAUDEN's Pretences with Mr. MILTON's Concern and considers that Mrs. GAUDEN put this and the other Papers relating to Icon Basilike in one Bundle together with her own Narrative for the Information of her Son Besides that all those who ever saw other Writings of the Chancellor own this to be his Hand and particularly his eldest Son the present Farl of CLARENDON as Mr. WAGSTAF himself acknowledges BUT he says That my Lord CLARENDON from whom he had it in a Letter by leave of the King and Queen preparing to attend his Father in France in the beginning
he has seiz'd the Customs without any Act to impower him He never promis'd as King CHARLES did in a Letter to his Queen that he would take away all the Penal Laws against Roman Catholicks as soon as he should be able nor any thing else of this nature For these are only a few Instances not to blacken that Prince but to shew how little som sort of People seem to value his present Majesty for generously restoring the Constitution and for so willingly passing many excellent Laws for enlarging or securing the Liberty of his Subjects as well as for always paying such a Deference to Parliaments which he not only assembles willingly but likewise according to ancient Custom annually In short if King CHARLES the First was the best of Kings the late King JAMES is not half so bad as I think him Nor is there any Doubt if a second Restoration which God and all Freemen forbid should ever happen but that the Abdication-Day would be appointed as a perpetual Fast. What Mr. BLACKHALL thinks of dispensing with the Laws and acting without or contrary to them we may guess when he says That King CHARLES's greatest Enemies could not charge him with any Vice or Immorality as if only Whoring Drinking or Swearing were immoral Practices SINCE this King who truly was not the worst must needs be counted the best of Men I do not much wonder that Mr. LONG of Exeter was for having som Portions of his pretended Book read in the Church for the further enlightning of our Understanding Nor that Dr. PERINCHIFF should tell us in his Life how som purchas'd Chips of the Block on which he was beheaded and Parcels of the Sands discolor'd with his Blood as also som of his Hair Hoping continues he they would be a means of Cure for that Disease which our English Kings through the Indulgence of kind Heaven by their Touch did usually heal And it was reported that these Reliques experienc'd fail'd not of the Effect Now who can laugh at the Popish Legends and be serious when he reads this Passage Wheras if there was â—ver any Power in England of curing the King 's Evil it was plainly lodg'd in the People BEFORE I conclude I must remark that tho his pretended Friends were so ready to father such Books on CHARLES the First wherein he had no Hand yet they industriously left out of his Works a Letter to Pope GREGORY XV whereof I can prove him as evidently to be the Author as CICERO or VIRGIL may be entitul'd to the Philippicks and the Aeneids There is an interpolated Copy of it in the first Volum of RUSHWORTH's Collections It is rightly inserted in the Quarto Edition of a Book call'd Cabala or Mysteries of State It is also in the Italian Mercury of VITTORIO SIRI in Du CHESNE's French History of England Scotland and Ireland and in several Spanish and Italian Authors Pope URBAN VIII mentions it in the Letter which he likewise sent this Prince with another to his Father King JAMES both which may be read in RUSHWORTH's Collections Now was not the omitting of this Letter a notorious Fraud since that it alone with those Letters which the Parliament publish'd to disgrace him and a few Pieces besides make up all his genuin Writings For as to those Messages Propositions Declarations Treaties and other public Papers which fill that bulky Folio they call his Works whoever takes them to be his is likewise capable of believing he was the true Author of Icon Basilike THIS is all I had to write concerning this famous Book not to reflect on the Memory of CHARLES the First but in my own Vindication being a Liberty not deny'd me by Equity or Law and which if I neglected to improve I should be more unjust to my self than my Adversaries whose Malice I shall readily forget and heartily pray God to forgive FINIS Joh. 8. 5. * Dicit Augustinus de Consensu Evangel l. 1. c. 7. quod ipse Dominus niâ—il scripserit ut aliis de illo scribentibus necesse sit credere †Salvator nullum volumen doctrinae sâ—ae proproprium dereliquit quod in plerisque Apochryphorum deliramenta confingunt Hieronym in Commentar ad Ezechielis cap. 44. * Origen contr Cels. l. 5. * Stromat l. 2. 5. Contra Celâ— l. 1. de Princip l. 3. * Advers Haeres l. 4. c. 3 Stromat l. 1. 2. 4. 6. princip l. 1. c. 3. l. 2. c. 1. Homil. 10. in Hos. 〈◊〉 paâ—sim †L. 1. contr Haeres Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l 4. c. 14. Phot. 〈◊〉 126. * Contra Haeres l 3. c. 3. Stromat l 1 4 5 6. De Princip l. 2. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 16 36. l. 4. c. 22 23. †Contra Haeres l. 5. c. 28. Hist. Eccles. l. 2. c. 26. * Homâ—l 6. in Luc. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ep. ad Ephes. Luc. 1. 