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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62841	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 ..., 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.	Toland, John, 1670-1722.; Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649.; Wagstaffe, Thomas, 1645-1712. Vindication of King Charles the martyr.; Gauden, John, 1605-1662. Eikon basilike, the pourtraicture of His Sacred Maiestie in his solitude and sufferings.; Walker, Anthony, d. 1692. True account of the author of a book entituled Eikon basilike.	1699 (1699)	Wing T1760; ESTC R22638	52,206	178

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 Iu●● and the two JOHNS But in H●RM●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 doubtle●● 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

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 C●RIST were extant in St. LUKE's time God knows but that there were s●veral may be evidently infer'd from his own Words who tells TH●OPH●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 th●se Matters from the beginning That there should be first and last but just the number of Four I never heard of any that w●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 o● 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 EZE●I●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 Pray●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 d●ny'd that no Order of Men have more violated the Rules of D●cency and Civility in their Writings

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 Pi●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 publish●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. Eccl●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 N●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 ●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 Pol●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'd● 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

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 EUSEB●US was mistaken for the contrary appears by the Testimonies ma●kt in the Catalogue and which any body may compare with the Originals In another place he says That the Gospels of PETER THOMAS MATTHI●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 〈…〉 Piec●s 〈◊〉 by 〈…〉 Orthodox Writ●●s he would have own'd them as the genuin Productions of the 〈◊〉 and admitted them as we say into the Canon but having m●t no s●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 th●● they might still 〈…〉 to the Canon for all 〈◊〉 TO these Considerations two Objections may perhaps be made First It is unlikely they●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 alt●r'd and corrupted as in another and indeed by a common Rul● of Equity being found charg'd in som places they ought to be So reputed in all the r●st till the contr●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 n●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 Ex●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 Auth●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 mis●●ke the false one for the true HOW necessary it is to have the Canon of Scripture s●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

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 ●●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 V●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 In●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