1 2 3. * 〈…〉 personas Evangelâ—i 〈◊〉 Haeres l. 3. 11. Ezek. 6 6 10. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 3. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 25. * Let the third and twenty first Chapters of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius be consulted with what St. Ierome has written on the same Subject 〈…〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen l. 2 contra Ceâ—◠†Solius hilii pâ—tatis testamentum non potuisse corrumpi solum non habere aliquâ—d quod in se debeaâ— imp obari pâ—aesertim qâ—oâ— nâ—c ab ipso scriptum constat nec ab ejus apostolis sed lonpo post temâ—â—â—e à quibâ—idam inceâ—ti nominis viris qui ne 〈◊〉 non 〈…〉 scribentâ—bus quâ—◠〈…〉 Aposâ—oloâ—um nomina partim eoâ—â—m qu◠〈…〉 Scriptorum suorum 〈…〉 aâ—â—eveâ—anies â—ecundum â—os se scripsisse quae sc ipserint Quo magis mihi videntur injuria gravi affeâ—â—sse discipulos Christi quia quae dissona iidem repugnantia sibi scriberenâ— ea referrent ad ipsos secundum eos haeâ— scribere se promitterentur Evangelia quae tantis â—int reserta erroâ—ibus tantis contrarietatibus narrationum simul aâ—â—â—ntentiarum ut nec sibi proâ—sas necinter se conveniant Quid ergo aliud est quam calumniaâ—i bonos Christi Discipulorum concoâ—dem câ—tum in crimen devocare discordiâ—â— Augustin contra Faust. l. 32. c. 2. * Multa à majoribus vestris eloquiis Domini nostri inâ—erta verba sunt quae 〈◊〉 signata ipsius cum â—jus fâ—de non congrâ—unt 〈◊〉 sertim quia ut jam saepe prâ—batum à nobis 〈◊〉 nec ab ipso haec sunt 〈…〉 sed muâ—â—a post 〈…〉 quibus ipsis inter 〈…〉 judaeis per sama◠〈…〉 Qui tamen omnia eadem in Apostoloâ—um Domini conserentes nomina vel â—orum qui secuâ—i Apostolos viderentur errores ac mendacia sua secundum eos â—escripsisse mentiti sunt Augustin ibid. l. 33. c. 3. * Latitabant usque ad recentiora illa seu Trajâ—ni seu eâ—iam fortasse â—â—driani tempora in
ought not to write his Life at all For what I pray is the principal Part of a Learned Man's Life but the exact History of his Books and Opinions to inform the World about the Occasion of his writing what it contain'd how he perform'd it and with what Consequences or Success I have no Reason from my own second Thoughts the Opinion of better Judges or the Fortune of the â—â—ok to be dissatisfi'd with my Conduct on this Occasion And had this Method as I said before been strictly observ'd we might have more Knowledg and fewer Critics AY but say these Gentlemen you have made an Inroad on our Persuasion and directly attack'd the sacred Majesty of Kings the venerable Order of Bishops the best constituted Church in the World our holy Liturgy and decent Ceremonies the Authority of Councils the Testimony of the Fathers and a hundred other things which we profoundly respect and admire nor are we the only Sufferers for almost all other Sects and Parties have equal Reasons of Complaint against you Well be it so then but good Sirs betake your selves for Reparation to JOHN MILTON or if he is not to be brought to easie Terms defend your Castles and Territories against him with all the Vigor you can For I assure you I am no further concern'd in the Quarrel than to shew you the Enemy and to give a true Account of his Forces And all this if you were of a peaceable Disposition you might learn from these plain Words in the Conclusion of the Life 'T is probable that you as well as I or any other may disapprove of MILTON's Sentiments in several Cases but I 'm sure you are far from being displeas'd to find 'em particulariz'd in the History of his Life For we should have no true Account of Things if Authors related nothing but what they lik'd themselves One Party would never suffer the Lives of TARQUIN or PHALARIS or SYLLA or CAESAR to appear while another would be as ready to suppress those of CICERO of CATO of TRAJAN or BRUTUS But a Historian ought to conceal or disguise nothing and the Reader is to be left to judg of the Vâ—tues he should imitat or the Vices he ought to detest and avoid THIS might serve for a sufficient Answer to all that has bin yet objected to MILTON's Life if any Reply were thought necessary For the trivial and scurrilous Libels of mercenary Fellows I shall never regard they being already sufficiently neglected by the World and making themselves as little by this Practice as any of a more vindictive Temper could desire Besides that to answer 'em in their own Dialect I must first learn to speak it which is absolutely contrary to my Genius and below the Dignity of Human Nature since no body openly approves it even at Billingsgate I shall as little consider the censorious Tongues of certain more Zealous than Religious People who judge of others by their own narrow Schemes and despise all Knowledge in comparison of their privat Imaginations wherein they exceedingly please themselves a Happiness no body envies them Nor should I if that were all think my self concern'd in making any Return to the obliging Complements of those Gentlemen who as Father PAUL formerly said of himself remember me oftner in their Sermons than in their Prayers tho' som of them are apt to say that when they mention Turks Iews Inâ—idels and Heretics they do not forget me But when I am openly accus'd before the greatest Assembly in the World the Representative Body of the People of England let the Charge be never so frivolous in it self or to be slighted on any other Occasion yet such a Respect is due to the Dignity of those to whom it was exhibited that I hold my self oblig'd to convince 'em of my Innocence and to remove all Suspicion far from me of what in its own Nature is acknowledg'd to be Criminal or by them might be reputed Indecent THE Matter of Fact is this On the Thirtieth of Ianuary Mr. OFSPRING BLACKHALL who stiles himself Chaplain in Ordinanary to His Majesty Preacht a Sermon before the Honorable House of Commons wherein after exclaiming against the Author of MILTON's Life for denying Icon Basilike to be the Production of King CHARLES the First he pursues his Accusation in these Terms We may cease to wonder says he that he should have the Boldness without Proof and against Proof to deny the Authority of this Book who is such an Infidel as to doubt and is shameless and impudent enough even in Print and in a Christian Country publicly to affront our Holy Religion by declaring his Doubt that several Pieces under the Name of Christ and his Apostles he must mean those now receiv'd by the whole Christian Church for I know of no other are supposititious tho' thro' the remoteness of those Ages the Death of the Persons concern'd and the decay of other Monuments which might give us true Information the Spuriousness thereof is yet undiscover'd Here is indeed a Charge of a very high Nature I will not say in his own mean Language an impudent and a shameless one tho' if it be not better prov'd I cannot hinder others from calling it what they please or the thing deserves But before I proceed to make Observations on it I shall insert the intire Passage of my Book which he has taken the liberty of abridging and so joining the Words of two widely different Assertions as if they were but one About this little Artifice however I shall make no difference with him for I can easily determin our Controversie without using all the Advantages I might otherwise take AFTER stating the Proofs therefore that Dr. GAUDEN and not King CHARLES was the true Author of Icon Basilike I added a very natural Observation in the following Words When I seriously consider how all this happen'd among our selves within the Compass of Forty Years in a time of great Learning and Politeness when both Parties so narrowly watch'd over one anothers Actions and what a great Revolution in Civil and Religious Affairs was partly occasion'd by the Credit of that Book I cease to wonder any longer how so many supposititious Pieces under the Name of CHRIST his Apostles and other great Persons should be publish'd and approv'd in those Primitive times when it was of so much Importance to have 'em believ'd when the Cheats were too many on all sides for them to reproach one another which yet they often did when Commerce was not near so general as now and the whole Earth entirely over-spread with the Darkness of Superstition I doubt rather the spuriousness of several more such Books is yet undiscover'd thro the remoteness of those Ages the death of the Persons concern'd and the decay of other Monuments which might give us true Information Here then in the first place it is plain that I say a great many spurious Books were early father'd on CHRIST his Apostles and other great Names
long time after by certain obscure Persons who lest no Credit should be given to the Stories they told of what they could not know did prefix to their Writings partly the Names of the Apostles and partly of those who succeeded the Apostles affirming that what they wrote themselves was written by these Wherein they seem to me continues he to have bin the more hainously injurious to the Disciples of Christ by attributing to them what they wrote themselves so dissonant and repugnant and that they pretended to write those Gospels under their Names which are so full of Mistakes of contradictory Relations and Opinions that they are neither coherent with themselves nor consistent with one another What is this therefore but to throw a Calumny on good Men and to fix the Accusation of Discord on the Unanimous Society of CHRIST's Disciples The same FAUSTUS a little after accuses his Adversaries who had Power enough to be counted Orthodox in these express Words Many things were foisted by your Ancestors into the Scriptures of our Lord which tho' mark'd with his Name agree not with his Faith And no wonder since as those of our Party have already frequently prov'd these things were neither written by himself nor his Apostles but several Matters after their Decease were pick'd up from Stories and flying Reports by I know not what Set of Half Iews and these not agreeing among themselves who nevertheless publishing all these Particulars under the Names of the Apostles of the Lord or of those that succeeded them have â—eign'd their own Lyes and Errors to be written according to them Since therefore the Manichaeans rejected the whole New Testament since the Ebionites or Nazarens who were the oldest Christians had a different Copy of St. MATTHEW's Gospel and the Marcionites had a very different one of St. LUKE's since St. JOHN's was attributed to CFRINTHUS all the Epistles of St. PAUL were deny'd by som a different Copy of 'em shewn by others and that the seven Pieces we mention'd before were rejected a long time by all Christians almost with universal Consent it had much more become Mr. BLACKâ—ALL's Profession to appear better acquainted with these things and commendably to spend his time in preventing the Mischievous Inferences which Heretics may draw from hence or to remove the Scruples of doubting but sincere Christians than so publicly to vent his Malice against a Man that never injur'd him and who appears so little to deserve the Imputation of Incredulity that his Fault if it may be does rather consist in believing more Scripture than his Adversaries WHAT need had Mrâ— BLACKHALL to inform that August Assembly how little he knâ—w of the History of the Canon A History of the greatest Importance as well as containing the most curious Enquiries and without an exact Knowledge whereof it is not conceivable that any Man can be sit to convince Gainsayers or to demonstrat the Truth of the Christian Religion which I suppose he will not think fit to deny is one of the principal Duties of a Minister How little soever he knew before he cannot be ignorant any longer that there were a Multitude of other Pieces attributed to CHRIST and his Apostles besides those now receiv'd by the whole Christian Church He might at his Leisure have learnt so much from the Fathers or at least from others that had study'd 'em such as RIVâ—T Father SIMON DUâ—PIN â—ITTGIUS Dr. CAVF ERNâ—STUS GRABIUS who has lately publish'd som of those Fragments at Oxford and several others tho' he has occasionâ—d me to prâ—sent him now with a much larger Catalogue than was publish'd by any of these I could add more not there mentioned and other Authorities for those which are there but I have already don more than enough to prove a thing whereof till the last thirtieth of Ianuary I thought few Lay-men wholly ignorant much less any one of the Clergy Indeed I never thought the History of our Canon so impartially handled or so fully clear'd as a Matter of such great Importance deserves and I despair of Mr. BLACKHALL's giving the World any Satisfaction in their Doubts concerning it But I hope som abler Person of his Order may particularly write on this Subject which if I see neglected also by them I shall think it no Intrusion on their Office to undertake it my self and if I ever write it I promise it shall be the fairest History and the only one of that kind that ever appear'd For I shall lay all the Matters of Fact together in their natural Order without making the least Remark of my own or giving it a Color in favor of any Sect or Opinion leaving all the Word to judge for themselves and to build what they please with those Materials I shall furnish ' em I CONCLUDE this Point with one Observation to shew with what Malice I am treated by some People while others pass with them for the most Orthodox Men in the World who have said infinitly more in plain and direct Words than they could infer with all their Art from a few Expressions of mine and which the most ignorant of my Adversaries could make no more than Insinuation at the worst I talkt of spurious Pieces and have now as well shewn what those Pieces were as put a Distinction between 'em and such as I thought genuin But let us hear what a Person says who were he as much given to the World as many of his Friends would make a more considerable Figure considering his great Services to the National Church and the Respect he reciprocally receives from it I mean the famous DODWELL who alone tho' a Lay-man understands as much of Ecclesiastic History as the Divines of all Churches put together His Words are these The Canonical Writings lay conceal'd in the Coffers of privat Churches or Persons till the later Times of TRAJAN or rather perhaps of ADRIAN so that they could not com to the Knowledg of the whole Church For if they had bin publish'd they wou'd have bin overwhelm'd under such a Multitude as were then of Apocryphal and Supposititious Books that a new Examination and a new Testimony would be necessary to distinguish 'em from these false ones And it is from this New Testimony whereby the genuin Writings of the Apostles were distinguish'd from the spurious Pieces which went under their Names that depends all the Authority which the truly Apostolic Writings have formerly obtain'd or which they have at present in the Catholic Church But this fresh Attestation of the Canon is subject to the same Inconveniencies with those Traditions of the Ancient Persons that I defend and whom IRENAEUS both heard and saw for it is equally distant from the Original and could not be made except by such only as had reacht those remote Times But 't is very certain that before the Period I mention'd of TRAJAN's time the Canon of the Sacred Books was not yet fixt nor any certain number of Books receiv'd